many vexations of minde and with how many sorrowes hath God punished the heretiques in Flaunders for their hautie stomackes and disloyaltie to their natural King for their stubbornes in not receiuing clemencie offered vnto them and for their wilfulnes in reiecting the same for their contemning of the Catholique faith and for their following I cannot tell nor they them selues vvhat Religion so vnstable and vnconstant their opinion is in matters of faith God hath stirred vp the Catholiques against them their strength is feebled their fayre buildinges made euen with the ground their coffers are opened and their gold and siluer fyll the purses of their aduersaries their costlie household stuffe their hangings their trim attyre their cloath of Tissue and whatsoeuer thing else they haue is taken away Their cattell is driuen from them their corne is burnt and in summe they them selues are eyther iustlie made bonde-men and slaues or else wretchedlie and rufullie slaine So that now after Gods iust reuengement they are become the outcast and the verie scum of the earth they are banished out of their owne countrey and can finde no abiding place to rest they are a fable vnto all the world for their newe inuented heresies their state and condition is not far better then the Iewes and their punishmēt doth not much differ the one from the other the heretiques and the Iewes are hated a lyke are persecuted a lyke and are punished heere in this worlde a lyke But heerein the Iewes and the Heretiques doo differre in sinne the Iewe sinneth ignorauntlie and obstinatelie but Heretiques sinne not ignorauntlie but obstinatelie and wilfullie The Iewes neuer knewe Christe neuer beleeued in him nor neuer tooke him to be the sauiour of the worlde The Heretiques acknowledged Christe to be the onelie begotten sonne of GOD beleeued in him and tooke him to be theyr Messias or Iesuah But in sweruing from the Catholique fayth they haue lost the knowledge of Christe their faith is frustrate and in vaine Their taking of Christe to be their sauiour can nothing auayle them can stande them in no steede And why they haue denied the Pope to be Supreame head they haue renounced the Traditions of the Apostles the Councelles they despise the aucthorities of the graue and learned Fathers they disallowe and to be breefe the Lawes of our holie Mother the churche they haue contempned and contrary sayd them VVherefore their sinne is not excusable and more greeuouslie to be punished in hell then the obstinate ignoraunce of the Iewes for not receyuing Christe to be theyr redeemer If this fayth whereby we hope to be saued which is the Catholique faith were not the true and substantiall faith whereof mention is made in our Creede where as it is sayde I beleeue in the holie Catholique Churche And what church is this is it not that for the which so many Martirs ended their vitall breath before the due course of nature So many in wyldernesse lead a most austeare life lyued in penurie and scarsitie glad they were to sustaine their lyues with rootes and water they forsooke the world with all the pompe and glistering shewes therof they bridled their carnall affections and sensuall lustes the deuill with all his subtill temptations they ouercame with fasting and praier What doo they beleeue that these holie Hermites are all condempned for that they haue beleeued the church of Roome to be the holie catholique Church and the Pope to be the head and cheefe Sheepheard thereof Haue so many Monkes so many Friers erred who wrought so many charitable deedes so often fasted so often prayed so often called vnto God for grace and helpe so brotherlie exhorted the wicked to amendement of lyfe so freendlie harboured the harborlesse cloathed the naked fed the hungrie visited the sicke helped the poore prisoners and redeemed the captiues forsooke their lyuinges and gaue them selues onelie to contemplation VVere all these reprobate doo they all suffer tormentes in hell for euer neuer to enioy the glorious contemplation of Gods heauenlie countenaunce is this the rewarde which they haue for all their holinesse for their vpright dealinges for their timerous conscience to offend their neighbour and beeing by some mischaunce offended to aske him forgiuenesse and to render a satisfaction Shall good workes reape no better reward then among the dampned should this their reward be euerlastinglie to rue in hell If as the heretiques say their faith was Antichristian-like and contrarie to Gods word Beleeue this who that will and let him be an heretique therefore I beleeue they were holie men and for their holinesse and catholique Religion were crowned with an incorruptible crowne of perpetuall blisse in heauenlie ioye If the Religion of our holie Mother the Church were nought then in vaine haue so many Saintes serued the Lord honoured him and kept his commaundementes in vaine haue so many Virgins intruded them-selues to Monasteries sequestring and estraunging them-selues from the societie of seculer women in vaine haue they reserued their virginitie forsaking wealthy and ritch mariages in vaine haue they chastised their bodies subduing and bringing them to subiection in vaine haue they liued and in vaine haue they beleeued if for the confession of the Catholique Church of Roome damnation bothe of body and soule should be then their reward So many Preests so many Leuits so many Kinges so many Princes so many Potentates so many Magistrates haue liued in vaine and in vaine was their faith who were no happier then the Gentiles in Cicero his time to be condemned with the heathen Gentiles since the beginning of the faith of Christe Onely perishing in soule and bodie for that their faith depended of the Catholique faith of our holie Mother the Churche Empires Kingdomes Prouinces Islands Citties and Townes beleeued in the Church of Roome which is the holy Catholique Church and are they all condemned therefore and haue they all liued in blindnesse and errour and hath Christe beene so vniust of his promise neuer to fayle his Church and haue his woordes beene so vntrue that the holie Ghost should direct the Catholique Church in all her dooinges howe was the Church directed if all the people erred How should Christ beeing the way the trueth and life neuer fayle his Spowse if he suffered her to decline from him who is the trueth Christ his wordes are true Coelum et terra peribunt sed verba eius remanebunt vera in aeternum Heauen and earth shall perishe but his wordes shall remaine true for euer Though the heretiques prate or speake neuer so much against the trueth Christe hath euermore instructed the churche of Roome Though Martin Luther and Iohn Caluin write to the contrarie who make them-selues more familliar with Christe and more priuie to his secretes then euer the Apostles were who were conuersant with Christe liuing on earth But Luther and Caluin not so they make men beleeue that their Forefathers liued in blindnesse and errour euen from the time of the Apostles
the famillie of God In these all such places we be taught that the house of God is not any buylding of wood or stones nor any Cittie or any materiall Temple but man is the house of God as héereafter more manifestlie it shall appeare when I come to intreate of the Church But first I will begin with the Pope who arrogantlie nameth him selfe the vniuersall Shéepheard And his Schollers or subiectes are not afraide to say that hee béeing Bishoppe of Roome is the visible heade of the Churche in Christes stéede But this they cannot shewe by Scripture neyther dooth the Church require any such head for Christe is present with it as he hath promised Math. 28. Sum vobiscum vsque ad consummationem mundi I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If the Pope be a visible head why is he not séene of all men why dooth he not gouerne all men in the Churche and giue nourishment vnto them as the head ought to doo why dooth he not preach vnto all people This he dooth not wherefore he is no visible head as he seemeth to pretend And surely to be the generall head ouer all is too great a matter and enterprise for any mortall man to take vpon him I am sure the Pope wyll graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholique Churche if he then be a member howe can hée also be an head except the same thing shall be bothe an head and a member which is verie absurde and monstrous If he saye that he is a member Christ is his head onely and not any other why shall not Christe be as well a head for all These thinges we sée are verie chyldishe and fonde but yet they applie and saye that Christ sayde to Peter Thou arte Peter and vppon this Rocke wyll I builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Nowe vppon this place our aduersaries the Papistes grounde this proposition the Churche is founded vppon Saint Peter Ergo Saint Peter was the head of the Church If Saint Peter be the head of the Church the Pope is his successour Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church I denie that Saint Peter was head of the Church and therefore is Saint Peter whose successour the Pope claimeth him selfe to be was neuer head of the Church howe can the Bishop of Roome be head The confession of our aduersaries is grounded vppon these woordes Tu es Petrus That is to saye Thou arte Peter And ours vppon this That it is sayde Super hanc Petram et non super te Petrum That is Vpon this Rocke and not vpon thee Peter In déede our sauiour Christe hath most manifestlie distinguished Petrum à Petra That is to say Simon Peter from the liuelie Rocke wherevpon he hath builded his Church chaunging bothe the name and the person The which our text plainly sheweth vs that which he would neuer haue doone if it ought to haue béene vnderstoode of Peter and not of the confession of Saint Peter I leaue it to the iudgement of euerie Christian whether it be more agréeable to the faith and more healthfull for the Church eyther that the Church be founded vpon Christe or vppon Peter vpon the sonne of the lyuing God vpon him that vanquished sathan or vpon him whome Christe him selfe in the verie same Chapter calleth Sathan him selfe Vpon him who is called the cheefe corner stone of the building or vpon him who is an offence vnto him that is to saye a stone of great stumbling None sayth Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. Can laye any other foundation but that which is layde which is Christe Also Saint Peter sayth 2. Peter 2. You are as liuing stones built vpon the cheefe corner stone in whome who so euer beleeueth he shall not be confoūded That is to say in that cofession of Christ which he calleth the Rocke and foundation of the Church It appeareth then by this place that Christe hath builded it vpon him selfe and not vpon Simon Peter and vpon the confession of faith which Peter made and not vpon the faith of Peter which was too much wauering and vnstedfast And in verie déede where Saint Iohn reciteth this storie he resteth whollie vpon Peters confession Iohn 6. And therefore by the Rocke he meant him selfe For when Peter had sayde Tu es Christus filius Dei Thou art Christe the sonne of God Christe sayde to him Vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church And in that place he giueth no more to Peter in the Keies which is the binding and loosing of sinners then he giueth them all else where As in Iohn 20. when he sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receyue the holie Ghost whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they are retained Héere all haue as much as Peter And what hath the Pope to doo with these words which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to sée howe they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is sayde of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in déede they must prooue these thrée points vnto vs if they will haue the Pope to be the supream head of the whole Church which they shall neuer be able to doo by the Scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chéefe and head of all the Apostles Secōdlie that hée was at Roome and sate there as Bishoppe generall Thyrdlie that he left all the title preheminence of his seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poynts as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we should graunt it them vnlesse they prooue the thirde which they shall neuer be able to doo that Saint Peter hath left all his aucthoritie to his successours after him for euer Saint Paule in his Epistle saluted manie that vvere Christians at Rome but of S. Peter he made no mention if S. Peter had bin at Rome he had not forgotten to haue greeted him as vvell as the rest The Epistles of Saint Peter are extant but no mention there is that eyther hee was at Roome or was cheese of the Apostles or supreame head of the Church or that his successours should play Rex ouer all men and be the rulers of all Churches in the worlde For as much then that neyther by the writinges of Saint Peter nor any other Apostle of Christe our aduersaries can prooue the Pope to be any Ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone who is alwayes present with it and euer walketh in the middest of the seuen golden Candelstickes so that hee néedeth no Vicar generall or vniuersall Bishoppe Let vs déerely belooued as we looue the Lord Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flée farre from the Pope and all his adherentes Traditions Decrées and Pardons least hee make marchandize
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
Father in heauen Iohn 6.56.57 And againe Faith is the ladder that reacheth vp to heauen and by which euen nowe we remayne and sitte in the heauenly places with Christ Ephe. 2.6 Faith is the hand by which we take holde of Christe in whome is performed all the promises of God to his elect 2. Cor. 1.20 Faith is that weapoÌ„ by which we ouercome the world the end wherof is the saluatioÌ„ of our soules Faith is a cleare and effectual persuasion wrought not in the bodily eares but in the eares of the heart not by men but by the holy ghost wherby we are made certaine and sure to be the sonnes of God Faith as it is written in the. 8. Cha. to the Rom. is a firme coÌ„stant and perseuering trust in the bouÌ„tifulnes of God Faith is a lyght which lyfteth vp rauisheth aboue all sensible things and beyond that any man is not able to make discourse to comprehende the breadth length height and depth of those things which are to vs incomprehensible with naturall eyes Faith is a cleere eye of the mind wherewith pearcing through the heauens we doo see the diuine secretes of God Faith is a quickening cleere and fiery lyght which purgeth our heartes and delyuereth vs from the darke and inextricable Laborinthes of the vaine shadowes of this worlde by which we guide our blinde reason and are lyfted vp to an high estate so that by the taste of heauenly thinges we despise humane thinges Roma 4. Faith maketh vs to conceiue Christe spirituallie and by force of the spirite to be borne againe with lyfting vs vp vnto God it maketh vs put of the olde Adam and his concupiscences and to put on Christe with his vertues and to become of vngodlie iust temples of God and his chyldren brothers and members of Christe Faith iustifieth pacifieth the minde and conscience maketh merie causeth to reioyce and in such sort that we glory euen in shame This faith is such that it reneweth vs regenerateth vs quickeneth maketh noble enritcheth saueth sanctifieth preserueth defendeth and obteyneth that which it demaundeth Faith knitteth vs to God maketh vs his heyres and Children the brothers of Christe and his members yea it maketh vs diuine and happy Faith is that which in Abell made him offer Sacrifices acceptable to God In Noe caused him to frame the Arke for the sauegarde of the worlde Made Sara to conceyue and that Abraham offred his owne sonne to God Caused Moses to worke so many woonders in Egipt and in the wyldernesse Faith made the Prophets to speake loosed the tongue of Zacharias and saued men in daunger made Simeon not to feare death also made Paule to wishe for it This in the Saintes caused them ouercomming the world that they haue wrought woonderfull thinges through looue But what néede I speake any more Faith is a vertue so noble excellent and woorthy that howe much the more a man considereth of it so much the more wyll it discouer the perfection Therefore he which hath tasted it wyll neuer be satisfied with speaking in prayse thereof Whereas those which neuer haue felt nor tried it in them selues can as much speake thereof as one that is blinde can discerne of coullours yea if those speake of it as those which be carnall and brutishe they doo not vnderstand it nor knowe the excellencie thereof He that hath this liuely Faith wherof the scripture in sundry places speaketh and so highlie commendeth with so many tytles before specified he is sure to be iustified he is sure to be saued This faith made Abraham righteous Gen. 15.6 By this faith the iust lyueth Haba 2.4 This faith made the woman whole to whome Iesus sayde Confide filia fides tua saluam te fecit Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not afrayde Saith Luke in the â—â— Chapt. 48. verse Beleeue onely And he sayde to the woman H 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy Fayth hath saued thee goe in peace To him giue all the Prophetes witnesse That through his name all that beleeue in him shall receyue remission of sinnes Actes 10.43 And put no difference betwéene vs and them after that by fayth hee had purified theyr heartes There is no dyfference For all haue sinned Sayth Saint Paule Roma 3.23 and are depriued of the glorie of GOD and are iustified freelie by his grace through the redemption that is in Christe Iesus Therefore wée conclude that a man is iustified by Faith without the workes of the Lawe but to him that worketh not but beléeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlye his Faith is coumpted for ryghteousnesse wée béeing iustified by Faith wée haue peace towards God through Iesus Christe Knowe that a man is not iustifyed by the workes of the Lawe but by the Fayth of Iesus Christe Euen as I saye we haue beleeued in Iesus Christe that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christe and not by the workes of the Lawe Because that by the workes of the Lawe no flesh shall be iustified Gala. 2.16 Againe if righteousnesse be by the law then Christe dyed without a cause And that no man is iustified by the lawe in the sight of God it is euident For the iust shall liue by faith Gala. 3. By grace are ye saued through faith Sayth Paule to the Ephe. 2.8 and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God The scripture hath included all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christe should be giuen to them that beléeue Origene writeth in his thirde Booke and third Chapter to the Romaines that Saint Paule by these wordes A rbitramur enim iustificari hominem absque operibus legis We suppose therfore that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Affyrmeth that the iustification Solae fidei Of faith onely is sufficient so that any man beléeuing onely can be iustified although no manner of worke hath béene fulfilled or done by him And if we require an example who was iustified Sola fide By faith onely without workes I suppose that the same Théefe dooth suffise who when he was crucified with Christe did crye vnto him froÌ„ the Crosse Lord Iesu remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome Neither any good worke of his is described or set foorth vnto vs in the Gospels but for HaÌ„c solaÌ„ fideÌ„ This faith onely Iesus sayde vnto him Verelie I saye vnto thee this daye shalt thou be with mee in Paradise This Théefe then was iustified by faith with out the workes of the lawe For the Lord dyd not vpon this requyre what he had wrought before neyther dyd he looke what worke he should doo after he did beléeue but béeing ready to enter into Paradise he tooke him for his waighting-man béeing iustified by that confession onely Hesichius in his fowrth Booke and first Chapter vpon Leuiticus saith That the grace of God is giuen onely of mercie and fauour and is embraced
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
blinde peruersenes of the Papists In the. 10. of Iohn Christe sayth I am the doore dooth it followe that hée is a doore in déede no forsooth I thinke but that a doore is to harde for any man to eate they would haue takē that place of scripture to make God Though Christ sayd I am the doore it followeth not Note heere that he was a materiall doore no more dooth it followe that this word Hoc est corpus meum This is my body to be the same body that Marie the Virgin bare it is plaine errour and they are fowly deceyued For when Christe sayd This is my body that shall be giuen for you the worde that he spake was him selfe him selfe was the worde or else must the bread haue béene crucified as is afore which I will prooue by the manifest scriptures Christ sayth in the 6. of Iohn I am the liuing bread that came from heauen your fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead but I am the bread of lyfe So it demonstrateth that Christe was the bread Note heere which was giuen for vs but these Gentlemen say that the bread is he Nowe héere is all the cōtrouersie betwéene the Christiās and the Papists Christ fayth that he is the bread that was giuen for vs or broken for vs the Papists say that the bread is Christ now how can we agree for we say as Christ saith that he is the bread these Gētlemen say that the bread is he marke well the scriptures Paul sayth That which I receyued of God I gaue vnto you Let them answer me to this dyd Paul receiue any thing of the Lord but his word for Paul was not with the Lord at the supper to receiue any other thing Oblinde creatures they wot not what they doo will they haue the blood of wytnesse of Iesus Christe required at their hāds still O good christian brethrē for the tender mercy of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ beléeue not this erronious doctrine of the Papistes worship not a wheaten God In the. 6. Chap. of Iohn Christ sayth The bread which I will giue you is my fleshe which I will giue for the life of the world Héere you may perceyue that the bread that Christ gaue vs was his fleshe Ergo his fleshe was the bread that he brake which was him selfe him selfe was the word and his word was his body which was giuē for the life of the world Then stroue the Iewes among them selues sayd How can this fellow giue vs his flesh to eate for they tooke it carnally as our cleane fingred Gētlemen doo now a daies thinking the they should haue eaten him vp flesh blood bones Iesus sayd vnto thē Iohn 6. Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man ye haue no life in you for whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my blood hath euerlasting lyfe And I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood hath euerlasting life and I shall raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is very meat and my blood is very drinke and whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abydeth in me and I in him Nowe I tolde you afore that Christe was the bread that was giuen for vs and euen as the materiall bread féedeth the body so this liuely bread féedeth the soule And Christe speaketh heere of his fleshe and blood which was offered in sacrifice for our saluation and our redemption as Iohn sayth Chap. 1.8 The worde became fleshe and we see the glorie of it as the onely begotten sonne of the Father and who so dooth beleeue this dooth eate Christes fleshe and drinketh his blood But not as these Papists do for they say that they crash him with their teeth carnally Oh abhominable blasphemy the same body that Mary bare but they which receiue him in a Christian Cōmunion receiue him by faith For Christe sayd Hoc facite in meam cōmemorationem Doo this in remembraunce of me And whosoeuer beléeueth that this body was done vpon the Crosse for his saluation and that the shedding of his blood is for the remissiō of his sinnes taken in the remembrance of Christes death eateth Christes body and drinketh his blood spiritually God graūt we may doo so for our own soules health Amen Thus much bréefly touching the supper of the Lord. Against mennes Merites and righteousnesse GReate controuersie and disputation there is betweene the Papists and vs Christians touching mennes merites righteousnesse The Papists say that they are iustified by good woorkes and not by faith We say that Sola fides iustificat omnes Faith alone iustifieth all men It is marueilous dearely beloued to see with what rashnes and boldnesse iustification of woorkes is commonly debated yea and it is to be seene how none doe more boldly or with fuller mouthes as the saying is prate of the righteousnesse of workes then they that are monstrously sicke of open outward diseases or be redy to burst with inward vices That commeth to passe because they thinke not vpon the righteousnes of God wherof if they had neuer so little feeling they would neuer make so great a mockerie of it And truely it is out of measure lightly regarded whē it is not acknowledged to be such and so perfect that nothing be imputed vnto it but euery way whole absolute and defiled with no vncleannesse such as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man It is in deede easie and readie for euery man in schooles to talke vainlie vpon the worthinesse of woorkes to iustifie men but when they come into the sight of God such dalliances must auoyd because there is earnest doing vsed and no trifling strife aboute wordes To this to this I say we must applie our minde if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse how we may answere the heauenly Iudge when he calleth vs to account Let vs thinke him to be a Iudge not such a one as our own vnderstandinges do of themselues imagine but such a one as he is paynted out in the Scripture with whose brightnes the stars shal be darckned by whose strength the hils doe melt away by whose wrath the earth is shaken by whose wisdome the wise are takē in their suttletie by whose purenesse all thinges are prooued vnpure whose righteousnes the angels are not able to beare which maketh the innocent not innocent whose vengeance when it is once kindled pearceth to the bottome of hell If he I say sit to examine mens doinges who 〈…〉 peare assured before his throane Who shal dwell with a deuouring fire saith the prophet Esaie 3.34 Who shall abide with continuall burninges he that walketh in righteousnes and speaketh trueth c. But let such a one come foorth whatsoeuer he be but that aunswere maketh that none commeth foorth for this terrible saying soūdeth to the contrary Lord if thou marke our iniquities Lord who shall abide