saith 1. Cor. 11. that there must be heresies that they which are approued might be knowne 1. Corin. 11. Where also that of Augustine is worthie remembrance let vs vse heretikes saith he not to that end to approue their errours but that by defending the Catholickes doctrine against their deceits we may be more watchful and warie because it is most truly written there must be heresies that the tried approued may be manifested or discouered from the holow harts amongst you Let vs vse this benefit of Gods prouidence for heretikes are made of such as would erre or be naught thogh they were in the Church but being out they profit vs exceedingly not by teaching the truth which they know not but by stirring vp the carnall in the Church to seeke truth and the spirituall to cleare the truth Thus then it is apparant that both the weaker and the stronger the carnall and the spirituall may profit by heresies and schismes which the Lord suffereth in his Church the one by learning the other by teaching for they shall trie our faith and our loue whether we be counterfeits dissemblers whether we wil be suddainly wind-shaken whether we will forsake the truth and follow falsehood or whether faith be grounded in our hearts or no For like as in the time of Moses God suffered great magitians to be in Aegypt that he might make his owne power more euident in Moses so he suffereth heretikes as sorcerers or enchanters to be in the Church that the power of praier of faith of loue of zeale might be more apparant A crab oftentimes carrieth the coat of an apple and is not well knowne but by the taste copper hath the colour of gold is not so well tried as by the touch an hypocrite may lurcke vnder the shadow of a beleeuer and is not throughly manifested vntill his faith be tried but the beliefe of Gods children is like vnto the glaze-worme which glittereth most brightly in the darkest night or like the lampe that giues most light in the darke But some will say alas we are no clearkes and in these diuisions and disputings here is euery one alledging scripture for himselfe what shall we doe or what course shall we take that are vnlearned For the better helping of you in this hazard first looke whether euerie one alledgeth scripture or no for that goeth for scripture many times with the Catholicks which is no more to be found in the booke of the Bible thē Paradise in hell Secondly know them to be false teachers which for confirmation of doctrine of faith alledge any other testimonies ouer and besides the scriptures for mans writings are no further to be credited then they bring warrant from the word of God which containeth the whole counsell of God touching our saluation If they reply that all is not written which the Apostles taught answere them with that which is said by the Apostle who requireth nothing besides the scriptures to make the man of God complete then compare their vnwritten traditions with Gods written truth the light will straight discouer their darknes Thirdly if the interpretations be repugnant so as one or more of them must needs be erronious then conferre scripture with scripture and expounde scripture by scripture as Christ teacheth and lastly referre the whole vnto the correspondency of the articles of faith the briefe abridgments of christian religion and then if thou bringest with thee a teachable minde and a desire to learne in humilitie thou shalt not erre but finde Christ in his owne home that is in his word The second reason why the Lord suffereth his Church to be troubled with deceitfull companions is his proportionable iustice against the vnbeleeuers And that Saint Paul meaneth when he saith that when men haue no minde to obey God and his truth 2. Thess 2.10 hee sendeth them false prophets euen with an efficacie and speedines of errour The beguiling of Achab showeth this euidently Who is it saith God that shall deceiue Achab as if he should say I see that he will needs be drawne vnto the bottome of hell for the wretch was defiled with his Idols had peruerted Gods seruice was full of all stubbornnes 2. King 22.2 and malice against the prophets would receiue no admonition Therefore God seeing him a man forlorne sendeth a lying spirit to beguile him But here marke one thing especially comfortable to Gods childrē that when God had giuen Sathan commission to execute his vengeance vpō the vnbeleeuers he not onely giueth him leaue to punish them with losse of goods sicknes of bodie c. but giues powre to leade them into errour vtterly to deceiue them and to carrie them away with lies This is apparant in the historie of the triall of Iob where Sathan his first commission is to touch his goods and the second to touch his body but he may not meddle with his soule Thus you see it standeth both with the manifestation both of the mercie and iustice of God to send deceitfull workmen into his Church CHAPTER 9. Eight reasons vnaunswerable prouing all perfect papists rotten-hearted subiects to all true christian princes THere is a kinde of people who faine would that Dauid should alwaies sing of mercie that as it may seeme by excessiue clemencie our Soueraigne might nourish a serpent in her owne bosome Wherefore although this matter hath been handled heretofore of such learned and godly men as tender the saftie of her Maiestie and the flourishing state of her trustie and true harted subiects yet since the argument fits this place so well I haue thought good to lend my hand to my brethren and to proue that no perfect papists can be sound faithfull subiects to their christian princes And I say perfect papists because that euerie one that is blemished or holdeth any one errour or article of doctrine that the Pope holdeth as perhappes purgatorie or prayer for the dead is in that article a papist Yet I count not euery one that thus is taynted within the compasse of false heartednes to the realme or vnder the title of traiterous papists for manie otherwise sound subiects are not purged from all infections wherwith the whorish Church hath poisoned them wherfore the cōsequent reasons must be vnderstood of perfit papists whose hearts since they be Italianated I thus frame my first reason to proue them rotten hearted subiects The first reason prouing perfit papists traiterous subiects to Christian Princes ALl good subiects which obey for conscience as euery one ought to doe must haue their consciences enfomed by the word of God But perfit papists hate our assemblies despise the preaching of the word which should direct their consciences both in dutie towards God and loyaltie towards their prince and in stead thereof entertaine a strange worship Therefore perfit papists cannot bee sound hearted subiects I haue heard wise men say that there is no knot of theeues so dangerous as when there is
beard with the Pelagian heretickes to maintaine freewill powre to iustifie our selues and to fulfill the commaundements with the Messalians to mumble his mattens pater nosters seuen psalmes by number vpoÌ„ a paire of beads with the Tatians Cataphrygians Montanists and Ebonists to seeke sanctification in eating and not eating in marrying and not marrying Whereupon the Romish faith is founded To be short in manie things he is Heathenish Turkish and Iewish so that whosoeuer is hot starke blind may behold whereupon the Romane Catholiks build their faith not vpon the doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles but partly vpon the scriptures sophisticated and quintessensed in a lymbecke to serue for a correctiue in the poysoned drench of the whore partly vpon such sayings of the ancient fathers as serue for their turne partly vpon the scum of genâ—ral councels partly vpon the Caballa the Iewish Rabbins partly vpoÌ„ the Tuâ—kish Alcoran and lastly on the prâ—found diuinitie of Ouid and Aristotâ—â— In this manner skipping like mucke yâ—â— from one place to an other they pick what may best serue for their purpoâ—â— euen as if a man would picke rotten oâ— of an apple with this prouiso that a Râ—mane Catholike hang as fast on the foâ—â—dation as a thiefe on the gallowes to wâ—â— on his holy mother the Church of Româ— which can stumble no more then a maâ— when both his eies are out And this their inuincible Stratagema and Pâ—â—nopila their strong furniture and figâ—ting weapons of warre which they vâ— for the defence of their religion wheâ— by it may euidently appeare that thâ— bottomlesse pit is open and the diuâ—â— is broke loose and that the Pope is thâ— porter of hell gates Beware then of tâ—â— poysoned cup of the whore Can. 2. Math. 7. Reuel 20. Phil. 3. 2. Cor. 11.13 Rom. 16. and thâ— wiles of such Foxes Wolues in sheepâ— clothing false horned lambes maskiâ—â— hypocrites deceiptfull workemeâ— craftie companions cosening knaue◠〈◊〉 by dissembled zeale palpable flatâ—â—rie creepe into mens houses winde themselues into mens consciences lead away the simple captiue beware of these scorpions with stings in their titles who when they looke most deâ—â—â—rely pretend greatest mischiefe â—â—ound the sorest when they speake the forrest with smooth speeches captiuate meÌ„s coÌ„sciences when they preteÌ„d greatest libertie Let not your hearts be deceiued there is no such vice as that which is hidden vnder the colour of vertue no such arrant strumpet as she that seekes to shrowd her selfe vnder the shew of a graue matrone no such Iudas kisse as with an Apostles face nor fawning diuel as like an Angell of light no such enemies against the Church as those which vnder the name of it seeke the supplanting of the same To leaue their religion to speake of their liues can there be a sweet behauior where there is no sound faith certes no Corporall and spirituall whoredome companions collaterall and therfore experience wil teach thee that corporall and spirituall whordome 〈◊〉 hand in hand for who more hot in the seruice of Baal then wicked Iesabel yet was she but a painted harlot It is needlesse to tell you some sweet parts plaid in the popedome and to glance at the filthinesse of those chiefe chast fathers and maiden priestes the smell whereof hath ascended to heauen and annoied the Lord of hosts yet to the end you may know the birds by their kinde the colts by their dammes and the young cubs by the smell of the old Foxes I will giue you a little taste of the vnsauorie manners of holy Foxes holie fathers say they whereof some haue been famous and renowned heretikes some notorious blasphemers of God some shamelesse scorners some whore-hunters adulterers and sodomiticall beastes some wretched and rauenous helhounds some coniurers and Necromancers Anastasius 2. The old Foxes haue foule smels as histories doe declare Anastasius the second consented to the Nestorian heretikes which denied the humanitie of Iesus Christ and at last being stricken by the hand of God did void his intrals as did the heretik Arrius before him Boniface the eight was in a generall councell holden in Paris Boniface 8. accused and found guiltie of three capital crimes namely of heresie murther and symonie and for these causes was dispossessed of the popedome and afterwards cast into prison desperately gnawing and deuouring his hands like to a dog ended his daies for whom the diuels did wonderfully mourne and shed many a salt teare For on the same day was heard in the prison where he died called castrade S. Angelo such horrible thunderclaps and terrible stirres as if all the Popes Abbots Prelats Canons Priests Munkes and Friers in hell had been singing his requiem Pope Iohn the foureteenth who with an Italian tricke pickt ouer the pearch Pope Alexander the fifth Iohn 14. and afterwards verie featly created himselfe Pope was conuicted in the councell of Constance an apparant heretike an vn godly knaue an oppressor of the poore a persecutor of the righteous a stay to the wicked a pillar to the barterers of benefices a glasse to dishonestie a vessell full of all vice yea a verie diuell incarnate and therefore put beside the cushion and deposed from his aposticall seat What should I leaue Iohn the dog Foxe Pope Ioane the bitch-foxe and spake of Ioan the bitch-Foxe from whom Monks Friers pole-shornâ— Priestes and the Romish spiritualty arâ— sprung This Ioane was well content tâ— be gotten with child by one of he Cardinals and was deliuered in thâ— middest of the streete as she was deuoutly treading in procession by thâ— same token that at this day there dotâ— remaine an Image of stone hewen ouâ— of the earth as their histories do report and that the Popes in their processioâ— neuer doe passe that way least that thâ— like might happen vnto them Neuerthelesse for the auoiding of such a foulâ— chaunce the holy Church did ordainâ— two chaires to be hewen out of Porphy stone where they vsed to feele froâ— vnder vtrum habet testiculos But thaâ— custome is now left for it may well bâ— that they make the matter manifest bâ— the brood of their bastards Iohn thâ— thirteenth Iohn 13. was in propertie mucâ— like to Pope Ioan who as he was descended of whores and knaues so was hâ— no changeling but did shew full we what stocke he came of for he was sâ— vowed to incontinencie that he maintained an open stewes the Emperour â—â—to causing a councell to be gathered â—â—erin he was complained vpon acâ—â—sed of many foule things as that he â—â—d committed whordome with two siâ—â—rs that he had made Bishops of chilâ—â—en that he had deflowred many virâ—â—s that of Saint Iohns pallace at Lateâ—â—n he had made an opeÌ„ stewes that he â—â—d offered vp wine to the diuels and â—â—playing at dice had called for aide â—his graund Captaine the prince of â—â—rkenes But what can we expect at â—ir hands who are so neare linked and â—â—d with
they want â—uthoritie or their purses be not well â—ined but be not deceiued for such litâ—le sparkes may serue the Popes turne â—y being kindled to a flame and that is wilines is a ware of The Iuie creeâ—ing along the ground beginning at â—he first to compasse the lowest part of the oke at the last by getting ground ouerpeereth the highest branch pierceth still the pith sucketh the sap to the ruine of the whole trunke so these subtill Foxes by insinuation and sugred speeches seeke first to enter into the coÌ„sciences of persons inferiour hoping by daily addition of newe addicted fooles to the fleshpots of Egypt to fortifie their faction but indeed the marke that they leuell at is to rase vp the foundation of our peace and to ouer-peare the head of her royall person Fourthly the subtiltie of the Foxe is herein discerned because perswading men vnto vertue and reuoking them from vice The Foxe is a counseller for his owne aduantage he doth it for his owne aduantage and then especially seeketh the spoile of the Church So that fitlie they may be resembled vnto theeues trauelling by the hie way and lighting into true meaning coÌ„panie can talke of simple dealing of sober liuing of the reward of the vertuous of the punishmeÌ„t of the vitious to the inteÌ„t that vnsuspected they may take their bootyat vnawares or to the craftie gamester who suffereth the simple man to winne for a while that afterward being greedy of play he may lurch him as he listeth Euen so these deceiptful workmen speake some good things but they intermeddle euill things they speak the truth but to scatter lies to root theÌ„ in mens harts as Sinen in Virgil mingled falshood with truth that he might more easily entrap the Troians they speake peace with their mouths but haue conceiued mischief in their harts they can say salue frater with Ioab aue Rabbi with Iudas when their purpose is to stab with the one and to betraie with the other To conclude they are deceiptfull merchants which vtter euill wares and set them out with lying words to make them saileable Wherefore as Paul commaunded the diuel to silence although he spoke truth least that his vttering of truth might aduantage his lying and gaine credit to his kingdome and as Iesus Christ sharpely rebuked the diuel saying vnto him we know who thou art teaching vs not to giue eare vnto the diuell although he tell the troth so let the rulers which regard the honour of the highest labour earnestly to hinder the course of these seducing spirits which are scattered in our land and to put the diuel to silence in them that his people be not beguiled and drawne away to straunge worship The Foxe craftily disswades from religion and loialtie Another of their wiles is in their manner of perswasion first against religion secondly against loialty Against religioÌ„ by whispering into the eares of the seduced Church agreement councels coÌ„sent fathers harmony teachers credit vniuersality antiquitie vnity apostolical traditioÌ„s all which an alblasted Moter hath trict trimly in colours hauing put as it were an new coat vpon an old deformed bodie as if where the asse had put vpon him the Lions skin the world could not discerne him by the length of his eares but the name of God be magnified he is discouered and his new vernished leaden dagger stabd in the intrals of his holy mother My purpose in this pamphlet is rather to discouer the wickednes of English Italionates then to dispute against the wilfull obstinacie of any Catholike champion yet because this is the dust that Master Allablaster with others more cast in the eies of our countrimen to put them quite out or at leastwise to bleare them I will briefely scatter it and so proceed in my former course Church agreement an old Motiue to the popish faith remoued and confuted BY the Church they would haue you to vnderstand the Church of Rome The Catholickes in their brags vnderstand by the Church the Romish Church for her eminencie and then when they tell you that the Church agrees the Church degrees the Church cannot erre all this in their language is to be spoken of the Romish Church Now if this proud Moter or any other of his fraternitie can bring you any prophecie or promise by which this her priuiledge may appeare that Rome is the mother Citie of the vniuersall Church Vrge this against a Romane Catholike as she was of the ancient Romane Empyre as also that this is her prerogatiue that she caÌ„not erre theÌ„ haue they done some thing but they may assoone find Paradise in hell as anie such text in the scripture Contrariwise she is poynted at 2. Thes 2.3 Apoca. 17. as by that finger to be the seat of apostasie by Saint Paul 2. Thess 2.3 vers and by Saint Iohn in the Apocalypse Rome the sea of Apostasie yea by many auncient fathers Greeke and Latine albeit they in their times saw not that was before their eyes Againe if it were lawfull for men why should Rome rather be chosen then Ierusalem the first and the auncientest of the Churches called of the prophets the citie of God Esay 2. from whence the word of God should goe fourth into all the world founded by Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles or rather than Antioch Acts. where were named the first christians and where it is apparant that Peter and Paul liued Sirs what can you say for your selues faith sometimes florished at Rome And what then so did it at Ierusalem at Antioch at Ephesus c. But was not Ierusalem turned into Ieruskaker Was not Bethel that is the house of the Lord turned into Bethauen the house of iniquitie Is not the candlesticke remoued from those famous Churches of Asia Ephesus Pergamus Thiatira Philadelphia c. These places are altered for wickednesse and Rome for bad life and bad religion And thou Rome though sometimes faithfull art now the Queene of pride the nurse of â—dolatries the mother of whoredomes â—he shop of heresies Romes abhominations where the enteâ—ance into Gods house that is the scripâ—ures wherein he hath placed his eternall truth is forbidden vnto his people where the Church is not onely made a place of merchandise of mens soules â—ut is changed into a shop of more abâ—ominable Idolatrie than euer was amongst the pagans themselues where â—he true Iesus Christ is changed into a â—ead and sencelesse thing hauing neiâ—her head nor feete which cannot keep â—t selfe from the talents of theeues nor â—et from the teeth of mice and rattes which perisheth of it selfe if it be not â—he sooner deuoured But here some fauorit of poperie will â—ell you What if the Pope sit in Peters chaire that the Pope sits in Peters â—haire answere him that so did the Pharisees in Moyses seate Matt. 23. yet neuer â—he better no iot the holier for all that â—o that I may iustly
accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them which are good traitours headie hy minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a show of godlinesse but haue denyed the power thereof these are they which giue the Lord Iesus after a sorte the curtesie of Iudas Math. 26. These are like to Simon the sorcerer who walkt with Phillip like an Apostle Act. 8. but wrought with money like a wordling like to Achabs wife who went most demurely when the would speake with the Prophets Why hypocrits are well likened to Foxes And surely as in other respectes so in this these pargetted professours of the gospell are rightly called Foxes because as the Foxe his skin is more worth then his carcasse so their skinnes that is their outward profession is more worth than their conuersations Truth it is these after a sort haue cast off the Pope with his superstitiōs The Idolatrie of gospelling hypocrites but they haue not put vpon them Iesus Christ with his righteousnes They haue renounced the Idols of wood and stone but harbour Idols as dangerous in their hearts couetousnes theft crueltie fornication vncleannes wantonnes and such like goddesses There is a mightie generation of these kind of Foxes in this land and these late yeares of scarcitie and dearth hath laid open the hearts of many of them These deere years haue laid open many deceitfull hearts who contrarie to their holy professions and to the power of religion haue taken their aduantage of the time and made a pray of the poore without all mercie not caring to passe away their birth-rights for Esaus soup nor to sell paradise for a licorous morsell But what should I need to broach the hypocrisie of this people since they themselues without common care of their holy callings to the great shame of themselues haue cried at the market crosse But ye Gourmandisers Grubbers and grinders of the poore ye craftie priers into the needie mans extremitie to make your gaine of his paine and your commoditie of his miserie you cunning contriuers for priuate profit ye artificiall forgers of dearth and famine deuourers of mens quicke and liue flesh how long wil you presume to come into Gods house as if you were of it Ye false fingerers sellers with false sleights false measures false weights terrigenae fratres adorers of your God Māmon when wil you shake off the cloake of hypocrisie Ye tiplers tauern hunters ye epicurean cōpanions beastly belli-gods ye quarrel broachers and action threatners ye bellowes of hell fire which liue by setting others on pleading which beat your braines to lengthē the perchment as long as you can how long shall the Lord suffer you to appeare in his house in which there is nothing but peace and equitie Ye leasemongers rent-rackers ye enclosers and make-beggars neuer well at ease vntill yee haue taken possession of Naboth his vineyard ye towne-batterers ioyners of house to house and land to land vntill there be no place for the poore whē will you leaue to come to Sermons for a shew and to make religion a cloake for such horrible impietie You are bastard children and not the true generation of Iacob Therfore presume not to say that you are the sonnes of Abraham for if you thus walke the diuell is your father It is you that haue opened the mouthes of our enemies whose blind charitie layeth so hard to your lame faith you haue caused the gospell to be ill spoken of and the name of our God to be blasphemed the Lord reforme your hearts and grant you greater mercy On the other side you that by the grace of God are not guiltie of this great contempt be diligent earnest true and faithfull in your duties towards Almightie God who in the day appointed shall set you with his Angels for euer to praise him and shall cast the polluted and vncleane out of his Church This great God and righteous iudge saue vs from the temptations of Sathan that we may cleaue vnto him in faith and truth Amen CHAPTER 7. The vnkenelling of the Foxe and the dutie of the terriers HAuing before declared the conditions and manners of these Foxes which destroy the vines it followeth next in order that we speake something concerning the vnkenelling of these Romish Foxes which of all other are most daungerous to the state both of Church and Common-wealth The which we shall performe the better if we still compare a Foxe with a Foxe Now first of all it is well knowne to Foxe-hunters that the Foxe holds the strongest couerts that he flieth from the field as a beast which trusteth not in the swiftnes of his legs Properties of a Foxe when he is in chase nor the strength of his bodie that he wheeleth about the thickets and though he find none other helpe but a bush he wil flie to it for his safegard so it is with this kind of cattell for being hunted they runne abroad here and there but especially fly from the fields into the woods Whither the two-legged Foxes flie being hunted enquiring where there is one that makes no conscience of his ministerie that will be content for handfuls of barley and morsels of bread for tyth cockes and tyth sheaues to cloake a Catholickes knauerie enquiring also where there is an vntaught people fit for all religions and all princes raignes and consequently apt to swallow a bait of poisoned perswasion that is a couert for a Catholick thither flock the Foxes and feed without feare Againe another propertie of the Foxe is How the Foxes make their kenels to make his denne in the ground that is hard to dig as in galt clay or such like earth the passage into his earth being streight and going very farre in before it come to his couch hauing also many holes thorow which to vnearth himselfe Euen so it is with this kind they make their burrowes strong they haue so many streight passages so many muses so many winding corners so many turnings so many interturnings and starting holes that it is a matter full of difficultie to find the couch of a Catholicke Hard to vnkenell a Foxe-priest especially of a Priest or Iesuite In so much as I may iustly say of them as Caesar said of the Scythians difficilius est inuenire quam superare It is harder to find them than to foile them For experience hath taught vs that when it hath beene a matter vndoubted that a Foxe priest hath beene readie to say masse and therefore his denne hath beene compassed the terriers haue winded him and all his pretie trinkets haue been found prepared for so great a peece of worke yet in the ende the Foxe would not be found Perhaps he serues the hunters now and then as the fish called the Cuttle serues the fisherman which when she is like to be taken casteth forth a slimie humor like vnto ynke and so darkning the vpper part of the water and dazeling
the fishermans eies marres his aime and escapeth the daunger Which sithens it is so the greater the care ought to be that there be such godly wisedome and cunning in hunting them such toiles such nets as are fit for such seruice that there be such ministers as are able to handle the sword of gods word with both hāds that is to say be able to confirme the established Great need of good Foxe-hunters to reclaime the back-sliders to confute the aduersarie and if the will of God be to transforme the Foxes into sheepe such magistrates as haue a zeale to fence and hedge in the vineyard of the Lord of hostes from the subtill inuasions and vnderminings of these noysome vermine such toyles as are able to hold both the great and little Foxes For where blinde guides are placed in the watch towre and the basest liues are in the highest roomes there Foxes indaunger the flocke and many times finde more fauour then stands with the preseruation of the sheepe or safe continuing state of the best affected subiectes Pursiuants Parators In this place fit occasion is offered to speake neither may I passe it ouer with silence of a couple of terriers appointed for the hunting and vnkenelling of these Foxes whose true and hot hunting of them as it is rightly to be commended where it is to be found so the contrary doth breed great corruption in the Church and is much to be lamēted For the better redressing of these deformities which are too manifest bringing of these terriers into good hūting it would be carefullie respected of them that haue power to reforme it that they buy not their places for this is an approued truth that they will sell deare in the retaile which they bought in the grosse that is will sucke profit out of the vilest things cut mens garments off by the skirts for desire of gain hereby haue rushed horrible incōueniences both into church cōmonwealth Againe the Foxe hath many wiles wherby to make these Foxe-hounds at a fault or to hunt counter especially he hath a mixture made of cogworth broad way Vox populi penimate together with a few ratle flowers called goold maries or mary-goolds which being steeped in a little diuels milke cast into their eies makes them starke blind stops their sents hence it commeth to passe that popery beareth such swindge because papists can pay wel that adultery fornication scape without punishment because wantons haue money I say no more let this be a watch-word to them whom it especially concerneth CHAPTER 8. The principall reasons why God suffereth home-bred enemies to be in the bosome of his Church fit to be considered of such as are not throughly perswaded in this point IF the Christian Church be impugned by open enemies as Iewes Turkes Tartarians and such as haue opēly renounced the person of the great sonne of God and are cut off as rotten members men not greatly regard it But when such as are bred and nourished in the bosome of the Church seeke to vndermine and supplant it those household conflicts home-bred battailes are they which trouble many in these daies Household conflictes trouble many weake Christians O say they here is so much arguing and disputing such diuisions and diuersities of opinions that a man knowes not which way to turne himselfe To helpe such as without any good cause are thus put to a gaze They must first vnderstand that it is the will of God that his Church shall not be free from these inward offences and secondarily know the principall reasons why he will haue it so Although our God as he is the God of order and not of confusion commendeth and deliuereth vnto vs his discipline yet notwithstanding he suffereth the hypocrites for a time to haue their being amongst the faithfull vntill the full restoring and reforming of his kingdome in the last day The Church shall not be free from offences Math. 13. Which thing is taught by that of our Lord Iesus Christ where he resembleth the kingdome of heauen to a net cast into the sea and gathering all kind of fishes c. to a field wherin whilest the good husbandman soweth his wheat the enuious came and scattered his teares The Apostles also haue foretold the same that the Church of God shall be pestered with pestilent enemies and that they shall come with an efficacy of errour This know saith saint Paul that in the latter daies some shall depart from the faith 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3 and shall giue heed vnto spirits of error and doctrines of deuils which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned off with a hot yron c. But there were false prophets saith Saint Peter 2. Pet. 2.1.2.3 also among the people euen as there shall bee false teachers among you Which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation The mysterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles time 1. Iohn 4.1.2 Thus the misterie of iniquitie began to worke in the Apostles times as appeareth in Col. 2. Galath 1. Therefore Saint Iohn exhorteth not to beleeue euerie spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world And why should this trouble you so much Doe you not see that the cockle the corn growe both in one field the lillie and the thorne both on one ground the blossome and the blast both on one tree the flowre and the weed both in one garden the sheepe and the goates doe feed both in one pasture know you not that in one arke were beasts cleane and vncleane and that the Apostle saith that in one house be vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour then wonder not to see the good and the bad mingled together but consider the reasons giue God the glorie and take heed to thy faith There be two principall reasons why the Lord suffereth these houshold enemies to be in the midst of his vineyard the first is for the probation and trial of his seruants whether they be vnfainedly coupled vnto him in the spirituall bond of faith and of loue Deut. 13. If there arise amongst you saith Moses a Prophet or c. Thou shalt not harkē vnto the words of that Prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreams For the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with al your heart with all your soule And indeed it is necassarie that we be kept in continual exercise of faith and praier of patience and constancie and therefore is it said that the Lord would not cast out before his people of Israel any of the natiōs which Iosua left when he died that through them he might proue Israell whether they would keepe his waies to walke therein or no And to this effect Saint Paul