Heretikes from whence that tryall of spirites which Saint Iohn commaundeth to all his children is had From hence that spirice of discretion and iudgement 1. Cor. 3. whereof all the seruaunts of God in some measure are partakers appeareth He that is spiritual saith the Apostle iudgeth all things and now all Christians are spirituall For they which haue not the spirite of Christ are none of his And all the sonnes of God are led with the spirite of God And they all by this holy bonde are knitte to their heade Iesus Christ And therefore the holy Ghost is called the bonde of peace They all can discerne light from darkenesse Christ from Belyall They are not without sence without spirite fleshly not hauing the spirit as are those false Prophets whereof S. Iude prophesieth as are those Idolaters of whom Dauid sayth Their Idols and grauen Images are without sence vnderstanding and so are they that made them and so are all they that put their trust in them And surely such was the insensiblenesse of many Idolaters in times past they were as voyde of true sence of God euen as the Image which they worshipped But the true Christians all haue hereof a féeling and vnderstanding and they must vse their sences they must trie their féeling they must vse their discretion The Lorde hath not giuen them these his graces in vaine What this varietie of iudgements and opinions doth onely beautifie the Church of God Hereof was the great glorie and beautie of Moyses Tabernacle of the diuersitie of oblations of the variety which euery one offred If they had all brought things of one kinde it had not béene so glorious and pleasant to the eyes Hereof when as they all agréed in the manner of their offering in this one thing that they offered willingly and fréely as for the matter not onely golde and siluer but also brasse not onely blew and purple but also scarlet not onely linnen and fine silke but also Goates haire were accepted and receiued All these being aptly ioyned together according to that forme which Moises sawe in the Mount did giue great glorie and beautie to this Tabernacle Salomons temple also contayned in it diuerse furnitures of nature diuerse functions and helpes of arte And hereof was the glorie of it contayned Ephes 4. what also meaneth that méeting of all men in vnitie of faith in the Church of Christ but the diuerse wayes and diuerse iudgements of many What meaneth this prophesyings of two or thrée in the Church and congregation and the iudgement of the rest but diuerse senses and sentences of holy Scripture what meaneth that prophesying or interpretation of scripture according to the Analogie of faith which Saint Paule maketh mention of 12. Rom. But that there is a certaine compasse of discenting varying in the Church of God so that it be within the boundes What meaneth that mariage garmentes of the Church her selfe 45. Psalme which Salomons wife no doubt did shadowe out vnto vs. The Quéene stoode on the right hande in a vesture of golde wrought about with diuerse colours and what meaneth that néedle worke that followeth all the glorie of the kinges daughter is within In a vesture of golde wrought with néedle worke shall shee be brought vnto the king What I say meane all these varieties all these diuersities all these néedle workes but wholely a diuersitie of iudgementes and as it were the soft stinginges of Bées one towardes an other which make the Lordes honny And yet al this without death without destruction without damnation Therefore in vaine crie our aduersaries and vrge this as Hercules dart Luther and Caluine do dissent concerning the Lordes Supper Therefore if Luther bee saued Caluine is damned Therefore in vaine doe many whisper this into the eares of the simple people they striue amongest them selues and that very bitterly of certaine rites and ceremonies of the Church of abuses of Ecclesiasticall matters of the garment of this Quéene Therefore their religion is nought and no credite is to be giuen to their Sermons therefore there is no trueth amongest them For say they there is but one trueth and that simple and peaceable In déede to confesse the trueth they striue of the vesture of the Quéene that is to saye of Sacrifices and Ceremonies but not of the life of faith they quarrell amongest them selues in déede of the building vppon of golde and siluer and precious stones but not of the foundation of Iesus Christ For truely besides faith in Iesus Christ all the other pointes of our religion are but the garmentes ornamentes exercises iewelles badges fruites companions waiting maydes of this our mother of true religion Not her substance not her life not her saluation And therefore first of all as concerning faith onely sayeth our Prophet Habakuck The iust shall liue by faith and the same saying the Apostle Saint Paule repeateth often after him The first to the Romaines the seuentéenth verse and the third Chapter to the Galathians and the tenth to the Hebrewes as an vndoubted trueth without any addition of workes or any thing else And our Sauiour Christ him selfe teacheth vs the same thing Hée that beléeueth in me though he were dead shall liue And hee that beléeueth not shall bée damned And also the Apostle Saint Iohn Hee that hath the sonne hath life But as concerning Sacramentes the Apostle Paule to the Galathians sayth as manie as are Baptised haue put on Iesus Christ And of good workes the same Apostle sayeth to the Collossians Put vpon you as the elect of GOD bowelles of mercie c. And to the Hebrewes of the same he sayth But wee hope better of you and thinges accompanying saluation Therefore workes accompanie saluation they are not saluation it selfe And godlinesse hee calleth the beste exercise and circumcision a seale of righteousnesse These names doe declare the nature of all these Then truth in déede is but one but as long as shée is here on earth shee is not without a veale without a mufler If truth were so easie to be mette withall then all labour of séeking of searching of studying was but in vaine If eyther the Church it selfe at anie time could embrace trueth in her perfect age absolute in all respectes then there should bee no increase of knowledge as long as we liue here in this worlde The which growing in knowledge that it should be in vs all the Apostles Peter and Paule doo verie earnestly exhort and commande If the millitant Church heere on earth coulde clyme vp to the highest degrée of knowledge then in vaine were that perfection in knowledge and not proper to the triumphant Church in heauen But as yet the Scriptures are to be searched of vs day and night besides the light which the fathers haue left vs They are written for our further learning and instruction As the Church of the Israelites had many mansions and going forwardes euen till it came to the boundes of the lande
An Apologie or Defence of our dayes against the vaine murmurings complaints of manie Wherein is plainly proued that our dayes are more happie blessed than the dayes of our forefathers In the latter dayes I will powre out my spirite on all flesh Ioel. 2. In the Euening it shal be light Zachar. 14.7.8.9 The Gospell shal be preached through all the world for a witnesse vnto all Nations and then shall the ende come Math. 24. LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1589. To the right worshipfull Sir Anthonie Thorrold Knight and to the vertuous Ladie Anne Thorrold his wife Francis Trigge wisheth this yeare with manie others prosperous ioyfull in this world in the world to come life euerlasting BEeing prouoked right worshipfull by your manifold curtesies at all times shewed to my mother mee Lest I should seeme ingratefull which of all sinnes both towardes God and amongest men I accompt the greatest I was euen enforced to shewe my selfe thankfull vnto your worships And whereas at this time euerie one doe not onely in wordes but also in deedes with their presents gifts shewe some signe and token of this their thankefulnes Euen so I also out of my simple garden haue chosen a handfull of Flowers as it were a Nosegay the best present I could get to offer vnto you In the which although some of the flowers perchaunce shal seeme rough and to haue some prickes yet I trust as the Gilliflower and the Rose they smell sweete that is taste of trueth being grounded on the vndoubted trueth of Gods worde The which I haue intituled A defence of our daies against the murmurings and complaints of manie Then the which murmuring and complaining we haue no one sinne amongst vs more common nor anie one more odious to the Maiestie of God which stoppes his blessings from vs yearely in my iudgement pulles his heauie wrath and plagues vpon vs For amongst the old Israelites after their departure out of Egypt Exod. 16. this sinne was almost continuall and daily among them they were neuer content they still found fault with somthing They either lacked water or victuals or Quailes or their enimies were too mightie for them or Moses Aaron tooke too much vpon them And by this meanes those 40 yeares they angred the Lord and prouoked the holie one of Israel as saieth the Psalmist And S. Paul by their examples giues vs a lesson 1. Cor. 10. Be not murmurers saith he as some of them were and were destroyed of the destroyer Thus to murmure or complaine we accompt but a small thing almost no sin at all But behold it is a deadlie sinne it bringeth death vnnaturall vntimelie euen of the destroyer And surelie I feare mee this one thing hath caused the vntimelie deathes of manie of our riche men this last yeare When as God had sent them plentie of corne yet they were not content they would hurd vp their old They would saie it wil be deare still nay they would deuise how to make it deare They would complaine of much strawe little corne and so no doubt they angred the Lorde God with these hurdings vp murmurings and euen shortened their owne daies For we are all taught this generall lesson by our doctor master S. Paul 1. Thess 5. Phil. 2. In all things giue thanks And againe do al things without murmurings reasonings And Dauid shewes vs the talke speaches of Gods seruants They saie alwaies the Lord be praised And S. Paul himselfe not onlie by word of mouth but by his own example teacheth vs this lesson who going vp to Ierusalem and as he went by the waie certaine Prophets tolde him that of a trueth he would be hardlie welcomed thither that he should be bound imprisoned who neuer grudged at such hard tydings but ioyfullie aunswered The Lords wil be done Ecclesiasticus 39. ver 13. I am not readie to be bound but to die for the Lord Iesus And Ecclesiasticus giueth vs this counsel Hearken vnto me O ye holie children bring foorth fruite as the Rose that is planted by the brookes of the field and giue you a sweet smel as incense brings forth flowers as the Lylie giue a smell sing a song of praise Blesse the Lord in al his works This is a sweet rose vnto the Lord euen at Christyd This is the sweete frankinsence that the Lord delightes in This is the pure white Lyllye flower And none may saye what is this wherefore is that At all times conuenient they shall al be sought out We shall one day perceiue that all the workes of God euen our great fluddes our yll seede forrowes our great windes our weete haruestes shall tende to the saluation of our soules though they diminish the gaine of our purses Therefore let vs not saie Oh what a weather is this Oh what a haruest is this But rather the Lord be praised who sendeth this The booke of the wisedom of Salomon in the first Chapter teacheth vs the same lesson as a chiefe and principall point of wisedome The eare of Ielousie heareth all thinges and the noise of the grudgings shall not be hidden Therefore beware of murmuring which profiteth or auaileth nothing See what great reasons Salomon alledgeth that wee should beware of this murmuring He compares God to an earnest louer which cannot abide his giftes his tokens to be founde fault withall The Lord markes our words gestures when he sends vs raine windes faire weather how we take these his tokens He tryes vs whether we loue him or not If we frowne when we receiue them it is a signe wee loue him not perfectly in deede A true and a faithfull louer will receiue anie thing and that cheerefully at his louers handes So ought wee to doe at Gods handes Secondly all our murmurings and complainings auaile nothing they make the weather neuer the better therefore they are in vaine Beware therefore of vaine murmuring and complaining The Lorde when as wee our selues deserue to be drowned with the olde worlde for despising not Noah the eight preacher of righteousnes but euē eight score He drownes our Haye our pastures when as we our selues deserued to be destroyed with those same couetous Gergesites For despising his Gospel making light account of it He killes destroyes but our swine He rottes our sheepe When as the Axe being laid long agoe to the roote of the tree by manie Iohn Baptists who preach vnto vs euen his verie commission preaching Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand And we waxing euery yere worse and worse deserue quite to be cut downe he doth by his sharpe windes of warres taxes but pluck of our leaues pinch our purses And shal we complaine or not rather commend extoll this great goodnes of our God and finde fault with our selues and say with Dauid in the like case being plagued for numbring the people Loe it is
The Lorde be praised for that his excellent gift which so well disposed the heartes of a great manye our countrie townes and villages sent their contributions and collections to our Cities Our gentlemen some of them sent waynes loaden with corne of their owne to the markets to be solde onely to the poore and that by a smaller price than the common rate was Others which had not so good store of their owne bought corne in the market that they might helpe to supplye the wantes of their poore neighbours at home which stoode in need and that also by an indifferent price Such buyers and sellers our Lincolne shire and other shires adioyning famous gentlemen worthie of eternall memorie had in that harde time Then it was woorth God haue mercie to helpe the poore Then it was acceptable to the Lorde Then it was thanke worthie when all thinges were deare scarce and harde to be gotten Here was tryall of mercie here was commendation of liberalitie Here the poore widdowes myte in the Gospell and the little barrell of Oyle and flower of the widdowe of Sarepta shined and came againe into the world These men gaue more in this penurie and euen of their owne scarcitie and want than all these Monkes of their aboundance and great superfluitie neither of that yeare onely but of euerye yeare the same nowe may truely be pronounced The earth nowe waxeth olde and barren it doeth not giue his increase as vnder that blacke horse in the sixth Chapter of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn When all things were plentifull Apoc. 6. when it was in his flourishing youth his vertue his strength his force nowe decayeth And as the decaying vading and death of olde men is sudden euen so is it of the worlde it selfe of the earth and of the Heauens nowe they all waxe olde as doeth a garment and are chaunged suddenly from their olde glorie fruitfulnesse and fertilitie Wherefore these yeares next going before our husband-men haue not reaped so great plentie of corne as they were wont to doe And yet we all must needes confesse the number of poore to increase Wherefore our liberalitie is of a morsell with Iob not of a Barne stuffed full for many yeares Iob. 31 17. of the Widowes myte not of thousand thousandes of Munkish reuenues of the little Oyle of the Widowe of Sareptha not of the superfluitie of the Pharistes And in this great scarcitie and dearth of all thinges in the frosen charitie of a great manye no man perished for hunger No man dyed for want as wee haue read in their Histories manye haue done in that bountifull and liberall kingdome which they commende so highly In Englande here in the dayes of king Henry the sixth there was such a dearth that some were compelled to make bread of Beanes and bracking or Fearne rootes which cast manye their liues In the latter ende of Queene Marie her raigne in that great dearth which was then as I haue heard manye of the poore had perished for hunger if the funeralles of the riche had not reléeued them better than their almes or giftes And as I haue hearde the Acornes that they did eate then killed manye for all that But amongest vs this I can truely report that I heard saye verie many were not ashamed to confesse that they coulde gett more by begging from dore to dore weekely than they coulde yearne by working for wages continually The Lorde doeth so open the heartes of his secrete ones that his poore shoulde be releeued that his Gospell shoulde be fruitefull euen nowe also as in the dayes of the Apostles And that his name should be glorified But in the former cheapenesse of all thinges in their great plentie and in not so great number of pouertie What was it to giue their bread and cheese for they seldome gaue money and such like And such were those dayes they themselues being witnesses But to returne to our Monasteries againe It is pittie saith one that the houses were pulled downe the houses might haue stande the abuses might haue beene taken awaye But whosoeuer speaketh thus they speake vnaduisedly for they open their mouth against the Lorde The pulling downe the defacing the sacking of these houses was the Lords doing It was not the power of anye Prince of any mortall man These men were famous sinners against the Lorde as were the men of Sodomah and their sinnes as it were heaped one vppon another reached euen vp to Heauen although they were perchaunce to them selues and their neighbours bountifull and beneficiall The sinnes of Sodomah raigned amongest them Such sinnes Ezechiell describeth vnto vs that is to saye Pryde Idlenesse Ezech. 16. fulnesse of breade and vnmercifulnesse In so much that the fatnesse and haughtinesse and idlenesse of Monkes came into a Prouerbe amongest all men In so much that idle persons were called Abbey lubbers fatt men were saide to haue Abbots faces But there was greater sinnes than these amongest them Idolatrie the first sinne in the tenth commaundement Blasphemie of the name of God the next sinne also by their vaine rash othes by things of no value as by the Mouse foote and such like which they counted no sinne yea the thirde sinne also was amongst them the breaking and prophaning of the Lords Sabaoth whose obseruation and keeping is chiefely in preaching and hearing the worde of God As our Lorde Iesus himselfe being here on earth taught vs to keepe it Hee preached euery Sabaoth daye Luke 4. Luke 4. v. 16. For so he spent his Sabaothes In doing good to our neighbours not in idlenesse of the bodie as the Pharisies taught not in singing Odes Himnes without vnderstanding as they were wont What shal we recken vp here their other sinnes beside these There was one amongest them notable and deadly sinne as they terme it and chiefe of all other both against God and against man which truely they shall neuer wash away with any sacrifice And that is this that vnder shewe of holines for couetousnes of gaine they seduced the people teaching a false way of saluation they threwe headlong as much as in them lay into hell euen thousands of soules without the great mercie of God Through couetousnes making merchandise of men as S. Peter sayeth 2. Pet. 7. and selling soules as saith S. Iohn This selling of saluation of Masses of pardons shall condemne the couetous deceiuers before the Lorde If they had giuen these freely perchaunce their simplicitie might haue made a place of pardon for them but now their couetousnes must needes be condemned Should God haue let these remaine Nay should he suffer their houses to stand Their crye now euen as of Sodome was great and had ascended into the eares of the Lord of hostes They were sinners against him though they seemed simple and beneficiall to others Although what liberalitie I pray you call you this To fill the bellie and to kill the soule Such surely was