sufficiently shew and proue what blasphemies and superstitions that Church cherisheth In perils and dangers by sea and by land they will vowe and promise offerings and giftes which if they escape they will also performe to such saintes as they vowed vnto For euery sickenes they had and in that Romish kingdome of more then Aegyptical darkenes they yet haue a peculiar Saint to whome they would call for helpe Yea euery beast had their leach among them and their very pigs were not without their Saint Anthonie In euery Church they had their Images before which they kneeled they knockt they crept they prayed they swete thy censed they offered and did before them as much outwarde honour as they would or coulde doe to GOD himselfe In their names woulde they dedicate Churches and Chappels thereby the rather to binde them to heare them when they pray and helpe them when they stand in need And whereas that pattern of prayer that Christ hath deliuered teacheth vs onely to pray to him whom we may call Father and say Our Father which art in heauen yet these Romish Rabbies in heauenly matters as blind as beetels can very well suffer the people nay they teach them to say that prayer before euery Image not of men onely but of women also What madnesse is this if it were lawfull to pray vnto Saintes which is in trueth a greate dishonoring of God and manifestly against the commaundement to kneele before the Image of Saint Mary the mother of Christ or Mary Magdalen or any other woman saying Our Father to them If they coulde heare vs woulde not they thinke we were mad Or in like manner kneeling before the Images of Saint Iohn Saint Peter or any man to say to them Hayle Mary full of grace Can wee thinke this to bee according to the rule that Saint Paule giueth to pray in spirite and vnderstanding And yet these were their wordes that they must powre out before euery Idoll their beades did teach them to mumble vp so many creedes so many Aue maries so many pater nosters Their pardons and indulgencies require the like order God himselfe coulde haue no more of them then such stuffe as they had learned to reckon or score vp on their beades and the meanest Saint should haue no lesse Yea the learneder sorte yet among other their prayers must salute God himself if at any time they would pray vnto him or Saint Peter or any other he Saint with Hayle Mary Fie vpon such brutish and beastly blindnes whereby men and women are so besotted that they doe not onely powre forth vaine prayers that are turned into sinne wherein they can finde no comfort because they seek it not of him that can help but also abuse most foolishly the Lords Prayer which onely belongeth to our heauenly Father yet they will pray with it before euery their Saints men or women Well their prayers then we see are too absurd So are their thankesgiuinges as before I saide in that they yeeld all praise and glory of their deliuerance not to God onely who onely hath wrought it but to their Idols of whom they asked it As for Mediator we haue none but Christ we should know none but Christ I know not saith Saint Augustine what other intercessour to sende to thee but him onely that is the propitiation for our sinne And afore what greater comfort then to moue the father to pity by remembring his sonne He was figured by the high priest in Moses his Lawe He onely offered the peoples offeringes he onely entred into the most holy place to teach vs to content our selues with one onely Mediatour which is Christ Where learned our Romish Catholicks to pray to any other then vnto God Where learned they to seeke for other mediatours We see the auncient faith of the Romans hath no such commandement no such patterne or example to follow but the contrary Let not then from henceforth the Romish Catholicks brag of the auncient Roman faith for they haue it not they haue chaunged well neere euery poynt of it they haue made it almost all new so that in the Romish Church that now is there remayneth not so much in a manner as a shadow thereof CHAP. XVIII I Lastly note in this Epistle to the Romans what kinde of treasure it is that he purposeth to bring vnto them when he commeth vnto them I warrant you nothing so glorious and glistering as the Popes Iewels are I desire saith he to see you that I may impart or bestow among you some spirituall gift that you might be stablished Againe I am sure that when I come vnto you I shall come with aboundance of the blessing of the gospell of Christ We sée then what are the giftes and graces that he is minded to giue them what is the store what are the blessings that himselfe reioyceth in and séeketh to comfort them in that he is sure he shalbe furnished with them when he commeth among them It is the ministerie of the word the preaching of the gospel the glad tidings of saluation that he promiseth to them which he also calleth a spirituall gift because it teacheth heauenly and spirituall things it reioyceth and instructeth the spirit inward man it is not effectuall and powerfull but by the spirit And hée calleth it a blessing as in trueth it is the greatest benefit and blessing that héere we can haue His meaning is to labour earnestly among them in preaching the word as he did in all places where he came to teach them that they may knowe their duety to exhort them that they may do it To reproue them if they be negligent to councell them when they stand in néed to comfort them when they are in heauines and all by the gospell of Christ and this is it that he calleth The blessing of the gospell of Christ To consider how S. Paul was exercised at Rome and to see how the Pope is there occupied it would make a man to maruel that euer those prophane mē dare giue vnto themseues the name of holy father in whom you cannot find one sparke of that heauenly knowledge painefull diligence vigilant care and continuall trauell in labouring in the word that should be in a holy father or was in Paul in Peter or the other Apostles But I pray you what are the spirituall blessings that this holy father of Rome bestoweth Sometime he wil send to some of his dear sons a golden rose consecrated or some picture consecrated sometime a sword in token that he would haue them fight for him yea perchaunce to embrew in the bloud of the Saints and all must be hallowed that he doth send Sometimes perchaunce a Cardinals hat to one that hath shewed himselfe stubborne enough against his Prince Sometime he will bestow Kingdomes if they vpon whom he bestoweth them can get them from the right heires Sometime he will bestow vpon subiects immunities
that are forgiuen after this life which must needs be in purgatory Saint Marke who commeth after saint Matthew and hearde belike his Maister saint Peter expound Christs meaning concerning that manner of speech for out of S. Hierom and Clemens of Alexandria the Rhemistes themselues confesse that S. Marke was Peters interpretor and according to that hee had heard of the mouth of S. Peter wrote at Rome a briefe Gospell at the request of the brethren which Peter also approoued and allowed of S. Mark I say who had such a teacher doth thus teach vs to expound or vnderstand those words of S. Matthew that hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost Hath not forgiuenes for euer but shalbe guiltie of eternall death So that if S. Peter him selfe be of that minde that S. Marke his disciple was we sée hee did not once dreame of any remission of sinne in another world by these words of our Sauiour Christ but expoundeth S. Matthew his sence to be for the latter must expounde the former when M. Bellarmine hath doone what he can to the contrarie that such sinne shal neuer be forgiuen And then I trust our aduersaries will not thus reason The sin against the holy ghost shall neuer be forgiuen therefore some sinnes shall after this life or in an other worlde bee forgiuen for then the children would spit and laugh at their folly And yet out of these words thus by S. Marke expounded all the Priestes at Rome and Rhemes cannot otherwise prooue this their conclusion Neere a kinne to this purgatory is their Limbus puerorum where they place children not baptised but let them shewe what warrant they haue for the same what proofe that it was then beléeued when the Faith of the Romans was commended Their Pilgrimages pardons and indulgences are very holy things if we will beléeue the Popish Church that now is called the Catholike Church of Rome But where doth Saint Paule commend them to the Romans Where doth S. Peter that had as good power to giue pardons as any Pope could haue either practise it or where doth he or his disciple commaund such things And besides such pedlary ware Agnus dei blessed graines and such paltry stuffe sent abroad in great packs into all places to abuse the world are thought to haue many vertues and to be of great efficacie for many good purposes But I pray you my Masters of Rome when did S. Peter bestow his time in making such trifles or in packing vp such wares to sell vnto Christians all Christendome ouer as it were in pedlers packs And how necessarie they will accompt the crosse to be in all their ceremonies and seruices he that readeth their books cannot but sée And whatsoeuer antiquitie they wil pretend for the same yet they cannot teach that S. Paule and S. Peter either taught the Romans to vse it or themselues made any either vpon themselues or other Reliques they loue so well that if they cannot get the boans or reliques of good men and women yet any other such like be they of men or wemen neuer so bad will serue their turne so that they be said to be the Reliques of such a Saint Wherby it commeth to passe that some men and wemen who while they liued were like others hauing no superslous lymmes of their bodie now when they are dead are by these Romish charmers turned into such monsters as that they haue some many heads others many legges others great numbers of armes and so the parts of their bodies are multiplied excedingly belike they were buried in a fruitfull soyle and yet euery Priest that sheweth these reliques commend that they haue to be the true relique some miracle or vision euery one of them also would commonly faine to proue that which they said of their relique to be true And yet many of them must néedes be false For one man or woman had but one head two armes and so of the rest accordingly And therfore all besides that one head or those other true parts of the bodie must needes be false It is written that one of our Kings of England named Edward was euill troubled with the toothache And who knoweth not that Saint Apolines teeth are a préesent remedie for the same disease yf their lyes may goe for true reportes King Edward therefore belike being desirous to haue the true teeth of S. Apoline to aply to his teeth commaunded that the teeth of S. Apoline that were in all the Churches through the Realme kept for reliques should be sent to him which being brought were sound mo then would goe into some greate Hogsheades or vessels And yet I warrant you y t in euery Church they were perswaded that they had in deed S. Apolines teeth But in the auncient faith of the Romans what mention is made or what example is found of any such reliques To these may be added their shrift and Satisfactions very iniurious to Christ his death and that satisfaction which he in his body hath made for vs by that one onely sacrifice which vpon the altar of the crosse he offered to his father Their number of seven Sacraments hath no warrant out of any of these writings And to be short their prayer in an vnknowen tongue and strange language not vnderstoode of them selues that do pray I would haue them to shew how this together with their halfing of the 〈◊〉 of Christs bodie and bloude and many such like things can be proued to be taught by word or deede vnto that primitiue Church of Rome by S. Paule S. Peter or S. Marke which thing they can neuer doe If then in all such poynts as are in controuersie among vs wherof we find anie thing deliuered to vs by these holy men messengers of God the Church of Rome if shee teach not cleane contrarie wandreth verie much from that auncient Romane faith as in the 19. first chapters of this treatise it doth I trust appeare And if in these latter points of religion mentioned in this last chap. which they also make gret accompt of they haue neither word nor example of these Apostles or S. Marke to commende vnto the world such doctrines deuises what cause is there I pray you why that apostolicall Church of Rome that hath so manyfestly reiected that old faith and so wholy corrupted the auncent religion that ther was taught should so confidently term her selfe the Apostolicke and Catholicke Church of Christ With what face dare they tel vs that the faith of Rome is commended when as nothing doth more conuince them of Apostacy then to try the leaden religion that now is there taught by the touchstone of that faith that then was there preached And with shame enough may they tell vs that that faith of the auncient Romans is commended which most cruelly and stubbornly condemne the same persecute it most bloodily in Christ his members as
to be at Rome they are content to cal Rome Babylon whatsoeuer I say he wrot in that Epistle which they say that he wrote from Rome we also most readily receiue as that old and authenticks Roman religion whereof we will make no doubt at all And further whatsoeuer doctrine can be proued out of Saint Markes Gospell which Maister Bellarmine goeth about by testimony of sundry auncient writers to shew that it was written at Rome as he heard Saint Peter preach the same that also we will acknowledge to bee the Roman faith which is still to be followed So that whatsoeuer eyther Saint Paule wrote to the Romans or Saint Peter being say the papists among the Romans wrote vnto the dispersed Iewes or Saint Marke at Rome haue taught and what soeuer is consonant and consenting therewith that is vndoubtedly receaued of vs. But that which cannot be found agréeable to any of these writings I trust any indifferent reader wil think that we may iustly suspect as neither taught by those godly teachers neither yet beléeued of those famous and faithful schollers and therefore of none acknowledged at that time for the faith of the Romans And if then it were not the faith of the Romans what néed either the Rhemistes in their edition of the testament or all the rest of them so confidently to bragge that the faith of the Romans was so commended of the Apostle Must it needes follow that the Romish faith that now is is true because that was good and godly Suspend thy iudgement good Christian Reader and come not with a preiudicate opinion Trie and then trust proue and examine whether we or the Romish Church come néerer to the auncient Roman faith and bee bolde to heare and followe them that beleeue as those first beleeuing Romans were taught and veleeued And who so euer they bee that dissente from that faith or swarue any thing from that religion or ad any thing to that doctrine say not to such so much as God spéed For they are in déed heretiks and enemies to Gods truth they are the corrupters of his most sacred word they are the verie botches and blanes of all Christian Religion And that thou maist good Christian reader more readily sée and more easily iudge both of that old Roman faith and this new Romish Religion my meaning is so to compare the one of them with the other that at one view thou maist sée them both Wherein I dare promise nothing but sincere dealing both in setting down whatsoeuer Saint Paule Saint Peter or Saint Mark haue taught vs concerning such points as are in question and also in poynting vnto the doctrine of our aduersaries I will not charge them with any thing vntruly I will not falsifie any of their writings that the truth may appeare and God may haue the glorie Let vs therfore see first what was then and what is now taught there of the word of God CHAP. II. SAint Paule in that Epistle that he writeth to the Romans teacheth that The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth By the Gospell he meaneth that part of Gods word that preacheth vnto vs that ioyfull newes of our attonement made with God which elswhere he calleth the word of Reconciliation This word he saith is The power of God For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast down holds casting down the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ Of this powerfull word GOD spake long before Saint Paules time by his Prophet Ieremie Is not my word euen like a fire saith the Lord and as a hammer that breaketh the stone Of the power of this word thapostle writeth that It is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioints the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Yea Christ himself in the Prophet Esay is brought in confessing that the Lord Hath made his mouth like a sharpe sword So that this word is neither so blunt or dull or so vnable to make the man of GOD perfect to euery good work as the aduersaries of the Gospell would haue vs to imagine it to be So that in this place Saint Paul doth giue testimony that the word of God is as Saint Iames saith able to saue our soules And profitable to teach to reproue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes Saint Peter therfore doth liken the word to a séed and that to such a séed as doth if the fault be not in vs spring and grow vnto eternall life For as the good séed if it be cast in a good ground and moistned in due season with the dew of heauen can not but be fruitfull when the time shall serue euen so Gods word if it sound To him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his words and be watered by the graces of Gods holy spirit it cannot it will not be vnfruitfull Saint Mark also in that parable of the seed that falleth vpon the good ground and brought forth fruit some thirtie some sixtie some a hundred fold doth sufficiently testifie vnto vs of the efficacie of the word if by reason of the infirmitie of our flesh and corruption of our sinful nature the edge therof be not rebated and the force hindered Not because I ascribe such force either vnto the sound that we may heare or the letters that we may read but vnto the sence and substance of the word vnto the lesson that may be gathered out of the same Whereunto we sée Saint Paule writing to the Romans and Saint Peter being at Rome as our aduersaries affirme and S. Marke also there according to the doctrine of S. Peter as they tell vs penning his gospell do giue this effect that it is of power to saue and the very séede of eternall life They find not therein any such hardnes as should driue men and women from the reading therof They find no such dangers they spy no such perils But on the contrary it was holden for good doctrine at Rome when Saint Peter did write if from thence he wrote Alwaies to be ready with all meeknes and reuerence to answere to euery body that shall aske a reason of that hope which is in you And that this is required of euery man woman that should sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts euen of seruants and not of maisters onely of wiues and not of husbands onely it is more plaine then that it can be probably denied Now to yéeld a reason of thy faith requireth much greter knowledge then to make confession of thy faith So that héere the Apostle séemeth
regard to workes eyther before or after and that which the Pelagians did then and the papistes now doe teach he calleth a new presumption But because they like worse then to be thoughte new although in all thinges they are new fangled let vs see what it is that they would haue vs beléeue No doubt the Church of Rome doth as much as they can indeuour to obscure and darken this doctrine that the glory of merits may shine the brighter And therefore euen Master Bellarmine who in as plaine wordes as he can deuise hath before taught that this election is free without any respect to workes yet after as he now repented him of that he had said writeth That by predestination the elect get no right or clayme to blessednes neyther is it due to them but after that by well deseruing they haue gotten the same Can white and blacke be more contrarie then these two sayings are one of them to the other So that whilst he seeketh to establish the opinion of merites he doth not onely gainfay the trueth but euen himselfe also Let vs marke the similitude whereby he will illustrate his meaning A king saith he promiseth a price to the best runner to whome God reuealeth that if they runne vpon horses such a one shall winne in wagons such a one on foote such a one by ship such a one Then he appoynteth them to runne with wagons which he also causeth to be prepared for them Althogh Master Bellarmine may seeme to be runne farre from the trueth when by such fond fictions he would make falshoode carie a shew of sound doctrine yet we may see his meaning is that as the kinge proposeth the price to the best runner and then appoynteth such a kinde of running as he knoweth he shall excell in whom he would haue to winne so God electeth vnto happines such as he would because he knew before that they should merit the same Is this free election Is there in this no regard to workes I suppose it is in our Romish Master verified that is spoken of the Idol makers That they who make the Idols are like vnto 〈◊〉 them Of Idolaters they are become Idols them selues that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not yea wit and vnderstand not but say and vnsay almost with one breath But when they haue done what they can that auncient fayth shall be founde not onely true but also directly against their doctrine If election bee by grace then not of workes if by workes then not by grace And because it seemeth they are not yet resolued whether they shoulde mayntaine the auncient fayth of Rome which sometime they commende or this newe opinion which they had rather follow it were best they woulde settle them selues to stande to the one or the other for they cannot make both agree together Neyther are they content vpon this olde garment to set a newe patch but also as much as they dare they disgrace this auncient fayth and olde religion when they call it a vaine presumption and rash to assure our selues of our election But first that our election is certaine I hope they dare not deny because the free giftes and calling of God are without repentance The question then is whether wee can be assured that we are chosen woulde he that taught vs to call him father haue vs to doubt whether we be his children Or if the spirite it selfe beare witnesse to our spirite that we are the sonnes of GOD shall these newe vpstart Catholickes tell vs that so to doe is rash presumption And why is it called the spirite of Adoption but because it teacheth vs nay it assureth vs our election Or howe can wee attayne to that reioycing in tribulation which Saint Paule and Saint Peter also commend in the godly but because we are sure that howsoeuer God seemeth to handle vs yet he still loueth vs and therfore his chasticements are not bitter to vs because the loue of God is spred abroade in our heartes Let therefore these desperate doctours dececiue such as are deuoted to them let vs reioyce in this assurance of faith that our names are written in the booke of life CHAP. XIII THe Apostle hauing hitherto continued in doctrine especially in teaching vs that we are freely iustifyed in Christ by fayth without works and that this iustification is common both to Iewes and Gentiles He commeth to exhortations mouing vs to offer vp our selues vnto God in sacrifice Giue vp your bodies a quicke sacrafice holy and acceptable to God And that we may be the better instructed in offering our selues aright or as we ought to doe the telleth vs first that we must not Be fashioned like vnto this worlde to follow the corruptions thereof Secondly we must be Renued in the spirit of our minde that hauing our vnderstanding lightened we may proue what is that will of God good acceptable and perfect not following too earnestly our owne affections but submitting our selues and our willes to Gods good will And thus must we sacrifice vp our selues to God Much like is that that S. Peter also writeth of Our spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ Nowe none can offer a sacrifice but such as are priestes but all men must offer these sacrifices for the Apostles both of them write not onely to such as were in the ministerie among them but euen to the lay people mouing then to offer these offerings therefore all men are priestes Yea S. Peter in playne words affirmeth that we are A royall priesthoode or as it is in Exodus from whence he borroweth those wordes A kingdom of priestes For there al must be kings and al must be pristes Neither can we reade that there is instituted in the newe testament any other kinde of Sacrifising priestes then these And wee must also marke what our sacrifice is that is heere mentioned The sacrifice not of Christes bodie but of our owne bodies the sacrifising and sanctifing of our selues Now if the Apostles had knowen of any sacricire of the Masse was there not now good occasion to haue mentioned it Yea if it had béene in so greate accompt as the papistes hold it to be how coulde these two Apostles without great impietie haue buried in silence or passed ouer without mentioning so necessarie a seruice of God But then there was no such thing and therefore it is not spoken of by them who can best tell vs what the olde Roman saith was It hath beene long after that time raked out of the verie channell and sinke of superstitions and is so contrarie to that they taught that if this sacrifice of the Masse had beene but once mentioned in their time they would in expresse wordes haue made the verie name of it odious among Gods people Well of this exhortation we learne because we are both the sacrifice and sacrificer the offering and the
priest that we must in al thinges apply our selues in holines to serue God For that which is offered to GOD must haue no blemish and the priestes were consecrated to Gods seruice euen so must we striue to be faultlesse and alwaies indeuour to be occupied in good workes and in so doing we shall in deede as holy priestes offer vnto God most acceptable sacrifices As concerning sacrifices for sinne we knowe none but Christ we seeke none but him because wee neede none beside him If God haue saith Chrisostome by one sacrifice taken away sinne wée neede not another And againe there is no other sacrifice one hath cleansed vs after which followeth fyre and hell And Theophilact writeth that the sacrifice of Christes body once offered shall alwaies be auailable for our saluation so that we shall not stand in neede of a second With this one therefore wee may well content our selues and comfort our consciences with the sufficiencie thereof saying with sweete S. Bernard Thy passion O Lord is the last refuge the onely remedy When wisedome fayleth when my righteousnes cannot helpe and the merits of holines cannot serue the turne then doth it stand me in steed But in the Church of Rome which now is there is no mention of priests but onely of those shorne and smeered sacrificeâ—â— And if you desire to knowe howe and when their priesthoode was instituted they wil tell you Christ did institute their order when hee saide at his last supper doe ye this For that which Christ referreth to the whol action of his last supper which then he instituted they wil haue it meant of his sacrifice as if hee had saide sacrifice as I doe And as they haue in trueth no colour of trueth to wring out of those wordes their sacrifysing priesthood so in such sort to wrest these wordes could not make for them For if they say doe this that is sacrifice as I doe they are farre from sacrifysing as Christ did For hee did sacrifice him selfe in his death vpon the tree But our Romish priests will rather leaue their priesthoode then offer such sacrifices Well it doth not appeare in the writinges of these two Apostles that euer they dreamed of such a priesthood but onely of that whereof by Christ we are all partakers euen all that offer vp these spirituall sacrifices men women children of all ages sortes and sexes So that these sacrificers are a new order whether they be regular or irregular it maketh no great matter For they were not so much as thought vpon in the Apostles times And for the sacrifices whereunto S. Paule moueth vs they tell vs much of the sacrifice of the Masse an Idoll of their own making set vp to deface and disgrace the vertue and efficacie of Christ his death and passion For when blasphemously they terme it a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and the dead is not that directly contrary to that free iustification by grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus which is eternally obtayned by his owne sacrifice of himselfe once offered euen to that propitiation which God hath set forth to vs in his bloude Which doctrine the Apostles teach vs euery where and namelie S. Paule most plentifully before hath instructed the Romans therein Other offerings also they put vs in minde of namely to offer to stockes and stones which they call saintes fat offerings with full hands that the greater share may come to the priestes Yea they will also make men beleeue that it is no meane sacrifice to God if you be good and bountifull to them but that it smelleth full sweetely and is highly accepted of him And thus whereas S. Paule teacheth vs to sacrifice our selues to God they tell vs that eyther we must sacrifice our landes goods and possessions to them or their benefite or else they must sacrifice for vs in the Masse and not we for our selues And these are the sacrifices and offerings that they speake of how neere of kinne to those that the Apostles speake of let the reader iudge CHAP. XIIII NOw the Apostle S. Paule although he speaketh not of a peculiar kind of priestes ye doth he not omit the ecclesiasticall function or ministery in the Church For hauing exhorted vs by mortifying of our affections to consecrate our selues vnto God that we the more throughly may submit our wilâ— to Gods wil he perswadeth vs not to busy our selues about that which belongeth to another mans duety but that euery one of vs should haue a great regard to doe our owne And then beginning with ecclesiastical offices he saith Whether we haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the measure of faith Or an office let vs wait on the office Or he that teacheth in teaching Or he that exhorteth on exhortation or he that distributeth let him do it with simplicitie He that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercie with cheerfulnesse I mean not héer to make my selfe a partie in that bitter contention which miserably hath afflicted this Church of England which I would to God either it neuer had bin begun or had bin followed with more moderation I purpose not curiously to examine what is ment by these particular words of prophesying office teaching exhorting distributing ruling shewing mercie In which many bestow too much labour more then in the defence of the truth against the sworne enemyes to our profession We haue the Papists our professed aduersaries who think their quietnes consisteth in our variance and wish our falling out as did the Cananits the falling out of Abraham and Lot Let vs therefore yet at the length follow Abrahams godly aduise Let there be no strife betweene thee and mee nor betweene thy heardmen and mine for we are brethren But to come to that which especially I note in these words we sée that if all these duties before mencioned did belong to the Ecclesiasticall function yet can we not find out the offices that the Church of Rome that now is will haue to bee in their Church We find there prophets or teachers likewise such as exhort Admit also that we find the Deacons there to distribute By rulers some vnderstand not onely Ecclesiasticall Rulers but other Magistrates also As that lykewise of shewing mercie may well signifie any that by office in the common wealth or Church or béeing moued by their owne priuate affection do shew mercy It is not vnlikely but that if there had bin at that time any other offices in the Church the Apostle would haue spoken of them And to be short the offices that the Apostle mentioneth either belong to the ministerie of the word as prophecying teaching exhorting Or to the care of the poore as Deacons that distribute and they that shew mercy or to gouernment and bearing rule if in that thapostle speaketh of Church offices A second thing that must héere be considered of and that which is in déed the
from performing their dutyfull obedience as he doth many times by his priuiledges As for indulgences and pardons any bodie that will pray and pay for them may haue them And they that dwell at Rome get yet another maner of blessing with his two fingers wherwith he blesseth the people that gaze at him when he is caried abroad To be short at certain times he blesseth those that are called blessed graines or Agnus dei or such like stuffe and causeth these to be sent into Countries far and neer deluding and deceiuing by such toyes the hearts of the simple therwithall filling their owne panches and purses as though they had gotten or those had giuen some great spirituall gift when they haue some such toy consecrated by the Pope These are his gifts such are his blessings If you would haue better he cannot afford them For he is not for the most part able to preach teach It is against honour and estimation to seek to comfort the afflicted conscience No neither the Pope nor his Colledge of Cardinals will busie themselues in the Ministerie of the word in the abundant blessing wherof Saint Paule reioyceth Is the darknesse more contrarie to the light then are these vain promises or shewes of spirituall comfort verie cloudes without water and trees without fruit of true consolation to that perfect peace of mind and ioy of conscience which the Apostle promiseth vnto them and purposed to work among them by the powerful preaching of the Gospell of peace This this is in deed a true consecrated sword which shall pierce euen to the heart and conscience of the sinner and make a deeper wound then all the hallowed swords that the Popes can sanctifie And thus to be short we see that where Paule commeth he bringeth with him spirituall gifts euen abundance of blessing by the ministerie of the word But the Pope because he cannot skill of such blessings vseth other be blesseth fire water salt oyle swords roses books belles candles palmes ashes wax paper parchments lead pictures or payntings falsely perswading sillie soules that hee is able to put holinesse into them And thus it appeareth that if we consider the doctrine of the Church of Rome examining it with that that was taught in the dayes of Saint Paul and Saynt Peter they are nothing like If their practise they are cleane contrarie so that the new Romish Church hath no cause to brag of that old faith of the Romanes CHAP. XIX AND these are if I bee not deceaued all the points of religion in controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome at this day Whereof out of the Apostles epistle to the Romanes wee may gather any certayne doctrine Wherein if we dissent from the religion of the Romish Church that now is that we may iumpe and ioyne with the auncient faith of the Romanes commended by thapostle as spoken of and that worthilie in all the worlde I trust no indifferent Christian that in singlenesse of heart seeketh the trueth either will or can iustly reprooue vs. And as hitherto I haue shewed what consent there is in the groundes of their doctrines betweene S. Paul who wrote to Rome to confirme them in the faith S. Peter who they say wrote from Rome and S. Marke also who wrot his Gospell at Rome as in histories it is recorded so now in one point let vs see what Saint Peter thinketh in one poynt I say not touched by Saint Paule in that epistle although in other places plentifully enough by him deliuered Saint Peter therefore in handling the dueties betweene man and wife doth thereby commend the honourable estate of marriage as a state of life whereof God hath a care and therefore giueth lawes and rules in obseruing whereof husbands and wiues may serue and please God And if he had so verie well liked of single life as they who call themselues his successours doe hee woulde no doubte haue taken occasion to haue put in some caueat for the same But himselfe was maried as the Rhemistes themselues confesse and though out of Hierome they would proue that being called to be an Apostle he forsooke his wife yet how false that is Saint Peter himselfe doth plainely enough declare For he exhorteth Husbands to dwel with their wiues according to knowledge that is to kéepe and continue holily and kindly with them not vngodly and vncourteously to forsake them And shall we imagine that S. Peter would teach others and not himselfe or say one thing and doe another or that in wordes exhorting them not to depart from their wiues by his example he would moue them to leaue them That be farre from vs once to imagine And this we may be sure of that if he had forsaken his wife as our popish Catholickes now or some other in former times iniurious to that holy ordinance did surmise he woulde yet so haue tempered this his general commaundement that his example shoulde not haue béene manifestly repugnant to his doctrine Therefore that he was maried the scriptures report and it is by our aduersaries confessed but that he forsooke his wife it hath no shewe of proofe no colour of trueth Yea further the Apostle doth insinuate that the dwelling together of man and wife in knowledge is a furtheraunce to their prayers And therefore vnto that former exhortation he addeth these wordes That your prayers be not hindred Thereby declaring that the dwelling together of man and wife as they ought to doe is a furtheraunce to their prayers Whereas on the contrarie their separating of themselues in bodie may breede such an alienation of mindes with other great inconueniences as may interrupt their prayers And although S. Peter meane not héereby that they shoulde so continually dwel together as that they might neuer withdraw themselues the more fréely to consecrate as it were and wholly giue them selues to prayer and fasting yet woulde he doubtlesse according to S. Paules rules haue such their abstinence when anie is To be by consent for a time and againe to come together that Sathan shoulde not tempt them for their incontinencie For all men and women are in danger of his assaultes and therefore To auoyd fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband saith his fellow apostle And although men or women may for a time feele themselues voide of wanton and vnchast lustes yet because Not all men can receiue this thing saue they to whom it is giuen séeing I say it is not in their power but a rare gift of God which how long they shal haue it they are not certain yea to know who giueth it is a high point of wisdome the wiseman saith what madnes is it to promise that which thou canst not performe Or to séeke for that which is not necessarie for thee or to indeuor to please God with that which he requireth not of thée How much better is it