els to his subiectes T. It is for the prince to geue lawes for the subiectes to receaue obserue the same D. Well then if religion haue none other regard but to the honour seruice of the onely God and that his pleasure is that none shal haue power of the soules consciences of men but onely he himself and that he hath as great authoritie ouer the greatest Monarches Emperours Kings princes lordes as he hath ouer the meanest of their subiectes how great a presumption should this be of them to dare take in hand to geue lawes to their soueraigne prince I saye of those that are but his subiectes vassalles to coÌ„maund that men shall serue him according to their appoyntment not to his T. That were to be Lord not subiecte maister and not seruant D. Would they them selues endure this at the hands of the greatest of their subiectes And yet is there no suche comparison betwene God them as is betwene them their subiectes For they are mortall men as their subiectes are they maye erre as other men may And fall by the iuste iudgementes of God froÌ„ rule into seruitude subiection yea oftentimes into the subiection of their own subiectes as it hath ofteÌ„times happened to many for that they would not obey God but tooke in hand to be aboue him none of these thinges maye happen to God ¶ Of the office of good princes and good subiectes T. IT is not then the office of a good prince to abolishe the orders of religion which God hath geuen or to forbid his subiectes to followe the same eyther els to chaunge theÌ„ and to geue and establishe others at his pleasure D. This is easye to vnderstand but in the contrarye his office is to cause his subiectes to obserue them by all meanes possible and he himself to be the fyrst to geue good example that shoulde obserue those lawes which God hath geuen vnto him and to gouerne his people according to the same for he is ordeined of God to be a prince for none other purpose And therfore the Lord did coÌ„maund that the booke of the law should be red to the king euen as sone as he was chosen to the end Rom. 13. 1. Tim. 1. Deut. 1â— he should know how to gouerne both himself and the people coÌ„mitted to his charge according to the doctrine of the same If he be then such an one as he ought to be he will in no wise that his subiectes shal do him that honour which in no wyse appertayneth vnto him but will in any wise haue that reserued to God vnto whoÌ„ onely it is due He thinketh that his subiectes can do to him no greater honour then to honour God as they ought to do for his honour dependeth vpon the honour of God and he can not misse to be wol honoured and faythfullye serued of his subiectes if that both he and his subiects do truely faithfully serue God Wherfore his subiectes shoulde doe him the greatest wronge and the greatest dishonour that is possible to imagine in geuing to him the honour which is not due vnto him nor ought of him to be accepted for it should be to set him in the place of God and to make him an idole a verye deuill for that it is an honour which the deuill alwaye desireth to be estemed in the place of God D. He hath alway shewed it euen from the beginning ¶ Hovve those men obeye the deuill and not their princes vvhich obey any lavves by the vvhich it is forbidden men truely to serue God T. ANd if a maÌ„ should finde any prince of that vnspeakeable pryde as there haue beene heretofore amongest the Emperours Kinges and Heathen princes and as the Pope is at this day in Christendome folowyng their trace and example the subiectes were no more bouÌ„d to obey hym in that behalfe then to obey the deuill whiche is in dede a greater prince then all Tyrantes and all such as loke for lyke honors for he is called the God of this worlde the prince of this worlde and the master of all blindenes vnto whome all these litle tyrantes are but subiectes and vassals and as 2. Cori 1. Iohn 12 Ephe. 26 it were of his litle clawes And therfore when subiectes are brought to this extremitie they may lawfully vse not onely the same that the Apostles did who aunswered in the like Act. 5. case it is better to obey God then maÌ„ but they may alledge also in their defence these words it is better to obeye God then the Deuell For hee that obeyeth man agaynste the commaundemente of Godde hee obeyeth deuill by whoÌ„ he is possessed and therfore shall inherito the inheritance with the deuil and with the tyraunts of whom they did stande more in feare then of God ¶ Of the lavvfull lavves and statutes of Christian princes and vvhat men ought to consider in them T. I Do thinke that thy meaning in this is not but that it is lawfull for ChristiaÌ„ princes to gyue such lawes and ordinaunces to their subiectes as are agreable to the worde of God to leade them into true Religion D. Howe should I condempne that for so much as I say it is their onely office and duety for in so doyng they them selues preach the lawe of God but that wherof I spake before I meane of such lawes edictes as are made directly agaynst the worde of God either to abolishe or els to deface the true religion T. Such as do so are very tyrants not princes D. Doubt you not but Nabuchodnesar Darius and Cyrus these heathen Daniel 3. 4. Esâ—r â— Emperours Kynges that haue made so good lawes for the publishyng of the knowledge of God thorow out their whole Empires and dominioÌ„s and haue also so well ayded the true seruauntes of God but they shall ryse in the iudgement of the Lorde to accuse greuously those princes that haue ben renoumed in the nomber of Christians and haue after so great light of the Gospell letted hindered the preaching of the knowledge of God and his will in the aduauncemeÌ„t wherof the afore named haue trauayled ¶ Of such as are vnfaithfull seruauntes in princes Courtes and of their Councels agaynst God and of those princes that do rather fauour such seruauntes then those that are of coÌ„science vvhole and sounde T. IT maye bee that there are Christian princes whiche make lawes verye contrary to those that they woulde make if they had in their Courtes such Courtiers as was Daniel Esâ—ras and Nehemie whiche would procure and sturre them vp to glorifie the name of God as did these good seruauntes and holy Prophetes of God amonge the others But in the stede of such they haue oftentymes those that are cleane contrarye who as muche as they may do let them from the hearynge and vnderstandynge of the woorde of God whereby they myght learne trulye to vnderstande theyr office and duety and
T. I Pray thee declare vnto me somwhat particularlye by what meanes he doth this wherof thou speakest D. First he doth it by the firmament and by the earth and by al his creatures which as continuall preachers neuer cease day nor night to preache vnto vs the knowledge maruelous workes of that same great God and prince their creator euen as Dauid and S. Paule do witnesse After that the great Psal 1â— Rom. 1. Act. 14. 17. endeuour of so many Patriarches Prophets Apostles and auncient Doctors with a marueilous nuÌ„ber of other good seruauntes of God who by their pure and holy doctrine good lyfe and conuersation haue filled that whole earth with the knowledge of God and also do teach vs at this present day by their holy writinges But what shall we saye of the very sonne of God who came into the world in proper person to make this publication in the moste solemne maner that euer was made in the world And euen at this present day how many and sundrye meanes hath God geuen vs to be instructed by eyther by the mouth of diuerse which he sendeth vnto vs dayly or els by bookes written in all languages sent forth into the worlde to all nations and regions of the same by his most marueilous prouidence which thing shall make vs all to be vtterly without excuse Wherfore we may well say with the Prophet The people which Ose 4. are ignoraunt shall be beaten and because that thou haste contempned and refused knowledge I wil contempne thée and cast thee from me also ¶ Of those that cloke their rebellion agaynste the vvorde and vvill of God vnder colour of obedience vvhich they ovve to the lavves that theyr princes haue made agaynste the same of such as commit the charge of their consciences to their curates and pastours T. THere are yet others that haue a litle better colour which say that they wil beleue as theyr princes do and that they are bounde to obeye all their lawes and ordinaunces There are also an other sorte which committe them selues wholy into the handes of their Bishops and curates which are their pastours and spirituall fathers and onely those that haue the charge of their soules and consciences and shal render accompt and endure the punishment for them if that through their negligence they be euill instructed D. I feare that it fareth with many of those meÌ„ that haue such shyftes as it dyd with the Citizens of Ierusalem which greatly marueiled to see their Lordes and rulers to suffer Iesus Christ without contradiction to teach openly in their temple consâ—dering that before that time they sought meanes to put him to death all the while that they thought that their gouernours and pastours condempned both Iesus Christ and his doctrine and that they forbad that any man should speake of him this was a sufficient empeachment to hinder them from coÌ„ming to him But afterward when they sawe that they had left of to pursue him and that they wer of the opinion that they had chaunged their purpose and dyd acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the true Christ they did then no more depend vpon the iudgementes and consciences of the rulers and prelates nor would in any wyse followe the opinion that they then knewe that they had of Christ but builded them selues vpoÌ„ fayre theologie and began to dispute with them selues to be a hindraunce to theÌ„ selues saying Iohn 7. we know well from whence this fellowe is But when the Christ shall come no man shall know from whence he is Wherfore do they not now saye we must acknowledge him for such an one for that that our pastours do so We do here sée the nature of man is prompt to followe rather euill examples then good T. It is euen so D. And on the other part I can not say whether that these meÌ„ that would haue it seene to the worlde that they haue so good an opinion of their princes and are so readye to obey their lawes and ordinaunces woulde make any great conscience to betraye and sell them euen in their great neede if there were any goodly occasion offered vnto them by other princes better to aduaunce them to honours estates then by their own But I would gladly know whether they do make so great difficultie to violate and breake the good statutes that are made by their princes for the maintenaunce of their common welth and to withholde from them if they might safely do it without daunger of their person any part of the tribute custome that is due vnto them by Gods ordinaunce Rom. 13. Math. 22. as they doe to transgresse those wicked lawes whiche are made contrary to all right equitie for to hinder the course of the Gospell would seeke to vnderstand the wil of God and to know those things that are necessarye for the health of their soules to serue God as he himselfe hath coÌ„maunded in his law I feare that this great obedience which the greatest number of theÌ„ do beare toward their princes and their lawes procedeth rather of rebellioÌ„ which they haue in their hartes against God then of the truth good affection whiche they beare toward their prince and his lawes But because they dare not declare opeÌ„ly the malice that is in ther harts they are very glad to haue this colour would rather haue tyrantes to their princes which shoulde forbyd theÌ„ to heare the voyce of the Lord then to haue good ChristiaÌ„ princes which should compell theÌ„ to heare serue and honour God ¶ Of those vvhich coÌ„mit idolatries to their princes preferring their lawes before the lawes of God what autoritie Gods word hath ouer all men and ouer all their lawes T. I Feare that there are many such but there are many others that are not the worste people of the world but yet they are idolaters of their princes D. Thou dost rightly terme such men idolaters of their princes for in that they take their princes for their law in matters of religioÌ„ conscience and seeke not otherwyse to vnderstande the will of God they make them their Gods and their idoles and doe them great wronge for it apperteyneth to no prince nor to any creature what soeuer or how excellent he be no not to the very Angels of God to geue lawes of religion of the seruice of God but onely to God himselfe vnto whom this seruice the honour of such thinges doth appertaine And therfore S. Paule sayth that if he himself yea if an Angell Galath i. coÌ„ming froÌ„ heauen shoulde declare any other Gospell then that which he hath taught which is the true Gospell of Christ let the same Angell be a cursed If he make the very Angells subiecte to the word of God how much rather should all men which are but mortall creatures be subiecte to the worde of God For vnto whom doth it belong to geue lawes eyther to the prince or
they do not let by all meanes possible to procure them to persecute that doctrine whiche they oughte chiefely to aduaunce and mayntayne D. It is not greatly to be maruelled at for suche men often tymes deale with princes as doth the fowler with the byrdes that he setteth for hys stale For they establishe such Religion as pleaseth them and semeth vnto them best for theyr purpose to noryshe and mayntayne theyr ambition and theyr bellyes And bycause they want power to authorise their lawes and ordinaunces whereby to mayntayne their abuse they abuse the power and authoritie of the princes in that behalfe trayning them by their wicked and lend councell to do whatsoeuer pleaseth them And as these men do often tymes abuse the ignoraunces and negligences of princes euen so on the other part princes oftentimes abuse the malitious mindes of such men to serue their ambition tyrannics and wicked enterprises Wherfore they do more esteme them beyng such then if they were more honest for they could not endure them if they were honest and would giue them faythfull councell both for the honour of God and the health both of theyr owne soules and of theyr subiectes also bycause they haue a desire to obey God and to set his people in Christian libertie to serue hym nor yet to reforme the Churche according to his worde but rather to peruert the true religion and to make it serue to their purpose euen as Ieroboam did They had rather to haue such Prophetes Priestes as had Ieroboam Achab Iesabell and such as were the Magitiens of Pharao the more clenly therby to resist gods truth theÌ„ to haue the true seruants of God that folow the trace of the true Prophetes Apostles And for so much as both they their people desire such do well deserue to haue such God doth send them euen such as they wish for but it is in his wrath as he threatneth by hys Prophets to the end they may haue the more mete matter dayly to harden theyr hartes more more and more spedyly Esay 3. 29. Ose 5. 7. to hasten theyr destruction ¶ Of the Iudgement of the Christian doctrine and of those by vvhom it must be reported of the princes duety in that behalfe and of the faulte of those that in the same despise the Councell of the seruauntes of God T. I Do feare also that ther be many that trust to much in matters of Religion to those that falsely name themselues to be of the Churche as Prelates and Pastours of the Churche and that it fareth with theÌ„ eueÌ„ as it doth with those that commit wholly their soules and coÌ„sciences into the hands of their Curates and Prelats D. It is certain that in all states there are some that thincke of religion as they do of some scieÌ„ce or handy craft Wherfore when there happeneth any controuersie they think that the knowlege therof doth in no wise appartaine to theÌ„ but that it is ynough for theÌ„ to committe the decidyng of the matter into the handes of the masters of the occupation and theÌ„ to giue their senteÌ„ce accordyng to the reporte that those men shal make and to esteme done and concluded what soeuer they conclude T. It semeth to me that their opinioÌ„ is not very euill For who can better iudge of an art or occupation then the masters therof Wer it not a great presumptioÌ„ for any man to take vpon him to iudge of that whiche he neither vnderstandeth nor knoweth D. This that thou sayest is not all together voyde of apparance but here must we take good hede that no man be deceiued for syth that here is the question whether that men of occupation shall iudge of thinges appertaining to their occupation thou must theÌ„ vnderstand that â—p man can truly iudge of the Christian doctrine but such as are true Christians for no man can vnderstand the heauenly language and the language of God but onely the children of God and those that are heauenly and not earthly Wherfore I do more esteme the iudgement of a simple laborer being one of the elect of god and regenerate by his holy spirite then that of all the Popes Byshops Priestes Philosophers and Doctours whiche shal be infidels or hipocrites for such are not of the occupatioÌ„ wherof we speake And as touching that whiche thou sayest that I do not alowe the councell or acte of a prince if he take in hand to do any thyng of his owne head in matter of Religion without askyng at the mouth of the Lord and takyng aduise couÌ„cell of him by the helpe of those vnto whom he hath gyuen speciall charge to open and make manifeste his will vnto men and to declare his lawe vnto them And for this cause he hath don this honor to his Prophets and true Ministers of his Churche to call them his mouth promising that he will put hie word into their mouth And when the princes or people haue taken in hand any thynge that hath appertained to the honor of God and to their health without enquiring of the Lordes will at the handes of his Prophetes he hath rebuked them bycause they dyd not aske at hys Esay 1. 30. Ose 1. mouth that they haue weaued their cloth but not by his spirite he speaketh to the same purpose by Malachie The lyps of the Prieste do kepe knowledge men shall enquire of Malâ— i. the law at his mouth for he is the aungel and messenger of the Lord of hostes ¶ Of the causes vvhy the princes should enquire of the vvill of God at the mouth of his Ministers and of the giftes of God vvith the vvhiche he endueth his Ministers T. IT semeth vnto me that it is very commendable in a prince chiefly when there is question of the reformatioÌ„ of the Church to enquire in that behalfe of the will of God at the hands of those that are appointed by God to declare the same vnto hym D. The thyng is not onely honest but so necessarie as nothing is more necessarie For albeit the prince be of the wisest of his Realme yet notwithstanding he can not knowe all thyngs but may oftentymes deceaue him selfe euen in his owne deuises Wherefore if he will at any tyme vse the counsell of his counsellers in matters of lesse importauÌ„ce or at the least he is not thought to be wise if that he do contemne it howe much is it more requisite to do it in a matter of so great weight whiche toucheth the honor of God and the health or damnation of euery man and not onely of the person of the prince but also of all hys subiectes T. Suche a matter is well worthy to be considered D. Of the other side it is very lyke that a good Pastour whiche maketh speciall profession of the study of the holy Scriptures and hath commission from God to expouÌ„d them to others is more exercised then others whiche are lesse occupyed in
For if they were desirous to hear vnderstand the truth to bring into the rightway those which they hold for heretikes Scismatikes why do they not there admit thē and franckly safely receiue them to heare their reasons to shewe thē by the word of God if their cause haue good foūdation in the same their errors wherin they say that they are But they passe not for that for they wil not heare their iudges nor endure that the word of God shal iudge thē knowyng well that by it they are already condempned but will be iudges ouer it and condēpne it as their aduersary Truly their doings must nedes be good their conclusions good their condemnatiōs lawfull In so much as they are both iudges parties witnesses euen as their predecessors were against Iesus Christ they haue their hangemē executioners ready at hād to execute their sētences What differēce is there betwene such a Coūcell a conspiracie of theeues whiche sweare together to take in hand some enterprise to cut mens throtes What authoritie ought such a Coūcell to be of What prophets are there what doctors what Christiā princes how may then al christēdō lawfully receiue for resoluciō determinatiō of the christiā doctrine for a true reformatiō of the church the cōclusiō y◠shal be had in such a cōspiracie of the enemies of God of al Christianitie There is no man of sound iudgement that will agree to this for it is in a maner such a cōspiracie as was that which Salomon discribeth of those which said Let vs lay ambushes to shed blud and let vs lye in waite for that innocent without cause It is a cōspiracie like vnto that of the false Priests false Prophets Prou. i Iere. xviii enemies of Ieremie which sayd let vs go let vs woūde and smite with the toung for the Sacrificers shall neuer want wisedom It is much like to y◠which the Papistes say The Coūcels cā not erre And if it be lawfull to cōstrayne mē by force that feare God which great strokes of swordes by warres murders sheding of bloud with great store of fagotes mighty fiers as these worthy fathers do I leaue to thy iudgemēt what edificatiō what peace vnion such a Coūcell may bryng to the church of Iesus Christ to al christēdom ¶ VVhat Councell the true Christians ought to folovve in wayting for the generall Councell T. WHat shall we then do if this hope be taken from vs D. Though we haue no occasiō at al to cōceiue any good hope of the Coūcell of Trēt yet will I not therfore say that al hope is taken frō vs foreuer but I will onely say that we liuing in this hope should be occasioned to stay without any further inquiring of the wil of God without the assuring of our consciences in his worde And whē such matter hath bene in question I haue alwayes bene thus resolued in my selfe Either there shal be a Coūcel holdē or els there shal be none holdē Ff ther non holdē I am thē deceiued in my waityng for it if there shal be one holdē I know not whether I shall liue vnto that time or no or at the least to see the end conclusiō therof And in the mean time if I dye not being wel resolued in my cōscience of religion I shall dye in great disquetnes of conscience and in great perill of my saluation as thou mayest wel vnderstand by those matters whiche haue already ben debated sufficiently and at large betwene vs. Wherefore I had rather in the meane tyme to assure my selfe folowyng the admonition of our Lord Iesus Christ whiche sayth Be vpon your garde watche and praye and Mat. 24. 25. Luke 12. do like that good seruaunt that is alwayes ready looketh for hys master not knowyng what houre he shal come We are well assured that he shall come but we neither knowe the day ne yet the houre Wherefore let vs lyue alwaye in such estate as becommeth Christians to be when he shall come and then shall we neuer be sodenly taken ¶ Of those vvhiche vvould agree the doctrine of Iesus Christ and that of Antichrist together and of the forme of doctrine compounded to such an ende called Interum and of the vanitie of the authors of the same T. IN dede it is the most sure but in the meane tyme it is a harde matter to finde any kynde of Religion wherein a man may so well continue in wayting for the generall Councell as that whiche men call at this day the Interim D. Thou hast now put vs into a very large fielde I would gladly that these foregers of Interim should declare vnto me the very cause why they do call thys newe forme of Religion whiche they haue forged by the name of Interim T. Thou doest well vnderstand y◠Interim signifieth in the Latin toung in the meane tyme or whilest D. I do know that very wel yet notwithstanding I would gladly know what they meane by this worde in the meane time or whylest T. They meane as I thinke y◠that maner of lyfe hath ben set forth onely to that end that men should lyue according to the same in matter of Religion whilest they away◠for a Councell in the which more ample and more certaine determination in matter of Religion or els an other reformation more perfect shal be had D. Is not that a very wise Councell I would desire no more but the title of this worthy maner of reformation to declare the great vanitie of the authors of the same For either it is builded vpon the word of God or els it is agaynste it If it bee agreable to Gods worde there nedeth not eyther whylest or vntill for it shal be alwayes good and holy Yf it be agaynst it and if it endure but one hour it shal cōtinew ouer long for so much as what so euer thynge it be that is agaynste God the same ought to haue no place neither for shorte nor longe tyme. For it fareth not with gods kingdom as it doth with worldly kingdomes neither with Gods lawes ouer the whiche we haue no power as it doth with mans lawes For when a king is dead there is a certayne time betwene the decease of the dead kyng and the creation of the new kyng which is called enter raigne whiche is a tyme betwene both whiche is properly called neither raigne nor kingdome for so much as there is as yet no kyng chosen as head of the same and mē can not say that there is vtterly no raigne or kingdom for so much as the lawes and countrey stande in their full power and effecte sauyng onely that they haue not as yet their kyng appointed chosen And the like is when a cheife Magistrate dyeth in a Seigmorie Nowe this can haue no place in the kyngdome of God for the king thereof neuer dyeth Wherfore as he
T. I know it certainly so to be ¶ Of the causes for the vvhich God did allovve and confirme vvyth such authoritie the ministery of Moyses and hovv hard it is to bring men vnder those lavves by the vvhich mens liues ought to be gouerned and directed D. SEing then it is so and that God woulde euen at once geue such testimony of hys heauenly doctrine and of the ministery of all the Ministers by whom he would haue it declared to men it is no maruel if his good pleasure were once to shew him selfe in such maiesty vnto such a company to the ende that no man might iustlye afterwarde take occasion to doubt of that doctrine of God and to reproche Moyses as if he had framed these lawes of hys owne head which he had brought to the people of Israell and that he should haue made them beleue that he had receaued them of God as many Heathen lawmakers haue made theyrs to be beleued and as manye false Prophetes haue done of their drcames and false doctrine For they did well knowe that men were of such nature that they would not willing ly become subiect but onelye vnto him whom they thought to be greater then them selues wherfore hardly wil a man make him selfe subiect to a man to lyue according to hys wyll and pleasure if he be not thereunto enforced If it be done but by constrainte it is but during the time that he is the weakest For as soone as he can finde anye occasion to cast that yoke from him he wil not misse to doo it with all his power T. We see dayly experience sufficiently of this For how caÌ„ one submit himself willingly vnto a maÌ„ whoÌ„ he estemeth to be his fellow and equal to himselfe and not his master and superior when he wil not willingly submit himselfe to God his Creator his Master his Lord and Soueraigne Prince ne yet vnto his lawes D. Thou mayest haue a iudgement by that but albeit that man wil not willingly yelde himselfe subiect neither to God ne yet to men Yet notwithstanding if he must needes haue a Lorde and to lyue accordinge to the wyl and minde of an other and not of himselfe yet is hys hart so cruel and stubburne that he thinketh it greater dishonour to submit himselfe to such as he is himselfe then to his superiour and to man then to God On the other side whatsoeuer darkenes is fallen into the vnderstanding of man by meane of synne yet for all that ther remaineth a certayne impression of the knowledge of God in the hart of man which compelleth them al to acknowledge that ther is a souerain and diuine power vnto the whiche it muste needes bee that euerye man be subiect wyll he nyll he and that this soueraigne power is God eternal Wherfore ther is none howe wicked so euer he be if he be not at all more brutall then the brute beastes that is not somwhat moued when the authoritye of God is alledged and that feareth not punishment when it is geueÌ„ him to vnderstand that God hath commaunded or forbidden that which is proponed if he say or do the contrarye chiefly when we haue a good opinion that we thinke wel of them that speake vnto vs. T. It is very true ¶ Of the faynings and subtilties that the Pagan lavv makers and the false prophets haue vsed to authorise their lavves and doctrine vnder the cloke of Gods name D. FOr that cause Zoroaster the lawmaker of the Bactrianes and Persians gaue them to vnderstand that he had receiued of the god Oromasis those lawes which hee gaue vnto them Licurgus the Lacedemonian law gyuer did the like fathering his vpon the god Appollo Minos the law geuer of the Cretians which now are called Candians did fayne to haue receiued hys of the god Iupiter Numa Pompilius for the like cause did fayne hymself also to haue conference with the Nimph and goddesse Aegera and that he receiued of her the lawes which he gaue to the Romaines chiefly those that touched the religion â—amolris the law maker of the Scythiens hath also reported his to be of the goodesse Vesta And Mahomet by whom the Turks haue bene seduced which haue had partly their originall from the Scythyans how manye finesses he hath vsed to authorise his Alcoran and making them beleue that it was sent from heauen And all the false Prophetes and seducers haue not inueÌ„ted a litle And the Romish Antechrist companion to Mahomet hath not he obserued the same order not onely to geue so much authority to his tradicions as to the word of God and to cause them to be receiued for the woorde of God but also to make him selfe Iudge of the holy Scriptures and of their meaninges vnder shadow of the promes which Iesus Christ did make to Iohn 14. 15. 16. his Apostles to send vnto them the holy ghost and to direct and gouerne his church by hym as thoughe that which is spoken of the true church of Iesus Christ and of the Ministery therof did appertaine to that Antechrist and to hys Ministers Their conclusion is euen as good as if a man would conclude in this sorte The holye ghost was promised and geuen to the Patriarches Prophetes to the true Church of Israel that therfore it must follow that Ierobo am and hys Priestes and Achab Iesabel and their false prophets were inspired and directed by the spirite of God and Annas and Cayphas the Scribes and Pharyses and all the councel and the Synagoge of the Iewes which did condemne Iesus Christ and his Apostles that Micheas Elias Iesus Christ and his Apostles which stoode against them being so small a number against so great a multitude were heretickes For these men had the Kinges and Princes on their sides and did supplye the place and seate of the true Patriarches and prophets vnto whom and by whom the promesses were made by God and were in dede of their own race and blood Al be it that the Pope hath no such coulour as they had he hath notwithstanding armed himselfe with the authority of God as they did For he did wel know that if men had not had such perswasion of him and of his doctrine he and his shoulde neuer haue growen to such authority as they are come vnto T. That is not to be doubted ¶ Of the testimonies that God hath geuen to Moyses of hys vocation and how necessary it vvas D. NOwe it is not so with Moyses as it is wyth these men for Moyses was not onely auowed by God by word and by his own authoritye but God did geue vnto him letters and seales and this not onelye once or twyse Exo. xix but often times And to the end that he would leaue the les occasion to doubt either of the letters or of the seales hee came in proper person to ratify al that by his own mouth and that not in secrete or els before two or three
and when wee shall eyther take in oure handes the booke of the holye Scriptures thereby to vnderstand of the wyll of GOD or elles that we come together in the Church to heare hys voyce by the holy Ministery of hys worde or els to communicate and be partakers of hys holy sacraments and of the prayers which are there made we oughte to goe with no lesse reuerence ne yet to prepare oure selues in none other sorte then yf we shoulde heare Actes ii God wyth hys owne mouthe speake out of the cloude and out of the greate smoke whiche was in the Mounte of Synay and that we dyd heare the greate thunders and the lyghtninges that were then sene For euen the same God whiche then dyd there speake is euen he that speaketh at thys present daye in hys Churche and shall iudge vs accordyng to that lawe whiche he hathe published there And albeit that he speaketh vnto vs nowe more familiarly and more louynglye then he then dyd yet notwythstandyng let vs not thyncke that he is of lesse power and force then he then was But in that that he vseth such gentlenes and benignitie towarde vs the punishment shall be so muche the greater vppon vs yf we doo abuse the same Yf we wyll vnderstande howe wee oughte to guide and gouerne oure selues wee muste cleane to the resolution of thys Councell and to the decrees and ordinaunces whyche we haue receyued ¶ Of the Councell that vvas holden in the Mounte Syon and of the conference of the same vvyth that vvhyche vvas holden in the Mounte Synay and of Moyses and of Iesus Christe and of the Ministery of the lavve and of the Gospell T. THys is a goodlye Councell and of greate authoritie but thou saydst that there was yet an other in the lande of Chanaan and of Iudea and in especiall in the Mounte of Syon by the verye Sonne of GOD. I woulde bee verye gladde that thou wouldest declare vnto mee also what that was D. That Councell dothe euen so muche excell the other as Iesus Christ Heâ— iii dothe excell Moyses and the Master of the house the seruaunte For thoughe that GOD hym selfe dyd speake in proper person in bothe yet notwithstandyng he hathe shewed hym selfe this seconde tyme in a sorte muche more authentique and more excellent more amiable and agreable to the weakenesse of mans nature then euer he dyd synce the beginnyng of the worlde For when he shewed himselfe in the mounte Synay the people dyd not see his Deut. 4. Exod. xiâ— Hebr. ii face nor shape nor dyd see or heare anye thing but suche as were horrible and fearefull It was not lawfull for them to doo so muche as to come to the mountaine or to touche the vttermoste parte thereof wyth out daunger of deathe and to bee stoned or striken thorowe wyth arrowes were it man or beaste Therefore the people beynge greatlye amased and afrayde desired Moyses to be Exod. xx Eeu xxviii as a meane betwene GOD and them and to declare vnto them hys wyll and pleasure as hys Embassadour to that ende that they moughte heare no more that voyce of GOD so horrible and fearefull for they thought that they coulde not heare it agayne but that they shoulde all dye and dyd muche maruell that euer they coulde heare it with oute deathe Wherefore GOD knowyng the weakenesse of hys people dyd promise them to sende them a Prophet euen oute of the middest of their brethern lyke vnto Moyses into whose mouthe he woulde put his worde and by Deut. xviii the same he woulde cause them to heare his voyce This Prophete accordyng to the testimonye of Sainâ—t Peter is Iesus Christe oure Lorde of whome the Father hymselfe dyd saye This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I Actes iii. Math. 3. 1â— haue set my whole delighte heare hym And for that cause the Apostle saythe writyng to the Hebrewes that God hath Heb. i in tyme passed oftentymes and in sundrye sortes spoken to our Fathers by the Prophetes but in these latter dayes he hath spoken to vs by hys own Sonne and making comparison of thys manifestation whiche was made by oure Sauioure Iesus Christe wyth that of the mounte of Synay Truely sayth he you are not come to the mountayn whiche moughte bee touched nor to burnyng fyre nor yet Heb. xiâ— to darkenesse and myste and vnto tempest neyther vnto the sounde of a trompette and to the voyce of wordes the whiche those whiche dyd heare it refused that the communication should be addressed to theÌ„ any more for they could not endure that which was commaunded If a beast touch the mountayne he shall bee stoned or elles stricken thorow wyth a darte And so terrible was the sighte that appeared that Moyses sayde I feare and quake but you are come to the mounte Syon and to the Citie of the lyuyng God the heauenly Ierusalem and to the companye of manye thousandes of Aungels and to the congregation of the firste borne which are written in the heauens and to God which is iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfecte men and to Iesus Christ the mediatoure of the newe TestameÌ„t and to the sprinckled bloude of whiche declareth better things then the bloud of Abell See that you despyse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not whiche despysed hym that spake on earth much lesse shall we escape yf we turne away from hym that speaketh from heauen whose voyce then shooke the earth T. It semeth to me that these wordes conteyne a goodly conference of the Ministery of the lawe and of the Gospell and I haue a great desyre to heare it ¶ Of the manifestation of God in Christ D. THen where as the people saw nothing at that tyme but fyre and smoke and greate darcknes whiche letted them from seyng both the Sunne and the Moone Deut. 4. also the heauens God hath shewed himselfe to vs in Iesus Christe his sonne in mans shape in our owne fleshe For it is he that is the very Image of God and that very forme of hys substance the bryghtnes of hys glory It is he that is the true Iohn i â— Tim. iii Seb. i. Mal. iiii Iohn viii Sonne of Iustice and the onely lyghte of the worlde by whome all mystes and darckenesses are chased away euen those whiche let vs to see GOD. And where as then the people durste not come to the foote of the Mountayne howe perfecte and howe well prepared so euer they were to receyue the Lorde wee haue nowe accesse euen to the verye throne of hys Maiestye by Iesus Christ our Lord through whome it is geuen vs not onely to come vnto hym but also Heb. iiii to touche embrace hym for the sanctification which i. Cor. 6 Dan. ix wee haue receyued of hym that is the holye of holye ones is in deede of other vertue and efficacye then was that of Moyses towardes the Israelites In the