which sayd they needed not keepe themselues froÌ„ sinning Rom. 6. since they were vnder grace and not vnder the law proceedeth thus farre that he saith beyng made free from sinne ye are made seruaunts to righteousnes now to auouch these wordes that workes instifie vs is to make the spirit contrary to it selfe the Gospell to the Gospell S. Paul to S. Paul S. Iames to S. Iames which were no better then blasphemy against the spirit For as often as the purpose is to lay the ground-worke of the Gospell then the spirit saith specially and namely that it is by grace not by merit at all it is hard to reckeÌ„ how oft this is affirmed in the gospel in S. Paul chiefly There is no likelihood that two or three places forced racked should balance or weigh downe infinit others specially considering the caueats aboue written least we mistake the meaning of those words and not forgetting that S. Paul hauing vsed those termes saith I speak after the maner of men for the infirmitle of your flesh S. Iames who in th' end coÌ„cludeth that faith is perfected by works expresly teacheth vs that we caÌ„ not be saued by works saying in the same chapter that whosoeuer shall keep all the law shal faile in one poinct he shal be guilâ—y of all Now there iâ— no maÌ„ so holy that faileth not in some poinct of the law which coÌ„sequently is not guilty of all And thus no hope of saluation may be built on works Conclude we then that works of theÌ„selues 〈◊〉 nothing to saluation but do streÌ„gtheÌ„ accoÌ„plish witnes faith by which we receiue saluatioÌ„ Whether the body of Iesus Christ be really in the bread of the holy supper The Pope commaundeth to beleeue that the body bloud of Iesus Christ are really and in deed in the bread and wine of the supper He commaundeth that the bread of the supper be adored as God I maruéile that he makes not the wine be likewise adored for the reason of both is all one He hath ordeined a daily sacrifice of this body for to commend this sacrifice the more he hath prouided it a seruice of the church altar sacrificers priests and other officers priestly omaments oeremonies superstitions in words gestures in water fire otherthings being in-deed a mingle mangle of all religions that euer were He grouÌ„deth his opinioÌ„ of the reall corporall presence of the body bloud and of the substantiall turning or chaunge of the truth of the bread wine into the substance truth of the body bloud of the Lord Math. 26. vpoÌ„ these words of S. Matthew saying Iesus tooke bread after he had giueÌ„ thaÌ„ks he brake it gaue it to his disciples and said take eat this is my body hauing taken the cup giuen thanks he gaue it them saying drinke ye all of it for this is my bloud of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Now they may easely iudge who peruse the holy scripture wholy with an open heart the eyes of whose vnderstanding are not dym that this doctrine of the Pope tooke his beginning being in the phantasie of man rather then in the Scripture For if we gather and compare together whatsoeuer the Scripture doth conteine touching the Lordes supper we shall finde that the body is not in the bread but is at the right hand of God and yet the faithfull do eate and drinke spiritually and by faith the body and bloud of our Sauiour receiuing therewith the merite of his death and passioÌ„ and are nourished spiritually by his grace and that the bread and wine are set forth for signes of the Sacrament to signifie to vs that as bread and wine nourish vs for our temporall life so the body bloud of the Lord do nourish vs for the life euerlasting and as there is an vnion meeting together of many bodies in the bread in the wine eueÌ„ so should there be an vnion and agreement among the faithfull in communicating of the body and bloud of the Lord. WheÌ„ Iesus Chirst had said this is my body Math. 16. Mar. 14. this is my bloud of the new testament he addeth I say vnto you I will not drinke hence-forth of this fruict of the vine I will not drinke more of the fruict of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome These wordes taken either spiritually or after the letter do sufficiently declare that the wine is not turned into the bloud of our Sauiour for he calleth it still the fruict of the vine And in Saint Luke to discouer vnto vs more clearely that this Luke 22. speach is figuratiue he saith this is my body do this in remembrance of me this cup is the new testament in my bloud which is shed for you he saith not the cup is my bloud but it is the new testament in my bloud that is to say it is a representation a signe of my bloud a testament a title and contract of new alliance in my bloud This sense and vnderstanding is not beside the purpose for he celebrated that same day with his disciples th' ancient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe which represented the lambe of God that should come to make vs through his death passioÌ„ to passe out of this traÌ„sitory world full of miseries boÌ„dage into th' other would full of surpassing ioy and libertie And for that this auncient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe was to take an end forthwith by his death he instituted the new sacrament of the new testament of the new league or alliance be gaue them bread and wine for signes of the spirituall nourishment which they were necessarily to receiue in the body and bloud of our Sauiour And as in the old alliance or testament the lambe was not Christ but onely represented the Christ so the bread and wine of the new testament are not the body and bloud but signifie and represent the body and bloud of Christ This interpretation is confirmed moreouer by these wordes do this in remembraunce of me it is ordinary to commend by signes and resemblances the memory of things absent and not of things present on th' other side if we are to take the words in S. Luke literally without admitting any expositioÌ„ beside the letter the wine is no more the bloud it is now the cup it must then be coÌ„fessed that these words are figuratiue and subiect to another interpretation then the naturall fignification of the letter will bearens there be any figure in S. Luke there may be also the like in S. Matthew It is written in S. Paul the cup of blessing which we blesse 1. Cor. 10. is it not the communion of the body of Christ the bread which we breaked is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we thâ—t are many
are one bread and one body because we all are partakers of one bread He saith not that the bread and wine are the body and bloud but that they are the communion of the body and bloud these wordes can none otherwise be interpreted but that the bread and wine signifie the communion of the body and bloud seing that the bread wine can not be the communion for the communion is a thing spirituall hath no being but in the spirite and consideration of man which can not agree with the bread Againe if we must ground this doctrine on the letter the wine is not the communion of the bloud that which is the bloud as you say is the chalice The same Apostle saith in another place I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered to you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the same night that he was betrayed tooke bread whē he had giuen thanks he brake it said take eat this is my body which is broken for you this doo ye in remembrance of me After the same maner also he tooke the cup when he had supped saying this cup is the new Testament in my bloud this do as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me for as often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death til he come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the cup of the Lord vnworthily shal be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords body See here againe how the Lord commaundeth by th'Apostle that the holy supper be made in remembrance of him likewise he saith not wine he saith the cup. See here also how the cup or the wine is not the bloud but the new Testament in the bloud of the Lord. Further the bread and the cup are there named still the bread and the cup before and after the blessing distributing eating and drinking which sheweth vs that albeit the bread and wine signifie the body and bloud of our Sauiour they remayn notwithstanding in their true and natural substance they remaine bread and wine halowed neuertheles for the vse sake but no way varied altred for the substance Had they bene transubstātiated into the body bloud th'Apostle after the celebration after the participating had not said as often as ye shal eate this bread drink this cup whosoeuer shall eate this bread drink this cup he would haue said as oftē as ye shall eat this body drink this bloud whosoeuer shal eat this body and drinke this bloud True it is that he saith he that shall eat and drinke vnworthily shal be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord but that is to shew how this eating and drinking is holy and sacred representing to vs the death and passion of the Lord th' oblation and suffering of the body the sheading of the bloud of Iesus Christ the nourishment of the soule This teacheth vs our dutie to take this bread and this wine with an holy and religious reuerence for the question in this sacrament standeth vpon the body and bloud of our Sauiour and not so much on bread wine which are not but signes And here behold why the holy Ghost saith freely that bread and wine are the body and bloud of the Lord. But now commeth a place very notable and vnanswereable a most expresse and pregnant place to them which are acquainted with the Lords voyce In S. Iohn ye may read Iohn 6. how Iesus Christ preching in the synagogue at Capernaū hauing said I am the liuing bread the bread that I wil giue is my flesh then the Iewes stroue amōgst thēselues saying how can this mā giue vs his flesh to eate then Iesus sayd vnto thē except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you whosoeuer eateth my flesh drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed my bloud is drinke indeed many therefore of his disciples when they heard this said this is an hard saying who can heare it But Iesus knowing within himselfe that his disciples murmured at this said vnto thē doth this offend you what if ye shall see the Sonne of man ascend where he was afore it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the wordes that I speake to you are spirit and life but there are some among you which beleeue not Thus we can not doubt but that this manner of speaking to eat and drinke the body and bloud of the Lord is spirituall seeing the Lord doeth ascertaine it by name Ye are astonished saieth he at this saying of mine ye must eat and drinke my body and my bloud ye will find these wordes much more strange when I shall ascend into heauen with my body for then will it seeme to you a great deale harder to eat my body being so farre distant from you Ye must not conceiue my words so it is not my body that ye must eat it is the merit of the death and passion of my body it is my iustifying grace that ye must eat and receyue by faith and spiritually Iohn 6. wherewith ye must be quickened My words are spirit and life it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing We may moreouer out of this place draw many other arguments to establish our beliefe that the words of eating and drinking the body and bloud of Iesus Christ ought not to be taken but spiritually were it needfull to confirme that which himselfe hath so cleerely expounded he saith if ye eate not the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shal haue no life in you now to stay on the letter of these termes not take them spiritually would cause a great blasphemy to ensue for how many men are there in the world which neuer eat the body of Iesus Christ and yet haue life in them but our Sauiour in plaine termes saith they haue no life chuse then either to giue him the lye which were blasphemous or els confesse that he speaketh spiritually and that by life he meaneth spirituall life Which being so why do we not also acknowledge that these wordes of eating and drinking the body and bloud of the Lord are spirituall and ought to be vnderstood of th'eating and drinking which the soule doeth by faith specially seing he interpreteth himselfe both for th' one and th' other according to this sense for after he had spoken simplie of life he addeth he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life euerlasting likewise after he had said fimplie that wee must eat and drinke his flesh and his
that all things be restored S. Paul saith Col. 3. seeke the things that are on high where Iesus Christ sitteth at the hand of God for himselfe had said to his Apostles Iohn 16. I go to my father and ye shall see me no more yet a litle while and ye shall see me for I go to my father and elswhere Math. 23. I say vnto you that from hence-forth ye shall not see me vntill ye say blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord Acts. 1. and in another place this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seen him go into heauen if the Lord is corporally present in the bread and wine of the supper if he is here below within the Priests pixe or betweene their hands why beleeue we that he is at the right hand of the father why do we looke for his comming from heauen to iudge the quicke and dead why say th'Apostles that heauen must conteine Iesus Christ vntill the time that all things be restored why say they that he is sitting at the right hand of God if he appeareth continually why should they affirme that the second time of his appearing shal be for iudgement why doth he say himselfe yet a litle while and you shall see me no more for I go to the father when is that time among the Papistes wherein they see him not why do the Angels say this Iesus which is taken vp from you to heauen shall come euen so as ye haue seen him go vp to heauen who hath seen him come downe from heauen to shut himselfe within the bread as he was seen go vp to heauen The Pope putteth his onely trust in this aunswere the Lord saith he can make his body be in the bread ergò he is there Behold a very proper meane to proue readily all kinds of heresies phantasies and mockeries and in deed if we were sure that his will is to haue his body here below in the bread in places innumerable aboue at his fathets right hand and so to haue his body to be spirituall we would not doubt of his power to performe it but we can find no-where this wil of his contrari-wise he teacheth vs that his body is in heauen that in the supper we must lift vp our soules on high to the right hand of God there to eate spiritually and by faith as hath benesaid he teacheth vs that his body is a true body 2. Iohn 4. euery spirit saith S. Iohn which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God such a spirit is the spirit of Antichrist thus let vs ensue his will without enquiring of his power Furthermore if we might certeinely see the body or the'effects of the presence of the body and bloud of our Lord in the holy supper in the bread and wine thereof we would not argue at all either of his power or of his will but we see nothing saue bread like to bread both within and without in and throughout euery part in colour other qualities of nature nourishable and corruptible the host of the Masse nourisheth man nourisheth wormes as bread doth corrupteth and putrifieth as bread which we may not beleeue of our Sauiours glorified body Withall if the body of the Lord were in the bread so many miracles should daily and hourely ensue Luke 8. as would make it past doubt they that touched his garments onely felt his wonderfull vertue with farre more likelihood should they that touch his body feele it but we can see no such effects the Popes Bishops and Priests haue assayed to deriue from it oracles and miracles but still they found it nothing els saue bread they haue chafed thereat so farre-forth as to cast the host into the fire Finally I see no such necessitie for the celebration of the supper that the body should be here below really within the bread no more then in old time Christ was in the labe or at this day the bloud of Christ is in the water of baptisme The faithfull doe effectually receiue in baptisme the washing of the bloud of Christ by faith although nothing but water be administred in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost euen so the faithfull may partake in the grace iustification death passion in the body bloud of the Lord by spirituall eating through faith as well yea more cōmodiously then by the reall eating of the body For in this behalfe it behoueth the Spirit by his miraculous operatiō not onely to transubstantiate the body and make it present at the same time in places infinit but also to turne this corporall food into spirit for the spirituall sustenance of the spirit of man which is the principall end of the supper of the death passion of the Lord. It is more agreable to the order established by God in the nature of all things and more consonant to his counsels reueled in his word to lift vp our soules by faith to nourish them with his body and bloud to fill them with his grace and merite of his death and passion to notifie such inward actions by the outward signes of bread and wine then to confound the properties of both natures to make him a body euerywhere present which to be onely pertaineth to his diuinitie to abase his glorious body and subiect it to a world of phantasies profanations and iniuries to haue it broken and torne chewed and swalowed and further to change that body into spirit for the nourishment of the spirit Behold here how the Pope with too-much boldnes and no necessitie aduentureth to commit idolatrie himselfe and to make them grose idolaters which follow him in his doctrine in that he adoreth the bread of the supper euen as the body of Iesus Christ More safe it is to adore it at the right hand of God seing the Scripture assureth vs most certainely that he is there Idolatrie is a sinne too horrible that any man should so freely giue ouer himselfe to the same In such ventrous cases when there is any suspition of idolatrie feare to sinne ought aboue all to ouer-rule our worldly wisdome Away then with this doctrine of the Pope so contrary to th'articles of the Christiā beliefe and all the holy Scripture away with this doctrine that destroyeth the veritie of our Lords body and is suspected ye conuinced of Idolatrie The Pope willeth vs to haue images of Angels Whether we ought to haue images for deuotion sake Saincts and of God himselfe within our Churches vpon our altars within our chappels and priuat closets for prayer He willeth vs to honour and serue these images with such deuotion ceremonies as in effect differeth not from adoration or diuine-honour We find no iote in the Scripture conformable to this doctrine but we find there commaundements ynow most flatly forbidding vs to receiue it Leuit.
in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy for the Scripture saith to Pharao I haue raysed thee vp to this onely end that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth he therefore hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth thou wilt say then to me why doeth he yet complaine for who is he that can resist his will behold the very same inconuemences which ye alleage he answereth but ô man who art thou which pleadest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour what and if God would to show his wrath and to make his power knowen suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy which hee hath prepared to glorie Isay alleaging most of these reasons to proue this doctrine stoppeth your mouth much more roughly with wordes that might make them tremble and sinke with ghastly feare and terrour who stand on such nice poincts and quiddities Isay 45. Wo be vnto him saith he that striueth with his maker the pot shard with the potshards of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Let vs therefore hold for certeine that the faithfull are elect and predestinate of God to saluation that saluation is by election and not by works and let vs consider that this doctrine bringeth most stedfast assurance and comfort to the faithfull against the stormes and perils of this world knowing that their saluation is fastened and grounded on so sure a rocke as is the election of God and not on the sliding sand of good works Iesus Christ saith There is no saluatiō but by Iesus Christ Iohn 14.10.1 1. Ioh 2. 1. Ioh. 1. Tit. 3. I am the way the truth and the life none can come to my Father but by me I am the dore if any entreth by me he shal be saued our Lord Iesus is the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world that is the attonement for our sinnes his bloud cleanseth vs from all sinnes he that hath the sonne of God hath life he that hath not the sonne of God hath not life Also in other places it is written that God saued vs not by the works of righteousnes which we had done but according to his mercy by the washing of the new-birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life 2. Tim. 1. that the grace of saluation was giuen vs through Iesus Christ before all times Rom. 3. that God hath iustified vs freely by his grace by the redemption which is in Iesus Christ that he died for our sinnes and arose againe for our iustification This is a true saying 1. Tim. 1. saith S. Paul and by all meanes worthy to be receyued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners of whom I am chiese Finally to deny that our saluation is not freely and wholy purchased for vs by the death and passion of our Lord Iesus to deny the law prophets and euangelists the old and new testament th'infallible truth of God yea it is so much as in vs lieth to treade vnder foote the sonne of God Heb. 10. and count the bloud of the now Testament wherewith we are sanctified an vnholy thing It is written that Iesus Christ is th' end of the law in righteousnesse to all beleeuers that Meses said We receiue saluation by faith he that shall do these things shall liue by the same but at this day the word of faith is if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus shalt beleeue in thy heart that God raised him vp from the dead thou shalt be saued Gal. 5. for with the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation againe there is no Circumcision nor incircumcision but faith working by charitie also Rom. 1. the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth further Iesus Christ is our propitiatory sacrifice through faith further more Rom. 4. God iustifieth onely them that are of the faith of Iesus Moreouer to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse also the promise was made to faith againe it is written Ioh. 3. that he which beleeueth in the sonne shall see eternall life he that beleueth not in the sonne of God shall not see eternall life but the wrath of God abideth on him that the inst shall liue by faith Heb. 10. Heb. 11. 1. Pet. 1. but if any with draw him selfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him that without faith it is impossible to please God that we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation which is prepared to be shewed in the last time 1. Pet. 2. that Iesus Christ is pretious to them that beleeue and a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence to them that stumble at the word Ioh. 14. In summe this is that which the Lord doth principally yea singularly require at their hands who ensue him and sue for his grace and succour this is that which he said to his Apostles after his resurrection Mar. 16. goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery crenture he that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shal be damued Luc. 23. th' one theef which belecued at the poinct of death he receiued into Paradise th' other which beleeued not he refused this is the Gospell to beleeue in God in him Ioh. 20. whō he hath sent for our saluation The Gospell is written that we might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in belecuing we might haue life through his name Before S. Philip baptised th'Eunuch of Queene Candace he said it is lawfull to baptize thee if thou beleeuest with all thy heart It is written els where That faith commeth of God that none can say Iesus Christ is the Lord but by the holy Ghost that God hath giue vs vnderstanding that we might know him which is true that faith is not of our selues 1. Cor. 2. 1. Iohn 5. Mat. 16. Iohn 3. Tit. 3. Act. 16. but is the gift of God that the faithfull are borne of God that S. Peter receiued his faith of God and not of flesh bloud that men must be regenerat of the holy Ghost to become faithfull So it is writte that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia the
bloud he addeth ye shal not eate my body being the bread descended from heauen as your fathers did eat Manna that is to say ye shall not eat it with carnall teeth as your fathers did eat Manna for they did eat that carnally but ye shall eat this spiritually Moreouer to shew that this speach is spirituall and that his body and bloud should be taken spiritually and by faith he saith I am the bread of life he that commeth to me shall haue no hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall haue no thirst for there he speaketh of spirituall hunger and thirst and referreth all to faith On th' other side if we take the body and bloud of our Sauiour carnally with the mouth it should folow that S. Paul is contrary to Christ For he saith 2. Cor. 7. that by eating and drinking we profit nothing to Christ that meate maketh vs not acceptable to God if wee eate sayth hee it aduantageth vs not and if we doo not eate wee haue neuer the lesse and yet in S. Iohn Christ sayth Iohn 6. that if wee eate not his flesh wee shall not haue life euerlasting In like sort S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 11. that whosoeuer shall eate vnworthily the bread of the supper he shal be guiltie of the Lords body and yet Christ teacheth vs. that whatsoeuer entreth by the mouth Math. 15. defileth not the man We cannot agree S. Paul with Christ the holy Ghost with himselfe if we affirme not that the Lord and S. Paul doo speake in the one place to wit concerning the supper of spirituall eating and in the other of corporall eating In such wise that S. Paules doctrine remayneth true where he saith that by eating and drinking we profit nothing towarde Christ albeit that we must eate and drinke the body and bloud of our Sauiour as himselfe saith for it is spiritually that we must eate and drinke of which maner of eating drinking the Apostle purposed not to speake at all in this place the doctrine of Christ also abideth sure that whatsoeuer entreth by the mouth defileth not the soule albeit th'Apostle saith that whosoeuer receiueth the bread of the supper vnworthely maketh himselfe guilty of the Lords body for the abuse which is committed in receiuing the bread of the supper is principally considered in the soule conscience and faith Lo this speech of the holy supper is like to that of Iesus to Nicodemus Iohn 3. truely I say to thee that he which is not borne againe cannot see the kingdom of God How may a mā saith Nicodernus be born whē he is old can he enter againe into his mothers wombe be borne Iesus answereth truely truly I say vnto thee that whosoeuer is not borne of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of God that which is borne of flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Maruell not at that which I haue told thee we must be borne from aboue the winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the voice but knowest not from whence it commeth nor whither it goeth euen so is euery man that is borne of the spirit We all agree that this maner of being borne againe is spirituall for otherwise it should be against nature Now so it is that we haue many mo reasons and considerations which enforce vs to beleeue that this maner of eating and drinking the body and bloud of Iesus Christ is spirituall For besides that the holy Ghost hath declared the one and the other forme of speech to be spirituall it is altogether impossible in nature that one body should be turned into another diuers in kind by words and in a moment This cannot be in nature that a liuing body should become of the substance of any other body without death or corruption it cannot haue change from substance into substance without corruptiō without being not that which it was afore Ioh. 12. the Lord himself saith it is a thing impossible The Pope saith not that by this transubstantiation the body of Christ dieth and corrupteth that were to heape vp too many blasphemies and heresies one vpon another and were it so Christ were to die and suffer infinite times Heb. 9.10 which is flat against the scripture For it is written that he died once for all that he made one onely oblation of his body that there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne that he liueth for euer at the right hand of God His body is glorified it is no more subiect to suffering and corruption Againe we see not the bread corrupt it appeareth after the breaking and blessing as faire and vnaltred bread as afore On the other part it is impossible in nature that a body such as we ought to beleeue that of Iesus Christ hath bene and is to wit a true body can at the selfe same time be in diuers places If the body of Christ is in the bread of the supper it is in places innumerable at the same time it is in heauen it is in earth in sundry infinit parts thereof This properly is to deny Iesus Christ to become in the flesh 2. Ioh. 4. which is a marke of Antichrist as saith S. Iohn Is there any thing more contrarie to sense to reason to charitie to godlines to the feare honor loue which we by duetie must beare towards God is there any thing more impossible tha to breake chew and swalow the body of our Lord his glorified body to breake teare rend it in peeces to make him die whom the Apostles assure vs eternally doth liue at the right hād of God the curse of God hath bene yet is on them that did put him once to death think ye Ioh. 19. that put him to death euery day so much as in you lieth to escape the curse of God If Christ his body is in the bread the prophesie cited by S. Iohn ye shall not breake a bone of him is in great ieoperdie for the Priestes vndiscretly breake the bread without looking where the bones be It appeareth of old that in the law of Moses Leuis 4.5 they did not eat of the beast which was sacrificed for sinne to foreshew that the true sacrifice for sinne should be made by Iesus Christ of whose body we should not eate hereupon S. Paul Heb. 13. after the recitall of this auncient sacrifice saith we haue an altar whereof they may not eate which serue in the tabernacle Let vs consider withall that the corporall presence of Iesus Christ in the bread and wine of the holy supper here below is contrary to th'articles of the faith for we beleeue that Iesus Christ is ascended into heauen that he sitteth on the right hand of the father Act. 3. that he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead Let vs confider how S. Peter saith that the heauen must conteine Iesus Christ vntill the time
and vanities If it be true that a fire is in Purgatorie and soules must passe through the same tarying therein a certaine time to suffer the torments of spirituall frying for satisfaction of their sinnes it should then follow that there is no Sauiour or els the satisfaction of our Sauiour God man is imperfect and of no power Now so it is that we learne in the Scripture how Iesus is the Sauiour that the father gaue his sonne to be Sauiour of the world this is the subiect this is the marke whereat the Prophets aymed this is the Gospell this haue the Apostles witnessed by wordes writings miracles and sufferings how that we are ransomed by his death and passion that the purging and remission of our sinnes is made by his bloud that the satisfaction he hath made for vs is whole perfect Meb 7. yea ouer-abounding and exceeding the debt he is able perfectly to saue them saith S. Paul that come vnto God by him for it pleased the father that in him should all fulnes dwell Col. 1. and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world If he be the reconciliation for the sinnes of all the world with greater reason is he the reconciliation for the sinnes of his chosen for many are called but few are chosen On the other side seeing Iesus Christ is God we may not doubt of the perfection of his deedes and thereupon we know the satisfaction he made for vs is complete and performed Furthermore the holy Scripture to remoue all imagination of the paines and torments of purgatorie after this life warranteth vs that there is no accuser against the faithfull nor any accusation iudgement nor condemnation against the chosen Isay 50. He is neere that iustifieth me who will contend with me the Lord God will help me who is he that can condemne me Apoc. 12. saith Isay Th'accuser of our brethren which accused them before our God day and night is cast downe saith S. Iohn And S. Paul asketh Row 8. who shall bring any accusation against Gods chosen it is God that iustifieth who shal condemne it is Christ which is dead yea or rather which is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs is it possible to heare or reade a word more comfortable and more expresse to deliuer vs from the feare of Purgatory But marke yet further how the Lord himself by othe assureth vs that after this life there is no paine of Purgatorie verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that hath sent me Iohn 5. hath life euerlasting and shall not come to condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life and other where he that beleeueth in me is not condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned alredy If there be no accuser no accusation nor condemnation against them that are in Christ and if we passe immediatly from death to life why do we imagine the paines and torments of Purgatorie fire Dauid assuring himselfe that the Lord iudgeth not his elect prayeth ordinarily that he enter not into iudgement with him and so pray woe dayly that hee graunt vs his peace and that he enter not into iudgement with vs as it is written Col. 1. that the good pleasure of God was to reconcile all things to him by the bloud of Iesus Christ pacifying by himselfe the things that are aswell in earth as in heauen that being iustified by faith we haue peace with God by our Lord Iesus Christ and in another place Rom. 5. God setteth out his loue towardes vs seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs much more then being now iustified by his bloud we shal be saued from wrath through him If God is reconciled and pacified if we haue peace with him if he is not prouoked against vs why feare we the condemnation of Purgatorie Rom. 10. He that beleeueth in Christ shall not be confounded the Lord redeemeth the soules of all his seruants all such as hope in him Psal 32. shall not be confounded Sith there is no more cōfusion for them that beleeue in God why will we beleeue dread the condēnation of Purgatorie where no cōfusion is no condēnation by iustice can be S. Paul assureth vs Rom. 5. that by the iustifying of one he meaneth Christ the benefite abounded toward all men to the iustificatiō of life but after iustification followeth no condēnation Againe he saith that forgeuenes of sins is purchased for vs by the bloud of Iesus Christ that where forgeuenes is there is no more oblatiō for sinne if there is no more oblation for sinne it followeth that sin is imputed no more els we should be for euer in sinne so for euer excluded out of our masters ioy out of his paradise seing no oblation for sin should remaine which vtterly cōtrarieth the purpose of th'Apostle but if sinne is imputed no more as the scripture in this text many mo teacheth most euidētly why should the Lord cōdēne vs in any penalty satisfactiō In the gospel is declared that the soules of the dāned incōtinent after their departure frō this world do passe into hell as the soules of the iustified in Christ are incontinent borne into Paradise Euen so Luke 16. the Euangelist rehearseth how the soule of the wicked Richman was cast headlong into hell by and by after his death and that of poore Lazarus caried vp to Paradise into Abrahams bosome Luk. 23. And so said our Lord to the theefe that hung on the Crosse by him I tell thee verily this day shalt thou be with me in Paradisetifthere be a Purgatory indeed out of this world through which all soules must passe perferce for satisfaction of sinnes the likelihood is great that this Theefe of euill life condemned to die for his sinnes who had not beleeued in the Lord but for a moment afore he gaue vp the ghost ought to haue passed and tarried there for a while and yet the selfe same day was receyued into Paradise It behoueth vs heedfully to consider wherefore the Lord saith Mar. 13. Luke 12. Math. 24. watch and pray while ye are in this world wayting for the masters comming the comming of the Lord he shall come as a theefe in the night the houre of his comming is vncertaine Math. 25. ye know not when the Bride-grome should come haue alwaies your lamps in a readinesse for when the Bride-grome is passed by and gone into his chamber ye may enter in by no meane All these words are spoken to instruct vs not onely touching the maner of the second comming of our Lord but principally that repentance after departure out of this life is all too late and because the houre is vncertaine we must alway keepe vs in readinesse and verely this our
townes and dominions prouided that ye renounce your idolatrie receiue our law the law of the Lord if not we will continually pursue by armes your end and destruction how many Proselits thinke you had they made what encrease had they brought to the Church They know it that doo know what power hath feare conceipt and perill ouer worldly men that know what multitudes haue by th' armes of th' Arabians Tartars Persians Mamalukes and Turkes bin ranged to Mahomets religion We can not say that th'Israelites wanted affection to the glory of God and auauncement of his kingdome for in other matters they sufficiently witnessed their deuotion Againe we can not say that they wanted force for God fought for them almost visibly there were men so valiant among them that their matches were neuer found nor fained otherwhere an hundred of theirs could discōfite ten thousand others 4. Reg. 6. one of them alone by praier did confound an infinit army of Syrians their warres were wonders But they knew that feare and force were not workemen of the house of God We can not doubt of the power of our Lord Iesus Christ he is God we can not doubt of his tender loue towards vs and th'edification of his Church he humbled himselfe infinitely being God he tooke vpon him humane nature and submitted himselfe to the miseries of the flesh except sinne suffering reproches torments and death euen the curse of God his father for our saluation he praied preached and wrought miracles for th'edification of the Church with one twinkling of an eye with one onely word he might haue compelled or confounded all men he might haue fought with twelue legions of Angels if it had bene his pleasure he might haue done to all as he did to S. Paul he did it not He forbad them that meant to vse force he lifted not vp his hand he handled no sword nor warlike weapon his will was not that armes should intermeddle in the kingdome of the word Thus we may not bring men to the house of God but by means allowed by Iesus Christ for none can go to God but by him he is the doore of the house of God The Apostles also haue witnessed to vs their earnest desire in that they abandoned the world themselues for our example and to winne vs bare with our infirmities obiected themselues to all daungers drad not th' assaults of the deuill the hate of the world the rigor of Magistrats the stormes of the sea the paine ignominie and terror of punishments no not the horrour of Hell for to edisie the house of God they prayed preached and interpreted they wrote they suffred and all to builde the Church as for carnall weapons they refused for so had their maister Christ inioyned when hee sent them to the conquest of peoples he commaunded them to goe alone without sundry garments without money without bread with a staffe onely in their hand and not with the feare and force of armes Euen so did the Lord rebuke his Apostles that craued leaue of him to pray for fire to fall downe from heauen on such as would not receiue them yee know not quoth he of what spirit ye are for the sonne of man came not to destroy soules but to saue them Prayers therefore preachings prophecies interpretations writinges miracles and sufferinges were the tooles wherewith th'Apostles built the house of God Yours are of a farre other sort they humbled themselues yee exalt your selues they prayed yee curse and commaund they preached expounded and writ yee say not a word yee shut yee hide the booke yee write with the sword they suffered yee make others suffer they were murthered yee are massacrers Thus haue ye forsaken the way of our Sauiour his Disciples Take heed that it be not told you that you folow in this behalf the way of Mahumet Mahumet said he was the greatest Prophet sent of God to constraine by violence of armes all those that would not submit themselues vnder the power of God by the preaching of his word to that purpose God had sent him three keyes of Iustice of Prophecie and of Victory Great is the appearance that this noueltie of forcing mens consciences is come out of Sathans shop For besides the noueltie thereof and slat repugnance against the doctrine and histories of the Bible it carieth th'infallible marke of Sathan th'executiō belyeth the promise Ye promise your selues to compell mens consciences and so bring them to God which can not be It is notorious that the materiall sword hath no power ouer the soule Ye may constraine the body to be present at the Masse to bow it self before your inuentions your images and relikes but ye can not enforce the conscience to consent to these bowings and seruices It is as if ye would weigh the firie flame The more ye assay to compell and enthrall the conscience the more free it remaines The Martyrs that were violently forced to stand by the sacrifices of Idols were not Pagans therefore So they that by compulsion become Christians are nothing lesse then Christians But admit ye could force mens consciences suppose ye by this meane to bring them to God Ye whose might and knowledge can not reach so farre as to the will of man yet do not accept a frend fayned or forced ye make no accompt in your houses and Lordships of submissions or homages founded on dissimuled pretence or fearefull cōstraint God that will principally reigne ouer our wils and full well knoweth them that deserueth and demaundeth to be loued of vs with all our heart with all our will with all our strength with all our soule with all our vnderstanding will he receiue these forced soules which ye bring him Christian Religion consisteth in faith nothing is more cōtrary to faith then force ye may compell mē to do or to speake but to make them to beleeue ye are neuer able Whoso beleeueth not can not be a Christian 1. Pet. 5. For which cause S. Peter commaundeth saying feed the flock not as hauing dominion ouer the Lords inheritance Let vs beleeue then that this is not the maner whereby God draweth receiueth men into his house whereby he enlargeth the limits of his empire The force that he employeth is spiritual sweet agreable and healthfull First he possesseth the will after he contenteth th'vnderstanding he ruleth the reason and so by degrees he becomes maister of such as he will and such as will him Th' empire of the consciences is gouerned by meanes of the word this is the scepter whereby Iesus Christ reigneth whereby he destroyeth the powers fortresses counsels and all highnesse that lifteth it selfe against the knowledge of God by the same all vnderstanding is enthralled to his obedience God by his Prophets hath so promised foretold My word saith he in Isay shall not returne to me in vaine Isa 11.55 2. Cor. 10. it shall do what I haue willed I will smite the
societies and alliances with infidels and Idolaters they had no commandement as had the Christians to communicate their religion to all nations also they ought to haue bene and so were of all people most ielous of the puritie of their religion and preseruation thereof neuerthelesse when their kings and successors forsooke the way of God for to sacrifice in the lugh places betaking themselues to idol-worship and seruing of strange Gods they stouped vnder the mightichand of God and receiued such kings as God would graunt them and therefore they neuer went about to expel their kings nor made exceptiō or resistāce to their successors for religions sake they endured the gouernment of Ieroboam Achab Ioram Ochosias Achas Manasses Amō many mo endued with nothing but vngodlines They impeached not the successiō of that most wicked idolatrous Iorā to the very deuout meek Iosaphat So succeeded Ochosias to Ioram Achas to Ioatham Manasses to Ezekias Amon to Manasses and Ioacham to Iosias Now we Christians are much more bound to th' obedience of all Magistrates either faithfull or misbeleeuers For our true profession is of humilitie subiection and obedience as th' Apostles in many places aboue cited and directed to vs haue prescribed But besides that hath Iesus Christ by his commaundements and actions stopped our mouth and ouerthrowen whatsoeuer may be proponed to excuse you or maintaine your opinion He being God Math. 17. Mar. 12. and able easily to reuerse all power acknowledged Tiberius for Emperour an idolater if euer any were he payed him Tribute and commaunded it to be payd him he bad that honour obedience and seruice due to Emperours should be yeelded him Are we greater and more honorable then Iesus Christ that we should peruert th' order of successions the lawes estate of the Realme to chuse vs as a king Iesus enquired not he stood not vpon the Emperours religion and other qualities he is God we be men we be what him pleaseth we be we haue no being nor qualitie belonging but by him he might by right haue excused himselfe after the lawes of the world of paying tribute as himselfe saith howbeit to th' end he should not offend the maiestie of kings he payed it but we not onely offend our Princes but also rather than acknowledge them we will seeke the ouerthrow of th' estate and any part thereof The Apostles acknowledged kings Lieutenants and Magistrates though insidels rendred them obedience S. Paul submitted himselfe to the gouernment and iurisdiction of the Emperours of Italie and their Lieutenants he sought out their priuiledges allowed their lawes and vsed them for his aid he appeared before them and vnder-went their iurisdiction and according to the order of the same yeelded himselfe at the Emperours feet whither to he had appealed And sithence then haue Christen Churches continued their dutie of obedience to Princes of the Countries they were in being Pagans and their persecutors We are bound not onely to obay but furthermore to pray for them 1. Tim. 2. thus S. Paul commaundeth I warne that afore all things requests prayers supplications thank esgiuing be made for all men for kings and all them that are set in auctoritie to wit though they be Idolaters though they persecute and imprison vs as hath bene said So the children of Israel hauing bene vanquished spoiled and led into captiuitie in the citie of Babylon the seat of all Idolatrie see how God commaundeth them by his prophet leremie Iorem. 29. craue for the peace of the citie into which I haue caused you to be translated and pray to the Lord for it Nay moreouer the Lord takes part against them that disobey their superiours he deemeth it an iniurie done to himselfe for good reason it is sith he sent them that he should conceiue displeasure at the disobedience showen them and therefore he threatneth the disobedient they shall procure themselues damnation saith S. Paul Admit though the kings were not our naturall and lawfull kings but by vsurpation by violence by title of conquest alone yet he threatneth and pardoneth not if we disobey them Euen so the Lord by way of reproch saith to his people by the prophet Baruch Bar. 2. Bow your shoulder and your necke and serue the king of Babilon and you shal be seated in the land which I gaue vnto your fathers but if ye do it not if ye hearken not to the voice of the Lord your God to serue the king of Babylon I will bring to passe that ye shall no more be in the cities of Iuda nor come out of the citie of lerusalem I will take from you the voice of mirth the voice of ioy the voice of the bridegrome the voice of the spouse all the land shal be without any signe they that inhabit the same Behold how he witnesseth his will that his people obey the idolatrous king Nabuchodonosor and threatneth fearefull penalties if they obey him not But threats alone sufficed him not it fortuned his people to reuolt against Nabuchodonosor he made them feele th' effect of all his threatnings and curses Ierusalem because of this reuolt was taken by force and sacked 4. Reg. 25. most of the Israelites put to the sword the rest enchained like captiues were led to Babilon where they endured a very long time intollerable slauery their king Sedekias was taken his eyes pluckt out and after ended his daies in most vile bondage Finally one cōsideration among the rest should make all Christians abhorre the disturbers of Estates vpon earth and such as rise against their Princes to impeach their auctoritie or force them to slie and should warne them carefully to beware that they forte not themselues with such That is 2. Thess 2. 2. Pet. 2. Iud. 1. our Lord Iesus Christ and his Apostles haue left written in many places that to rise against powers to consound trouble and go about to dispose them is a token of Antichrist Aduise your selues my children how ye may remoue from your Church the suspition hereof Let vs not say it is the Resormed that trouble our state that disobey the king his Lieutenants and Magistrates because they will not go to the Masse and make their profession For it is none of that wherein God willeth vs to obey earthly powers He imparteth kings this honour to take them for his Lieutenants in gouernment of the world but not in all gouernment he hath reserued to himselfe one parte which he will not haue them meddle with namely the gouernance of the highest parte of the soule of the conscience and religion he hath giuen herevpon his lawes and commaundements which he willeth to be preferred afore the commaundements of men he liketh not that men should enterprise ought ouer them he is aboue the kings of th' earth he is their Creator it is good reason that his commaundements should ouer-rule theirs For so S. Peter and S. Iohn being in all things else
kindlers of your choler motioners of your cōmotions I was afraide to anger you ouermuch at the beginning of my discourse I haue examined your actions as if they wholy aymed at heretiks It is time to wink no more nor to conceale my meaning the salues haue mortified the inflamation of the wound your hot cōtentious humors begin to coole and qualifie ye begin to know your malady that furie reigned in your zele among your determinations being not leueled by the word and cōmandements of God that the same zele of yours was without warrant in danger of reproose curse punishment the knowledge of your owne cuill lessening thereof should haue purchased in you an hope of recouery and extreme longing to attaine thereto by any paines what so euer Th' acknowledgement of your errors ought to haue brought withall your trust and desire of repentance and your will redie to yeeld to seuere aduertisements requisite for that end Ouerrule therefore your passionate mindes and listen to me Let vs search your wounds throughly let vs encounter your disease with medicines of true contrarietie and fight with it to the vttrance let vs proceed to the soundations of your errors and see whether they be well grounded Examine we frankly whether the Reformed be heretikes and schismatiks either one or other without pausing on formalitie or proceedings to be had against them for of such matters inough is spoken asore and therein the iudgementes of trueth are not most often found Ye mainteine that they are heretikes and schismatikes for so much as they allow not the doctrine of the Catholik Apostolik and Romane Church and will not become of the body and yeeld to the discipline of that Church They say they are of the Catholik or vniuerfall Church doe beleue in the doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Apostles and of the whole Primitiue Church and doe yeeld to the gouernment and order of the same They repute the Roman Church at this day most abhominable We will limit your controuersie and say frankly that ye suppose thē heretikes and schismatikes because they auow not the Pope and his doctrine nor will bow vnder his authoritie nor enter into his Church For it shall appeare by the conclusion of this treatise more cleerely that herein consisteth the controuersie Forbeare me a little while to discourse with you as if I were a Reformed and to declare in breefe the reasons why the Reformed will none of the Pope nor his doctrine And be not offended if now and then I vse their tearmes and manner of speech for since the question in this behalfe leadeth vs to speake for them we must speake like them The Prophesies say they were not written for nothing the holy Ghost is trueth it selfe there shall not one onely word of all that he hath endited remaine vnperformed heauen earth shall faile Mat. 24. Marke 13. Luke 21. but the words of the Lord shall not faile Now so it is that himselfe hath forewarned vs how there should happen a great oppression in the Church a seducing almost generall and an abhomination most great The same is likewise foretold by the Prophets Dan. 7. 4 Esd 11. Apo. 13.17 chiesly by Daniel Esdras and S. Iohn in his Reuelation that immediatly after the first comming of the Lord a certaine power should arise that should bruise and spoyle the Lorde Saints thinking to change the times and the law and which should reigne with great tyrannie This is that great beast which speaketh high things and blasphemies against the Lord which should maintaine battell against the faithfull and vanquish them and should seduce or misleade by words fables false miracles and fauors of this world and should with armes subdue many Nations This is that strūpet so proud in attire in precious ornaments of gold stone in painted shew in word in power full of abhomination with whō the kings dwellers vpon earth haue committed whoredome and haue made themselues drunke with the wine of her leacherous dissolutenes in her cup of abhomination Of her haue th'Apostles aduertised vs 2. Pet. 2. 2. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2.4 Iude. chiesly S. Peter S. Paul S. Iohn and S. Iude who haue spoken so manifestly of Antichrist that they conceale nought saue the name they haue described the Apostasie or reuolt the sonne of perdition his originall the cause of his perdition his pride his power the departing his manifestation or reuealing his fal Let vs then beleeue that there hath bene and now is an Antichrist which oppresseth this long time the trueth the Church and the faithfull which hath cut of Christ and taken all from him as Daniel faith It is written by Daniel and Esdras Dan. 9.7 4. Esd 11.10 how Antichrist should spring out of the fourth Monarchie and should as it were contemne and set vp the same againe no man doubteth that the fourth Monarchie is that of Italie or Rome the dreame of Nabuchodonosor expounded by Daniel makes it vndoubted Daniel 2. The Pope was aduaunced at Rome first by Phocas the murtherer of his Prince the Emperors succeeding some of their owne will others by his cunning fetches the rest through plaine force left him Italie and the citie of Rome where he stablished his court these Emperours made themselues their Empire subiect to the Pope together withall the Kings I ords and people of Christendome he calleth himselfe neither Emperour nor King but claymeth a soueraingtie ouer Emperours and kings and this is proued by infinit histories apparant by the Bull sent from Pope Boniface to Philip the Faire as also by Pope Clements proud answere to th'Embassadours of Lewis of Bauaria the Emperour Behold the greatnes of Rome the sourth Monarchie thus renewed and replanted behold also the Prophesie Apoc. 17. that Antichrist should be set aboue kings accomplished It is written by S. Iohn and S. Peter 1. Iohn 2. 2. Pet. 2. that out of the Church Antichrist should arise that he should be a successor of th'Apostles speaking of Antichrist and his retinue they say they are gone forth from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of ours they would haue taried with vs. Verily if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world thorough the acknowledging of our Lord Sauior Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and are ouercome their later end is worse with them than the beginning For better had it bene for them not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnes then after they haue acknowleged it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen to them But it is come to them according to the true prouerb The dogge is returned to his owne vomit the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the myre The Pope is borne and descended of the Church and of the Apostles of the Church of Rome built by the Apostles he hath exalted himselfe in th' order and
personall succession of Bishops succeeding th'Apostles he hath reteyned the name of Christian and yet neuerthelesse is returned and also turneth those that are his to the vomit and filthines of the Gentils It is written by Daniel S. Matthew and S. Paul Dan. 9. Math. 24.2 Thess 2. that Antichrist shall sit in the holy place in the temple and Church of God the Pope holdeth his See in the hart of Christendome in the Church prepared by th'Apostles he is Lord and President ouer all Christendome which is the temple of God It is written in Daniell Dan. 9. that the Lord shortly after his comming shal be slaine and shall haue nothing 4. Es 5.6 in Esdras that the places which were sowen shall soudainely appeare as they were not sowen the way of truth shal be hidden and the region shal be barren of faith and vnrighteousnesse shal be multiplied on that countrey thou seest and on that which at other times thou hast heard of vnrighteousnes with fornication shall be multiplied in the land Luke 21. Iesus Christ saith that after his visible conuersation with men the time of Antichrist should draw neere that his end should not come so soone 2. Thess 2. It is written by S. Paul that euen in his time Sathan wrought the mistery of iniquitie the beginnings of Antichrist by S. Iohn 1. Iohn 2. that there are many Antichrists already which from thence forth should be to the last tymes Also from th'age of th'Apostles there was couertly brought into the Church the doctrine and glory of men and a litle while after their decease the Bishop of Rome began openly to pretend clayme and plead for the Primacie Presidencie and power ouer all other Bishops not long after he obteined vsurped and declared himselfe chief of the Church and for to manifest publish settle mainteine and augment his power he made many decrees preiudiciall and contrary to the Gospell to the doctrine and policie of the primitiue Church for to cause his power and doctrine to appeare and preuaile euery where he smothered and abolished on earth the power doctrine of the Lord he withdrew the keyes of knowledge like as he would not enter himselfe so he forbad them to enter that would Thus is vnderstanding sled away ignorance and vice come in place hauing regained the dominion ouer vs. Behold againe how it is no straunge thing that the Pope hath reigned so long sith Antichrist ought to begin shortly after the first comming of our Lord and endure long till a time and many times and halfe a time Dan. 7.2 Thess 2. as Daniel saith It is written that Antichrist the sonne of perdition shall list himselfe aboue all that which is called God or is worshipped so farre as to sit in the temple of God as God shewing himselfe that he is God The Pope doth name himselfe God in earth onely but in effect doth behaue himselfe as God ouer all he geueth altereth and repealeth lawes he geueth priuileges goods estats fauours he geueth good seasons and bad by his power by his blessings cursings he threateneth kings punisheth summoneth chaungeth and supplanteth them and that which belongeth to God the king of kings he wil be adored on earth so is he God in earth He saith he hath power ouer the deuill he can take soules out of hell out of the company and dominion of the deuill which can not apperteine but to Iesus Christ and so is he God in hell He assureth vs that he can send soules into Paradise whatsoeuer infidelitie is in them whatsoeuer sinne they committed in this world by his great Iubiles by certeine beadrols of prayers and ceremonies by money therefore nameth himselfe ghostly Father of soules It is God that is our father who by his grace exceeding bountie and mercy hath called chosen vs to be in his Paradise it is our Lord Iesus who by the great loue he beareth vs by his death and passion hath purchased for vs opened vs the gate guideth and bringeth vs thither through the faith we haue in him and which he geueth vs by his holy spirite Thus the Pope is God in Paradise is God ouer all He sitteth in the Temple of God as we haue said for that he ruleth ouer all Christendome being the Temple of God He aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God aboue Iudges and Magistrats which are called Gods in Scripture they can not be Iudges without vndertaking his mark allowing well testifying of it and without swearing fealtie to him lawes and Iudgements depend on him Kings and Emperours are likewise called Gods in Scripture yet he exalteth himselfe aboue them the maner is to kisse the Kings hand th' Emperours knee and the Popes foote he crowneth and blesseth them he maks them promise and sweare fealtie that they will yeld him all reuerence obedience and seruice Lewes of Bauaria th'Emperour was excommunicated for hauing taken on him the gouernance of th' Empire before he had performed th'othe of subiection or as some history writers say for not hauing auowed the Pope for soueraigne Iudge of the variance touching th' Empire betweene him and Frederik of Austrich Frederik the second was excōmunicated for presuming to iourney into Asia without taking leaue of the Pope And to knit vp all in a word there are no Kings nor Emperours but by him for he deliuereth their Realmes in pray at his pleasure he depriueth and restoreth them their subiects at his lust He exalts him selfe aboue Angels he commaunds them peremptorily He exalts him selfe aboue th'Apostles and other Saincts in Paradise at his bidding they must runne trot and sollicite euen as he will as though their Saincting honour and saluation depended on him He racketh gloseth interpreteth chaungeth choppeth and defaceth the word of God as best fitteth his fansie he repealeth the law he disguiseth correcteth enlargeth and despenceth against the lawes and commaundements of God God must not be obeyed but as pleaseth the Pope He abolisheth the Gospell the merite of our Lords death and passion he ascribeth to the workes of men and to the obedience they beare him and his foolish inuentions and ceremonies Th' election of the faithfull belongeth to God no more the Pope hath vsurped and limited the same He Saincteth whom he please he hath arrogated to himselfe the office of sanctifier aboue the holy Ghost He maketh or thinks to make the like stirres and alterations in Heauen as he doeth here below he carieth at his girdle the seuen keyes and seuen seales of the seuen Churches saying it is his ofsice to shut and open the Churches Lo how he lifteth vp himselfe aboue all that is called God Thus the markes which as S. Paule teacheth should be in Antichrist 4. Esdr 8. are found in the Pope See here also the Prophesie of Esdras verisied that the miseries of the last times should happen by occasion of great pride It is written in Daniel Dan.
7. that Antichrist shall thinke he may change times lawes Who so heedfully marketh the doctrine policie and seruice of the Romane Church shall not find there any consormitie or agreablenes with the Gospel but contrarietie almost throughout all the Gospell speaketh neither of Masse Purgatorie calling vpon Saincts nor of Prayers for the dead Images or Holy water nor of wax tapers or processions pilgrimages nor of Munkeries of the Altar or Priestly ornamēts the word baptisme holy supper are not administred in the Romane Church according to the cōmandements ordmances vsage of our Lord of his Apostles Primitine Church The Gospell preacheth nothing but grace and free-guift the Pope commaundeth nothing but merite and monie The Gospell requireth not of men but faith to receiue saluation good workes to giue witnes of their election iustification new-birth fanctification and loue towardes God the Pope knowes not what this Faith means it brings him no aduantage he therefore speakes but of workes The Gospell preacheth not but the worde and commaundeth not but the commaundements of God forbiddeth the Traditions of men by name the Pope commandeth not but the Traditions of men nay he conceleth yea sometimes forbiddeth the cōmaundements of God It is not much aboue threescore yeares ago that in the Church of God there was no talke of God in the Churches of Christ no talke was of Christ to the flock of Iesus Christ the voice of the Lord of their great Shepheard was not declared nor read nor heard nor vnderstood the Bishops and Doctors that gaue themselues to studie mused on nothing else saue prophane learning and philosophie on vanities fained inuentions phantasies and subtilties of the flesh all prayers diuine-worships masses and Church-seruices were made to the dead and them alone who were in the Popes good grace but in chiefe to those that had in their life time most trauailed to extoll aduance his sacred See by violences lies fables false miracles other deceiptfull trumperies The Apostles baptised with pure water in the name of the Father of the Sonne and holy Ghost the Pope hath intermingled therewith his creame salt spittle and so many idle ceremonies besides that the Baptisme of the Apostles may seeme welnigh lost The holy Supper likewise is so disguised that the simple Gospeller can discerne therein nothing that comes of God The Pope also hath altered the yeares moneths daies applying the histories of the Gospell to th'obseruations of Astronomers and motions of the Moone and Sunne Behold how the Pope hath gone about to change times and lawes both that of Moses and this of our Lord Iesus Christ euen the Gospell and th' accomplishment thereof wherein th'vnderstanding of the Prophesie doth chiefly consist It is written that the Spirit speaketh euidently 1. Tim. 4. that in the or read of an enmitie pursued with more diuelish malice than that of Gregorie the seuenth against Henry the sourth Onely because this Emperor would preserue the rights and prerogatiue of th' Empire against his attēpts he excommunicated him he stirred vp al the Lords and Bishops against him compelling euery one with threates to become his sworne enemie commaunding against him manifold treasons at last through his threates assayes and enterprises he inforced him to come woolward and barefoot to fall downe at his feet with great scornfulnes and disgrace made him endure th'miurie of the wether and reproches of men and yet these submissions and suffrances notwithstanding he continued his pursuites more furiouslie than afore For after he had out-weried many Lords brought them to their end in making warre on him he incited his owne sonne Henry the fift and with his superstitions commaundements and threatnings he so hampered and bewitched the wit and iudgement of this youth that he durst warre on his owne father besiege betray and take him dispoyle him of his Imperiall diguitie and make him ende his dayes in great sorrow and captiuitie which moued a learned personage of that time to cry out the sonne hath betrayed dispoyled and done his father to death not by the commandement of any barbarous tyrant of any Phalares but by the counsell of the most holy father of Rome adding reioyce ye ô Caligula and Nero for the Pope of Rome playeth such prankes that there shal be no more remembrance of your crueltie The hatred of Gregorie the ninth against the Emperor Frederik the second passed likewise al comparison in stifnes and frowardnes of stomach he preached the Croissado against the Emperor promising glorie and eternall life to them that would rise in armes against him he excōmunicated him oftentimes the Princes and Bishops of Germanie were a whole yeere in praying him to mollifie his minde receiue Frederik to fauor he reiected them all with their petition so holy so carefully and humbly offred and sued they neuer had come to an end had they not geuen for that purpose sixescore thousand pounds of golde The Popes egged on with a vehement lust of reuenge mounted to this step of furie and vngodlines that they empoysoned the host or Sacrament of th altar whereby they brought one Emperor to his bane Pope Iohn the thirteenth caused one Cardinals nose to be cut off and anothers hand for hauing purposed in the Consistorie to geue him some admonitions touching his whordome he spent the most part of his life in minding committing all sorts of such vncleannes and ended his life in adultery for he was taken with the manner and slayne in the very acte The whoredomes adulteries incests and sodomies of Pope Iulio the third are knowen th' Italians printed and published them in Rome in euery corner of the streets Nothing euer came to the Pope amisse prouided he might draw profit out of i◠When Robert had inuaded the landes of his nephew and ward the County of Puglia and Calabria an Orphan the Pope excommunicated and further threatned him with his materiall sword this Robert knowing the force credit natural propertie and intent of Popes came to him and gaue him Beneuent and Troy a portion of his bootie the Pope thereupon reuoked his thundring sentence honored him with his amitie and blessing and iudged th'vsurpation made by the vncle vpon the neuew his ward and an Orphan to be an action holy and full of deuotion It hath euer bene an heresie to be the Popes neighbour for any that had land in his good Grace and liking had no power to defend it for then must other Lords warre on such an heretik and not leaue him so long as a foot of land were left him as they tendered his holines good Grace The proofe may easely be made by histories that Popes haue vsurped encroched on all the Seigneuries of Christēdome at least on the greater part Thus the Popes palace is full of robberies pray and spoiles which he hath raked by no other titles then impietie iniustice violence neuerthelesse he calleth it his rights S. Peters
patrimonie Gods demain As for Popes most of them haue clymbed vp to the holy See by lyes hypocrisie guiles and deceipt by money armes massacres sackings poysonings and Magicall arts There is no kind of impietie Atheisme idolatry enchauntements heresie schisme but ye shall commonly read it in their stories View the the life of Siluestre the second Misnia and after the death of Hebert being still wedded to his owne selfe will and stubborne opinion against God who brought all these Emperors being the Popes creatures to confusion he gaue the Empire to Henrie the fift the sonne of Henrie the fourth who was yet liuing allowed and acknowledged of all men for Emperor except the Pope and his adherents Histories are full of such contempts we learne by them that Emperors during foure hundred yeeres and vpward were tossed and troubled by th' iniuries and oppressions of the Pope that such stormes and tempestes neuer tooke end till after th' Emperors had quitt to the Popes the greater part of their possessions and rights and had subiected to them their persons dignities The Pope tooke the Crowne from Childerik gaue it to Pepin took it from Lewis the meek gaue it to his sonne which is a story as lamētable as that of th' Emperor Henry the fourth there was no let in him that he disposed not our Crowne more often Boniface when he had excōmunicated Philip the Faire gaue the Realme to Albert king of the Romanes it passeth all account to tell how many times he hath excommunicated our kings hath exposed our kingdome in pray hath adiudged it to him that first could seize on it and by dispensation hath discharged the Subiects of their othe to turne them from their fidelitie and allegeance How oft and how long he hath put and held the Realme of England in interdiction is knowen By this gate of iniustice hath the Spanish tvrāt inuaded the kingdome of Nauarre this is all the iust and lawfull title he hath there to It is knowē how the Pope hath played with the Realm of Naples and Sicile He tooke it from the Germaines to geue it the French and after from the French to geue it the Spaniardes a very long time hath he made faire shew to these two Nations crossing or fauouring the hopes now of th' one then of the other he let it be taken from Conradin he opposed himself against Maufred made war on him calling this war holy which touched th' estate of Religion in nothing but only the ease securitie profite enuie and grudge of his holinesse he called thither the Earle of Aniou he condemned and put to death Conradm by the hand of the hangman and a douzen or fiftene great Lords with him for no other cause than his owne priuate hatred after that he fauoured the Earle of Aniou against the house of Arragon a great while but at last in fauor of the house of Arragon he tooke from Charles of Aniou and his successors that which he had geuen them Briefly there hath bene no quarrell nor iar betwene the Lords of Christendome which hath not bene kindled by him wherof he hath not taken intelligence wherein he hath not demaunded the obedience of both parties He hath stirred vp the French against the Greeks and Lombards the Germaine against the French the French against the Germaine the Italiā against the Germain the French against the Italian the Italian against the French and againe the Spaniard against the French all Christen dome against the English the French against th'Arrogomans the Spaniard against the Nauarreans He hatched the diuision of th'Vrsins and Columnas of the Guelfs and Ghibelins the warre betwixt the Genoans and Venetians It is impossible to discourse of al these in particular I cannot abide to stand vpon them their remembrance is so grieuous In like maner the diuisions that Popes haue made in the Church the schismes of two or three Popes at once the sects of Monkes Friers and Nunnes require so long a processe that I may not vndertake to recite them at this present But what is said sufficeth to shew that the Pope despiseth gouernments and maketh diuisions It is written that Antichrist shal be an aduersarie 2. Thes 2. the true significatiō of this word Antichrist is as much to say as against or contrary to Christ now let vs compare the least actions doctrine of Popes to that of Iesus Christ and his Apostles and ye will iudge that nothing is more contrary Our Sauiour had no place where he might rest his head Math. 8. Luke 9. Popes and Bishops do possesse the most delightfull and rich places vpon earth Our Lord Iesus Christ refused to iudge and deuide an inheritance betweene two brethren Luke 12. and whereas one of them praied him to do it he sent him away saying who hath made me a iudge or a diuider ouer you The Pope hath vsurped secular iurisdiction of all thinges among all persons without speaking of the spirituall whereof he maketh none partakers In so much that in the reigne of Philip Valois the court of Parlement and other iudges royall were enforced to complayne to the King They declared to him how all the iurisdiction belonging to the Iudges Royall flowed away from the kings Benches to th'Ecclesiastical courts and that farre mo profane or ciuil causes were iudged by Bishops their Officials and other Officers of the Church then by the kings Iudges that he which for the least occasion would not obey and abide the censures and sentences of the Ecclesiasticall should forthwith be excommunicated depriued of the Sacraments and that there power and auctority was come to this passe that for a simple debt a man vnable to pay was interdicted that they had vsurped the imprisoning deteyning of all malefactors with the notice triall of their crimes Poore de Cugneres was diffamed for hauing too truly pleaded on this declaration And yet at this day ye retaine the proceedings which ye call the Chicanerie of the Popes court he did you that good while he aboad at Auimon Ye iudge the most part of your processes by the Popes ordinances There is no company of iudges where the Pope hath not brought in his Lieutenants the courtes where your goods your life and honour are iudged euen the courts of Parlement do partly consist of persons Ecclesiasticall Chanons Abbats Bishops and Archbishops the great and goodlier processes th' affaires of the Royall reuenues Eschequer and Estate are iudged and determined by them in the great counsell in the priuie counsell in the counsel of the Finances in the counsell of Estate and in the most Secrete counsell they are Peeres and soueraigne Iudges of this Realme are Princes therein Th' imperiall dignitie is adiudged giuen by the Popes after the iudgement electiō of Bishops and Archbishops which also iudge all the affaires of the Empyre Ouer and besides this the Pope chalengeth and reserueth from all others priuatly
to himselfe the iudgement of variances concerning great Signories Realmes and th' Empyre We obserue in histories that he made himselfe iudge betweene the Flemings French the Flemings and their Earles betweene Childerik and Pipin Lewys and his children betweene Edward the first and Philip the Fair betweene Edward the second and Philip de Valois betweene Edward the third Iohn between Richard Charles the fift sirnamed the Wise betweene Henry the sixt and Charles the seuenth betweene th' Emperours Henry the fourth and Rodolph betweene the same Henry and his Sonne betweene Otho and Frederik betweene Lewis of Bauari◠Frederik of Austrich and as many others he hath attempted to adiudge the realme of Arragō And thus therewanteth no contrarietie in this behalfe betweene Iesus Christ and the Pope Iesus Christ fled doubting least the people would make him king the Pope pestreth the ayre and hell with bruites and the earth with coursings vp and downe to atteyne the soueraigne throne and be ouer kings and to this end seekes out and employeth men and deuils gold siluer and iron hypocrisie and lies poyson and force Iesus Christ hued in all obedience submitted himselfe to Gouernours Kings and Emperours payde them tribute was cōtent to be iudged by them th'Apostles likewise haue bowed vnder their commaundements and iurisdictiōs The Popes liue in all power not onely disobey but also vniustly commaund Kings and Emperours iudging them as we haue said and wringing tribut from them and their subiectes and Boniface the eight by name made a Decree against all Christen Kings and Princes excommunicating them for euer that should leuie any exactions vpon Clergie-men Iesus Christ said to his Apostles yee know that they which rule ouer the people haue dominion ouer them their Princes haue auctoritie ouer them But it shall not be so among you but whosoeuer among you will be the greatest shal be your seruant and whosoeuer wil be the first among you shal be seruant to al. For so the sonne of man is not come to be serued but to serue and giue his life for the redeeming of many The Pope ruleth both ouer people and Princes and also ouer all Bishops which clayme to be likewise th'Apostles successours Neuerthelesse he nameth himselfe seruant of the seruants of God he thinketh that God is without iudgement as are his Idols he makes a mockerie of God he takes the name and doth the contrary to that it signifieth since that men feele themselues more highly displeased with offences done them by doltish driftes then by open disobedience how should God concerue thinke ye and be moued at this blasphemie so grose to call himselfe the seruant of seruants and neuerthelesse to play the tyrant ouer Bishops people Kings Emperours the Church and the word Iesus Christ sent forth his Apostles saying to them Preach that the kingdome of heauen is at hand Matth. 10. Mar. 6. Luke 10. heale the sick cleanse the lepers raise vp the dead cast out the deuils freely ye haue receiued freely giue possesse not gold nor siluer nor money in your girdles or purses nor a scrip for the iourney neither two coats neither shoes nor a staf for the workman is worthy of his meat and into whatsoeuer Citie or towne ye shall come enquire who is worthy in it and there abide till ye goe thence and when ye come into an house salute the same if the house be worthy let your peace come vpon it but if it be not worthy let your peace returne to you and whosocuer shall not receiue you nor heare your words when ye depart out of that house or that Citie shake of the dust of your feet truly I say vnto it shal be easier for them of the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of Iudgement then for that Citie Behold I send you as sheep in the middes of the wolues be ye therefore wise as serpents and innocent as doues but beware of men for they will deliuer you vp to the Councels and will scourge you in their Sinagogues and ye shall be brought to the gouernours and kings for my sake And ye shal be hated of al men for my names sake The Pope and his Bishops preach not they haue their gromes to do it they be greater Lords then Iesus Christ and his Apostles in steed of healing the sick and cleansing leapers they infect the world with diseases and leaprie spirituall in steed of raising the dead they kill the liuing in steed of casting deuils out they bring them into the Church of God they serue their turnes with deuils yea serue them and adore thē they make sale of al both the spiritual the temporall they enioy great Signories or dominions huge heapes of treasures true it is that gray Frieres Capuchins some sort of Mōks cary not say they money in their girdles gold nor siluer in their purses which I can hardly beleeue but am rather perswaded that in this case they helpe themselues with some gay subteltie of their diuinitie for they know well enough both to aske and take the Pope and his Bishops haue need of an infinit number of horse wagons to carry their stuff and baggage they beare no staf with them but they bring armies no house-holder hath sufficient meanes to defray their charges for one dayes enterteinement they onely are worthy to receiue them which are most fauoured of the world how should they abide in one house whom the largest townes suffice to lodge with much adoe they are frank ceremoniall and superstitious in their falutations knowing that it is a thing of smal cost if men heare them not they do not shake of the dust of their shoes for they are so proud that they will not walk a foot in the dust but they wil with armes make them selues be heard they want patience to tarry till the Lord sendeth his Iudgement either egall or more rigorous then that of Sodom and Gomorrha they in all hast bring fire sword and sacking as did the Greeks to Troy they go and demeane them selues like wolues in the middes of sheep they are guilefull and wary in working their malice as the serpent they haue no need to take heed of men men loue and deeme them fortunes derlings they neede not be afrayd of kings and their assemblies for at their commaund kings come to them at their beck doe bow to them and at their discretion suffer chastisement kings are but the Popes ministers and groomes they are but executours of his will Iesus Christ said to his Apostles be not ye called maisters Mat. 23. for one is your maister to wit Christ and all ye are brethren and call no man your father for there is but one your father which is in heauen and be not called Doctors for one is your Doctour euen Christ now mark how the Pope his champions haue taken to them these forbidden titles and qualities and will not otherwise be named It
not what sensualitie concupiscence enuie and infidelitie that steyneth our workes So that if all our actions should be examined by the word of God not one of them should be found able to stand before his iustice But if we iudge not nor confesse them now delay of time wil not amend or abolish their guilt the presence of the Lord how late soeuer he commeth will force vs to confesse for he can well discouer and iudge them Herevpon we may conclude that in our nature is no goodnes that the vnderstanding and good we haue descendeth from on high is brought by the holy spirite that the measure of the same spirit which we enioy in this world is as nothing in comparison of that we hope for is but a skantling a glimse a surface or smattring and as it were a smacke to make vs seeke hope and ardently long for that fulnesse of perfection which abideth vs in the world to come It sufficeth not the Pope to teach that man of himselfe may do some good thing Whether a man by his works may merit ought at Gods hand but he will haue vs further to beleeue that man may do good works inow to saue himselfe to satisfie the iustice of God to repaire and wipe away the sins and steines of his soule of his flesh and of his predecessors to merit not only for himself but also for many mo that vnmeafureable blisse and glory euerlasting which the wit of ma is vnable to copreliend Lo here a flatte contrarietic of the Pope to Christ lo here a doctrine bearing the right stampe of Antichrist lo here the diuinitie that brings the traffike of Church-men in request who keepe shop for open sale of mens saluation and make marchandise of their soules through couetousnes by fayned words as S. 2. Pes. 2. Peter hath foreshewed We did sufficiently deface this doctrine when we proued afore that man could doe no good that for the little good which commeth from man it is God that doeth it in him and by him Howbeit the holy Scripture informeth vs how God gaue his law to men not for to geue life iustifie and saue them by the same Gal. 2.3 but to make them know the vnablenes frailtic and corruption of their nature and to force them to acknowledge it impossible for man to performe his obedience to the maiestie of God to satisfie his debt to the iustice of God and to escape eternal death which should compel them with all humblenes to crie and craue forgeuenes grace and mercie Obedience to the law was inioyned vpon paine of death Iac. 2. it is said that whosoeuer shall keepe the whole law and yet fayleth in one poynt he is guilty of all Now there is not one man found be he Prophet or Apostle Gal. 3. which hath not disobeyed many commandements of the law and therefore th'Apostle saith that the Scripture hath shut vp all vnder sin that the promise by faith in Christ Iesus might be geuen to them that beleeue There is none iust no not one all are vnder sin Rom. 3. 1. Iohn 1. Isay 43. we deceiue our selues we make God a lyer if we say we haue no sinne Let vs be iudged together saith the Lord in Isay count thou that thou mayst be iustified thy first father hath sinned and thy teachers haue transgressed against me or bettayed my cause The Prophets and Apostles haue all frankly acknowledged themselues sinners they could neither accomplish the law nor be saued thereby This acknowledgement of himselfe his corruption sinne weakenes hath prouoked and enforced man to cry for mercie to the Lord and say with Dauid and Paul Psal 32. Rom. 4. blessed are they whose iniquities are forgeuen and wose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne Againe haue mercy on me haue mercy on me Psalm 52. for my soul trusteth in thee with Esdras there is no man among them that be borne but he hath done wickedly 4. Esd 8. nor any that doeth confesse thee which hath not done amisse for in this ô Lord thy righteousnes and thy goodnes shal be praysed if thou be mercifull vntothem which haue not the substance of good workes 4. Esd 7. and elswhere if God were not aboundant in his mercies the world could not contime nor they that haue the possession thereof No man can humble himselfe enough before God no man can too basely esteeme himselfe before his most glorious maiestie pride did put the Pharifee farre from God humilitie brought the Publican neere him pride caried our first Father out of the most honourable subiection of the Lord. Pride is the originall and cause of Antichrist and of backsliding as saith Esdras 6. Esd 8. Our Lord God hath fought so openly and with so great care against this opinion of merite by workes that I am astonied with wonder that men who say they are Christians durst thinke decree publish and receiue the same He hath aduertised vs that if we should accomplish the whole law yet could we not merit any thing at his hand After he had declared in S. Luke Luc. 17. that the master will not thanke that seruant nor thinke himselfe beholding to him because he did that which was commaunded him he addeth so likewise ye when ye haue done all those things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable scruants wee haue done that which was our ductie to doe Luc. 18. What made the Pharisie reiected but the confidence he had in his workes The most praise-worthie and allowable works are martyrdomes and sufferings Rom. 8. now th'Apostle teacheth vs that those sufferings are not worthie of the glorie to come Gal. 2. Gal. 5. agayne that no flesh shal be iustified by the works of the law that whosoeuer will be iustified by the law are abolished from Christ and are fallen from grace that they despise the spirite of grace Heb. 10. that if righteousnes is by the law Iesus Christ died in vaine Gal. 2. Hee seemeth angry with a most vehement zele against the Galatians who busied their mindes about merits of workes he calleth them foolish in that they would leaue the spirit to walke after the flesh he vrgeth them he threateneth them by infinite arguments he concludeth that no man is iustified towards God by workes This is the doctrine published also with so great earnestnes in all th'epistle to the Hebrewes Then let vs condemne this doctrine of the Pope it exalteth the flesh it placeth the power of flesh and bloud in place where God should be it disanulleth and maketh voyde the loue the comming the word the death and passion and merite thereof the grace mercie of Christ Iesus It is scornefully to abase spitefully to defie the election and councels the iustice and mercie of the Lord it is to despise the spirite of grace it is to goe about to assaile
and breake in vpon the Lord in his own Paradise 2. Pet. 2. it is to deny the Lord that hath bought vs as saith S. Peter that to bring into the Church the merit of works is according to the same S. Peters saying to tempt God Acts 15. to lay a yoke on the Disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare it is to ouerthrow the counsel holden by the Apostles in the Citie of Ierusalem wherein was concluded that saluation depended not of workes but onely of the grace of the Lord. Let vs refuse this pride of the flesh least we be abolished of Christ and fall from grace Leaue we these marks of Antichrist to the Pope leaue we him with all the wicked to awayte for the merite of their works while we with all the faithfull awayte for the grace and mercy of God Let vs not deceiue our selues but confesse that all are shut vp in vnbeleefe that Iesus Christ might shew mercie vpon all Then let vs flie vnto him both willingly and for necessitie sake And as we triumph with S. Paul in our infirmitie and in the glorie and mercy of Christ Iesus so let vs notwithstanding bid our flesh battaile and continually fight against it with the first fruicts of the spirit to the encrease of our sanctification so farre as our power wil extend And let vs meditate with vnderstanding these wordes of Esdras let not the sinner say that he hath not sinned 4. Esd 16. for coales of fire shall burne vpon his head which saith I haue not sinned before the Lord God and his glory But learne wee by the holy Scripture the order and cause of our saluation first how Paradise is open to them onely whom God hath called chosen and predestinated to saluatioÌ„ that saluation is freely geuen to men that Iesus hath purchased it for the elect by his suffering and death that the holy Ghost inableth the elect to receiue the merite of our Saulours death and passion by faith Finally learne we to what ende good works are commended and commanded to man Iesus Christ saith in S. Iohn all that the Father giueth me Of Election and Praedestination Iohn 6. shall come to me and him that commeth to me I cast not aways none can come to me except my Father which hath sent â—e draweth him none can come to me except it be giuen vnto him of my Father Iohn 1. the faithfull are not borne of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but are borns of God againe glorifie thy sonne that he may giue euerlasting life to all them whom thou hast giuen him I haue made thy name manifest to men whom thou hast giuen me of the world I pray not for the world but for them whom thou hast giuen me Ioh. 13. ye are happy saith he to his Apostles I speake not of ye all Math. 11. Mat. 20.22 I know whom I haue chosen and in Matthew I giue thee thankes for that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and hast reueled them to little-ones moreouer many are called but few are chosen when S. Peter confessed him to be the Christ the sonne of the liuing God Math. 16. he saith blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reueled it to thee but my Father which is in heauen It is written by S. Paul 1. Cor. 1.2 Cor. 5. 2. Thess 2. Rom. 8. that we are in Iesus Christ that it is God which hath set vs apart to saluation that God hath chosen vs from the beginning to saluation that whom he knew afore them hath he praedestinated to be made like to th' image of his sonne that God did chuse the children before they were borne Rom. 9. and hauing not as yet done good or euill that the purpose of God might abide according to th' election not by workes but by him that calleth that there is a remnant he meaneth of Israelites through th' election of grace Rom. 11. that which Israel sought for he obteined not but th' election obteined it Isai 43. I euen I am the Lord and beside me there is no Sauiour I haue declared and I haue saued and I haue shewed I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for myne owne sake It is God that worketh in vs the will and the deede after his good pleasure But notwithstanding this truth so euident the Papists say that there is no such election and predestination for that it would folow that God should be vniust in chusing some rather then others and that he should lay the euill to their charge whom he made to do it and who neither could nor can withstand his will I am amazed to behold among men any so arrogantly ouer-seene as to plead and protest in this sort against God to make him iust after their maner and to imagine that his word is contrary to his iustice How dare we suppose and propose these doubtes seeing the Lord the Apostles and Prophetes did specially foresee and condemne them by name together with the very same inconueniences and reasons which the Popish Doctors alleage Mat. 20. The parable of the day-labourers was propouÌ„ded by our Sauiour to this end your coÌ„plaint is lesse to be admitted then that of the day-labourers They coÌ„plained to their maister that those which came not till the euening caried away as great reward as they who had borne the burden of the day the heat of the Sunne the master answered to one of them my friend I do thee no wrong diddest thou not couenaunt with me for a penny take that which thine is and go thy way I will giue as much to this last as to thee is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine owne goods is thine eye euill because I am good the last shall be first and the first shal be last for many are called but few are chosen Thus since we all deserue eternall death what wrong doeth the Lord to them whom he leaueth therein if men had any right to Paradise there should be some shewe of reason for that which ye say but sith they haue no right thereto that the whole right belongeth to God wherefore will ye prye into his liberalitie and controll him in the bestowing of his owne him that is all-good all-iust and all-mighty Rom. 9. After that S. Paul had bene very long in declaring and prouing election predestination how God had-chosen men yer they were borne and when they had done neither good nor euill that the purpose of God might remaine according to election he addeth what shall we say then is there vnrighteousnes with God God forbid for he saith to Moses I will haue mercy on him to whom I will shew mercy and I will haue compassion on him on whom I will haue compassion so then it is not in him that willeth nor
forbad men to direct their prayers to them to fall on their knees before them Furthermore the Scripture in expresse termes inioyneth vs not to call on any other name then that of the Lord nor to seeke any mediator but Christ Feare not Isay 43. saith the Lord in Isay to his people for I haue redemed thee I haue called thee by my name thou art mine and in the same chapter I euen I am the Lord and beside me there is no Sauiour I haue declared and I haue saued and I haue showed and a litle after I am and there is none that can deliuer out of my hands I will doe it and who shall let it Marke here how the Lord rebuketh their fond feare that durst not call on him but went to others how he cheareth them to come boldly to him and seeke none others And S. Peter saith Acts. 4. there is no saluation in any other for among men there is giue none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued but that of Iesus Christ S. Paul saith Col. 3. whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus geuing thanks to God euē the father by him again I will that ye know 1. Cor. 11. that Christ is the head of euery man Ephes 2. Col. 1. againe through him we both haue an entrace vnto the father by one Spirit elswhere it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell and through peace by that bloud of that his Crosse to reconcile to himselfe through him through him I say all things both which are in earth and which are in heauen and in another place for there is one God and one Mediator betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus Finally S. Iohn saith 1. Ioh. 2. if any man sinne we haue an Aduocat to the father Christ Iesus the iust he is the recōciliatiō for our sinnes not for our sinnes onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Why should we linger or be loth to repaire to Iesus Christ at our first entrance to prayer seing th'Apostles teach vs that we must call on none other name but his that he is our true mediatour that besides him there is none other Mat. 11. Iohn 14.10 Moreouer Iesus Christ himselfe calleth vs and saith that none other sauing himselfe can make intercession for vs to God his father No man saith he knoweth the father but the sonne and he to whom the sonne will reuele him Come vnto me all ye that are wery and laden and I will ease you also I am that way that truth and that life no man commeth vnto the Father but by me againe I am that doore by me if any man enter in he shal be saued seing he is the doore seing he calleth vs we ought to seeke none other that might bring vs into his presence to speake to him he that findeth the maister at the gate bidding him to declare his suite yet will looke for a more cōmodious meane might be deemed a very simple body Let vs take heed of despising him that looketh for vs Heb. 12.7 that biddeth vs speake boldly let vs not despise the mediatour of the new Testament that speaketh for vs saith S. Paul it is written 1. Iohn ◠that he liueth euer making intercession for vs that he is our Aduocat so that the difference betweene mediatour and intercessor imagined by your Maisters and Doctours is vayne There is no colour of truth to make vs beleeue that he who came downe from heauen for our sakes tooke vpon him our flesh yelding to the miseries thereof sinne except who honored vs with his familiar conuersation and suffred death and the curse of God his father for the loue of vs who vndertooke the office of Mediatour and intercessor according to his kindnesse to vs ward we can not beleeue I say that now he should disdaine to heare vs to receiue our prayers and supplications and to offer them vp to God his father sith himselfe saith that it is his office sith himselfe biddeth vs come sith himselfe abideth for vs in the gate thus to resort to any other is to do iniury to him to suppose th'exercise of his estate needlesse to haue him in contempt to assigne others part of the honour due to him alone no no he is ielous of his honour he will haue all or none he cad abide no partener Let vs know with S. Paul that none but the Lord Iesus can execute this charge of mediatorship betweene God and men 1. Tim. 2. for there is one God one mediatour betweene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus againe he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him Heb. 7. seing he euer liueth to make intercession for them and in Esdras 4. Esd 13. he by himselfe will deliuer his creature Behold here one mediatour and no mo who euer maketh intercession and neuer needeth a sollicitor who also perfectly saueth and by him selfe deliuereth his creature Let vs therefore be assured on the word of the Prophets Apostles and of Iesus Christ and goe boldly to him and say our father let vs not lose this familiaritie and libertie which he hath giuen vs by his grace let vs pray in the name of Iesus Christ seing there is none other name giuen to men let vs practise towardes the world the maners ciuilities and courtesies of the world but let vs doe to God his seruices according to his commaundements it is not against manners to be an importunate suiter to God as appeareth by the parable of the vniust iudge nor against manners to presse vnto him at all times and in all places without the mediation of any except his sonne we haue no cause to doubt that such a mediator should forget our suites as knoweth our thoughts as for Angels and Sainctes let vs esteeme them most blessed by the grace of God but yet let vs beware as themselues haue warned that we impart not to them of the honor that onely belongeth to God The Pope enioyneth vs to beleeue that there is a Purgatorie Whether there is any Purgatorie after or out of this life and concerning the deceased a place full of fire where the soules of the deceased are condemned to abide in great torment some for so many ages others for so many yeeres according to the number and qualitie of the sinnes they committed in this world that praiers almes pilgrimages and other deuotions that are made and geuen for those soules doth greatly comfort and refresh them Moreouer he chalengeth to himselfe power to take soules out of Purgatorie at his pleasure the iudgements decrees of God notwithstanding the mouth of his preachers and their bookes are stuft with fables feyned to prooue this fiction But these things are come to passe to fulfil the prophesie that Antichrist should take heede to fables
brethren saith he ye see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mighty things and vile things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no flesh should reioyce in his presence According hereunto the ordinary reproch of the persecutors to Christians was that they had none except the poore except women children simple men without cunning knowledge which made profession of the Gospell it is written Iohn 7. how the Pharisees said to the officers that durst not lay hold on Iesus doeth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleue in him but this people which know not the law are cursed The profane histories of the Greekes and Romains are full of such reproches and tawnts against the Christians Now on th'otherside if we consider the word of God the whole Bible in it selfe setting apart the darknings or inlightnings which come from aboue and accompany Gods calling and election it will appeare that wee may read nothing more plaine or easie to be conceiued of the vulgar sort then the Bible is The holy history conteined in most part of of the Old testament is set downe in very popular common termes and so is the law the Prophets are somewhat hard to vnderstand but they are difficult to none saue those that think by their high wittes to find out their difficulties for the Prophesie is like a garden that bringeth foorth fruits for all maner of stomachs the fruites thereof are easie enough to be digested of them that are content with the first and natural sence of the letter grosser witted men wemen and children can vse it so far forth as to reape profit of it but withall it hath meditations most deepe most high excelling all other learning by degrees for the sharper sort of wits and such as feele themselues aduaunced to the like contemplations As for the Gospell and Epistles of th'Apostles nothing is more easie nor more apt of it selfe to be conceiued if some things hard to be vnderstood be in th'Epistles of S. Paul it is hard to none but to them that wrest the same and all other Scriptures 2. Pet. 3. as S. Peter affirmeth It is certaine that the holy Scripture inlightneth it selfe stoupeth low before the lowly soule darkneth it selfe and mounteth aloft out of sight before the lofty and presumptuous soule it is certaine that it frameth it selfe to our beginnings and proceedings in knowledge it soreth vpward and waxeth subtill in such measure as our wits are cleered each one findeth there his repast and the more he feedeth the greater is his appetite Finally hauing first of all called on the holy Ghost as our dutie is let vs with patience and humilitie vse ordinary reading of the Bible from the beginning to th' end and not by gobbets here a snatch and there a snatch with no good courage and rather for pastime or search of doubts and controuersies therein then to instruct stablish our minds and then euery of vs great small learned ignorant rich poore men wemen children shall iudge that no booke is more easie to vnderstand then the Bible And in deede the history the law the Prophets the Gospell th'Epistles are no other then speaches sermons familiar letters and aduertisements of Iesus Christ of the Prophets Apostles to the people of their times to persons of all sorts most commonly to the common sort onely thus did our Sauiour preach in villages and fields in wildernesses on the sea shore and within the temple thus did the Prophets proclaime their message on house-tops in streets in the temple thus did th'Apostles preach from village to village from vp-landtowne to vplandtowne from Citie to Citie indifferently to all The Gospell is nothing els but an historie and report in writing of all these preachings it is the speach of Iesus Christ and his Apostles set downe with the pen on parchmine or paper Now that which the holy Ghost hath iudged easie enough for the people to be pronounced to them by liuely voyce we may not with reason iudge it ouer-hard for the people to be published to them by writing for further stay may be made on the wordes written which abide and as it were tarry for the later thought of the reader then on the wordes vttered with the liuely voyce which slide away and tary not nor yet returne The Iewes haue euer had vnlesse captiuitie letted them the Bible in their most vsuall language and writing they neuer refused to make euery one partakers of the Bible euen to childrē of fiue yeare old at eightteen yere old they had read the law through-out and had perused leafe by leaf the Commentaries of their Rabins or Doctors the Greekes haue had the New Testamēt in their mother tong and the Latins in theirs and likewise the Syrians in summe all Christen nations haue had it ech in their most common maner of speach writing So that they offer iniurie to the common-people of Fraunce to esteeme them vncapable of reading those bookes which th'Israelits imparted to their childrē of fiue years old they offer iniurie to all French-men vnlatined to esteeme them more rude and blockish then Syrians Greekes Latins and other peoples nay which is worse they offer iniurie to God to shut vs his booke to hold his word as it were in ward keepe his secret close Tob. 12. it is good saith th'Angell to Tobie to keepe close the kings secret but it is honorable to reuele the workes of God Againe if the Gospell or glad tidings ought not to haue bene geuen and declared to ech people after their seuerall maner of speach and vnderstanding if the Gospell should haue bene declared but in one tongue to what and then were those manifold tongues giuen to th'Apostles But mark how the Pope hath withholden the keyes of knowledge and hidden thē marke how he hath hidden the way of truth marke how the Pope hath drawen againe the veile ouer the face of peoples to lead them blindfold as him lust marke how he hath exalted the mountaines of ignorance and superstition which Iesus Christ had made low Isay 40. hath made the wayes crooked which our Lord Iesus had made streight hath locked vp the gate of saluation which our Sauiour had opened marke how the Pope hath destroyed the hearing of the truth folowing that which was foreshewed of Antichrist 2. Tim. 4. This is that superstition of tongue which hath fauoured and greatly furthered the Pope to conceiue and bring forth his lyes to bring them vp bring thē in credit to father thē on the auctoritie which belongeth onely to the veritie We must beleeue that
yet went out of it for they neuer had entered into it But Antichrist was to be borne in the Church Marc. 13. Dan 9. Thess 4. Pet. 2. 1. Ioh. 2. was there to abide and reigne according to the prophesies of Iesus Christ of Daniel S. Paul S. Peter and S. Iohn The Pope was borne there went out from thence yet abideth reigneth there with great power pompe and tyranny The first weapons of Antichrist should be seducings and spirituall poysonings as the Apocalyps warneth vnder the name of the Whore and hir enticements which can not he applied to them that planted their false religion and performed all by fire sword and furie But the Pope hath layd the ground-worke and mayn-stay of his first and principall greatnes and power on will-worships on the show of counterfeit holinesse on false miracles seducing and bewitching peoples and nations with words and deeds well pleasing flesh and bloud as also with promisses and presents of goods and honors Other ring leaders of heresie as Arrius Maniche Pelagius and such like reigned not as Antichrist was to reigne in the temple of God with all excesse of power and glory they neuer exalted themselues aboue kings aboue all which is called God their seducings and oppressions were neuer so generall and continuall as the great Antichrist should bring to passe Take the paine your selfe for you ought it is as much as your saluatiō is worth to consider more heedfully the prophesies of Antichrist and compare the Gospell with that which they teach and practise in your Church ye will find that I tarry not on euery poinct but do ouerpasse farre moe matters then I touch your ghostly Fathers and Doctors like very Pharisees and hypocrites as they be for the most part do set vp against all these truths the defense of the Pharisees against Iesus Christ How can it be say your Doctors that so many holy fathers so many learned clerkes so many men so many peoples and countries haue consented to the doctrine of the Pope for so many hundred yeares if it were against God and against Holy-writ specially seing our Sauiour hath said behold I am with you vntill the end of the world This defense pleaseth flesh and bloud passing well the flesh fancieth them too well who teach that it is not ordinary for a man to wander out of the way to sinne and to go on in his wandring and sinne Vnder the warrant of this defence infinite soules doo stay waxe sluggish and are luld asleepe barking at such as would wake them out of this drousie disease But the wisedome of this world is foolishnesse with God 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 2. and the naturall man perceyueth not the things of the spirit of God saith Sainct Paul flesh and bloud are blind and can not discerne these mysteries then let vs not consult herein with worldly wisedome or with flesh and bloud but with the spirite of God By this spirite in the holy historie wee are taught that Adam after his fall by sinne was somewhat relieued and reformed by the Lord that God by his Angels visibly did warne him and his children from time to tyme to walk and liue according to his commaundements with promise to restore and repaire the decay of mankind notwithstanding in lesse then two or three generations they forsooke the voyce and way of God and were corrupted after the imaginations and deuises of the flesh and this corruption lasted aboue sixteen hundred yeares Then the mercyfull Lord willing to shew his fauour towardes mankind repayred his Church renewed his commaundements to Noë and his children but againe within lesse then foure generatiōs the people went astray forgat God his commaundements A long time after that going astray the Lord called Abrahā restored his Church by him leauing the rest of all mankind in their corruption who remained therein till the comming of Christ for two thousand yeares and vpward The holy Ghost mereouer teacheth how after the Church was restored in Abraham confirmed in Moses and in all the children of Israëll there folowed many reuoltes in the Church of Israël euen as generall as the former aboue rehearsed for they seemed all to haue forsaken the right way insomuch as the faithfull appeared no-where these apostasies or backslidings endured some for two hundred yeares some more some lesse though the Lord in the meane while awaked them and called them againe by his Prophets Ye know further how the Greeks for the most part swarued ye count them for heretikes or infidels in maner al. Now so it is that th'Israëlites and Greekes may as well or better then you preuaile with these wordes of Christ I will be with you vntill the end of the world for as large and more expresse promises then that had bene made to th'Iraëlits and this promise pertained as well to the Greekes as to you because they were instructed in the Gospell before ye were and that more carefully and by mo Apostles then ye were and yet for all this both th'Israëlites Greeks are gone astray from the faith these many hundred yeares past which also hath befallen the Churches of Affrik who may chalenge to themselues th' assurance of those promises with as great reason as you may Besides that your owne Churches haue bene defiled and ouergrowé with heresies namely when the barbarous nations of the North and enemies of our faith left no face of a Church almost throughout Europe We must acknowledge therefore that such promises of God do neuer passe without this condition if ye abide in me in th' obedience of my word according to the doctrine of Moses Leuit. 26. Deut. 8. Isay 29. Els why should the Lord say in Isay to the children of Israel because this people come neare vnto me with their mouth and honour mee with their lips but haue remooued their heart farre from me their feare towardes me was taught by the precept of men therfore behold I will againe do a marueilous worke in this people euen a marueilous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wisemen shall perish and the vnderstanding of their prudent men shal be hid 30. and againe in the next chapter the Lord sheweth why they are plagued notwithstading his promises because saith he you haue cast of this word and trust in violence and wickednesse and stay thereupon therefore this iniquitie shal be vnto you as a breach that falleth or a swelling in an hye wall whose breaking commeth soundainly and in a moment 59. and in another place your iniquities haue separated betweene you your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you Ose 4. that he will not heare and in Osea seing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children Iohn 8. Also Iesus Christ saith if ye continue in my word ye are verely my Disciples Now let vs gather of all these histories sayings that
vniuersall long-lasting corruptions reuoltes are ordinary in the Church that when the Church forsaketh the word of God then God withdraweth frō her his holy spirit that whē God hath called frō her his holy spirit the more she hasteth forward the further she wandreth frō the right path the more encreaseth her corruptiō that in her selfe no meane may be found to repaire her ruines or returne her into the right way if the Lord takes her not by the had guides her aright to the forsaken way by his spirit word We learne also that after the Lord hath lōg cōceled frō men the time of their corruptiō ignorance he hath geuen thē ouer to the vanitie of their minds which boast braue it with the bare titles of his Church Religiō renewing his Church in the meane season neuerthelesse in miraculous sort by his immediat and extraordinary callings as those of Noë Abraham Moses Ezechias Iosias and others We learne againe that Gods promises are tyed neither to persons nor places but onely to his elect and the same doth Iesus Christ most plainly teach in S. Matthew by the similitudes of the husbandmen to whom the housholder did let out his vineyard Math. 21. and them that were bidden to the mariage seing therefore your fathers and ye forsook the humilitie of true Christians to puff vp your selues with pride of the flesh seing ye gaue ouer the glorifying of the Lord in his word power and mercy to glorifie your selues in your carnall inuentions by your freewill and meritorious works let it not seeme straunge to you that God hath left your fathers and you in the miseries of ignoraunce 4. Esd 8. For Esdras prophesieth that many miseries and calamities remayne for them that shall liue in the later times because they shall walk in great pride ye runne after mans traditions ye bring nothing forth but wild grapes your hands are full of bloud you haue troden downe the righteous all your deuises are against God to prouoke th' eyes of his Maiestie ye put bitter for sweet ye haue no feare of God but through the commaundement receiued of men ye leaue the doctrine of God which ye haue heard from the beginning ye demaund more of him then he hath appointed ye haue left the faith ye fulfill the measure of your fathers sinnes ye teach all things rather then the word of God ye can not abide to be ruled thereby ye gaze and spend the time on fables and vaine toyes ye are wed to your owne insolent willes ye blame the way of truth and in couetousnesse ye make marchandise of mens soules with feyned wordes then leaue to think it strāge that the curse of God pursueth you by blindnes of hart Leuit. 26. ignorāce errors In the like case to yours Moses threatned the children of Israël that God would forsake thē On like occasiō prophesied Isay Isay 1.5.8.28 that the Lord would curse his Church and oppresse it with the spirite of sleepe would shut her eyes would couer the Prophets the chief of the seers would make her to stumble against his word would shut darkē the book would make the wisdome to perish frō the wise vnderstanding from the prudēt would hyde his eyes would not heare would take away the hedge from about his vineyard would breake the wall thereof it should be trodē down Math. 23. Luke 3.4 Esdr 5.7 This was the reason that Iesus Christ gaue the Iewes wherfore they were refused Likewise in Esdras we are certified that in the later times the land shal be barren frō faith that wit shall hide it selfe vnderstāding depart into his secret chāber it shal be songht of many and yet not be found that men shall obteine nothing because saith he men haue taken to them the thoughts of vanitie and haue purposed in themselues the deceits and traynes of sinne and touching these things haue said to the Lord that he was not In like maner S. Peter treating of th'instruments of Antichrist which forsake the way of the Lord 2. Pet. 2. saith that they should priuily bring into the Church damnable heresies calleth them welles without water and clouds carred about with a tempest to whom the black darknesse is reserued for euer How then could they keepe the right way that had no other guides S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 2. if that which we haue heard from the beginning shall remaine in vs we shall also continue in the Sonne and in the Father 2. Tim. 6. If any mā saith S. Paul teacheth otherwise cōsenteth not to the holesome words of our Lord and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and strife of wordes and a litle after he calleth them men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlines to this purpose I wil say by the way that cleare-sighted persons can quickly discerne that the decrees and diuers doctrines of your Church are for the most part founded vpon gayne In summe sith ye haue despised the waters of Siloë marueil not that ye are fallen and welnigh drowned in the floud and bottomlesse gulfe of mens traditions ye haue left the piller and prop of the Lord your iniquitie is like a swelling in an high wall whose breaking cōmeth sodainly ye haue set naught by the hallowed fire of God to seek out another of your own kindling marueil not that ye walke not in the light but stumble in the darke and sith ye draw nigh to the deuill and draw backe from God marueil not that the deuill drawes nigh to you and God drawes backe from you Finally for that ye haue abused Gods promisses presuming to take him at his word without caring for the condition wherewith he gaue his word and thinking him tied by his promise to be with you and you not bound by the condition to obey him therefore hath that presumption entangled your soules within the cordes of vanitie and hampred you in those iniquities and curses which we daily see But all these inducements and considerations are yet too low for matters so high The secret cause of th'estrangings from God of your reuolts of the Church are past the reach of mans reason it is the bottomlesse sea of Gods counsell and therefore must bee treated of in another sort Why should wee aske how it may come to passe which wee see is come to passe why should we aske how it could be that the Church lost her way so long time since our Lord the Prophets and Apostles assured vs that so it should be such questioning doth vtter the mistrust of Gods prophesies lurking in our vnbeleeuing hearts Iesus Christ foretold vs Matth. 24. Marc. 13. Luke 21. many false Prophets should come and seduce many that iniquitie should abound that charity should be colde that th'abomination of desolation should be set
in the holy place that all nations should band themselues against his elect that there should be warres noise of warres nation should rise against nation kingdome against kingdome the brother should deliuer his brother to death and the father the childe and children should rise against their parents and should cause them to die th'elect should be hated of all men great earth-quakes should be in many places dearth pestilence and great feare and that the seducing and tribulation should be so great that if it were possible the elect should be deceyued and except those dayes should be shortned there shall no flesh be saued such things saith he must needs be but th' end shall not be yet Dan. 7.9 Antichrist saith Daniel shall speake words against the most High and shall consume the Saincts of the most High and shall thinke that he may change times and lawes and they shal be giuen into his hand vntill a time times and the diuiding of time This is that which is written in Esdras 4. Esdras 5. that the way of truth shal be hid and the land shal be barren from faith and iniquitie shal be encreased more then thou hast seene now or hast heard in times past and all friends shall fight one against another then shall wit hide it selfe and vnderstanding depart into his secret chamber it shal be sought of many and yet not be found then shall vnrighteousnes and voluptuousnes haue the vpper hand vpon the earth one land also shall aske another and say is righteous iustice gone through thee and it shall say no at the same time shall men hope but not obtaine 4. Esd 16. they shall labour but their enterprises shall not prosper they shal be like mad men they shall spare none they shal spoile and wast such as yet feare the Lord for they then shall wast and spoile their goods and cast them out of their houses then shall the triall of my chosen appeare as the gold is tried by the fire Heare ô ye my beloued saith the Lord behold thy daies of trouble are at hand but I will deliuer you frō them be not ye afraid doubt not Apoc. 13.17.18 c. for God is your captaine This is the chiefe matter contained in th'Apocalips for there is described the great and long-continuing Reuolt of the later times how all the world shall wonder at the great Beast and worship him how this beast shall blaspheme against God how he shall allure and retaine on his side kings and peoples how he shall make warre on the Saincts and ouercome them how he shall haue power ouer all kindreds and peoples ouer all tongues and nations that this beast shall put to death them that will not worship him that he shall haue power to worke false miracles that he shall cause all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to beare his marke againe the kings and inhabitants of the earth shal kisse the great Whore that sitteth on the great Beast they shall commit fornication with her and shall be drunke with the wine of her fornication and the Marchants of the earth shal be enriched with the pompe and riot of her and of her citie of Babilon God shal put in the harts of kings to do the pleasure and will of this great Beast and to giue him their rule power vntill the word of the Lord be fulfilled The man of sinne or Antichrist saith S. Paul shall come with al power and signes and lying wonders 2. Thes 2. and in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued and therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies and further in that chapter he sheweth that there must be a departure from the faith before the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and because the same departure was to happen shortly after hee warneth them that the mystery of iniquitie did then already worke He foretelleth also that in the last daies shal come perilous times 2. Tim. 3. wherin men of corrupt mindes and reprobates concerning the faith shall resist the truth but they shall preuaile no longer saith he for their madnesse shal be euident to all men and after that he saith the tyme will come 2. Tim. 4. when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers and shall turne their eares from the truth and shal be giuen vnto fables It is written in S. Peter there shal be false teachers among you 2. Pet. 2. which priuely shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord 1. Iohn 2. that hath bought them and in S. Iohn as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now saith he are there many Antichrists Leaue then to demaunde how that may come to passe which ye see is come to passe and which is agreeable to mans naturall corruption to the ordinary conditiō of the Church and which must needes come to passe as the Prophecies must needes be true But iudge now if it be graunted you frō aboue whether we liue in the time of all these prophecies or no. See whether the branch of the fig-tree is tender and the leaues come forth Weigh whether ye breathe out any words but the words of men who seeke the ransome of your soules elswhere than in Christ who are not learned nor deuout but in your fansies and desires for your munkeries doctrines and deuotions are onely founded on the desire of man iudge whether ye that enioy this world at pleasure do persecute are of the crue of Antichrist or els the Reformed whom ye pill spoyle and sacke whom ye cast out of their houses whom ye chase out of the world who suffer at your hands endlesse vexation and who breathe out nothing but the word of God My children let vs do as Ezechias Iosias and other good kings of Israel did when they went about to set the Church in order they ouerskipped all mens traditions receiued and practized in the Church and searched out the word of God that lay before buried in darkenes and according to that word alone reformed the Church let vs looke back on the stone from whence we were cut of let vs bring our mother back to her former husband let vs returne together to the water of Siloe to wit Iesus Christ and his word Saint Iohn biddeth vs not to stand fast in the traditions and commaundements which we shall finde in the Church but in that which we haue heard from the beginning that which we haue heard from the beginning is the word of God Let vs hie fast and stand to it prescription of time or contrary custome cannot abate one iote of th'auctoritie trueth and power thereof it cannot deceiue vs we shall neuer want excuse before God if we rule our selues by
Lord gardeth them day and night I tell you that you fret fume to no end and imagine vaine things ye conceiue chaff and bring forth stubble your counsels shall deuoure you as fire God shall come forth as a geant and shall lift vp his wrath as a man of warre and shall triumph he shall scatter you abroad deuour you he shall make you eat your own flesh make you dronken with your owne bloud he shall take the cup of rage frō their hand make you drink the dregs he shall leaue your name in execration to the chosen he shall breake your stafe and persecute you without ceasing he shall sweepe you with a broome that destroyeth the earth shall swallow vp your pursuings the end thereof shall turne to ioy and gladnesse for the faithfull to euerlasting condemnation teares gnashing of teeth and horrible torments for the persecutors for you if ye continue your euil beginnings I iudge you not I leaue you to the iudgement of the Lord by his Prophets and by wise Salomon Sap. 17. who saith thus when the vnrighteous thought to haue thine holy people in subiection they were bound with the bands of darkenesse and long night and being shut vp vnder the roofe did lie there to escape the euerlasting prouidence there doeth the wiseman declare that the faithfull do not but taste of miseries in comparison of the persecutours that are made drunken therewith if then ye esteeme their miserie great iudge with trembling feare how much greater miserie abideth you 2. Thes 1. S. Paul also iudgeth you when he saith that it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble the faithfull and to them that are troubled rest with the Apostles when God shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeaunce vnto them that do not know God and which obey not vnto the Gospel of Iesus Christ which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence and from the glorie of his power Likewise Luke 7. our Sauiour himselfe iudgeth you with these thundering words shall not God auenge his elect which crie day and night vnto him yea though he suffer long for thē I tell you he will auenge them quickly 4. Esd 15. Neither is the saying in Esdras to be omitted behold my people is lead as a flock to the slaughter as they do yet this day vnto my chosen so will I do also recompence them in their bosome thus saith the Lord God my right hand shall not spare the sinners neither shall the sword cease from them that shed innocent bloud vpon earth To be short heil awayteth for the great beast and them that warre for her the bottomlesse pit gapeth for great Babylon as in the Reuclation is declared at large The zele of the Lord of hostes shal bring these things to passe Come foorth then from her also ye other children of mine least ye be partakers of her plagues and swallowed vp with her Set your selues by the lambs side that ye may be partakers of his glory and rather follow trueth than shadowes showes and lies Behold the time of the Lord that cōmeth his fury burneth and is too heauie to beare his lips are filled with indignation and his tongue is like a deuouring fire his iudgement commeth on you smal time and occasion is left you to repent In steade of continuing your raging persecutions do as S. Paul did Act. 9. he had receiued a commission to destroy the faithfull that were at Damascus he armed himselfe and was accompanied with armed and violent men he iourneyed to performe his enterprise and lo he commeth to Damascus to search the faithfull out not to persecute but to loue them to conferre and be instructed with them being inflamed with loue towardes that doctrine that had afore inflamed him with hatred towards them And thus seeke ye the death and destruction of the Reformed no longer shun not their company any more but seeke them forth and draw nigh to them that ye may liue and be instructed with them in the puritie of the Gospell ye persecute the selfe same Christ the selfe same Gospel which S. Paul did and so may ye be called as he was if ye be of Gods chosen And seeing it is not the pleasure of God to geue our king a sonne in steade of raging as hetherto ye haue done because the Princes nighest the crowne are Reformed are Gospellers reioyce ye hoping that peraduenture God will vse this meane to aduaunce the kingdome of his word And be not afraide for that some Princes are wont to bring fire sword and the halter to inlarge their religion and make it preuaile for if they would do so they should hurt their religion they should sinne against God and his word according to which onely they rule their zele The word forbiddeth them as heretofore we largely declared to employ violence on the consciences the word teacheth them that it is strong inough to bring to God those that perteine to his election that the kingdome and conquest of consciences is reserued to the word and the holy Ghost and not to carnall weapons that the duetie of men herein is to inuite men to God mildly by preachings and admonitions by examples of good life and gentle behauiour and leaue the rest to the holy Ghost They know it not but too well what a displeasure it is to any to haue his conscience compelled and that such compulsion is vnprofitable yea bringeth forth effects cleane contrary to their hope that vse it For this cause in the lands vnder their obedience in their armies in their houses they let their Subiects and seruants liue in libertie of their consciences and exercise of their religion and doo receiue indifferently both the one and the other the Catholike and Reformed making vertue the onely difference wherby they chuse or refuse Againe why shoulde you feare to be hardly vsed by them that are your naturall and lawfull Princes hee that commeth to any possession lawfully dooth alway set before his eves in his enioyment the preseruation of that which he lawfully enioyeth yee know the goodnesse of their nature euen in warre the truth of their deserts hath bene so great and mighty as hath forced their very enemies to cōfesse it which is more to make it knowen to the world Aduersitie is the true scholemaister of vertue nothing in this world teacheth a man better how to vse his prosperitie thē his knowledge experiēce of the cōtrary ye know how lōg time they haue bin vnder this master ye know by their actions by the voice of the people by the witnes of all their enemies how much they haue profited in this discipline and namely the king of Nauarre I may speake it with th'acknowledgement of your consciences with the truth that he excelleth in all the parts required in a good Prince the choyse and wishes of men