now also write I haue to lead me therunto these causes First my office and calling draweth me as beeing a Dispensar of the woord of God Secondly my dutie which is to winne all but especially you which are so farre off Thirdly that care which beyond measure I haue had is a prick and a spurre within me since the firste time I was with you at the Tower And which should prouoke me I haue a commaundement giuen me from the eternall God to preach in season and out of season in time and out of time whersoeuer I see the Church to stand in need Therfore I beeing espetially mooued aboue the rest you haue no farther to enquire after me As concerning the thinges I am to charge you withall they are many great importable and such as you can neuer answere They concerne the Lord the high God whose lawes you contemne They concerne the Church from which you are fled They concerne the trueth which you denye They concerne Religion which you abhorre They concerne Christianitie which you are farre from They concerne true Woorship which you repose in your Imageâ— They concerne Faith which you lay in Worâ—â—s They concerne perfecte and Christian adoration this you claspe vp in the bosome of the Pope They coÌ„cerne prayer which in steed of God you giue to men They concerne Christe whose institutions you chaunge They concerne the perfect seruice of the Lord which you infolde in the Masse They concerne our Meditation which you make but a sacrifice Propitiatorie by the woork of a Preest They concerne our attonement and reconciler Christe and him whome the heauens containeth you infolde in a Wafer cake They concerne the Gospell which you refuse you stick to the customes of your fathers And they concerne the woord of the Lord which you heare not but compelled which you slaun der beeing hardened which you contemne beeing blinded and which you spurn throwe away euen before our faces to our great greef and your confusion if you repent not All these many things more I am to charge you with hauing this purpose in my selfe That first you are to be loked vnto and if that you will not turne vnto the Lord our God and serue him after the manner that we his People Israell doo either we must shut you out of the Tents and dwelling places of the inheritaunce of our God or we must finde some way to pacifye the Lord withall For I am certainly perswaded that you haue been kept ouer long you and your fellowe Ammonites yea these twentie yeares haue you been pricks and thornes in our sides now you come out of your holes wherin younestled resisting openly the hoste of the Lord vnto their faces But this may not be suffered least your example of gathering sudâ— vpon the Sabaoth day be an occasion also that others shall violate and break the commaundements of God I warne you therfore in time and these Sermons of myne which I made vnto you haue I gathered together in a little volume that you may read them They contayne in them a breefe and short confutation of all such Heresies as you doo holde With this speech if you be not contented I wil then call back and reclaime it when as I perceiue and see thorow ly that you are amended More I cannot say more I may not say and more I dare not say as yet to you whom not I but aâ— Christian harts doo thinke to be instruments of Satan raysed vp for our sinnes as two edged Swoordes to rent and out in peeces the poore Church of England For mine owne parce I wil pray to the Lord our God for your amendement and I will begge that Discipline at his hands which you if you come not to him are woorthie to haue To whom I doo commit you that hath both life and death faluation and condemnation in his handes Yours in the Lord if you come vnto the Lord. Iohn Keltridge At London Iune 10. 1581. The first part of the Sermon wherein is largelie confuted sundrie grosse heresies which the Iesuites Seminaries and other the Popes Schollers doo holde preached at the Tower in their presence that the trueth might be known vnto them more apparantlie 7. Maij. 1581. IT is thus written right Honourable right VVoorshipfull and belooued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe Deut. 6. v. 4. Heare O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and thou shalt looue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might And these words which I commaund thee this day shall be in thy heart THe looue that our Lord God bare to Israell his people though it be in many places of this booke shewed openly and declared plainlie to them Of all the bookes of Moses this of Deuteronomy for the blessing great benefiteâ— God shewed to his people is the most coÌ„fore table and heauenly booke Yet in more ample manner it was neuer set downe at any time to that Nation as in this the vnspeakable looue of the Lord their God who in daunger defending them in troubles deliuering them in extremities assisting them in slauerie and captiuiâ—e vpholding them by his mightie hand did not onely by Myracles she we his power or by his Prouision for them signifie his looue or by his outstretched arme manifest his care or by fighting with Kinges for their sakes driue all onlie an especiall reuerence into their hearts of his Maiestie But verie fatherlie in affection most loouingly in Mercie and tenderlte with long Patience did the Lord instructe and teach them by Moses and Aaron that they might know the Commaundements of the Lord and feare him Wherefore as at the first to cause them to remember him the Lord our God appeared in fire and lightning and in most terrible manner to beate a care and reuerent feare into their hearts So to â—omfore them againe was Moses sent with this 〈◊〉 and these Coâ—â—tâ—ndements as reâ—embraunces pledges of his looue that in the same they might acknowledge him and in trembling and feare obey him in knowledge increase their looue towards him and in reuereÌ„ce serue him all the dayes of their lyfe Now this booke is a recapitulation a bréefe summarie and short rehersall of all such Lawes Ordinaunces Statutes as the Lord had giuen to Israel and a Commemoration of all his sundrie notable and famous benefites as Israel and this People had receyned at the handes of God and therefore sayth Moses Heare O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely These woordes haue in them noted two principall thinges common bothe in the Lawe and in the Prophetes 1. First an exhortation In requesting and in praying them 2. Secondlie a Commaundement In willinge and in forcing them The Inuocation or calling on them to heare that which appertayneth to God declareth howe ready the Lord is to saue man The Lawe and constraint vsed by commaundement certifieth vs albeit we will not come vnto
Yea I will set foorth the prayses of such a man as feareth the Lord for it is a good thing to obey him and to haue a care and reuerence to his name and this feare and dreade this seruice belonging to his Maiestie is thriâ—folde in this place Therefore it eyther 1. Concerneth God alone not man 2. Concerneth God as well as man 3. Concerneth man onely not God The seruice due vnto the Lorde is seene in Circumstaunces 1. First that Israel his pople 2. Secondly heare or vnderstand 3. Thirdly such thinges as concerneth their God This seruice is seene in those Epithites and titles giuen vnto the Lord in this place whome you onely ferue 1. First he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Lord of all 2. Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 God seeing all 3. Thirdly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 our God in deliuering all 4. Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 he is only one God there is no more among all The first name of Dignitie héere set downe as Augustine noteth Potentiam denotat She weth his power For God ruleth and gouerneth all And in the same he sate the FirmameÌ„t aâ—one that spreadeth it selfe as a Canapie and the earth beneath the is inustoouâ—able as be the Pillers of heauen and betwixt bothe the fire which burneth not by the power of his woord and the ayre which infecteth not for he restraineth the gates of death And the water which as in the house presumeth not to goe ouer the thresholdes and bankes that are limited The Lord it is indéede that lifteth vp and pluckesh 〈◊〉 shaâ—exaltath hâ—â—bleth that deliuereth casteth 〈…〉 pleasure he brought Israel thorow the red Sea 〈◊〉 his eniâ—â—ies as in a wall he brought in the Waters and drowâ—ed them but he led Israel his people on drie land The Countries of the Nations did the Lord giue vnto them to possesse returned with an angrie couÌ„tenante against the â—ings he spared not the Giâ—nit with his Chaâ—â—ots nor the Mike Countries with the walled Townes but brought in destructioÌ„ for their sinnes and gaue them the slaine as a portion for their vngodlinesse wherefore let all men praise the Lord and serue and obey him aboue all The second tytle giuen vnto the Lord is that he is called 〈…〉 which is as much â—s To see take a view and to to perse thorowe all things very narrowly For the eyes of the Lord are vpon all the earth he giueth strength to them the trust in him vnderstanding to them that walke vprightly he beholdeth the endes and coasts of the Sea and stilleth the raâ—ing of the tempeste 〈◊〉 in his fury he mounteth foorth on she â—â—â—ges of the winde and with the same he bringeth in all 〈◊〉 thinges to trouble sinners who like vnto our God whose eyes are vpon the iuste whose countenaunce is against all those that doo euill to roote them out 〈◊〉 â—he land he giueth and man receyueth he detayneth and man perisheth For the cup of his wrath is powred foorth vpon malefactors and as a man prepared to the battell so is the Lord girded to fight against the wicked For why all thinges are done by him he filleth the hungrie soule and replemisheth with meateÌ„ the néedy Creatures His woorkes are séene aboue and his wunders in the deapth Among the holie ones dooth the Lord raigne and filleth with his blessing euerie lyuing soule The haires of our head are numbred before him and the Sparoâ—e séeketh for meate in due season let euerie soule therefore feare the Lord and let nothing staye him to acknowledge his name for he is a God which séeth all things and nothing may be hidden from him at any time This vvord our then God also our God dooth exclude all forrain and straunge Gods and prooueth that the Lord all on ly is to be feared The thirde tytle and Epithite giuen vnto God is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 our God euen the God of Iacob and the God of Israel which name of remâ—nthraunce no 〈◊〉 was put in and added in this place that Israel should neuer forgetts their Lord God that fought for them therefore is it sayde The Lord can God is Lord onely as being none other that fought for them but ouâ—ly he For in déede the Lord kept the promise that he made them and the â—athe which he swâ—re vnto their Fathers he wought them out of the house of bondage and redéemed them out of the straunge land For why God was iâ—yned to their séede and he would not forsake them for their Fathers sake the Lord gaue vnto them Ierusalem for their portion and the land of Mountaines for their rest he planted his Posteritie to the which 〈…〉 sworne and withdrewe not his woorde though they 〈◊〉 therefore is the Lord woorthy to be praysed and Israel must haue none other God then him alone that saued them The fowrth name and rythe giuen to God is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thy God is onely one For there is no 〈◊〉 then he he is the Lord of Hoases meyther will the Kord 〈◊〉 God giue his gloâ—ie to any other Ierâ—â—e of this word sayth Identitatem 〈…〉 alnatem notat 1 That is The 〈…〉 and vnitie of the same not the varietie or plurality of Gods is to be noted and considered heere For I doo finde that the most best learned haue gathered out of this place of Scripture bothe the Vnitie in the Trinitie and the Trinitie in the Vnitie which is to be worshipped For the word Lord in the first place may signifie the Lord God the first person which made all the worde God in the second place may represent Christe the worde of God that redéemed all And one onely Lord in the third place may be well the spirite of God who béeing equall with them bothe doo make but onely one true eternall euerliuing and glorious God Then you sée that I haue two things héere proportioned and drawns out vnto me wherof I must of necessitie speake 1. The first that Vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie is to be worshipped 2. The second that all manner of Idoll worship and all seruice not agreeing to this commaundement in this place is to be abhorred The maner of theyr preaching in tyme of Popery was known wheÌ„ they handled nothing else but the defence of theyr filthy and Idolatrous Ceremonies as for doctrine of faith of maÌ„ners of life of religion or any other good vvholsome Article of our beleese they neuer dealt vvith any of them For the first point which is our Faith we ought to holde concerning the Trinitie I say this As you whereof I sée too many héere Schollers of the Pope are not able to escape without suspitioÌ„ of great Sacriledge for that diuers of your sect and your heresies with whome I doo confesse I haue reasoned haue béen of opinion that in the body of the Bible the olde Testament no man
little did for to get them wholy permit oblations for a season that at length their superstitions might be forgotteÌ„ Now your Gregorius after that ordained it as a lawe for euer that he that came to Masse should not come emptie but bring something with him by reason whereof your pursses and your coffers are so enlarged at this day Your Prefaces are all referred for their antiquitie to Gelasius Your Canon Read Albertus Eccle. 47. which of all other is likest the Master Gregorie that instituted it hath diuelish and idolatrous stuffe within it There is the remembrance of their Saintes or rather of their Goddes There be your wordes of Consecration rather Coniuring Ioh. Syracusanâ— Episcop parte 8 epist 7. there is the Lords prayer so oft repeated there the breaking of the hoast c. So that all good and faithfull men may sée howe grieuously you haue proudked the Lord The blindnesse where with God hath stroken these men appeareth in that they obey the institutions of these wiâ—ked Popes and will not obey the word of the Lord. in bringing in of uewfangled Ceremonies which before this were neuer knowne in the Church of God Nowe therefore what delay should there be made what stay what let should hinder you that you should not come to the Lorde and be sorie and sée your follie Is it better to serue God or to serue man to obey the Lorde or to holde with the Pope to acknowledge the trueth or to be in error to remember the ordinaunces of those that are temporall which ruled you which gouerned you being but vsurpers and Termagaunts among men or to feare the eternall and euerliuing maker of heauen and earth and to giue eare vnto his wordes I am grieued I am touched I am moued in soule and spirite to sée you so hard so peruerse so vntamed in affections so vnbrideled in your speaches so carelesse of your selues so stiffened in your errors and so impudent before this assemblie as I perceiue you are Is it for that you suspect me for the antiquitie of your religion search and find it otherwise Children and fooles and Papistes are alike for if you controll them they fight if you let them alone they are worse if you doe becken at them they will return vpon you with violence then accuse me Is it bicause you be but vpstartes and wresters of all trueth Conuince me then and condemne me Is it bicause your religion commeth of men then be ashamed professe Gods worde Is it bicause all your trumperie procéedeth of the Pope reuolt returne amende and denye him stay vpon the Lorde GOD Is it bicause the inuenters of your Masse haue bene such as was also your seruice inuented filthie vngodly wicked diuelish euill disposed naughtie persons and idolaters Why you may forsake them when you will But is it bicause that I open to you the trueth bicause I tell you of the sinnes of your fathers and of your owne bicause I tell you of your manifolde lyings Your owne men speake worse of you than I doe Martinus Meyr a Chauncellor Aeneas Syluius a Cardinall the coÌ„plaint of the whole nation of the Germanes vnder Caesar Augustus Maximilianê° sheweth it great vntruthes slaunderous reproches filthie demeanor vngodly life euill déedes erronious opinions foolish Ceremonies diuelish heresies bypocriticall deuises humane institutions Popish decrées and whorish fables which you haue brought in and would confirme in England I exhort you then in the name of the Lorde to eschewe and abhorre them all you shall neuer be tolde of them any more we will forget them If not then heauen and earth shall he witnesse that I haue told you of all your sinnes and of all your abhominations this day and yet you cease not to perseuere still in the same You that are here comming from the Pope howe can you stande so boldly and face it out so gazingly and heare vs so repiningly and spurne so yrkesomely as you doe without horrour of conscience Miscellanea Missae All the appertinaunces to the Masse We can not suffer you we maye not suffer you we will neuer suffer you to defende so horrible and erronious constitutions as your forefathers the wicked Popes inuented What sinne was not committed by them what abhominations were there not done by them what stinking and slauish Constitutions were not decréed by them Your Pope Sixtus decréed the first of that name That no Lay man or any woman should touch so much as the Cuppe or Chalice that the Prieste did sacrifice in or any else of the holie vessels Platina in descript vitae Sext. Pont. Your Pope Alexander the first brought in the oblation of Wafer cakes as he calleth it Your Telesphorus commaunded that three Masses should be saide vpon Christmas day Pla. in eius vita and thereof we retaine in our Church of England this worde Christmas which came vp of that custome vsed by that Bishoppe for it was called at the first Christmas day as hauing a Masse saide that day for Christe wherefore I doe wishe that together with the sacrifice of Masse the name of Masse may be abrogated and for that worde let the good and faithfull men say as they sayde in the Churches of the East and the West Sozam lib. 8. cap. 20. The Natiuitie and Birthday of Christe let the remembraunce and memoriall of this brought in by the Pope be abrogated For at Constantinople was celebrated Natalis Christi Maximus Taurinensis in Homilijs The birth day of Christe And so also was it in the Churches of Gallia Wherefore as your Popes haue corrupted all thinges so will we and so ought we to flée from them in all thinges Nowe those that succéeded haue bene more diuelishly deluded Alexander the first who liued in the dayes of Hadrian the Emperour Liber Cone was the first bringer in of the mixture of the Wine with Water and before his time it was neuer vsed by commaundement at Masse or otherwise This was he that brought in Wafer cakes when as before that Liber Canticorum leauened breade was vsed at the Sacrament Also he appointed holie water for the people after Masse and one Masse to be sayde in one day Your Boniface Pope Lib. Conc. diuided the Cleargie from the Laytie and then seuering them Platina set the one aboue the other beneath Your Vigilius Bishop of Rome commaunded that none should say Masse Petrus de Nar. but with his face to the East Your Iohannes Portuensis Platina in the sixt Synode helde at Constantinople gathered-together by Constantinus against the Monotholites was the first that euer celebrated the Latine Masse Volater which is religiously obserued by you at this day Valafridus an Abbas vnder Ludonicus Pius 840. after Christ doth maruellous ly complanie of these and the like abuses brought in by the Popes Sabianus appointed houres for ringing of Belles and Lampes to burne in the Temple this
whether he did well or euill And Osorius did but the other day sende abroade his CoÌ„nfections to poyson the young Frie of England who as he flaunteth it out in a leafe or two yet halteth he in many places and speaketh verie roughly and breaketh out euery where vnpleasauntly and then healeth vp the wound so rawly againe as that his gleaned and piked vp corne stolne words borrowed ware deceiptfull stile quauering Notes and slaunderous speeches against the trueth be wundered at and greatly pittied of all cunning woorkemen Moreouer the other day was the like seene for the Snowe hath not yet falne vpon the ground nor yet hath the Sickle beene put into the Corne sithence one to name Campion and an other to name Howlet haue caste out Rebellious Pamphlets and offered combate to all the learned in this Realme Now all these men for that they wanted credit and estimation where they liued before are coÌ„tent like Maisterlesse men to goe abegging and aske for entertainement abroade Therefore haue they praesumed to enter the Courte gates and there to open their Pedlers Packes and to set out to sale their counterfeit Merchaundies supposing that because her Maiesties Subiects vpon hope of amendement haue in all clemencie beene borne with all to this day Therefore also they should looke for the same fauour and good woordes bothe of her Maiestie and your Honours handes as a rewarde giuen them for their slaunderous and Scismaticall Libelles May it please you therefore with the same eyes and like harte as you haue to this daye moste Honourably continued so also to turne back and looke vpoÌ„ the learned with in this Realme It wil be knowne vnto you that God hath so blessed them in England with all kinde of furniture Timber Wood and Stone fine woorke wrought woorke and needell woorke golde siluer and all other kinde of Science Arte and knowledge bothe diuine and humaine as all theyr outlandish falshoods robbery pilfering and stealth with their foolish and mishapen Quiddities loose arguments broken reasons falsified Scriptures coloured and disguised Authors are neuer able to be compared or come neere vnto vs. For whye the Lorde is on our side and he rayseth vp bothe the eloquent and the good man As for those men what haue we to doo with them seeing they are bewitched with falsehood and lyes The Lorde our God is he that we must follow his voyce must we heere and as for those that bring not his woorde the Lorde shal be reuenged on them himselfe For my owne parte what I haue set downe against our aduersaries the Iesuites in this booke in the same I will not be my owne Iudge but I will referre that I haue spoken to the indifferent Reader and he all that I haue doone vnto the Scriptures The Lorde the true and righteous euermore the God of our fathers that hath alwayes beene with you kindle your noble and vertuous proceedings more and more that you maye bee a light and fartherer in the same to all those that looue and feare the Lorde And the Lorde graunt that his countenaunce may shine vpon vs that his word may be knowne rightly his lawes and commaundements obserued diligently the vertuous and godly men defended mightely the wicked and obstinate punished seuearely and his goodnes and mercie spreade abroade openly vpon vs all That her Maiestie may raigne long time ouer vs to see the iudgements of our God put in execution that her Grace may see an end of all vnquietnes dissention and strife and establish peace vnitie and concorde in the Church of God Amen Your Honours moste humble to commaund Iohn Keltridge From my Chamber in Holborne at London Iune 10. To the Readers and faithfull Christians health and peace in Christe Iesus THe great looue that the Lord our GOD hath borne to the Church neither is it neither can it be hid from any man and if we which haue nowe Itued in the same many yeeres be not either stuffed and choaked vp with his manifolde benefites or carelesse secure for that they haue béene so plentifull Then will euerie faithfull and good man say as I say that of all Nations and Countries vnder heauen we haue hitherto liued most happily For if Warres were looked for the Lord hath turned all to peace If conspiracies and Treasons were practised they haue béene reuealed from time to time If Insurrections were made they the authors haue béen suppressed immediatly If Forrainers and straungers haue determined any thing against vs their pretended deuises neuer tooke effect If at any time they haue purposed to spoyle vs the Lord hath deliuered them into our handes If the heauens haue portended any great thing or the earth hath shaken her pillers against man or the Elements in flaming manner cast foorth their sparkes of fyre yet haue all these moste straunge thinges to this day shewen their force declared their effectes and plainely manifested their angrie countenaunâ—â—s against other Nations and straunge people not against vs of England So that I may say happy are we if we may continue happy and blessed be we aboue all other if we be still blessed of the Lord and most of all are we to praise our God if héereafter we shall be able to stande as hetherto we haue done which he onely knoweth not man Of this I am certaine and for the same I haue a good warrant that if our sinnes be not come vp vnto the brim if our iniquities be not ripe or our manifolde transgressions come vp before God then haue we not to feare any thing but whatsoeuer kinde of â—â—â—righting it be howsoeuer mens heartes doo fayle them or what rumors and signes of alterations the wicked doo forecast in their hearts all shall be turned to the best if we haue not prouoked the Lord. In verie déede it is true that the Lord is able to remooue our Candelstitke that the Lord is able to carrie vs into a straunge lande and he is of power to hang vp our Harpes vpon the willowe Trées and enforce vs to sing a song of Sion in Babell Yet let Israel be of good chéere and you the people of the Lord comforted for if you will feare the Lord and obey him all thinges shall goe well with you Deut. 28.2 all the blessinges of God shall be powred vppon you and you shall stande in feare and dread of none But and if you disobey the Lord your God and cleaue not vnto him all the plagues and curses set downe in his booke shall ouertake you Leui. 26.14 Lamen 2.17 I tell you of a trueth that if we looke not to our wayes and take héede to such thinges as the Lord our God hath forbidden vs without questioÌ„ he will bring such a thing to passe as all the eares of men that heare thereof shall tingle at it For my owne part I am perswaded that euen now God hath begun to becken his hand and shake his rod at vs and of the same I will
yéelde certaine reasons Pride First of all the pride of Sion is great and her daughters haue waÌ„dring eyes and stretched out neckes they mince it in the stréetes with their féete as if onely they had a care to liue héere and to doo nothing else Securitie Secondly the fulnesse of bread is great and 〈◊〉 are inglutted with the Oliue and the Grape therefore beginne freé to to be carelesse Whordom Thirdlie there is a gréeuous sinne which of all other I feare which aboue the rest I abhorre which of all is most damnable which in the most is most common yet estéemed of ouer lighthe by the most godlie which is whoredome that is so sparinglie punished For these sinnes am I perswaded that God hath begunâ—e to shewe his displeasure and angrie countenaunce vpon vs the Lord hath nowe forewarned vs to looke about and to examine our selues against the tyme of his comming And assuredlie I am sore grâ—ucâ— for the same for the Papistes finding that we haue displeased God and knowing that the Lord neuer striketh but when he is angry have nowe of late lyft vp their heads thinking to make a conquest and to pray vpon vs So that I sée we are nowe in distresse and two kinde of inconueniences fall vpon vs for our sinnes First the Lord is 〈◊〉 honoured and the Papistes they hope for a day Secondlie our people and nation is affrighted and in parte discouraged 〈◊〉 they feare that because the multitude of Heretiques are nowe incâ—â—sed that therefore God as he hath warned vs hath also forsaken vs and as he hath touched vs hath certainly delivered vs into their handes which is nothing so wherefore séeing the the aduersaire is so exalted against God in his pride and the poore Church so discouraged for her sinnes in great humilitie I will say some thing to them be the. As concerning you the aduersaries of God and enimies to England whether you be called by the name of Papistes or tearmed as Catholiques or estéemed as Iesuites or thought to be Seminaries 〈◊〉 called by any other name among men Vnderstand all of you that if we haue sinned you haue no cause to reioyce we haue not trespassed against you but against God and if any thing happen vnto vs we are vnder the handes of the Lord not vnder yours What if our fathers haue erred what if our Kinges and Princes haue offended what if our Rulers haue trespassed and we his people gone astraie that appertayneth not vnto you but vnto our God To him we submitte our selues to him we yéelde to him we acknowledge our sinnes 〈◊〉 for you what haue you to doo with vs why trouble you his people and what haue you to doo with his annointed we will submitte not selues to the highest we will not be delyuered into your handes nor into the handes of men Knowe you that we will neither choose to â—ye thrée dayes before our enimies nor haue seuen yéeres famine come vpon vs in the land but we will fall into the handes of God let the Lord doo what séemeth him best in his eyes Now if it should come to passe that we were againe made slaues vnto you as we haue béene of oide tyme yet would the Lord be reuenged vpon you your Shéepheards should be scattered as was Gardner and Bonner your Princes and blasphemers should perishe as all those haue done that stoode against vs your Runners and Deuowrers with the swoord should haue a deadly ende as hath befaine to the persecutors of our Church and you your selues should haue all the plagues of Egipt to trouble you tyll you had deliuered vs. what if we serued you seuen or eight péeres for our sinnes to reclaime vs yet would the Lord send an other Othoniell Iudg. 3.9 to redéeme vs consume you what if eightéen yéeres as we confesse some times we did what aduantage was that to you when Eglon your King Iudg. 3.14 with the Ammonites and Amalekites were afterward destroyed for it by Ehud of Gera the Captaine of the Lord What I pray you aduauntageth it you to rayle on the hoast of the lyuing God and to curse vs and to defie vs before the Lord if afterwards you and yours be found all onely to be they that are cursed for so it fell out in the dayes of Ezechias when Senacherib defied Israell and rayled on the lyuing God Isai 37.38 And so fell it out at the beginning to Balack the sonne of Ziphor Numb 22. that hyred Balaam to curse Israell as the Pope hath hyred and sent you out to curse vs. Therfore this people if they will feare the Lord shall not be afraide of two or thrée Bées of the East but euen they shall sée your dead carcases vppon the ground and you the enimies of God to be drowned and swim before their faces And nowe for the second point for which I doo perceyue the people of this Land are greatly troubled namely because that the Papistes and Iesuites with other the riffe raffe and scumme of this Realme are nowe séene to appeare who before this tyme haue béene hidden in the bytches and channelles of England Let them all vnderstand that it is a small thing with God and no great or rare matter to haue wicked men and vngodlie ones to arise in the Familie of the Lord. For so it must it be in his Church Congregation for euer that those that are his may be tried VVhy wherefore for what cause should you be â—â—â—couraged it hath béene so of olde from the beginning it hath béene thus Looke and sée search and vnderstand it will be found true It is a small matter in great abundance of small hearbes to haue a handfull of stinking wéedes in a mightie ground well eared with corne to finde some Darnel or some Cockle in plentifull Gardens and well â—â—ored to haue a bundle or two of Nettles or in our great and mighty Church of England to haue a fewe of wicked and peruerse papistes The Israelites cannot doo amisse though some Préestes of â—â—all 〈◊〉 in the Land the Congregation shall not all perishe though Coré Dâ—than and Abiram conspire the Prophetes of God all faithfull persons must not be dismaied albeit some offer vp Incense to the Quine of Heauen and England must not be afrayde though some Iesuiets trouble them The Church of Corinthus had in it false brethren that hindred them and Laodecaea and Smirna and Theatyra in the Reuelation had among them wicked persons that withortwe them and the Primitiue Church hath not béene without Heretiques at all tythes that haue withstoode them neither shall England be without Seâ—inaries and schollers of the Pope to molest them I remember what Augustine sayth August ad Petrum Cap. 43. Firmissime tene et nallatenâ—â— dubites Aream esse Dei ecclesiam Catholicam et in ea vsque in sinem seculi frumento mixtas pale as contineri That is It is to be thought
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
the life of all The third Letter Van and which is also a Coniunction Copulatiue dooth aptly represent The Spirite the holie Ghost who is the knitting together of bothe I am not ignoraunt that the Iewes were a superstitious and verie foolishe people therefore helde they vainely and obserued toyishly and helde ignorauntly many thinges of no moment whereof this is one That this word Iehouah was called of them Nomen inessabile 1 A name not to be spoken The things vvhich are good though in any man refuse them not such thinges as are amisse though in the highest alowe them not And in a booke of theirs which is their bookâ— Senhadrin I finde it thus written He that pronounceth the name of the fowre Letters as the Letters themselues do souÌ„d shall haue no part in the world to come I cannot tell how to think other wise of you present héere somtimes schollers to the Pope then I doo of them but it is verie like the you are drowned in this Iewish blockish opinion for howsoeuer it be that you thinke of the Trinity there is none of you all haue done it none of you that doo purpose héereafter none of you the euer I read of or haue found that durst or would in the dayes of ignorance preach openly or speake publiquelie this excellent and most heauenly Doctrine of the Trinitie The Fathers of olde were not ashamed thereof neyther halted they â—â—â—â—t good and euill but rightly and vprightly perfectly as prositably and directly as exactlie handled they euery thing to expresse the Trinitie they vsed similitudes A ugustine shewed it Per solem Currentem fulgentem et Calentem 1 By the sunne which runneth which glistreth and heateth with his beames Yet to the constitution of the body of the SuÌ„ne these thrée properties doo not come as making thrée but one body no more doo the thrée persons make thrée but one God Tertullian to Praxea describeth it thus Per fontem fluuium et riunluÌ„ 1 By the spring which deliuereth by the Flood which floweth by the Riuer which runneth And yet it is but one the same water gushing foorth into them bothe Similitudes do expresse heauenly and diuine thinges though they agree not in the comparison in all thinges The same Tertullian dooth open the same Mysterie of the Trinitie Per radicem fruticem et Truncum 1 By the Roote which gathereth by the Fruite which proceedeth and by the body of the Tree which beareth it So in like manner may we say of the Trinitie the Father giueth the SoÌ„ne saueth the holie Ghost procéedeth from them bothe yet are they not thrée but one God In common experience we may gather and collect a proper similitude to expresse this for there is the body and we stand by it there is the soule we are quickened and liue by it there is the Spirite we breathe and continew with it yet these make not thrée but one man This thing also Cyprian noted vpon the Créede for this part therefore sufficient enough it is that I haue spoken I will come to the other Particular point which is this First that I promised to speake particularlie not generallie Next is a braunche of the same to examine and trie whether any Idolatrie may be admitted and so to ponder and way equally the opinions and dealinges of you the Schollers of Roome Thirdsy shall appeare the first point required in a Christian what seruice that is that appertayneth and is duely to be giuen vnto the Lord. The thing generall to be spoken of heere is this That Idoll worship and all false adoration is condempned and forbidden in this place For this cause I haue some thing to say vnto you whome I sée before me at this present and in the same I haue to charge you déepelie in the name of the Lord how to speake vnto you and by name to all you I knowe not This I am sure of you came lately from Roome and to a good ende you could not come for you haue not come to vs in the Lord And you be they to whome I will direct my spéeche as vnto men foolorne and cast off from out the Tents of Israel for you are Leapers Tell me if you will whether in your consciences you finde not your selues guiltie of sacriledge and Idolatrie yea or no The Lord sayth Heare O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely Then I conclude and my force is bent against you thus They that serue any other saue the Lord their God onely are guilty of sacriledge commit spirituall whordome and be Idolaters You of late the Popes Schollers Seminaries and of his Colledge euen you woorship Images euen you haue Agnos Dei in your bosome and you serue not the Lord your God onely but Idolles Ergo. You are guiltie of sacriledge you commit spirituall whordome you be Idolaters And giue eare belooued in the Lord I request you be you Iudges of that I speake and be witnesses of those thinges I vtter I call not you that haue refused the Lord I speaks otherwise and thinke of you as of those that be without and yet for all that belooued if you will be belooued and belooued because the Lord may looue you and belooued for I burne in zeale looue towardes you as towardes them I would haue to looue and feare the Lord. To you all therefore I speake demaunding of you this Question why rather you séeke after Images then after God why rather to Idolâ—es then to the Lord why rather any other woorshippe wherein you are insnared then the Lord your God onely If you thinke I offer you iniury for I speake you may say nothing I preache you holde your peace I haue lybertie you are cut short I may holdly say what I can you may not say any thing in defence of your selues Then I will doo yet more for you and I will walke equally twixt you me and hauing hurthened you with that which I sée you are faulty in I wil 〈◊〉 all that before God and his Angels and in the presence of all these lay open the trueth and declare that sincere and true meaning which these woords this Scripture aloweth The Lord sayth héere Heare O Israel heare the Lord You heare the Pope and you feare man The Lord sayth Heare the Lord thy God you giue eare to your inuentions The Lord sayth I the Lord thy God am Lord onelie you haue other Gods worship Images Then iudge you let not me he your Iudge any otherwise then in this so plaine a matter which you your selues cannot deny And for all this sée how fauourably I will deale on your behalfe You say that beside this plaine coÌ„mauÌ„dement O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely That you for all that haue a liberty giuen vnto you for the worshipping of Images How shall this be tride In the deciding of the Question you will suspect me I shall not be thought to be indifferent but
high Préest onely wherfore I aunswer you that the Cherubins were not séene of the people but your Images are set in Churches before all the people so that if your Images were as were the Cherubins then should your Images be séen of none Then what place will you assigne for your Images I suppose none vnlesse you will make an other Tabernacle then also giue an other lawe then also vse the whole Ceremonies and Rites of the same then also look for an other Christe Then also as yet the Gospell is not knowne and the Apostles haue not preached thorow out the world as yet then you sée howe vppon one inconuenience there followeth an other but I aunswere you farther answer 3 Your Images are not set vp to that end the Cherubins were the Cherubins described and set foorth the glory of the Lord and so doo not your Images for you derogate from the glorious Maiestie of God and giue to Images that you ought not answer 4 The Cherubins were extraordinarie and for a season your Images are ordinarie and daylie vsed and set vp continuallie answer 5 The Cherubins were taken away and are not now found why then doo you suffer your Images to remaine in Churches A full aunswer to the Iesuites Take them away as be nowe the Cherubins and let Images be no more found in your Churches then be the Cherubins in the Tabernacle and then shall you say some thing answer 6 Moreouer the Cherubins were not leste to the ende that any should worshippe and fall downe vnto them but your Images are adored of all Lastlie and to conclude the Cherubins were ser in theyr places and they couered the Mercie seate but yet at the commaundement of the Lord and by his appointment then vpon your owne woordes shall iudgement be giuen If you will haue vs to alowe of your Images prooue that you haue the same speciall commaundement for them that they had for the Cherubins which done we will then allowe of them as you doo in the meane senson we will estéeme of you as you are Ob. 2. Papist As in the former argument and fonde reason of yours you cannot but sée your owne follie so in this second bolte which is let goe by some vnskilfull and wandering roauer on your side there will appeare great rashnesse For the same Maister Harding your Archringleader to the way of death hath most dissolutely and verie carelessie wrested an other place of Scripture to the selfe same purpose that the other was and taken out of the booke of Numb Chap. 21. Where it is sayde That Moses made a brasen Serpent and whosoeuer of the people was stoong with the same he looking thereon lyued Resp Now this was an Image of a Serpent Ergo Images are lawfull In déede answer 1 this that you say prooueth that the Serpent of brasse set vp was lawfull but Ergo your Images it followeth not It is a clowted argument and patched vp with a sowterlie Elench The young Sophister will tell you that Ab eo quod erat adid quod est necessaria consequentia esse non potest 1 For from the thing that was done to an other more contrarie thing that is done no good and sound reason can be framed And yet we may say more vnto you then so answer 2 We can aunswere you as Tertullian dooth who was sufficiently contented for that the Lord God would haue it so which commaūdement you can not shewe for your Images answer 3 Moreouer the brasen Serpent was a figure of Christe so be not your Images and therefore not lawfull and therefore not to be vsed and therefore in vaine and therefore condempned of all answer 4 Also the brasen Serpent healed those that looked thereon which thinge you could neuer auouch for certaintie in any one of your Images this I knowe that by a Faith in those dayes were they healed that were stoong by Serpentes and as the Serpent was lyfted vp so was the Sonne of Man hoong on the Crosse for our sakes Ioh. 3.24 answer 5 Also in the Serpent that stoong them a remēbrance wherof was that lifted vp in the Wildernesse The Israelites did call to minde the Deuill the olde Serpent the Dragon that beguiled them and such vse there is none in your Images answer .6 Lastly there was a most liuely type and figure of Christe in the lyfting vp of the brasen Serpent for as all that looked thereon were healed So also as many as beléeued in Iesus Christe the sonne of God were saued Then séeing that you vsurpe and mistake all Scriptures wreathing them to your owne purpose to serue your turnes neyther can we holde with you iustlie vnlesse we will be guiltie as you are Neither are we to allowe of you for the Lord hath reiected you neyther may we defend you for you weaken your owne selues neither dare we speake for you in as much as God him selfe is against you but I will pray for you that the Lord would turne you if it be his pleasure or that he would deale in Iustice with you as you deserue that no more of his poore shéepe be deuowred by you as hetherto they haue béene by your meanes For vndoubtedlie you are Caterpillers that haue infected the earth you haue confounded the spéeche of the world and made the simple to rebell against God you haue stroken Moses and Aaron on the face and Israel haue you entised to become Egiptians with you Many of the Saints haue you racked and innumerable companies haue you drawne vnto you from the Lord therefore you shall not escape the iudgements of our God and looke vnto it for they be at hand There remayneth yet one reason more of yours which is thought to be so strong so firme so certaine so vndoubted and of such force as that no man is able to gainsay it It is taken out of Ezechiel the. 9. Cha. Where as sayth Maister Harding There is one cloathed in Linne and he had an Inckorne at his side and was commaunded to write Signum Thau That is sayth Maister Harding The signe of the Crosse In their foreheads For as you suppose this Letter had the similitude of the Crosse and was all one with it and afterwarde as you affirme Constantine the Emperour by the Image and signe thereof ouercame and got the féeld and heard a voice saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Vnder this signe shalt thou conquer and haue victorie and the King ouercame his enimies that day and returned in glorie But what gather you of all this you must conclude Ergo Images are lawfull This is in déede London and Yorke Porchmouth and Douer England and Roome Ergo the next yéere you shall haue warre I marueyle greatlie at so friuolous an argument as you trouble vs with of a trueth it should not séeme méete for men of learning for this is stitched together so botcherlike as nothing may be more vainly spoken by any Abbey lowbie in the
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
a seruice which toucheth and concerneth God and a seruice which toucheth and concerneth man Whereinto if you or any other shall looke it wil be founde that this scruice which is appertinent vnto God and vnto man is also two folde Seruice of God and man â— The body and the minde goe togeather in the 〈◊〉 wooâ—ship of God Internall which is in spirite for as God is a spirite so also will he be woorshipped in spirite and truthe Externall which is outwarde in reuerence and dutie apparant euen to man Bothe these are required in this place and they be 〈◊〉 vnted togeather as without bâ—the of them the Lordâ— our God cannot bee truelie woorshipped Theresice I will not seueare or deuide the one from the other but I will â—ucke them as in a golden Chaine and make them Caepartuers and fellow companiorts in enerye good action Now this internall and this externall seruice of the Lorde are bothe séenâ— in diners circumstances of my Text as followeth True seruice is seene 1. First if you shal loone 2. Secondly the Lord your God 3. Thirdly with all your hart 4. Fourthly with all your soule 5. Fiftly with all your might 1. The first sheweth the readinesse that is in vs. 2. The second shutteth out all other woorship whatsoeuer 3. The third declareth that nothing should be precious vnto vs but the Lord. 4. The fourth taketh away all counterfeiting and all dissimulation 5. The fife openeth that no creature els may haue this seruice but onely the Lord our God The fall of maÌ„ being in perfection his vnstablenâ—◠〈◊〉 he is on earth his coâ—â—uptâ— mind in a◠〈◊〉 he doo the 〈◊〉 blyndnes and error in the lyght his grosnesse harde hart in beleef dyd requyre a pure and vndefiled lawe to brydle him I am not ignoraunt that euerie man in whome is the breath of life and vpon whome the Lord our God hath powred of his Spirite is in some part any in eueriâ— part faultie in this coâ—â—aundoment which naturall blinâ—nesse and Ignoraunce of ours sheweth the groat perfection 〈◊〉 heauenly integritie of the Lord and againe condempneth vs as guiltis in eneriâ— point 〈…〉 our handes at the barte continuallie as béeing on able to 〈◊〉 any lots of this same or to stand before God if he call vs to a reckoning For if that man were able to stand and would neuer fall from his 〈…〉 and his heart vnâ—â—â—â—ble 〈…〉 〈◊〉 be 〈…〉 in Israelit thon â—e 〈…〉 thinke â—ho 〈…〉 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 thing 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 We may 〈…〉 and no doubt the Lord our God hath so stra 〈…〉 vs to obserue these thinges prescribed euen to looue him and him our God and with all our heart and with an our soule and with all out stight 〈◊〉 sundrie waightie and great causes Causes why the Lorde hath giuen so straight a commauÌ„dement 1. First 〈◊〉 our owne â—â—â—etchednesse myseserie and death 2. Secondlie to be aâ—cused not excused before the Lord. 3. Thirdly to tremble and shake when we â—span 4. Fourthly that â—bndemâ—nation may appeare in vs knowing that we are not able to fulfill this 5. Firstly to make vs affrighted and to weaken out consciences seeing that we cannot lyue in â—â—â—â—bedience 6. Sixtly to keepe vs by discipline as vnder a lawe for euer 7. Seuenthly to teach vs the â—ntâ— and perfect workes of righteous nesse 8. Eightly to exclude all other Idoll woorshippe and to serue all onely the Lord our God Man thynking that he â—â—aÌ„deth dooth fall that he is in lyse is yet in death that he is stroÌ„g is vveake that he can doo all thynges dooth nothing aryght therefore hath he inward and secrete sinnes vvhich hee must tame and subdue as well as the outward vices subiect to the eyes of men And now to come more narrowlie to euerie one in this place thâ—gener all is it to he thaught that no man hath an euill eye vpon Abel vpon his brother is the heart of euerie man persen Dooth none despise Iacob Is there not one but 〈◊〉 a porsect Censar or shall we make accoumpt is there nener an 〈◊〉 person in this company not one 〈◊〉 you that hath worne the golden Earinges or hath not cast one stone against the house of God or ioyned them selues with Aaron to committe euyll Is the leauen of Egipt cleane forgotten or hath no man syt downe to eate and 〈◊〉 and rose vp againe to play Is the hearts of you all pire 〈◊〉 the Lord what not once at Samaria in all your life not once at Dan not once at Bethell no not â—ne â—ine or affectioned to Priapus Of a trueth it may hardâ—â— be so thought a man will not indge it and God knoweth it is otherwise Why man he is full of presumptious â—â—â—es why his offeringes be vncleane and the fat of the 〈◊〉 is taynâ—ed Many truct in Chariots and many trust in Horses and diuers say there is no helpe in our God and then which way can we be frée from his wrath The man that worketh no deceypt the man that hath not slaundered his neighbour the man that hath not put out his money to loane nor his coyne to Vsurie the man in whose loule there is no guile is not cannot may not be found I tell you to looue the Lord with all your soule with all your might with all your strength with all your heart to looue the Lord and to looue him onely is to fulfill the whole lawe and the Prophetes As the false Prophetes of Iesabell knewe the trueth in the dayes of nlyas the Prophet and as Amasiah dyd vvilfully resist Ieremie the Seribes Saduces Christe so doo the Iesuites and Papistes resist vs against theyr ewne consciences I doo professe and protest before you all yea before the Lord and before his Angels that I neuer enter into the conâ—â—â—eration of this but that I wonder howe it commeth to paste that the aduersaries of the grace of God the Papistes doo not burst and cleaue in sunder when they sée that honor that zeale that affection that loous that might that strength which is due to the Lord God so wickedly and so commonlie to be giuen to Creatures And now tell me you whose faces are faces of brasse you of the. Colledge of the Pope you his Seminaries you inuested into the order of the Iesuites howe you are able to aunswere and to reconcile your selues vnto the Lord God sayth Looue me you loue the Pope God sayth Looue me with all your heart but how heartilie how faithfully pray you to Saints God sayth Looue me with all thy soule yet you sell prayers vnto men and the Soules of men doo you giue from God for money God sayth Looue me with all thy might and you endeâ—â—â—r day and night to Idolatrie God sayth Heare me onely but you will not heare him at all and if you doo you are compelled vnto it Then in consideration that you haue so boldelie resisted the Trueth and
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 you are hardned for the same poyson which you drunke in your first yéeres is a cause why you are broken out into the â—â—â—â—titude of your gréeuous sores at this present Then want of prayer to the Lord dooth againe putrifie you so sore within as busied and occupied in their inuocation to Saint Peter to Saint Thomas to the Virgin Marie others you haue not any leysure at all to call on God wherfore you doo not wel for those Personages are great Personages béeing troubled with a multitude of Suters they may not presently heare you neither can they preferre your prayers vnto God so soone Peraduenture also they be abroad or busied in some waightie affayres or else they haue some other request for some néerer fréend of theyrs and you most wayte yet longer Wherfore turne to the Lord and he will heare you indéede neither will he deferre saluation from day to day Lastly I am afraide that one of you infecteth an other therefore I doo wishe that you may be seuered asunder when the Tempter is gone It is euident that the Kings Keisars dyd vvithstand the Pope a long season tyll by maine might the Pope took in hand to staÌ„d in armes against them For Carolus in his tyme made an Edict against the Pope and cut off halfe his Crowne yet dyd the Pope swell and ryse more more but in blood the spirit of the Lord will walke more effectuallie And I for my part together with my brethren will pray for you continuallie that the Lord God would open your eyes that you may sée the trueth for vndoubtedlie your hearts are full of woormwood gall and I sée that bitternes is within you euen to death if the Lord God quicken you not Who euer sayd that that was proper to man which is to be giuen to God but you who euer affirmed that the Pope was Lord and God and King and Keisar saue all only you who hath giuen him power by which as of himselfe he standeth who hath giuen him honour by which through his might he striketh he cutteth off he saueth saue onely you who hath giuen him the keies of hell and heauen where he bindeth and he loseth saue all onely you who hath sayd he is God Vicegerant in earth by which he ordaineth and deposeth but onely you who hath made him equall with God and most like vnto the highest saue all onely you his Schollers his Disciples his Ministers and such as are and haue béene accoumpted Heretiques and are of the same profession as are you wherfore returne come away flie froÌ„ the whore of Roome Apoc. 17. O be not deceyued she hath poysoned all the Kings of the earth with the venome of her cup Stay a while pause and consider and you shall sée the dampnation of this great whore that sitteth vpon many waters With her haue the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her haue the Inhabitants of the earth béene made drunke for shée sitteth vpon a scarlet coloured Beast A Beast is Roome called for the eruell sauadge vnnaturall beastly qualities found with in her as appeareth in Daniel Dan. 7.7 Sitting in Scarlet for that the was red and inglutted with the blood of the Saintes The outragious pride of this vvhore of Roome the Pope is séene In that at this day he hath vpoÌ„ his Pallace a Piller of stone that is valued at 20000. Crownes Hee hath his roose seeled vvith golde couer His hanginges are of precious stone lyke glasse And yeerely hath he comming in out of the common stewes an Annuall reuenew vvhich is his tribute of 20000. pounds from amoÌ„g the vvhores common vvomen of Roome so that he is the vvhore that sitteth in the golden chayte Then hauing names full of blasphemy for is there any one now or was there any euer héeretofore that had the same blasphemous titles as hath the Pope Then hauing vâ— heads which are seuen hylles on which Roome did stand and was built and so sometimes had seuen Kinges within her The whore is said to haue ten hornes many kingdoms vnder her Then she is arayed in Purple and Scarlet For the glorie of your Popedome staÌ„deth in outward Pompe and we know that no Prince in the world is more ritchly attired then is that monster at Roome Then she hath a cup of abhominations in her hand And not without cause in as much as all Heresies false doctrine and Superstitions of the late Churches haue come from her Then in the forehead is there a Misterie written Babilon the great the mother of whordome A Mysterie in déede for none can comprehend this secrete but the Elect None can tell you that this Roome is that whore but such as God hath touched None can open this plainly to the world saue onely those to whome God hath giuen it And therefore if your hearts were not hardned if in hearing you dyd not heare or in séeing you sawe not and were not blinded or if the Lord had not shut vp your vnderstanding for your wilfulnesse it could not be possible but in this lyght and beautie of our time of the trueth you should vnderstand and conuert be saued and deferre not off from day to day for the longer you stay the more fierce God is the longer you prolong the more seuere he is This day if you heare his voyce harden not your harts I tell you that the wicked man dooth moste prowdely kéepe his countenaunce and will not be chauÌ„ged the heart of the godly man melteth when he heareth of the Lord Rom. 2.5 wherefore take you héede that according to your hardnesse of heart and your impenitent soules which will not repent you heape vp vengeance against the day of vengeance against the day of wrathe the reuealing of the iust iudgement of God For wherfore should you stand thus in defence of the Pope wherefore should you hazard your selues for a mortall man wherefore stande you against the truthe is it for the you are ignoraunt you may sée Is it because you haue learned so Our Fathers are to be followed no farther then you follow the Lordet Reade Origen in Esech Hom. 7. reade Augu. vpon Iohn Tract 49. cap. 11 you shall haue another lesson the Lord God shall be your maister Is it because you feare man why the Lord our God is greater stande to him what haue your Fathers beléetâ—ed so then be you other men you shall not beare theyr iniquities what haue you learned this from them of olde why what then They erred go you vprightlie they sinned against theyr God prouoke you him not they liued in miserable dayes and sawe little you haue the lawe in your mouthe and it is open to all they desired and could not haue it you may haue and will not take it They had the Gospell kept from them by the Tiranny of the man of sinne that brused and stamped vnder his féete the Saints of
feare due vnto the Lord and vnto none else dooth exclude and shut out all other feare and reuerence and homage giuen to any other whatsoeuer for God vvill not part stakes with any man For in the last and perticular diuision of all I noted that worshippe which toucheth and appertayned vnto Man thus O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely and thou shalt feare him c. Heere is a reuerence that man oweth to his God and to none other To God to the Lord to the Lord onely To none other I say to none No not to Marie no not to Peter no not to the Saintes What not your Letanie not your Orate pro nobis 1 Your generall Praiers made vnto the Saints Pray for vs be they not good I say they be not good they be dampnable I say no they be not good they derogate from the Maiestie of God I say no they be not good you aske helpe of Man not of the Lorde I saye and I affirme that you committe sacriledge and you doo that which is forbidden in the booke of God I finde it thus written by Dauid Psal 50.15 Inueca me in die tribulationis et eruam te et honorificabis me i Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will delyuer thee and thou shalt honour mee I finde not any commaundement to pray to Peter or to Marie In the Hebrewes Hebr. 10. we are charged to drawe néere vnto Christe our highe Préest who béeing the highest of all hath not that I doo finde giuen his Ioel. 2. glorie vnto any other In Ioel the Prophete Ioell 2. this is written Who soeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued Wherein who séeth not that all other inuocation is excluded Vnlesse you will affirme that they the Saints to whome you pray be Lordes also and Gods of the earth What is plainer then an other Scripture 1. Iohn 2. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate to God Iesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And againe Not for vs onely but for the sinnes of the whole world If Christe be sufficient then neede vve no other If Christ be a recoÌ„ciler the helpe of others is nothing If Christ be our aduocat then vaine is the helpe of Saintes In which you cannot denie these sayinges 1. First that you are sinners 2. Secondlie you haue an aduocate to God 3. Thirdlie a person most righteous 4. Fourthlie that all only is named Iesus Christ such a one at maketh intercession and is a propitiation for vs. 5. Fiftlie not for vs only but for all euen the whole world Now then where is life but in Christe where haue you attanaâ—ment but of Christe where shall you looke for propitation but by Christe Who maketh intercession but Iesus Christe who deliuereth vs and the whole world but all only Iesus Christe It is a strong reason and a greater can not be 〈◊〉 then is this Roma 8. There are not two Mediatours of heauen and earth but one onely Christe Iesus is the mediatour of heauen and earth and of vs Ergo None other neyther Marie neyther Peter nor any other Saint but Christe onelie mediatour for vs 〈◊〉 The Fathers of olde knewe no other neither called they on the name of any one but only of their God Seth Gene. 4.26 restoring Religion called on the name of God and Abraham soiourning Gene. 12.8 when he pitched his Tent and had on the one side Bethel on the other side Haie built there an Altar and called on the name of the Lord. I am assured that Isaack would haue worshipped the Lord with that kinde of worship and that seruice that was most acceptable to God yet can it not be found that Isaack Gene. 26.25 or any other the Prophetes vsed the helpe of any dead man but called on their God And so am I assured dyd Iacob Gene. 32. together with Moses Exod. 34. and also Sampson The old fathers taught thus Epiphanius in his booke against the Antidicomarianites Gregorius Na. in Ioh. Lib. 9. Cap. 42. and Cycill in Iohn 16. and Chrisostomus Hom. de Muliere Chananeâ— and Theophilactus ad Coloss and August vnto Honoratus are all against the inuocation of Saints when they liued and not one of them vsed the helpe of any their fellow Patriarkes departed or brethren the good men that were dead but all of them prayed to the Lord their God wherefore your prayers to those departed are vaine they doo you no good your prayers to them are gone are diuelish and whoorish they are forbidden by the Lord they are to no ende they cannot profyt you they are detestable they are condempned in the Scriptures they are superstitious for they derogate from God they are Idolatrous and pernitious they infect and hurte such as doo vse them they are moste filthy and abhominable for no homage is to be giuen to them but to the Lord. As for you your worship your adoration your prayers to them whence haue you them where finde you them what warrant haue you for them what authoritie what commaundement from the Lord as of all other your whorish abhominations so may I say of this You haue no Author no defence no Protection no colour of the same but onely from Rome from Pope from Cardinall from your owne inuentions your owne decrées your own decretalies or els from the olde and damnable Hereticks Contra. octo ginta Haer. Epiphanins that olde and grayheaded father Bishop of Cyprus reckoneth this among the Heresies of the Collyridinns who came out of Thracia in Arabia the vpper parts of Scythia for the they also superstitiously as you do offered to the Virgin Marie now once in a yeare was the day very solemply kept and they celebrated it with great honour and to say truthe they were women Priestes who gaue that so great homage vnto her as being the Mother Lady and Mistresse of all Woemen And vnlâ—sse that you tooke this custome from them the first inuentors of the same I know not what you are able to saye for the antiquitie of Praiers giuen to her or any other This I knowe this I am assured off and this I finde in your owne writers that till it was within these late yeares you haue not so much as any mention made of your praying vnto those that are departed but all onely the nations and such as knew not God haue vsed to praye to them that are gone or els some of your owne vaine and fantasticall Bishoppes haue brought in this custome who as euery man was giuen wickedly or bent frowardly disposed idlely or affectioned fylthely The Popes the Authors of all Idolatrie or inneighled diuellishly or drawne away superstitiously or bewitched heathnish like haue made constituted and ordained lawes for this kinde of praier and more I fynde not Lib. 2. Yom. pr. haeresi quinquagesi Therefore in Arabia the
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
fire Deut. 4.24 For the Lorde he is a iudge of the world 1. Sam. 2.10 he is as in Egle swift to anger Exod. 19.4 he is as a man strengthened with wine Psal 78.65 hee is as a roaring Lyon to the wicked Isay 31.4 and as a deuourer and eater vp of the impenitent The Lord he is terrible Deut. 7.21 a reuenger of vnrighteousnes he is swift to deuoure the families of the wicked and he will not spare the vngodly houses therefore out of these places of scripture I make this conclusion His wordes are to be feared and his lawes and comandements are to bee kept that is able if wee disobay him to destroy vs But The Lord our God is a consuming fire a two edged sworde as a flaming fire to the wicked that disobey him ergo The Lorde our God is to be feared and his lawes his command ementes but none other whatsoeuer coÌ„trarie to his are to be kept Now this coÌ„maundement here is taken two manner of wayes Exclusiue 1 Excluding all manner of false worship 2 Excluding all other commaundements of men contrarie to this 3 Excluding all foraine power and iurisdiction of Turke and Pope contrarie to this Inclusiue For God includeth all kinde of true worship within this coÌ„mandement of his word The second circumst was this Who they were this commandement did concerne touch They were the Israelites and the people of God hereof I may principally yeeld two reasons 1 First because the promise made so Abraham should be kept that God shoulde be mindfull of that that was spokeÌ„ namely that he and his séede should be blessed for euer which â—hing hath bene must largely and most aboundantly both séene and knowne to all the world and continued so long as Israel feared his name serued him the Lord their God Was it not so of old and doe not we knowe that it is true Israel why they were the inheritaunce of the liuing God Deut. 4.20 Deut. 9.26 Deut. 14.2 2. Sam. 21.3 Israel they were redéemed in his strength Israel was a holy people to their God Israel was as the vineyard of the Lord and he brought out the Heathen and planted them Psal 80.9 Israel was elected of God and the Lorde loued them euermore Deut. 10.15 Israel was a royall Priesthoode Exod. 19.6 and a holy nation counted of till they forsooke the Lord their God of hoste and then God forsooâ—e them 2 Secondly this lawe was giuen to Israel that it might be a witnes vnto them of the iust iudgements of God if they obeyed him not as Moses did prophecie for for this cause are they called by God Rebels and runnagates from the Lorde Deut. 9.24 Psal 106.40 Then were they castawayes from the face of GOD. Eze. 16.3 Then were they counted a wicked generation and of the posteritie of Cham Then as they sell straungely were they called ignominiously by the name of Apostataes Then Eze. 2.3 Then named hypocrites for their dissembling with their God Rom. 2.17 Then Incredulous persons for their vnbeliefe Then were they called the Slayers and murtherers of the Prophetes Iohn 7.28 for in déede they killed them Then the Persecutours of the Gospell Matth. 23.34 for they hated the way of life Then were they called the betrayers of Christ for they killed him And from that day to this Actes 13.46 haue they and their séede bene Vagabonds in strange landes they haue runnâ— from countrie to countrie Actes 3.13 and they haue had no place for why they prouoked the Lord their God to anger and nowe hath he punished them according to the wordes of his seruaunt Moses long before Nowe therefore this appertaineth vnto vs As the Ammorites Pâ—eresits and Iebusites were dâ—â—en â—ut of their owne land thâ—â—â—â—â—el might postede and eâ—â—oy the same So were the Israelites dispossessed of their inheritaÌ„ce for their sinnes that we might be heirs in their steede for séeing that this lawe was giuen vnto them to kéepe and they disobeyed it it is taken from them and giuen vnto vs that we may loue it And in as much as all the day long the Lord stretched foorth his hande vnto a disobedient and gaynesaying people we haue also to take héede that we harden not our heartes as they did in the day of temptation wherefore in many trials and in a long patience and sufferable affection did the Lords leade them from time to time that they might knowe him At the length did he cast them off for their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart and whereas they were accepted before GOD gaue vnto them the spirite of slumber and their table was made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke as 〈◊〉 recompence vnto them to this day And whereas before they were braunches of the right Oliue trée nowe are they cut off and we are taken in in their steade Rom. 11.24 Israel is cast off and we the Gentiles are in their place we must therefore take héede that we also liue now according to the lawes of our God lest that the Lorde despise vs God is of long suffering and of great mercy but when as he striketh he is a consuming fire as he did them for his rigor vpon Israel and his mercy towardes vs his angrie countenaunce shewed vnto them and his louing fauour to vs warde declare both his seueritie and iustice vpon them in refusing them and his clemencie towarde vs that were straungers in that he hath chosen vs as an other Israel and an other Church vnto him selfe for we are nowe the Israel of God and so long we shall be the same as we either obey him rightly or serue him vprightly or be readie to serue him or swerue not from him but kéepe the right way which that we may doe we will examine the third circumstance The thirde circumstance What is the commaundement commaunded here It is this These wordes which I commaund thee this day shall be in thy heart c. Wherein I wold that you noted many thinges 1 First the words commaunded are the words of God not the wordes of Man Turke Pope c. 2 Secondly giuen this day noteth that as yeres doe consist of dayes so day after day making many dayes doth declare that God is to be loued and feared euery day 3 Thirdly here is to be noted the future time these words shal be in thy heart which is a precise lawe that in as much as no time is limited but the future time named it doth argue that God is to be remembred at all times 4 Fourthly I doe gather here in that God saith These wordes shall be laide vp in thy heart that therefore Rires and ceremonies are not to be required so much in the true seruice of the Lord as is the soul and spirit For God will be serued in spirit and trueth 5 In that his wordes are to be remembred is
not to be grossely taken that no more is to be followed then those named in this place But by these wordes must be vnderstoode all his lawes and ordinances written in the Lawe and in the Prophetes and I referre this place Vnto Deut. 12.32 thus written God is of heauen heauenly therefore bumane traditions must not be mingled with his seruice Quicquid tibi in mandatâ—m dedero hoc facies neque addi aliquid neque diminui patieris a verbo meo What so euer I commaund thee that shalt thou doe thou shalt neither add any thing therevnto neither shalt thou plucke any thing therefrom which euen very same commandement is written Deut. 4.2 Hearken you O Israel vnto the ordinances and lawes which I teach you to doe it followeth you shall put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you neither shal you take ought therefrom And vnto Ioshua was the same lawe giuen in commaundement Iosh 1.7 and he was charged to obserue all things that Moses the seruant of the Lord did commaund him the restraint was set downe thus Thou shalt not turne away from it to the right hande or to the left that thou maiest prosper whither so euer thou goest The Priestes of Bâ—al the foolish Chemermâ— and the Scribes and Phariâ—ies were in the same maner blinded as be our Iesurtes Papistes and Seminaries their most principall and chiefe Ceremonies were al one the same proofâ— they vse both of them for their superstitions and the verie same customs they doe allowe of bicause their fathers of olde vsed them which lawe and most sacred and holy ordinance of the Lord when I consider of I wonder how you the aduersaries of the grace of God schollers of the Pope and Antichrist either burst not in pieces for feare or holde not downe your heades for shame or accuse not your selues in your consciences or cry not out vnto the Lorde in this extremitie when you sée all thinges in your religion and profession either to be inuented either to be founded by man either to disagrée either to be contrarie dissonant from the word of God either to be whorish either to be diuelish either to be Idolatrous either to be superstitious which is the least fault you haue of al It can not be if you had read the lawe as you flée from it If you had experience in the scriptures as you shut them vp If you had exercises of prayer as you haue none aright If you had the Commaundements of the Lorde among you as you denye them If you had true seruice as you corrupt it If you had the ordinaunces of the Lord and his wordes with you as you are farre from them But that you should sée easily and perceiue rightly and iudge perfectly and deale syncerely and after an other manner to than nowe you doe in your daily administrations and vnlawfull sacrifices Remember that cursse that is laide vpon your shoulders and vpon the shoulders of your fathers in the last of the Reuelation Reuel 22.18 for your corrupting of the word Therefore after a rewarde that is giuen to euerie one according to his workes there is a description of Christ whom we ought to acknowledge in this manner 1 First as being α and ω the beginning and the end 2 Secondly as being the first and the last There is also a blessing set downe vnto those that shall feare his Commaundements 1 Their right way shall be in the tree of life 2 They shall enter in through the gates of the citie After this there are certaine per sons named the are shut out of the kingdome of God 1 Dogges be the first sort sauage wilde vntamed and wanton persons 2 Inchaunters be next such as haue bene the most of your Romish Prelates 3 Whoremongers the third and you and the Romanistes speake against marriage and yet maintame whores in your Cloysters 4 Murtherers folow such are you and such haue your fathers bene that seeke and thirst after the bloud of the Saints 5 Idolaters also are without and more vile more ougly more monstrous and more filthie theÌ„ are you of Rome I know none vnder heauen professors of religion at this day 6 Moreouer such as loue and make lyes are in the number and these can be no other than you and as you be that maintaine false doctrine and delight therein After al this there is a message sent vnto men The messinger is the Angel of God and his message or tidings is heauenly and diuine namely 1 That the roote and generation of Dauid Iesus Christ 2 That the bright morning starre Christ the light that brought light into the world Hath of his meeremercy brought â—vs good tidings 1 How that the spirit and the bride do cry come 2 How that euery one that heareth may come 3 How that al those that are a thirst may come 4 How that euery one that will take of the water of life may come freely But there followeth a Protestation with a ComminatioÌ„ 1 First that what man so euer he be 2 Secondly that heareth 3 Thirdly the wordes 4 Fourthly of this prophecie 5 Fifthly presuming to add any thing thervnto That then God shall adde vnto that man all the plagues that are written in that booke Furthermore the Lorde inlargeth that spoken before So that if any man shall presume 1 To diminish the wordes of the booke of that prophecie 2 His part shall be taken out of the booke of life 3 His parte shall be taken out of the holie citie 4 He shall haue no part in the things are written in this booke 5 And all this is confirmed by the Lorde for hee will come quickly to see it done As they are more to be feared that can kill and destroy the soul rather than those onely that do spill the bodie so are the papistes the more to be abhorred as they doe cast away both the outward the inward man Nowe therefore looke you vnto this O you the enimies of God more then enimies vnto the Lorde for you make all other whome you can get enimies vnto him worse than common enimies for you raise vp straungers against him crueller than are the enimies for they kil but the body you destroy both bodye and soule Fiercer than are all enimies for they vse the sword you abuse the word and bring in an other contrarie to it I charge you not without cause I lay nothing vnto you but that I may iustly Your consciences bewray you and you betray your selues your comming ouer to vs presuming to teach being more fitter you should learne entring and insinuating of you into the hearts of men spreading abroad your damnable opinions are tokens sufficient I say to manifest vnto the world what men you be You you haue counterfeited the Scriptures you you haue falsified the trueth You you haue added and diminished You you haue put too and taken from the word of God You you haue inclined
yelded vp their right For Gregory the seuenth caused it to bee agréed vppon to be idolatrie if any one obeyed not the sea of Rome And Adrian Pope affirmed and in the same constituted Ex 2. Actione 7. Synod that the church of Rome was the heade and mother of all churches in the worlde and that all other churches shoulde stoope and obey her ordinances It is well knowen that Alexander the seconde writt to Philip king of Fraunce that all the decrées of the sea of Rome are as certeinly to be helde vppon to be beléeued and as surely receiued of all men as are the Canons of the whole worlde This caused Bonifacius to list vp his head so high aboue heauen and earth and writing to Ruffus and to other Bishops in Thessalia did chide thē mightily for their resisting him alleging out of the decrées of Pope Gelasius 9. q. 3. C. pater that the word of the Apostle of the see of Rome was neuer retracted but by the leaue of so reuerend a father and if he will not we will take leaue his fatherhood hath lyed a little and his lye is the greater as he woulde fauour that vpon the Lord 1. Sam. 10.1 which is contrary to God and his worde The Lorde sayth he choose Saul but the Pope was neuer chosen by God 1. Sam. 16.13 The Lorde did fetche Dauid from the sheepefold 1. Reg. 1.30 and willed his people to feare him And Salomon did the Lord set in the throne of his father but I do not finde that the Pope though he dwell at Rome hath any roume at all no not the breadth of a nayle in the booke of God I know that Iosias was sent from God The pope is one the King another the Pope of Sathan the King of God the Pope of mā the King is of the Lorde the Pope by vsurpation the King by ordination and therefore the Popes name is not in the Bible Kings be Matth. 20. a defender of his people and Iehosaphat was accounted as one of the worthies among the Princes and Ezechias is estéemed as a man renowned for his holynesse But for the Pope he may get him a place in some odde corner of the worlde by tyrannie and bloudshed but he was neuer ordeyned or set in place by the Lorde our God This I remember Christ sayth The Kings of the earth do raigne and striue for rule but sayth Christ to his Apostles it may not be so with you of which I inferre that séeing the Pope is in the place of Peter as he sayth in the roume of an Apostle he must not therefore rule and raigne ouer vs. Moreouer Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesars Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars But it was neuer sayde Math. 22. giue vnto the Pope that which is the Popes for as I doe finde his authoritie is and hath béene from time to time vsurped So that for my owne parte I tell you truely you that are here the hirelings of the Pope you the very members of the very Antichriste I am so farre from beléeuing either his ordinances or his decrées or his Canons that he hath made that I will not cease to praye continuallye daye and night that the Lorde our God woulde reuenge the iniquitie of the man of Rome and plucke him out of that seate of deadly sinne wherein he sitteth For what is the Pope and his vsurped authoritie that wée should obey his ordinances His customes are the customes of Egypt and his abhominations are the abhominations of Chanaan and they are not to bee followed Facietis iudiciamea praecepta mea seruabitis Leu. 18. in eis ambulabitis You shall doe my iudgementes you shall keepe my preceptes and walke in them sayth the Lorde I will tell you the deapth of my heart You are like vnto the men that the king of Assur brought from Babel for euen as you doe in Rome so did they At the first they serued the Lorde indifferently but in processe of time when the Lyons were taken from them they returned to their olde customes againe and did as the Nations and as the Countries round about them did From whome as I suppose you haue made stealth of your Demye Goddes 2. Reg. 17.27 retaining the maner of that seruice which the Nations did You can giue no reason of your religion It was saide of olde time that men beleued on the Lord as Abraham Isaac Iacob did and after that in the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and after that men did beleeue in Christ in the doctrine of the Apostles but the Papistes say they beleeue as their fathers beleeued This did Lucius Papa 24. and Marcellus Pope reprehēd and they referred all to Christ and his Apostle◠not to Fathers if it be demaunded at your handes saue onely this that you doe as your Fathers doe and that this your faith is that by which your auncestors were saued O be not beguiled shall your saluation be grounded vpon man shall you not aunswere euerie one for your selues and euerie man for his owne soule Yes your fathers shall not defend you at the day of wrath your fathers shall not be able to maintaine your cause when both they and you shall giue an account of the workes you haue done Your fathers downfal may not be your rising your fathers miserie can not be your ioy your fathers curse shall not be your blessing but if all they did goe astray returne you home vnto the Lord and so shall you be deliuered at the day of appearing of the iust God And if you will followe the fathers remember what the good fathers haue saide and followe them I wil not hinder you It is good counsel I tell you that Cyprian giueth who hath this saying to a brother of his Non est frater charissime Lib. 2. Epist Epist 3. quod aliquis aestimet sequendam esse quorundam consuetudinem c. That is It is not to be thought my welbeloued brother that a man should esteeme the customes of al men to be retained among vs as cōmendable things For this is to be regarded who they were that they folowed Did not God say from heauen this is my beloued Sonne heare him Then it is Christe alone to whome we must giue eare The aduise of Augustine may be taken herein that in his second booke of Baptisme hath such or like wordes Lib. 2. Dist 8. Can. Veritate Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo c. That is Custome after trueth is knowne must giue place For no man will allowe of any custome as he will of reason and of the trueth of any matter bicause reason and trueth goe before all thinges I call to minde what Gregorius saide vnto Gulielmus Auersanus Bishoppe Dist 2. Can. Si consuetudinem Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas aduertendum est quod Dominus dixit Ego sum via
¶ TWO GODLIE AND learned Sermons appointed and Preached before the Jesuites Seminaries and other aduersaries to the Gospell of Christ in the Tower of London In which were confuted to their faces the moste principall and cheefe poincts of their Romish and VVhoarish religion And all such Articles as they defend contrarie to the woord of God vvere layed open and ripped vp vnto them In Maye 7. and 21. Anno. 1581. By Iohn Keltridge Preacher of the vvorde of God in London Psal 119. verse 128. I esteeme all thy precepts most iust and hate all false wayes Prou. 4.14 Enter not into the vvay of the wicked and walke not in the vvay of euill men ¶ Imprinted at London by Richard Ihones dwelling without Newgate neere vnto Holburne Bridge TO THE RIGHT HONOrable Sir Fraunces Walsingham Knight principall Secretarie to the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie and of her Maiesties moste honorable priuie Councell c. AT such time right Honourable as I at the request of certaine my deere and welbeloued freendes had beene at her Maiesties Towre of London partlie to haue some talke with the Iesuites and other Seminaries deseruedly there imprisoned partlie to see if the Lorde would haue quickened them after great preaching and much conference with manie and verie learned men that came thether I did finde that the trauaile and study of theirs hath to this day taken so small effect as not onely the Iesuites are more and more stiffned in their errors But also they are become so sencelesse in feeling so blunt in attayning so wicked and malicious in resisting so disloy all and spitefull in hearing so sturdie and malaperte in withstanding openlie the teachers of the Gospell as the people are vpon the same dismayed zealous and godly men discouraged and all fortes of people moste pittifully distracted that either heere or see them at any time VVherefore may it please you to vnderstand that for diuers causes I haue giuen vnto your Honour this briefe and shorte Confutation of their Heresies First that their damnable and grosse errors though they may be seene of all may yet especially be knowne vnto you For I doo thinke that the reformation and order to bee taken for these Heretiques dooth lye in especiall on your shoulders and is required at Gods handes of the Lordes of her Maiesties moste Honourable priuie Councell Secondly that it may appeere whensoeuer these wicked men shal be called to an accompte that then they will not be able to denie or dissemble that which they affirme For the moste principall though not all their Articles are confuted in this booke Thirdely I am of opinion that esperiallye your Honour hath to discerne the spirits of these men in as much as you be in the number of those that in Roome togeather with many other of the nobles in this Realme were threatened to be burned by the Pope if he gat you either quicke or dead The laste and the cheefe cause is this As your Honour hath beene alwayes a fauourer of the Gospell and moste forwarde in Religion so I trust that God will now mooue you to haue a more care of his poore Church then euer you had It is not vnknowne how God hath looued this Realme sithence her Maiesties moste gratious and happie raigne among vs. The like rest with such quietnes the like peace with such blessednes the like comfort with such happines was neuer seene vnder any Nation and people as we haue had vnder her Maiestie Now at lengthe after so longe and prosperous and peaceable gouernment to put this Realme in feare and dread of that woonted Tirranie which Antichriste the Pope practised vpon vs. To stirre and mooue vp by way of alienation the mindes of men and the faithfull hartes of Englande to make vs remember the blood that was shed of olde time by the Pope to compell vs againe to sorrow ouer the bodies of our dead and ouer the Sainctes whose blood was shed and ouer the multitude of good men that were taken from vs There are in the steede and roome of those blodie Fathers risen and now in processe of time growne vp their bloodie and vnnaturall sonnes Among these some would haue hathed their hands in the harts of our people as Saunders in Ireland of late was purposed to do and it is not to be thought that he was there alone Some write against vs as though wee were Haereticques and accompt vs worthy to be put to death what would these men doo if they had vs in their handes Of which sort is Iohn Howlet and one Campion who bothe of them haue presented their mindes moste praesumptuously to the right Honourable the Lordes of her Maiesties priuie Councell some also haue spread abroade their damnable and seditious Doctrine thorowe out manie places in this Realme Such bee the Iesuites the Seminaries and other Schollers of the Pope that bee now in her Maiesties Towre of London Now all these are come hether and sente in of late dayes by the Pope to disturbe vs and rayse Tumults in this Common wealth And all these are the children of such Fathers as persecuted the Saints or they be home borne children brought vp in England being the wicked sonnes of wicked Parēts and they all haue beene maintained by that man of sinne Antichriste For all which thinges it cannot be gainsay de but that these practising Heretiques are most woorthy to haue the lawe of God in execution against them which he hath set downe for them in his Booke I doo well remember what our Fathers and Forefathers did Dauid at the hower of his death called to minde the iniquitie of a man of his that shed blood and when he lay on his death bed he sayd thus to his sonne Salomon 1. Reg. 2.5 Thou knowest what Ioab the sonne of Seruiah did to me and what he did to the two Captaines of the hoast of Israel vnto Abner the sonne of Ner and vnto Amasa the sonne of Iether whome he stone shed blood of battaile in peace Doo therefore according to thy Wisedome and let not his hearie haires goe downe to the graue in rest The same also sayde Dauid of the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini of Bahurim neither did he accoumpt him innocent It is well knowne what woorthy and warlike fellowes the Papists slewe and how they were cunning men at the Battailes of the Lord and as ready to resist and fight against Sathan in spirituall skirmishes as Abner or Amasa either euer were in defending their Citties for their maister Dauid It is necessarie therfore those good men should be remembred in as much as they were slaine so trayterouslie And now the rather are we all to thinke vpon that treason of olde as there are risen vp disloyall and wicked men to trouble vs Irreuerend disobedient persons to prouoke vs faithlesse and hollowe hearted Papists to disquiet vs foolish and erronious Iesuites to inueagle withdraw vs from the Lord. These are they haue
practised so many things against vs this many yeeres these are the wicked whome the godlie haue feared these are the disturbers haue disquieted this Realme these are the conspirators haue withholden the hearts of the wicked from their loyaltie these are they that if God had not beene on our side would long ere this haue ouerthrowne vs. VVe know that Papistes were authors of rebellion in the North. We know that as in the Shambles men sell meate so in their priuate assemblies haue these wicked ones bothe bought and solde vs of England We know that many a time the Pope hath sent secrete messeÌ„gers hether and haue stolne away many of the Subiectes hearts We know that newes hath very often ben brought ouer how the time hath been appointed that King Phillip should haue eaten bread and giuen his Souldiors drink in LeÌ„dâ—â— We know that multitudes of Papists hauing been taken examined and imprisoned for the fame they haue sayd openlie that they hoped one day to see their golden day It is seene of all men what numbers haue beene taken 〈◊〉 Masse in despite of the Gospell It is seene of all howe many haue for treason not onely beene taken but executed in London It is seene of all men that they haue vsed witchcraft sorcerie inchauÌ„tment to destroy the Lordes annointed It is seene how vnquiet her Maiesties Realme of Ireland hath been and all only thorow them It is seen what signes and Crosses the Papistes haue had brought ouer as is their Agnus Deis and other Tablets which continually they weare about their necks as tokeÌ„s to be known by if time serued And it is seene and perceiued of all openlie how that innumerable Bulles and Pardons haue are continuallie sent ouer by the Pope And can or may true and faithfull Christians see all this and not speake Naie the heauens the earth crie out against them and if both these should cast out their slaine and dead bodies which sometimes the Fathers of these men haue killed in this coÌ„men wealth vve that liue now were neuer able to abide the yelling and crying the sighing and groning of our Fathers our Mothers SoÌ„nes Daughters Kinsfolk neighbors and of all fortes of people some for the vnspeakeable tormentes wherewith these wicked and vngodlie Baalites haue tormented them And now they thinke the time to be at hand in which they may embrew their handes and a freesh againe be dronken with the blood of righteous men which hope which trust which confidence which desire which practise which sight which thirst of theirs cannot be extinguished if God either stay not their pretended purpose or that some speedy reformation and sharpe discipline be not sought after for these Heretiques And albeit we be ready to pawne bothe our liues and ourbodies in the quarell of the Lord yet haue we a care of the Familie and house of God to keepe the wilde Boare of the wood from deuowring it Vndoubtedlie as Achan troubled Israell Iosh 7.21 in taking of the excommunicate and forbidden thinges so haue these Iesuites with their companions that of late came into this Realme greeuouslie prouoked the Lord and moued vs in bringing ouer their whorishe forbidden and Babilonish garmentes with them Gen. 35.4 True it is that all the Trinckettes and rubbishe they haue is nothing else but Ceraphims and the same straunge Gods or some such beggerlie and vnmeete trashe as the Patriarke Iacob tooke from them of his household when as for very shame he buried them vnder a Terebinth Tree in Schechem Their worshippe is all one with the worshippe of Aaron when he offended in making the golden Calfe Of which sinne committed Moses was so afraide Exo. 32.20 as in the same he let fall the Tables of stone and they brake but Moses dealt with them according to their iniquitie for all that and he stamped the golde of which the Calfe was made off to powder and made the Israelites drinke thereof And this was much that Moses did but Asa the King did more then he 1. Reg. 15.12 For he put away the Sodomites and bannished the Idolaters out of the Lande and he remooued Maacha his mother and disinherited her of Crowne and dignitie for that she offered Sacrifice to Priapus Notwithstanding Iehu did more then did he 2. Re. 10.26 for he killed all the Prophets of Baall and suffered not one of them to liue he defaced the Temple of their Gods and made a Drawght house of it for euer And Iehoiada the heigh Priest 2. Reg. 11.4 together with the yonge Kinge Ioas killed the Idolatresse Athaliah as she fled for her life out of the Temple Ezechias did wonderfull thinges in his dayes and he spared not an Idolater in the Lande How Iosiah delte being but a younge Prince and how he visited and went thorowe the Realme in his owne person the booke of the Cronicles and Kings of Iuda doo declare 2. Reg. 22.8 He put the Idolatrous Priestes to death and was so zealous in the behalfe of his God that he burnt their boanes and sacrificed them vp vpon their owne Altars We are not ignoraunt right Honorable of all the Statutes Ordinaunces and decrees from age to age which the primitiue Churches haue bothe made and confirmed against the Idolaters of there time what the Emperour Constantinus did appeareth in Eusebius Euseb in vita Con. lib. 3. and how he delte in Phaenitia and in Cilitia with the Idolaters Theodosius as witnesseth Theodoretus Theod. lib. 5 cap. 20. did referre all his studie to the suppressing downe of the Idolatrous Gratians And I doo remember that Leo in his Epistle Leo. Epist 66. requireth of Licinia Eudotia Augusta that she would roote out those Heresies spread abroade by the roauing Monkes in Palestine Therefore seeing their children are sprong vp in our dayes and in their steede are risen vp as wicked and as great Idolaters as were they It is very heigh time they should be looked vnto among vs. For my owne part I doo protest that if any thing hath made me to write it is the Lords quarrell and the feare of his name that hath doone it And in the same I haue great reason moouing me therevnto which your Honour shall vnderstande and they all perceiue that shall reade this Booke But it hath greeued me moste of all and stirred me vp espetially in that I haue from time to time seene and vewed the impudent behauiour and bolde presumptions of the Papists Amonge whom some men of late time in a sound speech perfect tongue fine wit and choyse phrase as they did thinke of them selues haue rashly encroached vpon her Maiestie and vpon your Honours the Lords of her Maiesties Honourable priuie Councell with sundrie of theyr bookes Thereby making vs beleeue that because they durste doo it they did it well Of these Maister Harding was the first that reuolted and ranne away from Christe but neuer returned who by this time knoweth