of Beades in an Heathenish d Matth. 6.7 Battologie Pharisaically e Matth. 23.14 deuouring Widdowes houses vnder colour of long Prayers So cunningly can they collogue and vnder sheepes clothing hide woluish rauenousnesse For loe both Craft and Crueltie in Papists Craft first in compassing a Nouice seduced to bee a Recusant from our Christian Communion by setting him in the fore-front of some dangerous Schisme such as the f Vid Watsons Quodlibets q. 2. art 6. Iesuits had of late against the Secular Priests to their owne deserued ouerthrow as g Matth. 12.25 an House or Kingdome deuided against it selfe cannot stand for Babels confusion h Gene. 11.11 must bee by diuision secondly in keeping him in the desperate course of Hereticall obstinacie by the iniunction of that exercise which * Vid. Watsons Quodlibets q 3. artic 10. Iesuites haue inuented to the vtter vndoing of many silly soules and simple Gentles who thinking all sooth that such men say set Houses Lands Goods and all yea euen their Alleageance vnto their Soueraigne at sixe and seuen i Catalog test Verit. p. 2. lib. 20 pag. 31. De vitio in vitium de flammâ transit in ignem Crueltie first in bereauing their Disciples of all true vnderstanding k Matth. 23.15 by hiding the key of Knowledge that is l Concil Trid. Sess Clem. 8. in Append. ad 4. in Indice lib. prohibitorum by keeping the Scripture in an vnknowne language forbidding all whatsoeuer Translations into vulgar Tongues and so by necessary consequence the Rhemish Translation whereas m Esay 45.23 Rom. 14.11 Euerie tongue must confesse Christ secondly in captiuating their wils by enforcing vpon their Consciences a consent to their doctrine whatsoeuer it be n Bellar. lib. 1. de Iustifiâ— cap. 7. through implicit faith that so they only may be the men of Learning and Truth whereas CHRIST willeth vs o Iohn 5.39 to search the Scriptures in which we shall not only find Christ but also the Church p August Ep. 166. as Saint Augustine thinketh And therefore seeing the outside seemeth so faire and the inside is so filthie we may conclude of a Popish Rabbie or Doctor as of an vncased Hypocrite q Esay 32.5 The vile person shall be no more called liberall nor the Churle said to bee bountifull For their acts discouer their habit too plainely as appeareth first by their cunning conueyances to compasse wickednesse happily still discouered to their owne confusion as their r Vid vitam R. Elizabethae often defeated Conspiracies against Christian Princes especially the blessed Queene ELIZABETH and our most gracious Å¿ In Powder Treason Lord King IAMES and godly Ministers as t Vid. Act. Monuments Bezam de vit Caluin Master Luther Master Caluin and diuers others doe verifie what Eliphaz said of Gods great working he u Iob 5.12 disappointeth the deuices of the craftie so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize Secondly by their ends and scope well found out to their shame in their euident issues to bee First the maintenance of their pompous pride For why else did the Pope so mainely still resist the Emperour his Soueraigne as sometime to depose him as Hildebrand x Platin. in Gregor 7. did Henrie the Fourth sometimes to treade him vnder his foote as Alexander y H. Mutius lib. 18. rerum Germaniâ— the Third did Fredericke Barbarossa Secondly the embondaging and keeping vnder of all the World as appeareth by their crueltie exercised both against their enemies the godly z Vid. Act. Monuments passâ—m lac Vsserium de Eccles Occidental cap. 8.9 c. Albigenses Waldenses and the faithfull of Reformed Churches which to their power they would vtterly subuert and vpon their friends whom they tye to as great obseruance as Adonibesech a Iudg 1.7 did the seuentie Kings first lamed then fed vnder his table For they cut short their power and iurisdiction b Vid. Breuia Paul 5. ad Anglo-Papistas by their Popes Supremacie and feede c Vid. Missale c. Catechism Vaux c. them with the crummes of superstitious Rites to their small comfort either of soule so vnsettled by diuersitie of opinions or of bodie so brought low by violent and strict vsage Thirdly the fulfilling of their filthy lusts and pleasures too well knowne to the World by their keeping of d Platin. in Alexand 6. Mantuan lib. 3. Calamitatum Ariost in 7. satyr Concubines nourishing of Bastardie vnder the name of Nephewes keeping of Stewes in Rome and other places yea vsing of Ganymeds and Catamits and all such like Sodomitrie whereof their owne Fauourites are the most liuely Witnesses especially Ariosto in his excellent Satyres Wherefore deare Brethren since by this direct application of the marks before giuen to all false teachers and blind guides wee finde that Prouerbe prooued vpon Popish Prelates and Preachers which c Athen. lib. 7. cap 33. Athenaeus hath * Perca sequitur saepiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like will to like as the Deuill said to the Collyer We here for our part haue good cause first to reioyce and prayse our good God for f Reuel 19.2 thus iudging the great Whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornications For g Matth. 4.16 now the people which sate in darknesse seeth great light and to them which sate in the region and shaddow of death Light is risen euen such as many h Math. 13.17 Prophets and righteous Men desired to see and did not see God i Heb. 11.40 in Truth prouiding better things for vs that they without vs should not bee made perfect Secondly to lament the miserable estate of our Brethren in the flesh whose diuisions cannot but bee to euery good man as Reubens was to other Tribes k Iudg. 5.15 great thoughts of heart because this Schisme is not only a weakning of the whole bodie Ecclesiasticall and Politicall in this flourishing Empire but also a most necessarie cause of certaine ruine and vtter vndoing of the parts disioyned be they neuer so strong seeing they are vnperfect by themselues and drawne by Deluders out l Prou. 27.8 of their owne place as a Bird from her nest being in a snare m 2. Tim. 2.26 led captiue by the Deuill at his will Thirdly to endeuour a reconciliation of them to their Mother-Church from whom they are â—ent like vnnaturall Bastards to sucke the brests of the Babylonish Whore For it is the Law of Charitie to pull out of the ditch n Exod. 23.5 a loden Asse such as all those are who o Psal 32.9 haue no vnderstanding being blinded in Poperie and whose mouthes must be held with bit and bridle lest they come neere vs to hurt vs either by secret Trecherie or open Rebellion Therefore as a good Physician first gently prepareth by some moderate Potion before
about their businesse in the after-noone that they may well finish their whole worke intended before the night come so wee men now hyred g Mat. 20.6 into the Vineyard at the eleuenth houre are seriously to endeuour our selues h Phil. 2.12 to worke out our own saluation with feare and trembling before our Master commeth that when we are called we may receiue euery man a pennie as the Prophet plainely warned vs i Iere. 13.16 to giue glorie to the Lord our God before he cause darknesse and before our feete stumble vpon the darkâ— mountaines and while we looke for light hee turne it into the shadow of death and make it grosse darknesse For k Aristot lib. 4. Phys cap. 8. naturall motion is swifter in the end then in the beginning because the neerer it commeth to his proper place wherein it must rest the more it desireth to attaine vnto that place in which it may rest If therefore heauen be our home towards which wee make our iourney thither then must we most swiftly returne the neerer we come vnto the place casting far from vs these worldly lets these fleshly fardels these deuillish deceits which slow our speede in our course for the Crowne as wee may read it plainely practised first by Dauid who said l Psal 119.32 I will runne the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge mine heart Secondly by Zachaeus m Luk. 19.6 who made haste and came downe and receiued Christ ioyfully Thirdly by Saint Paul who n Philip. 3.13.14 forgetting those things which are behinde and reaching foorth to those things which are before pressed toward the marke for the price of the high Calling of God in Christ Iesus fourthly and lastly by all Gods Saints Who o Rom 8.23 waiting for the Adoption euen the Redemption of their bodies follow the good counsell of the Apostle thus aduising them p Heb. 12.1.2 Seeing we also are compassed about with such a cloud of Witnesses let vs lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs runne with patience vnto the Race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith For as Cyprian said well q Cypr. in orat dominicam He that hath renounced the World is greater then the Honours and the Kingdome thereof and therefore hee who dedicateth himselfe to God and his Christ desireth not earthly but heauenly Kingdomes For so must wee be sober and thus now must we watch § IX Watch not in the night only The second vse for Watching in Prayer For Physicians r â—o Ferne. li. 1. Pattilog cap. 17. doe teach that Night-watching weakens the bodies of yong men and Students doe find the heauy hurts of nocturne lucubrations by their sore eyes and dry braines but Watch as well on the day as on the night as well in prosperity as in aduersitie as well in peace as in warfare For the watching hence to bee vrged as a second vse is a spirituall care to bee diligently taken ouer soule and body that we as men aliue from the dead should alwaies Å¿ Rom. 6.13 yeeld our selues vnto God not any way giuing our members to be weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sin but alwaies to bee instruments of righteousnesse vnto God first watching ouer our hearts against euill thoughts since from our hearts proceed t Prou. 4.23 the actions of life Secondly ouer our eyes that wee u Iob. 31.1 thinke not of a Maide Thirdly ouer our mouthes that x Psal 39.1 wee offend not in our tongue Fourthly ouer our feet especially when y Eccles 4.17 wee enter into the House of God Fifthly ouer our hands that z 1. Tim. 5.21 we lay them not suddenly vpon any man lest we be partakers of other mens sinnes Sixthly and lastly ouer all our waies that We a Gene. 17.1 walke before God and bee vpright and that we b Rom. 12.17 prouide things honest in the sight of all men For c Reue. 16.15 blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walke naked and they see his filthinesse Some saith Saint d August Ep. 80. quae ad Hesych AVGVSTINE watch and pray because the Lord will come quickly others because life is short and vncertaine a third sort for that they know not when the Lord himselfe will come and these are alwaies to bee thought the best watchers because they seeme especially to respect that Commandement of Christ saying e Mark 13.35 Watch ye for yee know not when the Master of the house commeth c. and for that they well consider the manifold dangers of this last time wherein first the World as an old rotten house is ready to fall for f 1. Cor. 7.31 the fashion of this World passeth away secondly the Inhabitants thereof are as those in the old World g Gene. 6.4 mightie men to wit in mischiefe and men of renowne to wit in Deuillish and Machiauillian policie for want of the true loue of God as our Sauiour said because h Mat. 24.12 iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shal wax cold thirdly the Deuill hauing i Reue. 12.7 but a short time rageth more and more both by inward temptations by which hee k Ephes 2.2 worketh mightily in the children of disobedience and by outward assaults made very many wayes First by himselfe who as l 1. Pet. 5.8 a roring Lion walketh about seeking whom hee may deuoure and then by his ministers euen a cursed crue of wicked Antichrists who must raigne in these last times So that as in the m Veget. lib. 3. de re Milit. ca. 8. in illum Godes Stewich Military discipline of ancient Romanes their Watches were so set and disposed in their Castris Tents or standing Garrisons as that in the first Watch All in the second their Tyrones Fresh-water-souldiers in the third Viriliores their men of full strength in the fourth and last and the most dangerous Veterani their tryed men stood at the glasse all in their place with such circumspection that if any had slept he was beaten in the morning by all the whole Band with Clubs and Stones euen to the death if hee could not by his speedinesse make a quicke escape so now GOD hath ordained that howsoeuer in the former times of the Church of God the faithfull did watch but as yonglings or in their fresh strength wherein they grew and flourished for almost sixe hundred yeeres together immediately after Christ now in this last Age and most perillous times wherein our foes are euery houre ready to surprize if not to surcharge vs We should stand on the Watch-towres as Old-beaten-souldiers of tryed experience like Caleb who n Iosh 14.11 in Canaan was as fit for Warre or Gouernment as hee had beene fortie yeeres before when Moses first sent him to spie out the Land For
as their great zeale in embracing and maintayning wil-worship did euidently demonstrate Thirdly that at the time of their death they of their owne meere good will for the settling of their troubled consciences in the sweet repose of the peace of God abiured renounced all those proud points of puffing vp Doctrine concerning the strength of mans free-will and the validitie of mans merit and the corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament and the helpe of other mens Suffrages after death with other such like onely then resting and relying themselues vpon the sole merite of Iesus Christ as I could instance in very many of them but that I am eased of this labour by n Illyric Catal. test verit tom 1. soll Illyricus first gathering o S. Gowlart tom 3. art 4. Gowlartius well marshalling into their seuerall Ranks and Orders the witnesses of truth liuing and dying before the dayes of Martin Luther Yet can I not omit the most liuely obedience oâ— these two in their times reputed for great Men the former is S. Bernard who while he liued in the middest of darknesse about the yeere p Bellar. Chronolog of our Lord one thousand one hundred and fortie was a principall Patron of many Superstitions imposed to the simple vpon the pretence of meriting heauen which carnall conceit hee at the very point of death thus plainely confuted when hee humbly beseeched the hearty prayers of his Brother Arnaldus q Lib. 5. de vit S. Bernard cap. 2. in tom 2. Oper. Be carefull to strengthen by your prayers me the very heele calcaneum or lowest member of the body of Christ voyd of all merits that hee who lyeth in waite may not finde where to fasten his tooth and to inflict a wound the latter is Doctor r Fox Martyrolog pag. 1238. Redman a good man in his time and a great Scholler who albeit in his former dayes hee politikely tooke part with the Popish side yet vpon his death-bed hee freely renounced his former tenents concerning the Reall bodily presence and Purgatorie and Iustification by Works and such other like For so strong is Truth that although some Politikes may smother it in their life time yet at the houre of their death it will breake forth either vnto comfort vpon their true repentance as it well appeareth in the former good examples or else vnto condemnation through the torment of conscience arising vpon their retchlesse resistance made against a known truth whose strength is such as compelleth them in spite of their proud hearts to yeeld an assent to that veritie which before they wilfully oppugned against their conscience euen as we read of that proud Beast Å¿ Fox Martyrolog pag. 1623. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who vpon his death-bed hearing Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester speake of free Iustification in the bloud of Christ our Sauiour sayd What my Lord will you open that gappe now then farewell altogether To me and such others in my case you may speake it but open this window vnto the people then farewell altogether t Prou. 19.21 There are many deuices in a mans heart neuerthelesse the Counsell of the Lord it shall stand For God neuer wanted a Witnesse of his Truth but eyther a Friend to his owne saluation or an Enemie against his will confessed the same to his owne condemnation the Gospell being then as now and euer to some u 2. Cor. 2.16 the sauour of life vnto life to others the sauour of death vnto death How our fore-Fathers stood towards God in these darke dayes of Antichrist we are not to iudge peremptorily x Rom. 14.5 they standing or falling vnto their owne Masters But yet if they did as truely beleeue as they pithily penned their true confession of their faith in God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost if they did as heartily pray as they powerfully prepared themselues thereunto especially vpon their Death-bed according to the rules of comfort y In Manuali Catholicorum edit â— Guil. Crashaw in 16. Ann. Dom. 1611 ascribed to Anselmus and Iohn Gerson then surely we cannot but deeme so well of them as z Mal. 2.15 of shining lights in the middest of a crooked and peruerse Nation wherein they liued as a Gene. 12.14 Abraham in Aegypt b Gene. 19.6 LOT in Sodome c Psal 120.5 DAVID in Meshec the d 1. Reg. 19.13 seuen thousand in Israel and e Reuel 7.3 the sealed Saints in the middest of the earth from whom the Papists can haue no more allowance then the wicked f Ioh. 4.12 Samaritanes could finde from their pretended Father Iacob since if our fore-Fathers had seene but halfe so much of the Popish tyrannie superstition and abominations they would haue abhorred them with faire greater detestation then euer we haue yet done albeit we see them as openly manifested as the g Esay 3.7 The Conclusion applicatorie sinnes of Sodome And therefore now it is our onely duty to supply their defect in knowledge by a better zeale in practice for the rooting out and expulsion of Pope and Papists Generall to all if not out of our Country wherein they bee inuolued as Moths yet out of our conceits as men of a most massacring minde declared by their Powder-plot no way to bee pittied or approued of vs whose vtter subuersion and ruine they seeke as the h Psal 137.6 children of Edom cryed against Hierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground For is it not a Law made against the worshippers of any strange god that i Deut. 13.8.9 we must not consent to them neyther let our eyes pitie them Is it not a practice ratified by DAVID k Psal 139.21 to hate them that hate God as if they were our enemies And is it not the Rule of Christs Gospell l Math. 12.30 that he who is not with vs is against vs and he that gathereth not with Christ scattereth Experience doth teach vs that as Nettles doe not sting vs but vpon a light touch onely so euils increase not but vpon forbearance according to that axiome giuen by S. AMBROSE m Ambros Ser. 8. in Psal 119. Facilitas veniae incentiuum tribuit delinquenti Easinesse of pardoning giueth encouragement to Offenders So that seeing it is most certaine that n Prou. 20.8 a King and so any other Magistrate that ruleth vnder him sitting vpon the Throne of Iustice chaseth away all euill with his eyes because as he o Psal 101.8 is carefull to cut off from the Citie of God the workers of iniquitie so the wicked in the p Prou. 28.1 guiltinesse of their consciences will slye from the face of good Iustice which as the q Prou. 25.23 Northren winde the raine so scattereth abroad the backbiting tongue and since vpon the bad behauiour of these wicked wights many good and wholsome Lawes to restraine their pride and represse their