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
it well beseemeth the wisdome of God sith it is altogether vnsauorie and vnpleasant vnto the naturall man sith from the breaking thereof through the Sodomiticall and Egyptiacall darknesse of poperie it hath most brightly shined in those gifts of God his spirit which were vniuersally and almost wholly eclipsed when poperie was spread ouer the face of the earth sith God hath auenged the hatred thereof vpon the heads of the Papists that especially hated it sith God hath mightily vpheld blessed and prospered such persons and places as haue most boldly and constantly professed and embraced it finally since God hath openly pleaded the cause thereof against such as haue oppugned it miraculously preseruing the professours thereof so oppugned by their aduersaries fearefully confounding the aduersaries I doe therefore againe conclude in behalfe of our religion that it is of God and acceptable vnto him The generall arguments vsed by the Papists for defence of poperie drawne from antiquitie vniuersalitie and vnitie are now stale yea battered in peeces by those that haue often substantially and plentifully confuted them Therefore I meane not to encrease this treatise and so to make further worke for the reader by setting downe any answer vnto them THE FIRST VSE CONCERning generally all of our religion both weake and strong THese things now written and whereby I haue prooued the falshood of poperie and likewise shewed the truth of our religion I wish profitable vnto all both to those that professe themselues of our religion and also to those that neither are nor professe themselues to be Of those that professe themselues to be of our religion some are faint weake and wauering others are strong and well grounded or at the least such as haue neuer doubted our religion to be of God The first sort I doe now wish to be as the second that is by these things that now I haue written so confirmed and established in the loue liking and constant profession of our religion so keeping as it were by force against all force whereby they shall be assaulted this profession of their hope Hebr. 10. 23. without wauering that hereafter they be neuer carried about with diuers and strange doctrines Hebr. 13. 9. yea both these sorts of professours of our religion I wish to be much stronger in this profession assuring themselues that so long as this religion abideth in them so long they themselues shall continue in the sonne and in the father Hebr. 2. 24. and so long as they walke according to this religion so long they walke with God as Enoch did Gen. 5. 22. But forasmuch as our religion is of God and acceptable vnto him therefore they that fall away from it doe also depart from the liuing God and fall away from the grace of the same God Hebr. 3. 12. and 12. 15. and then doth there remaine no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Heb. 10. 26 27. Let no man therefore that hath giuen his name to our religion deceiue himselfe neither suffer himselfe to be deceiued by any other either Papist or Atheist or of any other sect or heresie for surely it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. it had beene better for such neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaÌ„dements giuen vnto them 2. Pet. 2. 21. for the ende of such men shall be worse then the beginning 2 Neither would I haue this to be vnderstood onely of the soundnes and constancie of iudgement in our religion but also of the continuall abounding in the workes of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. and the prouoking of our selues more and more to all loue and good workes Heb. 10. 24. such as our religion commendeth the despising whereof is the despising of God his commandements and the doing whereof is obedience not vnto man but vnto God himselfe Further I wish this that I haue written against poperie and for our religion may so confirme and strengthen all professours of our religion therein that if any of them haue wife or other friends yet remaining Papists they would praie more often and earnestly and euery other way by themselues and by other perhaps better able then themselues labour more diligently the conuersion of them then euer they haue done How doe all louing husbands and friends labour the health of their wiues or other friends beeing but bodily sicke the daunger whereof is nothing but this present death O then howe much more ought such husbands and friends to labour the recouerie of their wiues or other friends out of poperie a most grieuous sicknes of the soule the daunger whereof is eternall condemnation both of bodie and soule The like may be said touching those that are sicke of any errours or heresies contrarie or not agreeing to our religion as likewise of Atheists and such as are of no religion THE SECOND VSE CONCERning all great persons of our religion AS I wish this good generally to all of our religion so more especially such as are in any speciall place of honour and authoritie in church or common weale by such special place are able to doe some speciall good for the aduancemeÌ„t of our religion and the helping and countenancing the professours thereof as also for the weakning and repressing of poperie atheisme and such like such I say as are in any such special place I wish yea as it were vpoÌ„ my knees most humbly beseech and yet also boldly exhort in the name of this God whose religion I haue iustified vnto them all such I say againe I doe beseech and exhort to be of all Christian courage and boldnes for speaking and doing whatsoeuer lieth in them whereby to promote this religion and comfort and countenance the professours thereof To omit the famous and most worthie examples of many most zealous kings of Iuda of Ester a Queene by marriage yet as touching authoritie but as it were a ladie of honour of Iehoida likewise and Iâ—hoshua high priests of Ezra a scribe or inferiour priest to omit I say these and many other the like examples of zeale let them onely consider how boldly Ioseph an honourable counseller of Arimathea went vnto Pilate but an heathen deputie of an heathen Emperour and begged the bodie of Christ beeing dead that he might honourably burie the same Mark 15. 43. If he were so bold for the honouring of Christ as to goe to an heathen man how much more boldly ought men to goe to Christian Princes in causes wherby Christ Iesus and his gospel may haue any honour If he feared nothing wherein all likelihoode much was to be feared what shal be said of them that feare where there is no feare If he made no bones to speake for Christ to one that had before condemned Christ why should any sticke at speaking likewise for Christ to such
in a traunce wherein shee did straungly alter her coūtenance with the other partes of her bodie and spake manie things in commendation of Idolatrie pilgrimage and other like points of popery and likewise in derogation of the Gospell in disallowance of King Henrie his diuorce from the Ladie Katherine the late wife of his elder brother Prince Arthur threatning as it were by way of prophecying that if he proceeded therein he should not be king one moneth after This knauerie beeing found out both shee and her abettors namely certen Munks Fryers Priests were executed for it See the booke of Martyres printed 1583. p. 1054. And other histories thereof The like is reported in the same booke p. 1291. out of the ninth booke of Sleydan his commentaries of certaine fryers of Orleance in Fraunce who because the Maiors wife of the citie vpon her death bed had desired her husband that shee might be buried without the solemnities then commonlie vsed at the funeralls of such persons whereby their noses were wiped of a great part of their accustomed gaine caused a boye in the time of their night seruice to make a straunge noyse in one of the vaults of the church where shee was buried as if he had been a spirit This boyish spirit or spirituall boye thus inspired by the deuill and the fryers and coniured like wise after their popish and deuelish manner hauing signified that he was a dumb spirit by signes also shewed that he was the soule of the said Maiors wife before buried now condemned in hell for the heresie of Martin Luther This frierlie prancke being found out the fryers by authority of the King were committed to prison where they continued a long time before they were released Let the reader see this more largelie in the booke of Martirs Sleidan his commentaries As these and such like meanes continuallie applied to shore vp popery do shew the rottēnes thereof so our religion continuing and standing right notwithstanding manie stormes and tempests against it doth shew it selfe to be sound and vpholden by him onely whose power none is able to resist But of this more shall be spoken afterward vpon other occasion THE THIRD ARGVMENT TOVCHING THE SVB iect matter of true religion AS these meanes hitherto spoken of doe mightelie speake against poperie and teach the verie simplest that are that it is not of God so also doth the matter substāce of popery speake as much For it is partly directlie contratie vnto and partlie farre differing from the matter and substance of that religion which God himselfe hath commended in his Scriptures and the which no mā can denie to be acceptable vnto god This is manifest first of all because that religion which the Scriptures commend is true knowledge of God of Christ Iesus of the truth The Lord saith by the Prophet Ose I desire mercie and not sacrifice and the knowledge of god more then burnt offrings Ose 6. 6. Oftentimes also the Lord reproueth and complaineth of the ignorance want of knowledge in his people as the cause of all euills both which they committed also which came vpō them as Ier. 9. 3. and in many other places S. Peter also saith in the name of all the Apostles We beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Ioh. 6. 69. Our Sauiour Christ saith This is life eternall that they knovve thee to be the onely very God and him whome thou hast sent Jesus Christ Ioh. 17. 3. He like wise promiseth the knowledge of the truth to all his true disciples Ioh. 8. 32. The Apostle saith God will haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. And againe he describeth faith to be the knowledge of the truth according to godlines Tit. 1. 1. He forbiddeth also the Corinthians not to be children in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 14. 20. The Ephesians also not to be vnwise but to vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5. 17. Finally the Apostle S. Peter biddeth the Christians to whome he wrote to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge 2. Pet. 1. 5. By these and many other the like places we see that the Scriptures commend knowledge as the first matter of faith and religion We see also what knowledge they doe commend namely of God of Christ of the truth according to godlines of the will of God of the Scriptures themselues and that to all sorts of men Now what shall we saie is the matter of Poperie Truly to speake according to the nature of things poperie hath indeede no matter at all but is a meere vacuitie or emptines for the most part For may it be saide that poperie is knowledge and that of these things No certenly but it is a principle of poperie that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Therefore the whole popish Church generally condemneth all knowledge of God and of the scriptures in the common people prohibiting them the vse of any part of the scriptures as we haue heard before and teaching and commaunding them onely to beleeue as the Church beleeueth This they saie is sufficient faith and sufficient religion And indeede touching deuotion to their religion they speake most truly For no man will haue any deuotion vnto it that knowerh ought of God in the scriptures But to beleeue as the Church that is as their Church beleeueth is neither true faith nor the shadow of true faith but rather of faith in the deuills The most part also of them when they teach this faith haue it not but can onely say that they haue it and that they doe beleeue as the Church beleeueth The most I saie doe onely saie that they doe so beleeue They doe not in deede beleeue as the Church beleeueth For how can they sith they knowe not what the Church beleeueth Yet are their bare words taken allowed for currant good lawfull faith of Rome I graunt with griefe that many amongst vs know not the principles of our religion yet no man alloweth such ignorance but euery godly man condemneth it and is grieued for it But be it that they did in deede beleeue as their Romish Church beleeueth and that they knew as much as the best Doctour and all their Romish Doctours know touching their religion yet this is not ynough For now to enter into the particular matter of their religiō First the Scripture teacheth vs oftētimes that there is but one God one Lord one Mediatour betweene God man Christ Iesus but poperie teacheth that there are many gods many mediatours For doth it not cōmunicate the peculiar properties of God the vbiquitie or vniuersall presence and such like vnto the body of Christ and doe they not so make an other god thereof doe they not attribute the doing thereof to seuerall saints for seuerall countries diseases and other seuerall affaires which is onely proper to God whereby they make so many seuerall
saluatioÌ„ by his own good works so that whereas the Scripture teacheth vs that a man is onelie iustified and saued by a true and liuelie faith in Christ Iesus Poperie teacheth that a man is iustified not by such a faith alone but also by workes partlie of himselfe and partly of other 4 So the Scripture teacheth that Christ Iesus is a perfect Sauiour which hath redeemed vs from all iniquitie and that with once offring vp of himselfe once I say for all and for euer but popery teacheth that he hath onely satisfied for sinnes before Baptisme and that he must dailie be offred vp by the hands of some greasie priest The Scripture teacheth that there is certainely no coÌ„demnation to them that are in Christ Iesus that they that loue the brethren are of the truth and shal before him assure their hearts that they shall neuer perish out of the handes of Christ Iesus c but poperie teacheth that it is presuÌ„ption for any maÌ„ to say that he is assured of these things The Scripture teacheth vs that Christ his humanitie is in heauen and shal be in heauen till his second coÌ„ming vnto iudgement but popery teacheth vs that it is euen now vpon the earth that in manie places at one and the same time The Scripture teacheth vs that Christ his bodie glorified doth so retaine the essentiall qualities of a true bodie that it may be discerned to haue both flesh bones by our outward senses Luk. 24. 39. But poperie teacheth that it is so altered and chaunged that neither by sight nor by taste nor by touching and feeling it can be discerned to haue any more flesh and bone then a peece of bread yea then a wafer cake as thinne as a paper The Scripture forbiddeth all grauen or painted Images of any thing whatsoeuer and wheresoeuer to be made and worshiped or anie waies religiously to be bowed vnto but popery commaundeth the making and worshipping of Images of things in heauen and in earth materiall and spirituall visible and inuisible knowne and vnknowne liuing and without life euen of the materiall and woodden crosse of Christ The Scripture forbiddeth all detraction from and all addition vnto it selfe binding this prohibition with a commination of a fearefull curse to anie that shall so doe but poperie hath not feared to cut of the whole second commaundement and many other thinges neither to adde whole bookes to the Cannon of the Scriptures The Scripture condemneth all praiers of the mouth in anie vnknowne tongue without vnderstanding and affection but poperie teacheth that in praier and all other things opus operatum the worke done howsoeuer it be done with affection or without affection is meritorious and that all praiers of all persons and in al places must be in the latine tongue albeit they that pray vnderstand neuer a word and may as well be taught to say O Deuill which art in hell as Our father which art in heauen yea and so they oftentimes pray for ought they knowe to the contrary For howsoeuer the Pope hath canonized Thomas Becket as it is said Edmund Campian other of that traiterous nest for Saints yet their treasons for which they were iustly cut off by the sword of the ciuill magistrate and their damnable heresies and horrible blasphemies whereof they shewed no repentance doe rather condemne them for diuells in hell then commend them for Saints in heauen The Scriptures commend the obseruation of the Lord his day aboue all other daies condemning also the obseruation of any other day in like sort perpetuallie but poperie commandeth more holidaies now then were euer commanded by God himselfe in the time of the law and that to be kept as strictly as the Lords daie it selfe The scripture teacheth that al things are cleane to the cleane but poperie maketh such difference of meates drinkes apparell c. and teacheth that at some times all flesh is polluted that it defileth whosoeuer eateth thereof more then swearing fornication and such like things as God himselfe hath expressely forbidden The Scripture commaundeth to gather vp the basest of God his creatures that nothing be lost but poperie commandeth vpon Shâ—oue-tuseday that whatsoeuer of the best flesh be left it should be cast vnto the dogges and â—o vtterly lost rather then saued for the good of any man The Scripture teacheth vs onely to call vpon God in the dare of our trouble and to praie onely to him when we may call Our Father which art in heauen but poperie teacheth vs to pray to the virgin Marie Saint Peter Saint Iohn Saint Swithin c. yea to the eyes nose mouth c. to the neckerchiffe girdle c. of the virgin Marie as is manifest by some of their olde printed praier bookes The Scripture teacheth by sentence and example of Priests Leuites Prophets Apostles c. that marriage is honourable in all men though as holy as Adam was before his fall but poperie teacheth vs that at sometimes of the yeare marriage is vnlawfull for all men and at all times for the ministers of the word in regard of their holy function The Scripture teacheth vs that euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher power and to honour the King c and that whosoeuer resisteth such power resisteth the ordinance of God but poperie teacheth vs that the cleargie is exempted from all ciuill power and may not be called before any such magistrates neither be punished by any ciuill laws To finish this argument drawne from the repugnancie of the matter of poperie to the Scriptures and that religion which they commend I must euen say as the Apostle saith Heb. 11. 23. What shall I say more the time would be toâ— short to tell of Gedeon Baruch c. so I say must I say what shal I say more long time would be too short and much paper too little to set down all the repugnancies and contrarieties of the matter of Poperie and of the matter of that religion which is commended vnto vs in the scriptures Can both therefore be of God and acceptable vnto God that is alvvaies the same and in whome there is no chaunge nor shadow of chaunge THE FOVRTH ARGVMENT touching the forme of true religion THat which hath beene said of the matter of poperie in respect of the matter of that religion which is commended in the scriptures may be said of the forme God is a Spirit and therefore to be vvorshipped in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. 24. But poperie prescribeth such a carnall and fleshly forme and manner of worship as if God were all flesh and no spirit God oftentimes commaundeth himselfe to be worshipped onely according to his owne word And truly if Princes may lawfully require obedience and seruice of their subiects according to their owne lawes with much more equitie may God the Prince of princes require seruice according to his owne statutes and ordinances Therefore he doth iustly refuse the traditions precepts and doctrines
of men in his worship Isa 29. 13. Math. 15. 3. and in many other places doth he also condemne wil worship and such as is forged onely in the forge of man his wit but poperie prescribeth a forme of God his worshippe principally according to the doctrines of men and least of all according to the doctrine of God himselfe Yea to speake according to truth they haue brought such a darke cloud of the precepts of men into the worship of God that a man can hardly discerne whether they worship God according to any of his owne precepts Yea to speake yet more plaine they make so many images crosses reliques of saints they make so many praiers to Saints and offer so many gifts vnto them they haue so many pilgrimages in their honour they repose so much trust and confidence in all these things they bestow so much cost vpon them they so precisely and superstitiously obserue daies consecrated vnto them c. that a man cannot well saie that they worship God in any manner at all As for their foolish distinction digged onely out of that colepit from whence they haue digged their Images reliques and inuocation of Saints c. as none of their learned sort haue euer bene able to defend it so not one of fiue thousand of the vulgar people doe know or vnderstand it How then can they regard it or tell when they giue that vnto God which they giue vnto saints and images c. or that to these things which they should by their owne doctrine onely giue vnto God 2 Neither doe they onely worshippe these things but also a peece of bread which as soone as they haue adored goeth into the mouth from their mouth into the stomacke from the stomacke into the paunch and from the paunch out againe of the bodie all men know whither That this is so whatsoeuer the ignorant are perswaded to the contrarie is manifest because that if a man were driuen to that necessitie that he had no other meate to eate then their consecrated host as they call it as sometime Dauid was forced to eate of the shewbread I am sure they could not denie but that their host so eaten for a weeke or a moneth together would nourish the naturall man as well as other bread so as that their should be as good digestion and egestion of that as also of other bread or meate if it be so can the nature of it be so altered according to their doctrine and by their inchanting sorceries as that there should remaine nothing but accidents of bread It is most absurd it is most ridiculous For how can meere accidents nourish a materiall substance and make a materiall egestion If they saie that all this is done by the substance of Christ his very bodie they speake the more grossely in making that foode for this natural life and the more blasphemously in saying that that goes into the draught Againe in such a case I demand also whether a man forced to liue onely by such meanes for a time or so liuing voluntarily by getting some way or other all the Hosts to himselfe in a cuntrie could liue by them alone without drinke Certenly by their doctrine for the administring of the sacramēt in one kind onely it should be so For they say that one kind onely is sufficient because the blood of Christ is alwaies with the bodie per concomitantiam So then by this reason a man that should haue nothing but their host for a weeke or moneth or longer time to liue vpon should not onely haue meate but also drinke For they must as wel grāt the blood of Christ to be sufficient to quench thirst as his flesh to satisfie hunger Yet for all this let one of them trie but so litle a time to liue in this manner I meane onely feeding vpon nothing but vpon breade consecrated by some Papist and I doubt not but that he will be glad to aske his neighbour a cup of some other drinke beside that spiritual drinke which he hath by concomitance as they speak of his foode Yea if some Papist would trie this way to liue but a little while he should quickly finde the knauerie of transubstantiation and consequently also the impietie of all poperie 3 Nowe to returne from whence we haue made this digression the Papists doe not onely worship the crosse reliques and such like things but such as are no reliques of the Saints peeces of woode in stead of peeces of the crosse whereon Christ was nailed For if so many Churches should haue such large thongs of the very crosse of Christ as the Papists say they haue all gathered together would load the best shippe in England then no maruaile indeede though Christ were wearie of bearing his crosse what a gyant was Simon of Syrene whom they compelled to beare such a burthen O say they you doe not vnderstand the mysterie For the crosse of Christ was not so heauie as al the peeces now laid together would be How so because euer as one peece was cut off the remainder did grow to the former greatnes and was neuer a whit lesse then at the first but notwithstanding all the peeces cut off it still remaineth whole Let him that list beleeue this my name is Thomas and I will not beleeue it till I see it therefore I shall neuer beleeue it Touching their worship of reliques he that will haue sport let him read M. Caluin of that matter I meane his little booke of reliques where amongst other reliques he shall finde Christ his foreskinne cut off when he was circumcised his shooes the earth that laie vnder his feete when he raised vp Lazarus from the dead the title set ouer his head at his crucifying his thornie crowne the dish wherein he did eate the paschall lambe the napkin about his head when he was buried yea the very taile of the asse whereon he rode and many such morsels 4 By these things hitherto spoken we see how contrarie poperie is vnto the religion commended in the Scriptures both in matter and also in forme Who therefore that knoweth the constant immutable and spirituall nature of God can be perswaded in any reason that poperie should be acceptable vnto God If out of one fountaine cannot come both sweete and sowre waters can two religions so contrarie come from one and the same God If God approoue that religion which is commended in the Scriptures then he must needes disalow of that which is contrarie thereunto or if he allow of that religion which is contrarie to the Scriptures then he must also disallow of the religion commended in the Scriptures If therefore no man dare thinke that God disalloweth of the religion commended in the scriptures let no man dare to thinke that he alloweth poperie so contrarie thereunto Now as touching our religion both matter and forme agree with the Scriptures We commend knowledge we commend and teach all that the scriptures commend
and teach we saie also and prooue by most sufficient arguments that the Scriptures are sufficient of themselues and conteine all things pertaining to the worshippe of God and saluation of men Therefore also so nigh as we can we frame the manner of our worship of God according onely to the Scriptures If therefore the matter of the Scriptures if the forme of God his worship prescribed in the scriptures be acceptable vnto God then also is our religion but the former cannot be denied therefore also the latter must be graunted THE FIFTH ARGVMENT touching the ende of true religion THat that we haue saide of the contrarietie and difference betwixt popery in the former things and betwixt that religion which the Scriptures commend may also be said touching the end of that religion which the scriptures commende and the ende of poperie For the scriptures commend that religion wherein all things are referred to the glorie of God The Prophet saith Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie Psal 115. 1. And againe Helpe vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name deliuer vs and be mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake Psal 79. 9. Our Sauiour beginneth his praier which he commendeth vnto all men with this petition Hallowed be thy name and concludeth it with these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie The Apostle commaundeth whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. 30. All the Apostles say Vnto him that is vnto God be praise in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all generations for euer Eph. 3. 20 21. And againe Vnto God euen our father be praise for euermore Amen Phil. 4. 20. And againe Now vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen 1. Tim. 1. 7. And again To God onely wise our Sauiour be glorie and maiestie Iud. 25. So also the Angels gaue glorie and honour and thankes to him that sate vpon the throne Rev. 4. 9. All creatures also in heauen and on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea and all that are in them did Iohn heare to say Praise and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne which liueth for euer and euer Revel 5. 13. Many other the like testimonies of scripture there are in the same booke in the psalmes and elswhere teaching that all things are to be referred to the glorie of God and that this glorie of God should be the principall ende of all things and that nothing should be done but that whereby God might be glorified Matth. 5. 16. This is likewise manifest by reason because God hath made all things ruleth all things and all things hold of him and serue vnder him therefore it followeth that all things should seeke his praise and glorie aboue all things and referre all things thereunto 2 Now what doth poperie doth it thus respect God his glorie in all things doth it referre all things thereunto Nothing lesse what with inuocation of Saints and trusting in them what with making images and worshipping of them what with giuing of the Pope the name of god the headship of the Church power to forgiue sinnes to let out of purgatorie to command the deuills in hell to open heauen gates and magnifying him accordingly what with turning of bread into the bodie of Christ and adoring the same what with commending the free will of man and teaching his abilitie and strength to keepe the commandements of God what with the doctrine of the blood of Martyrs of merits and of works supererogatorie what I say with these and other the like things they ascribe so much to these things and so much respect the praise honour and glorie of these things that they doe nothing almost for the glorie of God Therefore they may say if they would speake truly and according to their doctrine and all their practise Not vnto thy name O Lord not vnto thy name yea they may adde the third time Not vnto thy name giue the glorie but unto saints vnto Pope vnto bread vnto Martyrs vnto vs. If they will yet say that all these things make to the glorie of God let them shew how which waies and what glorie God hath by them Our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 7. 18. saith thus of and for himselfe He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie but he that seeketh the glorie of him that sent him is true and no vnrighteousnes is in him In these words he prooueth himselfe to be true and free from vnrighteousnes because he sought the glorie of God that had sent him and on the contrarie that he that seeketh his owne glorie speaketh of himselfe and is not sent of God This may be well applied against Pope and poperie For our Sauiour speaketh as well generally as of himselfe The Pope therefore seeking his owne glorie and not the glorie of him by whome he saith he is sent doth manifestly condemne himselfe to speake of himselfe and not to be sent by him of whom he boasteth Poperie likewise seeking the glorie of it selfe and of other things not of God doth also bewraie it selfe not to be of God nor acceptable vnto God 3 As for our religion it ascribeth nothing to Saints or any other thing neither to our selues but all to God Our doctrine and whole religion abaseth all things yea our selues also and all that is in vs acknowledging that we haue no power in our selues and of our selues to doe speake or thinke any thing that is good confessing also our selues to be full of all euill naturally and prone to all sinne and wickednes teaching that what good soeuer is in vs it is onely of God and that no good thing is euer perfect whilst here we liue further also professing that whatsoeuer good we doe we merite nothing thereby at God his hands but that God for all that if he would deale with vs according to our vnworthines might most iustly cast vs out of his presence for euer Thus I saie doth our religion teach and thus we freely confesse and with heart and tongue we saie Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory Therefore as this was a good argument for Christ thereby to approoue himselfe to be sent from God so also it is as good and firme for iustifying and approouing of our religion to be of God because it seeketh the glorie of God Thus much for the ende of Poperie THE SIXTH ARGVMENT touching the effects of true religion IN the next place let vs consider of the fruits of poperie and see whether they helpe vs not also with some armor against poperie As therfore Poperie teacheth doctrine contrarie to the scriptures so the fruits of poperie cannot be agreeable to them Such as their doctrine is such must be their fruits because their doctrine
also to our profession yet doth not our religion maintaine and allow them in their sinnes but contrarily it condemneth such hypocrites and teacheth that their iudgement in the latter daie shall be greater then the iudgement of Papists and the heathen themselues for the same sinnes But as for the like amongst O ye you Papists you religion it selfe and the head and pillars of your Church doe allow approoue and iustifie them yea also commend some of these manifest transgressions of God his laws as excellent vertues and such as whereby the transgressours shall merit heauen THE SEAVENTH ARGVMENT touching one necessarie effect or fruit of true religion which is true ioy and sound comfort of heart I Might adde many other effects and fruits of poperie whereby more plentifully to prooue it not to be of God but because I haue written much alreadie and yet haue diuers other arguments of as good moment as the former remaining I will adde one fruit more or at the least one fruit which that religion that is commended in the Scriptures doth alwaies bring forth but beeing not to be found vpon the whole tree of poperie doth therefore prooue the same neuer to be planted or grafted by the Lord. This fruit is the great ioy and sound comfort of conscience that alwaies groweth vpon the religion commended in the scriptures The statutes of the Lord saith Dauid are right and reioyce the heart Psal 19. 8. They are also sweeter then honie or the honie combe v. 10. He saith also that the promise of God had beene his comfort in his trouble and had quickned him psal 119. 50. and that he remembred the ancient iudgements of God and so was comforted v. 52. and againe v. 92. that except the law of God had beene his delight he should haue perished in his affliction S. Peter also ioyneth these two religions together beleeuing in him whome we see not and reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. And indeede how can this religion be without such ioy and comfort For it teacheth that the sinnes of such as doe beleeue according to the scriptures are forgiuen Matth. 9. 2. that they are iustified and haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. that they shall neuer be cast awaie Joh. 6. 37. but raised vp at the latter daie v. 44. that they are in the hands of Christ and that no man shall take them out but that they shall certenly haue eternall life Ioh. 10. 28. which eternal life is kept for them in heauen as likewise they are kept for it in earth not by men or angels but by the mightie power of God 1. Pet. 1 4 and 5. that they are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. 14. and are of the truth and doe as certenly know themselues to be of the truth and that therfore they shall before him assure their hearts as God himselfe greater then their hearts knoweth all things v. 19 and 20. that they are borne of God 1. Ioh. 4. 7. and therefore are the children of God and heyres of God and coheyres with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and that nothing shall separate them from the loue of God v. 38. that they are so built vpon a rocke that no stormes or tempests shall ouerthrow them Math. 7. 25. but stand fast for euer like vnto mount Zion psal 125. 1. that they may no more doubt that God will forget the worke and labour of their loue then they may doubt of the righteousnesse of God himselfe Heb. 6. 10. not in respect of their works but in respect of his promise 1. Ioh. 2. 25. and the price wherewith they are bought by Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 7. 23. and 1. Pet. 1. 9. and of the earnest of their inheritance euen the spirit Eph. 1. 14. and of the continuall intercession of Christ for them at the right hand of God his father Rom. 8. 34. These and such like things doth the Scripture assure all them of that by the fruits of a true faith and religion both inward and outward know that they haue true faith and religion How therefore can they be heauie yea how can they not reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 2 But what ioy and comfort can there be in poperie doth not poperie denie the first foundation of sound comfort namely the doctrine of particular election whereby a man is taught that God loued him and predestinated him to eternall saluation before the world was made doth not poperie take awaie the word of God that giueth wisdome to the simple sight to the blinde light to them that sit in darknes and life to them that are dead in their sinnes and doth it not therefore leaue men foolish and blinde in darknes and in death it selfe Can there be any comfort in such an estate Doth not poperie teach that saluation is to be had partly yea chiefely by our owne works and merits And who knoweth when he hath wrought and merited enough Doth not poperie teach that the efficacie of the sacrament dependeth vpon the intention of the priest Who knoweth the intention of any man his heart but his owne 1. Cor. 2. 11. who therefore knoweth when he receiueth the sacrament and when he doth not Doth not poperie teach that it is presumption for any man to saie that he is certen and sure of the fauour of God and his continuance therein and of his saluation What sound and certen comfort can there be without assurance of these things 3 I graunt that the Papists reioyce and are merrie as other wicked men reioyce and are merrie But such ioy is fleshly superficiall and vncertaine the ground thereof beeing not in God but in themselues in Saints in reliques of Saints in the bloode of Martyrs in the pardon and indulgences of the Pope and such like sandie stuffe and therefore not certaine The ioy of the Papists is like the ioy of the Israelites at the making and worshipping of the calfe Exod. 32. 6 17 18 and 19. The ioye of the Papists is the ioye of Nabal in his great feast 1. Sam. 25. 36. The ioye of the Papists is like the ioye of Belshazzar when he made the great feast to a thousand of his Princes and dranke wine before the thousand commaunding the holy vessells of the Temple of the Lord to be brought forth vnto that feast and polluting them at his pleasure Dan. 5. 1. Euen such I saie and no other is the ioye of the Papists before their Calfe that is before their innumerable idols and grauen images and at their solemne feastes which they dedicate to the honour and worshippe of them and of their Saints 4 Contrariwise our religion teacheth all these thinges which before wee heard to be taught in the Scriptures it teacheth men to applie them to themselues and by them to assure themselues of God his loue and fauour as certenly as if the angel Gabriel were sent to thē as he was to the Virgin Marie euen to speake to them
particularly as he spake to her and saide Luk. 1. 28. Hayle or according also to the naturall signification of the word reioyce and be merrie as one that is freely beloued and againe whatsoeuer thy sinnes be c. yet feare not for thou hast found fauour with God v. 30. as if also another should saie as he did to the shepheards Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioye that shall be to all people c. This comfort and this ioy doth our religion teach and commend and offer yea also bring vnto all them that truly embrace the same Yea certenly they that by the powerful working of our religion in their hearts and in their outward conuersation doe know themselues not to be hypocrites but truly to haue embraced our religion and the doctrine thereof they I say may better cast away all feare and more certenly assure themselues of God his fauour and therefore also more truly reioyce then all the Papists in the world or any one of them remaining in his poperie may or might not onely if one angel but if all the angels in heauen should come and speake vnto them in like manner This is a great word but it is a true word how so verily because one greater then all the angels doth speake it and biddeth all such not to feare but to reioyce God himselfe generally thus speaketh in all the Scriptures to all such generally and the holy Ghost his effectuall working of true faith and true godlines in euery particular person that is truly of our religion speaketh also the same thing Therefore the greater and more credible that the master is then the seruant and so also God himselfe then the angels which are but the worke of his hands and therefore his seruants and ministring spirits the more certen also may euery one be assured of God his fauour to whome God and his spirit by their effectuall working doe testifie the same then if the angels of heauen should speake as much to one in whome were not the effects of the spirit Further also the reason of that comfortable speach of the angels to Marie and the shepheards beeing well obserued doth confirme that which I haue said of the applying of the same comfort to all those that are truly of our religion For why will the angel haue the virgin Marie not to feare because shee was freely beloued and had found fauour with God but how doth the angel prooue this because saith he thou shalt conceiue in thy vvombe and beare a sonne and thou shalt call his name Jesus If therefore to conceiue in her wombe and beare this sonne onely were a sufficient argument to perswade her to cast away feare to reioyce and assure her selfe that shee had found fauour with God how much more may he cast away feare reioyce and assure himselfe of God his fauour whose soule and whole man hath embraced whole Christ is likewise embraced of Christ and is made one with Christ euen flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and which knoweth this by the death of sinne and the life of righteousnes in him through the death and resurrection of Christ If shee were so blessed whose wombe should beare Christ according to the flesh and whose pappes should giue him sucke how much more blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luc. 11. 28. 5 The like may be saide of the argument of the angel to the shepheards for be not afraid saith the angel but why I bring you trdings of great ioye that shall be to all people What are these tydings and what is this great ioye Vnto you is borne this day in the city of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord c. Now if this were such ioye to heare onely of the birth of Christ Iesus how much greater is it to heare of the birth of the whole life of the death of the resurrection of the ascension and of the sitting of Christ Iesus at the right hand of God there making intercession for all his members yea not onely to heare but also to be assured of these things by the effects of them in our consciences Neither doth our religion onely bid men thus to reioyce for a time and at a start but we saie also with the Apostle Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce Phil. 4. 4. But vpon what ground doth our religion bid men thus to reioyce because it assureth them not onely of the present fauour of God but also of the continuance thereof for euer to them that are once truly incorporated into Christ Iesus For whome God loueth he loueth to the ende Ioh. 13. 1. and the gifts of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. and in God is no change nor shadow of change Iam. 1. 17. Neither is he as man that he should repent hath he saide and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Num. 23. 19. And againe Heauen and earth shall passe but the word of the Lord shall not passe till all things be done Luk. chap. 21. vers 33. 6 Vpon these and many other the like grounds we bidde them that truly haue embraced our religion to reioyce alwaies and doe assure them vpon the immutable nature of God and of his word that they shall neuer be cast out of his fauour yea that it is as possible for the power of hell to take away from Christ one of the members of his materiall bodie now glorified and raigning in heauen as to plucke away or cut off any member of his mysticall and spirituall bodie here in earth Therefore of all such euery such we saie that God speaketh as Isaac spake of Iaacob after that he had one blessed him I haue blessed him therefore he shall be blessed Gen. 27. 33. As Pilate also saith of the title and superscription which he had set vpon the head of Iesus Christ crucified when the high Priests laboured him to alter the same What I haue written that I haue written Ioh. 19. 22. So saie we of all them whose names God hath once written and registred in the booke of life that the decree of God beeing like the decree of the Medes and Persians which altereth not Dan. 6. 8. though all the deuills in hell should labour God for the rasing of any out of the booke of life whose names are written therein yea if it were possible that all the blessed angels should indeauour and intreat any such thing that God would alwaies keepe his purpose and answer them Him that I haue written I haue written This is the ioye and comfort of God his children and this ioye and comfort is in our religion and neuer to be found in poperie or to be attained vnto thereby 7 If any obiect that many sometime of our religion doe vtterly fall away and sometime also despaire for euer of the goodnes and fauour of
I suppose I saie that if they had the liuing asse now I make no doubt of their keeping him aliue yet for all that why doe they not make him aliue againe they would gather a counsaile for determining what new honour should be done vnto him 2 The like may be said of their admonitions citations and excommunications against them that haue beene dead and buried a long time as against Bucer Paulus Phagius Tooly Iohn Glouer and many other whome beeing dead they haue condemned digged vp againe out of the earth at least their bones or the bones of some other for theirs and burned them Is it not a toie for men to excommunicate them out of the visible Church that God hath called out of the world And are not these two speciall endes of excommunication one to keepe the Church from infection by the companie of such as deserue excommunication the other to draw the persons excommunicated to repentance when death hath first taken them awaie what feare is there of the first what hope or possibilitie of the second 3 As they doe thus abuse excommunication so much more foolishly doe they abuse and blasphemously profane the holy sacrament of baptisme in applying the same to churches bels and such like Christ biddeth nations to be baptized not churches or bells Christ biddeth his disciples teach and baptize therefore also they may as well teach the gospell to churches and bells as baptize them Neither haue churches and bells any sinnes to be forgiuen or whereof they can repent therefore churches and bells neede not the sacrament of these things especially no other part of God his righteousnes belonging vnto them the which they caÌ„performe The same may be said of ringing the bell in any great tempest as though that could make faire weather As foolishly also did they and do they make boyes and little children Bishops and Cardinals Many and infinite other the like follies there are in poperie worthie to be laughed at by little children more worthie to be derided by Eliiah and the Prophets of God and altogether vnworthie of the wisdome of the most wise God Certenly I meruaile why plaies interludes and comedies were in such request in the time of poperie sith in their golden legend they might daily read or heare and in their exercises of their religion they did daily see such pleasant things as would make better sport then all the plaies in the world 4 Well to conclude this argument seriously drawne from their follies When Dauid counterfaited himselfe a foole and behaued himselfe as a foole by letting his spittle fall vpon his beard and scrabbling vpon the walls before Achish King of Gath 1. Sam. 21. 13. how doth this King in whome as there was no feare of God so there could be no good wisdome like thereof the scripture answereth that he did sharply rebuke his seruants for bringing such a person in his court and that he saide vnto them Loe ye see this man is beside himselfe wherefore haue ye brought him to me haue I neede of madde men that ye haue brought this fellow to plaie the madde man in my presence shall he come to mine house In like sort yea and much more will the God of all wisdome rebuke those that shall plead for poperie or present Papists vnto his court He shall saie to any that shall commend Papists vnto his Maiestie in this sort Loe ye see these men are beside themselues wherefore doe ye bring them to me haue I neede of madde or foolish men that ye haue brought them to play the madde men or fooles in my presence shall they come into my house Thus will the Lord rebuke and checke such as shall speake for the justifying of Papists vnto him Great men of this world take much and too much delight in fooles and laugh at their follies though they should make better vse of them but the onely wise God is delighted onely with true wisdome and such as are truly wise Therefore all the follies of the Papists and the foolish Papists themselues so long as they continue such are abomination vnto him As for our religion as it is no other then the Scripture commendeth so it hath nothing but that which well beseemeth the wisdome of God and therefore it cannot but be acceptable vnto him THE NINTH ARGVMENT touching the opposition and enmitie of true religion to the nature of man THe same that hitherto hath biâ— concluded of poperie is further euident because poperie is so agreeable and well-pleasing the nature of man This reason is very firme and good because that in our flesh naturally dwelleth no good Rom. 7. 18. and the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the wisdome of the flesh is death and enmitie against God neither subiect to the law neither can be and they that are of the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 6 7 8. and the naturall man doth not somuch as perceiue the things of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can be know them 1. Cor. 2. 14. and no man can so much as say that is in any good and true meaning that Iesus is the Lord but by the â—â—oly Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 13. For to confesse that Iesus is Christ the sonne of the liuing God is not reuealed to flesh and blood but by the Father in heauen Math. 16. 17. 2 Yea but how is it prooued that poperie is agreeable vnto and wel pleasing the naturall man surely because it requireth nothing but that which the naturall man may wel performe and doth performe without any speciall grace of God and without any nevv worke of regeneration as both beene sufficiently shewed by other in larger treatises specially spent in that theame And who seeth it not to be so For doth not poperie teach as we haue heard before that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and doth it not from hence follow that men neither neede nor ought to take paines in the studie of the word of God doth not the naturall man well like of this Doth not poperie bidde men onely to beleeue as the Church beleeueth can any thing be more easie and doth not ease please the naturall man doth not poperie extoll and magnifie the meere naturall disposition of man both denying it to be so throughly corrupt as we teach and commending it to be willing and able to conceiue and to practise much good of it selfe Is not this a pleasant song for the eares of a naturall man and is not his heart tickled with such commendation Againe poperie offereth forgiuenes of sinnes release from hell the whole kingdome of heauen c. to sale for money What naturall man will higgle to giue any money for purchase of such things What shal I say more Poperie biddeth men not to take to much paines about their hearts neither to be at all carefull for resisting the first thoughts and motions vnto euill for that these by popish doctrine are no sinnes it teacheth that God
will any earthly Prince sende forth his onely daughter or let his wife goe abroad without such princely ornaments as her princely estate requireth and whereby she may be knowne and reuerenced with the reuerence of a Prince much lesse therefore may we dreame that the Lord God of heauen the Prince of all princes would so rawly send forth his onely daughter or Christ Iesus his onely sonne and heyre suffer his onely spouse whome he loueth as himselfe so poore and naked as the Church of Rome was in her highest prosperitie 12 I graunt that the Pope and his Cardinals had their rich ornaments and costly apparell of siluer gold pretious stones c. that also the rest of that generation euen to the very hedge priest had a gaie coate to weare in their holy busines that likewise all their Churches had great riches I graunt that in all these things the Pope and poperie did farre excell Saint Peter with all the rest of the Apostles and likewise all the churches of their time but these are not the spirituall ornaments that the spirituall nature of the daughter of God and spouse of Christ requireth The Church of God is indeede described psal 45. 9. c. as a Queene standing at the right hand of her husband Christ Iesus in a vesture of gold of Ophir and as hauing apparel of broidered gold and likewise that shee hath rayment of needle-worke but the Prophet describeth here the Church onely after the manner of an earthly Queene meaning notwithstanding by these things all manner of spirituall and heauenly ornaments and therefore euen in the same place and the beginning of the 13. verse shee is said to be all glorious within It is therefore certen that the chiefe ornaments of the Church are inward and spirituall the which wanting whatsoeuer outward ornaments and riches shee hath yet shee may be called wretched miserable poore blinde naked as Christ Iesus calleth the church of the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17. 13 Now then forasmuch as the Church of Rome wanted those spirituall ornaments which the Lord hath promised and doth alwaies bestowe vpon his daughter I conclude therefore that shee is not the daughter of God neither the spouse of Christ If it be said that the true church hath not alwaies the like gifts I freely acknowledge it yet this is certen that the more the Church flourisheth the richer shee is in the gifts of God his spirite But contrariwise the more the Church of Rome flourished the poorer shee was in the graces of God his spirit And here by the flourishing of the Church I meane not onely an outwarde flourishing in earthly things for so I graunt that as the graces of God are many times choaked in particular memberâ— of the Church by outward prosperitie so it may be also in the whole bodie of the visible church but by the flourishing of the church I meane her flourishing in sound doctrine and her enioying of such authoritie as of right belongeth vnto her Now in this sense when the doctrine which the church of Rome accounteth onely sound doctrine and the contrarie whereof shee accounteth heresie when I saie this Romish doctrine most flourished with least gaine saying of any thereunto when also that authoritie which the church of Rome chalengeth to her selfe as her right was in such regard that neither Princes nor people made any resistance theÌ„ were those gifts of the holy Ghost promised to the true Church in the latter times most rare and scarse when it was sommer with the church of Rome touching all her prerogatiues which shee chalengeth then it was the dead of winter touching those graces of God his spirit so that scarse any leaues of them did hang vpon any tree Thus we see that those promises were not performed to the church of Rome in that estate wherein now it standeth and whereof it vaunteth THE SECOND BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the reuiuing of Gods gifts at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darknes of Poperie MAy the like be saide of our Churches in England Scotland c. sithence the religion now established brake forth of that darknes wherein before it laie No veâ—ily All the worlde seeth what knowledge of arts of tongues of philosophie and all humanitie hath beene yet is and doth daily encrease Now many children sixteene or seauenteene yeares old are better Grecians and more learned Hebritians then were the great doctours in the height of poperie Now I may truly saie that Cambridge alone or Oxenford alone if not some one Colledge in either of both hath more skilfull Grecians and learned Hebritians then all Christendome had whilst poperie sate vpon the thâ—one The like may be said of the true knowledge of the Latin Philosophie also and all arts since our religion haue beene reuiued haue beene much polished and farre more perfected then they were before 2 Let it not here be said that there are some Papists now euery waie in these things as learned as the Protestants For first of all the question is not whether Papists or Protestants be nowe more learned in the tongues or liberall sciences but when this learning hauing beene along time as it were banished out of the world returned againe This present learning therefore of the Papists neither much helpeth them neither a whitte weakneth this mine argument except they could prooue that when their religion was at the highest then also they had bin as learned as now they are Secondly although that many of them haue indeede now attained vnto much knowledge of arts and tongues yet this knowledge begaÌ„ first to be reuiued amongst vs. Afterward they seeing vs by those gifts thaâ— God had bestowed vpon vs for commending of our religion to the world to be so able to maintaine our doctrine and so mightie to oppugne theirs they I saie seeing this were prouoked and whetted to take the more paines in studie that they might the better defend their errours against vs which now they saw to be falling to the earth from whence they sprung Many also of the learned amongst them attained vnto their learning euen against vs and by vs beeing brought vp in our schooles and afterward better nourished and more strengthened in our Vniuersities But as vnnaturall children doe sometime forsake their naturall parents and runne they cannot tell whether so haue they forsaken our Vniuersities and as many roagish boies beeing entertained by some master and vnder him hauing learned some good trade doe oftentimes when they haue been a while there forsake such masters and goe to any other that will giue them but a little more wages yearely vnthankfully forgetting all that their former masters did for them when no man els would regard or pitie them euen so many Papists hauing gotten their learning amongst vs and in our Vniuersities yet seeing afterward they can not haue such outward preferrements as they looked for which is a thing that they especially â—â—yme at haue vnnaturally
forsaken vs and associated themselues with the Papists who wanâ—ing such studdes to vphold their rotten and totâ—ering religion haue beene glad to entertaine them with great promises but many times not performing them but rather bringing them or sending them at the least to the gallowes Such oftentimes is the iudgement of God vpon them â—hat too much respect outward preferrements and so doth God in his iustice harden many of them that will not beleeue his truth whilst they liue where and when they may haue it that he giueth them ouer to beleeue lies so strongly that they care not what danger they incurre against themselues both soule and bodie for defence and furthering of those lyes which they haue embraced 2. Thess 2. 11 12. 3 Well to returne from where we haue diâ—ressed we see by this that I haue now spoken that in these respects thus mentioned the Church of Rome may thanke vs for that learning which nowe they haue and for many of those learned men which are now in great and â—igh estimation amongst them Further it is no new thing that those gifts of Gods spirit which God at the first giueth to beare witnes vnto 〈◊〉 truth should be afterward communicated boâ—â— to such as doe not greatly fauour Christ and his gospel and also to such as are wicked and reprobate In the time of Christ himselfe the power of casting out diuells first giuen to the twelâ—â— Apostles Math. 10. 1. for the commendation 〈◊〉 their ministerie was afterward communicated to other that would not ioyne with the Apostles nor follow Christ Our Sauiour also saith that many that should plead for themselues the casting of diuells out of other should notwithstanding be reiected by him as refuse persons Math. 7. 22. And thus hath the Lord dealt in these latter times As at the first preaching of the gospel by the Apostles after the ascension of Christ he bestowed vpon them the gift of tongues for the better magnifying of the gospell and furnished them likewise with other extraordinarie gifts which gifts notwithstanding afterward were also communicated vnto many other yea to many of the wicked so in these latter times also at the first breaking forth of his truth which we professe through the blacke the thicke and darke cloudes of poperie that â— long time had ouershadowed and drouped the whole earth the Lord according to his ancient promises gaue gifts vnto men in respect of the former great want of them very extraordinarieâ— these gifts I say he gaue at the first breaking forth of our religion through poperie to the first preachers of our religion for the commending thereof vnto the world and so encreased them afterwarde more and more in those that embraced our religion but after that by such gifts he had sufficiently renewed and recouered the credite of his truth which we doe now hold and likewise by beautifying our religion with the first fruits of these gifts had sufficiently disgraced poperie then he communicated these gifts vnto other euen vnto the Papists themselues 4 And truly in verie great wisdom hath God done so that he might teach men to esteeme of his truth not for those gifts onely but also for the truths sake it selfe So also he would haue the Papists themselues yea and all the world to see that all the learning in the world is not able to vphold poperie and that our religion is as well able to stand against and to beat downe poperie into the pitte of hell from whence it came as well when poperie hath the same armour on that our religion hath as when it was naked and had almost none at all Therefore to conclude this part also of this my last argument touching the performance of those promises of God to the Church that were neuer in such manner performed to the Church of Rome As the more the darke cloudes of poperie couered the whole earth and the more violently also the boisterous winds therof did blow vpon the earth making the very cedars of LebanoÌ„ both to beÌ„d and to breake the more dead were all the gifts of the spirit as we see all things to be in the depth of winter so like wise sithence our religion hath come about towards the sommer point and by the strength and power thereof hath scattered and dispersed these cloudes and pacified those boisterous winds of popery in many kingdomes the more haue those gifts of God his spirit before promised budded and flourished euen as we see after an hard winter the more the sunne commeth about toward Cancer the more all trees and hearbs before seare and dead doe reuiue and spring out I conclude therefore that as by the springing and flourishing of hearbs and other plants we know sommer to be come so also by these gifts of God his spirit which haue sprung and flourished euen sithence that our religion hath beene reuiued againe quickned we know the same gospell to be againe returned about the which in former times God according to the righteousnesse of his promise did beautifie and commeÌ„d with the like graces 5 Will any Papist now obiect the times of Tertullian Gregorie Nazianzen Cyprian Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine Barnard and such like let him first remember that most of them were before the time whereof we spake They were I say before any stone almost laide of the foundation of the church of Rome in that state wherein now it is all of them also liued before that Church was built to that perfection whereunto it was reared vntill the repairing of our religion Againe these auncient Fathers so many of them as did see the building of this church begun or any matter prepared â—owards the same laboured by might maine as we speake and to the vtmost of their power â—he hindring and staying thereof therefore haue they plainly written against images iustification by works inuocation of Saints freewill and many other the like principles of poperie as is â—lentifully shewed by our late writers in partiâ—ular controuersies Especially both they and also many other yea some of the Papists themâ—elues and of the learnedst of them haue mighâ—ly declaimed and sharply inuaied against all â—uch proud and arrogant titles as now the Pope â—laimeth and vsurpeth Further although these â—ere excellent persons for learning and godliâ—es and worthie of honourable remembrance â—â— all ages yet liued they not altogether Nay â—â—ther one age had almost but one such or at the â—ast but verie fewe such as these were that I â—â—ue named but our ages and the ages before â—s euer sithence the returne of our religion haue 〈◊〉 all times and in euerie kingdome had many â—â—ch Yea I doubt not to sale and that truly that although it be not yet two hundred yeares since â—uâ— religion came out into the open field and â—ncountered with poperie in such publique â—anner as now it doth yet there haue beene in â—is little time as many great learned men as â—â—ptaines of the Lord on our
side as can be â—â—ooued to haue beene with vs or against vs in â—welue hundred yeares before 6 Further I doubt not but that I may say and that also truly that we haue had and yet haue many in good respects comparable to those before named as in the exact knowledge of all learned tongues arts and humanitie so also in sound and deepe iudgement of diuinitie vz. Luther Zuinglius Melancton Oecolampadius Erasmus Paulus Phagius Bucer P. Martyr Calvin Marlorat Musculus Cranmer Ridly Hooper Bradford Bullinger Bezâ— Zanchius Iuâ—l Ramus Vrsinus Sadeel Daneus Pilkington Fulke Humfrey VVhitaker and infinite other partly dead and partly yet liuing whose nameâ—â— I doe not well remember or in some respectâ— thinke not conuenient to expresse I may here also name Flaccius Illyricus Hemingius and many other of that sort because although they haue some errours yet which almost of the auncient Fathers had not as many and â—â— great 7 To this argument I may further adde that the Lord hath not onely commended our religion by the encrease of all learning according to the encrease of our religion but also by the repairing almost of all other knowledge in coÌ„mon things and matters of this life For what trade and science is there so meane and base which is not much amended and brought to further perfection sithence the late time of out religion then it had before in the depth of poperit yea who knoweth not that there is great varietie of knowledge sithence the flourishing of our religion which neuer almost was heard of before Especially most admirable is the gift of printing which neuer was in the world till within these hundred and three score yeares at the most about which time it pleased God to broch new vessells of his gospell with our religion This gift of printing is not vnfitly by some compared to the extraordinarie gift of tongues in the Apostles time because the Lord did not onely prepare a waie for the gospel thereby but also hath made it as a mightie voyce of a crier in the wildernesse of poperie to proclaime the grace of God in Christ Iesus and to further and inlarge our religion by opening the hearts of many Princes and more people many noble and more base many rich and more poore and many learned and more vnlearned persons for the entertainment of Christ Iesus and submitting themselues to his kingdome and gouernement Certenly by this new benefit of printing the Gospel hath beene more sounded out to the eares of all nations then it could haue beene by the voice of many preachers For by the means hereof wee that liue in England haue easily heard the sermons and readings of Calvin and Beza in Geneva and of other in other places and they likewise that liue in Geneva and in other places haue easily heard the readings of Doctour VVhitakers in Cambridge and likewise of Doctour Reynolds in Oxenford This printing also is not onely as a quicke post riding vpon a swift and speedie horse but also as an angel of the Lord with sixe wings for the most speedie conueying of the doctrine of the gospel out of one countrie into an other Who also knoweth not that a man may haue more now for sixe pence then before printing he could haue had written for fourtie shillings who seeth not also that bookes printed are more easily both read and also preserued then the like onely written Now although the deuill abuse this gift of God also for the furthering of popery as what gifts be there that he quickly doth not abuse yet sith it was neuer heard of whilst popeâ—ie was at the highest but then onely appeared and came forth into the light of the sunne when our religion was raised out of the graue where before it laie buried and when poperie began to fall sicke and to encline vnto a consumption who seeth not that it was a speciall and an extraordinarie gift of God for the honouring and furthering of our religion Thus much for the first sort of God his actuall testimonies namely for the gifts of his spirit which before he promised and according to his promise hath bestowed vpon his Church not onely in the time of the Apostles but also in these latter times for the commendation of the gospeâ—â— then and of our religion now as being the same with the gospel and therefore in like manner acceptable vnto him THE THIRD BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the works of God against Poperie NOw followeth the second sort of God his actuall testimonies namely the workes of God wherby God hath testified both his dislike of poperie and also the approbation of our religion seueralâ—y and ioyntly as euidently as if in expresse wordes and in his owne person he should haue spoken against poperie in this manner This is the religion that I hate and which my soule abâ—orreth and contrarily of our religion as he spake of his Sonne This is the Gospell and that glad â—â—dings which bringeth saluation vnto all men and in vvhich I am vvell pleased therefore receiue it 2 Here first of all let vs consider the great iudgements of God against many of the Papists especially such as haue beene special aduersaries to our religion and to the professours thereof For truely there haue beene fewe such speciall aduersaries to vs and our religion whome God hath not in some speciall manner so punished here in this life or at least so prosecuted that their malice in their posteritie that all the worlde might thereby clearely see that he vtterly disliked of them and of their course as also approoued and allowed of them their cause against whome they opposed and set themselues Touching these iudgements although I might ease my selfe and the reader of much labour by referring him onely to the latter ende of the booke of Martyrs where is a speciall treatise of such things yet because that booke is of so great price that many are not able to buie it I will therefore cull out some few of the principall examples there and elsewhere in that booke mentioned and for the rest referre such as haue that booke to that speciall treatise First of all let here be remembered the historie of one Pauier or Paâ—â—ie in the daies of King Henrie the eight this Pauier or Pauie beeing towne clarke of the citie of London and a notable enemie to the gospel vpon some report that the gospel should be in English saide with a great â—ath that if he thought the King would in deede set forth the Scripture in English and let it be read to the common people by his authoritie he would cut his owne throat And so indeede he did not much lesse For though he cut not his throat with a knife yet he hanged himselfe with an haltar anno Dom. 1533. This is reported by Master Fox page 1055. of his booke printed 1583. but borrowed from Hall his Chronicle who wrote the same not vpon the report of other but vpon his
of all how honourably to the great reproch of the great King hath our little Fleete discontinued from home partly before and partly about the dominions of Spayne and that in the very face of the Spanyard yet what hath all the Spanish power done vnto them yea rather how cowardly haue they kept themselues within their safe hauens and harbours not daring so much as once to looke our forces in the faces did we so in the yeare 1588 doth not this speake to the renowne of our little Iland and especially to the glorie of the religion therein professed doth it not in like manner as euidently disgrace both the Spanyards themselues and also their Romane religion As touching the finall successe of this voyage although it were not such as it might haue beene because God well seeth that so rich a bootie as the whole Indian sleete had beene would perhaps haue made vs too proud yet such was it that we haue no losse neither they any gaine thereby Concerning the Spanish Navie this yeare also sent against vs first how cowardly was it sent when they thought our strength to haue beene from home will not euery man vtterly condemne him for a cowarde that taketh the aduantage priuily of his aduersarie when he thinketh him to be vnarmed why therefore may not the like be saide of the like practise of a King and kingdome especially of such a king and kingdome as in their high pride thinke they should commaund the whole world Secondly what successe had this Fleete so priuily and closely thinking to haue stolne vpon vs verily as he that kept England heretofore hath neither slept nor slumbred so now also whē the Spāyards thought to haue founde vs asleepe they founde him waking When they thought to haue found vs vnarmed they found him as a man of warre with his sword girded to his thigh yea rather readie drawne in his hand and euery way prepared for the battaile For this man of warre fought for vs againe this yeare as he did the last yeare and did partly confound them and partly force them to recule home with all dishonour and that before that we did so much as once almost dreame of any such power comming towardes vs. The more did God reueale his wrath against them and their errours as also testifie his loue vnto vs and to his owne truth 6 In writing thus of these things I boast not of our selues and our owne worthines as if the Lord for our righteousnesse had done all these things forvs I labour not to commend our persons but onely to iustifie our religion As touching our selues we cānot deny but that although we haue the gospel yet our contempt of his gospel and his other mercies our securitie by thē our other manifold and heinous sinnes which we daily commit against his maiestie are such that we haue beene and are altogether vnworthie of so mightie protection and of so prosperous successe It hath not beene therefore in respect of our selues that God hath thus dealt with vs and for vs but onely for his owne great names sake and that he might yet further commend his gospell professed amongst vs but indeede not so practised and obeied by vs as it ought to be vnto those that yet regard it not and that if it be possible he might winne thereunto both Atheists and Papists and also all other that yet are enemies thereof Thus we condemne our selues and thus we magnifie onely the power and goodnes of God in regard whereof we wish as the Prophet often wisheth in the 107 psalme that men would therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnes and his wonderfull workes that he doth before the sonnes of men we wish also as the Prophet doth again in the same psalme vers 22. that men would offer sacrifice of praise and declare his works with reioycing Let no man or woman therefore how zealous soeuer of poperie they haue beene hitherto and yet are or how obstinate and hard hearted soeuer against our religion so lightly passe by this argument or so basely thinke of our religion as they haue done or doe Though we doe not honour it as we ought to doe but rather dishonour it by our wicked liues and conuersations altogether vnbeseeming the holines thereof yet let them more seriously consider these arguments whereby God himselfe from heauen hath graced and commended and doth grace and commend the same vnto them 7 Let no man here say that by these last arguments from the works of God the religion of the Turks might be iustified For albeit it cannot be denied that the Turke hath had mightie victories and doth flow in great prosperitie yet is their great difference betweene our victories and his betweene our prosperitie and his All that he hath gotten hath beene by exceeding force and power but our victories haue beene obtained almost without force against great force His victories haue neuer beene gotten without great losse of his owne side but as the Iewes and Israelites oftentimes preuailed without any fight at all Iudg. 7. 20. 2. Chron. 20. 17. and 23. c. so in a manner haue we done The Lord onely hath fought for vs we almost haue not fought for our selues or for him but onely haue shewed our faces to the enemie As the Turke hath thus gotten that which he hath so also he maintaineth his estate wholly by violence but as the Lord hath fought for vs from heauen so also he miraculously maintaineth vs. The like may be said of the other prosperitie of the Turke because he hath not those mightie enemies to oppugne and envie it which we haue had and yet haue to enuie and oppugne ours The same and more also may be saide of all the victories of the Spanyard himselfe against other he hath gotten all he holdeth and keepeth all partly by violence and crueltie partly by falshoode and treacherie Therefore as the former great victories of Senacherib against other nations whereof Rabshekah boasteth 2. King 18. 34 35 c. did the more iustifie and commend Hezekia and the worship of God repaired and established by him so the great victories of the Spanyards against other nations either heathen or popish maketh the more for vs and for our religion sith the Spanyard cannot by those means preuaile against vs by which he hath preuailed against others as great people as we are if not much greater For what els doth this teach but that the Lord himselfe is our light and saluation our strength our rocke and fortresse and he that deliuereth Psal 27. 1. Psal 18. 1. 2. vs. Surely the Lord is our strength and he that teacheth our hands to fight and our fingers to battell he is our goodnes for tresse our tower and Psal 144. 1 2. deliuerer our shield and he in whome we trust euen he that subdueth our people vnder vs. It is the Lord that pleadeth for vs for our religion yea rather for our religion onely
repentance before the Lord Iudg. 20. 26. Now the sinne of the Israelites for which they receiuing such a double foyle appeareth by the text to haue beene first too much confidence of the victorie in regard partly of the goodnes of their cause partly of their great multitude and secondly that although they sought vnto god in that behalfe yet they sought not in such humble and earnest manner as they should haue done and also did at the last when they had not onely warrant from God to goe againe to battell but also a promise of victorie Now if these sinnes be so dangerous to a good and iust cause what may be feared of great sinnes Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken concerning them that are of our religion THE FOVRTH VSE CONCERning Atheists and all those that are of no religion TOuching them that are not of our religion they are especially either Atheists and such as are of no religion or Papists By Atheists I meane not onely such as in deede and openly professe theÌ„selues to be such not fearing plainly to denie God and all religion of which sort we hauee too many euen in our lande but also such as doe beare men in hand that they are of our religion but in truth are not For albeit they will goe to Church and performe other outward duties that our religion requireth yea will also sometime speake and doe something for our religion yet all is but in pollicie they practise onely the precepts of cursed Machiuel and therfore if any change should come which the God of heauen keepe from vs they are as readie for any religion as for this To this sort of Atheists I doe also referre many ciuill men that neuer knew or heard of Machiuel himselfe neither of his precepts which come also to Church c. and liue likewise vprightly as touching ciuill righteousnes and outward equitie amongst their neighbours which will also sometimes talke of religion both ours and poperie and yet in truth also are of no religion at all neither Protestants nor Papists Moreouer hitherto belongeth a great multitude of poore soules in this land that for want of instruction are so ignorant that they know not what religion is or any point of religion and which therefore make no difference betwixt our religion and poperie All these I wish seriously to consider of my former arguments and thereby to prouoke themselues to make more account of religion generally and secondly of our religion onely then euer they haue done As they haue heard our religion to be of God and acceptable vnto him so let them know that they cannot please God in any other waie but onely in our religion How miserable therefore wretched and fearefull is their estate and condition Let all such therefore lament this their miserie heartily thanking God that they vnderstood it before their ende and whilst it is called to daie let them not harden their hearts but heare the voice of God yet calling them to his true religion and knocking at the dore of their consciences to be entertained with his truth Let them seeke the Lord whilst he may be found and call vpon him whilst he is neare Esa 55. 6. least neglecting his grace offered vnto them the Lord remooue his kingdome and depart himselfe as it were out of their hearing and so withdraw his mercies from them and poure out his iudgements vpon them that they stretch out their hands and the Lord hide his eyes they make many praiers and the Lord heare not Esa 1. 15. they seeke and there be none to be found to helpe them Ioh. 7. 34. yea least notwithstanding their seeking they die for all that in their sinnes Ioh. 8. 21. Let such as now laugh at and make as it were a Maie-game of all religion and the professours thereof weepe mourne in time for their such laughing least the Lord also doe laugh them to scorne in their miserie Psal 73. 13. and doe mocke theÌ„ when their feare commeth Prov. 1. 26. bringing such heauines vpon them that they cannot laugh though they would yea and in the ende casting them into the place of vtter darknes feare horrour where is nothing but weeping and gâ—ashing of teeth Math. 8. 12. that is in hel fire that neuer shall be quenched where their worme dieth not and their fire neuer goeth out Mark 9. 43 44. Those also that hitherto haue beene secure and careles regarding no religion let them likewise in time better regard such meanes as whereby they may be drawne to our religion THE FIFTH VSE CONCERning weake and ignorant Papists TO Papists also I saie the same especially to such as are Papists in a kind of conscience that is to such as are not of that religion of any obstinate and wilfull minde but because in ignorance they are perswaded their religion to be the right waie and ours to be a wrong or by-waie I doubt not but that there are many such in the land Yea I hope that many Papists are such This I doe hope of such Papists as bring not forth those fruits that poperie approoueth of whereof I haue spoken in my sixt argument before which are also mercifull and readie to doe good not to them onely of their owne religion but also to other These I hope to be rather ignorant then wilfull Papists therefore I haue also some good hope of their conuersion in time especially if it might please God to mooue their hearts to haue regard of the perfect law of god which conuerteth the soule Psal 19. 7. And truly in the Christian loue that I beare vnto these and in the pittie and compassion I haue of their soules as I see them full of pittie and compassion towards the bodies of other and likewise to haue many other excellent commendable things in them I haue the rather set penne to paper for the writing of this treatise to trie if it might please my good God to blesse my labour vnto their good euen to the winning of them to our religion For I protest vnto them and God knoweth I speake the truth of my heart and lie not neither dissemble that I so desire their saluation that I would be gladder thereof then of all worldly wealth and good whatsoeuer In the meane time me thinketh that howsoeuer they be commended for many excellent things indeede not very common yet all their commendation is very defectiue and lame for want of commendation touching true religion Yea certenly when a man hath saide all that he can in commending such persons and then saith that these were excellent men or worthie women were it not for one thing that is for their religion this one thing wanting is more then all they haue For this one thing concerneth God all the other for which Papists are commonly coÌ„mended concerne but men And our Sauiour saith that the great and first or chiefest commandement is to loue the Lord our God c. Math. 22. 38. yea
this is so great that the other without this concerning men not being grounded vpon this are not onely litle but in truth touching themselues nothing at all For Christ calleth this not onely the greater but also the first commandement Now where there is no first there can be no second Notwithstanding I hoping this want of true religion in them to be as I saide especially of ignorance doe therefore the better hope of their more easie conuersion and doe the more heartily wish the same that there may be no such defect in their commendation as there is but that it may be more full and perfect Such therefore hauing vouchsafed to reade my former arguments I doe also most heartily desire according to right to iudge of them Some I haue heard to haue renounced poperie vpon the sight of the great ouerthrow of the great Spanish Navie in our narrow seas anno 1588. by the mightie power of God in our behalfe as Rahab hearing of the great and mightie works of God for the Israelites renounced her owne people and was incorporated into the bodie of Israel Ios 2. 11. If that one argument before more largely handled in this treatise did so greatly preuaile to the conuersion of some howe much more ought all the arguments before applied to this purpose preuaile with other in like sort Let none therefore so lightly regard all such things as whereby our religion is so commended and poperie so euidently euicted 2 Let none oppose the religion of their fathers and forefathers c. to all other contrarie arguments Indeede Dauid exhorteth Salomon to know the God of his father and to serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde c. 1. Chron. 28. 9. and this is an excellent instruction for all fathers to giue vnto their children and likewise for all children to learne of their fathers when as the fathers haue knowne serued the same God that Dauid had knowne and serued and that according to his word as Dauid had done but if so be the fathers know not neither serue that God or not in that manner that God requireth then it is a foolish and wicked instruction to be vrged to the children by the fathers or to be obeied by the children namely to know and serue the God of their fathers 3 For when fathers haue rebelled against God not walked in his statutes and ordinances then the Lord oftentimes complaineth of the children that haue walked in such steppes of their fathers and therefore also threatneth the greater and heauier iudgement against them In the 78. psal v. 57. the Prophet complaineth of the wickednes of the Israelites and amplifieth the same by like example of their fathers They turned backe saith the Prophet and dealt falsly like their fathers they turned backe like a deceitfull bowe So Christ also speaketh vnto the Iewes as to a people past hope therefore biddeth them to fulfill also the measure of their fathers Math. 23. 32. So likewise Steuen amplifieth the sinne of the Iewes by the like example of their fathers Ye stiffnecked and vncircumcised hearts and eares ye haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe ye c. Act. 7. 51. Therefore also the Lord many times admonisheth the Israelites and Iewes not to walke in the waies neither to doe the works of their fathers Harden not your hearts saith one Prophet as in the daie of contention or tentation in the wildernes where your fathers tempted me c. psal 59. 8. By an other Prophet God speaketh thus I saide vnto their children in the wildernes walke ye not in the ordinances of your fathers neither obserue their manners neither defile your selues with their idolls Ezech. 20. 18. So the messengers that Hezekiah sent forth to inuite the Israelites to the Passeouer at Ierusalem bidde them not to be like their fathers c. neither stiffnecked like their fathers c. 2. Chron. 30. 7 8. In like sort speaketh Zachariah Be ye not like your fathers c. Zachar. 1. 4. Many other the like places are in the scriptures whereby we see this argument not to be good This was the religion of our fathers therefore it shall be ours 4 Yea certenly this is the very argument of many obstinate Iewes for the defence of their idolatrie The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare it of thee but we will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth to burne incense vnto the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we our forefathers Ier. 44. 16 17. Thus answered the wicked Iewes and thus answered many Papists saying they will not heare the word of God but will praie to the virgin Marie whō they call indeed the Queene of heauen as hath bin shewed before and to other such heauenly things for no other reason but because they and their fathers haue done so But such Papists as loue their owne saluation I exhort in the Lord not to be so wedded to the religion of their fathers Will any of you say thus My father was a ttaytour to his Prince and was therefore executed therefore I also will be a traytour to my Prince that I may beheaded drawne hanged and quartered as my father was Some it may be will not sticke to say so but all that are wise will take heede of such words and thoughts Therefore why also will you say My father was a Papist and idolatour and of that religion that God hath condemned and so consequently a traytour vnto God therefore also will I be so will any of you say especially such as God hath aduanced to great honour or worship and wealth in the land My father or grandfather was a sadler or butcher or grasier or husbandman or of some other the like meane trade therefore also I will be so I thinke none so foolish why then will ye say the like and ten times worse in religion will any of you saie My father or my mother or both had this or that bodily disease and died thereof for want of remedie therefore also I feeling the like in my selfe will not be cured of it though I may I thinke none so madde Why then will ye say the like touching such a grieuous spirituall sicknesse of your soules as poperie is why will ye die in your sinnes and not be saued O ye Papists and many other that are not yet of our religion 5 Neither doe I say these things as condemning yours and my forefathers I condemne not them but I condemne their religion As for themselues I leaue them vnto the Lord as not knowing whither they secretly repented or no of their poperie before their end If they did not repent it is farre more better to condemne them then to condemne the worde of God of any vntruth and God himselfe of any vnrighteousnesse Be ye not therefore like the
adder that stoppeth his eares refusing to heare the voice of the charmer charme he neuer so wisely Be ye not vnlike vnto the first world that seeing how miraculously and contrarie to nature the lyons beares woolfes tygers elephants vnicomes hares conies and such like cruell and wilde beasts the swallows also kytes rauens ostriches eagles and many other the like wilde and rauening birdes came willingly and gently without any outwarde force compelling them to Noah to goe into the arke with him and with his familie Gen. chap. 7 vers 7. would not yet beleeue and therefore were drowned in the waters Be ye not like the Egyptians and many also of the Israelites that seeing the great works of God against Egypt and for the land of Zoan would not yet beleeue and therefore perished the one in the redde sea the other in the wildernes Be ye not like the Iewes that did see the great and mightie workes done by our Sauiour and his Apostles for commending his gospell and yet would not beleeue and are therefore scattered vpon the face of the earth out of their owne countrey vnto this day and that which is worse are giueÌ„ ouer also to hardnes of heart wil not yet beleeue that the Christ and Messias is come 6 Verily God hath commended our religion as we haue before shewed to your eares to your eies to your vnderstaÌ„ding to your inward to your outward to your whole man Take heed take heede therefore that ye harden your hearts no longer Ye haue heard many arguments drawne from the word of God ye haue seene and doe daily see his workes against your owne religion and for ours O therefore stop not your eares shut not your eyes Yea ye your selues O ye that will be called Catholiques haue fared and doe fare the better for our religion in England Ye your selues are partakers of the benefites whereby the Lord hath graced it and doth grace it ye liue in much peace for our religions sake ye enioy your honours and dignities by our religion yea ye keepe and encrease your liuings the better for our religion For though some of you perhaps will say that ye pay two hundred and fourtie pound a yeare for your religion yet if ye were throughly examined and would truly answer ye could not denie but that vnder pretense of this payment ye saue twise so much an other waie For this is certen that none doe purchase more lands build goodlier houses and hoard vp more money then some of them that paie the foresaid summe yearely Thinke not that it should be better with you if the Spanyard might here preuaile ye are wise enough to see how vaine such thoughts are by his dealing in other places where he hath wonne the goale Doe ye also hope of some better estate if poperie were againe here reuiued without the Spanyard perhaps ye should be deceiued partly by the old greedines of the Pope the rather beeing now like an hungerstarued curre that for his long want of the crummes bones yea and good gobbets of meat that were wont to fall from the tables of England to his share would now be insatiable partly and especially by some other iudgements of God that would follow poperie Sith therefore ye enioy such benefits by vs and our religion as Laban fared the better for Iacob Gen. 30 30. and Potiphar for Ioseph Gen. 39. 5. be not so vnrighteous as any longer to condemne that which God doth iustifie Be not so vnthankfull as any longer to refuse his great mercie in calling you by such commendations of our religion to the embracing thereof Now I say vnto you as Paul saith vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things Yea such vnderstanding as that I and all other that desire your saluation may reioyce that the angels in heauen may reioyce and especially that your selues may reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious THE SIXT VSE CONCERNING obstinate and wilfull Papists TOuching those that be obstinate whither they be Papists or Atheists professed or not professed but rather according to Machiuel his counsell too much now esteemed and followed making a shew for the present time towards our religion to such I saie as will not be reclaimed and called backe from their poperie or profanenes I giue this counsell that although they will not ioyne handes with vs in the true embracing and profession of our religion yet they take heede alwaies that they neither speak nor doe any thing against our religion or the professours thereof This counsell I giue them in regard of themselues because certenly the Lord will not forget the least opposition vnto his name or iniurie vnto his seruaâ—â—s Though many times he let theÌ„ runne their race a while so as they thinke all is forgotten yet as I haue said before of recompensing any kindnesse in word or deede shewed to his people at the last though it seeme to belong certenly the Lord euen in this life will meete with them or theirs for their sinne against his name and wrong against any of his seruants In the 8. of Amos v. 7. the Prophet telleth them that had deuoured and swallowed the poore by their extreame dealing with them in selling their corne at an vnreasonable price vnto them as too too many doe in this time of dearth amongst vs that the Lord had sworne by the excellencie of Jaacob that is euen by himselfe that he would neuer forget that crueltie Obserue good reader orrather let such obserue as of whome I speake that he saith not that the Lord had said onely he would not forget but that the Lord had sworne it by himselfe teaching therby that except they did speedily repent the Lord would most certenly punish that their great sinne because euery word of God is certen much more that word the which he confirmeth by an oath If the Lord did threaten and sweare the punishment of hard dealing with the common sort of the people that for the most part are as poore in heauenly things as in earthly that is whose wickednes is as great as their pouertie can any man hope of immunitie and to goe free that speaketh or doth any thing directly or indirectly against that religion which he seeth to be acceptable vnto God or against those persons that professe the same both which are as deare vnto God as the apple of his eye 2 Neither let this be vnderstood onely of religion and the professours thereof generally but also more particularly of euery branch of religion of euery good cause and of euery one dealing in such causes The example of God his iudgements vpon diuers malicious Papists before mentioned doe testifie the same So also doe many examples in the scriptures Though the sinnes generally of Ahab and Iezebel his wife were many yet the Lord threatned ruine vnto them both and to all their posteritie chiefly for their sinne against righteous Naboth 1. King 21.
20. the which was so fully executed by Iehu according to the word of the Lord that they paid most deerely for Naboth his vineyard 2. King 9. 27 33. 10. 6. Though Ioash king of Iuda committed many sinnes after the death of good Iehoiada the high priest yet his putting to death of the Prophet Zechariah the sonne of the same Iehoiada is onely mentioned as the chiefe cause why his owne seruants conspired against him and murthered him 2. Chron. 24. 25. Though Haman had not fully effected his bloodie purpose against Mordecai and the other Iewes yet we know that the same measure by the righteous iudgement of God was measured vnto him that he had onely intended to haue measured vnto Mordecai Est 7. 10. 3 Here especially let vs remember how God dealt with the Amalekites onely for withstanding the Israelites as they came out of the land of Egypt Exod. 17. 8. First although the Lord did discomfort them before the Israelites at the praier of Moses whē they first came out against Israel yet did not the Lord satisfie himselfe with their ouerthrow of that daie but presently he spake further against them vnto Moses vers 14. saying Write for a remembrance in the booke and rehearse it to Ioshua for I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from vnder heauen and again v. 16. The Lord hath sworn that he will haue warre with Amalek from generation to generation Afterward also the Lord opened the mouth of Balaam whome Balak sent for to curse Israel the Lord I saie opened his mouth with a curse of destruction against the Amalekites Nomb. 24. 20. Yea but perhaps these were but words Words indeede they were but yet afterward when that generation of the Amalekites which then liued and foure other at the least were dead and rotten those words were fulfilled For as long after this as before we heard that God remembred the kindnes of the Kenites for their good the same God also remembred that sinne of the Amalekites to their ouerthrow For he sendeth Samuel with this mandate and commission to Saul against Amalek 1. Sam. 15. 2. I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laide waite for them in the way as they came vp from Egypt now therefore goe and smite Amalek and destroy all that pertaineth vnto them and haue no compassion on them but stay both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both camell and asse This was foure hundred yeares after the former sinne committed A man therefore would haue thought that God had not nowe any more thought vpon it for all his former note of remembrance But the Lord remembereth when men forget and thinke also all to be forgotten Yea the Lord did so remember this sinne and doth so remember other the like sinnes as that if he forbeare the punishment for a time yet at the last he commeth in also for arrearages For in the former commission giuen to Saul we see with what seueritie the Lord will haue Saul to proceede against the Amalekites Yea afterward in the same chapter when Saul had beene too remisse in the execution of that commission the Lord raised vp Samuel to doe or see that to be done against Agag the king of Amalek that Saul had neglected 4 If therefore there shall be any such Papists or Atheists as by no meanes will be reclaimed and drawne to our religion in this treatise commended and prooued to be of God and acceptable vnto him yet at the least let them take heede and beware of speaking the least word and doing the least deede against it or against any that loue and maintaine the same for louing and maintaining thereof Let them not flatter themselues God is the same now that euer he was And the more himselfe hath spoken or done for commendation and iustifying this religion the more that others raised vp and also directed by him haue spoken written or done in the same behalfe the greater shall be the iudgement in the ende of all such as shall not regard the same 5 Now the successe of all that I haue written in this cause I commit to him that is onely able to giue a blessing thereunto The Lord therefore make vs all that doe alreadie professe this religion thankfull vnto him for that he hath in his abundant mercie vouchsafed vs the glorious light the rich benefit and the sweete comfort thereof The Lord confirme and strengthen vs to continue therein vnto the ende The Lord enrich vs more and more daily with the faith knowledge loue and feare of God with the righteousnes mercie and all other vertues touching God or men that it commendeth The Lord fill the hearts of all great persons with more zeale to speake and doe more for the aduancing it especially any speciall opportunitie beeing offered The Lord thereunto animate incourage and inable all his owne Worthies to defend it against all aduersaries thereunto with all honourable successe The Lord preserue aduance and honour them that haue aduanced and honoured it Especially O Lord preserue aduance and honour thy seruant our dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth yea O Lord as thou hast set her higher then all other in her kingdomes so stil magnifie thy mercy towards this Church and other Churches which as it were sucke of her breasts that neuer gaue suck in making her elder then any of her owne people especially then any of thine and he◠aduersaries The Lord open both the eyes of such as haue not regarded our religion to see the glorie of it and also their hearts to embrace it Finally touching such as be incurable the Lord restraine them from doing that to the hindrance thereof which Satan by them endeauoureth and in the ende doe with them and to them that which shall be right in his owne eyes Amen AN ADDITION OF CERTAINE DAINties of Poperie collected partly out of their popish seruice bookes and partly out of the writings of some princi pall Doctours of speciall account in the popish church when poperie it selfe was at the highest HAuing in my former generall treatise against poperie and in defence of our religion charged poperie to be a religion maintained and vpheld by vnlawfull means and whereof both matter and forme are contrarie to that religion which the Scriptures commend to be acceptable vnto God yea to be a religion maintaining open blasphemies against God and Christ Iesus and wherein there is scarse any worship of God at all Hauing also charged it to be a religion wherein nothing is done to God his glorie but all things almost referred to the glorie of the Pope of Saints of the woodden stonie golden or painted crosse c. of reliques of saints of men c. Hauing affirmed it to be a religion that teacheth no obedience to the ten commandements of almightie God but that alloweth disobedience vnto euery one of them and that therefore it is a religion altogether licentious loose and full of carnall