Basill nor with Gregorie Nazianzen nor with Ambrose in this matter but with the Lord will I holde And yet I tell you that euen these men Contra Idola Ambrosius Lib. de spiritu sancto cap. 12. Denieth it law full to pray to the Virgin Marie named by me are contrarie to them selues For Athanasius sayth in his booke of Prayer that Mens fons est orationis 1 The minde is the fountaine and well spring of Prayer And to the same vpon the fiftie and fowre Psalme he sayth Promptae semper in hominum praecationes Dei aures sunt 1 That is The eares of the Lord are alwayes open to the prayers of men By which his Testimonies he is contrarie to the other places of praying to Saintes for first Athanasius referreth all to the spirite of man and secondlie The Fathers haue not defended the praying to Saintes giueth all audience to the Lord and none other And Basill in his booke De vita solitaria is verie flat against him selfe he speaketh much in other places against praying to Saints For this he saith Ora ad Deum cum timore et animi humilitate That is Pray vnto God in feare and all humilitie of the minde You sée prayer made by him to God excludeth all other For it went a lyttle afore Pete ex fide semper quod binum est operans 1 Aske by faith doing that alwayes which is good Faith excludeth héere praying to Saintes séeing that Faith and beléefe is not to be reposed in them I may say the same of Gregorie Nazianzen and of Ambrose and Ambrose him selfe is flat against praying to Saintes and against all prayers that are to be made to the Virgin Marie as appeareth in his booke Lib. 3. De spiritu sancto ca. 12 Non quicquam adorandum praeter Deum sicut Scriptura dixit Dominum Deum tuum adorabis 1 There is nothing to be worshipped but God He giueth an other reason For it is written in the scripture Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Wherefore I am of opinion that some Miscreant and wicked man moued by the Spirite of error hath enterlaced and in many places corrupted the good sayinges of the Fathers with euill opinions Tertullian in his Apollogie Cap. 17. sayth We must worship this onely one and true God who with his worde hath made the heauens and the elementes and all spirituall bodies in the same Epiphanius Lib. 3. against the Antidicomarianites and against the worshippers of the Virgin Marie hath many excellent sayinges concerning this thing to whome I referre you Gregorius Nazianzen in his Oration to the Subiects that were affrayde sayth thus Christus tanua et reconciliatio hominum ad Patrem factus 1 Christe is made the doore and the reconciliation of man vnto his Father Cyrill vpon Iohn Lib. 7. Cap 3. sayth That an entraunce is made vnto the kingdome of heauen all onely by Iesus Christe Wherefore I doo request you to reade that learned Theophilact in his Epistle to them of Colossa and Augustine to Honoratus Cap. 10. and the same in his booke of True Religion and they will satisfie you in this Question of praying and to whome to pray Wherefore I will conclude with two reasons drawne out of the Scriptures Psal 51.6 Iob. 14.4 Pron 24.16 Rom. 3.10 The first is this They which sinne as wée doo can not be helpers of vs in our prayer for all prayer is to them that are holie and perfect but the Saintes haue sinned and sinne as we doo Ergo Psalm 3.8 Esa 27.3 Hos 13.4 we haue no cause to pray to them but to the Lord that can helpe vs. Also it is euident that prayer is not to be giuen to any but such as can helpe themselues and other Now the Saints can helpe neither themselues nor any other but Christe Iesus onely must doo it Then no prayer is to be giuen to them for this is the nature of prayer and such things are to be required herein 1. First we must pray to God for he heareth the prayers of the whole world 2. Secondly to one that is able and can doo all thinges which onely is God 3. Thirdly that he be a worthy Person to whom we pray and so is none but the Lord. 4. Fourthly that he be no creature least we derogate from the creator so that the dead haue no portion or inheritaunce in our prayers but onely the Lord. Now therefore I will conclude that Israell must all onely serue the Lorde his God and none other neither in heauen neither in earth neither aboue the heauens neither vnderneath the earth is there any one to whom we must giue homage but onelye to him Then take the Cuppe of salnation into your handes and call on the name of the Lorde Sanctifie your selues and drawe néere to his Tabernacle A stronge Towre is the name of the Lord he that runneth to him shal be saued In Ierusalem is saluation and on the heads of the Goodly is strengthe no falsehood is found in the wise and no halting in those that feare God Though the world doo delight in Chariots and the Kinges of the earth in their Horses and great men in theyr strength yet will we onely call vpon the name of the Lord we wil say glory to the highest and prayses vnto him in the vppermost heauens we will offer sacrifice of thankes giuing vnto our God and paye our vowes to the Almightie we will singe to the Lord a new songe and Sion shall not staye to prayse her God we will singe with Moses and prayse the Lorde with Aaron in his holy assemblye we will not giue his powre vnto man nor the strength of his arme vnto a Forrainer our Crownes shal be set vpon his heade and we will fall downe to him as to our God we will giue blessing and glorie and honour vnto him that sitteth on the Throne for euer and euer and all the Beasts of the earth shall subscribe vnto vs. But as for you you haue not knowne the Lord the God of Iacob hath not béene your defence you haue giuen his honour to the great Beast and the Oragon hath frayed you so that you haue his markes of blasphemie in your foreheads you haue serued that great whore and bowed your knées to the Woman of sinne Therefore shall your portion be without the Gates of the holy Cittie and you shall not sée the Lambs and his face for euer In the Vinepresse of his wrathe shall you bee troden to péeces and if you repent not your portion shal be Fier and Brimstone for euermore You are the sonnes of the bloody Fathers that haue killed the Prophets you are the Children of the cursed séede You are of the posteritie of Amelech vnworthie to liue among Israell You are the reliques of Iebus and of the remnaunt of the Hittites that haue béene prickes and thornes in the sides of the righteous men You are the Chemerims
so faceingly stand against GOD and so proudlie lyst vp your heads and so impudently perseuere in your errors I wyll bréeflie say something vnto you of so many your Heresies and false allegations as connenientlie I maye for I knowe that you came not hether in vaine Some of you are Seminaries and not without cause so called for you sowe your Tares among our Corne and you haue scattered the Cockle among our Wheate whersoeuer you come Some of you be Iesuites and I wunder that vnder so glorious a name so vile and so outragious so lewde and so pestiferous so fonde and so monsterous an Heretique can be contayned Iesuites of Iesus as the Nazarites named them of Nazareth where Christe dwelt And the Adamites called them so of Adam but they followed no one thing of the customs ordinances of those men froÌ„ vvhome they tooke theyr names no more then the Iesuites doo follow Iesus Dyd Iesus euer knowe that man of sinne whome you worshippe the Pope dyd Iesus adore Images as you doo dyd Iesus pray to Saints as your manner is dyd Iesus vse those whorishe Traditions of Bell Bull and Candle Oyle Salte and adiurations as is common among your dyd Iesus pray to the Crosse and whipped he and scourged he him selfe with his owne handes as you vse to doo Then I perceyue you haue but the name of Iesus to deceyus men with all you haue no one thing in you which Iesus had And for that you are Wookies in Shéepes cloathing and we now knowe you by your déedes I wyll speake some thing of such Articles and most principall Heresies on which you do holde The Lord sayth Thou shalt looue mee with all thy soule with all thy heart with all thy might and the Lord the GOD onely shalt thou serue But you Harding for the Church of Roome Dist 96 you looue the Pope he is The Terrestriall God The Pope why he is God in déede as appeareth also at the Counsell of Trident The Pope why he is not a Man The Pope why In Sexto de Elect. he hath power ouer the Angelles of GOD as appeareth in the Councell of Lateran vnder Leo the tenthe The Pope why that which he dooth is receyued as Canonicall not to be broken for so sayde Alexander the seconde to Phillip King of Fraunce The Pope why he that offendeth and breaketh his Lawes shall not be forgiuen for euer Dist 19. C. 51. Rom. pontif for so sayde Nicholaus to the Archbishoppes The Pope why it is not lawfull to adde or diminishe any thing that hée hath done as witnesseth your owne Pope Adrian Sinodo apud Trecas The Pope why it is thus written of him Qui decreta Romanorum pontificum violauerit anathema sit 1 Whoso euer shall breake or violate the Decrees of the Pope shall be as accursed This was done at a Councell by Leo Pope the fowrth Cap. 5. by the consent of thrée score and two Bishoppes The Pope why whosoeuer obeyed not him as béeing in the Apostolicall Sea Papa 7. was coumpted an Idolater as is found in the Decrées of Gregorie Nowe whether or no these are lawfull and whether you or no bé not shamelesse men to come hether to teache vs such whorishe and Idolatrous abhominations that shall be triâ—d in the booke of the Lord. First of all you call a mortall man by the name of the eternall God doo you thinke this is lawfull What sayth Esaâ— Ego Dominus hoc est nomen meum gloriam meam non dabo alteri c. That is I am the Lord that is my name and my glorie will I giue vnto no other Isa 42.8 You haue not read what the Lord sayd of Israel when as he purpoâ—â— to saue them Propter me propter me faciam vt non blaspheâ—mer et gloriam meam alteri non dabo That is For my selfâ— cuen for my selfe will I doo this that I may not be blasphemed and my glorie will I giue to none other Isa 48.11 If the Angell in the Reuelation Apoca. 19.10 would not take that woorship and adoration that Iohn would haue adored him withall but thought it a derogation from the Maiestie of God to take it Damasus 1. in the dayes of Iulius as in Platina Boniface 16. in the tyme of Honorius and Simmachus the. 1. vnder Faustin Consull and Gregori the. 1. vnder Mauri and Boniface the thyrd vnder Phocas vvere the first that had this worship and adoration giuen to them being the first generall Popes so named and at the consecration of them all vvas much blood shed Howe sacrilegious blasphemous is that man of sinne the Pops that hath so many thousandes comming to him continually and falling downe and worshipping him Wherefore because I am purposed to be short and as before so nowe also in my writinges not to be tedious I will referre all your Romishe tytles giuen vnto the Pope all onely vnto one And these shal be by way of Question determined Namely whether or no it be lawfull for you to giue that honour and that worshippe to the Pope that you doo I say it is not lawfull but it is a dampnable and most execrable thing and this will I make proofe of out of the booke of God The Pope is not to bee woorshipped Rati 1. He onely that is Omnipotent and Lord of all is to be worshipped The Lord our God is omnipotent and Lord onely of all Ergo. The Lord our God onely and not the Pope is to be worshipped For my owne parte when any one of my premisses is denied then I can say that iustlie which nowe willinglie I wyll not speake of Yet we knowe that in former tunes there were most godlie and most honourable most â—â—se and most prudent men that liued then notwithstanding there is no president found among them of anye such grose blindnes as is in you or any example of any such honor or worship giuen to any one then liuing as you doo now to the Pope Abraham presumed not to go any farther then vnto the Lord whom he also adored If you reade the Storie of Iacob Gene. 35. with his longe trauaile great paine and wearie retorne home againe When as all the good and honotable men of olde time refused to be worshiped hovv dare the Pope take that being inferior to them in thousand degrees which they durst not you shall finde that hee thought none worthie honor and reuerence neither adored any but God whom he called omnipotent in Genesis Israell albeit Moyses had beene in the Mount and had séene God face to face and had talked with him and had séene his glorie in the Tabernacle and was chaunged in countenaunce for Israell could not abide to behould him because the brightnesse of his face was great Exod. 15. yet doo you not finde that this singuler instrument of the Lord Moses was adored or worshipped as your Pope is reade Deut. 32. and Psal
Gregorius Na. in his Philos vvylled vs to pray onely to God Lactātius sayth Lib. 2. Cap. 18. That we ought onely to pray to God Ambrose Lib. 3 de Spiritu Sancto praieth to the holy Trinitie Hyllarius in Psalm Referreth him all onely to God that vvyll pray aright But for praying to Saints for praying to the dead for making of any prayer to the Virgin Mary it is not to be found in all theyr Bookes Wherefore you fée first this was no prayer next that the Virgin Marie deserued of her selfe no more then any other Thirdly that the Lord did fréely accept her and that he tooke her vnto mercie Now if you can prooue that any woorship or seruice or honour or homage is to be giuen to Marie or that you should and ought to pray to her for my part I wyll condiscend and yéelde vnto you If not then be no more erronious returne and amende and come home and be saued Why should you yéeld to mens Traditions why should you holde with that which is found out by flesh and blood why should you stand to vaine illusions and deuises of the Popes why should you holde with foolishe constitutions and ordinaunces of your Fathers why should we beléeue you rather then God then Scripture then Trueth then the Gospell Search and sée and finde any such one thing as you maintaine then I know that my fellow brethren and I will not only cease to preach against you but we will think of you as becōmeth men to thinke of the members of Christ But knowing that we doo know we dare not we may not we can not we will not be partakers of your sinnes for sée and looke euen as other so also this abhomination springeth of your Popes and hath rysen from out of the sea of Roome Therfore when Iustinian the Emperour had made a Feast called the receyning in of our Sauiour Christe which was a remembraunce of that day when Simeon dyd receyne him in his armes in the Temple The feast of the Assumptiō of Mary Concilium Lugdunense Your Pope did transferre that was giuen to God vnto the Virgin Marie so the feast of Marie came in in the stéede of the feast and solemnized day of our Sauiour Christe as appeareth at a generall Councell in your booke of Decretals the yéere after Christe 1273. Visitation of Marie You haue a Feast called the Visitation of Marie brought in by Vrban Pope sirt of that name after Christe 1380. who lyued at that tyme when as one of your owne Order a Monster of the worlde a Monke brought in the first vse of Gunnes Annuntiation You haue a Feast of the Annuntiation of Marie which was confirmed vnder Ludouiens Pius by a generall Councell after Christe 819. Conc. Aquisgrangense Conceptio Presentatio Horae Canonicae You haue the Feast of the Conception of Marie allowed in a Councell at Basill after Christe 1439. You haue the Feast of the Presentation of Marie after Christe 1484. You haue howres Canonized in which you praye seuerallie to the Virgin which was done by Vrban the second which was scholler to Gregorie the seuenth after Christe 1090. and he troubled the whole world Salue regina Coelorum You haue Salue Regina All hayle O Queene of Heauen c. That worishh and Romishe that Deuillishe and faithlesse Song which was the worke of Gregorie the ninthe 1240. And you haue certaine times for Bels to be roong to Marie which Iohn Pope 22. dedicated after Christe 1320. Belles So that no more filthynesse no more superstition no more damnable and gréeuous enormities may possiblie be found out or inuented then your Popes haue sought out and imagined to dishonour the Lord God with all And nowe tell me if you be not ashamed of these fooleries which in gréefe I doo repeate but yet of necessitie The wickednes vvhich the Papists doo commyt is great for they pray to many they should pray but to one they pray to man they should pray to God they pray to the Saints they should pray to Christe they should pray to the lyning they pray to the dead they pray to the creatures they should pray to the Crento wherefore there is no man that wilfullie wyll not erre as they doo but he may see very plainly that theyr blasphemy is outragious theyr sacriledge is perillous and theyr dealing is most of all daungerous to the state of the soule I must rehearse that your wickednesse may be séene shewe me if these be tollerable If they be what Scripture haue you If not why defend you them If you can maintaine them then speake for them If you be sorie for them then run from them If you holde them then make proofe of them If you flie from them then denounce them It is better to retyre with modestie then be ouerthrowne desperatlie It is fitter to acknowledge your faultes willinglie then to suffer and be accused publiquelie It is more manlike to holde that is right and good constantlie then to accuse your selues and burne in Conscience inwardlie It is a more pretious thing to the Lorde more acceptable to men and more commended of all to reuolt and returne in tyme then to hope in errour to truste in euyll or defend an vntrueth that your commendation may bée renowned and your names famous among vnrighteous personnes Wherefore giue glorie to whome glorie belongeth honour to whome honour belongeth thanksgiuing to whome thanksgiuing belongeth and prayer to whome prayer belongeth and repent and beforie that you haue derogated so much from the Maiestie of God and giuen vnto Creatures that is none of theirs It may be you will replie and say Why diuers of the Fathers are of our opinion why many of the Doctors say as we say why the Schoole men the greatest number doo as we doo But what then men are men and haue alwayes erred the Trueth is the Trueth and will not lye the Fathers haue béene faithlesse and haue sinned the Scriptures are sacred and no filthinesse hath béene found in them the Doctors haue done amisse the Lord our God neuer troade his foote awrie the Schoolemen haue béene but scoffers in many thinges the schollers of the Lord and his Prophetes neuer led you but right in euerie thing Then take these refuse yours alowe of God cast off men receyue the good auoyde the euill remember the woord eschew lyes And yet though you thinke you haue all the worlde on your side you are deceyued for albeit one or two of the Fathers or more haue allowed in part the prayers to the dead and to Saints yet for all that I can and will appose others against them of more sounder indgement a great deale that doo thinke it vtterlie vnlawfull Errors of the Fathers to pray vnto the Saintes And what though Anathasius dyd thinke that it was lawfull to pray to the Virgin Marie shall we therefore subscribe I tell you no for I will neither holde with
the Lord willinghe yet for the commaundement sake and for necessitie we must obey him The exhortation is to the good and godlie men whome the Lord hath alwayes vsed to styrre vp and prick foreward in his seruice The Commaundement is to the wicked wilfull and vnbeléeuing persons who albeit the beanies and light of trueth apppeareth will not for all that beléeue Wherefore I am of opinion that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 the generall Proposition ende purpose and drifte of Moses is this to exhort and require all such as are the Lordes to haue a regarde to his Commaundements and to feare his name and of this I must speake two manner of wayes First generallie 1. To all that are heere and to such as shall heare heereof heereafter Next perticularlie 2. To certaine persons whom I see in this place and I would they were rather in some other place then heere The first kinde of reuerence and feare to be spoken of generally is appertinent vnto all that looue the Lord who in yeale with perfectnesse in looue with thankfulnesse in great care with earnestnesse ought bothe daylie and continuallie to serue the Lord their God For who defendeth them at all assayes but hée who protecteth them when they are in distresse but onely hée who is able in néede to ease them in myserie to reléeue them in daungers to comfort them in anguishe of soule and heart to deliuer them but onely this whome we should feare whome we should dread whome we should reuerence the Lord our God For this cause in Deuteronomie I finde it thus written Deur 11.18 First that you shall lay vp Secondly the wordes spoken by the Lord. 3. In your heart 4. In your soule 5. You shall binde them as signes on your hands 6. They shal be as Frontlets between your eies 7. Then you shall teach them your children 8. Euen then when thou sittest in thine house 9. Then when thou walkest by the way 10. Then wheÌ„ thou lieft down 11. Then when thou risest vp 12. Then shalt thou write them vpon the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates The reason of this That your dayes may be multiplied that the dayes of your Children may be multiplied in the Land for the Lord sware vnto your Fathers to giue it them so long as the heaueâ—s are aboâ—e the earth Yet there is a condition for this blessing is graunted vpon a bonde wherein Israel was and we nowe his people we bound also Euen to looue the Lord our God to walke in his wayes and to cleaue vnto him c. In the Prophesie of Isaiah Isa 8.19 where as the Lord God dooth most gréeuoustie denounce the heauy Iudgements vpon Iuda Israel and the Affirians for not obeying and seruing the Lord their God At the length the Lord comforteth his people and encorageth the Saintes and wylleth them not to feare albeit they be as signes and wunders to the wicked men and he fetteth downe his will and his purpose of his feare and reuerence in two thinges First In an Inquisition Secondlie In an aunswere to the same The Inquisition is of the wicked men and of Idolaters that say vnto the godlie Enquire of them that haue a spirite of Diuination enquire of them that are Southsayers enquire of them which whisper and murmure The olde Idolaters vpstart Papistes are a lyke in all things and the first kept away the law froÌ„ the people these make ignoraunce the mother of deuotion Then at that tyme this shall be the aunswere made by the godlie Should not a people enquire at their God should you goe from the lyuing to the dead Nay to the Lawe and to the Testimony should you goe and if then you speake not according to that woorde there is no trueth and no lyght in you wherefore they haue first done vs great iniurie I meane the aduersaries of the grace of God the Papistes who haue drawne away not onely the simple and plaine men from the Lord by kéeping the booke of God shut from them but also haue taught them an other lawe of their owne inuentions and contrarie to the lawe they haue receyued of the Lorde O that they had perfectly the Lawe of the Lord in Mathew Where at such time as the Saduces had béene put to silence by our Sauiour Christe and the Pharisées vnderstanding thereof gathered together them selues also to dispute with him Math. 22.34 One among them all an expounder of the Lawe could not temper his affections but boldly rusheth out and speaketh which shall be séene by you in the circumstaunces of the Text. First in a Question The Question mooued by a Scribe Secondlie in a replie to the Question The replie made by our sauiour Christe The Question is the greater moued by the Scribe 1. In the asking 2. In the tempting 3. In the speaking to Christe The Question mooued was Maister VVhich is the greatest commaundement in the Lawe The Aunswer and replie by Christe is this Thou shalt looue whome the Lord thy God Howe 1. With all thine heart 2. With al thy soule 3. With al thy mind And this is the first coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t the greatest Moreouer for the aunswer of Christ is twofolde it concerneth The Lorde onely as before is seene in his seruice Man onely which is thus 1. Thou shalt loue 2. Thy neighbor 3. Euen as thy selfe And in these two coÌ„sisteth the Law and the â—…ophets In Marke the Euangelist This same peruerse man the Scribe that did oppose him selfe against Christe after the Question mooued and the replie added the revnto by our sauiour Christe is â—pted to haue spoken discretelie and to haue set downe his opinion bothe soundlie and wiselie concerning this thing And his iudgement was this Maister thou hast saide truelie For there is but one God For there is none other but he And to loue him 1. With all the heart 2. With all the vnderstaÌ„ding 3. With all the soule 4. With all the strength 5. And thy neighbour as thy selfe Is more then all burnt offeringes and Sacrifices In these places rehearsed you plainly sée that in the seruice of the Lord the principall thing required is this That we obey him and his commaundements O how godly and pleasaunt a thing is it for Israel to know the Lord his statutes are in his mouth his Ordinaunces shall make him blessed his séede shall inherite the land he shall not feare by night nor stand in dreade at noone day for the Lord of hoasts is with him the God of Iacob is his defence The Lorde shal be a shéelde to that man and the stay and staffe of peace shal be vpon his head he is sure not to be mooued and to the nethermost hell shall he neuer fall His pathes are pathes of righteousnesse his wayes be the wayes of lyfe Glorie is on his head honour and renowne are a couering for that man happy shall he be for euer and all generations shall remember him
world Yet for that you séeme to make a colour of some matter I will not sticke to enter into your follie and discouer it to the world An aunswer to the place of Ezechiel and the Iesuits argument You say that one appeared We knowe it was an Angell and shewed his readinesse Therefore shall you be aunswered out of Ezechiel the Prophet that will be an equall Iudge betwéene vs bothe answer 1 First that which is vttered by the Prophet is done by way of a Vision no materiall or reall thing done indéede But by a Vision is the Captiuitie and destruction of Ierusalem opened by the comming of the Babilonians from out of the North who should ouer runne them answer 2 Secondly all that which was séene was a representation and figure of those thinges were to be done As for example The sixe men seene were the Babylonians and messengers of Gods wrath Lying toward the Northâ— Declared the place from whence they came Hauing weapons in their hand Betokened destruction Wheras a man appeared in white Linnen cloathes Was shewen the looue of God to the faithfull who sent them a helper Hauing a writers Inckorne Opened that he marked such as should be saued The persons are described that should be marked namely such as mourne for Gods children crie out and mourne for the iniquities and transgressions of the wicked séeing the glorie of their God defated The marke wherewith they are marked is Signum Than as some translate which you that holde of the Popes side call the signe of the Crosse And as in other things so in this doo I wunder at you how impudentlie and boldlie how falselie and vntruelie how corruptlie and vnaduisedlie you haue affirmed this At Roome as they say there men haue great skill in the tongues but it is vnlyke For the Hebrue is so plaine they caÌ„not vvrest it the Greeke is not so intricate but they may attaine it But heere lyeth all they reade olde Idolatrous vvriters they reade vvicked superstitious meÌ„ they neuer conferre that they do with the Scripture heere it is that they fall bothe into the ditche those that haue skill in the Hebrew tâ—gue can tell And God be thanked for it how euer it be that the Hebrew tongue is eyther hidden or obscured or dimmed by you yet we knowe well enough that in shamelesse manner you falsifie bothe the Scriptures and the Hebrew bookes Maister Harding blusheth not to say that Ierome affirmeth Thau To haue had the similitude of the Crosse when as in verie déede Ierome auoucheth no such thing but repreheÌ„deth the Samaritanes that superstitiouslie doo lene vnto the same and the same thing is condempned not commended by Ierome Now therfore shewe vnto me two things which I will aske of you such as béeing present defend the Pope and hold with Images Can you prooue that this Signum Thau is the Crosse which you woo ship when as you say to a péece of wood Aue Rex noster 1 All hayle O King Or can you prooue out of this place that if Thau were the Crosse which we denie Yet that eyther the Man that was séene or the Saints which were marked or the Babilonians which were sayde to come vpon them dyd woorshippe pray vnto or adore this Signum Thau and if you can doo eyther of these I will subscribe to your opinions and become one of you If not then knowe you haue abused the Lord vnderstand you haue misconstrued his woord thinke that you haue beguiled his Saints and be you assured the Lord will require it at your handes And nowe to certifie all men in a trueth I will bothe aunswere you and satisfie the Reader It is to be vnderstoode that the Lord dyd nothing in vaine in his booke there is no lyght thing no néedlesse thing no incoÌ„modious friuolous thing set downe But euerie place euerie Vision euery Prophesse euerie woorde hath his meaning and proper sence which bringeth vnto the ignoraunt personne some knowledge So that if any one of you héere before mée shall aske this question at my handes why the Lord God commaundeâ— the Aungell to write rather the signe Thau then any other of the Letters in the foreheads of the Saintes I wyll giue to that Questionist thrée reasons reason 1 The signe Thau hovv vvas it abused by Papists First Thau is the last letter of the two and twentie Hebrew Letters therefore dooth it make vp the iust and perfect number whereby is signified that the Saints marked with this marke are such as be perfect and pure and wise and such as shall make vp and fullfill the nomber of the elect reason 2 Secondly the law with the Hebrews is Torah Therefore Thau the first letter of this worde Torah which is the lawe dooth represent that those which are marked with the same letter Thau are such as doo indeuor to kéepe the lawe of the Lorde reason 3 Thirdly I am of opinion that as the letter Thau is the last letter of the Alphabet among the Hebrews so those that are signed with the signe Thau are certified to bée such persons as are and shal be counted to bée the last and the worst the basest and the homeliest the meanest and most despised among men And now if any of you all or any of yours are able to saye any thing against this my Assertion I will not hinder you but as patiently here you as you haue hetherto harde me thus concluding that as yet you haue sayde nothing to prooue Images lawfull Against you that worship them against them that made them against all such as holde with them the Lorde God saith much in his booke Isai 40.19 Isa 46.7 Ier. 10.3 Now then shall we obay you or the Lorde Man or God Christe or the Pope or beléeue you or the Scriptures For if it be true Non habebis Deos alienos coram me 1 Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me Exo. 20.3 If it be true Per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis c. 1 You shall not sweare by the name of any other Gods Exo. 23.13 If it be true Nolâ— adorare Deum alienum Ne ineas pactum cum bominibus earum gentium Thou shalt not worship a strainge God thou shalt not make a league or a treuse with those men and with the Nations Exo. 34.14 If it be true in Leuiticus Thou shalt not tourne thy selfe to Idols and thou shalt make thee no molton Gods Leu. 19.4 Then Images and Idolles are not lawefull If the Lorde saythe well when hee sayde Ego Deus gloriam meam non dabo alteri 1 I am the Lorde God I will giue my glorie to none other Isai 41. If the Lord saith well Confundantur omnes c. Let them be confounded that worship the worke of mens handes c. Psal 105. If the Lord saith well in this place Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him onelie thou shalt feare
71. And see if there be any honor or reuerence or adoratioÌ„ giuen to any other saue onelye to the Lord God then I conclude Ergo none ought to be giuen vnto the Pope The holy order of the Priesthood is not vnknowne vnto you yet if you could finde either in Aaron or in Eleazar or after that in Ely and his sonnes or els if you made any shewe at all of the honor that was giuen to Iehosuah in Zachary Cap. 6. the may séeme to be equiualeÌ„t or come néere vnto yours which you attribute to your Pope no doubt you would cauill perilousâ—ie and fight manfully for your Popedome Your Pope Os Porci that is a Hogge for his filthines of life and after that chaunged his name to Sergius did according to his former name vsurpe the name of God and Constantinus the fyrst was also the fyrste that kissed the Popes feete fell dovvne vnto him as vvitnesseth both Nauclerus Platina but for as much as there is no resemblaunce vnto that man of sinne made by any one in the old law you are lawlesse men that so vnlawfully will striue and impugne the lawe of the Lorde And concerning the Chayre and Cathedrall estate of Peter wherin you suppose him to haue set as Lord and chéefe of the Apostles I saye thus much vnto you if in the Scripture there be any such thing founde of Peter eyther that as Lord he ruled the rest or as Christes Vicegerant he tooke the office or as Vniuersall Bishop he gouerned at Rome or as Supreame head Peter commaunded all or that Peter left any Successour behinde him or that hee was honoured and reuerenced and called vpon as your Pope is I will yéelde subscribe vnto all your opinions But if you cannot prooue this you speake of the Pope will you yéelde to vs wyll you confesse a truthe and renounce your errors will you come to the Lorde and acknowledge your backsliding from the trueth This will I doo if any one of your side can finde the name of Pope or Supreame head or Lord of the Angelles or a Man that can not sinne or generall Bishoppe or successour of Peter or a holie Father or gouernour of the whole Church or any other of your Titles that you giue vnto him I say that againe finde them in any one place of the Bible olde or newe I will subscribe and become as one of you In contrarie manner if not then yéelde you vnto vs. How euer it be we can conuince you by the Scriptures therefore against the Pope héere is the second reason Against the Pope the second reason That which is not found in the Scriptures for the which you haue no warrant which derogateth from the Maiesty of God is not to be done The name of your Pope the tytles of your Cardinals the honor and worship you giue to the Pope and them taketh and derogateth from the maiestie of God Ergo. Your Pope is not to be worshipped as you worship him and that you doo and giue vnto him is not to be done This is not rare in Popes to cause blood shed and rayse Treâ—sons and tumults in coÌ„mon vvealths for by blood Engenius vvas elected vnder Ludouicus Prus Zacharie Pope in his tyme stoode against Caesar and gaue the kingdome of Fraunce to Pâ—pinus after Christe 755. Childericus the true heyre vvas shauen then thrust into a Monastarie by the Pope and thus would he deale with Englande if he could Where finde you that death and lyfe is in the Popes handes as you doo affirme that hée may dispence with any sinne as he dooth That he can redeeme Soules from out of hel and Purgatory as you imagine that he may giue lybertie to whordome frée accesse to Treasen without breache of lawe that he may send out his Bulles with frée release of all the sinnes men haue committed Thinke you that we may suffer these horrible blasphemies or that â—ee may snffer you that vpholde them what an other redéemer beside Christe what that a mortall man shall haue lyfe and death in his handes what that they shall be lybertie graunted to finne and frée accesse to all wickednesse what that any one may redame the soule of his Brother from hell or that a satisfaction maye bée made after his departure What Bulles Pardons Indulgencies or Masses for any Soule aliue or dead Why where what place by whome in what Prophet what Scripture haue you this in It is straunge it is vnknowen to vs Abraham neuer heard thereof Isaack and Iacob neuer knewe so much Daniel Enoch Iob these thrée righteous men neuer spake it they can saue but theyr owne soules in the day of the Lord. And shall we giue more vnto the Pope then we haue done vnto them It is the Lord that bindeth the golden chaine about the necke that giueth Siluer and Golde vnto féeble men The Lorde is cloathed with glorie and honour for it is he that couereth him selfe with lyght SaluatioÌ„ commeth of none but of the Lord lyfe of none but of the lyuing glorie froÌ„ none but from God that is glotious Ergo God onely not the Pope can haue any of these giuen vnto him and spreadeth the heauens as a Curtaine The Lord openeth his handes and filleth with good thinges and the gates of death are at his pleasure He sendeth his spirite and they are created and he â—arieth downe to the nethermost hell He spared not the Families of Core and the multitude of Rebelles were swallowed vp quicke He euen the Lord dooth binde Princes to his wyll and he teacheth his Auncientes wisedome he can holde their féete in the stockes and he can chayne them with chaynes of Iron The Lord can saue and defend his people the Lord can delyuer and lyft vp but farre be it from the sonnes of men and let not disobedient chyldren take it vpon them least he strike if he be angrie least his indignation doo aryse and we perishe And if any one will haue lyfe or the people of the Land looke for redemption let them come to the Lord of hoastes the God of I acob shall be their defence Cursed is he that trusteth in man and I wishe all those that feare the Lorde to saye Amen And now concerning my selfe for that I speake vnto you at this tyme rather then any other it is bothe because I would confirme the doctrine which my brethren haue Preached héeretofore and in part also for the hope I may doo some good among you I thinke this and thus of you you haue from your Infancie béen trained vp in blindnesse and error neither doo you vse to reade the scriptures If Papists prayed earnestly lyued soberly and hardned not theyr haits vvylfully but vvould submyt them selues to the Lord vvyllingly then vvould they not erre so grossely so much as to tranaile and ware old in the Doctors So that vpoÌ„ thrée causes which may well be taken away I easily perceyue
that haue offered vp of the Children of God vnto Deuilles You haue serued Baall Hamon and you haue runne vnto the Calues euen the golden Calues of Dan and Bethell You haue laide in waite for the Lordes annointed and you haue cursed â—auid to his face The Preistes of Nob haue béene slayne by your handes and by your Fathers handes haue the righteous men béene eaten vp Wherefore wee must require this blood at your handes if you will not returne and come vnto the Lorde Truely your blood shal be spilt at the Poole of Samaria according to the worde of the Lorde and that Roome shal be as the house of Baasa The Sworde of the Lord shall waxe red with blood and he shall reioyce in the fat of the slaine As did the Children of Edome at the day of his wrath so shall you sée the bones of your mighty men lye in the stréetes For the Lorde hath seene you and he hath tryed you you are already wayed in the Ballaunce and you are founde to light And if now you repent not and retorne not If now you amend not and reuolte not from your errors as I found you so I must leaue you open to the hand of the enimie And it shal be my prayer bothe day and night that the Lord would quicken you or that he would shorten you that the Lorde would amend you or that he would ende you that you be not reserued as flaming firebrands till the day of displeasure to consume any more of the Saincts of God And for the second parte of this my Sermon the next time that I come hether and when I haue leisure you shall know and vnderstande more * ⎠* FINIS Primae partis THE SECOND PART OF the Sermon preached against the Iesuites at the Towre the 21. of May 1581. being written in the 6. of Deut. ver 6. These wordes which I commaunde thee this day shall be in thy heart Deut. 6.6 THis briefe and shorte sentence beloued in the Lorde is a portion and parcell of the wordes going before in this verse where the Lorde exhorting his people to feare him and to feare him onely did in a compendious maner vtter his will and pleasure in a few estminstances namely to heare his voyce and his worde with all their minde with all their soule with all their might with all their strength wherevpon successiuely did follow a reason of that was spoken that is These wordes which I commaunde thee this day shall be in thy heart Nowe if you doe remember in my generall diuision were noted the other day these two things First an exhortation secondly a commaundement of the exhortation wee spake then at large and nowe wee must say some thing of that remayneth therefore there is generally noted here out of these wordes rehearsed one thing namely â— The onely and sole commandement here set downe And this commandement is seene in circuÌ„stances 1 Who commaundeth The Lorde our God commaundeth 2 Who they bee the commandement concerneth The Israelites be they it coÌ„cerneth 3 What is the comandement These words that I coÌ„mand this day shall be in thy hart that is the commandement 4 For how long a time was this commandement giuen euen for euer and for euer vnto all is it giuen Circumst 1. The Lord commandeth and it is not without cause whose power it we disobay him whose loue if we do serue him whose strength if wee refuse him whose mencie if we imbrace him Whose rigor if we resist him whose fauor if we stick to him haue not now onely but from time to time béen séene of all Therefore is hee omnipotent that hee may rule vs and hée is almightie that hee may fame vs and hee is stout that hee may bridle vs and hee is high that hee may ouersée vs and he the Lord our God is terrible that he may feare vs if we go astray and do that which is amisse Of this that I haue spoken and of him in this place that is the Commander I may giue diuers reasons yet will I onely yéelde thrée vnto you which I know may particularly touch vs all The first is a Personae magnitudine that is a reasonable persuasion from the greatnes of of the person to feare him the Lorde God Deut. 4.39 The Lorde why who is like vnto him who may be compared vnto him Vnus solus est he onely is one and onely God Psal 73.1 The Lord Why Solus bonus bonis hee is onely good to the good Isay 30.18 The Lord Why Clemens c. He is bouÌ„tifull and of long suffering Nech 9.6 The Lord Why Deus est creator he hath made all he hath framed all and he will bee feared of all Esay 49.13 The Lorde Why Suorum consolator he comforteth those that are his 1. Par. 29.12 The Lord Why Vniuer sorum Dominus he is Lorde of all Ezech. 13.21 The Lord Why Dux populi sui he is a leader a captaine and a guider of his people Out of all which wee may gather this conclusion He that made all that framed all that ruled all that guideth all that protecteth all is all in all for to be feared by all But the Lorde our God that heere commaundeth vs that heere forwarneth vs is hee that framed al that ruled all that guideth all that protecteth all ergo The Lorde our God is all in all and onely to be feared by all The second reason from the person of God is taken a personae bonitate i. froÌ„ the goodnesse of his person if we feare him Deut. 7.9 Hee the Lorde our God hee is true faithfull Psal 36.10 Hee the Lord our God he is the Lord the welspring of life Esay 49.5 Hee the Lord our God he is the God of strength Psal 89.18 Hee the Lord our God the glorie of the power and strength of his people Esay 33.22 Hee the Lorde our God is a righteous God and a good trustie lawgiuer Hee the Lorde our God hee is the light and bewrie of Israell out of these is made this conclusion Who so with loue hath tendered vs with mercie hath loked on vs with life hath quickned vs and by his righteousnes hath deliuered vs is to be honored feared of all liuing creatures else none but he The Lorde our God in this place commaunding vs is the same also that hath tendered vs and looked to vs and quickened vs and guided vs ergo The Lord our God is to be feared honoured and obeyed of all liuing creatures and else none but he The thirde reason is taken three manner of wayes from the persoÌ„ of God 1 Amanu i. from his hand that striketh vs 2 Apotentia i. from his power that reacheth vs 3 Apoena i. from his scourges and plagues which consumeth vs If wee obeye him not For he is the sworde of the glorie of his people Deut. 33.29 For he is a consuming