those things to Gods worshippe which haue bene abused by idolaters The spoiles of Egypt of Iericho the vessels of the tēple abused by the Babylonians were againe applied to Gods seruice If we vsed any thing wherein the Pope sheweth himselfe to bee the beast as his worshipping of dead Saints and images and the Masse and such like then we might be sayde to beare his image or his marke But in the prayers that wee haue there is no part no limme no clawe of that beast The people of God must not fashion themselues like the Cananites nor the heathen about them in any thing wherein they are idolatrous and impious but in that they haue as men Gods people may be like them As they are Papists we will not be like the Romanes but as they are Christians we may be like them In taking good things from them wee take not any thing that was theirs but we take to our selues that which was our owne We must not vse the Bible nor the name of God or Christ nor Baptisme if we will haue nothing that they had The fift and last thing for which in generall they cast away the booke is for that it mainteineth a reading ministery A booke of common prayer is no cause of a reading Minister The chiefest cause is that preachers will not be had nor can be made in this slender maintenance of sundry Churches the next cause is the couetousnes and wicked dealing of many godlesse patrones and a third cause is this contention and strife that is raised in the Church This hath cast out manie that were in and hath driuen backe manie that were comming on this hath caused diuerse to forsake the studie of Diuinitie and learning altogether But the booke of Common prayer is no cause of it for the preachers with vs vse it and where all are preachers there is a set forme obserued and is necessarie to bee had of all well ordered Churches These are the thinges for which they condemne the booke in generall Now in particular they trifle about many things As first about the holy dayes whereof some they call double Idoles and double feastes Hallowmas Christmas Candlemas Easter Whitsonday Trinitie sonday Then there are the Ladies dayes Saints dayes with the Eues fast and feastes and deuised worship vnto them Last of all they reckon the celebrating of dayes to Angels as Michael and the naming of manie Archangels This cauil will easily be answered For first wee make not the Calender anie parte of Gods worship Wherefore it is vaine to accuse vs of a false worship by that when wee put no parte of his worshippe in it That distinguisheth the times and directeth vs to the Psalmes and Scriptures but is no parte of Gods seruice no more then a marke by the waye to direct them which goe by is a parte of the way The names maye bee somewhat offensiue where Masse is added but in the olde tongue from whence our language came long before the corruptions of the Masse were crept in the worde signified nothing but Tide or some solemn time and the common people haue vsed to speake so and the name Missa from whence that is supposed to come is read in ancient fathers in a good and a godly meaning yea and in most Calenders those names are reformed The Saintes wee worship not nor Angels neither with prayers fastes nor any such thing But God wee worship and take occasion at such times when wee call to minde them by whome the worship of God hath bin spred throughout the world The people of God haue vsed and appointed moe dayes to publike prayer and Gods seruice then the Sabbath Hester Euang. Ioan. without controlement as the feast of Purim and of Dedication Last of all those dayes except the natiuitie of our Sauiour and those that fall vsually on the Lordes day are in most places growne to be equall with the rest Our people are readie ynough to make no difference of dayes in that behalfe The next thing that commeth vnder their censure are the fastes Lent imber dayes Ashwednesday Maundie Holy thursday Goodfridaye and the rest Two thinges are regarded of the Churche in distinguishing these times from others First a time to bee obserued of all for the vse of fishe and refraining from flesh that nauigation might bee maintained and that seeing wee may haue prouision of all kinde of foode wee doe not continuallie vse onelie one to which wee are most giuen to the decaie thereof and hinderance of the other Secondly that there maie bee vsed also a moderate abstinence not to the honour of Saintes nor as though there were anie worshippe of God in it of it selfe but that our bodies maye bee kept vnder and the minde might bee made the fitter to serue the Lorde If all those dayes and others were vsed in a whole or halfe abstinence it were better for mens bodies and soules and for the commonwealth then it is The superstition and merite in such thinges is condemned but either a ciuile or holie vse to the better ordering of our bodies and affections of none that are wise can be mislyked A third matter of reprehension is as they call it a blasphemous abuse of scriptures shredding and rending them from their natural sense and true vse to bend and apply them to the Idole feastes This accusation is both foolish and impudent If they thinke as it seemes they doe that it is not lawfull to print or reade by it selfe some portion of the scripture seuered frō the rest of the whole body it is foolish for what offence can there be in making choise of some parte for instruction seeing the bodie is left whole notwithstanding And to say they are turned from their true sense it is impudent for in the same words meaning are they set downe in the Communion booke as they are in the bodie of the scripture neither doe we apply them to the feastes but to our selues to be instructed by them The fourth crime they set downe in these wordes Abominable Collectes ouer for and to the dead What can bee spoken more spitefull and shamelesse We praye neither for the dead nor to the dead wee praye for our selues at the buriall of the dead In the fist place about Baptisme and that which pertaineth to it they finde many faults They saye it is corrupted with the signe of the crosse with godfathers and godmothers with the Fonte with vnlawfull and vnpossible vowes of gossips to these they ioyne purification or churching of women with their offerings hastie baptisme by Midwiues bishopping and second baptisme by these thinges they iudge that baptisme is corrupted But why should the signe of the crosse corrupt it Is it so odious to expresse the figure of that whereon Christ dyed without opinion of adding grace without giuing any worship to it but onely for remembrance there is none impietie it it And what impossible vowe doe the godfathers and godmothers make They
whether it be done by one or many this needeth much heed and care and conscience that this sword bee drawne against none but those that doe deserue it Last of all that of the 2. Corinths doth not helpe the presbyterie Thus he sayeth The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holdes casting downe imaginations and euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ hauing readie vengeance against all disobedience A great part of this is vnderstoode of the word preached which worketh these effects The vengeance against disobedience was a thing in Paules owne hand as minister of it not in the power of the multitude or any presbyterie there mentioned So that if it pertaine to the censure of the Church it might be executed by one man But it is thought rather to be meant of bodilie punishment which by the mightie power of Christ the Apostles in the beginning did inflict vpon the disobedient So Peter killed Ananias and Saphyra and Paul stroke Elymas blind These are their authorities whereby they chalenge to their Eldership power and might to binde and loose and would inferre that in the Church of England there is no casting out of the diuell but by the power of the diuel because their presbyterie is not called to coniure him out Some reformed Churches vse no excommunication at all and yet are the Churches of Christ They haue other punishments for the offenders The trueth is that excommunication cutteth no man from the Church whome his owne sinne and vnbeliefe hath not cut off before Neither can it loose anie whome faith and gods spirite doth not loose Thus much of the tenth and last note of their Churche Thus I haue briefelie set before you a short viewe of the difference betwixt the Sectaries and vs. They that fauour these opinions these innouations are in diuers degrees some saye they are imperfections and wantes and maimes in our Church the most of those thinges which they mislike but yet to be tolerated It must be confessed there is no Church but hath imperfections We may not maintaine all thinges as blameles in our Church No man is founde faultles euery Church is wanting in their duetie both in respect of mens lawes and of the persons We can not iustifie our selues in all thinges but that euerie thing is such a deformitie and maime or anie so grosse as they seeme to make them if the particulars be examined it will not be founde These mislikers and tolerators haue begotten the last and extremest degree of reuolters of forsakers of refusers and plaine contemners whose case is much to bee pitied especiallie of those misslikers because thorowe them they are come into this downefal The controuersies wherein wee differ haue small weight in the matters and lesse in the proofes yet beholde the conclusion Thus they speake Therefore the parishes of England are not and for all these reasons seuerall and ioyned cannot bee helde in anie Christians iudgement the true Churches of Christ This is their sentence vpon all the parishes and people in this land that come to the Churches that heare the worde at our mouthes that receaue the Sacraments at our handes they shut vp all in one state of not being the people of God nor the Churche of Christ As for our selues notwithstanding their rash iudgement wee knowe vpon what grounde wee stand There can no other foundation bee layde then that which is layde euen Iesus Christ is the head corner stone he is the rocke Euerie parish in this land is taught either plentifullie or sparinglie yet all are taught this that Christ onely is our head our sacrifice our righteousnes that hee is to bee laide holde on onelie by faith ioyned with repentaunce and a good conscience Where this is taught and receaued there is the Churche of God All the parishes in this land bee taught it and by publike confession doe witnesse that outwardlie at least they doe receaue it The Lorde graunt that it maye bee made more cleare and that it maye bee whetted more sharpelie vpon all and that all maye receaue it fruitefullie to comfort and saluation 2. Cor. 13. Paul sayeth Proue your selues whether you are in the faith examine your selues knowe yee not your selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We neede not be cast in doubt of our selues for a supposed appendant trueth of an outward forme of gouernement as though if we haue not that and yet haue the truth of faith the spirite of Christ the worde of God the sacraments of the Gospell repentaunce and newenes of life hauing these I say that are most necessarie and substantiall branches of Christian religion it were madnes to thinke wee haue nothing because they imagine wee haue some as bad or worse then infidels and heathen men among vs and because we haue not such an outwarde gouernement as pleaseth them because we worship God by the booke of Common prayer and because our Ministers some are not preachers and all are made by the Byshops and all tolerate or allowe the booke of Common prayer and the outwarde gouernement These are the chiefe heades of the difference betweene them vs. While men seeke to perfect Churches they will bring to passe that there will bee among vs no Church at all Now with vs there is leaue for all men to be good if they will by Gods grace indeuour They would haue it so as they fancie that no man should be euill but this is impossible If we can bring to passe that the Gospell be taught in all places and that sinnes bee most seuerelie punished and all be brought to the learning of the worde of God then shall we see a more perfect and beautifull forme of the Church among vs. Thus many of these controuersies will be appeased then shal we most clearelie appeare to bee the armie of Christ and hee will shewe himselfe to be our captaine and Lorde and God Thus much to them that denie that we are Christs armie and that our Churches as they now stand are not the true Churches of Christ This matter being thus runne ouer it is time to returne to that which wee haue in hand The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies fight against him that sitteth on the horse and against his armie A parte of this armie the Churche of England as it standeth nowe is by the singular goodnes of God All Gods people make but one armie and that an vnited armie How much more then is it necessary that we which be but one band as it were of this mightie armie should agree together in one Let all lay aside enuie pride and aemulation Let vs especially now in the time of so dangerous threatnings and attempts of the enemies put away strife about these matters Many doubtlesse stirre vp and set a fire the parties on both
and hee shall bee safe Remember that Christ iudgeth and fighteth righteously To this righteousnes of life wee must also ioyne faith or rather righteousnesse must bee ioyned to faith This is our victorie that ouercommeth the worlde euen our faith By faith Dauid Gedeon and the rest subdued kingdomes and wrought deliuerance to Gods people Although wee haue sinne yet let vs repent and trust in Gods mercie and power and commit the euent to him Faith preuaileth with God by prayer By prayer Moses fought against Amalek Elias by prayer obteyned fire to consume the fiftie that came to take him Prayer deliuered Ierusalem and Ezechias when Senacherib was readie to deuoure them These must be our spirituall armour These must we put on as Christians and as men we must arme our selues if neede require otherwise It is needefull that we should alwayes be readie The beast will not change his nature His fauourer is mightie and impatient of a foyle Let vs not bee secure because God hath fought for vs and giuen vs one victorie Caesar at his first comming into this land had the repulse The Danes were at the first beaten backe The Gothes at their first comming into Italie with three hundred thousand were ouerthrowne but within fiue yeares after they came againe and destroyed all the West Empire The Sarasens at the first were dispersed and drowned with tempest comming into Spayne but at length they tooke it and inhabited it certaine hundred yeeres Constantinople was not wonne at the first expedition against it It is not in vaine that God bringeth enemies against a people and deliuereth them once or twise It is not to make them proude nor secure nor more licentious but if they amend not to bring a more seuere and horrible reuenge vpon them Let vs not therefore trust to this that God hath done it once as though he would doe it alwayes though wee become negligent and waxe worse and worse Thus if we arme our selues wee shall see such an ende of the battel when the enemie shall come against vs as God hath here foreshewed The beast and the false prophet shall be taken and cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone The rest shall be slaine in such number that their bodies shall not bee buryed but the rauens shall feede vpon their carcasses Hitherto God hath giuen victorie vpon victorie against the beast and I trust he will doe it still till that enemie be consumed This age hath seene manie victories against him and it is verelie to bee thought it shall see more The triumphant songs set downe so oft in this Chapter after the discouerie of Antichrist and the beginning of his ouerthrowe make me greatlie to hope for it First the multitudes sing Halleluiah Saluation and glorie and honor and power be to the Lorde our God For hee hath condemned the whore and reuenged the blood of his seruantes And they sayde againe Halleluiah and her smoake rose vp for euermore Then the pastours and all the creatures sayde Amen Halleluiah And the fourth time a voyce came out of the throne saying Prayse our God all yee his seruants and yee that feare him both small and great And last of all Iohn saith I heard lyke a voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of manie waters and as the voice of strong thundrings saying Halleluiah for our Lorde God almightie hath reigned Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him for the mariage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her selfe readie Thus about the time of the fall of this enemie the ioye of the Church shall be vnspeakeable victorie followeth vpon victorie triumph vpon triumph God graunt that we may bee prepared against these enemies that if they come against vs we may yet haue experience of these victories that wee may sing these thankefull and ioyfull songs of deliuerance and that wee may bee prepared to the mariage of the Lambe and founde clothed with the wedding garment when hee commeth Amen Imprinted at London by George Bishop and Ralph Newberie 1590.