qui misit me Patris He that looueth me not keepeth not my words and the word which ye heare is not mine but the fathers which sēt me If we wyll be contented with the scriptures onely and goe no farther we shall receyue great benefite thereby The blinde shall see the deafe shall heare the dumbe shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shall be whole the dead shall reuine The embracing of the worde of GOD hath made many Papistes The inestimable benefite that proceedeth by the word of God good Christians many persecutours holy Martyrs many proude men humble many couetous mysers lyberall many cruell tyrantes mercifull fauourers many faithlesse faithfull many filthy fornicatours chaste many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slaunderers speakers of the trueth many backbiters penitent many slouthfull and drousie vigilant watchfull many fearefull bolde yea and contempners of Phalaris Bull many Saules many Paules many chyldren of darknesse the chyldren of lyght God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hande by faith we giue to God our hand and the Sacramentes are as a thirde hand which confirme and establish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne this most precious word offereth you righteousnesse in Christe if you feare death it offereth lyfe if you feare the fire of hell it offereth the ioyes of heauen And bréeflie you haue in this word whence you may take bothe in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation bothe of body and soule euerlastinglie The word of God is water to refreshe vs and wine to chéere vs The vvorde of God is the vvhole direction of a mans life it is bread to strengthen vs and Manna to nourishe vs it is a treasure to enritch vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a leauen to heate vs and salte to powder vs it is a sword to defend vs and a fire to purge vs it is a salue to heale vs and a lantorne to guide vs it it is a Trumpet to call vs and wisedome to instruct vs a way to dyrect vs and lyfe to reuiue vs. But alas we are so farre from labouring for this worde of God that wheras lyke good husband men we should labour and digge in the féeld and sell all that we haue to buie that féelde whereas lyke wise merchant men we should labour and séeke for good pearles and sell all that we haue to buie that pearle of great prise We sayth Saint Mathew 7. lyke dogs refuse holy things offered we turne about and teare them that doo offer them We lyke swine treade pearles vnder our feete and doo account this pearle this holy thing the worde of lyfe to be vnto vs a ring of golde in a swines snowte For doo the Papistes delight to heare Gods worde beholde yet they are lyke the deafe Adder which stoppeth her eares at the voice of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisclie Doo they looue the bringers of this word beholde yet there is in England an Adders broode a generation of Vipers If we haue more regard in the sayinges of the Papistes and put more confidence in theyr wordes then in the Scriptures howe can we without spéedie repentance but looke for the terrible stroke of vengeaunce God sayth Valerius Maximus hath feete of wooll hee commeth slowlie to punish but he hath handes of yron when he commeth he striketh sore Phillip king of Macedonia hearing of one in his kingdome which refused most vnthankfully to receaue a straunger of whome before he had béene succoured in shyp-wracke in extréeme néede For a woorthy punishment caused to be printed in his forehead with an whotte yron these wordes Ingratus Hospes An vnthankfull Guest So we by refusing his worde may we not thinke our selues woorthy of many whot yrons to print our vnthankfulnes to our shame Thus much for this part ¶ Of auricular Confession THus much you haue heard déerely belooued touching the sufficiencie of the worde of God I haue prooued the sufficiencie thereof bothe by the testimonies of the Scriptures as also with the aucthority of the Doctors Nowe I meane God wylling to confute auricular Confession bothe by Scriptures Doctors and Reasons The Papistes are not ashamed to say and write that it is needefull for all men and women and that it is necessarie for all that are come to the yéeres of discretion to confesse to theyr ghostlie Father maister popishe Préest whatsoeuer sinnes they haue committed If they refuse so to doo our holie Father the Pope wyll hang them in a Rope or send them to hell in ringing Papa Ioannas Bell. If they could prooue by the Scriptures auricular Confession to be lawfull and necessarie to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes then is it tollerable yea and commendable in respect of obedience to the worde of God to vse auricular Confession But if Scriptures thereof make no mention at all but rather disprooue such whispering of sinnes in the eares of doltishe Préestes I take such auricular Confession to be fonde foolishe and daungerous Doost thou reade O Christian man that euer the Patriarches were woont to confesse their perticular sinnes to Préestes as the Papistes doo at this tyme dyd the Prophetes vse such auricular Confession or did the Apostles or dyd the Disciples or dyd any of the Saintes of the primatiue Church reueale in secreate wise theyr particular faultes to any Confessour or to any Préest I reade of none If then the Patriarches the Prophetes In the Primatiue Church no confession euer heard of the Apostles the Disciples of Christe the holy Saintes of the Primatiue Church neuer vsed any auricular Confession why then should wée what example haue we to followe what commaundement is there giuen vnto vs to confesse our sinnes before the Préest what lawe dooth charge vs to recken vp all our sinnes Is not sinne forgiuen but vpon condition that there be an intent conceyued to confesse it where they bable that there remayneth no entrie into Paradise if occasion of confession be neglected Must all sinnes be reckened vp but Dauid as it is written Psalm 19.13 who as I thinke had well studied vpon the confession of his sinnes yet cryed out Who shall vnderstand my errors Lord cleanse mee from my secrete sinnes And in an other place Psalm 28.15 My iniquities haue passed abooue my head and lyke a weightie burden haue waxed heauy abooue my strength Truely he vnderstoode howe great was the bottomlesse depth of our sinnes howe many were the sortes of our mischéeuous dooinges howe many heads this monster Hydra dyd beare and howe long a tayle shée drewe after her Therefore he went not about to recken vp a register of them but out of the depth of euyls he cryed vnto the Lord I am ouerwhelmed I am buried and choaked the gates of hell haue compassed me let thy hand drawe me out which am drowned in the great pitte and am faynting and ready to die Who now may thinke vpon the
to beléefe for they haue left scarse any sence or memorie of the true members of Christes Church If we beléeue the Romaine Church to be The holie Catholique Church The Scriptures are against vs theyr owne Doctours are against vs and the definition of the word Church is against vs. Shall we beléeue the building of Saint Peters Church to be our holie Mother the Church Beléeue it who that will and I assure him that he hath not the true Church on his side nor the Gospell to excuse him Séeke for this Church whereof Christe is head and not the Pope in this Church haue we lybertie not to doo euyll but to doo good The Churth of Roome bringeth to our lyfe myserable bondage Whyles we are in the Church of Christe wée hope for the promises of lyfe euerlasting but whyles wée stande in the Churche of Roome wée stande in feare and terrour of eternall condempnation to come vppon vs for our sinnes in the day of death Through Christe who is the head of this true Churche wée sée our sinnes purged the Deuill vanquished death and condempnation abolished and our selues in the lybertie of the chyldren of God to crie Abba Father Thus much touching the Church ¶ Of the infallible perfect ground and sufficiencie of the Scriptures to the eternall comfort and consolation of all true Christians and vtter confusion of the Pope and all his adherentes BEcause the Papistes affirme and boldly say that the Scriptures are not sufficient for a man therby to knowe the trueth by the which he may be saued it is erpedient and néedefull at this present tyme to heare what the Scriptures and Doctors doo say therevnto First I will beginne with the Scriptures as with the veritie it selfe and then with the Doctors who ground theyr argumentes and reasons vpon the worde of God which is the holy Scripture Although it behooueth man earnestly to bende his eyes to consider the workes of God For as much as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet principallie ought be to bend his eares to the Scriptures that he may better profite thereby and sooner learne the trueth by the which he may be saued And therefore it is no meruayle that they which are borne in darknesse doo more and more waxe harde in theyr amazed dulnesse because verie fewe of them doo giue them selues pliable to learne of the worde of God whereby to kéepe them within the boundes but they rather reioyce in theyr owne vanitie Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true Religion may shine amongst vs we must take our begynning at the heauenlie doctrine and that no man can haue any taste be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue béene Scholler to the Scriptures And from hence groweth the originall of true vnderstanding that we reuerentlie embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth GOD therein to testifie of him selfe for not â—nely the perfect and in all poynts absolute faith but also all right knowledge of God springeth from obedience and truely in this behalfe God of his singuler prouidence hath prouided for men in all ages For if we consider howe slippery an inclination mans minde hath to slide into by forgetfulnes of God how great a readinesse to fall into all kinde of errours howe great a lust to forge oftentimes new and counterfeyt Religions The onely fall of man into so many and sundrie euyls is the forgetfulnesse of God We may thereby perceyue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not eyther perishe by forgetfulnesse or growe vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnesse of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of his worde towardes all those whome it pleased him at any tyme fruitfully to instruct because he foresawe that his Image imprinted in that most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectuall therfore it behooueth vs to trauaile this straight waye if we earnestlie couette to attayne to the true beholding of God we must I saye come to his worde wherin God is well and liuelie set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersenesse of our owne iudgement but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swerue from that worde as I sayd euen nowe although we runne neuer so faste yet we shall neuer attayne to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth Rom. 16. such as can not be attained vnto is vnto vs lyke a Maze out of which we can not vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the worde guided into it And therfore Dauid Psalm 9. et 96.97.99 c. oftentimes when he teacheth that superstitions are to be taken away out of the world that pure Religion may florishe bringeth in God reigning meaning by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctrine wherby he challengeth to him selfe a lawfull gouernment because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hearts of men tyll the true knowledge of God be planted Therefore the same Prophete after that he hath recited Psalm 19.21 That the heauens declare the glorie of God that the fyrmament sheweth foorth the workes of his handes That the orderlie succéeding course of dayes and nightes preacheth his Maiestie then he descendeth to make mention of his worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lawe of the Lorde is vndefiled conuerting soules sayth Dauid the witnesse of the Lorde is faithfull giuing wisdome to lyttle ones The rightfulnesse of the Lord is vpright making hearts cheerefull the commaundement of the Lord is bright giuing light to the eyes For although he comprehendeth the other vses of the Lawe yet in generallitie he meaneth that for as much as God dooth in vaine call vnto him all Nations by the beholding of the heauen and earth therefore this is the peculiar schoole of the children of God The same meaning hath the .xix. Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached Of the voice of God which in thunder winds showers whirle-winds and stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountaines to tremble and breaketh the Ceder trees In the ende at last he goeth farther and sayth That his prayses are sung in the Sanctuarie because the vnbeleeuers are deafe and heare not all the voices of God that resound in the ayre And in lyke manner in an other Psalme 93.5 after that he had described the terrible waues of the sea He thus concludeth Thy testimonies are verified the beautie of thy Temple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceeded that which Christe sayde to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.22 That her Nation and the rest did honour that which they knewe not and that onely the Iewes did worshippe the true God For whereas
prooue lyttle yea nothing that is to the trueth they alledge They are not afrayde so impudent and shamelesse they are to say that Purgatorie standeth with the Scriptures The great impudencie of the Papistes in alleadging their Purgatorie and also was allowed by the olde wryters of the anncient and Catholique Church This they can not verifie by all the Canonicall Scriptures neyther that it was allowed in the primatiue Church that we ought to beléeue that there is a Purgatorie Therefore bothe King Henrie the eight and also King Edward the sixt with all the learned and godly Clergie of England in taking away the vaine and erronious doctrine of popishe Purgatorie and in abolishing or putting downe the Massing Sacrifices for the dead forbydding dirges and other lyke trumperie to be vsed any more dyd most Catholiquely and Christianlike If theyr sayinges in this matter touching Purgatorie and praying for the dead doo agrée with the Scriptures and be grounded vpon Gods worde we wyll take them for an vndoubted and infallible trueth If not we wyll followe the counsell of the blessed Apostle Saint Paule who writeth on this manner If an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you any other Gospel besides that that ye haue receyued let him be accursed Yea we wyll followe the counsell of the olde auncient writers themselues of whome Ireneus writing against Valentinus and other lyke heretiques sayth plainely thus Scripturis diuinis niti quaecerta et indubitata veritas est in firma et valida petra est domum suam edificare hac verò derelicta alys niti quibusi dam doctrinis effusae arenae vnde facilis euersio est do mum suam inaedificare That is to say To leane vpon the holy Scriptures which are the sure and vndoubted trueth is to builde his house vpon a sure and strong rocke but if leauing it I meane the trueth of the Scriptures any man dooth sticke to some other Doctors the same is to builde his house vpon the vnstedfast sande where it shall easily fall Séeing then that the canonicall scriptures make no mention at all of Purgatorie or of praying for the dead if we should followe the doctrine of men in this poynt leauing the infallible worde of God wherein all thinges that pertayne to the saluation of all soules and bodies be most sufficently set foorth and comprehended were it not I pray you according to Ireneus saying To builde vpon the vnstedfast sande Saint Ambrose cryeth out saying Nos noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus via Christus est si igitur Christus non docuit quod docemus etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus We doo by right condemne all newe thinges that Christe hath not taught for Christe vnto the faithfull is the way if therefore Christe hath not taught this that we teach we doo also iudge it detestable Except then they can prooue that Christe who is the way vnto the faithfull dyd teach vs in his Gospell word to beléeue that there is Purgatorie and that it is requisite to pray for them that be departed out of this lamētable maze of myserie We wyll be so bolde with Saint Ambrose to iudge coumpt and recken that doctrine which teacheth vs to beléeue that there is Purgatorie and exhorteth vs to pray for the dead to be most detestable and deuillishe who soeuer be Author of it though it were an Angell from heauen Let vs doo what we can héere in this world to gaine eternall lyfe for doubtlesse after this life departed Prayer or Masse may say Requiescat in pace Not all the Papisticall incātations or exorsisms can help vs after we be dead but may nothing helpe vs in glory to beholde Gods face héere during life perpetuall ioy is wonne or euerlasting sorrowe is gotten Fasting nor almose déedes repentance nor righteousnesse good nor euyll can neyther profite or hurt after our death Lazarus cōmeth not vnto the ritch nor the ritch vnto Lazarus the ritch receyueth not the thing that he dooth aske though he dooth aske it with earnest praiers of the mercifull Abraham For the Garners Sellers he made faste the time is accōplished past the battaile foughten and the place thereof emptie and voide the Crownes are giuen they that haue foughten are at rest they that haue not preuented or come before are gone they that haue not foughtē he no more there they that haue beene ouercommed are driuen out For all thinges are plainlie consumated and ended by and by after the departing out of this world but whyles they be yet all in the conflict or battaile there is yet hope there is a medicine and confession And although these things be not in all men most perfect yet the saluation of other is not without hope And vnto this Saint Hierome dooth agrée writing on this manner in his 13 question 2. Chapter In praesenti seculo scimus siue orationibus siue consilijs inuicem nos inuari posse cum autem ante tribunal Christi venerimus nec Iob nec Daniel nec Noah rogare posse pro quoquam sed vnum quemque portare onus suum We knowe that in this worlde we can be helped one of an other either with prayers or with counsayle but after we be come once before the iudgement seate of Christe neyther Iob nor Daniel nor Noah be able to pray for any body but euerie man shall beare his owne burden And vppon the ninth Chapter of Ecclesiastes these be his wordes Peccator viuens iusto mortuo si voluerit in eius virtutes transire melior esse potest Quare quia viuentes metu mortis possunt bona opera perpetrare mortui verò nihil valent ad id adijcere quod secum tulere de vita A sinner yet lyuing may be better then a righteous man that is dead if he wil follow his vertues And wherfore for that they that be alyue may for feare of death doo yet good deedes but they that be dead are able to doo nothing vnto that which they haue once borne away out of this lyfe with them Therfore it is wisedome to make our selues ready afore and to prepare oyle for our Lampes that is to say to gette vnto vs a liuely faith working through charitie dooing good déedes whyle we haue tyme for when we be once gone there is no more tyme of well dooing of repentaunce or of amendment of lyfe the gate of mercie is shut we can adde nothing vnto that that we haue once caried away with vs out of this world Oh that this would sinke into mennes hearts I would to God this would be remembred of all men oh that they would remember this then we would not trust and haue affiaunce in the good workes of other men we would not be to séeke and buie oyle when it is more tyme to goe in with the Bridegroome least it should be sayde vnto vs Verelie I say vnto you I knowe you not Watch ye
the witte of man by reason of the féeblenesse thereof can by no meanes attaine vnto God but béeing holpen and lyfted vp by his holie worde It followed of necessitie that all men except the Iewes did wander in vanitie errour because they sought God without his worde Should the Papistes committe such absurdities in theyr writinges of matters of Religion if they reiected not the scriptures Should they holde such erronious opinions as they doo if they would content them-selues with the sufficiencie of the Scriptures no truelie if they followed the doctrine preceptes and councell of the Scriptures and not Traditions the inuentions of ambitious and worldly minded men S. Iohn teacheth in the. 20. Chap. That all things needfull to saluation are onely contained in the word of God These are his wordes Multa quidem et alia signa fecit Iesus in conspectu discipulorum suorū quae non sunt scripta in libro hoc haec autem scripta sunt vt credatis quod Iesus est Christus ille filius Dei et vt credentes vi◠tam habeatis per nomen eius And many other signes dyd Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke but these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing ye might haue life through his name The which wordes Cyrill expoundeth thus Non omnia qua Dominus fecit conscripta sunt sed quae scribentes putarunt sufficere tam ad mores quam ad dogmata All is not written that Christe dyd but so much as the writers thought sufficient as well to manners as to doctrine Saint Augustine De doctrina Christiana Lib. 2. Cap. 9. Sayth In his quae aperte in Scripturis posita sunt inueniuntur ea omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi All thinges contayning faith and manners are manifestly set downe in the Scriptures Basilius De fidei Confessione Sayth Manifesta est elapsio à fide et superbiae crimen aut reprobare quid ex ijs quae scripta sunt aut superinducere quid ex non scriptis It is a manifest slyding from the faith and a great pride eyther to reiect any thing that is written in the worde of GOD or to bring in any thing vnwritten For Christes sheepe sayth Saint Iohn Chap. 10.4 heare his voice and will not heare the voyce of an other And in his Moralles he sayth That if whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne if faith come by hearing hearing by the worde of God whatsoeuer is brought in beside the worde of God is not of faith and therefore sinne What haue we to doo good Christian people with Romish Traditions with Decrées Canons Constitutions Coūcels and Papisticall writings are their inuentions comparable with the scriptures or haue the Papists the lyke vtteraunce the lyke gifte of spéeche as Christe had Saint Iohn speaking of Christe Chap. 7.46 Sayth Nunquam sic loquutus est homo Neuer man spake as this man dooth Not all the hypocritical illusions of the Papists can once preuayle against Christes Church Not Cicero the father of eloquence not Demosthenes out of whose mouth flowed flooddes of eloquence not eloquent Pericles of whome it is written that he dyd thunder out his wordes not the golden tongued Chrisostome But Christes argumentes were so mightie and his wordes so swéete that a certaine woman hauing great admonition thereof lyfted vp her voice and sayde vnto him Happie is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes which thou hast sucked This worde differeth in perfection in his wordes all thinges endure take away this worde what is man a brute beast Take away the sunne out of the world what remaineth horrible darknesse Lactantius De ira Dei Cap. 1. Sayth Lumen mentis humanae Deus est remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia erroribus plena sunt God is the light of mans soule if you set a side or put away from you God his heauenlie worde all thinges are full of errours Take away this worde what is man a captiue of Sathan a praye of death a slaue of sinne a fire-brande of hell Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est Sayth Hierome in Prologo Esaiae Ignoraunce of the scriptures is ignoraunce of Christ As farre as heauen is distaunt from earth so farre ought heauenlie thinges alwayes be preferred before humaine thinges yea incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred Hierome in Epistola Ad Demetriadem Virginem vtere lectione diuina Sayth hée Vtere speculo vide speculum foeda corrigenda pulchra conseruanda et pulchra facienda Scriptura enim speculum est foeda ostendens et corrige dicens Vse to reade the holie Scripture vse the glasse see the glasse that deformitie may be amended fayrenesse preserued and fayre thinges performed For the scripture is a glasse shewing deformitie and saying amend Gregoris in Moral sayth Sacra scriptura tanquam speculum quoddam mentis The holy Scriptures is as a certaine glasse of the minde S. Augustin in Psalm 48. Scriptura sancta sit tibi tanquam speculum speculum hoc habet splendorem non mendacem non adulantem nullius personam amantem formosus es formosum te ibi vides Sed cum foedus accesseries et foedum te ibi videris noli accusare speculum ad te redi non te fallit speculum tu te noli fallere Let the holie Scripture be to thee as a glasse this glasse hath no deceytfull or flattering brightnesse it is not in looue with any mans person Arte thou beautifull thou seest thy selfe there beautifull but when thou commest deformed accuse not the glasse aduise thy selfe the glasse deceyueth thee not deceyue not thou thy selfe Saint Augustine sayth Tom. 2. Epist 166. In Scripturis didicimus Christum in Scripturis didicimus Ecclesiā In the Scriptures we haue learned Christe in the Scriptures we haue learned the Church Saint Ambrose sayth in Homil. Lib. 4. Cap. 1. Christus oritur in lectione sol iustitiae In reading the Scriptures Christ the sonne of righteousnesse ryseth Saint Augustine sayth Verbo Dei docemur in omnibus By the worde of God we are instructed in all thinges Saint Basill in Concione Quod Deus non causa malorum verbum Dei ex quo solo noscitur Deus regiam viam monstrat et est lucerna pedum nostrorum The worde of GOD by the which onely GOD is knowen sheweth the kinges high way and is the lyght of our feete We learne faith in the Scriptures and not in Popishe Traditions Saint Hillarie sayth Ad imperatorem Constantinum to the Emperour Constantinus Fidem imperator quaeris audi eam non de nouis Chartulis sed de Dei libris Dooth your Maiestie seeke the faith Heare it then not out of any new scroll but out of the booke of God Saint Iohn sayth Chap. 14. Qui non diligit me sermones meos non seruat et sermo quem auditis non est meus sed eius
and receyued Sola fide by onely fayth Hierome vpon the tenth Chapter to the Romaines They not knowing that God iustifieth Sola fide by Faith onely and suppose them selues to be iust by the workes of the lawe which they neuer obserued they would not submit them selues vnto the remission of sinnes least they should seeme to haue beene sinners Hillarie in the ninth Canon vpon the. 8. of Mathewe It mooueth the Scribes that sinne was forgiuen by man for they dyd onely beholde man in Christe Iesu and that to be forgiuen of him which the lawe could not release Fides enim sola iustificat For faith only iustifieth Basill in his Homilie of Humility That at length is a perfect and sound reioycing in God when a man dooth not bragge and boast of his owne righteousnesse he is iustified Sola fide By faith onely in Christe Thus haue I recited bothe Scriptures and Doctours for proofe that a man is iustified onely by Faith more places out of the Scriptures and Doctours might be gathered But these may suffise for this matter ¶ Of Free wyll I Wyll prooue bothe by Scriptures and Doctours that frée wyll was giuen vnto man euen before his fall after his fall That man had frée wyll before his fall these testimonies of the Scriptures alleadged doo testifie the same In Genesis the first Chapter and 26. verse there it is written Et ait Deus faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram et praesit piscibus maris et volatilibus caeli et bestijs vniuersaeque terrae omnique reptili quòd mouetur in terra God sayd let vs make man in our owne Image according to our likenesse and let him rule ouer the Fishes of the sea and ouer the Fowles of the heauen and ouer the Beastes and ouer all the earth and ouer euerie thing that creepeth and mooueth on the earth If hee had rule ouer the Beastes of the féelde of the Fowles of the ayre and of the Fishes of the Sea he had then frée wyll And whereas it is written That God made man to his own image It is not meant of the body nor yet of the soule but of principallitie dominion In the. 2. Chap. of Gen it is written Tulit ergo Domnus Deus hominem et posuit eum in Paradisum voluptatis vt operaretur et custodiret illum praecepitque ei dicens ex omni ligno Paradisicomedes Then the Lord God tooke the man and put him into the garden of Eden that he might dresse it and keepe it and the Lord God commaunded the man saying thou shalt eat freely of euerie Tree of the garden By these words I gather that séeing it was graunted by God to man to eate of euerie Trée of the garden then had he frée wyll to doo as he would to eate or not to eate Againe Ecclesi 15.14 Deus ab initio cōstituit hominem et reliquit illum in manu consilij sui adiecit mandata et praecepta sua si volueris mandata seruare conseruabunt te c. He made man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his counsell and gaue him his commaundementes and preceptes if thou wilt thou shalt obserue the commaundementes and testifie thy good wyll You sée that frée wyll was graunted vnto man before his fall God created him and left him in the hand of his counsell to doo what he would he had his owne choise eyther to the eating of euerie Trée of the garden and so to lyue eternallie in pleasures delightes ioye rest and quietnesse or to eate of the Trée of knowledge of good and bad and so to become mortall to léese his former state to become myserable wretched a caitife subiect to death hell and dampnation Againe in the same Chap. of Eccle. 15.17 Apposuit tibi aquam et ignem ad quod volueris porrige manum tuam And in the 18. verse Ante hominem vita et mors bonum et malum quod placuerit ci dabitur illi He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thy hand vnto which thou wilt Before man is life and death good and euyll what it lyketh him it shall be giuen him Héere we sée moste manifestly that man had frée wyll before his fall For if the first man Adam could haue chosen eyther lyfe or death good or euyll who can with reason denie but that he had frée wyll For frée wyll is nothing else but a frée and loose lybertie of the minde to doo as he lyst Our Parentes An euident signe of free wyll Adam and Eue might haue lyued but they would not Adam and Eue had theyr choyse eyther to lyue or to dye to lyue and to doo good obseruing his commaundement and to dye if they would doo euyll neglecting his precept They followed the counsell of the Serpent in eating the fruite forbidden and so offended Gods Maiestie Wherefore it appeareth by these wordes that they had frée wyll to doo as they were commaunded and so to lyue in Paradise or to breake the commaūdement of God and so to dye bannished out of Paradise Eccle. 17.1 Deus creauit de terra hominem et iterum conuertit illum in ipsam The Lord hath created man of the earth and turned him to it againe Numerum dierum et tempus dedit illi c. He gaue him the number of dayes and certaine tymes and gaue him power of the thinges that are vpon earth He cloathed him with strength as he had néede and made him according to his Image He made all fleshe to feare him so that he had dominion ouer the Beastes and Fowles He created vnto him a helper lyke vnto him selfe and gaue him discretion and tongue and eyes cares and an heart to vnderstand and sixtlie he gaue him a spirite and seuenthly he gaue him spéeche to declare his workes and he filled him with knowledge of good and euyll And he sayde vnto him Beware of all vnrighteous thinges Wisd 23. Deus creauit hominem inexterminabilem et adimaginem similitudinis sue fecitillum God created man without corruption and made him after the Image of his owne lykenesse Coloss 3.9 Lye not one to an other seeing that yee haue put off the olde man with his workes and haue put on the newe which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him Ephesi 4.23 Be yee renewed in the spirite of your minde 24. And put on the newe man which after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Omnes homines Sayth Ambrose in his first Booke and third Chapter of the calling of the Gentiles in primo homine creati sunt sine vicio et culpa et tota natura nostra integra et valida erat et peccato istius hominis totius nostrae naturae integritatem et salutem amisimus All men in the first man were created without vice or faulte and all our nature was sounde and in health and by the sinne of the
therefore for ye knowe not the howre when the sonne of man shall come Put not your trust in the prayers and dirges of popish Préestes the crowne of glorie is héere eyther lost or wonne Euerlasting saluation is héere prouided for by the due worshipping of God and the fruits of Faith Nowe grace is graunted craue and haue be bolde and feare not nowe is the tyme of obtayning eternall blessednesse nowe is the day of Iubylie nowe is the gate open vnto pardon and forgiuenesse and they that séeke the trueth shall haue an easie accesse vnto it Nowe pray while you haue tyme vnto God for your sinnes God graunt vs to vse this time to his glorie our soules health who is the true and onely God call vpon him with a faithfull confession acknowledging both of your offences and of your state cōsidering Thus confessing beléeuing we haue frée pardon and forgiuenesse giuen and graūted vnto vs of the méere goodnesse and mercy of God While we haue tyme let vs therefore doo good for béeing once departed out of this lyfe repentance is too late Ciprianus Tractatu primo contra Demetrianum Sayth Quando hinc excessum fuerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae est nullus satisfactionis effectus Hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei et fructu fidei prouidetur c. That is to say After we be once departed out of this lyfe there is no more place of repentaunce there is no more effect or working of satisfaction it is but in vaine that your freendes should pray for you It is but follie that Préestes should sing a Requiem for your soules seeing that theyr prayers and dirges profit nothing at all There is in sundrie places of the Scriptures of heauen and hell expresse mention but of Purgatorie no spéeche at all Purgatorie for lucre sake of late yéeres was inuented How often is it written in the Scriptures that they which beléeue in Christe shall be saued and they that beléeue not shall be condempned they that doo good shall goe to lyfe euerlasting but they which doo euyll to paine eternall Héere is mention you sée of saluation and condempnation of ioye and of sorrowe of perpetuall life death for euer of heauen and of hell But the scriptures wrote nothing of Purgatorie and if there had béen such a place no doubt but there had béene mentiō made therof Chrisost in 22. Mathew Hom. 41. Quidquid quaeritur ad salutem totum iam impletum est in scripturis Whatsoeuer is sought vnto saluation all the same is set foorth and fully taught in the scriptures If then praying for the dead were necessary vnto saluation expresse mention thereof should be made in the scriptures and worde of God but we can finde no such thing there Againe in an other place 1. Homilie in Epist Ad Titum Omnia Euangelium continet praesentia et futura honorem pietatem fidem simul omnia praedicationis verbo conclusit The Gospell sayth he dooth contayne all thinges bothe present and to come honour godlinesse fayth to be short he hath comprehended all thinges with the worde of preaching Dooth not holie Chrisostome by these words manifestly declare that the Gospell of our sauiour Iesus Christe dooth containe all maner of things bothe presēt that is to say how we ought to behaue our selues héere in this present life towards God our neighbour and also things to come wherby he dooth vnderstand the estate that we shall be in after our departing out of this lyfe In the scriptures no mention made of praying for the dead But where dooth the Gospell speake one iote onely of prayers and oblations for the dead there we doo learne that they that beléeue and are baptized shall be saued and they that beleeue not shall be condempned There we reade in the. 7. Chapter of Saint Mathevv Of the straight and narrowe way that leadeth vnto saluation and of the wide gate and broade way that leadeth vnto damnation Not one onely sillable can be found there of any thyrde way or of any other estate that we shall be in besides saluation and dampnation after that we be come to our wayes ende Which thing Chrisostome him selfe in his second Sermon De Lazaro dooth teach most plainly saying Para ad exitum opera tua et appara te ad viam si quid cui rapuisti redde et dicito iuxta Zachaeum do quadruplum si quid rapui Si cui factus es inimicus reconciliare priusquam veniatur ad iudicem Omnia hic dissolue vt citra molestiam illud videas tribunal Donec hic fueris spes habeas praeclaras sed simulac discesserimus non est postea in nobis situm poenitere neque commissa diluere That is to say Prepare thy workes against the ende make thy selfe ready to the way if thou hast taken away any thing from any man restore it againe and say with Zachaeus if I haue taken away any thing from any man I doo giue it him againe fourefolde If thou be made an enimie to any man be reconciled vnto him againe afore ye come before the Iudge Paie all thy debtes heere that thou mayst without any feare or trouble of conscience see that dreadfull iudgement seate Whiles we be yet here we haue a goodly hope but as soone as we be once departed hence it lyeth no more in vs for to repent nor for to wash away our sinnes This holy Father then wyll not that we should tarie to make restitution or to be reconciled vnto those whome we haue offended tyll we be dead For then sayth he I meane after we be once departed out of this world there is no way at all to wash away sinnes In so much that he sayth in an other place Neque qui in praesenti vita peccata non abluerit postea consolationem aliquam inuenturus est in inferno enim ait quis confitebitur tibi et meritò hoc enim est cauearum tempus et cōflictuum et certaminū illud verò coronarum retributionum et praemiorum Neyther he that dooth not washe away his sinnes in this present lyfe shall finde any comfort afterwardes For sayth he who shall praise thee in hell and for a good cause for this is the tyme of scaffoldes conflictes wrastlinges and battayles but after this lyfe is the tyme of recompences crownes and rewardes Howe can it after this lyfe be the tyme of crownes and rewardes if we be cast into a burning fire which is nothing differing from the fire of hell saue onely that this euerlasting and the other lasteth but for a tyme there to abide intollerable torments tyll we be holpen out by the prayers oblations of the liuing A good and kinde deuotion of popish preests especially of the Préestes which must be hyred with good ready money to doo it else they will suffer vs to abide there broyling rosting vnto the worlds end For
that ye may be sure no peny no Pater noster of them So that I lust héere to make an exclamation with the Poet Quid non mortalia pectora cogit auri sacra fames Which we may englishe after this sort Oh of money looue most execrable that mans heart doost so sore enflame Oh gréedy desire of minde so myserable the woonders doost vndertake to thy great shame Put away offering then take away Purgatory For when the Préests can get no money then can they not defend Purgatorie giue them pence then wyll they finde some shifte or other to prooue that there is Purgatorie yea and that proofe they will fetch out from the example of S. Augustine who prayed for his mother yea and left in his writing the there was Purgatory But when S. August séeketh to prooue the same he dooth not bring one iote or syllable of the holy scriptures for to prooue his sayings by but groundeth him selfe only vpon the Forefathers I will be so bolde to follow his owne couÌ„sell which he giueth in the Prologue of his thirde booke De Trinitate Saying Noli meis scriptis quasi canonicis inseruire sed in illis quod non credebas si forte inueneris incunctaÌ„ter crede in istis autem quod certum non habebas nisi certum intellexeris noli firmiter credere I wyll not haue thee to be obedient vnto my writinges as vnto the Canonicall scriptures But if thou doost by chaunce finde in them meaning the Canonicall Scriptures the thing that thou diddest not beleeue beleeue it immediatly and without any delay But in these vnderstanding thereby his owne workes excepte thou doost vnderstand that thing to be most certayne which thou diddest not recken to be certaine I wyll not haue thee to beleeue it stedfastly What a goodly counsaile is this héere all men may sée that this holy Father wyll not haue his writinges to be beleeued except they be grounded vpon the scriptures and word of God Shall then any man blame vs if we doo as he him selfe dooth bid and counsayle vs to doo Dooth not all the world knowe that this auncient Doctour and most holie Father dyd as a man writte many thinges which he was fayne to reuoke and call backe afterwards in his booke of Retractions If he wrote any thing in defence of Purgatorie he disprooued the same afterwardes as by his owne wordes it dyd appeare in the. 18. Sermon De verbis Domini These be his very words Duae quippe habitationes sunt vna in igne aeterno altera in regno aeterno There be two habitations or dwelling places the one in the fire euerlasting and the other in the kingdome that neuer shall haue ende Dooth not this agrée wel with the doctrine of our sauiour Iesus Christ that dooth onely appoint vnto vs the bosome of Abraham that is to say the societie and fellowshippe of all them that died in the faith of Abraham into the which the poore Lazarus was caried by the handes of the Angels and hell fire where the ritch glutton was buried unmediatly after his death But ye shall heare him yet speak more plainly Primum enim sayth he sides Catholicorum diuina autoritate regnum credit esse coelorum secundum gehennam vbi omnis apostata vel à Christi fide alienus supplicia experitur tertium prorsus ignoramus imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis reperimus The faith of the Catholiques dooth first and formost beleeue by the aucthoritie of the Scriptures that there is the kingdome of heauen Secondly that there is hell fire where all Apostataes and all that be straungers from the faith of Christe doo suffer punishment We are altogeather ignorant of the thirde place yea we finde not in all the holy Scriptures that there is any Againe in an other place he sayth It should be best that they should affyrme nothing in a matter that is vncertaine of that which the Scriptures doo not onely holde their peace but also doo speake the contrarie Yet the Papists for lucres sake are not ashamed to defend the opinion of Purgatorie by the fansies and dreames of theyr owne heads They that die in the faith of Christe in true confession and acknowledging theyr sinnes and with a true repentant heart haue no néede after they be once dead gone out of this vale of miserie of the deuotion and good déedes of theyr fréendes and kinsfolkes If we should but follow the aucthoritie and saying of the blessed Martyr Saint Cyprian Contra Demetr Tracta primo Who béeing a good whyle afore Saint Augustin dooth write after this maner Tu sub ipso licèt exitu et vitae temporalis occasu pro delictis roges Deum qui verus et vnus est confessionem et fidem eius agnitionis implores venia confitenti datur et credenti indulgentia salutaris de diuÃna pietate conceditur et ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur That is to saye Although thou doost at thy verie departing out of this worlde and going downe of this temporall lyfe praye vnto GOD for thy sinnes who is the true and onely GOD calling vppon him with a faithfull confession and acknowledging bothe of thine offences and of his trueth Thus confessing and beleeuing thou hast free pardon and forgiuenesse giuen and graunted vnto thee of the meere goodnesse and mercie of God And in the verie death euen as soone as thou hast giuen vp the ghost thou passest vnto immortalitie Héere doo ye sée that by this holy Martyrs saying if we do vnfainedly confesse acknowledge our sinnes and repent from the bottome of our hearts we doo not onely obtaine a frée pardon and forgiuenesse of our trespasses and offences at the bounteous and mercifull hand of God but also in the verie death it selfe we passe vnto immortalitie that is to say vnto a lyfe that neuer shall ende What shall then the deuotion and good déedes of our fréends and kinsfolkes profite vs can they better our estate But then we shall haue the fruition of the Godhead and sée God as he is we shall be with Iesus Christ in glory and haue the fellowship of all the blessed spirits and soules of the righteous What could be added to this felicitie I beseech you the Scriptures doo in all pointes agrée with this holy Martyr First Ezechiel Cha 18. dooth crie out saying At what tyme soeuer a sinner dooth repent him of his sinnes from the bottom of his heart I wyll put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance sayth the Lorde Dooth not the holy Ghost heere by the mouth of Ezechiel certifie vs The Scriptures are sufficient testimonies for the faith of Christians that if we wyll with a true repentaunt heart flie vnto the mercie of God and take holde therevpon through faith in our sauiour Iesu Christe our sinnes shall not onely be forgiuen vs but also cleane put out of remembrance vtterly forgotten And wherefore I pray you because of our owne merites