loue abound more and more as the Apostle writeth vnto the Philippians and as our Sauiour himselfe Phil. 1. 9. commendeth the loue of the Church of Thyatira saying that her workes were more at the Rev. 2. 19. last then at the first This the Lord requireth of all but especially of such as himselfe hath most highly aduanced and made the sonnes of the Psal 29. 1. mightie yea this is the ende for which he doth thus aduance them and make them so mightie Ester 4. 14. Neither neede any man to feare any disgrace or dishonour by such forwardnes in zeale yea rather euery man is to hope the contrarie For God himselfe hath expressely promised to 1. Sam. 2. 3◠honour them that shall honour him Therefore the Apostle hoped and fully assured himselfe that in Phil. 1. 40. nothing he should be ashamed but that Christ should be magnified in his bodie where by opposing his owne shame to the magnifying of Christ and the magnifying likewise of Christ to his owne shame he plainely teacheth that they that studie and bend their endeauours most to magnifie and exalt Christ neede not to feare any shame and disgrace of themselues Moreouer they that continue the honouring of him with that honour and according to that honour whereunto he hath exalted them shall build vp the surer house to their owne posteritie For as the Prophet speaking generally of the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandements Psal 112. 1. 2. that his seede shall be mightie vpon the earth so more particularly the Lord promised to Dauid to set vp his seede after him which 2. Sam. 7. 12. should proceede out of his bodie and to establish his kingdome And this promise all men knowe to haue beene most amply performed Yea to Iehu a man not so according to God his owne heart as Dauid was did the Lord promise that because he had diligently executed that which was right in 1. King 10. 30. God his eyes c. though not with a perfect heart therfore his sonnes vnto the fourth generation should sit vpon the throne of Israel This promise also was performed vnto the full For Iehu himselfe beeing reckoned for one Zecharia the sonne of Ieroboam king of Israel was the fifth discent from Iehu And this honour was more then the honour of any other king of Israel after the diuision of the kingdome For no other king of Israel besides Iehu had aboue one or two at the most as seuerall generà tions of their owne stocke and line to succeede them in the kingdome Three indeede are said to haue succeeded Homri to wit Ahab Ahazia and Iehoram but this last was not the sonne of the middle but both Ahazia and Iehoram were brethren and the sonnes of Ahab and Iezabel Now to returne to the fruit of beeing zealous in honouring 2. King 3. ◠and 9. 22. the Lord when the threede of all earthly honour shall be drawne to an ende so as that it can not possibly be lengthened one inch more then shall beginne the honour that is without ende Then shall Christ confesse them before the Mat. 10. 22. cōpared with Luke 12. 8. Father and before his Angels in heaeuen that haue confessed him before men in the earth He will not commit the proclaiming of their praise to any other as Ahashuerosh did the praise Ester 6. 11. of Mordecai vnto Haman but euen himselfe will be as it were the Herauld thereof Neither will he whisper the praise of such in secret but he will publish and proclaime it in the greatest and most honourable assemblie that euer was Yea this Iesus the king of glorie shall Math. 23. 35. Dan. 12. 3. Math. 22. 30. Philip. 3. 21. 1. Ioh. 3. 2. place them at his right hande and shall make them like to the starres yea to the sonne in firmament yea to the angels yea euen vnto himselfe Verily Right honourable this glorie though it should continue but one daie is more then all earthly glorie though it should continue a thousand yeares If Dauid saide the like of the courts of God vpon earth what may be Psal 84. 10. saide of the highest court of God in the highest heauen what heart therefore would not be enflamed and set on fire with the knowledge and certen assurance of these things when Peter Iames and Iohn did see Christ Iesus in the mountaine with Moses and Elias in that glorious apparell for a while which one day they should put on for euer how were they affected there with Truly so that although they themselues were not one whit transfigured with Christ yet they could haue bin cōtent for euer to haue dwelt in that mountaine onely to haue enioyed this glorious sight of Christ Moses and Elias For what said they Peter speaketh for the rest as oftentimes he did for all not as beeing the head of all but as hauing the boldest spirit and said Master it is good for vs to be heare if thou wilt let vs make three tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and one for Elias Were these thus rauished with the bodily sight of the glorie onely of Christ and of two other and that vpon the earth and but for a time How then should the heart of euery Christian be rauished with the spiritual sight by faith of the euerlasting glorie of Christ Iesus of all the Saints generally and of himselfe particularly which one day they and himselfe shall haue for euer in the heauens and whereof in the meane time by the same faith they and he are as certenly assured as if they were alreadie in possession thereof How zealous also should euery the like Christian heart be of this our religion whereto onely this glorie is promised and whereby onely it is to be attained So great was the glorie of Moses hauing talked but a while with the Lord in the mountaine at the receiuing of the law that without a vaile the Israelites could not looke vpon him Exod. 34. 33. Was glorie so great at the giuing of the law vnto Moses How great then shall it be at the finall rewarding of the perfect obseruation and full satisfaction of the law by Christ Iesus was glorie so great after a while talking with the Lord how great then shall it be when we shall haue our whole conuersation and liue with God for euer was glorie so great in an earthly mountaine how great then shall it be in the high heauens was glorie so great vpon corruption how great then shall it be when that that is sowen in dishonour shall be raised altogether in glorie was glorie so great vpon weaknes how great then shall it be when that that is sowen in weaknes shall be applied in power Finally was glorie so great vpon a naturall bodie how great then shall it be when that that is sowen a naturall bodie shall be raised in a spirituall bodie I write not these
A GENERALL TREATISE AGAINST POPERIE AND IN DEFENCE OF THE RELIGION BY PVBLIKE AVTHORITIE PROFESSED IN ENGLAND AND OTHER CHVRCHES REFORMED VVherein they that either want leisure to read or that haue not iudgement to conceiue or that are not able to buie the learned treatises of other concerning particular points of religion may yet euidently see poperie not to be of God and our religi on to be acceptable in his sight Very necessarie for these times for the confirmation and strengthening of men in our religion that neither by Jesuits nor by any other they may be drawne to poperie or any other heresie or sect and likewise for the winning of Papists and Atheists to an vnfained liking and true profession of our religion BY THOMAS STOVGHTON minister of the word PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND MOST TRVLY RELIGIOVS AND vertuous Lord Robert Lord Rich Thomas Stoughton wisheth increase of all true pietie and honour in this life and eternall glory in the life to come RIght Honourable your fauour hauing beene such towards me as that both either vpon my coÌ„mendation before I was by face knowne vnto your Lordship and especially my selfe sithens that time haue thereby sared the better I could not but in all dutie thinke of some way whereby to shew my selfe in some measure thankfull for the same Hauing therfore taken a litle paines in gathering these generall arguments against the whole masse lumpe of poperie as in defence likewise of the generall doctrine publikely and by publike authoritie professed in England I thought your Honourable curtesie to be such that these my labours would be accepted as some testimonie of my gratefull minde Neither am I bold to offer them vnto your Honour in respect onely of that your singular fauour towards my selfe but also because the same your Honorable fauour hath beene extended and is extended towardes all whome your Honour hath seene forward in the profession of that religion the defence whereof is the chiefe subiect matter of this treatise Yea so haue you vouchsafed to countenance such persons from time to time not disdaining the meanest that this your Christian and godly minde is much more worthie this worke then the worke it selfe any waies worthy to be presented to so great a person For by this loue towardes the professours of the truth hath euidently appeared your affection towards the truth it selfe This affection also towardes the truth it selfe euen towardes the truth which in this treatise is commended and iustified hath in like manner beene most plainely testified vnto this whole countrey of Essex by your singular care for the placing of godly and sufficient ministers in all places where the patronage of benefices by the auncient lawes of this realmes hath beene your right And both these to wit your loue vnto the persons professing this religion and your like affection towards the religion it selfe haue pleÌ„tifully declared your true zeale of God himselfe and of Christ Iesus For Christ accouÌ„teth that done to himselfe that is done to them Math. 25. 40. that belong vnto him And as the enmitie against God his truth and the professours thereof endeauouring to suppresse the one and to represse the other doth testifie the like enmitie against God himselfe and Christ Iesus so the Maâ—h 25. 43. Act. 9. 4. contrarie loue towardes both doth declare the like loue towards God himselfe and Christ Iesus Further your honourable care before mentioned for the furthering of this religion shewed by prouiding such sufficient ministers for instruction of the people in the true knowledge thereof and obedience thereunto hath also witnessed and doth daily witnesse your vnfained loue vnto men For what greater worke can there be for the benefits of their soules yea both of their soules and of their bodies of this life and of the life to come For who knoweth not but that as the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. 16. Iam. 1. 21. 2. Tim. 3. 15. Psal 19. 7. Frov. 1. 4. and the word conteined in the holy Scriptures which also containe this religion here commended is able to make men wise vnto the same saluation so also that that wisdome which the gospel and word of God teacheth hath in Prov. 3. 16. her right hand length of daies and in her left hand riches and glorie As therefore to hinder the gospel and word of God doth plainly bewray the hatred of men which cannot be saued by any other meanes without it for which cause the Apostle speaking of the Iewes saith first that they 1. Thess 2. 15 16. were contrarie or aduersaries vnto all men then immediatly addeth as a reason or confirmation of the former that they had forbidden them to preach the word vnto the Gentiles vvhereby they might be saued so to promote the same word can not but witnes the contrarie Finally this your godly care hath in like sort the better witnessed doth witnes your faithful heart both towards her most excellent Maiestie and also towardes the whole realme For it cannot be but that the more the true knowledge and feare of God aboundeth by the more plentiful preaching of the word also will abound true obedience vnto her Highnes and vnfained loue betwixt subiect and subiect by both which the barres of the gates of the whole kingdome must necessarily be the stronger against all fortaine aduersaries Sith therefore Right honourable it hath pleased God of his aboundant goodnes and rich grace besides your great earthly honour thus more highly to honour and aduance you in heauenly things as I doe in this respect the more boldly dedicate this treatise of religion to your Honour so zealous of religion so in all humilitie I desire the same to accept therof and to vouchsafe your honourable protection therunto And because your former zeale perswadeth me the same of your Honour that the like perswaded the Apostle of the Philippians namely that he Philip. 1. 6. that hath begun this good worke will also finish the same therefore that vse of this treatise which in the ende I wish generally to all great persons alreadie called to the fellowship of this true religion I doe more specially commend vnto your Honour namely that you will yet be zealous thereof as hitherto you haue beene and are Yea let not your zeale onely continue but let it be such also as Salomon describeth the loue of the Church to be strong as death cruell or hard or Cantic 8. 6 7. inuincible as the graue whose coales are fierie coales and as a vehement flame or as the flame of God and the which much water cannot quench Yea because the Lord Iesus reprehendeth the slaking of the first loue of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 4 5. threatning also to come against her and to remooue her candlesticke out of her place except shee repented and did her first works therefore also your
is euill and contrarie to scriptures therefore their fruits can not be good and sutable to the scriptures Many indeede teach good doctrine that beare not fruits agreeable but where the doctrine is euill there are neuer any other then euill fruits To begin with the practise of the commandements of the first table it is certaine that they make no conscience or account at all of them Their strait obseruation of the precepts of men in their diuine worship hath iustled all care of the commaundements of God cleane out of the dores Neither can it be otherwise For euen as when a wife openeth the dore of her heart and giues entrance vnto the loue of a straunger this new loue iustleth out the old towards her former husband so is it in the loue and worship of God We haue heard before how many other the papists doe inuocate worship offer gifts obsâ—â—â—â— daies vnto and such like and therfore also how many they trust in loue and feare besides the Lord for it cannot be that the performance of those outward duties can be without the inward things We haue also heard touching those duties which they performe vnto God how repugnant they are to his word which requireth no such things or at the least in no such manner Now besides these things their other fruits doe further bewraie that they haue no regarde at all of any thing that God himselfe in his first table concerning his worshippe doth command For what Papist careth for the publique hearing or priuate reading of the word of God except it be onely to gather some colour of matter either for the confirming and hardening themselues in their errours as also the animating themselues the more boldly to transgresse the word in other things as all the wicked doe or for the railing on our religion So also which of them maketh any conscience at all of swearing either falsly or at the least idlely or vainely by the name of God and by euerie part of Christ Iesus or prophanely also and wickedly by the names of their Saints masse and such other their abominable idols yea which of them thinketh not him a foole and suspecteth him not to be of our religion though otherwise they know him not that is sparing of such oathes or that at least sheweth any dislike of such oathes in others 2 Yea and here not to speake onely of the breach of the third commandement by particular persons let vs also adde something of the violating of the same by the blasphemous praiers of their whole Church Something hath beene noted before of this point in shewing the contrarietie of the matter of their religion to the matter of the religion coÌ„mended in the scriptures where we haue seene how derogatorie their praiers to the virgin Marie are vnto the Mediation of Iesus Christ Notwithstanding in this place also it shall not be amisse further to shew howe blasphemous both to God and also to Christ their praiers are to the virgine Marie to other whome they account as Saints and finally to the woodden crosse of Christ To the virgin Marie thus they praie Te laudamus rogamus mater Iesu Christi Vt intendas defendas nos à morte tristi Here they praie vnto her to be kept from sorrowfull death and so ascribe vnto her power of life and death Againe Threnosa compassio dulcissimae dei matris Perducat nos ad gaudia summi Dei patris that is Let the pitifull compassion of God his most sweete mother bring vs to the ioyes of the most high God the father These praiers are full of blasphemie yet behold greater blasphemie then this For thus also they pray vnto her Virgo singularis inter omnes mitis nos culpis solutos mites fac castos vitam praesta puram iter para tutum vt videntes Iesum semper collaetemur Here they pray vnto her that they beeing released from their sinnes shee would make their life pure and their iourney safe that they seeing Iesus might reioyce together Againe Dele culpas miserorum terge sordes peccatorum dona nobis beatorum vitam tuis precibus In these wordes they intreat her to blotte out the faults of them that are in miserie to wype out the staines of sinners and by her praiers to giue vnto them the life of the blessed In another praier they speake more blasphemously calling her Mairem orphanorum the mother of orphans consolationem desolatorum the consolation of the desolate viam errantium the way of them that straie salutem spem in se sperantiuÌ„ the health and hope of such as trust in her fontem consolationis indulgentiae that is the fountaine of mercie of health and grace of godlines and ioy of consolation and fauour Are not all these petitions blasphemous to the Deitie It is here also to be obserued that although these and most of their praiers in their seruice books from whence I haue verbatim word for word borrowed these fragments be in latine yet that all ignorant meÌ„ may thinke the more highly of that praier and vtter the wordes with more deuotion wherein are these last attributes proper onely to God communicated to the virgin Marie they haue prefixed this inscription and commendation in English with redde letters ouer the head of the praier To all them that be in the state of grace that deuoutly say this praier before our blessed Ladie of pitie shee will shew them her blessed visage and warne them the day and houre of death and in their last ende the Angels of God shall yeelde their soules to heauen and he shall obtaine fiue hundred yeares and so many Lents of pardon graunted by fiue holy fathers Popes of Rome In an other praier next to the former as they praie vnto Christ to be defended from the wrath of the Saints and of his holy mother so also they desire him to giue them health of bodie and power to liue well c. by the intercession of his holy mother So they make Christ a Mediatour betweene theÌ„ and the Saints and his mother and yet they pray vnto him for the intercession of his mother c. In an other not long after the former they call her sororem angelorum the sister of angels regiâ—am patriarcharum the queene of patriarks magistram euangelistarum the mistris of Euangelists doctricem apostolorum the teacher of the Apostles confortatricem martyrum the comforter or strengthener of the Martyrs fontem plenitudmem confessorum the fountaine and fulnesse of confessours And before this praier is set a redde lettered preface promising to euery one that shall read it deuoutly not to depart out of this world without penance and administration of the holy sacraments In the next praier also they call her the bottomlesse pit of all grace and mercie c. This praier likewise hath a redde promise prefixed of an hundred daies of pardon graunted by Pope Goodface I should sale Pope Boniface In the
God I answer with S. Iohn They went our from vs but they were not of vs 1. Ioh. 2. 19. They professed our religion but they neuer truly embraced the same neither did euer truly feele the power of godlines in their soules yea though it may be that they had some ioy in our religion yet it was but the ioy of the stony ground wherin the seede of the word hath no sound rooting Math. 13. 20. and like vnto the ioy of Herod at the preaching of Iohn Baptist Mark 6. 20. Yea but some perhaps will obiect further that many of the best of our religion are often in great heauines of minde and doe much doubt of God his fauour c. yea that most part of their life they continue in this pensiuenes To this I answer that although this fruit of ioy and sound comfort do alwaies grow vpon the tree of our religion yet sometime the twigges of our olde crabstocke into which this religion is grafted doe grow out so farre through our euill husbandrie and not pruning them in time that the leaues thereof beeing very thicke according to the nature of the crabbe doe so shadowe this fruit that euen he that is grafted with the impes and sciences of our religion can hardly finde this fruit without narow search and diligent turning ouer and remoouing the leaues as it were one by one with his hand As also we read that although Christ were in the presence of the two disciples that were going to Emaus and talked with them and yet was not discerned by them because their eyes were holden that they could not know him Luk. 24. 16. as also that Marie Magdalene saw Iesus and talked with him but yet knew him not Ioh. 20. 14. So also the children of God that by a true and liuely faith are partakers of Christ do not yet see Christ nor the great comfort which they haue by Christ because their eyes are holden that is their sight is dimmed by the sight of sinne partly and partly also by the sleights of Satan that they can neither see nor feele that matter of ioy and comfort which they haue and carrie daily about within their breasts 8 Finally touching this comfort it is with the children of God and such as are truly of our religion as it is with many simple men in the world touching their earthly possessions and inheritances For although they haue neuer so good right vnto them and neuer so good assurance of them euen as good as possibly they can haue and as all the lawyers by all the law in the world can make them yet for all that they oftentimes meete with some pettifogger and cousening mate that telleth them their title is naught and not worth a straw so forth Now by such wordes the simple man is halfe perswaded and beginneth something to doubt yea sometime almost to feare and thus he continueth till he meete with his learned counsaile that doe againe declare vnto him and assure him of the contrarie so Isaie is it with the children of God and such as are truly seasoned with our religion By Christ Iesus they haue as good right to the kingdome of heauen as is possible and their estate is so good as that all the enemies they haue either carnal or spirituall cannot possibly defeat them thereof notwithstanding such is their simplicitie in heauenly things as oftentimes it is greater in earthly things that their enemie and the enemie of God meeting with them and reasoning the case either by his outward instruments or by those secret friends which he hath in a man his owne heart doth at the last by his subtiltie make them to doubt and filleth them with feare till they meete againe with their old counseller the spirit of God who sometime keepeth himselfe close and for a time will not as it were be spoken withall to trie what his clyents will or can doe without him but when they meete and conferre with him by the time that he hath a little repeated their assurance and declared their right from point to point by his seuerall effects in their hearts and how also Christ Iesus purchased saluation for them and bestowed it vpon them and therefore also gaue him vnto them as an earnest pennie thereof to seale and confirme the whole gift then doe they cast away their former feare and recouer their ancient comfort So is it from time to time with them whilst Satan talketh with them and the spirit of God hideth himselfe they doubt but when the spirit of God talketh with them by his liuely and sensible operation in their hearts then are they of good cheere and comfort yet euen whilst they feare they haue no cause of feare but their right is alwaies one and the same onely sometime by their simplicitie they see not their right This shall suffice to haue spoken both of the abundance of all heauenly comfort in our religion and also of the want thereof in poperie Wherefore I doe againe conclude both that our religion is most pleasant and acceptable vnto the God of all comfort and also that poperie is altogether abominable in his sight THE EIGHT ARGVMENT touching the wisdome of true religion an infallible note and signe thereof I May here also not vnfitly nor out of place adde the foolishnes of poperie For what can be more foolish or ridiculous then the worship of such reliques as they doe both worship and also take great paines and trauaile many myles defray great charges for the worship of theÌ„ especially most foolish absurd and grosse is it to worship such as before haue beene named as the verie â—ayle of the asse wheron Christ rode such like I aske here no pardoÌ„ as speaking grossely the holines of the thing must take away the homelines of the word But I maruaile they could get nâ— better and sweeter morsell then the taile it may be they came too late to market and so all the better peeces being taken vp before by dogges kytes ravens and such other customers as doe vse to resort to such markets this onely was left and so it was bought for the Pope his owne tooth but he of his meere holie conscience would not eate meate of so great a price and of his great liberalitie bestowed it vpon the church for euer If they make so much account of the taile they would much more haue honoured the head if they had come time enough to the market what then would they haue done with the whole bodie if they could haue gotten it and if they make such reckoning of a peece of a dead asse I suppose that if they had the liuing asse and could keepe him aliue and yet what a foole am I to make a question of their power in such a thing when as euerie man knoweth that their Pope and euery Priest of his begetting can make God himselfe and we heard also before that the Pope himselfe can make something of nothing