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
our owne workes The Lord saith Ioh. 15. Iac. 1. we cannot beare good fruite of our selues S. Iames warneth erre not my deare brethren euery good geuing euery perfect gift is from aboue S. Paul sayth Rom. 8. Col. 1. Rom. 6. that to sinne is to walke after the maner of men that he doeth not the good thing which hee would but the euill which hee would not that it is sinne which dwelleth in him that in his flesh dwelleth no goodnes that they which are carnall or in the flesh cannot please God that they are in the flesh which haue not the spirit of Christ that we know not our selues what we ought to pray for that the concupiscence of the flesh is enmitie against God that we are seruants of sinne Dauid saith Psalm 14.40.18 that none doth good no not one that what men doe in the presumption of their heart and in their counsels is sinne Thus we may not attribute any good deedes to our owne nature but it is God that worketh in vs that which is good Math. 14. If the Lord had not taken S. Peter by the hand he had perished in the Sea in like fort if God vpholdeth vs not we should sinke into the bottomlesse sea of our concupiscences into the sea of our sinnes into the sea of our froward and defiled nature if God should not call vs as he did Adam we should flie from him and doe nothing els but depart from him so farre as we could I am the light of the world Ioh. 8.15 saith our Sauiour he that followeth me walketh not in darknes if ye bide not in me as the branches in the vine-stock ye can bring foorth no fruite 2. Cor. 3. S. Paul saith that euery good thought is of God that the holy spirit prayeth for vs because we know not what we ought to pray for Rom. 8. that without this spirite we are enemies to God in thought and in euill workes that with this spirit he fighteth against the law of his mēbers Col. 1. this is that vnderstanding which maketh the inwarde man Rom. 7. wherwith he serueth God that God geueth the will the performance that he it is which geueth the holy spirit worketh his vertues in vs that whatsoeuer he did was done by the grace of God Iac. 4. And S. Iames biddeth vs limit all our affaires euen the most cōmon with this cōdition if the Lord will And this doth the Hebrewes ordinarily admonish by the parable of a Bridegroome who said absolutely I will sleepe with my spouse this night and when one of their wisemen aduised him to say if God will he wilfully replyed that is in my will and power will he or will he not it shal be done but they were scarce in bed together when they both died from whence they haue this Prouerbe among them the Bridegroome gets himselfe to bed and wots not what may him bestead Moreouer they teach how the duetie of him that prayeth is to referre the issue of his request expresly to the will of God and neuer to make his prayer peremptory without exception which is to be vnderstood when it is not euident that the holy Ghost hath endited our prayer but hereby appeareth their opiniō that man knoweth not what he ought to craue and therefore is bound to referre not his actions alone Psalon 51. Psal 119. but his petitions also and wishes to the will of God So Dauid craueth of God a cleane hart and to haue a right spirit renewed within him he craueth his holy spirit that he may prayse the Lord and that his praier may be acceptable to him The faithfull haue euermore confessed that all their good came from God the same is most common in the Scripture Psal 118. it is the voice of the righteous saith Dauid Vertuous and holy men haue alway in the Church bene named men of God specially among the Hebrues who called them likewise men of mercy as if they would haue sayd God bestowed on them more grace and mercy than on others contrariwise it is the voice of Antichrist to glorifie the flesh to glorifie man as saith S. Peter as it is the voice of true Christians 2 Pet. 2. that our good commeth from aboue it is not in vs it is not of vs it is none of ours Finally we learne in the Scripture that the Lords will is not to grant vs full and perfect victory ouer sinne in this world least we should proudly brag of the merit of workes He giueth vs his holy spirite and sometimes also true victorie ouer sinne to encourage vs against despaire in our continuall battaile but the principall end is that hauing felt our owne feebleforce and acknowledged our want of power we might with our whole hart repaire to him and finding how vaine it is to repose trust in any els we should of necessitie be driuen to confesse that we can not be saued but by him which would lead vs with S. Paul to this depth of contemplation Rom. 7. who shall deliuer vs from the bodie of this death For so S. Paul confessed that although he was endued with the holy spirit neuerthelesse for the most part he did not that which he would and whereas he imputeth the same to sinne that dwelt in him he confesseth himselfe a sinner So doeth the Scripture report to vs the sinnes of holy persons Prophets and Apostles enriched with the holy spirit And S. Paul saith that God gaue him a prick in the flesh 2. Cor. 1. the messenger of Sathan to buffet him because he should not be exalted out of measure and therefore was his prayer excluded which he made for his deliuerance vnto God thus I be sought the Lord thrise that it might depart from me and he said vnto me my grace is sufficiēt for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse and therfore the Apostle became resolute to reioice in his infirmities Let vs come to S. Iohn who writeth if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs we make God a lier his word is not in vs. 1. Cor. 1. It is writtē also that the Lord hath chosen the weak vile things of this world to th' end that he which glorifieth himselfe should glorifie himselfe to the Lord. Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 5. And in that regard doth the Apostle call the holy spirit giuen in this world by God to his elect the earnest penny or first fruicts of the spirit And in very truth if we were willing and able to giue assured iudgement of our selues if we were not vnwilling to bring to light things that are hidden and the counsels of our hearts we should perceiue and iudge that what resistāce by the grace of God soeuer we make we quaile and yeeld not withstanding for the most part There streameth daily amids our willes and our zele I wote
earth with the rod of my mouth and will slay the wicked with the breath of my lips Esdras reporteth in his vision 4. Esd 13. that our Lord seing all nations arising against him lifted not his hand held no sword nor warlike instrument but cast out of his mouth as it were a flash of fire which finally consumed all nations This is the stone cut without hands Dan. 2. that must bruise the iron the copper the earth Apoc 19. the siluer and the gold The sword that must confound heretiks procedeth from the mouth of God Iesus Christ accepted this sword reiected forbad th' other Th'Apostles neither had nor sought any other 2. Pet. 3. It is the word that made and preserueth the world as S. Peter saith The word of grace is mighty to edifie 1. Cor. 4. hath begotten the faithfull to Iesus Christ by the Gospell saith S. Paul Our weapons saith he are not carnall materiall 2. Cor. 10. but spirituall The Lord cleanseth washeth his Church by his word Ephes 5. When he reckneth vp the workemen and instruments of the Church weapons of Christen mē he makes no mention of robbers murtherers massacrers men of warre and their materiall armes 1. Cor. 12. but he remembreth Apostles Prophets and Doctors vertues healings knowledge of tongs administration of Sacraments Ephes 6. truth iustice peace faith hope charitic saluation the spirite the word of God and prayer When he speaketh of the workmanship of the Church he vseth these termes to plant 1. Cor. 3. to water to geue increase c. Such wordes are in no wise sutable to warlike violence For somuch then as we neither ought nor may build in the house of God with armes and that we must build with the word of God which is all sufficient necessary and commaunded let vs not dissobey th'auctoritie of the sacred Scripture the commaundements of our soueraigne God the conduct of his holy spirite according to th' example of of our Lord of his Apostles and of his Church arme we our selues with the word of God the sword of the spirite with humilitie patience and holines of life build we the Church euery one of vs to th'vttermost extent of his abilitie with these instruments And if any gainstand this our trauail with intent to frustrate our hope purpose to reuerse our worke or to build by vs and not with vs let vs pray and continue with increase of earnest desire But now me thinks I heare you say what neede more wordes these two cases are now cleare and vndoubted the one that we should not enterprise to force mens consciences the other that Clergie men should not seeke the preseruation of the Church otherwise than by spirituall armes but by this discourse or any other I cannot conceiue that the Magistrate is prohibited to destroy the body of an heretike or schismatike and consequently that our king is not permitted to employ his armes and armies against the Reformed which are reputed such I graunt you in some sort that the text of the Euangelist afore cited to this purpose seemeth more to bind the Ecclesiastical person than the Magistrate But that which I haue discoursed to you how the Church from Adam to Christ neuer vsed the force of flesh and bloud and of material armes for to multiplie and augment it selfe and for to ruine the infidels in detestation of their naughtie religion makes directlie aswel against the Magistrate as the Churchman For so much as Adam Seth Enos Noe Abraham Isaac and Iacob were not onelie Patriarkes but also were kings Gouernors and Magistrates of peoples Iosua the Iudges and kings of Israel who absteyned from such violence in behalfe of their borderers had the right of magistracie ouer them as alredie hath bene noted Notwithstanding it shall not be amisse to treate more particularly touching this power of the Magistrate ouer heretikes and infidels But first I take it for confessed that our Ecclesiasticall persons are guiltie of great error and enormitie at this instant in that they manage and imploy materiall armes inioyne and sweare euery one to put on armour for the ruine of the Reformed setting sorth and leading in their owne persons the bands of men of warre yea whole armies About whose heads ye may cōmonly see their weapons flourish with as much pride hatred and furie as the most barbarous Seculars can shew Proceed we then to the power of the Magistrate First the reformed wil answere you for their bookes actions approue that such is their doctrine and discipline how the Magistrate hath a iust lawfull vocation from God to condemne and put to death the heretike and schismatike and that if he neglect or refuse to execute this his duetie being able to performe the same he then misregardeth and offendeth the law of God and his owne calling and deserueth blame and punishment But withall they affirme and mainteine that before the magistrate proceedeth to such executions he must patiently heare them that are suspected of heresie or schisme they must cause them to be conuinced by the word of God in holy assured and free assemblies perswade them pray for them with patience awaite Gods pleasure for their conuersion and after if they persist still then is it not onely lawfull but also necessarie to deliuer them ouer to death they affirme also that as for themselues they were neuer called nor heard in a Counsel free and assured for them they haue not bene conuinced by holy Scripture that when ye called them it was onely to heare their condemnation the Iudges to whom ye sent them were deafe and trusted rather to loude clamors than sound arguments Againe that when yee haue conferred with them ye haue made exception to th'authoritic of Gods word according to which word they haue got th'upper hand in all that hath bene propounded that ye haue delayd crost the disputations conferences as fearing to be vtterly conuinced and being required ye would not returne it seemeth say they that ye could not abide the light of the trueth which was set before your eyes that therefore ye shrunke aside and hid your heads not daring to appeare but with playne or priuie force All which allegations they offer to verifie by the vnpartiall histories and autentike records of this time concerning the affaires of religiō as wel in Germanie as in this Realm and elswhere throughout Europe Now for my part touching this power of the Magistrate I pray you consider that the Gospel commaunds not the death of heretikes and infidels so expresly as the law According to the law they must not be suffered to liue til the morow but by the Gospel patience long tarying is chieflie prescribed in such pursuites as appeareth by the places aboue cited and speciallie by the answere of Iesus Christ to th'Apostles S. Iames and S. Iohn and by the doctrine of S. Paul Luke 9. 2. Tim. 2. Ye
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
was Gods pleasure to haue it so to the end they might declare themselues such as they are in deed and make vs so much the more without excuse before his justice if we embrace their opinions for they beare the mark of dissalowance in their names and actions To call the Pope otherwise the truth is that the wonderfull vertue and power of God who conuerteth th' euill of man into good and vseth it for his iustice punishing sin by sin may not be iudged by the constitutions of man namely by the aboue sayd as also that we must discerne chuse proue Christian doctrine amōg so many errors not by humane reasons but by the holy Scripture Which holy Scripture teacheth vs that God is almighty bringeth all things to passe the good euill that al actions are good in God and take the qualitie of being euill from the deuill from sin that haue enthralled the nature of man in such wise that although God maketh or doeth all good and euill things yet is he goodnes it selfe Lam. 3. there is no euill in him It is written in Ieremie Who is he that sayeth it commeth to passe and the Lord commaundeth it not out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good Amos. 3. In Amos shall any euill be in the citie which the Lord hath not brought to passe Isay 44. God faith in Isay I am the Lord that doo all things I alone spread out the heauens and stretched out the earth by my selfe I destroy the tokens of the sooth-sayers make them that coniecture fooles and turne the wisemen backward Isay 45. and make their knowledge foolishnes I am the Lord there is none other I forme the light create darknesse Iob. 12. I make peace create euill I the Lord do all these things Iob sayeth of God thus he that is deceiued and he that deceyueth are his he causeth the counsellors to go as spoyled maketh the Iudges fooles All the euils violences murders burnings sackings robberies and wastes which Cyrus king of Persia with his armies did commit vpon the Aegyptians Aethiopians Sabeans and vpon all the kings and peoples of Asia the Lord alloweth them He saith that himselfe did them in these words Isay 45. Thus saith the Lord vnto Cyrus his annointed whose right hand I haue holden to subdue nations before him therefore will I weaken the loynes of kings and open the dore before him and the gates shall not be shut I will go before thee and make the crooked waies straight I will breake the brasen dores and burst the iron barres and I will giue the treasures of darknesse and the things hid in secret places that thou mayst know that I am the Lord. And afterward in the same chapter thus sayth the Lord the labour of Aegypt and the marchandise of Aethiopia and of the Sabeans men of great stature shall come vnto thee and they shal be thine they shall follow thee and shal go in chaines and shall fall downe before thee and make supplication vnto thee Exod. 9.10 In Exodus the Lord acknowledgeth that himselfe handened the heart of Pharao and made him rebelliously withstand his commandements Againe the Lord saith Deut. 32. I will spend plagues vpon them I will bestow mine arrowes vpon them and a little after he addeth I haue sayd I would scatter them abroad I would make their remembrance to cease frō among men saue that I feared the furte of th' enemy least their aduersaries should waxe proud and least they should sny our high hand and not the Lord hath done all this Furthermore the greatest euils and sinnes in the world are done by persecutors of the Church and yet is it not the Lord that causeth all this euils that lifteth vp a signe vnto the nations a farre Isay 5. and hisseth to them from the endes of th' earth to persecute his Church that saith also ô Ashur the rod of my wrath Isay 10. and the staffe in his hand is mine indignation I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will geue him a charge against the people of my wrath he meaneth his people of Israel to take the spoile and to take the pray that gaue his Sonne to Pilate to be crucified as wee are taught by his answere to Pilate thus Iohn 14. thou couldest haue no power at all against mee except it were geuen thee from aboue 4. Esd 15. Ezech. 18. Deut. 28. It is the Lord that prouoketh straungers against his people that stirreth vp kings and peoples the kings of the North and the nations of Gog and Magog against his Church that rayseth vp enemies and geueth to them his people with victorie oppression and reproch in hunger thirst and nakednes Iudg. 2. it is God that deliuereth his Church into the handes of robbers and spoylers To be short when the holy Ghost rehearseth the euils and persecutions endured by the Church he neuer forgetteth to tell that the Lord sent and caused them Doo ye suppose your felues to be of greater counsel and vnderstanding or more ielous of Gods honor than the holy Ghost Deut. 18. It is God that smiteth with madnes blindnes and astonishment of heart he it is Rom. 1. that deliuereth the vnfaithfull to a reprobate sense that giueth vs ouer to vile affections 3. Reg. 22. and all maner of sinnes He it is that deceiueth that sendeth lying spirites into the mouth of Prophets purposely to deceiue as of Sedechias and his companions is written 1. Cor. 1. He hath besotted or made foolish the wisdome of this world he destroyeth the wisdome of the wise and casteth away the vnderstanding of the prudent saith S. Paul Rom. 2. Isay 6. He made the heart of the Iewes fat made their eares heauy and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and heare with their eares vnderstand with their hearts and conuert and he heale them Againe he made them erre from his waies and hardened their heart from his feare Isay 63. Psal 69. saith Isay Dauid maketh his prayer to the Lord saying let their table be a snare before them and their prosperitie their ruine let their eyes be blinded that they see not and make their loynes alwaies to tremble and a little after say iniquitie vpon their iniquitie and let them not come into thy righteousnes shall we say that in this prayer is impietie It is God that before of old ordained Antichrist to damnation Iud. as S. Iude hath written It is God that hath sent to Antichrist and his partakers strong delusion that they should beleeue lies saith S. 2. Thess 2. Paul It is God that hath put into the hearts of kings to do that which should please Antichrist and to giue their kingdomes to the beast vntill that the wordes of God should be accomplished as is fore-told in the Reuelation Thus the Lord
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
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
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
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
26. It is written ye shall make you no idols nor grauen image neither reare you vp any piller neither shall ye set any image of stone in your land to bow downe to it for I am the Lord your God again thou shalt not reare thee vp an idol for the Lord hateth it In the table giuen to Moses it was written thou shalt make thee no grauen image neither any likenes of things that are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor serue them For I am the Lord thy God a iealous God visiting th'iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children This commaundement doeth so sharply vrge the auctors and fauourers of images that they may in no wise excuse or colour their disobedience the Lord saith in expresse termes thou shalt not bow downe to them nor serue them to stop their mouths that bring in a distinction of adorations it is a smaller matter to bow our selfe before images and serue them then it is to solemnise and sing masses in their honour to salute them kneele before them offer them candles make prayers vowes pilgrimages and processions to them with like nay with more affection humilitie worship hope then is done to God himselfe they fast in their honour they prepare themselues before they will touch them with more deuotion and care then when they go to receyue the sacrament they come not nigh them but bare-foot and in their shirt alone The smallest lets and discommodities do turne you backe from the house of God but all the annoyances and iniuries of th'ayer and of men of cold heat wind and raine throng of people and blowes can not stay you from crouding creeping and approching to them for to enioy this blisse this contentment in your soule in your deuotions onely to touch or cause them to be touched with some thing ye haue about you and thenceforth vee thinke your deuotions more perfect and accomplished then if an Angel of heauen were come to witnesse it to you as was to Tobie Ye offer to them that which they see not ye aske them that which they vnderstand not ye looke at their handes for that which God alone can do and giue if all these humilities deuout and religious affections deserue not the name of adoration I wot not what we may call adoration When the Israelites went vp into the temple to adore the Lord they did not somuch as ye do before your images It appeareth in the Acts Reuelation Act. 10. Apoc. 19.22 that to adore is to kneele before any thing with religious deuotion Now at least if in your deed be no adoration yet is there bowing and seruice which are th'expresse termes of Gods commaundement There is another word in this commaundement throughly to be considered of vs he forbids images with bowing and seruing of them for saith he I am thy ielous God It is not for nought that he vseth this terme ielous ielousie admitteth no excuse ielousie is strong as the graue where ielousie is ye can not shew so few courtesies to others but ye shall shew too many Your fathers maisters and doctours tell you that images are permitted in your Church onely for remembraunce sake that none but the simpler sort do giue their minds to reuerence them bow before them serue them thus they condemn your actions your deuotions their owne they deeme you and them selues also idolaters for they make the greater presse they goe before they gather vp the profites of the offrings they lay the other offrings to pledge as the dolphin layeth other fishes to pledge in the whales belly they take vp the rest of the candels But were it that they with-held themselues yet cease they not to be guiltie of th' offence committed about these images Math. 18. Luc. 17. for in the Gospell a curse and wo is pronounced against him by whom offence commeth to the Church and which maketh the least of the Church to take offence that better it were for him to haue a milstone hanging at his neck and to be cast into the sea Now so it is that images bring a mightie offence to the Church causing the poore people to sinne a sinne beyond all measure sinfull and they which haue brought them in and do mainteine them still in the Church with them that set in the peoples way this stumbling stone are most wretched and guilty before God But how wil your Doctours aunswere wise Salomon Sap. 14. who foreseing their cloak and excuse of remembraunce most largely declareth how this remembraunce onely hath brought in idolatrie among men 4 Reg. 18. what will they say to the fact of Ezechias so greatly praysed who caused the brasen serpent to be destroyed hauing bene set vp by the commandement of God reteined so lōg in the Church because the people fell to idolatrie by occasion of this serpēt which is a story for this purpose very notable Th'Apostles caried no images crucifixes crosses or relikes in their sleeues as your preachers are wont the rather to perswade the people they caried not Christ but in memory mouth and exāple of lif Rom. 10. S. Paul speaking of faith saith ring hearing by the word of God he saith not by sight nor by seruice of images Deut. 17.4 Moreouer it is writtē cursed be the mā that shall make a grauen or molten image And Moses repeting the cōmandements of God to the childrē of Israell telleth them ye haue heard the voyce of his wordes haue not seen any image sauing the voyce which is a thing that cannot be painted saith Esdras take good heed to your soules therefore for ye saw no image in the day that the Lord spake to you out of the middes of the fire in Horeb that ye corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure whether it be like any male or female c. Thus the Scripture teacheth vs that it is sinne to make images onely for Religion sake without mentioning any bowing of the body or seruice but principally to graue karue or peinct th' image of God And yet are ye so rash as that ye durst peinct and make a grauen image of God who is an essence inuisible infinit incōprehēsible if the word of God had borne any sway or credit with you if ye had but knowne it the chesill and pensill had falne out of your fingers so often as ye went about to resemble him Is it possible that the words of Isay and S. Paul were not power-full enough to bring you to some sense of your sinne when Isay had discoursed to th'uttermost extēt of vnderstading whatsoeuer he could of the most glorious and incomprehēsible Maiestie of God Isay 40. he cryeth out to whom will ye liken God or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him againe to whom now will ye
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
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
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
it for by this onely rule hath he commaunded vs to serue him and hath forbidden vs to adde thereto or take ought therefro Now so it is that to the same word the Reformed submit and order themselues in their deuotions and actions somuch as they are able Then let vs freely conclude the appearance to be greater that ye are th'heretikes and schismatikes rather then they They may tell you as Elias tolde Achab we are not they that trouble Israel that trouble the Church but ye and your fathers house which haue forsaken the commandements of God and followed Baalim Antichrist mens commaundements and traditions fables lies and vanities but aboue all the schisme which you would cast on them reboundeth on your selues for this is a ruled case that he which seperateth himselfe is not the schismatike but he onely that geues the occasion And that is your corruption your confusion which occasioneth them to seuer themselues from you withall your seducings and chiefly your persecutions be so great that they cannot endure to tarry with you Apoc. 18. The Lord also commaundeth them to goe out of your Church your Babylon Goe out of her my people lest ye be partakers of her plagues The Reformed are as the woman desolated vpon the losse of her sonne that is fled into the fields that is fled into the desert And yet although they detest flie your errors they are willing neuerthelesse to tarry by you and among you to bring you by the word of God to the trueth of the word of God they are ready to preach in your Churches if ye will But how should they tarry with you ye chase them ye bannish them ye rifle them ye beate them ye massacre them martyr them and therefore ye haue slender reason God wot to call them schismatikes CHAP. VII Here followeth the Conclusion and the application of all this discourse with the admonitions or aduertisements THen forasmuch as afore when I was content to winke with you and when I treated touching the Reformed as if they had bene schismatikes yet it fell out vpon proofe that ye were in fault for violating and breaking the peace ye made with thē the faith ye gaue to them and the othe ye sware to God and also for intending and indeuouring to destroy them by force and materiall sword or compell them by the same sword to leaue their religion and take yours which fault ye haue redoubled with sinne vpon sinne in going about to confound the state of the Church the state of the Crowne the lawes of the Realme the order of successions the commō wealth the common peace and the wealth and peace of euery one rather then ye will liue nigh the Reformed or be gouerned by any of thē Know now how much your euill is greater your nature frowarder and your sinne horribler then ye thinke They are no longer heretikes to whom ye deny the interest and benefit of the law of all nations vnder heauen to whom ye haue vnrighteously violated your faith whom ye persecute in their goods persons whom ye compell against their consciences whom ye put to death they are the people of God the true professors of his holy Gospell They be no heretiks though ye assay by violence to bring them backe into the right way as ye say they be true and faithfull Christians whom ye seeke to bring out of the right way They are no heretikes whose company and gouernement ye seeke to shunne with so costly an aduenture as your countrey liues and soules are worth they are Gospellers though ye prophanely deride the name and hold a right opinion of the Catholike faith who demaunde nothing but reason and right euen for the comfort quiet profit and saluation of all and cuery one It comes to my remembrance that about the beginning of this discourse when I shewed you how needfull it was that othes should be made and kept and told you how it was impossible to excuse you of periurie and reproofe before God and men after ye had violated the pacifications of this Realme so solemnely sworne I promised you then to resolue you of a doubt which ye might make to wit that since the breach of the peace ye haue made many others and protestations against that peace so that by the same necessary religious regard of oths it seemeth impossible to you to returne againe to obserue the peace broken Behold a doubtfull knot which may be losed with very small ado For since it appeareth that the Reformed are true Christians and do demaunde onely the free and open passage of Gods word that the kingdome of Christ may reigne in mens hearts ye must confesse that your othes and protestations made before or after the peace to hinder the exercise of their Religion and destroy them are quite contrary to iustice to Gods glory the freedome of his word and the kingdome of his sonne so that these later othes and their like not those which you made for preseruing of peace are to be condemned and vtterly retected It standeth not so with vowes othes which are thought to be made to God as it doth with testaments some other actes among men whereof the later do make the former voyde for euen as God is vnmoueable and neuer chaungeth his will euen so his pleasure is that what soeuer is done with him mē promise him should be vnmoueable a vow or othe then being forcibly and lawfully made all other othes execrations and protestations which can be made in preiudice of the same may not nor ought be counted as othes but as periuries and mere vngodlinesse It is a monstrous abuse and profaning of faith to make it a warrant for trecherie impietie trouble confusion and ruine of a state and Church This is but to strengthen sinne with sinne to establish and make faithlesnesse necessary by othes and namely by othes that can not otherwise stand nor be auowed before Gods iustice Away then with these last oths and their like shew your disalowance of them by your repentance otherwise to returne to my purpose ye must confesse that ye will reteine them in despite of God and his Church of reason of iustice of the weale publik in the end of your selues Now sith the case so stands I tell you not that the Reformed are more in nūber value that they haue Cities not to be won by assault that they haue societies amities alliances ayde within without the Realme but I tell you that they haue many mo millions of Angels for them that the truth of God is vnvanquishable that God is for them that God shal be the maister that the lambe shal ouercome that his holy Word Chosen shall remaine and the traditions of men men them selues and the world shall perish I tell you that the people of God as Isay saith how few soeuer they be Isay 18.27 is a terrible people and vnconquerable for the
their naturall kings after a forrein maner Charlemaine was borne king of Fraunce he descrued and obteined th' Empire he would haue gouerned this Realme with th'Impetiall lawes and haue enclosed Fraunce within th' Empire your forefathers as Frenchmen in deede iustly ielous of their name franchise and libertie could not abide it and though he was one of the most redoubted kings that euer were yet they stood against it most freely One of my childrē stept vp boldly and vsed such speaches to th'Emperour Charlemaigne their king in the middes of his army As thou appointest vs ô sacred Mareshe we will folow thine ensignes in what part soeuer they are borne for there is no monster nor thing so fearfull that can keepe vs back Thou beganst at Rome to be Emperour of other nations but thou art borne Prince and King of the Frenchmen whose valiance I wot not with what destiny al strangers do enuie thinking our freedome to be the cause of their seruitude although that before thy reign not one onely part of the land could call it selfe free Thou hast power to giue the Hungarians a king the Greekes demaund of thee but amitie thou commaundest in all Europe for the feare that Astrike hath of thee the alliance thou hast in Asia thou holdest all the earth in peace men in safety Thou causest religion to be obserued And yet thou vndertakest one care wherewith all the world may be troubled We that are Frenchmen though we see thee so great demaund nothing of thee but to cōtinue Frēchmē as afore If thou employest vs not in thy warres we shall thinke our selues aboue all others most vnhappy infamous Why thē wilt thou that thy souldiers thy realme thy Frāce should fall into the subiectiō of th' Empire O French mē are ye bastards are ye degenerated are ye chaungelings what haue ye not one sparke left of this braue and couragious ielousie of your Ancestors is there lesse heart in you then was in the Burguinions that reiected the rule of Conrad th'Emperour for this onely cause that he was a stranger to them Frenchmen since when came ye out of kinde to become cowards and bondmen ye sell one another ye sell your selues ye sell me also Doubtlesse ye wil consume in these warres the price of my sale and with it whatsoeuer ye haue els and in th' end if your misfortune be so great as to deliuer your selues and me also to the Buyer ye must afterward repay to him that which he gaue you and whatsoeuer pouertie ye alleage yet must ye restore to him the price of my sale with excessiue vsury besides and yee must disburse all the charges Ye seeke the ruledome of straungers if ye be so wretched as to find it ye shall know what a straunger may and is woont to do in a countrie wonne by conquest he will not vnderstand your language he will not heare your complaints in fine deuouring fire to your destruction will come from him Determine to resigne the honour of gouernments iudgements to yeeld your triumphant swords and stately robes to straungers Determine to loute vnder the Lordly looke vnder the threatnings and stripes of the cruell Spaniard Beginne by times to harden your tender hands with all toyles handy-crafts and day-labour determine to deliuer all the fruicts of your lands and hands into the grype of the greedy Spaniard then to wayt without daring to open your mouth till he takes pitie on you shares you out a poore pittance to liue by Leaue to straungers the ancient seat the commodious site and stately building of your castles gotten with so great trauaile possessed with so great honour and cōtentation stored and enriched with stories armes and statues of your worthy sorefathers Dreame no longer of degree of place of nobilitie Take ye the carke and care of housekeping and leaue the profite and pleasure to them Stoupe like drudges and giue account to them like vnderlings of your day-works with trembling at their sterne lookes and enduring their maister full demeanour Abandon your faithfull feeres your deere and delicate daughters to ferue and please them in all their abhominable lusts Let your sonnes be pages and lackeyes to sterne and lord-like strangers None shal be seen within your houses castles palaces and townes within the Courts of Princes and courts of Iustice if any iustice be but strangers they will carie all the swinge and then Iacke wil be a Gentleman if he can speake Spanish Think not that the Courts Royall and those of Iustice will haue any other speech but how to keepe you vnder to vexe and torment you more and more to ouer-burden you with new taskes and tallages and though ye be fleesed and flayed yet if ye venture to come neere them to complaine ye shal be set backe with store of blowes It were a follie to hope that all these miseries yea worse then these shall not fall on your heads Such curses scourges of God ye cā not escape in cases like to these they are ordinary and vnauoidable yet further the Lord will lay his hand on you more heauily by oddes then on them which caried away through impatience alone seeke the Rule of strangers Because the hatred you beare to him and to the puritie of his word and Gospel pricks you on to runne after strangers The Lords of the houses of Loraine of Guise trim you vp this banqueting dish and lay before you this poysoned bait they are the brokers of these your miseries neuertheles ye say they beare a marueilous louing hart towards me and towards you and are honest and vertuous Beleeue me they loue you like strangers as they are that is for profit and aduancement that they hope to reape of you Their vnpacified malice their vnsatisfied auarice and gaping ambition is that which they pursue and not your cause quiet contentment and profit This is the truth of their commodities which they only seeke vnder the name visour and lying counterfeit of your cōmoditie For what are their propositions but vaine shewes and empty shadowes If they haue bene well affectioned and honestly minded towards you they haue fairely left them both whatsoeuer good affection or minde they had it gaue vp the ghost at least when this goodly enterprise of the league began If it be not permitted them from aboue to shew no other kindnesse then hitherto they haue done God saue me mine from it and graunt by his grace that the feare may issue from you and deuour them Come on let vs teach them that the noble hart of Frenchmen is not quayled nor the ielousie of their name quenched that the loue charitie zele of Frenchmen towards their countrie and Princes are not yet vanished away Let vs teach them that such a realme as this can not be sold nor payd for that that is not surely bought of some particular persons which belongeth to so many braue couragious and valiant Princes Lords and Gentlemen
were kings of Israel the people of God Thus haue Gods people geuen faith to Pagans and kept it and haue bene chastised of God for presuming to breake it there is as good reason at least to keepe faith to them that are reputed hereticks for the hereticke is not more abhominable then the Pagan and Infidell ad withall the histories aboue cited iustifying the like obseruation of loyaltie towards heretickes conuict and deemed such We sweare we hold vp our hands to God now since it is to God that wee sweare and not to men why then doo we respect the qualitie of men Let vs not therefore stay vpon the qualitie of persons euen as our selues desire of the Lord to performe vs his promises without regard to our vnworthines for the holy Ghost likewise in all th'examples of promises wel kept yeldeth this onely reason for all one or other hath sworne It becommeth vs not rashly to slippe aside from the charge of Gods commandements We shal enioy more rest honour and libertie in seruing God than by shifting off our shoulders the yoke of his lawes The commandement is manifest Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine it is noted that this is a principall commandement of the law one of those two that haue a threatning penaltie annexed I wil not holde him guiltlesse saith he that taketh my name in vaine The religion of an othe hath euermore and euery where bene esteemed to haue such power ouer the consciences honor and reputation of men that after an othe taken none durst doubt of the trueth of matters deposed or sworne An othe determineth the whole variance it is vnchangeable as saith S. Paul Heb. 6. By this onely warrant strangers dare meete together without suspition and become companions and friends hereby neighbors and friends continue neighborhood and friendship hereby th' enemie walketh in securitie of life amids the fury and weapons of his mortall foe this is the onely caueat and prouiso required of Kings Princes and Nations of Gouernors Bailiffes and Stewardes of Iudges and Magistrates this is the onely meane to treate of peace among armes to conclude and mainteine the same He that sweareth by the name of God doeth assure others that his wordes are true euen as God himselfe is the trueth he taketh God for his witnesse and iudge he praieth him to confound and sinke his soule to the bottomles pit of hel if he doeth not keepe and make good his word so farre as in him shall lye Our forefathers in olde time shewed by their ceremonies that they so conceiued it He that taketh the name of God in vaine either beleeues there is no God at al or els accounts him a lier void of might and in effect defies him Now men that are naturally liars and voide of might if they know themselues so reputed o◠thinke that others beleeue them not they will rage and take on marueilouslie they wil stirre vp the coles fling the fire about hazard their quiet honor goods this present life and all th'unspeakeable ioyes to be hoped for in the life to come to haue amendes for such supposed iniuries God that is true almightie and most ielous of his honor what wil he doo trow yee Periured persons are noted hated and shunned as well of them that feele the damage of their faithlesnesse as of them to whom profite comes by their periurie if any profite may come of periurie The Aegyptians to declare how much they detested faithlesse persons digressed from their generall rules and ordinarie iustice for it was a ground in their law to punish each offender in that part or member which was chiefe instrument of th' offence and so it should haue sufficed them onely to plague the tongue of the periured neuerthelesse they put him to death vtterlie excluding all ransome of his life for anie price whatsoeuer If some law-makers haue not laide vpon them any like penaltie it was because they durst not for albeit they reknowledged that th' offence of this crime might greatly touch both the societie of men and euerie particular person thereof yet they principally considered how this sinne directly respecteth the diuine maiesty that for so much as to God the othe vow was made from him therfore being called to witnes they awaite for vengeance Thus you venture to perseuere in a sinne intollerable to God man the razer of religion and humane felowship Hereupō ye wil perhaps replie that since the pacifications ye haue sworne other contrarie othes from which later othes by a more strong reason ye may not depart but I wil reserue the assoyling of this your obiection to the conclusion of this discourse Meane while let vs examine the groundes whereon the maine stay of your doctrine proposed doeth stande and we shall finde them rotten and ruinous Let vs consider what befell the king of Hungarie and al Christendome for hauing too simply obeyed Pope Eugenius This king of Hungarie had fought with daunted and vanquished the Turke had compelled him to make a peace honourable beneficiall aduantageable and conuenient for all Christendome howbeit by commaundement of the Pope for the considerations aforesaid he departed from that peace he violated his faith and promise geuen he denounced warre to Amurath he presented himselfe in fielde better assisted thā before both with men with hope they ioyned in fight he lost the battell 30. thousand of his soldiers were deuoured by the sword himselfe there slaine his head carried on a Launces point along all the Countrie the Turke gaue not armes ouer till he had wasted and by conquest dismembred from Christendome the Empire of Greece Hungarie a portion of high Germanie and sundrie other Countries the Popes Legate being bringer of this gay doctrine was strangely descried and slaine when he deemed himselfe out of danger hauing escaped the brunt of the battell Such euents weighed and compared with the commandements of God th'examples here afore produced which certifie vs of his will may make one iudge religiouslie enough that God was displeased at their vnreuerend regard of his name and that thereby he would teach and make vs vnderstand that faith should be holden more deare of vs than all worldlie things We haue as good reason after so manie miseries heard seene and felt in religion and temporall affaires throughout all Europe as well in generall as particular to thinke that they haue happened in all or in part bycause of the infidelitie executed with crueltie against them who vnder the faith of the Potentats of Christendome presented themselues at the Councell of Constance with intention hope not to cope with th' aduersarie or defende their cause but by the word of God and further sithence that time against an infinite number of Christians that haue disloyally bene martyred in Germany Fraunce Spaine Italy in England Scotland Flanders and other countreys What know we whether the misfortunes of warre and other notable calamities that
haue be fallen certeine Lords of our time are so many punishmēts of their desloyaltie We see their misfortunes neither can we be ignorant of their trecherie we know elswhere the wretched ends of the periured as of Lisander Hannibal Siphax Caracalla and of Hebert th' Earle of Vermandois of th'Earles of Charolois Saint Paul and of others innumerable A Iew of this our age hath imputed all the miseries wherein those of his nation are wrapped to their faithlesnes Vnworthy is he the reputation of a faithful Christian that will violate his faith makes no reckning of it vnworthy is he to receiue faith of God or finde faith among men that knowes not how to keepe it They say that sinne is knowen by its trayne that sinne is the penaltie of sinne but chiefly that is verified of faithlesnes To this purpose do the Hebrues aduise men aboue all to beware of this vice for hauing crept once into their acquaintance by and by it growes familiar customary and domesticall We haue obserued that euer since this doctrine was receiued in so great a Synod of Bishops vnfaithfull disloyalty hath borne sway in all that hath byn done or treated among all the Potentats of Christendome among all Christians welnigh the Bishops are the chief heades thereof the euill from thence is descended to the members and so from member to member throughout the whole body I shame to say how since ye haue receiued and practised this goodly distinction ye haue mortgaged or rather forfeicted the honour and commendation of troth and fidelitie purchased so dearely and carefully amōg all nations by your predecessours Ye are at this day among all nations as a vessell wherein is no pleasure commoditie nor assurance Ye reteine the solemnitie of othes by custome ye leaue the truth by malice Shame will not suffer me to pursue this point any further Yet one thing will I add that faithlesnesse iustly bringes the faithlesse person in suspect that he fayles in faith towardes Iesus Christ for as one of the ancientes sayd none loseth his faith saue he that had it not Then my children ye that are Christians by the grace of God geue no place to Paynims in vertuous actes which nature reason law custome necessitie and your soueraigne Lord God do inioyne you so expresly folow the examples propounded by the holy Ghost to fortifie you against the subtil quirks wisedome of the flesh beleeue it not to be permitted which God forbiddeth and with indignation punisheth eschue not his cōmaundementes but eschue his wrath frame not his word to your passions to your reuenges to your ambition but frame your selues to it and by it rule your desires CHAP. II. Whether mens consciences ought to be compelled for Religion and how the Magistrate should be employed agaynst heretikes BVt ye wil tell me perhaps that ye are not moued to begin this warre by disloyaltie nor by desire of reuenge nor by other euill passion but through zele ye beare to the glory of God to th' aduancement of the kingdome of his sonne our Lord to th'edificatiō of his Church through the charitie ye beare towards all men whom ye fayne would haue to be all good Christians whō ye would marshal in the Church vnder th' obedience of God or cut of the refusers to cease all blasphemies and abominations that they commit against his diuine Maiestie and to purchase assured tranquillitie to all the faithfull The holy Ghost foreseing as it seemeth your excuses saith that Saul assaied to destroy the Gabaonits through a zele he bare to the children of Israell and Iuda this his deuotion was deemed sinne against God the Israelites and namely the children of Saul incurred Gods displeasure for this sinne 2. Reg. 21. as hath byn sayd Moreouer the Iewes persecuting the Christians euen then when they crucified the Messias were inflamed with a most ardent affection towards God and their Temple by this their affection th' execution thereof they deserued the wrath estranging curse and punishment of God S. Paule speaking of them and of th' euill they did to the faithfull saith Rom. 10. I will beare th'Israelites witnesse that they haue the zele of God but not after knowledge Ioh. 16. Iesus Christ said to his Apostles the houre commeth that whosoeuer shal put you to death shall thinke he doth God high seruice 〈◊〉 suppose you that this zele did excuse the murtherers of the Apostles 2 Reg. 6. Likewise with very great zele did Oza stretch forth his had to vphold the Ark of the Lord howbeit he was punished Zele then is so sclender an excuse of sinne that it selfe is sinne if it be not directed by sound skill knowledge Man is not licensed to seeke th' execution of whatsoeuer himself conceiueth shall serue the glory of God He must learne and know by Gods word what he is to desire whereto his indeuors must tend what way he is to take what meanes he must vse It is well done to couet and seeke th' aduancement of Gods kingdome th'accōplishment of his Church it greatly concerneth vs to behold the number of the faithful very soone fulfilled for the glory of God and our owne sanctification glorificatiō but yet let it be done with discretion The holy Ghost is the chief workemaister in building the Church let him controll vs let the meanes that he hath taught conduct vs we can not be ignorant if we but cōsider how he hath proceded euer since the creation of the world to the building of the Church the house of God He would neuer be serued with the violence of men of fire of sword and of the halter to compell men to enter into the Church Adam Seth and Enos enforced not Cain to returne to God after he was plunged in dispayre when he had forsaken God his countrie and consequently the Church by reason of his sinne Noe vsed not weapons to compell the people to turne to God but praiers and preachings in the name of the Lord he laboured to conuert them by words and examples of godlines he manaced them not with his owne wrath or with his owne armes but with the wrath and armes of th' Almighty Abraham longed with all his hart to see th' effect of Gods promises he saw in spirit already the Church filled with nations innumerable he beheld about him great power he fought he ouercame but yet he neuer attempted to bring men to God by armes The children of Israel fought vanquished conquered and destroied many nations yet where can ye finde that they went about to constraine one onely man of so many peoples to suffer their circumcision and become one of their Church if they had propounded to th'Ammonits Moabites Philistins and to the Syrians which would haue yeelded to all conditions of peace for to liue peaceably by them thus wee will leaue you in peace in your houses and families among your wiues and children we will leaue you your goods your
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