inheritance the dearly beloued of Gods owne soule a people whome the Lorde had chosen among all Nations to be a precious people to himselfe aboue all people on the earth in Name praise and glorie A people that so many times and so solemnlie had protested God forbid wee should forsake the Lord our God to serue other Gods the Lord our God we will serue and his voyce wee will obey that this people I say should stand in doubt whether that GOD that had wrought so many miracles for their deliuerance which had brought them out of the Land of Egipt with a strong and a mightie hand which had led them and fed them in the wildernes with Manna from heauen for the space of 40. yeares preseruing them in all the way which they went and destroying their enemies before them lastly in the ende bringing them into the Land of Canaan whether he were the onely true God to be worshipped and followed or rather Baal in so much that when the prophet Elias had said vnto them If the Lorde be God followe him if Baal be hee goe after him Silence was the onely answere they made him being not able otherwise to answere him one word Vnto this base irresolution the people were thus desperately brought partly being moued through feare of so great and mightie a Prince and so greatly aduancing the worship of Baal as king Ahab did by the inticement and prouocation of his wife So that perceiuing how both the King and Queene and almost all the Nobilitie being wholly affected addicted to the worship of Baal by reason of the weakenesse and infirmitie of their faith were not able to resolue in themselues what they might doe or how they might belieue standing in a mammering this way and that way one and the same man would somtimes worship the Lord and an other while Baal and sometimes both together being perswaded that religion was a thing indifferent and that it did not matter how they serued God if they had any care at all to serue him whether they serued him alone or serued him with anie other But little did this people vnderstand that religion is not as euerie common matter of mans life but a thing to be measured not by opinion but by truth to be chosen not by example but by iudgement to be holden not for companie but for conscience sake In this irresolution and wauering inconstancie of the people of Israel wee may as in a glasse beholde and see our selues euen the state and condition of our owne people how manie there are yet in our dayes which notwithstanding they haue bene bred and brought vp in this religion which by Gods great mercy this day is professed in the Church of England yet partly by the corruption of their owne nature partly led by the mouing perswasions of recusant Papists but specially being inticed therevnto by those false impostors deceiuers of the world I meane the Priests and Iesuites beginne to call the truth of our religion into question standing in a maze what they may doe whome they may followe what they may belieue sometime in loue and liking of our religion otherwhile againe being wearie of the Gospell imbracing the Romane religion falsely called by the name of the Catholike Religion and so daily wauering betweene two opinions declare themselues indeed to bee of no Religion For whom as my daily prayer to God is and shall be that he would be pleased to graunt them a solide and strong perswasion in the profession and defence of the true and onely ancient Catholike faith of Christ deliuered vnto vs in the holy scriptures of God and withall such a measure of heauenly wisedome that they may be able to discerne things that differ one from another and to giue a sound iudgement betweene that which is counterfaite and the true Catholike faith and religion of Christ So I could wish that they would consider with mee and that they would seriously ponder with earnest and vpright aduisement these fewe reasons or motiues which here I will set downe which may serue in steed of so many seuerall demonstrations to proue that this same doctrine we preach this day in all the reformed churches of Christendome is the verie truth of the Gospel of Christ First I would haue them but to weigh the beginnings and proceedings of our religion how in a manner all the trauels of our aduersaries haue come to nought and how no bodie driuing it forward without any worldlie helpe it hath taken increase and by little little is spread ouer into all countreys And verilie it cannot chuse but carrie great weight of perswasion to moue the conscience of any man to see so many kingdoms and countries ioyne together in the profession and obedience of one truth And there is no doubt but euen this day manie thousandes are the sooner led to humble themselues to the Gospell of Christ for that they see to the vnspeakeable griefe of the Pope and his fauourites the whole world that is to say the whole Church of God is contented so willingly and so humbly to imbrace the same Againe let them but consider that they haue seene with their owne eyes how the Gospell which hath bene preached vnto them and which somtimes with ioy they haue receiued euen amiddes so many stormes and tempests through death and persecution notwithstanding the abundance of innocent Christian blood which hath beene shed ouer all the world hath had a strange and wonderfull increase so that the more our religion hath beene persecuted the more still it hath increased and this was euer reputed by the ancient fathers to be the proper priuiledge and excellencie of truth about all other sects to come out of persecution as gold out of the fire more bright more illustrious more eminent then before A third motiue or forcible inducement to iustifie the truth of the Gospel now preached may be this euen the due consideration of that vniuersalitie of learning and sauing knowledge wherewith God hath blessed these daies of ours more plentifully and in greater measure then in former times he hath done In so much that whereas the Prophet Esay speaking of that aboundance of knowledge which should be vnder the kingdome of Christ in the time of grace hath these words Esa 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea and likewise the Prophet Ioel Ioel. 2.28 I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and handmaides will I poure my spirit We may truly say in this accepted time and this day of saluation that these scriptures are fulfilled in our eares euen our enemies being iudges who haue confessed that the word of God was neuer in any age so plainely taught and deliuered as in this time wherein we
purchased for vs eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 there needeth no more propitiatorie sacrifice to be made for sinne Where there is remission of sinnes alreadie obtained there is no more offering for sinne there needeth no more sacrifice to be offered Heb. 14.18 But Christ hath beene offered once to take away the sinnes of many Heb. 9.28 and by his owne blood he hath entred once to the holy place to obtaine eternal redēption for vs Heb. 9.12 Therefore the Masse cannot be a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes seeing alreadie by the death of Christ we haue remission of sinnes Lastly without blood and shedding of blood there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes Heb. 9.22 But in the daily sacrifice of the Masse there is no shedding of blood for they call their Masse an vnbloodie sacrifice Therefore in the sacrifice of the Masse there is no remission of sinnes and so by consequent the Masse can be no true propitiatorie sacrifice Thus we see how the doctrine of the popish Masse is ex diametro repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostle and to the whole order and institution of the Lords Supper A third very materiall and substantiall point of the Christian Catholike faith impugned this day by the present Romane Church is this that contrarie to the expresse words of our Sauiour Christ thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue Math. 4.10 contrarie to the commandement which the Angel gaue to Iohn when he fell at his feete to worship him See thou doe it not Reue. 19.10 I am thy fellow seruant and of thy bretheren which haue the testimonie of Iesus worship God contrarie to the examples of Peter and Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.15 Which vtterly refused all manner of adoration Paul and Barnabas renting their clothes crying out to the people of Lycaonia O men why doe ye these things We are euen men subiect to the like passions ye be and preach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine idolles vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth and the sea and all things that in them are Act. 10.25 and Peter speaking to Cornelius Who at his first meeting of him fell downe at his feete and worshipped him said thus vnto him taking him vp stand vp for euen I my selfe am a man contrarie to the continuall and constant practise of the ancient Catholike primitiue Church of Christ which as S. Hierō witnesseth did neither worship Sunne nor Moone nor Angell nor Archangell nor Cherubin nor Seraphin nor any other name that is named either in this world or in the world to come least they should serue the creature in steed of the creator who is God blessed for euer contrarie to the determination of Gregorie the great and first of that name who also himselfe was Bishop of Rome and therefore his voice to be accounted as an oracle of God who albeit hee did well like the hauing of images in the Church yet he vtterly condemneth the idolatrous worshipping of them alleaging for proofe thereof the place of scripture before named Lib. 7. episto cap. 109. thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue All this I say notwithstanding the Church of Rome this day euen in this cleare light of the Gospel maintaines and defends the worship and adoration of Angels the worship of Saints departed the worship of the images of the trinitie the worship of the crosse and crucifixe the worship of images which they set vp in their Churches to the intent the people may attribute diuine honour vnto them and lastly the worship of their breaden-God their sacrament of the Altar as they terme it whom they call their Lord and their God crying out to a peece of bread O Lord O God O Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon vs and receiue our praiers And verily were there no other cause to induce all good Christians to depart from the fellowship and communion of the Church of Rome this one doctrine of adoration wherein they teach the common people to call the sacrament their Lord and God and so by giuing the honour of God to a creature that is no God to commit grosse and manifest Idolatrie this point alone were cause sufficient for them to detest both them and their religion for euer Iere. 2.27 For what oddes I beseech you is there betweene those blind Iewes which said to a stocke thou art my father to a stone thou hast begotten me and those wilfull and blind Papists which cry vpon the Sacrament of the Altar in substance a base and corruptible creature Lord I am not worthie Lord be mercifull to me a sinner O Lord O God O Lambe of God receiue our praiers The one sort the H. Ghost hath traduced for a memorable and detestable crew of idolaters and so may we by the like reason and vpon as good ground and warrant condemne all the Papists liuing this day for most vile and shameful idolaters for adoring and worshipping a peece of bread O most horrible idolatrie Tully himselfe being an heathen man could say Who was euer so very a foole De natu deorum as to beleeue the thing he eateth to be his God The very children in Grammer Schoole can tell vs that the heathens that adored Bacchus and Ceres which first found out and taught the vse of breade and wine whereas before they had fed on achornes and dranke water yet notwithstanding they were neuer so foolish or so besotted as to giue godly honour to bread and wine By this then which hath bene alreadie spoken it is clearely proued that there is no compatibilitie betweene Protestancie Poperie and that the diuersitie betweene vs is of so materiall and needfull points that if they be right wee are wrong if wee be right they are wrong both they and wee cannot be both together Catholike members of the true Church The reason why wee cannot account Papists for members of the true Church is because they maintain sundry points which go directly against the Christian faith they doe not content themselues onely with Christ nor with his Sacraments but set vp other mediatours in heauen other doctrines and sacraments on earth Besides that as I haue alreadie proued they adore the creatures of bread and wine in steede of Christ They bow their knees to painted carued images they ioyne nature with grace mans merites with Gods mercies vnwritten verities with holie scriptures their owne satisfactions with the blood of Christ and so directly impugne sundrie fundamentall points of the Christian faith which generally otherwise they will seeme to hold Obiect But I heare some man saying vnto mee if the case be such the differences so great betweene the religion of the Papists and our religion how is it possible that any Recusant papist now liuing can be saued Solut I answer that as in the rebellion which Absolom made against his Father
words of the Prophets declare good things vnto the King with one accord 1. King 22.13.14 let thy word therefore I pray thee be like vnto the word of one of thē and speake thou good Micheas answered him roundly As the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake The like zeale and courage we reade in Scripture to haue beene in Elizeus the Prophet vnto whom when King Iehoram Ahabs son had sent to know of him what successe his battell intended against the King of Moab was like to haue the Prophet very boldly answered the King after this manner What haue I to doe with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Fathers and to the Prophets of thy mother 2. King 3.13.14 and said moreouer vnto him as the Lord liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regarde the presence of Iehosaphat the king of Iudah I would not once haue looked towardes thee nor seene thee But of all others commended in scripture for zeale and courage the prophet Elias may carie the praise from them al Of whom in Ecclesiasticus it is thus reported Ecclesiast cap. 48.1 that he stood like a fire and his words burned like a lampe and because the people of Israel could not away with the commandement of the Lord by the word of the Lord he shut the heauen and so brought a famine vpon them He was appointed to reproue in due season and to pacifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement before it kindled Malac. 4.6 and so to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers Vnto the which place the Angell Gabriel prophesying before hand vnto Zacharie what manner of person his sonne Iohn Baptist should be alludeth saying Luk. 1.17 that he should goe before the Lord in the power and spirit of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. O that all the Preachers and Ministers of this kingdome were so possessed with the power and spirit of Elias that by beating downe sinne and wickednesse by the sword of the spirit and by giuing knowledge of saluation to the people of God they might prepare the waies of the Lord by pulling downe the mountaines by raising and filling vp the vallies by making crooked things straight by making rough waies smooth By the mountaines are vnderstood men that are very high and proud in the opinion of their owne righteousnes which by the preaching of the Gospell shall abate their pride and so come to Christ By the vallies are meant men that are vtterly despaire of all men and altogether liuing in dispaire such shal be raised vp to the fellowship and communion of the kingdome of heauen By crooked things are signified such things as haue beene warped and writhed sundrie waies Psal 119.9 which shall be made straight by the leuell and squire of the Gospell For how shall a young man saith Dauid clense his waies but by ruling himselfe after the word of God As for the rough waies that shal be made plaine they are called rough by reason of the thornes of manifold vices and naughtie desires and lusts the short is that the course of all things shal be changed to such contraries that all impediments and lettes that shall hinder the course of the Gospell shall be broken and so the Preachers of Christs sacred word Gospel shall make readie a people prepared for the Lord. But alas we are fallen into these miserable daies euen the worst and last daies that we are so farre off from suffering ourselues to be reproued when we sinne that we doe reioyce when we doe wickedly Wee cannot abide to haue our faults touched Our Pride is growen as high as the Heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell and yet wee cannot in any wise suffer ourselues to be reproued Wee say to the preachers Peace and talke not vnto vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scripture Tell not vs of Christ of Peter of Paul wee bid the preacher speake vs faire and we bid him blesse those things which are accursed by Gods owne mouth Nay manie there are which are already wearie of the Gospel and wearie of their preachers they call them Pulpit-men of the spirite Priests and I know not what as though themselues had nothing to doe with the spirite of God They say the Preacher is too busie hee medleth with that he knoweth not Yes thou foolish man he knoweth it well enough He knoweth that pride is pride that extortion is extortion that couetousnes is couetousnes that sacriledge is sacriledge that vsurie is vsurie that sinne is sinne and thou and thine owne conscience knoweth it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it But God is iust and as the extreme disdaine of Gods truth and his holie Gospel deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance So can it not bee without speedie and earnest repentance but that this Gospel that we are alreadie so wearie of shall bee taken away from vs euen the kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shall be taken away from vs And then what can there remaine but blindnesse and ignorance which is the kingdome of the diuell But this is the only comfort that Preachers haue in this great contradiction and opposition of the worlde that if they haue a carefull endeuour to discharge a good conscience in crying out against wickednesse and lifting vp their voices like a Trumpet against the disorders of common life God Almightie will so arme all such zealous preachers with such an inuincible strength and constancie that all the powers of the world shall neuer be able to ouercome them Bee not afraide saith God to the Prophet Ieremie of their faces for beholde saith hee I haue this day made thee a defenced citie and an iron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iuda and against the Princes therof Ier. 1.18 against the Priests therof against the people of the land They shall fight against thee but they shall not preuaile against thee For I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. What saith S. Cyprian Shall the inuincible Tents of Christ defended with the strength of the Lord Lib. 1. Epist ad Cornel giue place to the terrors and threatnings of men Shall the Church yeeld to the Capitol Shall the outrages of madde men be greater then the iudgements and censures of ministers No God forbid it must not be so For are not the preachers the lights of the world and therefore appointed by God to espie faultes are they not the voice of Iohn Baptist why then should not they crie out against sinnes Seeing therefore they are the seers of the Lorde they must not be blinde and being the Lords criers they must
liue that we may truly and iustly say applying the words of our Sauiour Christ to ourselues blessed are the eyes which haue seene those things which we haue seene there hauing beene many millions and thousands of our forefathers which detesting the Antichristian pride other loose behauiour of the Romane Clergie endeuouring to serue the Lord after the prescript of his owne word desired to haue seene but one of the daies which we haue seene and could not who although with Lot they vexed their righteous soules in the middes of a spirituall Sodome yet like Sea-fish which is alwaies most fresh in salt-water they kept themselues vnspotted of the world and would not spot their soules with such horrible cōtaminations wherwith the whole world almost was defiled in those times of great darknesse and superstition The conclusion is this that seeing ouer all the Christian world where the Gospell hath had free passage all those places wheresoeuer the sound thereof is heard are full of the knowledge of the Lord and that on the other side where poperie preuaileth there is nothing but ignorance and superstition the truth with tyrannie crueltie being kept vnder by reason of the Spanish inquisition that this is a verie strong motiue to perswade that the Gospell this day preached in the reformed Churches of Christendome is the infallible and vndoubted word of God Fourthlie it was euer reputed and accounted for a speciall fruite of the Gospel to teach people obedience to their Gouernours to vpholde the State and Maiestie of Kings and Princes into whose hands God hath committed the sword of publike authoritie Now our aduersaries cannot chuse but see and all the Christian world can witnesse with vs this day that in all these places where at this present through Gods goodnes and mercy the truth of the gospel is taught all such places are become more obedient to superior powers then euer they were before That there is greater maiestie to be found lesse arrogancie and tyrannie the Prince more honoured the Common-wealth and Church in far greater quiet then in former time of corruption when neither the Prince knewe what belonged to him nor the subiects knewe what properly belonged either to Caesar or vnto God And verilie one reason to perswade anie mans conscience that poperie is not of God may be this that whereas the doctrine of the Gospel is a doctrine of obedience which Christ both taught and acted his Apostles both by precept and practise confirmed whereas the whole current and streame of antiquitie runneth the same way that all manner of persons yea the BB. of Rome themselues for many hundred yeares together did acknowledge the Emperour for their Lord liege Lord and Maister the doctrine of the present Church of Rome perswadeth flatly to disobedience and plaine rebellion It teacheth that the people vpon the Popes warrant may lawfully beare armes against their soueraigne that by dispensation from the Pope they may lawfully renounce their allegiance yea further vpon the Popes iubet they may lay violent hands vpon him And so the Iesuites haue deliuered it for the resolute and vndoubted iudgement of the Church of Rome that it is a thing both lawfull and meritorious to kill and to murther Christian Princes professing a contrarie religion to the doctrine and faith of that Church poperie therfore that professeth not a lawfulnes onely but a merite in such desperate attempts contrarie to the manifest voyce of God Thou shalt not kill doth clearely conuince it selfe and shew it selfe to be a religion of the diuell and not of God Let this then suffice for a conclusion of my fourth motiue to shew that this is the alone propertie of the Gospel wheresoeuer true religion flourisheth to season the hearts both of young and old with true subiection and Christian obsequiousnesse to the higher and superiour powers Fiftly if long peace wealth and prosperitie to the outward blessings of God as vndoubtedly they be whereby he declareth his speciall fauour vnto that Prince and kingdome which feare him and worship him sincerely and with whom he is well pleased according to his word and promises in the scriptures that this must be an argument both of the singular fauour of god to all protestant Princes that haue imbraced the Gospel and of the sincere religion professed by them wherewith he is well pleased For of all the Kings of Iuda who euer more abounded with all peace and worldly felicitie then those who were most religiously addicted and affected to the seruice of God as Iosias Ezechias Iehosaphat Dauid Salomon Thus the Lord spake to king Iehoiaekim by his Prophet Ieremie Iere. 22.15 Did not thy father Iosias eate and drinke and prosper when he executed iudgement and iustice and was not all this because he knew me saith the Lord What Prince was there euer in the world either more honoured or feared then Constantine the great was after he had once receiued the Christian religion all the kingdomes this day possessed with protestant Princes all the free cities and Common-wealths of Heleutia neuer were in more riches or setled tranquilitie neuer so potent nor so orderly gouerned as they be at this day religion there hauing so free a passage and course among them as it hath and to come neerer home to our owne daies if we doe but consider with our owne selues the long peaceable and prosperous raigne of our late dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth the very ioy of Christendome whose land in her daies was a sanctuarie to all the world groning for the libertie of true religion we shall perceiue that from the beginning of her most happie raigne vntill the day of her dissolution by gods singular goodnesse this kingdome of great Britaine hath enioyed more vniuersall peace the people of the land encreased in greater numbers in more strength with greater riches and lesse sicknesse the earth hath yeelded more fruits and generally al kind of worldly felicitie hath more abounded since and during the time of the Popes thunders bulles curses and maledictions then in any other long time before when the Popes pardons and blessings came yearely into the Realme as they did in Queene Maries daies And thus much for proofe that the outward blessings of God which he hath bestowed vpon such Kings and Princes and states as haue embraced the Gospel of his sonne Christ Iesus are vndoubted arguments and demonstrations of the true and sincere religion professed by them The last motiue to perswade any Christian man not wilfully blinde to embrace the religion this day professed in the reformed Churches is with an vnpartiall eye to consider the great strange and maruelous things which the Lord hath done for the honour and aduancement of the Gospel in such places where it hath bene receiued Is it not strange that Martine Luther hauing his enemies so many so malicious so mightie should notwithstanding after nine and twentie yeares preaching die quietly in his bed in peace both of body and
grounds of religion wherein both sides doe agree that the papist himselfe might resort vnto it without any scruple or scandall if faction more then reason did not preuaile A third difference betweene our forefathers and our Romish recusants is this our forefathers neuer for their part euer vnderstood the mysterie of popish iniquitie but in singlenesse of their hearts embraced the generall doctrine of the Gospel concerning saluation by faith in Christ those damnable and treasonable positions which the Church of Rome proposeth to be holden as verities of the Catholike faith were neuer knowne in the daies of our forefathers that is these fundamentall points of popish religion viz that the Pope is gods vicegerent here on earth and therefore superiour to the King of England That it is the Popes power to depose the King of England and depriue him of his crowne That the Pope may absolue his subiects from their oath of allegiance to him That at the Popes commandement the people are to take armes against him That it is both lawfull and meritorious before God to kill and to murther any Christian Prince if he fall into tyrannie or misbeliefe The secrets of this occupation were neuer so much as heard of in those daies I meane this king-killing and Queene-killing Doctrine of the papists for proofe wherof I will alleadge vnto you one famous and memorable example as I find it recorded In the wofull warres with the Barons when King Iohn was viewing of the Castell of Rochest held against him by the Earle of Arundel he was espied by a very good Arcubalaster who told the Earle thereof and said that he would soone dispatch that cruell tyrant if he would but say the word God forbid vile varlet quoth the Earle That we should proue the death of the holy one of God What said the Souldiour swearing a monstrous oath he would not spare you my Lord if he had you at the like aduantage No matter for that quoth the Earle Gods good will be done and he will dispose thereof and not the king an answere fitting and beseeming that most noble Earle far contrarie to the practise of our powder-Traitors and likewise contrarie to the practise of the late popes of Rome who haue beene so farre off from sauing and sparing the life of Christian Kings and Princes that as Pope Hildebrand gaue the first president they haue hired Assacinours to murther them to lay violent hands vpon them as it is plainely to be proued by the practise of Pius quintus Gregory the thirteēth Sixtus quintus who not onely resolued that parricide of Princes was lawfull but promised both earthly and heauenly recompence to such as would offer their seruice to kill and murther them The truth whereof is clearely to be iustified by the letters of Cardinal Como written to William Parrie wherein contrarie to the manifest voice of God himselfe Thou shalt not kill he encourageth him to the slaughter of his liege Ladie and Mistrisse as to an honourable and holy exploite The last difference and oddes which I obserue betweene our forefathers our Romish recusants is this that they as they were generally forward and very zealous in that religion which they professed so were they as carefull to seeke all the good meanes they could to come to the knowledge of the truth they fasted often they praied much they were most diligent resorters to the house of prayer knowing that it was the place that God himselfe had made choise of to haue his name called on they would reade all such good bookes as possible they could come by for their better instruction in the knowledge of God and as it is recorded and storied of many of them they would sit vp all night in reading and hearing not caring for any expenses or charges so they might attaine to come by such bookes in english as they descried they would not sticke some of them to giue fiue markes for a Bible to reade in and many of them most willingly would giue a loade of haie for some few Chapters of Saint Iames or Saint Paul in English And therefore wee conceiue this good hope of them euen of all such who sought so carefully to vse al the good meanes whereby they might attaine to the sauing knowledge of truth although deceiued in some points yet that they had mercy shewed vnto them and doe rest in peace with God and that the same God who gaue them some measure of knowledge and would require of them according to that which they had and not according to that which they had not did receiue them into the number of his blessed and elect But the case of our recusants is a cleane other case They refuse almost al manner of conference with learned men they will not nor in deed dare onely for the feare of displeasing the Popes holinesse resort to our Churches as for 11. yeares together in the raigne of the late Queene of most precious and worthie memorie all the papists of this kingdome did and that without any scruple of conscience vntill they had receiued a countermand from the Bishop of Rome commanding them vpon paine of the blacke curse to come no more to the Church they are forbidden to reade the Scriptures the Bishops in Queene Maries daies caused it not onely to be accounted heresie but to be proclaimed fellonie for any lay man to haue an English Bible in his house for his priuate solace and comfort the learned treatises written by our men they permit not their Disciples once to reade but interdict them euen to many of their Seminarie Priests no maruaile then if taking this course the Iesuites and Priests keepe their lay followers in a perpetuall ignorance of true religion hauing once framed them to this principle that it is a deadly sinne either to reade the bookes of the Protestants or to heare their sermons or to be present at their seruice or to communicate with them in any religious dutie whatsoeuer And let thus much be spoken touching the Prophets reprouing of the Israelites for wauering and halting betweene two opinions It followeth in the next part to make proofe vnto you that God and Baal cannot both be ioyned together in one seruice There is a speech of Socrates greatly commended by S. Augustine De consen Euang. Li. 1. cap. 18. vnumquemque deum sic coli oportere quomodo seipsum colend m praeceperat That is euery God was to be honoured as u he himselfe had giuen in commandement Vpon which principle the ancient Romanes in the time of Tiberius the Emperour grounding themselues albeit they did admit the religion of all other gods yet by no meanes they could be induced to receiue the religion of the God of the Hebrewse The reason was this they saw it necessarie that either all their idolls must be excluded and onely the true worship of God entertained or hee onely not admitted the rest to be honored For by the word of God they found
they could not agree together and contrarie to his word they would not seeke to serue him and therefore chose rather to bee without Christ altogether then to worship him and others with him against his will and commaundement And verilie God will take it in better part that thou deuote thy selfe to any religion be it neuer so bad then to make a hodge podge of religion and so to haue a mixture of good and bad religion together insomuch that I am perswaded that the worship of Mahomet lesse offendeth God then when such as are by profession Christians shall giue diuine honour to a piece of bread Eze. 20.39 As for you ô house of Israel saith God by the Prophet Ezechiel goe you and serue euery one his Idol seeing you will not obey me pollute my holie altar no more with your giftes and with your Idolls Where the Prophet intimateth that God had rather that the Israelites should bee professed Idolaters then to pretend his holie name with such corruptions True religion will admit no mixture but is simple God himselfe said Thou shalt not let thy cattell gender with diuers kindes Leui 19.19 Thou shalt not sowe thy fielde with mingled seede neither shall a garment of diuers colours come vpon thee signifying that wee must sticke to one religion which indeed requireth the whole man and cannot endure any doubling in the worship of God nor any blending of Iudaisme and Christianisme together nor any reconciliation at all betweene Christ and Belial betweene the table of the Lorde and the table of diuels betweene God and Melchom It is not possible that one wombe should containe Iacob and Esau one house the Arke and Dagon one temple prayer and merchandise one heauen Michaell and the Dragon and so God hauing ordained his Law stricktly to be kept without declining either to the right hand or to the left giueth vs to vnderstand that hee himselfe will be serued alone without corriualles of his glorie with all our heart strength and soule Sonne saith God giue mee thine heart Pro 23.26 and let thine eyes delight in my wayes but Sathan willing to part stakes with God crieth out with the Harlot Nec mihi nec tibi sed diuidatur Let honour and glorie and worship bee neither mine nor thine 1. King 3. but let it be diuided But the Lorde our God beeing a iealous God will not be crowded in a corner of the heart but he will haue either all thine heart or no part at all either all glorie or no glorie aut Caesar aut nullus And so we are taught by the word of God in Deuteronomie Deu. 61.4.5 Heare ô Israel the Lord our God is Lord only thou shalt lette the Lorde thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might that is we must loue God sweetely strongly perseuerantly Loue God with all thine heart that is kindely and affectionately Loue God with all thy soule that is wisely and discreetly Loue God with all thy might that is stedfastly and constantly Let the loue of thine heart inflame thy zeale towards him Let the knowledge of thy soule guide it with discretion Let the constancie of thy might and strēgth confirme it That is let thy loue bee feruent circumspect and inuincible So that thou maiest say with the Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities Ro 8.38 nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus my Lorde Out of that which hath bene already spoken touching this point of mingling Gods worship with the worship of any other this conclusion or corollarie may be deriued which is this that if either thou serue God with my other as Saints Angels or anie creature which the Papists doe Or if thou serue him alone any other way then he prescribeth thou louest him not but thou doest hate him yea extreamely hate him and shalt finde at his hands the reward of a deadly enemie Strange therefore must needs seeme to bee this Doctrine of the Papists wherein they teach that wee may honour God as wee our selues can best deuise That if our intent be good and our meaning be good it skilleth not how or in what manner wee worship him That these kindes of worshippings of God which come of our owne heads without the expresse commandemēt of God are the more agreeable vnto him the more they proceede of our selues Which doctrine of theirs is the maine proppe of all idolatrie and the very roote of all superstition For the wayes of God are not as our waies his thoughts are not as our thoughts hee hath bridled our deuotion and hath taught vs to worship him not in such sort as may seeme good in our eyes but onely as hee hath commanded vs. God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle according to that order and forme shewed him in the mount neither durst Moses adde or diminish any thing or to doe more or lesse then God appointed him Certaine it is that our good meanings make not our doings good Neither is our zeale a rule whereby wee may measure out either our Faith or our good workes but onely the knowne will and pleasure of God There wanted no good intent or good meaning either in the Israelites when they made a golden calfe Exod 3.2.4 or in Nadab and Al thu when they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared king Agag or in Vzza Leuit 10.2 1. Sam 15.22 2. Sam 6.6 1. King 12.28 when he put his hand to the Arke to holde it nor in Ishu when hee would needs ioyne the worshipping of Ieroboams golden Calues with the worship of the true God of Israell and yet we see how that iealous God which could neuer abide to be worshipped otherwise then hee himselfe had giuen in commandement executed his fierce wrath vpon them all for their confected religions and halting consciēces And this for all the world is the very guise and manner of worship the papists vse True it is they worship God and they worship Christ but not according to his prescript but in ioyning the worship of other creatures with the worship of the only true God they proue themselues to be plaine Idolaters holding this for a most certaine doctrine that the Crucifixe is to be worshipped with the very selfe-same worship wherewith Christ himselfe is to be worshipped The difference then betweene the Papists and vs in the doctrine of the worship and seruice of God consisteth both in the manner and the matter of Gods worship In the manner of Gods worship wee vpon iust grounds doe varie from them because that whereas God being a Spirite loueth only such worshippers as worship him in spirite and truth and to that ende would haue religion it selfe to be free vnder very sure and most
die the death of those righteous persons and that his latter end might be like vnto theirs This is then the exhortation which Elias giueth to those wauing and wauering Israelites which could not resolue whether God or Baal was to be worshipped if God be the Lord follow him cleaue fast vnto him and serue him with all the desire of your hearts but God is the Lord yea the onely Lord therefore he onely is to be worshipped It is the Lord onely that formeth the light and createth the darkenesse it is he that hath made all things which hath spread out the heauens alone and stretched out the earth by himselfe it is he that can foretell things before they come to passe it is he alone that can say my counsell shall stand and whatsoeuer I will haue come to passe shall come to passe it is he that bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the iudges of the earth as vanitie yea it is the euerlasting God that hath created the ends of the earth and bringeth out all their armies by numbers and calleth them all by their names And therefore he onely is the Lord. As for Baal if he be a God let him plead for himselfe against him that cast downe his Altar Iudi. 6.31 saith Ioas the father of Gideon after that his sonne had destroyed the Altar of Baal and cut downe the groue that was by it Baal can giue you nothing he can doe neither good nor euill and therefore he is no god though a man cry vnto him yet cannot he answere him nor deliuer him out of his tribulation and therefore he is no God The Papists are much grieued with vs because we will not acknowledge the Sacrament of the Altar to be our Lord and our God and thereupon cast this vniust aspersion vpon vs and falsely charge vs that We call the bodie of Christ an abominable idoll True it is indeed that we call that an abominable idoll Which they terme the body of Christ and vnder that pretence fall downe before it to worship it and call it Lord and God in doing whereof what other thing doe they but make a God of a peece of bread and vnder the name of the bodie of Christ set vp an Idoll in the Church of God But as for the bodie of Christ wee haue euermore confessed with Chrysostome that it is worthie of the highest honour 1. Cor Homil 14. as being inseparablie ioyned to his God-heade in one person sitting now at the right hand of God and wee adore it and worship it euen as the bodie of the sonne of God not onely for the turning of an hand as the Papists vse to do while the priest is able to hold vp the Sacrament and that with doubt of our selues whether wee doe well or no which thing is vtterly vncomfortable and dangerous and full of terrours to the conscience but we worship that blessed and glorious bodie as that blessed Martyr S. Stephen did being in heauen at the right hand of the power of God and therefore without doubt or danger and that at all times and for euer and we belieue and thus wee teach that Iesus Christ euen in the nature and substance of our flesh is the Lord in the glorie of God the Father Howbeit we say Christs bodie is one thing the Sacrament another The Sacramēt is an earthly thing Christs bodie an heauenly thing the Sacrament is corruptible Christs bodie is glorious the Sacrament is receiued into our bodies Christs body is only receiued into our soules and entreth not into our bodies S. Luke reporteth how that the Disciples of Christ being abashed at Christes suddaine presence among them Luk 24 38.39 and through feare supposing they had seene a spirite or Ghost our Sauiour spake vnto them in this manner Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubts arise in your hearts behold mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see me for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue and so shewed them both his hands and his feete Euen so verily the Sacrament it selfe if it could speake would speake in this manner at the time of the eleuation to the standers by why doe such thoughts arise in your harts as to thinke that I am your Lord and God Why stand ye thus gazing thus knocking your breasts and bending your knees to me Handle me taste me and looke vpon me and see whether I haue not all the naturall properties of true bread that is whether I haue not the very forme shape sauour smell colour and weight of bread As for the bodie of Christ it cannot bee broken with hands or grated with teeth or conueied into the bellie as you see that I am The bread of life cannot be felt seene or tasted or discerned by any outward sence as you see that I am and therefore belieue them not which teach you otherwise for I am bread I am no God Quarta Pars. Hauing thus farre spoken of the exhortation of the Prophet Elias wherein hee exhorteth them to be constant in religion and constant in the confession of him which is the onely true God it remaineth now in the last place to shewe vnto you what the successe was which insued vpon the Prophets reproofe which at the first was thus that the people answered him not a word standing in doubt whether hee were the onely God or no. But a little afterwards when they saw how miraculouslie the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked vp the water which was in the ditch 1. King 18.38 being moued with this strange and miraculous worke of God they were sodainly changed in their opinions and falling on their faces cryed out the Lord is God the Lord is God Where we may see that howsoeuer it may be that God permitteth his owne people for some certaine time to fall into manie dangerous errours yet such is his great mercie towards them that first or last he calleth them home againe and will not suffer them finallie to perish as here hee dealt with his owne people of Israell There is no one thing more commonly obiected by Papists against the religion of the Protestants then that as they say wee haue no miracles in our church If your Church be the true church if the doctrine you teach be the true Catholike faith of Christ where bee your miracles say they and where bee those signes and wonders among you which may proue vnto vs that your religion is of God To the which objection I answere with Chrysostome Opere imperfecto Hom 49. that there was a time wherein of olde it was knowne by miracles who were true Christians who were false and where a man might finde the true Church of God indeede but now saith hee the working of miracles is quite taken away and is rather found among them that are false Christians Which
speech of that learned father is truely verified this day in the church of Antichrist where the Papists can make their Crosses to speake their Idolles to goe their images to weepe to sweate to laugh to shift themselues from place to light their owne lamps Yea the vnholy fathers of the societie of Iesus to set a glorious countenance of their miracles tell vs in great sadnes that with their holie-water they haue calmed the Sea chased away mice out of the countrey and haue made barren women to conceiue and beare children But against such miracle-mongers saith Augustine My God hath armed mee saying Tractat in Ioh 13. in the latter dayes there shall arise false Prophets working signes and wonders to deceiue the very Elect of God if it were possible True it is the Apostles wrought miracles but it was thereby to confirme the Gospel they preached as the Euangelist writeth The Lord wrought with them Mar 16.20 confirmed the word with signes that followed And the Apost to the Hebrues likewise saith that saluation at the first begā to be preached by the Lord was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him meaning the Apostles bearing witnes thereunto with signes wonders with diuers gifts of the holy Ghost Heb 2.3.4 according to his will In the first beginning then and gathering of the church miracles were necessarie But as when wee goe about to plant a tree so long we water it vntill we see it hath takē root but when it is once substantially grounded and branches spread abroad wee take no more paine to water it So likewise as long as the people of the world were altogether faithlesse this meanes of miracles for confirmation of doctrine was of Indulgence graunted then But when once spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight The kingdome and Church of Christ was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles by the power of the holie Ghost Now therefore it is against faith if any looke for miracles againe to confirme the Gospell which is alreadie so confirmed that if an Angell from heauen should preach vnto vs any otherwise then that which hath bene preached vnto vs let him be accursed Seeing then the doctrine this day taught professed and preached in the Church of England is the verie same doctrine which Christ himselfe deliuered to his Apostles and they to their aftercommers there needeth no other confirmation by miracles to be wrought by vs. Thus haue I with what perspicuitie and breuitie the proportion of the time allotted vnto mee would permit runne ouer this portion of holy scripture The Lorde giue a blessing vnto the wordes which you haue heard this day with your outward eares out of my mouth and by the secret working of his holy spirite giue such force vnto them that they may become fruitfull in the hearts of you all And forasmuch as the Lord in these Halcion and happie dayes of ours hath dealt with vs in farre greater mercie then hee hath done with any other nation besides in that wee haue of his great clemencie these many yeares together enioyed with libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience the greatest ioy and felicitie that euer betided any people euen the sincere preaching of his most sacred word and Gospell with the right and due administration of his Sacraments with health peace libertie and quietnesse vnder the wise godly and most peaceable gouernment of his chosen seruant Elizabeth our late Queene and Mistrisse now at this time vnder the gouernement of our most gracious Soueraign Lord King Iames whose life the Lord preserue and long continue among vs that considering how the Lord hath multiplied his graces and blessings vpon vs that we may euermore continue constant and stedfast in the profession of his eternall truth that what opposition soeuer we find in the world of fawning flatterie or persecuting crueltie that we neuer suffer our selues to be remoued from the same but that we may striue for the truth euen to death holding fast that which we haue vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ that we neuer halt or double in matter of religion nor waue betweene two opinions but that wee may stedfastly cleaue vnto the Lord all the daies of our life that wee neuer admit any fellowship or communion with the Church of Rome knowing that the whole religion of poperie wherein it differeth from vs is nothing else but a most wicked apostacie from the ancient faith So that being confirmed and strengthened and established in that Gospel which hath beene preached vnto vs which we haue receiued wherein we continue and which is able to saue vs we may euery day more and more grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to the which Christ Iesus together with the father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all power glory dominion and Maiestie both now and euermore Amen FINIS