reading some bookes intreating of Religion and such as handle matters now in controuersie I haue bestowed some time in reading and examining the places of holy Scripture whereof Saint Paule speaketh 2. Tim. 3. that the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiratinn of God and profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes Iohn 5.39 Esay 8. whereof he also beareth record that the Scripture is of power to make vs become wise to saluation through faith in our Lorde Iesus Christ It is shee as I said before to whome our Sauiour Christ sendes vs as also the Prophet Esay when he vseth these wordes Romish seruice To the lawe and to the testimony if they speake not according to this worde it is because there is no light in them there haue I found seeking her opinion and aduice touching the seruice and doctrine maintained in the Romane Church which shee in no wise approoues but contrariwise in expresse wordes condemnes it I haue not disdayned to peruse the auncient fathers and doctors of the Christian Church whome the Romane Church ordinarilye vse for a buckler against those of the religion their owne wordes doe make mee know that their bookes serue not so much to confirme the seruices in the Church of Rome as to destroy them One thing hath exceedingly mooued me that is the Masse and prayers vsed in the Romane Church Masse which beare witnesse against themselues hauing many traces and reliques of the auntient doctrine of the primitiue Church which was in the Apostles time And to shew that I do not speake this at randome I will produce some witnesses aswell out of the holy Scriptures and auntient fathers as out of that which is contained in the Masse and in the seruice of the Church of Rome The principall controuersie at this day is concerning the pure seruice of God Those of the Church of Rome and in generall all the religious thereof do fully esteeme and conceiue it to consit in praying to Saints and Ladies Praying to Saints to honour and serue them nay which is more to present themselues before their images and there yeeld vp their offerings and deuotions God speaketh so plainely by his first commaundement to worship and serue him onely Exod. 20. Math. 4. Deut. 6. Esay 48. Exod. 20. that it is easilie seene how hee condemneth all seruice in the Romane Church And heereunto I adde his protestation made by Esay Not to giue his glory to another his declaration else where that he is iealous of his honour What can there be more expresse against all the seruices of images then the prohibition by the second commaundement Against Images not to make any image nor the likenesse of any thing not to bowe downe to it and worshippe it I shoulde neuer haue done if I shoulde rehearse all the passages of holye Scripture which are against images and the seruice of them Haba 2. Ierem. 10. they are called vanity teachers of falshoode and those that shall serue them are threatned to be brought to confusion The other great contention at this day is touching the transubstantiation and worshipping of the host TransubstantiatioÌ„ They perswade themselues in the Church of Rome that the bread and wine of the Masse after their consecration is no more bread and wine but the true and naturall bodie of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and thereuppon they forge that the substaunce of breade and wine must not be there any more sought for vnder these apparances of bread and wine Christ Iesus is there really all whole both God and man in his owne proper substance and therefore they teach men to bow downe themselues and worship this bread and this wine wherein doubtlesse they commit a great Idolaty if Christ Iesus be not there Act. 3.22 Acts. 3.20 Iohn 12.8 Mat 28.5.6 Mar. 24.23 Mar. 13.21 Luke 17. Ma. 24.27 as they would haue it beleeued And I pray you what meane so many places of the holy Scripture which testifie that Christ Jesus is ascended vp into heauen that from thence he shall not come vntil he commeth to iudge the quicke and the dead that the heauens do containe him vntill the day that all things shal be restored that we shall haue the poore alwayes with vs but him we shall not haue alwaies that wee must not follow those that shall say Christ is heere Christ is there that he shall come like lightning that goeth from the east towards the west The Apostle Saint Paul names bread and cuppe the bread wine in the celebration of the supper Whosoeuer shall eate of this bread 1. Cor. 11. saith he and drinke of this cuppe c. Our Sauiour Christ Iesus after the communication of his supper Math. 26. Marke 14.22.23.24 Luk. 22.19 Iohn 4.14 nameth the cuppe which he had ministred to his Apostles the fruite of the Vine I will drinke no more saith he of this fruite of the vine hee himselfe requires it at the hands of his worshippers Who worship the father in spirit truth places wholy contrary to the doctrine of transubstantiation and adoration of the host 1. Cor. 10.16.17 I know well that the breade of the supper is called the body of Christ and the wine also the bloud of Christ but notwithstanding I note on the other side that the same bread is called the communion in the body of Chrost the wine is called the bloud of Christ but it is also named the communion of the bloud of Christ and the new Testament in the blood of Christ Which places teach vs that we must not alwaies take the words in the foote of the letter nor vnderstaÌ„d that the bread wine of the supper be not more bread and wine in their substance but as bread is called the communion in the body of Christ the wine the communion and new testament in the bloud of Christ for because they represent vnto vs our coÌ„munion in the body bloud of Christ the new testament in the same bloud of Christ and moreouer the bread and wine of the Lordes supper represent vnto vs the body and bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christ August in prolog tract Psalm 3. Tertulâ—adu Marcio lib. 4. chap. 40. Et lib. 3. Cotra eunde cap. 19. as S. Augustine and Tertullian name them the one a signe the other a figure of the body and bloud of Christ And this was the reason when Christ instituting his supper hath saide of breade This is my bodye and of wine This cuppe is my bloud Hence it comes that the auntient Church as the wordes of the Masse giues vs to vnderstand when they came to the communication of the supper vsed this exhortation sursum corda therby aduertising the faithfull to lift vp their harts aboue the visible things of the Sacrament and to imbrace Christ Iesus
not vnto Simon Peter but Simon Magus of whom is spoken in the 8. chap. of the Acts and treade vnder feete the sacrifice of Christ by the damned sacrifice of the Masse The Masse a damned Masse I name it damned and with good reason for if Satan in any article sheweth himselfe impudent deceitfull and malicious it is in this point For what is the Masse but a manyfest and damnable prophanation of the merites of Iesus Christ yea such a prophanation whereby not onely the body of our Lord Iesus Christ is againe here on earth killed being neuerthelesse ascēdid into heauen glorified by God his father and placed to his right hand commeth to be broken of a man as being comprehended in a peece of dowe but also the greatnesse the full satifaction the vertue the eternity of his merites are vtterly reiected The scripture to the contrary teacheth vs manifestly to fly such a monster of errors admonishing vs that we obtaine onely by the blood shedding of our Lord Iesus Christ once done at the Crosse saluation and not by the damned sacrifice of a priest who offers againe and teares in peeces as a cruell hang-man the body of our Lord Iesus Christ that it is by his onely sacrifice done for vs as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1.30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord Whereof the Apostle testifieth in the 9. to the Hebrewes making a comparison betweene the sacrifices of the olde Testament with the sacrifice of our Lorde Iesus Christ shewing the difference of the one to the other opposing the imperfection and mutability of the one for they were renewed euery yeare to the perfection of the eternity of the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore reade the new Testament ouer and ouer you shall finde no where one word I say not onely of the Masse which is an inuention of Satan but neither of any Propetiatory sacrifices of what kinde soeuer they be but of the onely sacrifice of Iesus Christ Psal 110.4 who being anoynted of God his father to bee an eternall priest according to the order of Melchizedeck hath voluntarily giuen ouer himselfe vnto the death and for euer reconciled vs with God the father If then the matter be thus cleare what shall our Docters reply to maintaine their Masse which is vtterly conuicted by these places of the holy Scripture for they cannot hold the words of the Apostle for trueth vnlesse they accuse themselues of this their abuse the reason is euident for if the Leuiticall sacrifices haue beene vnperfect and not sufficient to wash away the sinnes of the children of Israel because it was necessary to iterate renew them often how much the more shall the Sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ bee of small estimation before God his father when not onely euery yeare but also euery day yea almost euery houre it must needes by a priest be itterated and renewed And loe this is the doctrine of that great vicar of Iesus Christ of his Bishops and Supposts or Cardinals c. Consider once the substance of this faire sacrifice which is figured in the Masse but why do I call it a sacrifice seeing it is nothing els but a manifest deuision of Christ and his merites for as the Apostle saith Heb. 7.22 Where no shedding of blood is there is no sacrifice Marke once briefly the doctrine wherewith they nourish the people when they speake concerning saluation they keepe them depending on their tradition and merits of men where the scripture contrariwise testifieth most euidently that we cannot please God in any sort of our selues or by our merits but that we obtaine saluation onely by faith that it is his pure goodnesse as we read in the 3.4.5 and 10. chap. to the Romanes and in the 2. 3. to the Ephesians where the Apostle excludeth cleerely all these commeritors when he sayes By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast himselfe in the 3. to the Phillipians vers 8. I esteeme saith the Apostle speaking of his owne person hauing thousand times more reason to boast of perfection and holinesse of his workes then our Papists haue now a dayes I esteeme saith hee all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be doung that I might winne Christ Shall we desire a cleare and manifest testimony for to humble our selues before God and so to lift vp our harts vnto God for to craue mercy from him But the wickednesse of the Romish cleargy is so great and the poore people is so blinded that they neuer examine themselues and the vnworthinesse of their merrites which be not at all yea insteed that they should cry out with the Prophet Dauid in his 143. Psalm vers 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified they flatter themselues bring to an account before God their merrites and worthinesses to be saued by them or at least partly Wherein we haue to marke the great deceitfulnesse of Satan who knowing our sicknesse and our weaker part and obseruing that men by nature is giuen to an idle presumption pleasing of themselues and that man flatters commonly himselfe he propounds vnto him his merrites and good workes to this end that putting his confidence on the same hee might forget to imbrace the grace of God which saueth vs in Iesus Christ and therefore if any doctrine be mingled with the deceite of Satan Iustification by merrits the deuills Doctrine it is this doctrine namely of the iustification of the poore sinner before God for if he could once take away the trueth of this Doctrine which is the foundation of our saluation he might soone come to the ende of his purpose and intent seeing that without this there is no more any life for the poore sinner no mercy no couenant no promise but in a word eternall damnation if we will trust in any manner on our selues or haue opinion onely of any merrite The death of Papists a good thing to obserue From whence I pray you come so many sobs so much weeping so many teares and to be short such an vnbeliefe and incertitude of saluation in the article of death not only amongst the common people but also amongst the Priest and teachers yea such a despaire that they condemne themselues hauing no feeling of the salutary grace of God is not the reason because they considering and diligently examining their owne workes finde nothing that can subsist before such a iust iudge Surelye it is so for they are all but infirmities and stinking pollutions And this is the
THE Confession and publike recantation of thirteene learned personages lately conuerted in France Germanie and the Lowe-Countreys from Poperie to the Churches reformed wherein they haue zealously and learnedly set dovvne the reasons that moued them therevnto ¶ The names and degrees of the Conuerts 1. Godefrid Rahin Fryer and Preacher in Prage at S. Thomas on the little side 2. Simon Palory Prior Prouinciall of the order of the Holy crosse 3. Iohn Colleij a Caputchin and Guardian of S. Omer 4. Melchior Roman a Spaniard Proctor for the Iacobins at Rome 5. Iohn Norman Sub-prior of Marestay a Preacher 6. Father Abraham Prior of Carmes in Arles 7. Antony Ginestet a confessor of the order of S. Francis 8. Signeur Lewis of Câ—ransy a Priest 9. Father Edmon a Iesuite Doctor of Diuinity 10. Leonard Theuenot Curat of S. Sauin 11. Sir Francis a Monke of the order of the Celestins 12. Francis Goupil Angeuin a Fryer in the couent of Chastean Roux 13. Lewys du Boys Priest of S. Francis order in Dunkerke Translated out of the French and Dutch Printed copies by I. M. Imprinted at London for G. P. and are to be solde at the signe of the Bible in Paules Church-yard 1602. A Christian Recantation preached by the reuerend GODEFRID RABEN in English Crowe who had beene an Augustine Fryer and Preacher in Prage at S. Thomas on the little side VVherein he biddeth the Romaine Popedome farevvell recanteth freely and openly the same superstition and Antichristian abhominations in vvhich he had before bin nusled and gaue himselfe to the Protestant Churches of the Augsburgisher confession made in the Parish Church at Wittemberg on Sonday called Misericordias Domini 1601. Then published for the benefit of all well affected Christians together with a Preface made by the facultie of Diuinitie at VVittemberg and Printed at Magdeburg by Iohn Franck the same 1601. And now faithfully translated according to the said high Dutch coppy with an addition of the verses in all the alledged Scriptures and Marginall notes by I. M. A Preface vnto the Christian Reader FOr the space of certaine yeares hethervnto If men be not well grounded nor haue conscience they will in time of persecutioÌ„ be easily drawne froÌ„ the trueth euen euer since the Papists in Stiria Carinthia and Carnira haue begun againe vvith might and maine as enemies to persecute the Gospell vve haue had grieuous experience in vvhat sort manie people some for fauor of their Gouernors feare to be driuen froÌ„ their great lands and honor some for loue of their earthly countrey vvealth and goods some of foresight and pride desirous to be thought more vvise then others and some also of simplicitie and feare haue falne from the knovvne trueth of the holy Gospell and haue imbraced the palpable Idolatrous errors of cursed Romish Poperie For then by reason of such bloodshedding many godly hearts vvere greatly offended because they savve Gods cleare and pure vvord In persecution God trieth and strengthneth his children contained in the Bible must indure to be openly proclaimed accompted by many simple soules for heresie and horrible errors vvhere hence also vvas occasioned of euery side much doubting of the doctrine vvhereby also the blinde Papists conceiued vnto themselues a vaine hope that thence forvvard the Popes Antichristian kingdom vvas set vp againe on foote that his condemned hypocrisie Idolatrie blasphemous doctrine should be againe of most esteemed and receiued for pure holinesse But the eternall good God according to his comfortable promise hath not forgotten his beloued Church in this her heauinesse God onely able to rule the conscience If the scriptures were freely permitted vnto all to read many in Poperie would see the trueâ—â— but by the strength of his holy Spirit hath granted vnto many as vvell in high and great accompt as in lovve and meane estate a cheerefull constant heart vnto Gods truth so that their saith is tryed and increased by his firie ouen of temptation made knovvne vnto all men Besides vvhereas the vvretched and obdurated Papists thought most men vvould haue become Papists againe God to the contrary hath declared that he is Lord ouer the conscience and not the Pope and his rablement seeing that at all times he hath enlightned some peoples hearts that they haue knovvne openly confessed the truth And it vvould be much more done if the holy Scripture of vvhich the Papists as lucifugae scripturaruÌ„ and hypocriticall shunners of the light are afraide vvere permitted vnto euery one to read As also it is come to passe that a fevv dayes since there came vnto vs from Prage the reuerend learned man Godefridus Coruinus borne at Newstat on the Riuer of Sahl in Franconia vvho vvas an Augustine Fryer and an appointed Preacher of the same order amongst the Papists in the Prouince of Bauaria vvhich vvorke of God is so much the more to be admired seeing the doctrine of the Gospell had neuer greater enemies then euen those called in Poperie spirituall namely the Fryers Schoole-diuines Iesuites Bishops and such like yet hath God also euen in the great disordered and spoiled Fryers-order his number vvhome he sometimes bringeth vnto his sheepe-fould And as he in former time out of Paule a blasphemer and a persecutor made a Christian and an Apostle so he mercifully vsed Doctor Luther an Augustine Fryer for a generall reformation of all Friery orders This Godefridus vvas in the yeare of Christ 1582. Dominica Reminiscere This conuert was a great preacher amongst his order and therein esteemed aboue others by the people brought by his Parents vvho vvere driuen therevnto by pouertie vnto the Augustine Fryerie at Wirtzburg about the 18. yeare of his age Tvvo yeares after Anno. 1584. the sixt of May he professed and made his vovv Three yeares after that Anno. 1587. on Saterday before Iudica he vvas made a Priest at Freisingen in Bauaria and presently therevpon feria tertia Pascatos sung his first Masse solemnly vnto the Fryers in the Augustine Fryerie And because God had indued him vvith a speciall gift of Preaching Anno. 1593. he vvas appointed to be a common and ordinarie Preacher of the Augustine Fryers as his especiall Letters testimoniall doe declare and hath novv certaine yeares since exercised himselfe in Preaching at Prage vvherein he vvas also praised aboue others beloued and esteemed of But being diligent in reading the Scriptures the longer he read the more he found that Poperie might in no sorte be made like therevnto Poperie grounded either vpon no Scripture or vpon strained glosses but that the Papists erronious doctrine for the most parte vvas grounded vpon no Scripture at all and part againe onely vpon strained glosses of certaine places he began to doubt of the vvhole cause And as he more earnestly sought after the trueth he found at the last that he might no more vvith a good conscience deliuer vnto Gods congregation the apparant errors of the Papists and
therefore resolued vvith himselfe to leaue the same and to giue himselfe vnto the fellovvship of the doctrine of the Gospell And came from Prage this yeare about Sexagesimae vnto our most gracious Prince and Lord to Dresden and vpon his graces further appointment likevvise came hither to Wittenberge and presently tolde vs of his purpose to ioyne himselfe vnto our Churches according as he should be best directed vvherevnto vve vvished him Gods blessing and furtherance and also receiued him vvillingly And for that he had heretofore a good vvhile vsed publiquely to Preach himselfe thought it very expedient by preaching to condemne such euident errors vvhich he did vvith a vvell meditated Sermon and great descretion from his heart This recātation was solemnly made before a great auditory of all sorts vpon the day Misericordias Domini this yeare in the Parish Church before a great congregation consisting of the vniuersitie and Schollers out of all Countries together vvith the vvhole company of Cittizens and Commons And after the Sermon ended he confirmed this his confession vvith prayer and the Lords Supper VVherefore vve humbly thanke the Eternall for that he daily graciously calleth his poore strayed sheepe vnto his heauenly kingdome and doe further beseech Almighty God our heauenly Father to vouchsafe by the vvorking of his holy Spirit fatherly to strengthen and confirme this Godefrid in the knovvne trueth mercifully to reduce other strayed sheepe vnto his sheepefould also to direct and gouerne his people and to confound the Romane Antichrists raging kingdome euen for his beloued Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord his sake Amen At Wittenberg the fift of May. 1601. By the Senior and other Doctors of Diuinitie there A Recantation done on the second Sonday after Easter called there Misericordias Domini vpon the Gospell for the day IOHN 10. ver 11. to 17. Iesus spake vnto the Iewes I am that good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for the sheepe But an hireling and he that is not the shepheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the Woolfe comming and he leaueth the sheepe and fleeth and the Woolfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe So the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheepe I am that good shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine As the Father knoweth me so knowe I the Father and I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fould them also must J bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefould BEloued and elect in the Lorde Christ we reade in the Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings how that Almightie God did fight for his people and slue a great multitude of the enemies 2. Chro. 20. and obtained the victorie and got thereby such a huge spoile and bootie that in three whole dayes they could not carrie all the same away but in the fourth day they went into the Valley of Blessing Christ by his bitter sufferings hath subdued all our enemies and made vs to reioyce by giuing vs inwarde peace and there praised the Lord. Now hethervnto beloued your well affected mindes haue sufficiently heard how great a combate Iesus Christ hath sustained for vs the like whereof was neuer heard nor the like bootie was euer brought vnto the people of God This was done on Passion Friday past on which day the Sonne of God through his bitter sufferings ouercame and vtterly threwe to the ground all the enemies of mankinde whereby there is giuen vnto vs such a bootie of the which we may reioyce for euer As also the Prophet Esay saith in his 9. chap. ver 3. They haue reioyced before thee according to the ioye in Haruest and as men reioyce when they deuide the spoile Such glorious ioye haue we heard and found vpon the holy Easter day when Christ victoriously rose againe from the dead Now what this booke is that we haue herehence receiued was declared and taught vnto vs the last Sonday namely that peace which Christ thrise wished his Disciples Peace be with you to shew that through his sufferings death and resurrection now from henceforth all is become peaceable Let this therefore now stand still before vs that we like vnto the antient people of God hasten vs vnto the valley of blessing lawde honor and praise the worlds Sauiour Man soone forgetteth Gods benefits and therefore must often be put in minde thereof and neuer forget so great and vnspeakeable a benefit But because man forgetteth nothing more nor sooner then benefits the whole Christian Church hath set before vs this day such a Gospell in which is brought againe vnto our mindes the great loue and mercy of our most dearest shepheard Christ as namely how that he gaue his life vnto death for vs straied sheepe Seeing therefore I haue hethervnto beene a Fryer and stuck in the manifolde errors of Poperie but am now by the giuen grace of God come vnto the light of the trueth I will ground this my Recantation vpon this dayes Gospell 3. partes and deuide the same into three parts 1. First for that this present Sonday is in Christendome called Misericordias Domini the mercies of the Lord I will speake of the great mercy of God contained in these wordes I am that good sheepheard and giue my life for my sheepe 2. Secondly how God ordinarily bringeth the straied sheepe and sinners vnto his sheepefould seeing Christ saith He hath yet other sheepe which he must bring hithervnto 3. Thirdly how we ought to heare the true shepheard Christ his voyce and therein shew the errors of Poperie which are to be auoided as the very voyce of Antichrist Now the good and mercifull God assist vs herein with his diuine grace Amen 1. Part. Wherein Gods great mercies are set forth It is not without cause that the holy Apostle S. Paule 2. Cor. 1. vers 3. calleth Almightie God The Father of mercies and God of all comfort And Ephes 2.4 A God which is riche in mercie Without all controuersie Paul had some cause giuen him why he gaue God such a notable and glorious title yea surely there was good cause giuen him for he was a blasphemer and a persecutor but yet acknowledgeth he was receiued of God to mercy 1. Timoth. 1.13 Not onely that God had of his mercie forgiuen his sinnes but also had aduanced him to a notable Apostle and Preacher of his holy Gospell Dauid likewise exceedinglye commendeth Gods mercie but not without cause for he was an adulterer and a murtherer and yet God did not onely remit him his sinne but did also establish his kingdome in peace And therefore he iustly saith Psal 33.5 Benignitate or as the common translation Misericordia Domini pleci est terra The earth is full of the goodnesse or mercie of the Lord. And in the 145. Psalm ver 9. His mercies are ouer all his workes But such mercie goeth not
alone ouer one people and such mercy is not promised alone vnto one Nation Gods mercie cōmeth vnto all nations and sortes of people Cittie or Towne but it goeth ouer all mankinde The which Moses with great and feruent earnestnesse prooueth saying Exod. 34.6.7 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercie for thousands that is without end As also God himselfe saith againe Deut. 5.9.10 I am the Lord thy God and shew mercie vnto many thousands In the second Booke of Samuel chap. 14. ver 14. the mercie of God is mightily declared by a notable speech Though God spare none that sinneth yet he appointeth means for the elects conuersion so receiueth to mercy the truely penitent A comfort to all afflicted consciences where the widow of Tekoah dealing with Dauid concerning Absolon whom Dauid for the murther he committed had banished amongst other things said thus God doth not spare any person yet doth he appoint meanes not to cast out from him him that is expelled But what are there any examples ready at hand whereby it may appeare to be so For otherwise surely the holy Scripture should be but of small accoumpt with afflicted and wounded consciences if it did but onely comfort vs with bare words without setting before vs any one example on whom God had also shewed his mercy But the holy Ghost hath besides the Scripture also set men before vs on whome we may cleerely see the exceeding great mercie of God Adam is iustly the first to be accompted of seeing also he was the first that was ouercome by Sathan and driuen from obedience to disobedience from the trueth to lyes for yet God would not that Adam should altogether perish but bethought him how Adam might be brought againe which was thus done After that Adam had perfected his sinne When soeuer man feeleth any motion or heareth any thing condemning his sinne it is of God that hee should repēt which he refusing casteth God off whatsoeuer he be he hid himselfe and then God asked Adam where art thou which God asked not as if he had not knowne where Adam was or sawe him not seeing there is no man that can hide himselfe from the sight of God but God therefore asketh that Adam should haue discended into himselfe and acknowledged his sinne and as after Dauid did should haue said Peccaui I haue sinned and should haue called vpon the mercy of God for grace and forgiuenesse Which because he did not but much more went about to hide excuse and extenuate his sinne God thrust him out of Paradise into the valley of miserie amongst all kinde of crosses sorrowe and trouble and yet that Adam might not altogether perish and dispaire vnder his crosse sufferings and sorrowes God doth forthwith vouchsafe him a most comfortable promise as namely that he would raise out of the woman a meanes and mediator which should helpe him and all his posteritie againe out of that miserie and breake the Serpents head The like occasion of bethinking himselfe gaue God to Caine Gens 4. whom also Satan had perswaded to murder for God notwithstanding dealt fauourablye with him to the end he might acknowledge his sinne and intreate for grace and pardon but in the end because he would not thus doe but onely say coldely his sinne was greater then might be forgiuen him he was through his owne fault temporally and eternally cast away and condemned God deliberateth much before he punisheth What a notable communication had God with Abraham before he ouerthrew the sinfull citties Sodom and Gomorrha Gen. 18. God accorded and yeelded so farre vnto Abraham that if they might haue found in those citties but ten righteous persons he would haue spared them What should I speake how God stood in contention deliberating with the holy man Moses concerning the stiffe-necked Iewes that he once said to Moses Exod. 32.10 Dimitte me Now let me alone that my wrath may waxe hote against them and consume them And what can with-holde God why he should not forthwith seuerely punish sinne but euen his mercy Examples whereof if the time would permit there might be manie alleadged But vnto any one euen of meane vnderstanding these alleadged may suffice where-hence he may aboundantlye learne how our good and mercifull God euen from the beginning vnto this present and will also hould and continue the same rule as long as the world indures according to his naturall mercie hath euer at all times so louingly and earnestly bethought him before he hath wholy ouerthrowne and destroyed any poore sinner As also the Lord Christ giues the same to vnderstand by the example of the vnfruitfull Figtree Luke the 13. Well and iustly therefore is it said by the Wiseman in the 11. chapter of his booke of Wisdome vers 20.21 Lord thou hast mercie vpon all for thou hast power of all things and makest as though thou sawest not the sinnes of men because they should amend For thou louest all the things that are and hatest none of them whome thou hast made And presently after in the last verse But thou sparest all for they are thine O Lord which art the louer of soules And againe Christ saith Math. 18.14 Man not repenting prouoketh God and procureth his assured wrath It is not the will of our Father which is in heauen that any of his little ones should perish And the holy Apostle S. Paul saith thus Rom. 2. ver 3.4.5 O thou man knowest thou not that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Consider it with thy selfe thou Christian hart and thinke vpon it well how oft hast thou giuen thy selfe lewdly and wilfully to any notorious sinne as to adultery All sinne seperateth vs from God or otherwise to any kinde of whoredome to theft murther blaspheming of God and to such other heauie sinnes which as the Scripture witnesse seperate vs from God so that God hath had iust cause euen in the dooing of that thy sinne to haue cast thee aliue into hell But now notwithstanding thou abidest yet and liuest yet Gods mercies for our preseruation are dayly renued and God hath not as yet reuenged himselfe vpon thee And wherefore not I pray thee where marke and obserue vpon what occasion the Prophet Ieremie saith in his Lamentations Lamen 3. ver 22.23 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not but are renued euery morning It is much saide and nature also teacheth that parents loue their children exceedingly and therefore sometimes are very slowe and lothe to take the rodde although the children haue well deserued it Gods mercie in part set forth by the loue of parents to their children although indeed there be no comparison therein for their loue preuaileth herein But what
as put on a Friers coate somtimes change their name they receiued in Baptisme to signifie that they are a new Baptised againe But who seeth not heere Sathans craft and deceipt There is not one sillable or letter to be found in the whole holy Scripture that one should lay vpon any man after the vowe he hath made vnto the Lord Christ in Baptisme any such Fryerly vowes or cast such a rope about any mans neck Paul indeede speaketh of virginitie which he commendeth and praiseth very highly also counselleth therevnto but saith expresly he had no commandement namely to constraine any vnto virginitie but so that whosoeuer perceiueth in himselfe that he hath the grace and gift of cleannesse he should so abide not marry And yet saith againe expresly he would not intangle any with a snare 1. Cor. 7. v. 25. c. In like maner our Lord Christ himselfe reasoneth of and handleth this vertue Math. 19. but yet saith directly vers 11. It is not giuen vnto all men Of these Fryerly vowes the Wiseman speaketh directly in the 5. of Ecclesiastes ver 3. that God delighteth not in fooles eueÌ„ in foolish vnfaithfull promises And that is surely a foolish promise if any one vowe to doe a thing and know not whether he can or be able to performe it and that is an vnfaithfull promise if any one promise to doe a thing knowing well what it is and yet wilfully breaketh it as in a manner all Fryers and Priests doe in Poperie and therefore God hath no pleasure in them for they be foolish and vnfaithfull seruants ConfessioÌ„ of sinnes good in it selfe Confession and acknowledgement of sinne is good in it selfe and is grounded vpon Gods word yea the Lord commandeth often in holy scripture that we should confesse our sinnes Leuit. 16. v. 21. and Leuit. 26. and Psal 32 v. 5. and Psal 36. Prou. 18. Also Daniel confessed his and the peoples sinnes Daniel 9.4 to 20. And surely if we had no other proofe for confession yet should that be sufficiently therevnto where S. Iohn saith If we acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes True confession vilely abused by the Popes wicked traditions 1. Iohn 1. v. 6. But the Pope hath most vilely abused with his traditions this notable ordinance of God The Prophet Dauid saith Psal 54. v. 6. Voluntarie I willl sacrifice freely vnto thee and will praise thy name O Lord. And what els is confession an acknowledgment of sinne then a giuing and offering vp of the heart and minde vnto God Now the Prophet saith he will doe it freely but the Pope saith although thou wouldst not yet thou shalt confesse and that when it pleaseth me namely about Easter and presently therevpon to go vnto the Sacrament Popish tyrannie against quick and dead but if thou wilt not thou shalt not then be accompted for a true christian and mayest not be partaker after thy death of any christian buriall but thou shalt be caried out into the fieldes and throwne behinde a hedge as in places of Popery they vse to do with the Protestants that die amongst them carying them out like dogges and throwing them into some little hole casting a little earth on them And although the Pope hath brought confession to be a tyrannicall commaundement and will expresly that euery one doe confesse and that at such times as he will haue theÌ„ yet notwithstanding he hath set so many fearefull abhominations vnto this necessarie confessioÌ„ that euery godly persons eares may iustly ring and his heart tremble with exceeding feare when he heareth them mentioned and by this popish tyrannicall confession there come not a few people to dispaire eternall damnatioÌ„ I know well how mens consciences be burthened afflicted in poperie What the errors be in Popish confession but here might many thinke meruaile what these great errours in popish confession are To whom I answere that the Pope hath therefore appointed auricular confession not onely that men should specifiâ—e and particularly confesse all their sinnes but also the circumstances of their sinnes as how what when where with whom at what time how oft c. And if any doe not thus he hath not then rightly confessed and his sinnes are not forgiuen him Now I haue all this by experience for I haue bene a confessor in poperie these thirteene yeeres and doe know well what vnfit matters oftentimes came to scanning and recitall It is altogeather impossible for a man to confesse all his sinnes much lesse possible to know how when where how often he hath sinned seeing that the scripture recordeth how that the righteous man offendeth seauen times a day and how often then offendeth the poore sinner The first error that mens consciences are thereby inthrauled and disquieted There are many indeede in poperie that when they come to confession do as much as in theÌ„ possible is to declare al their sinnes and yet when they haue receiued absolution and prepared to come to the Lordes Supper yet if suddenly there come a sinne into their mind which they doubt whether they haue confessed or no they vse to be so exceeding faint sorrowfull that they knowe not whether they may receiue the Lords Supper or no for they think they should receiue it vnworthely and so a conscience can haue no peace And is not this a fearfull abhomination where mens consciences are so martyred and punished Ouer and aboue this Second error that one cannot denounce forgiuenes for all sinnes the Pope hath diuided and all to broken confession for some he hath reserued to be by himselfe forgiuen which are called Casus papales some he hath graunted vnto Bishops to pardon and they are called Casus Episcopales the remainder he hath permitted vnto other ordinarie priestes But beloued where hath such foolery any ground in Gods worde Surely in no place and therefore this is not Christes the true Shepheardes voyce but Antichristes and the Diuelles As for praying to an inuocation of saintes Praying vnto saints it is now growne so notified that the little children intriuiall schooles know it to be agaynst God and an Idolatrie and is against the holy peace and saluation as I will proue anon It is not vniust to haue in worthy remembrance Gods holines therein to praise Gods works Christs mercie for God sayth himselfe 1. Sam. 2. v. 30. Them that honor me J will honor and Christ sayth also Iohn 12. v. 26. If any man serue me him will my Father honor It is therefore not amisse to giue vnto Saintes their due prayse but to call vpon them as intercessors and mediators and to seeke for helpe and comfort of them in extremitie that is agaynst God and is properly sayde to be a seeking for ayde of strange Gods It is written in the olde Testament by all the Prophets that God calles vs vnto him onely that he alone is
also suffice for this point Nowe I will goe to Gods chiefest holiest seruice that the Papistes haue namely to the Masse and will truely shew what I haue obserued therein whereby we shall heare and vnderstand that Christes voice is not hard in the Masse but Antchrists In Popery the Masse is esteemed and said to be good and a sure meanes against all kinde of diseases or heauinesse And therefore it cannot go so straightly with any man but he wil run to the Masse forthwith and therein seeke all helpe and aide thither come godly men and deuout women one after another bring ten or twelue Kreitzers more or lesse and yet it may not wel be lesse for then the Sexton that receiues the money and appointes the masse will not indure it neither dare such a one come the second time and desire a Masse of our Lady that is of Mary the mother of our Lorde this man of S. Hanna and another one of S. Sebastian and of such like more Or this man will haue a Masse for some bodies soule because perhaps he takes no rest in the night the Massing Priestes care not what be the cause but receiue the money and read on forward their Masse For none may well desire a Masse gratis And if one desire an open and publique office to be sung whether it be for a soule in Purgatory or otherwise for the honor of any saint he that desireth it must giue an imperiall doller 4. shillings 6. pence for it neither may it be a farthing lesse And yet all this must not be accounted Simony but a meere Almes The Masse is a faire The errors of the Masse although it be exacted and gotten by force And this is the Masse faire The errors therein are these First when the Masse-munger hath laid al his trinckets which appertaine vnto the Masse vpō the Alter he goeth downe againe frō the Alter makes his confiteor that is his confessiō wherin he confesseth not only vnto God but vnto Mary S. Michael S. Iohn Baptist vnto the Apostles Peter Paule and vnto all the Saints But wherin haue I offended Saints that I must cōfesse my sins vnto thē Dauid was better taught 1. Error Horrible Idolatrie confessing vnto saints who said vnto God Psal 51. v. 14. Haue mercy vpon me o God according to the multitude of thy compassions for against thee only haue I sinned This therfore is an error in the entrance of the Masse that a mā must confesse vnto the Saints that are dead which cannot forgiue sins now when this confessiō is ended he riseth commeth againe to the altar maketh a Crosse vpon the altar whilst he is kissing the same crosse saith Oramus te Domine per merita sanctorum tuorum quorum reliqua hic sunt omnium Sanctorum vt indulgere digneris omnia peccata mea Which is in English thus much We pray thee O Lorde by the merites of thy Saints whose reliques are here present and of all Saints 2. Error desiring to haue all sinnes forgiuen for the merit of Saints to Christs dishonour that thou wouldest vouchsafe to blotte out all my sinnes Behold here louing Christian what a notable prayer this is where remaines the merite of our alone Mediator and Sauiour Iesus Christ O blasphemy against God what haue the Saints deserued that God should forgiue me my sins for their merits sake In the 5. of the Reuel v. 9. it is accorded how the Saints praise Christ and say O Lord thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy blood Behold there the Saints themselues acknowledge that they are redeemed and deliuered by the bloud of Christ that is they haue obtained heauē by his blessed merit But if the saints by the blood of Christ and his merit haue obtained heauen then it foloweth that they haue not merited it and if they haue receiued nothing for themselues they cā surely merit nothing for me Idolatrous prayer It is therfore an idolatrous praying to desire that God for the merit of Saints woulde forgiue vs our sinnes but we will leaue vnto the Papistes their idolatrie and pray thus We pray thee O God mercifully to forgiue vs our sins through the merite of thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour Further whē it comes now to the sacrificing then the Masse-munger taketh the plate wheron the Hostia lieth heaueth it vp a litle saith 3. Error the Hoste called an vnspotted Sacrifice Susepe Sancte Pater omnipotence aeterne Deus hanc immaculata hostiam c. In English receiue holy father Almightie eternall God this vnspotted hoste which I thy vnworthy seruant offer vnto thee my true euer-liuing God for all my sinnes and transgressions also for the sinnes of all that are present yea for the sinnes of all faithfull Christians aliue and dead that it may serue for mine and their health to euerlasting life This also should be a prayer but is nothing els thē a horrible blaspheming of God For the holy scripture knoweth not but of one only vnspotted sacrifice which is Iesus Christ who once offered himselfe vpon the crosse for our sins the sinnes of the whole world by which alone wee are cleansed and by this onely Sacrifice and by no other can or may we attaine vnto euerlasting life When they proceede forward take in hand the great Canon as they terme it 4. errors in the great Canon praying God to sanctifie that they take to be his immaculate son wherein they hould the heart and treasure of Gods true seruice lieth hid yet notwithstanding there are certaine speciall and horrible errors therewithall which are directly against Gods worde As first that the Masse-monger saith that prayeth God the Father Vt sanctices benedicas acceptum habeas c. Namely that God would sanctifie blesse and accept this Sacrifice which should notwithstanding be his sonne And who at the first sight perceiueth not that this is a great error striuing against Gods word What is not the Sonne of God then whom as they say this sacrifice signifieth yet sanctified is he not yet blessed and is he not as yet accepted of his father Is not the Sonne one eternall true God with the Father the holy Ghost that surely they will not deny And God saith Leui. 11. v. 44. We should be holy as he is holy Yet there is none so holy as our God Psal 99. v. 5. And the Prophet Esay cap. 6. v. 1.2.3 declareth how he sawe the heauen open and sawe the Lorde sitting vpon a high throne lifted vp and the Cherubins and Seraphims stood round about him The blesed Trinitie and cryed without ceasing one vnto another Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts our God Which is expresly spoken of the holy Trinitie the person is threefolde and yet but one diuine essence or being Christ also according to his holy humanitie is likewise perfect holy Christs humanitie perfect and holy
and annointed with all fulnesse of the holy Ghost Iohn 3. v. 34. Wherehence it is that the Angell saith Luk. 1. v. 35. That holy thing which shall be borne of thee shal be called the sonne of God If Christ Iesus now be the second person of the Trinitie he holy was honored and prayed vnto of the Angell also is holy according to his humanity then is it blasphemy to pray God the Father to sanctifie him first in the Masse seeing he himselfe is the sanctifier of all that are sanctified The other word namely that thou wouldest blesse him hath all one sence Oh great blindnesse we Adams wretched children shall and must be blessed in Christ Iesus for that is the seed whereof God said to Abraham Gen. 26. v. 4. In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed Dauid saith and prayeth in his 67. Psal v 6.7 God our God shal blesse vs God shall blesse vs and all the ends of the earth shall feare him Through which thrise recited word God is also vnderstood the holy Trinitie Now as Dauid prayeth that God would blesse vs so the Masse-priest prayeth that God in his massing sacrifice would blesse his sonne who notwithstanding is God equall with him which of these prayers then shall we say belongs now vnto God without doubt Dauids prayer must needes be much better Dauids prayer being true the massing prayer is false which we are to auoide and vse Dauids for it proceedeth from the holy Ghost That also should we now follow pray God that he would vouchsafe to blesse vs through his sonne but the other seeing it is Antichristian we ought to auoide and flie Also that the Masse-priest saith It may please thee to accept of thy sonne who through and by this Sacrifice is sacrificed vnto thee is euen like the former a blasphemie The Euangelists shew Math. 3. v. 17. 16. cap. v. 16.17 Mark 9. v. 7. Luke 9. v. 20. that a voice came downe from heauen and sounded ouer Christ This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased Peter testifieth 2. Pet. 1. v. 16.17 that he his fellowes heard the sound vpon the hill Wherehence it certainely commeth to be blasphemie for vs to desire of God it would please him to accept of his sonne In the great Canon likewise are these words 5. error 2. sould Supplâ—ces terogamus omnipotens Deus iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime altare tuum in conspectu diuinae maiestatis tuae In English thus We humbly beseech thee Almighty God commaund that this namely this Sacrifice may be carryed by the hand of thy Angell vpon the high Altar before the presence of thy diuine Maiestie Who obserueth not in this vaine friuolous prayer two great errors For first this prayer thrustes Christ the sonne of God out of his throne 1. Thereby they thrust Christ out of his throne euen out of the throne of his honor and glory as though Christ were not as well in time of the Masse in heauen as vpon earth in the Masse Where with our Christian faith wherein wee acknowledge that Christ sitteth at the right hand of his heauenly father is ouerthrowne which notwithstanding is much and often read in the holy scriptures As Mark 16. v. 19. Luk. 24. v. 51. Act. 7. v. 55. Rom. 8. v. 34. and Coloss 3 v. 1. Secondly it is blasphemie in that the Masse-munger prayeth 2. They rob Christ of his omnipotencie making him inferior to the Angels Christ ascended of his owne power without all aide of Angels God would command his Angels to carry this Sacrifice namely his sonne vpon their hands before his diuine Maiesties sight Herewith they would rob Christ of his omnipotencie as though Christ were not so mighty that he ascended into heauen of his owne strength but that the Angels must or had carried him vp thither vpon their hands But the Scripture testifieth vnto vs that Christ ascended into heauen of his owne strength Act. 1. v. 9. Ephes 4. v. 8. Psal 68. v. 18. Heb. 4. v. 14. In which places it is expresly said that Iesus ascended into heauen and to be vnderstood by his owne strength and had no need at all of the Angels seruice therevnto But he is so ascended into heauen that also he hath not left and forsaken his faithfull Christians vpon earth Math. 8. v. 20. and Chap. 28. v. 20. but is present in the Lords Supper to the worthy receauer and needeth not thereunto any ascending or discending Here the Author hath according to his holy humanity which is erronious and by his cited scriptures not proued For they speake of a spirituall not of a corporall presence 6. Error is to lay haÌ„ds on Christ and to crucifie him againe nor yet any helpe of Angels as the Papistes dreame And who seeth not now that the Masse in euery thing striueth agaynst Gods worde This is done in the chiefest seruice of God and therefore beloued you may imagine how it standeth with them in other things and yet the Papists rest not but first lay their handes directly vpon Christ himselfe for when the Masse draweth neare to the end the Masse priest taketh the body in his hand for they maintaine with great vehemencie that after Consecration there is noe longer any bread left at all but that the bread is wholy changed into the flesh of Christ breakes the same in the midst asunder layeth the one peece vpon the plate the other which he holdeth in his handes he breaketh agayne in two peeces and throwes the one peece into the cuppe but layeth the other also in the plate and so breakes the Lords body into to three partes And this surely is to lay hands vpon Christ anew that we may so speake to crucifie him agayne The Heathen were not so wilfull as to breake a bone of Christes dead corpes hanging vpon the crosse which was therefore done sayth S. Iohn Ioh. 19 v. 36. That the scripture should be fulfilled which sayth Exo. 12. v. 46. Not a bone of his shal be broken But yet the Papists breake him into three peeces Is not this a horrible thing to bee heard And yet the Papists will turne all the sacrifices of the old Testament especially the Passe-ouer to haue signified the sacrifice of the Masse that al the Prophets prophecied thereof that this onely is Iuge sacrificium that dayly sacrifice whereof Daniel speaketh Dan. 8. v. 12.13 11. v. 31. 12. v. 11. that this is Oblatio munda The pure offering whereof Malachie speaketh Mal. 1. v. 11. And to proue that Christ himselfe also ordayned this Masse sacrifice The places quoted for the Masse proue nothing for it they alleadge Luke 22. v. 19.20 And also that the Apostles but chiefely Paul had sayd Masse and confirmed the same 1. Cor. 10. v. 16.17 c. 11.23.24 c. whereas notwithstaÌ„ding they are neuer able to shew
out of the aboue alleaged places of Christ and Paul that either the Lord Christ or Paul in the same euer ordained or cōfirmed the Masse An exhortation vnto all to auoid Poperie but the Lords Supper as we faithful Christians dayly vse Let this also suffice to be said of the third part Wherefore I exhorte all people but especially louing parents that they wil faythfully admonish and warne their children to flie from poperie as from Sathan For I am well perswaded these fewe yet fearefull errours will giue them iust occasion to take heede of Poperie and thus hath our louing mercifull God of his great mercie sought me found me and pulled me his vnworthy seruant although I were then no seruant but a persecutor no sheepe but a wolfe no shepheard but a destroyer of the sheepe out of popery that I may now ioyfully sing and say with the prophet Dauid The snare is broken and I am deliuered the Lord was my helper Here hence thē vpō the knowledge of such errors The Authors thāks giuing and prayer seeing that thou O God father of mercies hast opened my eyes and lightened my vnderstanding that I might know them to be such errours also hast giuen me a hart not to contend with thee I praise thanke thee through thy sonne Iesus Christ And I also beseech thee father of mercies through thy sonne Iesus Christ thou wouldest graciously forgiue me all my sins abhominations and Idolatries which I haue done and accustomed my selfe vnto in popery agaynst the cleare light of thy holy worde these twentie yeeres euen for thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ his merites for I did it ignorantly I intreate thee likewise Father of mercie thou wouldest of thy like grace and goodnes mercifully keepe and preserue me in this knowne truth strengthen me as thou didest strengthen thy seruant Paul when he put the Iewes to rebuke And I pray no lesse the whole Christian Church His request to the congregation to remember me in their prayers that our mercifull good God moued by the prayers of honest and faythfull Christians may keepe me the more graciously and make me strong and sure in this my knowledge And hereupon I Godfride Rabin He proueth this his recantation to be sincere protest and witnesse before the eyes of thy bottomlesse mercie before thee Iesus Christ my alone sauiour and redeemer before thee God the holy spirit who in Baptisme sanctified me to be a Christian and before you as a Christian congregation that by Gods gracious assistance I will not depart from this pure doctrine and knowne trueth neyther through ioy nor sorrow neyther through hunger nor miserie neyther through good nor ill successe But as before I haue sayd will abide constant to my end whereunto God assist me with his holy Gospell Moreouer I doe Anathematice and cursse that blasphemous poperie with all other sectes and heresies which fight and striue euer more and more agaynst Gods worde Amen The Declaration of Symon Palory of Richeleieu heretofore Prior and prouinciall in the pretended order of the Holy Crosse according to the protestation by him made in the reformed church of Caen the 11. of March 1601. 1. Cor. 4.6 Presume not to knovve aboue that vvhich is vvritten I Make no question but many will be offended at this my change I do foresee that many likewise will speake opprobriouslie and iniuriouslie of me and therefore I thought it not amisse to make known vnto you all what my profession hath bin vntill this present and the motiues that haue stirred me to take this resolution in hand It is about 18. or 20. yeares that I haue liued in the order of the Holy-Crosse which profession I haue not left for any lightnesse or humorous conceit God is my witnesse for before I tooke this holy resolution vpon me I haue indured manie combates in my selfe I haue wel pondered and foreseene the dangers and inconueniences whereinto I might fall I haue seene that according to the world I am sufficiently furnisht wherwith to liue at pleasure and therein to spend the residue of my daies and forsaking the same I haue likwise foreseene necessitie and much vnquietnes Neither am I entred into this happie resolution through any discontentment receiued by any of these of my order I haue Letters testimoniall from our Generall which sufficientlie testifie how I was honoured and beloued of those of my order but I must now come to vnfolde vnto you that which hath awaked me in the prime of my pleasures I haue throughly considered in my selfe the great contentions that haue beene and yet are in Christendom touching religion I haue cast the eyes of my minde vpon that mortal hatred which the greatest part of the world and those too that are the greatest personages do beare to true religion and the professors thereof I haue laid before me the sharpe and greeuous persecutions exercised against them and on the other side I cannot forget their constancie firme resolutiō to maintaine that which makes them so odious among so many assaults and dangerous trials cōtrarie to mans nature which seeks after naught els but rest and that which may bring him solace and pleasure This consideration makes me suspect that it is more then a humane spirit that awakes in them these heauenly motions so smally acceptable to the flesh I here the voyce of the Lorde speaking by his holie Apostle Try all things but retaine that which is good 1 Thes 5. Iohn 5. Act. 17. I here our Sauiour Christ commanding vs to found the Scripture the example of the faithfull of Berea who examined the Scriptures to see if that which S. Paule preached was answerable thereunto comes into my memory I behold how it was a question of eternall saluation and deserued in good earnest to be thought vpon I confesse freely that in comming and going from place to place for the execution of my charge of prouinciall I haue communicated with some of the religion aswell Ministers as others I haue seene and haue bin constrained to confesse that al maner seruices are not acceptable in Gods sight Ierem. 7. Es 29.13 Math. 15.8.29 Colos 1. He condemneth by his Prophet Esay and by our Sauiour Iesus Christ in S. Mathew the commandements and traditions of men he reiecteth by Saint Paule to the Colloss voluntary seruices what apparaunce or shew so euer they haue of deuotion He forbiddeth vs in Deuteronomie Deut. 4. to do that which shall seeme good in our owne sight and enioyneth vs to do onely that which he commaundeth vs neither to adde nor diminish his word he cryeth vnto vs by his Prophet Who hath required that at your hands Such and an infinite number of other like places of Scripture haue induced me to learne whether my profession were of Gods institution or if God were the author of those seruices which now beare greatest sway in the middest of the Roman Church I haue busied my selfe in
poore People with a better nourishment They compell them moreouer to confesse all their sinnes to the eare of a Priest Auricular confession which thing they would not vse if they had but penetrated into the knowledge of these wordes of Dauid Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults or if they had regarde vnto the example of the selfe same Dauid Psal 19. who saith that it was to God alone that hee confessed his sinnes The Church of Rome teacheth that saluation must bee sought for Iustificatiō by workes in mans merits and that our iustice commeth through workes but I shoulde bee too long in reciting all that which the Scripture saith to the contrarye For shee dooth acknowledge that there is not any sufficiencie or capacitie in man to do well we are not able to thinke any good thing of our selues 2. Cor. 3. Gen. 6. 8 Psalm 53. 1. Cor. 2. Gala. 3. 2. Tim. 1. Rom. 3.8 5. Act. 1.3 Phil. 3. as the Apostle saith she condemneth the thoughts of mans heart euen from his in fancie and saith that they are at strife with GOD and that they cannot be made obedient to the lawe of God she pronounceth that men are dead in sinne and affordes them no hope but in the mercy of GOD through the obedience of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and furder she declareth that we be iustified gratis by his exceeding great mercie through faith in Iesus Christ without the workes of the law And certainly we stand in great neede thereof for as Saint Ieromie saith Hierom in Pro. cap. 20 Et in Eccl. cap. 7. Lib. de orat what righteousnesse and what cleanenesse can be here in the life of the iust the workes which we minister through this body of ours are alwayes mingled with some errour we be taught saith Saint Gregorie of Nice in the holy Scripture that there is not one to be found among men which can passe one onely day without spot And therefore Saint Augustine was moued to say that which euery one of vs ought to say of ourselues after this example I presume not at all of my selfe In Psal 58. for what good haue I wrought to the end thou shouldest be mercifull vnto mee O my God and that thou shouldest iustifie me What hast thou found in me but onely synnes There is nothing in me of thee but bare nature which thou hast created all the rest is my synnes which thou hast defaced I haue not first risen vp to come vnto thee but thou didst come to awake me and before I brought any good thing to passe thy mercy O Lorde directed me And Saint Barnard asketh Serm. admilites tepli cap. 11. In his Manuel cap. 22. Why men should require againe at our handes that which Christ Iesus hath paide for vs He that hath borne the punishment of synne and giuen vnto vs his iustice the selfe same hath likewise payde the debt of death and hath receiued life for death being dead life returneth againe euen as sunne being in esse iustice commeth againe Now death hath been extinguished in the death of Christ and the iustice of Christ hath beene imparted vnto vs. To be short I say with S. Augustine All my hope is in the death of my Sauiour his death is my desert my refuge my saluatiō my life my resurectiō my merit is nothing else but the mercy of the lord I am not poore of merit so long as the Lord of mercies shall haue his being and if the mercies of the Lord are great then am I great in merits and looke how much the more he is mighty to saue so much the more am I assured The opinion of Purgatorie whereon are grounded so many Masses Obits and yearely seruices done to the dead is plainely ouerthrowne by infinite places of holy Scripture wherof some do testifie that there is no condemnation for those that are in Iesus Christ and that liue after the spirit and not after the flesh that he who beleeueth in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. Iohn 3.36 5.24 is gone from death to life and shall not enter into condemnation Other places there are that assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ Iesus his blood cleanseth vs from all sinnes 1. Iohn 1. Ephes 1. Col. 1. Esay 5.3 Ephes 5. Apoc. 1. saith Saint Iohn by himselfe hee hath purged vs from our sinnes through his bloud we haue redemption wee haue deliuerance that is to say remission hee hath beene deliuered vp for our sanctification and to washe vs he hath also washed away our sinnes and defaced our iniquitie as a cloude and therefore he hath promised by his Prophet that men shall seeke for the iniquity of Israell Esai 44. and the sinne of Iuda but it shall no where bee found and addeth the reason because saith the Eternall J will pardon their iniquities Ier. 5. Yea were they redder then Scarlet they shall be made whiter than Snowe And likewise the ancient Fathers could neuer finde any other Purgatorie in the holy Scripture Iohn 1. then the bloud of the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world Saint Augustine saith that the Catholique faith beleeueth according to the authoritie of God that there is the kingdome of Heauen Secondly Augu. contra Pelag. Hipp. lib. 5. that there is the lake of hell wherin euery Apostatate or strāger to the faith in Iesus Christ shall suffer torment of the third place saith he we know nothing at all do not finde in the holy Scriptures that there hath bin any such and also he saith in another place that there are but two wayes the one leadeth to condemnation and the other to saluation Serm. de temp 232. Euchir cap. 115. de verb D. and elswhere he disputeth against Purgatorie it selfe Bretheren saith he let no man deceiue you for there are two places and there is not a third for any he that shall not be worthy to raigne with Christ Iesus without doubt he shall perish with the diuell Here is all the forgiuenesse of sinnes Christ Iesus taking vpon him the punishment of our sinnes and not the fault hath wiped away both punishment and offence we are not here without sinne but we shall depart from hence voide of sinne Where is Purgatory then Serm. 37. de verb. D. Mary behold saith he in another place the purging of our sinnes is the bloud of the iust that is to say Christ Iesus Saint Cyprian saith Serm. 31. de trinit lib. 4. cap. 2. that when wee shall depart hence there shall be no other place allotted vnto vs for repentance nor to make satisfaction here life is either lost or gotten Saint Hierom likewise vpon Esai cha 65 saith Cypr. contra Demet. lib. 4. cap 4. that he who shall not haue obtained pardon for his sinnes whilst he liueth in this world shall depart in that
that they are thus hardely dealt withall contrary to all reason and equitye of conscience In some of them I haue found true simplicity ioyned with modesty the sweetenesse of their demeanure and manye other vertues which are the true notes and infallible effects of a right Christian by meanes wherof I am not nor ought to giue any credit to the detractions or vncharitable speeches of the world For my conscience hath brought me back to this point that the trueth of Religion depends not of mens conuersation but of the will of one onely God which by his word he hath made manifest vnto vs. I pray the brethren of my Order and also all other to consider all these reasons I haue not forsaken them to iniurye or wrong them in any point nor to bring any scandall vnto them If I coulde haue remained among them with tranquillity of conscience If I did not thinke to offend God by continuing in this profession wherein I haue beene norished so many yeares surely I had yet beene with them Brethren it is not my will nor intention to offend you I perswade my selfe likewise that there is none can iustly reproue me of my comportment and behauiour I was neuer culpable of drunkennesse of adultery or any other such misdemeanour I was no prophane person among you but haue shewed my selfe zealous in maintayning and aduancing your order You know that through my diligence and care two of your decayed and ruinated Monasteries haue beene reedified the one neere Troye in Campane the other in the country of Mayne I haue followed your businesses and affaires in all trauaile and vigilancie and I know you are not ignorant how that I haue had issue to your contentment I haue so well demeaned my selfe among you that I purchased vnto you many rents yea and forgiuen you some Wherefore I beseech you and exhort you in Gods name and with all the affection of my will that with a spirite of meekenesse and feare of God you doe examine if I haue not done holyly and religiously to laye holde vpon the true word of God directed thereunto by his spirite And if you finde that it was not my duetie to haue done otherwise then that you would rather take the selfe same resolution in hand and following my steps direct your course to the hauen of eternall life whereunto I hope to come with all the true faithfull and elect then to be moued against me and to slaunder Before my departure I would gladly haue laide open my deliberation and the reasons whereon I grounded my selfe I would haue exhorted you to take in hand the same resolution with me I would haue imbraced you and witnessed that I desire all manner of good vnto you but the most part may then imagin to what great daunger I had exposed my selfe and the small hope left me to haue profit therein O my Lord Iesus confirme in me this resolution suffer me not to yeeld vnto the assaults combats which are or may be made against me helpe my vnbeliefe increase the faith within me make me conceiue that assurance of Abraham who beleeued in hope against hope arme me with thy promises deliuer me from the snares of my cruel enimies make me good Lord in effect to feele that thou art with me wilt be as thou hast assured Abraham my most liberall guerdon I seeke my saluation giue me Lord Iesus an assured place of retrait in the holy Ierusalem spare me in the temptations of the worlde but if it shall please thee to exercise me therein fill me I beseech thee with the spirit of constancy to the end that finally hauing carried away the victory I may enter into Paradice with thy most happy seruants Amen He forsaketh not the church that with his body goeth out from her Chrisost in Math. hoâ—â— 46. but he that with his spirit and minde renounceth the foundations of Ecclesiastical truth leaueth her We be gone out froÌ„ her with our body but they from vs with their spirit we haue left with them the foundations of the walles but they with vs the foundations of the Scriptures we haue left and gone away from them according to the apparances of men they froÌ„ vs according to the iudgemeÌ„t of God therfore the ChristiaÌ„s corporal do persecute trouble vs that are spirituall But to theÌ„ is properly addressed that which the lord saith O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. Reade saith S. Ierome the Apocalips Hieron ad Marcel viduam and consider that which is there written of the womaÌ„ clothed in Scarlet with blasphemy written vpon her forehead of the seauen Mountaines or hils of the great waters of the miserable end of Babilon This is that rocke of Trapeius so many times beaten with thunder from God for that it was displeasyng in his eyes Come out from among them my people sayth the Lord that you be not partakers of her sinnes and wounds flye from Babilon let euery one saue his soule for shee is fallen shee is fallen and is becme the hachitation of Diuelles and a refuge of vncleane spirits The declaration and conuersion of Maister Iohn Colleij sometimes a Preacher a Caputchin and a Gardian of the Couent of Saint Omer publikly by him made in the Church of Sedan on Sunday the 4. of March 1601. THE Kingly Prophet or rather our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnder the figure of Dauid most deare brethren in the 22. Psal hauing prayed the almighty to deliuer his life from the sworde his desolate soule from the power of the dogge from the Lyons mouth from among the hornes of Vnicornes doth promise if he heare him to declare his holy name to the brethren to praise him in the middest of the great congregation and to make his vowes vnto him in the presence of those that feare him If the sonne of God himselfe hath vouchsafed to make this vowe how much more am I bound being a miserable sinner and hauing obtayned of Gods eternall bounty my spirituall deliuerance to declare and exalt the name of the euer-liuing God among you my brethren to render vnto him my vowes in this great congregation and assembly of you which feare the Lord to the end that those who heretofore haue receiued the like grace as my selfe hauing beene drawne out of darkenesse and brought into the true light may haue matter and occasion to remember the benefit by them receiued from God and therefore yeeld vnto him innumerable thankes alwayes laying before themselues that as God is a most liberall bestower of his benefits so hee is a most seuere exactour in expecting thankes for the same which doubtlesse is the true meane to obtaine the continuance and encrease ingratitude being nothing else but an obstacle that hindreth the streames of his flowing mercie And deare brethreÌ„ in the Lord I make no doubt but that many of you are throughly acquainted with my former conuersation profession and likwise with my
intention For certainly I may well say with S. Paul to the glory of God and my great conuersion that though heretofore I haue beene one of the greatest embracers of the foolish traditions of my fathers being of that Sect the most superstitious of the Scribes and Pharisies of the Romane church when that my heart was in darkenesse my vnderstanding hardened and her waies and doctrine wholy tending to death Prou. 14. seemed to me pure and right yet now my heart is enlightened and I may contemplate in the bright mirrour of the Gospell the glory of the Lord plainly 2. Cor. 3. And my most mercifull father who hath conuerted me vnto himselfe through the influence of his holy spirit who a long time and that very often hath summoned and warned me sounding in the inward eares of my minde that which before hee spake to the rebellious children of Israel Walke yee not in the ordinances of your fathers neither obserue their maners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the lord your God walke in my statutes keep my iudgemēts and do them which if a mā do he shall liue in them Ezec. 20 And in another place he willeth his people to come out of Babilon that they be not partakers of her syns receiue her plagues Apo. 18 depart depart ye go out frō thence touch no vncleane thing Jsai 52. Hearing I say so many times such and the like words of Gods diuine spirit soūd in the ears of my soule it being a hard thing for me to kick against the prick Gods clemency bounty through his patient pursuite surmounting my too great malice blindnesse hath now in the end forced me to obey his voice and follow his vocation Hence it comes therfore deare brethren that I haue forsaken the vaine and superstitious traditions of men and disposed my hart to receiue at large the diuine beames of the eternall sunne of iustice the influences of his supreame grace the most sweet ioyes of Gods face to wit through the participation of the word of life of the excellencie of the Sacraments of the efficacie of the exercies of pietie of the perfections of a liuely faith and other infinite blessings and benefits inspired from heauen into the elect in the mysticall societie of the body of Christ O thrice and foure times blessed be that so great power of the spirite of GOD which leadeth mee to such good high and heauenly things Behold me now through the grace of God to haue forsaken abandoned these seminary abuses of papistry to become forth from the dungeon and sinke of all filthinesse malice Behold me loose and freed frō the embracings of that strumpet Babel the nurserie of all impietie by whom the holy name of God is so villanously prophaned and the honor of the soueraigne God infinitely iealous of his glory so impudently prostrated of Idols of gold siluer stone wood and clay behold I say how that I am come forth from that dangerous labyrinth of errors so abhominable as that there is not any man hauing neuer so little feeling of faith but doth detest and abhorre them My conscience also which before had so many times grieued and tormented me for that she found her selfe so far wandring out of the way of the true and liuely spirit of God which secretly drew her to himselfe affoording her no assurance in the false grounds which before she sought now giues me a true repose and consolation hauing found that vnknowne good which she thirsted after the which is now happened to her when according to the counsell of the wise Prou. 14. and through the fauour of my GOD I am departed from that foolishe man from the sonne of iniquitie from Antichrist in whome I haue found no lips of knowledge but rather of falshood and deceipt This is the onely fruite that lyes hidden vnder the leaues of this fained holinesse iustice obedience pouertie fastings and disciplines instituted without and contrarie to the word of God All these fooleries these proud habilliments and haughty pompe of the Hierarchie of Antichriste tende to no other ende or vse but to busie amaze and abuse the sence of those who do not know the true celestiall ornaments of the citie of the liuing God which cannot discerne the manifest difference which the faithfull see betweene the crowne of thornes of their Redeemer and Sauiour Christ Iesus and the glittering crowne of the sonne of perdition sending men to men and humaine workes which are in parte the causes of their eternall saluation which to vs and for vs is purchased by the onely sonne of God to whome he dooth exceeding iniury thus to diminish through his false doctrine his merites and rendring them insufficient But if these poore soules which he amazeth would but enter how little soeuer into the bottome of their consciences to iudge of this his doctrine according to the vnderstanding which God worketh in them I doe assure my selfe they would soone discouer and condemne the vanitie and falshood of this deceiuer For GOD dooth suffer by his secret but most iust prouidence that the more they haue their eyes open to their workes as expecting by them saluation so much the more are they doubtfull fearefull and in despaire what shew or apparance soeuer the bountie and greatnesse of their workes carrye with them which doubtlesse is a worke which God worketh in them for good if they would not wilfully resist the holy Ghost I speake this by experience which I haue in my selfe and in a great number of others whose inward disposition hath beene very well knowne to me And surely this cursed teacher of lyes inuenter of fooleries dooth dishonour and outrage to the blessed sonne of God not onely in this which hath beene said but also most vnworthily and outragiously deuesteth him of all his other dignities and excellencies wherewith he hath beene honoured by his eternall father though in apparance hee qualifieth him the Sauiour and redeemer of the world but it is in such sort as that in effect and as much as in him lyeth hee depriueth and robbeth him of all that which is necessarie for such an office And first what is he so blinde that seeth not plainely how he dispossesseth him of his Soueraigne and perpetuall office of Sacrificer seeing he giues him coadiutors and successors in this kinde of office which are the Priestes Christ daily Sacrificed who according as he vainely conceiues doe againe daylie sacrifice the sonne of GOD offering him to the eternall father for the expiation of the sinnes of the worlde And what I pray you meanes he by this but that hee reputeth the onely sacrifice of the sonne of GOD the true defacer of all our offences to be of so small power and vertue that it is incapeable and vnsufficent to deface them for euer And againe is not this preferring of the Priest saying Masse or sacrificing a mortall and sinnefull creature whose lippes are defiled
become fountaines our harts to yeld forth vnspeakable sighes considering in the theater of the world the great multitude which through the whirlewinde of sedition is rauished drawne and caried headlong into the gulfe of perdition But O father of light seeing it is thy maner rather to vse mercy then iustice that thy will and pleasure is to vse fauour not fury and that thou doest not desire the death of a sinner but that rather he turne to thee and liue stretch forth thy hand ouer them drawe them to thee teach them sith thy good pleasure is that all shoulde come to the knowledge of saluation Imprint in their soules a desire to founde thy holy Scriptures and let the discretion of thy holy spirite leade them togather in these gardens fit and necessarye hearbs for the physick of their spirituall infirmities the foode of their soules the sacrament of eternity the certayne pledge of felicity But as for me O father and most good God what shall I render vnto thee for those thy exceeding blessings bestowed vppon mee for like a good sheepeheard thou hast sought after my soule beeing a poore wandering sheepe and hauing layde her vpon thy shoulders hast brought her backe to thy euangelicall sheepefould to ioyne her to the flocke of thy true faithfull thou hast vnmasked her eyes layd open to her the abuses of Papistry made knowne to her where she should finde her rest and tranquillity the trueth of her saluation thou hast forgiuen me all my sinnes and healed me of all my infirmities thou hast saued my life from the pit thou hast crowned me with mercy and pitty and satisfied me with all good things Psal 130. so that through this my conuersion and this change by the power of my Creator I am made young and lusty as an Eagle what shall I then giue vnto the Lord for al the good which he hath done me Surely my deare brethren euen as I esteeme and holde this to be the chiefest most excellent benefit among all those wherwith it hath pleased God of his vncomparable bounty and heauenly mercy to make me pertaker so willingly I do acknowledge confesse my selfe vnable to render any thing comparable to so great a good yet notwithstanding among all those that are bound to yeilde harty thankes to God I do acknowledge my selfe at this time most of all indebted For alas without this benefit what profit should I haue receiued of all the fauours which came from him but condemnation ruine confusion What would it haue auailed me that the welbeloued son of God Christ Iesus who became obedient to his father endured the ignominious death of the Crosse for my reconcilation to God his father if I had beene depriued of so great a benefit if I had continued stil in that spirituall fornication wherin I was altogether ignorant of the pure trueth of the Gospel What vtility I pray you to see my selfe created after Gods Image and yet to haue borne the portrature character of beast What profit to haue had the eyes of my bodie open to the outward light and those of my soule debarred of the inward brightnesse and besieged with the darkenesse of infidelitie Arise then my soule and praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits let his praise be alwayes in thy mouth to the end the meeke and gentle may here it and reioyce Psal 103. O praise the Lorde with me and let vs magnifie his name together I sought the Lord and he hard me ye he deliuered me out of all my feare Psal 34. Iob did curse the day of his temporall birth in this miserable world but I ought to blesse the day of my spirituall regeneration to eternall life for that the God of all mercy and consolation hath caused to appeare in me the effects of his eternall election acknowledging me for his child of adoption and for a lawfull heire of that great and eternall kingdome purchased for the elect through the perfect obedience of Christ Iesus their brother And as at this time I haue abiured that strumpet and her fornication so now I promise and protest before God and his Church hence forth with all my power to liue and dye in the faith of the Churches reformed where I see the Gospell purely preached and the Sacraments faithfully administred the confessiō of whose faith I wil seale not only with pen and Inke vpon paper but also through the effusion of my owne bloud if need be and this I fully purpose to do through the grace of almighty God who hath called me to this resolution and whome with all the powers of my soule I do entirely beseech to ratifie his vocation in me finally to make me feele the full effects of his election that he would likewise fortifie and assist me against all assaults and attempts that may be presented against me seruing me insteede of a strong and inuincible buckler in all dangers both spirituall and corporall I earnestly beseech the present congregatiō of the faithfull to receiue me into their number to the ende that after I haue fought a good fight with them in this church militant I may after my departure hence raigne with them in the triumphant So be it Amen Iohn Colleij The Conuersion of Signeur Melchior Roman a Spaniard sometimes Proctor of the order of Iacobins at Rome for the prouince of Thoulouse which he hath publickly protested in the reformed Church of Bragerak the 27. of August 1600. being Sunday THE holy Scripture telleth vs that the good Jacob seeing himselfe deceiued by Laban who the more he serued him the lesse was recompensed receiuing nought else but ingratitude and iniuries went into the lande of promise carrying away with him all his riches which so soone as Laban vnderstood he came to seeke him in the Mount Galaad and searched or visited all that which Iacob had caryed away where he found nothing that was his And afterwardes they made an agreement betweene them that from thence foorth the one should not come towardes the other to doe him hurt and for a token heere of they named this Mountaine Galaad which is to say the hill of Testimonie Saint Ierome saith and also Pagnine that Laban signifieth whitenesse and Philo the Hebrew that this word Laban signifieth colour so that whether it be in the one or other signification it representeth an accidentall and inconstant thing Who is this Laban A deceiuer a traitor and an vngratefull person who hath so oftentimes deceiued Iacob What is this cursed wretch who hath onely the apparance of good but no solide nor constant good indeed It is euen this papistrie and Sophistrie which we see in these tromperies and deceipts of riches and vnder the title of holinesse of obedience of pouerty of fastings and fained disciplines leadeth many to despaire Surely it is a worke of great pietie to flye
of the minde in the elect as through the efficacie of faith which is a presence of things absent a vision of things inuisible an hypostasis of the misteries of eternall saluation Loe this is the truth of this sacrament contrary to mans tradition But time will no more suffer me to repeate the erronious absurdities of this tradition Purgatory Now of Purgatory which they dote vpon it is contrary to the washing and purging of Christ his precious bloud shed vpon the crosse applyed through vertue and secret operation of the spirit and receiued through a liuely faith But these are but Monkish absurdities to imagyne that the vnspeakable dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ is not perfectly able to blot out our offences to reconcile soules vnto God and to iustyfie before the throne of iustice it is surely a great deminyshing of his mercy grace vnspeakeable fauour a too much eclypsing of the inmatchable glory of the Ocean of his compassions I leaue behinde for breuity sake a Chaos of like errours most humbly beseeching the Lord to haue mercy vpon the ignorant to enlighten thē in his knowledge and to confound those that maliciously warre against the truth I will be no longer a captiue in Babilon thus to haue no remembrance of Sion nor remember my selfe And for that I cannot sing the Lords song in a strange land in this pernicious Babilon nor vpon her bankes which do ouerflow with abhominations I will make riuers of mine eyes with a sweete remembrance and contemplation of the spirytuall Ierusalem notwithstandyng all aduersityes which clense vs from vitious imaginations from all superstitions and idolatryes and to the ende I may worship one onely GOD and beleeue in his gospell renouncing all humane inuentions which faith is gyuen vnto vs by the holy ghost through the preaching of the holy Gospell as it is witten in Saint Iohn 3. Mathew Chap. 16. To the Romans Chap. 10. and in the Actes Chap. 16. and in many other places which to shun prolixity wee will not now name This profit therefore commeth of tribulations And surely I may well say that which I my selfe haue experimented a few dayes past wherein I was tormented with an infinite number of imaginations caused in respect of the absence of my parents to see my selfe in a strange countrey to here the Papistes murmure and ordinarily speake against me with threats and slaunders but howsoeuer I did pray vnto the Lord for those that persecuted me and for mine owne comfort and consolation for it was the true meane to fortifie me the more in the trueth of the Gospell as at this present I do with my eyes behold fresh comforts and new effects of the holy ghost in my soule bidding me perseuer in the obedience of the worde of life This was the purpose of Esay who saide O Lord in tribulations we will seeke thee and of the Prophet Dauid Fill their faces with shame and reproch then they will seeke thy mercifull name By the mouth of the Prophet Osee saith GOD himselfe In their troubles and anguishes they shall rise vp and acknowledge me By Ezechiell My Zeale shall be taken from thee and J will cease and will no more be angry with thee God giueth vs manifestly to vnderstand in this place that hee is angrye the more with vs when hee doth not punish and chastice vs with tribulations for then he sheweth not the loue he beareth vnto vs. Saint Iohn saith in the Apocal chap. 3. that those whom he loueth he chastiseth a great consolation doubtlesse Esay Chap. 43. When thou shalt passe through the waters the riuers shall not couer thee and when thou shalt tread vpon the fier it shall not burne thee This is represented vnto vs in Exodus 14. when the Hebrewes passed through the red sea in Daniel 3. when the young men of Babilon were cast into the burning flames God could well haue hindred them from casting the three innocent young men into the fire but he the more to shew his mighty glory and for the saluation of his own people suffered them to be throwne into the fier without receiuing any dammage or hurt In like maner the Lord doth shew greater mercy vnto me in chastising me with tribulations giuing me patience and spirituall strength then if he had deliuered me from the outragious ignominies and aduersities aboue said For I well knew that when I was in tranquillity and rest he had as it were forgotten me but so soone as hee laide his crosse vpon me I knew that I was his creature bought with the inestimable price of his owne bloud who hath iustified me through his vnmeasurable mercy and heauenly grace Thus much dooth the scripture teach vs when it saith that the King of Babilon saw three young men walke in the middest of the fiery flames singing praises vnto God that they were accompanied with an other resembling the sonne of God For tribulation taken with patience procureth God to come to vs and be our defender being free and loose from papisticall dignities and ambitions who with inuentions of rich Altars beautified with idolles of golde and siluer with many thousands of other superstitions doe hinder men from attaining to the true knowledge of the Gospell or grace The imitation of the Apostles Actes 5. causeth wise men to reioyce in their afflictions standing in great feare of prosperity Saint Ierome compareth tribulation to Jonas his whale when others thought she swallowed him vp to kill him she swallowed him vp to saue him Saint Gregory saith that like as perfumes layd vpon coles declare their force and good smell so men doe shew the fortitude of their vertues passing through the flouds of aduersity Saint Barnard saith that as woll is to be carded wherwith fine and pure cloth is to be made so must the life of the iust bee tormented to the end their knowledge prooue more excellent Saint Chrisostome saith that vertue surmounteth in patiently abiding that affection is the true hauen of heauen Saint Gregory prooues it God himselfe in Saint Mat. Chap. 7. saith that the way that leadeth to life is straight narrow but that which leadeth to death is very large thereby meaning to inferre that those who would obtaine glory must first passe through many tempests difficulties And surely it will be an vnspeakable contentment vnto vs if wee consider that those passages are by Iesus Christ who is the way of glory and let vs not wonder if they be set with thornes but rather thinke and consider of him who hath first passed them and whither hee at last resorted In the booke of Wisdome it is written that the Lorde had made knowne the right way together with his kingdome vnto the iust O Lorde I beseech thee at this present to shewe me the right way that I erre not For I doe stedfastly beleeue that Iesus Christe liuing in mee abolisheth the curse of the lawe condemneth sinne mortifieth death he alone is peace
God how they depraue the Sacraments by their filthy inuensions Sacramēts depraued how they annoint their belles with Oyle and creame as they call it with the assistance of God fathers and God mothers imposing names vpon them how this Antichrist that weareth the three Crownes Popestriple Crowne with others of the like stampe doe chalenge to themselues the power and authoritye of Iesus Christ both in heauen and earth though to none other but onely vnto Christ it doth appertaine and belong as being giuen vnto him of God the Father To be short I will omitte very many superstitions and heresies that haue caused me to flye from this pretended Catholick Church to settle my selfe with al maner of humility in the church reformed by Gods grace in this kingdome I make no doubt but there are many the very instruments of Sathan who enuying my holy resolution and saluation will drawe out of hell a sea of slaunders intending thereby the decay of my good fame and to bring mee into an euill opinion of the faithfull I knowe they will endeuour to spotte my coate of innocencye with a thousand lyes but time that reuealeth all things shall shew the contrary One thing comforteth me which is that if our head Iesus Christ hath receiued many opprobious speeches the faithfull who are his elected members shoulde not desire to bee exempt from the same seeing it is the meane to attaine to heauen Let them say what they will let them doe what they can neither promises nor threats neither iniuries nor persecutions nor the sword can through Gods grace with-drawe me from my holy resolution which is to imbrace the true and liuely faith of the reformed Churches assuring my selfe that GOD who hath euer care of his poore faithfull will be a sufficient buckler to defend me against all their assaults It remaineth now that with all humility I do beseech the congregation of the faithful to receiue me into their number with whom I desire to finish the residue of my dayes to the end with them I may freely serue my God and walke according to the sincerity of his Gospell Amen So Signed IOHN NORMAN We the Ministers and Elders of the Church of Tours do certifie vnder our hands that the said Norman hath made and signed his Christian profession and abiuration of Papisticall religion all the people being assembled at the said Church of Tours the 17. of September beeing Sunday with praises and thanksgiuing of al the faithfull 1600. So signed B. Rousseau Minister L. hommo Martin P. Mercier Doucet D. Mercier Elders for all the rest And the 24. day following of the same moneth the saide Norman being in a place at Fraisneau in the presence of all the congregation hath againe made the abouesaid declaration with promise to continue in the true profession and holinesse of a Christian life So signed B. Rosseau Minister L' hommè I. Bazin Mesgrier Bourrand all Elders A christian declaration made by Father Abraham sometimes Prior of Carmes in the towne of Arles publiquely in the reformed Church of Vzez THAT great excellent Philosopher who in respect of those vertues wherewith the heauēs adorned him was surnamed the Diuine viz. Plato gaue thanks to God for three things for that he was borne a man and not a beast a Grecian not a Barbarian but aboue all for that he had receiued the benefit of life in the time of Socrates from whose mouth he had learned many goodly and vertuous instructions If this Heathenish Philosopher hath esteemed it and that by good reason for a happy benefit to be borne in the Olympiads of Socrates of whom he might learne certaine humaine sciences but not the knowledge of his saluation alas with what a strict bond are we bound to praise and glorifie the name of our blessed Sauiour who hath caused vs to be borne in this age which is dyed red in the bloud of so many faithfull witnesses of his veritie and also by the brightnesse of his gospell shining through the clouds and mistes that are thickned by the malice of Sathan intending to hide from me the sweet sunne of iustice and knowledge of truth But among all those that are bound to this dutie of giuing of thankes I doe acknowledge and confesse my selfe this day the greatest debter do place among all the benefits receiued from Gods hand this of my conuersion and entrance into his Church to be the first and chiefest Without which alas what could haue profited me all the fauour receiued from his sacred hand but on lye to haue turned to my condemnation ruine and confusion What would it haue auailed mee to haue beene stamped in the stampe of Gods face if I bare the marke and character of the beast What good had it beene for mine eyes to haue beene lightned with this corporall light if my soule had been enclosed in the darkenesse of infidelitie What health had it beene for me to haue breathed in an ayre agreeable to my body which beeing infected with such impieties had beene contagious to my soule What honour to beare the name of a Doctor and to teach a lye to destroy instead of instructing to ruinate and bring to decaye that which I should haue built and repayred The Lord therefore be praised who hath vnmasked my eyes and caused me to see the light of his Gospell wherein my sight hath beene so long dazeled and blinded Blessed be that happy day wherein this good God hath caused to appeare the effects of his eternall election in me and hath acknowledged mee for his adopted childe and lawfull heyre of that great and eternall kingdome which his sonne Iesus Christ hath purchased for his elect through the merite of his perfect obedience Beholde me now come into the house of God betweene the armes and in the bosome of Christ his espouse as farre from impieties and sacriledges of that shamelesse Babell as the truth from falshood and light from darkenesse Beholde now I am come into the sweete libertie of my conscience which hath so often summoned mee to leaue and depart from the Seminarie abuses of papistrie from those horrible sinkes and vautes of impietie where the Lordes holy name is so villainously prophaned and the honour of the eternall who is infinitely iealous of his glorye shamefully prostituted to idols and marmosets where the bloud of Christ serueth for a traffique where his onely sacrifice which is the expiation of our offences is held incapable and insufficient to blotte them out and deface them Mans merits where mans merites go cheeke by ioule with those of Iesus Christs where the sonne of God our Redeemer is robbed of his greatest and most worthy titles of office where coadiutors are giuen him for intercession and Sacrificing Prayers to Saints where the pastorall staffe is taken out of his hands wherewith hee ruleth and gouerneth his flocke where the Empire of the world and conduct of his Church is shared in halfe with him
where the sonne of perdition that damnable Antichrist will forsooth haue a part with the Lorde whose Lieutenant he calleth himselfe in his house in his kingdome and Empire which is his Church O blasphemie O abhomination whose defence I haue too long but in vaine obstinately taken in hand for the maintenance whereof I haue often employed my tongue in the good townes of this kingdome and namely in this wherein I now am But if it shall please God to sanctifie my wish and blesse my labours whereas heretofore I haue vsed my vocall instrument as a pipe for the furthering of lyes and fallacies of Satan I will now vse it as a neuer-wearied trumpet for the publishing the truth of the Gospell to proclaime the Lordes will in all places where his voyce shall call me And by meanes of his good grace neither feare nor hope promises nor threates shall make me to departe from this holy resolution and protestation which I now make vz. to liue and dye in the faith and religious beliefe of the reformed Churches of this kingdome I know very well that I must walke vpon thornes and sight with great difficulties which will take holde on me to stoppe this my happie course I know that the enemies of my saluation being growne desperate at this my conuersion will frame a world of slaunders thereby to make me odious to Gods true Church and to make my profession suspected Yea it may so come to passe that the diuell will euen make vse of some that saye they are my friends thereby to shake cracke my constancie through vaine promises but whatsoeuer they do they shal preuaile nothing For there are two points that fortifie me against their furious assaults The one is that slaunder doth sufficiently shew it selfe to be a lie so that being opposed to innocencie it melteth away like snowe before the sun The other is that seeing I am in gods owne house which is an vnconquerable citty a fortresse that is out of danger for shaking vndermining or scaling I neede not feare their force or surprise being assured that the Lord will breake their vnrighteous designements and make their attempts as vaine as the rebellious waues that beate themselues against the foote of a great rock which do make a huge noyse and rage in vaine yea the end of their furious menaces shall be naught else but froth God through his infinite bounty and mercy strengthen me and finish the worke which he hath begun in me giuing mee grace to liue and dye in his house and in his Church Amen Amen Amen Whereunto all the people there assembled with one voyce and the greatest part weeping for ioy answered alowde Amen The ninth of January 1600. The Conuersion of Maister Anthonie Ginestet borne at Lautreck in Albigeois sometimes a confessor religious Priest of the pretended order of Saint Francis according to his protestation made the 22. of October 1600. in the Church of Bragerak together with that of Signeur Lewis of Caransie borne in the towne of Angoulesme heretofore a Priest as may appeare by their Letters LET the Papistes glory in the magnificence of their Churches artificially built with curious stones brought frō strange places Let them bragge of the building of their Altars proudly adorned Let thē triumphe in their vaults guilded Adorning of Alters Churches no lesse azured Let them exalt their ecchoing musick the picturing sculpture of their images let them wonder at the greatnes of the sundry orders of their sacrifices glittering in cloth of golde silke scarlet hung about with precious stones in stately pomp As for vs illuminated with the sacred life of the diuine trueth we esteeme all this and the like brauery as a thing of naught a perishable vanity vnworthy of true religion vncapable of leading to saluation in such sort that those who are busied or rather abused by such worldly inticements do leaue behind the principle of piety and spirituall worshippe And to iudge truly those who are dazeld with such an appearance doe onely feede their outward sense not at all vnderstanding the ritch ornaments or rather celestiall enrichments of the city of the liuing God For the wisedome of the children of this world is abhominable folly before the Soueraigne onely wise God That which man seely creature doth vndiscretly admire is ougly and execrable before the eyes of the eternall and that which the foole swolne in ignorance contemneth is certainely great and admirable The faithfull hereof haue dayly experience to their vnspeakeable comfort And with them wee thrice happy at this present doe enioy full matter of solace and gratious delectations hauing our eyes cleared with the beams of the eternal sonne of iustice so that we may contemplate in the house of God through this influence of supreame grace or at least the illumination of the celestiall light the most sweet felicities of his face the word of life the excellēce of the Sacramēts the efficacie of the exercises of piety the perfections of a liuely faith the vertues of the holy ghost and other infinite blessings inspired from heauen into the elect in the misticall society of the body of Christ which are as christalline mirrours conteyning a quickning brightnesse of the bounty fauour beatitude eternity power mercy wisdome and heauenly life in steede of the horrour of darkenesse of hellish torments of the terrors of the second death wherinto the error of humane inuentions do throw vs headlong with a perpetuall despayre Now as the Apostle 2. Corin. 3. prophecieth of the issue of the children of Israel saying Vntil this day the vaile did couer their harts when Moses was read vnto them but when they shal be conuerted to the Lord the vaile shal be taken away euen so all we who do behold as it were in a glasse which is the Gospel of grace the glory of the Lord plainly be transformed into the selfe fame Image frō glory into glory through the effectual aide of the holy Ghost And our earnest desire is that those who are floting and as it were bandied to and fro with sundry opinions of the vaine and not true Phylosopie would meditate hereupon that they would ascend into the moūt Sion that they would taste of her sauorous fruite of life and would drinke of the delicious waters of her fountaines of immortality forsaking the venomous Cisterns of the desert of the world a desert not of sinne but a desert of iustice a desert not of transitory goods but a desert of wholesome graces To this effect we from the bottome of our heartes make our humble petitions to the most high the inward compassions of our soules making our eyes melt into fountaines our better partes yeelding forth vnspeakable dolors considering in this Theatre of the worlde that the greatest multitude by the violēt stormes of seduction be enticed and rauished to be trayned finally to be throwne headlong into perdition But O father of light seeing it is
then is the Creator of Priests viz. the Pope Oh shamelesse vanity Non Stygius tentaret Orcus quod audent effrenes monachi Againe euery one may easilye know what authority he taketh in the Church Militant excommunicating some anathematizing others he taketh the temporall sword hee pulleth downe kinges and Monarches from their thrones he setteth his foote vpon their necks and commonlye makes them kisse his pantable I omit to speake of the excessiue dignities attributed vnto him by his owne Canons Decrees Decretals Clementines being truely extrauagant from all truth as likewise a thousand more points of doctrine issuing out of these three principals That Christ Iesus is deuested of his office of Sacrificer in the Roman Church that his office of Doctorship is taken frō him that his gouernement in heauen and earth is vsurped from him Now seeing these offices are necessary adiacents to the Soueraigne good that the Church of Rome diuorceth them from the Mediator it must needes be that she doth not seeke the Soueraigne good but rather shuns and flyes from it Hence therfore it comes brethren that I haue renounced Papistry and doe purpose carefully and with labour to seeke the right pathes leading to the Soueraigne good wherwith the Church of Rome is not acquainted And for this purpose I haue abiured and do now abiure al her doctrine as blasphemous Apostaticall superstitious and as farre from Christianity as she is from the true ende and scope of mans creation which is the Soueraigne good And finally aboue all other graces wherewith God of his mercy hath made me pertaker I yeelde him most humble thankes for these two which are farre beyond compare of all others videlicet that hee hath shewed vnto mee through the light of the holye Ghost the natural brightnesse of his holy truth that the clearenesse thereof causeth his beames to shine in the Churches of this kingdome reformed both in faith and doctrine according to the purenesse and sincerity of his holy Gospell The confession of whose faith I will not onely seale with pen and inke vpon paper but also if neede be against tyrants with my bloud vpon this base Territority In which reformed Church I protest to dye and finish my dayes praying the Lord Almighty and onely wise who hath called me to the knowledge of his truth that he will establish ratifie this vocation of me and make me to feele and perceiue the full effects of his eternall election and further that of his mercye he will strengthen and assist me against all assaults and temptations that may present themselues before me And to conclude I hartily beseech this Church to make mee pertaker of her holy praiers as I will in like sort be euer mindefull as well to powre forth prayers to the eternall for her long prosperous continuance as also for those that are of the like faith in Iesus Christ To whom with the father and holy Ghost bee giuen all honour and glory both now and for euer Amen So Signed De Beauvall We the Pastoures and Elders of the reformed Church of Saint Amand L' Alher in Bourbony doe certifie that this day being the 16. of Iuly 1600. Maister Edmond de Beauval heretofore a Iesuite hath made a publicke abiuration of all the Papisticall Idolatries wherin he had bin norished and instructed protesting to liue euer hereafter as the reformed Churches of this kingdom do require according to a solemne promise by him made in an assembly of some Pastours Elders aswell of this said Church as others hereabout held at Belt in the house of the Lord of the said place the fourth day of this month and hath signed his confession of the faith of the reformed Churches of this kingdome In witnesse whereof we whose names are here vnder written haue giuen him this present Testimony to the end that he may be knowne in those places where he shall come for a mēber of the true Church Yeouen at S. Amand the day and yeare aboue written Signed Iamet Pastor of the said Church Perrinet an Elder Maget an Elder Perrimet Iudge in the said place Deueras De Foulenay Daniard Limosin Ieneueau Gaillard The declaration of Leonard Theuenot heretofore Priest and Curat of the Parish of S. Sauin in the Citie of Poitiers publickly pronounced in the Church of Poitiers aforesaid at the end of the exhortation on Sunday the 26. of Nouemb. 1600. I Am heere before God the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost and the elect Angels this Christiā assembly summarily to declare what I haue been in time past in what minde I am at this present wherto by the meanes of my God I aspire in time to come I am borne and was bred vp vntill this present in the Church which is called Romane where I sucked from the vncleane dugs of the impudent Babel and was one of her fauoured Nurse children euen to the obteyning the marke of the beast to be aduanced to the Priest-hood and sacrifizing of humane inuētion which I haue vsed for the space of fiue yeares I was soothed vp and I beleeued it that I was in Bethell that is to say in the house of God which is the Church the which he which hath not for his Mother cannot haue God for his Father as S. Cyprian and S. Augustin apostolically doe teach But some dayes since that it hath pleased God by his holy Spirit to awaken and with-drawe my soule from the letarge wherewith it was possessed working inwardly in me and there stirring vp and executing a great desire to reade the holy Scriptures to conferre of that which concerneth eternall saluation especially with the pastour of this church I perceiued and acknowledged that I was in Bethauen that is to say in the house of Iniquitie of corruption and of abhomination where the puritie of the word of God is defiled the sinceritie and truth of the Sacraments corrupted and the holy commandements of God by mens traditions are brought to nothing and haue euer since continually heard a voyce soūding in the eares of my conscience saying vnto me Depart frō Babilon get thee out of the middest of her for feare that continuing in participating in her sinnes thou receiue of her punishment Now to obey this voyce which the holy scriptures teach me to be of the Spirit of God I am retired into this place to you which I acknowledge to be of the sheepfolde of our Lord Iesus Christ for as you heare his voyce and will not giue eare to strangers and mercenaries I protest that I do abhorre and detest the Romish Idolatries and Superstitions and do renounce the Pope whome I acknowledge to be the sonne of perdition the man of sinne described by Saint Paul 2. to the Thessaloni 2. and the papacie Pope is Antichrist which is the great whore described in the Apocalips And that I desire to liue and to dye in the confession and profession of the faith of the reformed churches of
this kingdom forasmuch as in them men are contēt for the feeding of their soules with the Milke which distilleth from the pure brests of the chaste Spouse of our Lorde Iesus Christ to wit the canonicall writ of the old and new Testament wherein is not admitted any article of Faith which is not grounded in the expresse text or by necessary consequence of the holy Scriptures and this is the true and essentiall marke of the church to be a sound piller and faithfull keeper of the worde of God which is truth O father of light and fountaine of all goodnesse to thee I now lift vp my hands my eyes and my hart and beseech thee in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde that thou pardon me my faults of the time of my youth ignorance past and I yeeld thee thankes for the knowledge which thou hast giuen me of thy truth and I pray thee that thou continue fortifie and encrease me therein and also that thou communicate the same to those which yet are plunged in the sinke of Popish Idolatrie and Superstition to the end that they speedely forsake the great Riuers of Babylon which will turne into a Sea of fire and Brimstone to burne eternally those which perseuer in the seruice and the worshipping of the beast and that they may retire themselues into Sion vnto the Brookes of Siloe which runne gentilly which are made a fountaine of water springing to life euerlasting to those which drinke thereof And you which are hearers and beholders of this my declaration I beseech you by the intrailes of the Christian charitie which is in you that you will ioyne your prayers with mine to the eternall to the end that he defende me with constancie and perseuerance in the holye conuersion and resolution which he hath giuen me for it is he which worketh in vs the desire and perfection according to his good pleasure as he to whome the creation preseruation and the conducting of all things doe eternally appertaine Amen Signed Theuenot The copie of a Letter from Mounsieur Clemencean Minister of the Church at Poitiers To Monsyeur De la Vergne chosen in the election of Poitiers being this present at Paris SIR seeing that you doe me the fauour to make mee pertaker of the generall newes which you learne in the place where you are it is also my dutye to aduertise you frō hence of such matters as are of worthe as is that of the conuersion of a Curate of one of the parishes in this citty who on Sonday last made a publicke abiuration of Papistrie and profession of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ in the place where we had assembled our selues at the end of the preaching to the great contentment of all honest men which were hearers of his declaratiō all which for the most part did shed aboundance of teares for ioy but if we did reioyce and were comforted the Papists to the contrary are greatly troubled and discontent The good is that this man had caused the bell to be rung to Masse in his Parish and his Parishioners stayed for him till noone but they might haue beene there till this time if they had still stayed for him Before that time he was in good reputation amongst them both in reguarde of his seruice and also in regarde of his life but now they say the worste of him that they can Hee is your countriman to wit of Mont-Morillion it is three yeare ago that he was Curate of the parish of S. Sauin in this city a moneth since he conferred sixe or seuen times with me the most secretly that he could I found that he had a good wit and a good vnderstanding of the Latin toung in trauelling as he reporteth himself thereto disposed he may do good I send you his declaration if wee had Printers that were honest men and liberty to do it in this place we would haue had it Imprinted you are in a place where it may be that it may be done and it cannot be but a great edification of the Churches of the Lord. I am of opinion that God will draw fruite there hence for his Church I will also tell you that yesterday an honest man came and aduertised me that an other Curate of one of the most principall parishes in this citty had sayd vnto one of our friends that his conscience did summon him to doe the like and that there were aboue fiftie of his profession in this citty of his minde God giue them the power to performe it to his glory and their saluation as I praye him to preserue vs long in health and prosperity and humbly kisse your hands resting euer Your most humble and affectionate Seruant I. Clemenceau From Poitiers the 29. of Nouember 1600. A christian declaration of Sir Francis Breton a Monke of the order of the Celestins publikely made in the reformed Church of Vendosme on Sunday the 28. of Ianuarie 1601. IF it be so that there is ioye in heauen in the Church triumphant at the conuersion of a sinner I no waye doubt of this present company which is heere assembled to heere the word of the Lord to the end to recite his praises but that this company will likewise reioyce in giuing thankes to God when they shall vnderstand the benefit and grace which it hath pleased the Lorde to bestow vpon me to wit for hauing drawne me out of the darkenesse of ignorance and calling me to the knowledge of the truth of his holy Gospell opening the eyes of my vnderstanding and taking from me the vaile of supersticion wherewith I haue long beene blinded I now yeeld thankes to God for that he hath not punished me with the law of rigor as he punished our first parents to wit Adam and Eue and likewise the serpent who was the author of the offence for he inflicted vpon the serpent for his punishment that from thencefoorth he shoulde creepe vpon his belly and should neuer haue any other thing to liue of but of the earth And to the woman for giuing eare vnto him that shee should loose the priuiledge to be companion and equall with her husband being appointed to be vnder his powre and rule moreouer that with paine she shoulde beare her children as for Adam he was banished and cast out of the earthly Paradice beeing said vnto him that in the sweate of his browes he shoulde eate his bread But he now no more sheweth himselfe to be the God of vengeance but rather the God of mercy and consolation whose properties is to haue pity to pardon which he hath shewed in my behalfe Well then assuring my selfe of his infallible promises promising well to giue recompense to those which go to worke in his vinyard at the eleuenth houre of the day as to those which haue wrought all the day and also that the sonne of man came to seeke and saue that which was gone astraye and lost of which number
beleeue rather that I was already in the Suburbs of hell But God hath giuen me the grace to drawe my feete backe and after the example of the children of Israel I purpose to marche three dayes iourney and to go out of Egipt I meane out of darkenesse knowing that so long as I should stay there all the sacrifices which I should offer vnto him would not be acceptable vnto him but rather abhomination The Sacrifice which I desire to offer vnto God for my first dayes iorney is a Sacrifice of praise with a contrite hart according as S. Augustine defineth contrision is a griefe proceeding from the grace of God voluntarily taken according to the quality and quantity of the offences with purpose of amendment And S. Gregory Nazianzen said God requireth of vs onely a sacrifice of praise and to be new creatures in Iesus Christ And S. Ambrose saith that there is not any sacrifice more acceptable vnto God theÌ„ that which is mainteined in innocencie and that the wicked leaue his wickednesse that we shoulde haue contrition for our faultes vnreasonable beasts themselues doe teach and shew vs for the naturall Philosophers report that there is a Foule meruelous great and very cruell resembling in the face a Man which is called Harpia who sometimes constrained through hunger falleth vpon a man and killeth him and then eateth him which when he hath done being dry he flieth to the waters and Riuers to drinke and in so doing he seeth and beholdeth himselfe and thereby remembreth that hee hath killed one like to himselfe And the Philosophers say that sometimes hee is so displeased therewith that he dieth of griefe With greater reason I which am or ought to be a reasonable man ought to haue contrition repentance not for hauing killed the bodyes but rather for hauing lost the Soules hauing giuen them assurance of their saluation going to prostrate themselues before a Crucifix of Wood or some other Marmoset and saying some Pater noster or Aue Maria that their offences were forgiuen them which is blasphemie for it appertaineth to God onely to forgiue It sufficeth not to haue traueiled this first iourney of contrition but I must passe further and come to the second which is confession to God to obtaine pardon of him according as saith Dauid I haue said I will make confession of my sinnes to the Lorde and thou hast pardoned the iniquitie of my sinne S. Augustin vpon the 103. Psalme hath these words Discouer thy selfe to God who knoweth thee confession is acceptable vnto him And againe The confession of synnes sheweth the sore to the Phisytion and the confession of praise yeeldeth him thanks for health Being now in the house of the Lord betweene the armes and in the bosome of his deere spouse I detest and renounce all superstition abhomination and Idolatrie protesting and promising from henceforth to liue and to dye according to his holy Gospell in dooing and beleeuing that which the reformed church dooth and beleeueth And forasmuch as of myselfe I am able to do nothing I pray him of his infinite goodnesse to giue me strength and power to put in execution that which I now haue promised all to his glory to the saluation of my soule and the edification of his church So be it Signed Frauncis le Mayne To the end that no man say as their custome is that it is for his euill behauiour that he is retyred to vs we haue caused to be inserted the copies of the testimoniall Letters which he hath brought from his Couents taken out of the originall in the manner which followeth A Copy of the testimoniall letters to M. Francis the Monke lately of the order of the Celestines by the superiours of the said order Translated out of Latin into French Ego D. Chrisostomus de Florentia Prior Sacri Monasterij Sancti Iohannis Baptistae c. I Sir Chrisostome of Florence Prior of the holye Monasterie of S. Iohn Baptist of Bouloigne doe certifie that R.P.D. Francis le Mâ—yne Frenchman hath dwelt with me two years in this venerable monasterie vnder obedience regular obseruance with the leaue of the most reuerend the Lorde Abbot declared in writing during which time he hath behaued himselfe so religiously and honestly that he hath edified al the others through his honest behauiour his exemplary life and his commendable example In witnesse whereof I haue giuen him these present Letters subsigned with my owne hand and garnished with the seale of our sacred Monastery at Bouloigne the xviii day of March in the yeare 1600. and of another hand it is so I the foresaid Sir Chrisostome with my owne hand D. Theodosius a Bononia Abbas generaliis celestinorum ordinis Sancti Benedicti c. SIR Theodosius of Bouloigne Abbot generall of the Celestins of the order of S. Bennet we will and commaund thee Sir Francis Breton our Monke and Priest expresly professed by the tenour of the presents in vertue of holy obedience that vpon the sight hereof thou transport thy selfe in person within two moneths to our venerable Monastery of S. Mary of Lion there to remaine vnder the obedience thereof vntill such time as by the reuerend Prouinciall of France and parts far hence shall be otherwise ordained Therefore we require the said reuerend Prouinciall the Priors and other officers which are in those quarters that they receiue thee gently and intreate thee courteously as him who hath dwelt among vs honestly and as it apperteineth thou maiest returne into thy countrey with our speciall leaue accompanied with our blessing permitting thee vpon the way to make Sacramentall confession before any Priest hauing leaue of his Ordinary and of him to receiue the benefit of absolution and at all times and as often as it shall please thee thou maist celebrate Masse In witnesse whereof we haue caused these presents to be dispatched Subsigned with our owne signe and assured with our Seale Giuen at our venerall Abbey of the holy Ghost at Moron the vii day of May in the yeare 1600. Sir Theodose de Bouloigne Abbot generall of the Celestins and of an other hand at Montaua where is our residence The present commandement was presented to the said Sir Francis Breton by me Sir Archange of Milan visitor generall of the Celestins the first day of the moneth of Iune 1600. Sir Archange aboue said Visitour generall with my owne hand and of another hand Sir Celse Romain Secretarie Fidem facio et attestor ego D. Theophilus de Bononia c. I Theophilus of Boloigne of the order of S. Benet S.T.P. and Prior of the Monasterie of Saint Peter Celestine in Milan do certifie and attest that Father Sir Francis of Bretaigne Frenchman Monke of the said order and congregation at my entreaty and also by the consent of the most reuerend Abbot our generall hath remained two moneths in this venerable Monasterie of S. Peter Celestin at Milan there to serue the church by reason of the great want
consolation which they can get by the considering of their merits and good workes in the last breath of this life By and by followeth the last saluing or vnction as they call it done by a Priest who washeth and purgeth with an holyed and consecrated Oyle the poore sick man of his sinnes then come the waxen Candels which burne day and night before the graue the ringing of Bels Masses Vigiles De prefundis Requiescant in pace and such like Ape-play These things are rather vnto them Needels to prick their consciences seeking consolation in things which are of no valour in steede of taking their refuge to the blood of Christ which purgeth vs of all our sinnes as S. Peter saith 1. Epist 1. verse 18. And thus is the common people seduced and brought to their euerlasting perdition by these deceiuers and seducers of soules beholde this is the sweete consolation which they haue to weapon themselues against the battle of death and Sathan Beholde this is the rest and peace of their consciences in the end of their liues Besides this vnbeleefe and diffidence wherwith they are tormented being vncertaine of their owne saluation they see nothing but paine and torments prepared for them being transmitted soone after death to a Purgatorie which is the more rediculous because it can be found no where for to doe their penance and repent to the end that the poore soules which haue not merited enough in this worlde should suffer there for a certaine time the paines of Purgatorie being roasted in a fire the one more the other lesse for to come at last to heauen and deserue eternall saluation But for to discouer somewhat better their errors and abuses The sinne of Romish Doctors how shall the Doctors of the Romish Church be able to excuse themselues before God seeing they turne not onely the people from the true worshipping of God but commaund them also to worship creatures and take their recourse to Saints and Saintesses to be mediators betweene God and them in all their necessities and defects A doctrine flatte contrarie to the holy Scriptures for examine the holy Scripture from lease to lease from the beginning to the end you shall finde no commaundement to do it nor promise nor example of any that haue done it neither in the olde nor new Testament as those of the Romish Church do who being infected with plague take their recourse with prayer to Saint Andrew or to Saint Rocquis being in tempest in feare of Shipwracke they take recourse to Saint Nicholas or Saint Clemens and so foorth according to the diseases or euils which come vpon them And is not this it that the Scripture condemns showing as though it were with a finger we must inuocate and worship The Prophet Dauid in his 18. Psalme verse 2. saith The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and he that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne also of my saluation and my refuge And in the 3. Psalme verse 5. I layde me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraide for ten thousand of the people Besides these are yet innumerable places of Scripture propounded vnto vs to demonstrate that we must not trust vpon the might and arme of man nor looke for any helpe of creatures but that we must take our course vnto God onely who can doth and will deliuer vs from all euils But is not this an impudencie say they and too great a boldnesse to appeare so before God without crauing first the meanes or intercession of some Saint I would faine that they should answer me whether it be presumption or boldnesse to obey vnto God and to follow his commaundement I thinke not that they be so impudent but they must confesse so much Considering then that we haue this commaundement in the holy Scripture that in all necessities we must take our refuge to God with a true and liuely faith and with a sure and vndoubted assurance to obtaine that which we pray for at his hands as clearely is written in the 50. Psalme of the Prophet Dauid verse 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And the Apostle Hebrew 4. verse 16. Let vs goe boldly therefore vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And if we seeke a mediator betweene vs and the Father we must not runne to Saints for Christ dyed for vs yea more he is risen and sitteth at the right hand of God and prayes for vs which the Apostle explicates in the 8. to the Roma 24. ver For we are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth and in Hebrew 9. vers 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true Sanctuarie but is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. We must therefore goe to him in all our necessities by him shall we obtaine mercy he is to be breefe our aduocate by the father offering vnto him our prayers Let vs therefore not runne to creatures and call vpon them in our neede Let vs not robbe God of his honour onely due vnto him to deferre the same to anye other but let vs follow that rule of well praying which Christ teacheth vs Matth. 6. Let vs in all suretie by the vertue of the Mediation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ go to God our Father trusting assuredly that nothing shall faile vs if we faile not in our dutie God is true in his promises to whome I will take my refuge Concluding therefore my rehearse I will giue him praise and thankes for all his exceeding great benefites which I confesse to haue receiued from his gracious mercie that he hath brought me that was gone astray from the right way of saluation was departed from his tabernacle to his Church clearing the eyes of my vnderstanding for to enioy the light of his holy Gospell and the trueth of his holy worde and to renounce to all errors and superstitions of the children of darkenesse in the which hetherto I haue beene smothered I confesse heere before God and his holy congregation that with a sincere vpright mind and hart I forsake from henceforward all Popery and their superstitious Apostaticall blasphemous doctrine and abhominable damnable errors which they exercise yet daily in the which I haue liued too long a time feeling my selfe now inuited to the salutary knowledge of the trueth Therefore I promise and protest before God and his whole congregation to desire to liue and to dye in the faith of the reformed Churches where the trueth of Gods word is purely preached and the Sacraments faithfully administerd praying all thirsting soules according to my example to their good wel-fare and saluation to gather themselues in all humility of hart to the true flocke of that great sheepheard whosoeuer feele a sparke of truth let him no longer be transported by all windes of humane traditions to the end that the kingdome of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ more and more increasing we also altogether at last may be congregated to the ioyes of eternal life through Iesus Christ our lord to whome with the father and the holy Ghost bee praise and thanksgiuing for euermore Amen We subscribed testifie this declaration to haue beene done publickly the 3. of Iune 1601. after the sermon in the French Church within the Citty of Leyden by Lowys du Bois of late Priest and preacher of the order of S. Francis in the citty of Dunkerke Lucas Tulcat the Father Lucas Tulcat the Sonne