the preaching of his worde then at any tyme he hath bene since the Apostles tyme. This only remayneth that with hart and will by the motion of his holy spirite we ioyntly enter our Churches where Iesus Christ is graciously offred not into our armes but into our harts and soules not in a body subiect to myseries and death but in the Maiestie of his worde which is his eternall power Rom. 1.16 1. Cor. 1.18 to bring vs by his light to that saluation assured in him and to engraffe quyetnesse in Conscience perswaded in his truth by the testimony of his sayde spirite of the full forgyuenesse of our sinnes That we shall with newe raysed hartes as men risen from a most déepe Dungeon of death most ioyfully with Symeon syng and saye in heart and truth Lorde nowe whensoeuer thou callest vs from this naturall lyfe 1. Cor. 1.30 Ephe. 1.7 Mat. 20.28 at thy good pleasure thou lettest vs departe to quiet rest in christian peace For the eyes of our fayth haue and doe sée Christ Iesus and receyue hym as he is to vs in mercy giuen our onely raunsome and full matter of our spirituall health and celestiall ioy to whom with thée our best father and the holy spirite be praise and glory for euer and euer Amen Thus much receyued by the Gospels wordes touching Symeon nowe let vs lende eare attentiuely vnto the words deliuered vs in this his ioyful song Thus he sayth Lorde now lettest thou thy seruaunt departe in peace according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation This olde holye fathers song conteyneth shorte wordes and long matter wherein he giueth the Lorde his due praise by publique spéeche in ioyed hart and after the example of the former church for the present benefite receyued according the faythfull promise of God that he hath not departed to his Fathers before he sawe the Lordes Christ he singeth the Lords truth and blaseth the honorable armes of our Captaine Christe manifesting his power efficacie and glory in this his pithy encomia That done he setteth downe the perfite platforme of a quyet cōscience and the ancor of her health in the middle of many miseries in his owne person saying Now Lorde all if by the Romaine Tyranny thy people of Israell haue béene sore oppressed our fayth sore assaulted so that twixt hope and sorrow we haue wayted for Consolation in thy promise Now that thou hast giuen vs thy Christ our glory I ioy so much in him my Sauiour that death shall be to me welcome and my departure shall be in peace bicause by this Christ my Consolation Gods wrath to me is pacified my syns in him pardoned my selfe for him of my heauenly father dearely beloued and my soule shall rest in ioy for I am thy seruant wherfore Now let me I praye thee departe in peace I am satisfyed that I haue séene thée and the dayes of my age are in thy hande But whereas Symeon sayth Lorde Nowe doth thy mercy let me departe in peace he plainely sheweth that vntill he perfitely had the fruition of his hope he was in auxietie and griefe and walked with a heauie harte for the affliction of Israell This argueth not an absolute weakenesse of fayth in Father Symeon but rather expresly an ardent expectation of the promise of God nothing pleasured with the forreine matters of this lyfe albeit they should abounde to hym But by trauaile in fyght against temptations in worldly pleasures he hungreth and spiritually thirsteth in approoued hope the Lords promise enduring the griefe of present oppression assuredly by fayth to reape the rewarde of his pacient hope bicause he had the worde of God a most faythfull Norice therto for his warrante 1. Pet. 2.2 For thus sayde the Lorde by Reuelation to Symeon Thou shalt not dye before thou hast seene the Messias Christ the Lorde Luc. 2.26 Note here good Reader the nature of Gods promises giuen to his chosen children They are not performed at the first houre but they are deferred longer then our selues would desyre and they are not performed till the fayth of the parties be perfitly prooued and by the opposite occurrents sore exercised God the Father promised the comming of his beloued sonne Christ here imbraced of Symeon at the fall of Adam and Heuah Gene. 3. Gen. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 Esa 64.1 Mat. 13.16 Luk. 10.24 and renewed it to Abraham and by hys Prophets continued the same but the time prolonged forced many of the best fathers to cry Oh that thou wouldest pierce the heauens and come downe and to say Oh Lorde sende thy glory vnto Syon and thy sauing health vnto Ierusalem And as our Christ doth testifie many kings and Prophets haue desyred to sée Christ and haue not séene him or could the times enioy the performance of this promise till the fulnesse of time by him set were come Heb. 1.1 and that by contrary presumptions the fayth of his chyldren were thorowly exercised But when the tyme by his deuine wisedome appointed was come then did he faythfully giue the same Messias into the worlde that Symeon and the godlye then might beare wytnesse to vs his children nowe of his euerlasting faythfulnesse In this worde Nowe lyeth an Emphasis as if he had sayd The worde of my promise hath fed my fayth stablished my hope to wayte for thys our consolation Christ and sythe in thy mercy thou hast performed the word of truth Now let me depart in peace Here is to be well marked the force of true and lyuely fayth it doth persist in one it resteth vpon the promise of the worde The force of true fayth albeit that heauen and earth should séeme to runne on heaps together This is that most excellent gift of God that excelleth al vertues in whatsoeuer man Ephe. 3.17 Pray the Lorde therefore to giue thée fayth in Christ christian Reader and Christ thereby to dwell in thée then shalt thou abyde stedfast in hope after the worde of Gods promise whatsoeuer obstact shal arise against thée The Lord by his seruant Moyses promised the Israelits delyuerance out of the bondage of Egypt Exod. 4.29.30.31 But straight wayes wyth this promise arose such presumptions to the contrary as the hardnesse of Pharaos hart and cruelty their oppression and more labor thereby their sharpe correction for wants in worke and in the hower of their deliuerance his huge army persecuting them on the one syde the high Mountaynes and swallowing Seas to hold them in on the other syde that it might haue séemed to Israel Moyses warrant from God to haue bene rather a dreame of their desolation then the day of their delyuerance But they by this spirite confirmed in fayth did suppresse the present calamities by the Ancor of hope which from the shyp of their beléeuing consciences in these terrible Seas tossed they cast fyrmely pitched vpon the worde of promise which thus they had vz I will in a
securitie for thy Christes sake But as their is a lyking generall except of Gods chosen and mutuall for these euils So is there else a pestilent hate among these sorts of men For the Riche men as Micha sayth are full of crueltie Mich. 6.12 and the inhabitants of the land speake lyes one to another there is to daye no trust in mans tongue The worlds fashyon We are become Coosoners one of another there is but deceyte in our mouthes The good men perishe amongst vs and there is none righteous in earth Men lye some in wayte for blood 7.2 others hunte as with a Hay net to catch his brother The Iudge iudgeth for rewardes the great man speaketh out the corruption of his harte and so against the poore it is shut vp Mic. 6.13.74 that no man dare whisper against him Therefore will the Lorde make vs sicke with smyting and desolate bicause of our synnes The day of our watchmen and visitation commeth then shall be our confusion Againe Gods church is spoyled the people by impropriations robbed of their Pastour by whose spirituall féeding this bread of lyfe should worke saluation by Christ in them This is presumptious darknesse Ioh. 2.15 Christ droue out those which bought and solde in the Temple and saide that they made it a den of theeues But what will he do to these Impropriaâ—â—ons the seede of ignorance in godly knowledge and a great cause of Gods anger ouer vs. which buy and sell the church it self and al her maintenance From God and his Ministers to Atheists Papistes and curssed worldlings that lyue of the Churches spoyle and hate the Lord thereof his worde and ministry Dauid sayth He hateth all those that haue euil wil at Syon Antiochus for spoyling the Temple had a shamefull ende Let not these in this looke for a happie blessing Wyl a man spoyle his Gods sayth the Lord but you haue spoyled me Mala. 3.8 and yet you say wherein haue we spoyled thee In tythes and offerings haue you spoyled mee sayth the Lorde ye are curssed with a cursse for yee haue spoyled me sayth the Lorde euen this whole Nation Note well beloued this darknesse is more pestiferous in that it doth beget the ignorance in learned letters and of Gods truth to the posterity to come For who is he that seing the Church so spoyled will sende and set his sonne to schoole to be a preacher when the reward of that holy learning and place is next vnto beggery except the highe Roumes This is Gods iudgement for ignorant darknesse But when shal I make an ende a whole volume would not sufficiently set forth the worlds darknesse and humane fraile conditions For the preachers are to the people as a merry sounde Ier. 5.13 Eze. 33.32 as the Prophete sayth of one which syngeth a pleasant song And so it is nowe All our endeuour is to marke the Preachers cunning his Eloquence and synguler gyftes and when the Sermon is ended we thinke sufficiently to haue aunswered all our duetie if vpon the conceyued delight of his well digested order The loue of thys tyme to Gods worde and ministers and sound delyuery we can and doe giue him his due commendations but the cause wherfore God sent him or he spake to our amendment we regarde not but as we came so we go and contynue as we were as not hauing heard at all Gods prophet sent amongst vs. Thys vniuersall olde and moste horrible darknes The Country hath receyued the Courtly vice night is tourned into daye and day into night to bedde at midnight and vp at the noone day The Sermon Bell doth lull these Babes a sleepe and Sathan laugheth at their swynishe slumber Halas thys synne Idolatrous feastes are daylie kept the Church Saint muste haue hys wake daye which is all spent being the Lords Sabboth in Bearebating Bacchus chéere and Venus fylthy sports Thys execrable darknesse in England without restrainte Euery man séeketh prayse one of another and therefore can they not beleue Ioh. 8.47.5.44 and seeke the only praise of God This flattering darknesse The holye Ministrie is holden in contempt Christ and hys Father despysed in them their patrons many Poling Patrons are become Latrons and pryue the preachers portion to serue their owne prouision it is ynough for the priest to haue ten powndes by the yeare and for this too he shal besydes carry a dyshe to his maysters Table or else stande at the dresser orderly to set out the messes of meate and supply the Clarke of the kytchyns place his Seruice and Homilyes he must cut short and measure them by the Cookes readynesse and dynner dressing the roste neare ready the kitchin boye is sente to master Parson to bydde hym make hast the meate is readye and hys mayster cals for dynner he commeth at a becke not daring to denye or make longer staye least his delaye might cause the Cooke to burne the meate and he be called of mayster and men Syr Iohn burne Goose These Parsons must begyn ende Gods deuyne seruice at their Patrons pleasures This sacrilegious darknes Agayne Gods Ministers haue taken to them womanishe hartes they doe not or dare not reproue the ryche and mightie of their iniquity Thys is our spirituall synne of which Chrysostome sayth Chrysost Reproue the myghtie in synne and they will feare thee be afrayd of them and they will despice thee O Lord amende thys tymerous darknesse To be short euery man in priuate talke accuseth his brother of darknesse and synne yea one and al and yet no one almost wyll submyt hymselfe to the censure of Gods worde or abyde thereby to be reprooued This Catholique darknesse Finally we walke after wicked counsels we stand and abyde in synfull wayes Oh returne before ye syt in scorners Chaire which cannot be reclamed for of all other thys is a most curssed synne and desperate darknesse O Lord be merciful vnto our gracious Quéene and shewe the lyght of thy countenance vpon vs and bée mercyfull to vs illuminate our harts aright that we may once sée our synne and vtterly cast of these deadly workes of darknesse for thy Christes sake our onely Lord and Sauyour But Syr sayth the Temporall as the worlde calleth them hath your selfe and Clergy some imunitie and pryuiledge from these darke and mistie clowdes of synne whereof you haue so sharply sayde Not in so déepe drownings I truste But are we frée No no God knoweth The priests lyps should preserue knowledge Mala. 2.7 at his mouth should the Lordes people fetch the wyll of God for he is the Lords messenger and Angel But halas of the most we may say Esa 56.10 The watchmen are al blynde they be al ignorante dumbe Dogs which cannot barke Clergy syn they lye and sleepe delight in sleeping and these greedie Dogges can neuer haue ynough and these shepeards cannot vnderstand the reason is for they all looke to their
THE SHIELD OF our Safetie Set foorth by the Faythfull Preacher of Gods holye Worde A. Anderson vpon Symeons sight in hys Nunc dimittis Seene and allowed Micha 2.11 If a man walke in the Spirite and woulde lye falslye saying I wyll prophecy vnto thee of Wyne and of strong Drinke he should euen be a Prophet of thys people ¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Signe of S. Iohn Euangelist by H. Iackson 1581. ⧠TO THE RIGHT REuerend Father in God by Gods appoyntment the Byshop of London Anthony Anderson the Preacher of Gods holy Gospell wysheth all heauenly helpe in Christ our Lorde AS THE BENEFITS OF GOD to this Nation Right Reuerend are mo then many so aboue al are we bound to praye and prayse greatly the Lorde Omnipotent by whose mightie hande Satan is from vs banished in his olde Popishe pride his chiefe Instrument the Romishe Antichrist so fully slayne by the daily breath of Gods holy worde that neuer is he lyke in such sort with vs to be reuiued The prouidence of God hath apointed this to be the time of our Christian translation Colo. 2.13 and hir Maiestie oure gracious Soueraigne Elizabeth his Noble Nourse to his English Church taking from vs in one hower both Pope Cardinall and persecuting Prince And hath from the gates of death drawne her and nowe set her chiefe among the princes of the earth For the losse of her Graces Syster some Papistes doe sore lamente but for the gaine by hir Maiestie now both one and other may reioyce For againe is verifyed the olde prophesie of Dauid Psal 68.11 God gaue the worde and great was the company of the Preachers Kings of the Armies did flee they did flee and shee that remayned in the house deuyded the spoyle Though yee haue lyen among the Pots yet shall ye be as the wings of a Doue that is couered with Syluer and whose feathers are as yellow Golde For God hath giuen sufficient matter to hir and to all other to tell of our delyuerie from the innumerable Hostes of Popishe Locustes which in the pestilent dayes of late Popery pinched vs in hir Noble Grace and her Grace to the terror of vs. But are not these Armies and their Kings fled they are by the mightie hande of our Christ scattred banished and deade that sought the desolation of our Englishe Israell and our most godly Hester hath obteyned in mercy hir selfe and christian subiects Esther 3.4.5.6 7.8 9.13.14.15.16 these presente Halcions dayes From God by hir hande we enioy this most pleasaunt seedes tyme of the Gospell nowe well neare full twentie three yeares By her Maiesties faythful care in bounden duetye oure decayed Ierusalem is mightily repayred yea though Sanballat and Tobiah spyte it Nehe. 4. and seeke to hynder it yet Noble Nehemias goeth on with all GOD graunt vs hir louing subiects to ioyne with the Iewes in this namely eche man in his calling to buylde to his power in the house of the Lorde that wee may be the Mansions of the holye Ghost and to haue oure weapons ready in hande and earnest hartes in true loyaltie to hir Maiestie 1. Cor. 3.16 c. 6.19 to fyght against his and hir enimies for her and then our defence wheresoeuer they shal assault vs. And let vs not be afrayde of our Popishe aduersaries which is to them sayth saint Paule a token of perdition and to you of saluation Phil. 1.28 and that of God Would God in these buylding dayes we had not in authoritie in sundrye Shyres yea in the harte of this Realme spyghting Sanballat and menacing Tobiah But as the Gospell by suche receyueth some hinderance so I truste in the Lorde that were they better knowne to Nehemias As for her earnest zeale to his truth shee cannot by their surmised traynes and fayned fayth to her godlye growth in Christ bee stayde from hys labours in hir heroycall harte fyrmely planted to increase So through her kingly power shee woulde not admyt such the seates of Iustice for peace which are sonnes of Warre to Gods Church but contrary with God her Lorde thruste these myghty from the bench to the Barre and by Dauids example cut of the wicked Psal 101. or at least weede them out of the Citie of the Lorde Yea euen as manye as haue euill wyll at Syon and that my diligence wyth others my Brethren may appeare Mala. 27. at whose mouths people should aske and haue knowledge and that also some at least hereby myght be profited I haue to my possibilitie set Plough on gate and furrowed this lande that after followeth as appeareth And albeit many other could haue farre passed this my tyllage yet perceyuing the clowdes to houer towardes Haruest God for Christes sake pardon our synnes and preserue Elizabeth our christian Queene and this fertyle ground so long to lye fallowe I after some vewe of my seedes whether they woulde abyde weather and well agree with the lande sanctified my Plough with christian and earnest prayer and haue layde open my labours to the skilfull suruey of godly husbandmen And doubt not that good fruite and much encrease shall be fall to the Reapers Which labour ended I deemed best to shrowde my trauayling Plough vnder your Lordships learned Shelter assured that whatsoeuer frowning weather then shal assayle it as nipping frost carping cold Romish rayne hatefull stormye hayle or other wynters wynde so euer can come well hapt should my poore Plough be against al these and where neede is at all oportunitie the same in right to be defended Another cause why I presume my symple Pen to your learned L. is to offer hereby a token of my good wyll and duety to your good L. and that from your olde Country man receyuing this little by it your godly disposition maye be againe as it were desyred to stretch your former hande to helpe Gods house in Lecester shyre but specially in Northampton shyre where God it knoweth neede is both of sowing and weeding I speake of experience And if this my bold enterprise your L. wil vouchsafe fauorably to accept if by your great skyl in Gods husbandry thought fyt for the lower sort for whose sake chiefly I haue done it you wil publishe the same and alowe it for sounde I shal account my selfe more and more bounde and endeuour my hande to such godly further labours as his holye wyll hath determined The Lorde for euer blesse you wyth this olde Father Symeon whose wordes followe and giue you wyth Gods whole Church his and our common consolation Christ our Lorde that he may be yours and you for euer his Amen From Medborne in Lecestershire this 12. of December 1580. Your L. humbly in Christ A. Anderson LORD nowe lettest thou thy seruant departe in peace Luc. 2.29 according to thy worde For mine eyes haue seene thy Saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a light
they will tourne the Popishe face into the inwarde mynde and be couered with this cloke to fawne vpon the gospell But marke their lyues and eyther they be manifest contemners of Religion hating reformation of their wickednes or they doe priuily shoote out their arrowes Psal 120.23 euen tongues as whote as burning coales into the eares of Princes and Potentates against the Lorde and hys truth and against his faythfull seruantes in déede which eyther by preaching exhortation or pen séeme to sommon their conscience to a better consideration of belonging duety to their God Then saye they Come let vs imagine some deuise against Ieremy Iere. 18.18 for the lawe shall not perishe from the Priest nor counsell from the wise The practise of Atheists nor the worde from the Prophet That is the Romaine Church cannot erre or the holy Pope sauing thy reuerence good Reader be deceyued and therefore whosoeuer speaketh against that as farre as we may kéepe credite in these dayes and though it be with some stayne Come let vs smyte him with the tongue let vs slaunder him and accuse him for we shal be beleeued and let vs not giue heede to any of his wordes But let not Ieremy be afrayd For Esay sayth The enimy shall come lyke a flood vz ioyned together vehemently working but the spirite of the Lorde shall chase him away and Christ our consolation doe we wayte for him giuing breade to our brethren in due season shall come to Sion and vnto all them that turne from iniquity in Iacob sayth the Lorde in the former places Wherfore I eftsoones say to you Fleshe bloud earth and ashes not wyse in God deceyuing your selues If ye lyue after the fleshe Rom. 8.13 yee shall dye but if by the spirite ye mortifie and kyll the deeds of the fleshe ye shall lyue which be these Adultery fornication Gal. 5.19 vncleannesse wantonnesse ydolatry which in our dayes is Popery Witchcraft hatred debate emulation hypocrisie wrath contention herisies enuye murther dronkennes gluttony and such lyke you shall lyue eternally Further here are conuinced euery such which not caring for anye Religion at all take parte of neyther side but accounte themselues Gods good seruants if they lead an honest cyuill lyfe amongst men But in Symeons commendation to be Gods seruante we fynde this principallye noted that he was iuste and religious To these we adde all hypocrites which professing outwarde shadowes of fayned holynesse doe spende their waste labors in mens tradicions for the obseruance whereof they make no care to transgresse all bounden pietie and seruice to God obedience to Princes and godlye Magistrates or obsequie to their natural Parents or louing brethren But Christ sayth these worship him in vayne Mat. 15.9 Remember wel the prouident care of the Euangelistes pen that he doth not commend to vs Symeons good lyfe first but his state from God and his religion in God as if hereby he would tell vs that we are not precisely to tye our selues to immitate this or that kynde of worke of the saints for works shall not be wanting in the children of God as we haue sayde but that we should séeke to follow their fayth in Christ First grace then graciousnesse and be zealous in his Religion walking therin with a right foote vpright in the sighte of God Gala. 2.14 We haue here also to consider the dyuers natures of earthly men according to the spirite whereby they are ledde whether of synne vnto death or of righteousnesse vnto lyfe Rom. 6.16 And this note I gyue vpon the reporte that Symeon wayted for the consolation of Israel The sonnes of Symon Magus the Pope and his adherents as carnall Gospellers and Popishe Atheists doe wayte also and séeke for all opportunitie but it is to haue wherewith to satisfie their worldly lustes and that is their expectation When will the newe Moone come say they that wee may sell our corne deare Amo. 8.5 and chaffe for corne and sell our brethren for smale tryflying pleasures and valors to suck the bloud of their Tenants and inferiors The fruite of carnall Gospellers These men can and doe fyrst pull downe Tyllage and dyke in pastures with Lammas cloking Closes they driue the poore pâ—wman to feast with pease breade on Christmas daye euen thys yere it was so These wayte but it is for the deare yeare Some of these nowe buy Corne in Markets hauing great store of their owne to bréede a dearth and in the latter parte of Sommer when the same is established Such mind such purpose then bring they forth their corne to fyll their lucring luste Yea and Dauid expecteth Bethseba her comming to his call And Iesabel the euente of her Deuillishe deuise against Noble Naboth for his Vyneyarde made Achab sicke Herodiadas that dauncing Dame also wayteth but it is for fytte oportunitie when best she maye by the caperous footing and vnwomanly vawting of her Daughter to begge at Herods hands the heade of her reproouer the holye preacher of God Iohn Baptist Whose graunte in delight of such perillous fantasies shall force the fleeting tymes retyre to be a wayling wytnesse of this Princes wicked decrée Iudas did wayte in lyke manner but to betray his mayster Christ And the Pharisies expected oportunitie to crucifye the Lorde of lyfe and yet to kéepe quyet in the common wealth 2. Tim. 4.10 Demas a follower of the Apostle Paule wayteth when best he maye vnder pretence of religion become ritche wherof fayling He forsaketh him and loueth this presente worlde Alexander the Copersmythe and Demetrius wayte to reuenge the ouerthrowe of Diana her shryne Act. 19.23 2. Tim. 4.14 3. Epist 9. vers and therfore become they enemies to the Apostles So doth Diotrephes to stop the Truth though Iohn the Euangeliste doth wryte the same The Pope and his wyll not permit the worde of God to come to lighte for then his kingdome must decaye The Satrapas doe wayte for tyme Dan. 6. that Daniel maye by Acte of Parliament be cast into the Lyons Denne and a lawe for his destruction to be established as the lawe of the Medes Daniels lotte which cannot be broken But bicause they cannot obtayne this in christian Cyrus daies they wayte for another Bull to bring in a Cambyses which shal vtterly forbyd the buylding of Ierusalem Athalia wayteth also after the Kings seede 2. Reg. 11.1 the Scarlet Romanist expecteth her tyme when to broyle once again Iehosophat his posterity but Iehoidah our highe and eternall Priest shall cause the Kings Commission at length to cast her out of the house of God that all christian Lords and Captaynes maye bathe their obedient blades in her thirstie bloode Oh that the house of Israel had not wayted the departure of Iehoiadah 2. Chr. 24.17 supposing with more ease to disswade vertuous Ioash from the Lorde The departure of godly Byshops the decaye of Religion God graunt our
husbande for the right of mariage yet in Religion and godlynesse she doubted not to be his maystres Thus haue these fathers prooued mariage and mariage of priestes to be no hindrance to godlynesse but a godly helpe thereto Wherfore we may conclude that as syngle lyfe compelled without consyderation to eche priest and minister of God is without the will of God in his worde So is that restraynte of maryage the doctrine of the Deuill as Paule sayeth to Byshop Timothe 1. Tim. 4.3 Let no man make his excuse by his wyfe or chyldren sayth Chrysostome c. For this excuse and this pretence is the craft and deceytfulnesse of the Deuill But the Pope restrayneth maryage therfore the Deuils Doctor Happily hereto it will be sayde with Augustine Aug. con Faus li. 30 ca. 6. He forbiddeth mariage that sayth mariage is euill and not he that setteth before things being good an other thing that is better Consyder yet I pray thée this doctrine of the Pope Qui in carne sunt c. They which be in the fleshe Dist 82. posuisti cannot please God But they which be maryed are in the fleshe Therfore they which be maryed cannot please God Apol. 183. Syricius the Pope calleth mariage vice letchery fylthy luste One Louaniste sayth the East church maintayned a schoole of fylthynesse in cause of the priests mariage there defended To call mariage vice letchery fylthy luste to say that in mariage a man cannot please God to cal those Infidels that marry as Inocentius dist 82. plurimi doth to say it is a Schoole of fylthynesse I suppose is to speake more then much euill of mariage and doth say it is euil The Pope and the Papistes with him thus speake of it therfore they giue forth herein the doctrine of the Deuill and compell by his doctrine their fylthy syngle lyfe And as the Apostle sayth when the Romayns their forefathers thought themselues wise they became fooles and tourned the glorye of the immortall GOD Rom. 1.22 to the ymage of a mortall man c. Wherfore God gaue them vp to all fylthynesse Euen so of right it is come to passe in the Romane papists now to haue the lyke iudgement that they may reape the fruite of their iniquitie and that the blinde guydes and like led people might perishe together Iohn 3. that refuse the light Christ and his gospell and imbrace by loue carnall this deuillishe doctrine What fruites this syngle lyfe bringeth to the world in the Popish Clargie Filthy fruit of Popishe syngle lyfe I blushe to speake I will not therfore tell of those 6000 childrens heades which when saint Gregory the first as they call him the worste Bishop of Rome in déede of all that wente before him but the best of all which haue succeeded his place and dignitie did drawe his Fishe ponds in Rome in stead of well growne Carps were taken vp Isay 6000 childrens heads to the reproch of all popishe fruite in popishe priestly syngle lyfe Thys fruite is whoredome and murther vppon which occasion Gregory repented that he had giuen precept of syngle lyfe remembring the sentenâ—e of Paule It is better to marry then to burne 1. Cor. 7.9 he there to added drawing back his wicked decrée seing it an occasion of great whoredome and murther It is sayth he better to marry then to giue such occasion of murther Epi. cont Oâ—â—g herâ—s 42. We may saye of these Chaplaines and their felowes as Epiphanius sayd of such They refuse mariage but not luste or pleasure for they esteeme not chastitie but hypocrisie and yet the same hypocrisye they will haue called chastitie Can the Popishe Clergie he paynted more plainely I trowe not certainely Much lesse will I saye then eyther their deserte or cause craueth this that I haue sayd doth sufficiently set forth this to be méere popish darknesse and that sufficeth our purpose at this tyme. Trust me good brother as in this poynt thou mayest easely perceiue their tretchery So in the remnante of their Religion there is neyther truth nor true godlynesse Now concerning the second branch of the worde darknesse which is corruption of lyfe If thou wilt aske The darkenes of Englande what corruption I studie to saye not for wante of cause but where to beginne I leaue to speake of forreyne Nations and would to God we had no cause to descry the sicknesse of our selues England Lorde graunt hir repentance Esa 1.5.6 Oh the synnes of Englande They are as Esay sayth of hys time from the top to the sole of the foote there is no health The princes and Nobles waxe wearie of the worde of lyfe they may not abide to be touched at the quicke Secondly such rather wishe that the worde shoulde haue no preachers to reueale it then their iniquity should be made knowne to their amendment by it I knowe the Lorde be praised that we haue sundry doughtie Dauids that yet will humbly heare with noble harts How princes noble men muste be reprooued of sinne the Prophet Nathan to reproue their yll so he doth it by some pretie shadow as Nathan did And truely noble persons are to be vsed with reuerende regarde their synne not nourished least as we slyde from Nathan his example we doe lesse good then eyther our desire or their condition may require So be there also hawtie harts in honors seate to whom Iohn Baptist cannot without great hatred and like displeasure reprooue those things in them which the whole worlde cryeth oute vpon This is corruption but woulde to God this and the rest were farre from all our Nobilitie The poore tenants cry out of some as done to beggery by vnreasonable fynes racked rents great enclosures priuation of their auncient Commons into Parkes and pastures not for fallow but for well tallowed shamble Deare Oh vyle debase of Noble state to acquainte themselues with grasing arte and Butchers skill or to destroye for woole and Lambe the Lambes of Christ bought with the precious blood of the sonne of God Act. 20.8 The Courtly pleasures and Venus Courte is an horrible darknesse of these dayes women be chaunged into mens aparell that is thought a Courtly comlynes which the almightye God doth condemne in his lawe for great abhomination The woman shall not weare that which belongeth or pertayneth to the man sayth the Lord as Dublet bréeches such lyke neyther shall a man put on womens apparell Deut. 22. for all that doe so are an abhomination vnto the Lorde Giue eare to this you Courtly Madams which daunce in mens Dublets to the wante of womanhood The Courtly guyse in wantons the breche of this lawe and the offence of good people which rather then to doe you ought to abstayne from your fantasies were your lewdnesse herein lawfull Whether yee eate or drinke sayth the Apostle or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glory of God not to your owne
Iezabel had of her husband Achab to spoyle Naboth of his Vineyarde for her prides sake O my people they that lead thee cause thee to erre and destroy the way of thy paths The Lorde standeth vp to pleade yea he standeth to iudge the people The Lorde shall enter into iudgements with the ancients that is the Rulers and gouernors of his people and the princes thereof for ye haue eaten vp the Vineyarde the spoyle of the poore is in your houses the case is something changed in our dayes for the spoyle of the poore by the mighty couetous rich is for the most passed their hands into the Marchant Vserers house Entrest eating vp both stocke state gayne and substance what haue you to doe that you beate my people to peeces and grynde the faces of the poore sayth the Lorde that is they shewe all crueltie and extreme impouerishment of them euen the Lorde of hostes The Lord also sayth Bicause the daughters of Syon are hawtie christian women prowde and walke with outsteetched necks Reade and beware to offende the Lorde and with wandring eyes walking and mynsing as they go they tryp on typtoes making a tinckling with their feete Therefore shal the Lorde make the heads of the daughters of Syon balde and the Lorde shall discouer their secret parts In that day shal the Lord take away the ornament of the slyppers and the Cawles and the rounde tyres of the head and the slops be they linnen or sylken secrete bréeches and the heade bands and the Tablets and the eare Rings the Rings and the Muflers the costly apparel and the vayles and the wymples and the crispine pinnes wherwith these monstruous heads in heyre be frisled beyonde Natures disposition and the Glasses and the fine linnen the hoods and the Lawnes And in steade of sweete sauour there shal be stinke The plague of pryde and superfluous apparell and in stead of a gyrdle a rente and in stead of dressing of the heyre baldnesse and in steade of a stomacher a gyrding of sackcloth and burning in stead of bewty Thy men that is to say your fond husbands which fed your follyes shal fal by the sworde and thy strength in the battle Then shal her gates mourne and lament theyr pryde and she being desolate voyde by conquest in warre of her Gouernors and Nobles shal syt on the grounde in sadnesse and sorrowe The dayes of our pryde in déede maye boast of antiquitie as here we sée but therewith the preachers warrante is declared by the Sermon of thys imboldened Esay in whome the promise of God to all his Ministers in the person of Ieremy was apparente Thou therfore trusse vp thy loynes and arise sayth the Lord speake vnto them al that I haue commaunded thee Ier. 1.17 The Preacher shall be destroyed fyrst if â—ee wynke at others syn Be not afrayde of their faces lest I destroy thee before them For I beholde I a notable warranting consolation to Gods Preacher I this day haue made thee a defenced Citie and an yron pyller or walles of Brasse against the whole lande against the kings of Iudah and against the princes thereof against the priestes therof and against the people of the lande for they shal fyght against thee but they shal not preuayle against thee for I am with thee to delyuer thee sayth the Lord. Christ is the lyght his worde and preachers manifest the same He is giuen of the father to be reuealed vnto men And though kings and men séeke to stop the same he shall preuayle in his weake instrumentes at his good pleasure mauger their malice Wherefore ye darke Doughties and Damsels Feares which turne day into night and night into daye lye in Beddes of Iuory Esa 5.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 Amo. 6.4.5 and quasse carowsse in Goblets of Golde which despise to haue the light of the Gospell to pierce your hearts that encrease your Instruments of Musicke aboue Dauids number and haue no compassion on Iosephs imprisonmente and miseries Suffer thys word to be reuealed to you séeke it hunger after it eate it In taste to fleshe and bloud it is bitter in digestion harde Iere. 15.16 but in operation swéete pleasante and most profitable The nature of Gods holy worde It is more sweete sayth Dauid that Noble Gentleman king then Honey or the Honey Combe Psa 19.119 It is more precious then Golde and Syluer For it is the Lanterne to thy feete and the light to thy paths It is the immortall séede 1. Pet. 1.23 Ia. 1.18 1. Pet. 2.2 that begetteth vnto God It is the Mylke for Babes and bread of Gods children It is the muniment of Gods warre wherby all strong holdes vaine imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against God is throwne downe 2. Cor. 10.4 Psal 19. Rom. 1.16 It bringeth into captiuitie euery thought and conuerteth the soule to the obedience of Christ Finally the worde of God nowe preached is the power of GOD to take vengeance of the disobedient and to bring to saluation all them which loue lyue and beleeue the same This worde by the Prophets remayneth crying out of the darknesse of the ritche so that we may sée howe as a Canker couetousnesse hath festered into the whole progeny of the worldly more wealthy Micha 2. Wo vnto them sayth Micha that imagine iniquitie to worke wickednesse vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it bicause their hande hath power And they couet Fields sayth he and take them by violence and houses and take them away a Towne is tourned into a Shéepecoate so they oppresse a man and his house his bloud and kyndred euen man and his heritage But against thys Family haue I deuised a plague wherout you shal not sayth the Lord pluck your necks They shal lament dolefully ouer thée and saye We be vtterly wasted The Destroyer shall be destroyed this is his iust plague What darknesse is this that so manye Noble men men of worship and men of wealth professing the Gospell shall reade thys and not sée it shall heare and not vnderstande this but the couetous cares and pleasures of this lyfe hath choked his worde in their harts and therfore they ryse and tourne on the other syde againste the Lorde of lyfe But what is the darknesse of the common sorte Truely one with the best sort as the worlde counteth best ignorance of God and his worde and crueltie one to another For as for whoredome and such grosse sinnes they are so common as skante they are thought worthye reproofe Robery in a Gentleman is wrapped vp with helas it was néede in him Great darknesse Theft is good shift for tall felowes to lyue by Whoredome is called the worke of Nature and dronkennesse good felowship c. O Lorde shyne into this doungeon of darknesse with the beames of thy reuealing truth that oure harts may once hate to sléepe in this bedde of synne and
the Sacrifice for syn some of Reconcyliation of peace and all these Rites Ceremonies and Sacryfices were executed in the Hebrewe tongue by the ordinance of God which was the naturall language of the Iewes And if there were some sygnifycations there that concerned not the vulgar sort to know what is that to kéepe vs from the knowledge of the prayses of God in deuyne seruice which ought to be knowne of euery of vs We requyre not our people to vnderstand all secrets but we reprooue the Church of Rome bicause she doth so estraunge Gods people from the knowledge of his true seruice that she wil not spare them in that church so little as the vnderstanding of the bare wordes in their natiue spéeche Let them shewe vs the lyke warrante for this synne as the Iewish priests had for their holye Ceremonies all which were prescribed to them by the word of the Lorde and they haue saide something But this they cannot and therefore are most wicked and their seruice abhominable and to all that vnderstande not their Laten tongue improfytable Enchyrid Hosij cap. 34. Againe others with Hosius say where Paule sayeth He speaketh in vayne that speaketh to a congregation in an vnknowne tongue he in that place saye they speaketh of preaching and not synging or saying Gods deuyne Seruice but the wordes of the Chapter 1. Cor. 14. most manifestly doth conuince them For their is eftsoones mention made of praying in a straunge tongue Verse 14.15 and sayth he How shall the vnlearned to thy blessing that is to thy prayer of thankesgyuing say Amen if he vnderstand not what thou sayest Wherefore this defence is most slender and a falling proppe of Popery Neyther are they to be heard which saye the Church hath power to order thys matter 2. Cor. 14.37 For Paule in the Chapter sayth If any man think himselfe to be a prophet or spiritual whether prince Pope or priest let him acknowledge that the things which I write here against praying and preaching in a strange tongue are the commaundements of the Lorde And can the Pope then or maye he or generall Counsels change the Lordes Decrée in the Church and that against the Lorde and hys commaundements Hath the Church the wyfe such authoritie ouer Christ her husbande This is the duety of the beloued wyfe to heare The Churches office and duety and to obey her husband Heare O Israel hearken and giue eare Oh daughter sayth the Father to his church in the shadow of Salomons mariage to Pharaoh his Daughter consyder enclyne thine eare to Christ thyne husbande forget also thy fathers house Psa 45.10 and thy people the Romishe Church so shall the king haue pleasure in thy bewty For he is thy Lorde and reuerence thou him To heare to obey to forsake thine owne institution constitution Father Pope Popish people that giue thée the lawes of Romishe Egypt is the duetie of Gods Church But to change the lawes of God to comptroll the husband Christes commandement to keepe him vnder and set himselfe aloft in the Temple of GOD as doth the Romishe Church is the signe of a strumpet Iudge therefore good Reader now of thys Church of Rome and what she is which contrary to Christs commaundement in the church of God setteth vp hypocritical seruice in a strange tongue Againe some of them saye for children Mylke is the best bicause they are not able to digest strong men therfore the Laten tongue expedient in the church But I pray you Syr is it your purpose if we be Infantes so to kéepe vs styll For when shall your Laten seruice which you call Mylke be taken by your ordinance from vs And how proue you that your Laten seruice is mylke for Christian Babes Mylke nourisheth and feedeth but howe edyfyeth the Laten tongue mans christian soule when his inward hart cannot perceyue the meaning of hys outward words Againe your seruice is exhibited you say to GOD and wyll you feede the Lorde of truth with Popish Mylke Is not his Maiesty able to receiue stronger meate But from what breast I pray you procéedeth this Mylke Neyther from the espoused Syon or was it drawne from the Dugs of the fyrst mother the Primatiue church eyther in Rome Corinth Ephesus Antioche or else where Syon had her seruice in her owne tongue in Hebrewe the East Churches in the Gréeke tongue which was their natural spéech yea and Rome it selfe in the Laten tongue Gods seruice ought to be to eche Nation in their commō language which is the auncient Romane language And there is no other greater reason in déede for the Laten seruice then that hereby they would séeme to challenge al Nations to be of their church and subiect to their Kingdome But God hauing all Nations vnder his gouernment doth speake to eche Nation in that tongue which they vnderstande Esay 6. Esay sawe the two Seraphins and heard them praysing God in a tongue that he vnderstoode Holy holy holy When Christ was borne in Bethlehem the Angelles were heard of the Shepheards Luc. 2.14 and vnderstood to syng Glory to God on highe in earth peace to men a good will Which song to Gods prayse had it bene sung in a straunge tongue the symple Shepheards had not vnderstood the same Sith therefore the ordinance of God the practise of his church the vse of the tryumphant Church to which we ought to be lyke doth syng and pray in a knowne tongue to them with whome and for whom they doe pray What church is that but Antichrists which degenerating from all these doth hyde the prayses of God in a straunge language Some Papistes are so hatefull that for warrante of their Laten seruice Romishe Churche Antichrists Church they abuse thys sentence of Christ It is not good to take the Childrens breade and to cast it vnto Dogs by which assertion vnwyllingly they confesse Mathew that to haue the seruice in a knowne tongue is to haue the bread of Gods children Wel then God hauing wrung this truth from your lyps we wyll accept the bread of our Lorde to say our seruice to vs Englishe men in the English tongue and doe leaue to your infancie A Popishe blasphemy most horrible your chyldishe Mylke of popishe Laten seruice But are those men for whome Christ hath shedde his precious bloud no better in your account syr but Dogs The spirite of God vseth not to dwell in the bodyes of Dogs but the children of God are the Temples of the holy Ghost O horrible blasphemy 1. Cor. 3.10 to call these holy Vassels caryon Dogs But ye are those dyrtie Dogs which be Canes muti ye can not speake the praises of God in a knowne tongue ye byte and deuour them which doe ye are the Deuils Mastyues which are reserued to eternall chaynes Iudae Epist if God graunt you not repentance For it is not the propertie of a Pastor to hyde the worde of god