hys holy name by gyuyng glorye vnto a Mammet Thou art constrayned thou sayest thinkest thou thē that he estemeth not moche more hys glory thā thy life c. But for to put away all contentions altercations I desyre all them whyche be holden in suche erroure that they wyll bethynke them a lytle if it be a lyght faulte to maynteyne that by which S. Paul saithe That god is prouoked euen agaynst one which wolde fyght agaynst hym by which he saith that Iesus Christe is offended that one forsaketh hys holy table 1. Cor. 10. and that one is made partaker of the dyuels table here be wordes as me thinketh able ynoughe to make vs tremble yea and to saye the truthe they beate downe all outwarde Idolatry more mightely than I cā expresse But some man will reply against me say that I abuse thē for to wrest thē to my purpose Let vs se thē whether it be so or no. The christiā people eyther for feare of daunger or for other worldly respectes did assemble in the cōpany of the infideles for to make solēne bankets in the honour of Idolles their excuse was In our hartes we condempne al their superstitiō and know that there is but one onely God vnto whome all honour is due Vpon this Sainct Paul ceasyth not to crye that they prouoke the lord vnto battayle and pollute them selues with communycating with the Deuyls table What is it that they do lesse whyche come to knele downe at the Masse for to approue all thabomynation that is done there and whyche is vsynge of all the paruerse ceremonies suche as be repugnant vnto God which men do in the kyngdome of Antychrist do shewe them selues to be obedyent chyldren that is to saye do fayne that they consente vnto them and receyue thē as good If they deny this let vs se whether the causes for which Sainct Paul is so sharpe agaynste the Corynthians shal not be found in them It is certeyn that he consydered twoo thynges it is that the Corynthyans by suche dissemblyng dyd gyue occasion vnto the Infydeles and Paynyms to harden them in theyr euyl and not to regard the christian relygion And that on the other syde the symple weake people were subuerted theyr consciences troubled Thus bycause of the double offence that folowed of their acte he threteneth them so sharply And what do thei now a daies that be conformable to the papistes in their folysshnesse Let vs all wayes take the Masse for an example They know well that it is an abhomynatiō set vp as it were in the dispite of god they knowe well for what purpose the people come togyther there if there were none other thyng there they knowe that men do worshyp there an Idol lyftyng vp a piece of bread in the steade of God whyle they knowe this well ynough do they not yet make as though they worshipped it as other men do Wolde not they that men shoulde thynke that they do it of good deuotiō In thys doyng I pray them do they not lay forth the glory of God to be mocked of the wicked Do not they offende the weake by gyuyng them an euil example with castynge them in doubte scrupulosite that they wote not what to beleue It is but loste labour then for them to go aboute to make a lyghte matter of it which we see to be so sharpely reproued of God And yet that more is it is a knowen thynge that the Masse is taken of the enymyes of Iesus Christe as a gage for to bynde mē to lyue in their vngodlines and to serue theyr tyranny For yf any man go vnto the Masse deuoutly he is taken for a good and a laudable supporter of Antichriste contrariwyse to dyspyse the Masse is as it ware to forsake the kyngdome off the Pope Seyng that it is so that a christyan man in goynge to the Masse doth gyue a testymonie and make a profession that he wyll lyue in Idolatry maynteyne thabomynations whiche raigne thys day in the worlde is not the same a cloked forsakynge of Iesus Christe and a playne denyeng of hys gospell by crafte What answere wyll they make me vnto this whych wolde coloure their synne and bycause they can not make it altogyther whyte they wolde by some meanes darken it that it should not appeare at all I say that we ought not to esteme the Masse alonly in it self but with all the circumstances and all the inconueniences that folowe it I saye further that the inconueniences be suche that there a man maketh an obligation for to approue retaine and folowe the present estate of the popysh churche which all Christen mē ought to abhorre and defye yf they can assoyle me this argument with a good conscience without sophistry I discharge them but that will not be this yere I will yet recite vnto this purpose for the further confirmation thereof an History that is in Iosephus and in the boke of the Machabees 2. Machu◠6.7 it is of Eleazarus and a woman of the Iues with .vii. children that she had who al be it it were so that men wolde constrayn them for to eate swynes flesh had yet rather dye then to consent thervnto It might seme at the first sighte that this was rather a selfwilfulnes to suffer deth for so small a matter then a righte ordered zeale But yf we take hede wherevnto these tended they might do none otherwyse without forsakinge of God for in constrayninge them to eate swynes fleshe whiche God had forbidden them their purpose was to haue a wytnes of them that they were content to condescende vnto the gentils maner of lyuinge This History is not of the holy fcripture but it is an act that was done in very dede and no fable yf we doo commende these personnes as martyres prayse theyr constancy doth it not become vs to condemne that that is done to the contrarye Nowe to make an ende of this article I saye that all they which take it for a small fault such a fayning or dissemblinge to make as thoughe they agreed with the Idolaters do not knowe in what estimation God hathe his honour and haue neuer tasted of this sentence which he speaketh by his prophete Esaye Esai 42. I doo lyue I will not gyue my glorye to another neyther yet my honour vnto Images for by the same he sheweth vs that he wyll neuer suffer that hys honoure be gyuen vnto an Idole but that he will at one tyme or at an other take vengeance of it I say also that they dyd neuer conceyue the grace that God hath shewed vnto vs in ordeyninge that our bodyes shoulde be the temples of his holy spirite after that he had redemed them by the precious bloude of his sonne our Lorde and in promisynge them glorye and immortalitie in his kyngdome For yf they vnderstode this thynge they wolde make this conclusion with S. Paule that it were mete for
that he shoulde not be faultye in thus doynge And yet neuerthelesse perceyuinge that they haue no thynge to laye for them do not yet cease to fynd cauyllations pretendynge the auctoritie of this man or that man for their buckeler But to what purpose must we set thopinyon of men plat agaynst the worde of god I apeale theyr owne cōscience yf the same do not condempne thē what shall it then helpe thē to be absolued of men when before god they be conuynced for to do euyll But this is it that I saide at the begynninge that manye do aske me not for to know the verite but to haue an answere agreable to their desyre And our lorde to punysshe their hipocrisye suffereth them to fynde suche as they seke but that is none other but vnto their more greuous confusion But for as moche as this euyll is wont to sprede it selfe abrode very farre euen almoste among all mē for to haue more cleare and easy declaration of this matter let vs consyder in a some that whiche men be cōmonlye accustomed to do Behold then what euery man will do for his owne parte I speake specially of the better sorte of that worldely wyse people whyche wyll enterteyne and kepe them selues in the fauour of the world on the sundaye he wyll not onely take holy water as they call it with other lyke cerymonies and also go to the Masse but also vpon all other holy dayes of that which one part was institute of very manyfeste superstition there one syngethe Masse in the honoure of a Saincte yea oft such one where of there is none other probation then that the Pope hath put hym in hys paradice But yet although it were a Sainct approued shal one synge Masse in the honoure of hym Can there be any gretter abhomynation thē to transfer the Sacramente of our lorde vnto such an abuse And thinke we that the lord will make him selfe subiecte vnto suche fylthynes Besides this what prayers do they make there Wicked ones and stuffed withe blasphemyes Let hym that dothe communicate withe thē excuse hym selfe yf he can Now euery man doth this commonly If that I or any other wolde flatterre them in this were it not euen to betraye the truthe Now when any man shall be maryed where as he ought to represente hym selfe before god and hys churche that his mary age myghte be blessed Fyrste there shal be many folysshe gandes whiche be mete do defyle him Finally he shal pollute him selfe altogether by byinge of a Masse with his owne monye I demaunde this of you when the Priest selleth the Masse is it not sacriledge What shall we say then of hym that byethe it Our lord sayth that a good make is a speciall gyfte of hys goodnes now thē it were mete for hym to geue hym thankes to desyre hym to accomplishe that which he hath begonne in makynge the maryage to prosper Is not this to prouoke his wrathe for to vse such abhomynatiō We knowe all how moch our lord doth honour mariage and in what estimatiō he wolde that we shoulde haue the holynes therof when he compareth it to the spirituall vnion which he hath with his people thorow the vertue of his holy spirite Shal we polute that thyng which is the ymage of the coniūctiō which we haue with the lord Iesus begyn the same with the denying of his death Do not we thinke that the lord wyll punysshe greuousely such outragiousenes The mariage fynisshed they haue a chylde where as he shoulde be presented vnto the lord for to receiue baptysme puerly after his institutiō in the stead of the same he is defyled withe very manye peruerse and prophane cerymonies It is truthe that because of the same the baptysme ceaseth not to haue hys vertue as touchynge the chylde bycause the holy ordinaunce of god can not be abholished by the folyshe inuentions of men but the father shall not be excused of synne in consentynge to suche a mynystration of baptisme which is altogether faulty and corrupte I passe ouer the Iewes superstition which is vsed at the churchyng of the mother and at her commynge abrode Nowe we wyll come vnto instruction off a howsholde Who is he that hath any care to haue hys seruauntes ryghtly taught for to serue god after hys worde Is it not rather a thyng to cōmon to let them lyue in ignoraunce lyke brute bestes and wythout carefulnesse of withdrawynge them frō Idolatry But there is great daunger say they to speake vnto them Let vs passe ouer to speake of the daunger for this presente tyme. Shal that be a lette that men shoulde not do it Is it reason that we shoulde be serued euery mā in his house and that god be there not with stādyng dishonoured Thynke we that a housholde deserueth to prosper in whiche god is not the soueraigne lorde And what do I speake of seruantes howe many fathers are there which dare instruct as they ought to do their wyues and children yet neuertheles for as moche as these faultes do rather declare one to be neglygent in doynge hys dutie then to offende god in doinge expresly the contrary I do not prosecute in euery thynge agaynste them very bitterly For as moch as my intent is to speake of suche deades as men commyt agaynste the commaundement of god be transgressynges of his law All we which haue receyued the pure doctryne of the gospel do graunt well that their diryges and obsequies for the dead be very abhomynable Fyrste for as moche as they were at the begynninge inuented falsely agaynst the scripture and also that they be derogacion to the death and Passion of our Lorde Iesu Christ Now yf that a mans father or frend do dye or a neighbour he that calleth him self a Christian man will go with the other makinge as though he prayed for hys soule What cloke haue they for this except it be suche a one as can not kepe away the rayne Nowe yf the father or wyfe dye he will not onely approue these sacrileges in standinge by them but wil also bye them with his mony yf the priest in sellinge the Masse do folowe the market of Iudas Now he that putteth the same in practyce and geueth him wages shall he be gyltlesse I will speake nothing of that men do all the rest of the yere I wil only entreat of the feast of Easter What do al they then communly which do professe the Gospel They sticke not to go vnto confession not onely to satisfye the tyrannous commandement of Antychriste but also consent to the blasphemyes that shall please the Prieste to pronounce ouer them and by suche consentinge as it were sealed to thē for as the Priest doth gyue absolucion by the auctorite of the seate Apostolyke that is to saye of the Idole of Rome whiche can do none other but destroye and curse euen so must he receue it as a very holsom thing I aske whether this cā
vs to pourge vs from all fylthynes as well of the body as of the soule and to beare God as well in th one as in the other consyderynge that both of them be hys Now after all these cauyllations be beaten downe my Lady worldely wysdome cometh in wyth her fyue egges bryngynge in a perylouse reason What good shold come of it yf euerye one wolde declare hym selfe for to serue God puerly I answere wyth one woord that yf it pleased God there myght folow of it moche persecution and that some myghte be constrayned to flee forsakynge all theyr goodes eyther myghte be poyncted at with the fynger some put in pryson oother banysshed yea and some myghte lose their lyues I vnderstand euen as I haue sayde yf that God wolde suffer it but we ought to gyue this honour vnto God to commit vnto him al that might come of it trusting that he wolde so order the matter that he euyll whiche we feared shuld not come to passe for this is the refuge wher vnto our father Abraham bryngeth vs by hys example Gene. 22. who hauynge commaundemente to kyll hys owne sonne when he was demaunded in the waye what he wolde sacryfice sayde The lorde shall prouyde It is trewly a sentence which ought to be writen in our hertes that it myght come vnto our memory by and by incontynētly whē we be amased in any thynge dryuen as it were vnto an extreamyte yf we coulde do so that is to wytte to caste all our care vpon God nothyng doubtyng but that he were wyse ynough for to directe vs vnto a good ende when we be destitute of counsell and in perplexite he wolde not fayle vs more then he dyd his seruaunt Abraham in delyueringe him from all heuynesse whan it was against al the helpe of man But because of our vnbelefe we be not worthy to fele the goodnes of God towarde vs. When our Lorde commaundeth vs any thinge thinke we that he seeth not the daungers before hande or els that he doeth not consydere theym And when he seeth them thynke we that he is not able to plucke vs oute of theym And that more is will we make him a lyar as though he wolde not kepe his promes that he made vnto vs for to preserue them that folowe his wayes wherfore in steade of alledginge what shall become of vs yf we serue God let vs learne to saye seynge that all counsell doeth fayle vs God hathe some other in stoore for vs. Are we in straight / oute of the whiche we thinke there is no waye to escape oute Then will he make the waye wyder onely let vs doo what oure Lorde God byddeth vs and in what peryll so euer we be he shall surely helpe vs. Aboue all thinge the lorde God loueth this confydence that when we kepe his cōmaundementes we do commit th ende vnto his prouidence and that our spirite do quietly rest vpon the same But yf that a thousande perylles do present them selues before our eyes in suche wyse that we knowe not whiche way to wynde vs shall we therfore say that goddes cōmaundement is in vaine and that it cā take no more place No but we know that it ought not to be vyolate nor broken though heauen and earth shold go together Neuertheles belly wisdome wyll not that it be thus answered for she obiecteth an other inconuenyence that yf euerye man shoulde wythdrawe hym selfe from Idolatrye Fyrste all landes where Antichrist reygneth shulde be destitute of faithfull people Secondarely that when they be departed frome the place where they were they shoulde not knowe where to dwell consyderinge the regiōs where God is purely called vpon can not holde them with the inhabitauntes that be there alredy I answer that this feare is verye vayne for yf that all they whome our Lorde hathe illuminated with one accorde and commune consent were so stronge rather for to dye or to leaue all togyther then to defyle them selues with wycked superstityons he wolde helpe them by some meane that we know not of for eyther he wold conuerte the hertes of the princes and of the Magistrates moue them to put downe al Idolatrye and set vp the true seruice and worshippinge of God or els at the least wolde mollyfye them so that they wold not constrayne the poore faithfull people for to defile them selues against their consciences nor vse no more suche crueltye against thē Furthermore that we enter no further in disputation I saye that we shall not now doubt that euery one will trusse vp his baggage for to set forwarde For alwayes thus will the worlde good that some shall haue their eyes so blynded that they can not perceyue in what myre and fylthines they lye in other althoughe they do so acknowledge the miserable estate wherein they be shall neuertheles be hold in through the infirmite of the fleshe for to abyde there still And some shal be so wrapped with dyuerse cares and burdēs that they can not auoyde it al be it they wolde fayne do it But it is very lykly wil some man say that thei which haue the better zeale more knowledge for to edifye other will go their waye what will come of this then how can the doctrine of that gospel be multiplied yf the sede be taken awaye To this I answer that yf euery one of them which be here and there vnto whom oure Lorde hath geuen the knowledge of his truthe dyd but the half of his dutie to his power that there shoulde not be one corner of the worlde which should not be fylled ther with The fault is that there is no boldnes nor courage in the moste parte but yet althoughe all they that coulde not lyue in one Contrey wyth a quiet conscience bycause they myght not lyue after Goddes worde dyd departe away thynke we that the seede of God should vtterly be extyncte We shoulde rather hope that god in the stead of one wolde rayse vp fower In conclusiō we shal be alwaes fooles so longe as we wyll reason againste God I know also that there be some which think to cleare them selues very wel by sayenge that it is an eaysye thyng for me to say thus seyng I am far frō daunger but that if I were in their place I wold not be so hotte but wold do as they doo I answere that I say none other thyng but that whych my conscience constrayneth me to speake and that yf I wolde say other wise I should wickedly blaspheme the truth Wherfore if I were in a place where I thought that I shoulde not auoyd Idolatry without daunger I wold pray our lord that he wolde strengthen me and that he wolde gyue me this constancy to prefarre as reason requireth his glorye before myne owne lyfe I hope that he wolde not forsake me Neuerthelesse let vs leaue to dispute what I wolde do for I do not boaste my selfe but do onely shewe that which as wel I