manifest ceremonies of diuine seruice and therefore hath deliuered vnto vs some fewe in steed of many and the most easie to be done Iohn 4 29. Aug. de doct Chri. l. 3. c. 9. most honourable for signification and most cleare and pure to bee obserued The religion of the Papists is so loden with ceremonies presumptions deuises of men that their manner of worshipping of God in their Temple is become now altogether Iewish and carnall consisting in nothing else but altogether in outward and ceremoniall exercises in the doctrine whereof ther is neither faith nor spirit nor any working of the holie Ghost almost required Touching the matter of Gods worship wherein we differ from the Papists thus it stands wee teach and hold that onely God the Father God the Sonne and God the holie Ghost are to be worshipped with diuine honor and no creature besides grounding our selues vpon this principle and maxime in diuinitie that adoration is due onely to God and therefore that God onely is to be worshipped Lu 4. Deu 6. De vera religi cap. 54. And so S. Augustine saith It is very well recorded in the Scriptures that man was prohibited by an Angel to worship none but onely God vnder whom hee himselfe was a fellowe seruant And therefore hee saith Ecce vnum Deum colo Behold I worship and adore none but God alone And thence he deriueth the name of religion quòd ei vni religet animas nostras because it religeth our soules onely to him But the papists as before hath beene alleadged in their seruice ioyne with the worship of God the worship of Angels the worship of the Crucifix the worship of images the adoration of the Sacrament of the Altar as they call it whereunto they ascribe diuine honour and worship Hauing thus farre proued vnto you that God and Baal cannot both be serued together no more then God and Dagon can stand together it remaineth now in the third place that I intreate of the Prophet Elias his exhortion to the people wherein he exhorteth to constancie in religion and following God Part. 3 3. Part. Constancie preseuerance and continuance in the true knowledge of God are vertues required of all such as intend to lead a godly and a Christian life and finally resolue to finish the period of their liues in defence and maintenance of the true religion of Iesus Christ Math. 24.13 Reue. 3.11 He that continueth to the end shall be saued Behold saith God to the Angell of the Church of Philadelphia behold I come shortly behold that which thou hast that no man take away thy crowne And in the 2. of the Reuelation thus the sonne of God speaketh to the rest of them of Thiatyra which knew not the deepenesse of Sathan I will put vpon you none other burden but this holdfast that which you haue vntill I come Reue. 2.24.25 Heb. 10.23 And the Apostle to the Hebrewes giueth vs this aduise and counsell that we should keepe the profession of our hope without wauering so that being rooted and grounded in true knowledge and built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the head and chiefe corner stone we should not henceforth be children any more wauering and carried about with euery blast of doctrine Ephe. 4.14 by the deceit of men and with craftinesse whereby they lye in waite to deceiue The diuell knowing full well what this hope of our saluation is ceaseth not continually to bend his force against the foundation and fortresse of our faith And surely if Sathan by his principall Ministers the Iesuites and Seminarie Priests can once shake the ground worke whereon we build our health and Saluation which is the affiance in Christ our God and credite to his word if he can but once perswade vs to retire from that hold and ground we stand vpon as vpon an vnmoueable rocke then hath he wonne his desire then enters he with banners displaied vpon vs tossing vs vp downe with euery blast of doctrine and beateth vs downe to the pit of damnation For the easier compassing of this his wicked designement some be perswaded by arguments and by reasons to forsake their faith and so by this meanes draweth them to sundrie heresies and errours others he forceth by torments and persecutions quite to giue ouer their hold others againe he winneth and allureth to himselfe with baites of pleasures to denie Christ and so Iulian perceiuing that torments could not preuaile to cause the Christians to reuenge their profession gaue them the greatest roomes and honours of his kingdome euen as Sathan when he could not by argument ouercome our Sauiour Christ offered him all the kingdomes of the world if he would fall downe before him and worship him The onely powerfull meanes to withstand all the forcible assaults of Sathan is whensoeuer he offereth vs to runne to the walles of faith betaking our selues each man to his defēce as in the certaine truth of gods eternall testament 2. Thess 2.15 1. Cor. 16.13 Stand fast saith the Apostle to the Thessalonians and keepe the traditions which ye haue beene taught And to the Corinthians to the same purpose he saith watch ye stand fast and quite your selues like men and be strong Let the feare of the Lord be vpon you Sticke fast vnto the Lord and cleaue vnto him with a perpetuall couenant which shall neuer be forgotten Three waies there are whereby we may grow to this resolution first by remembring the intolerable paines of hell if wee doe reuolt secondly by thinking of the vnspeakable ioyes of heauen if wee continue firme Thirdly looking vpon such who haue suffered before vs and to propose them vnto vs for examples of imitation And so to shew the like constancie in cleauing vnto God which they did We haue recorded in scripture the examples of Dauid of the three children of Eleazar and sundrie others who for the zeale they bare to the religion of their God were resolute to indure most cruell torments The Apostle to the Hebrewes mentioneth such who being strong in faith when they were tried by racking yet would not or cared not to be deliuered that they might receiue a better resurrection Heb 11.35 We haue againe in the Ecclesiasticall Histories the examples of eighteene hundred thousand Christians in the time of the tenne primitiue persecutions which were done to most cruell deaths onely because they would not forsake their Christian religion And to come neerer home to our owne daies we haue examples of our owne brethren in Queene Maries daies who for the zeale they bare to the house of God were content to yeeld their backes to the scourge their neckes to the tormentours their bodies to the furious flames of fire their soules with ioy into the hands of him that made them Concerning whom I doubt not but that euery true member of the Catholike Church may wish from her very heart that his soule might
words of the Prophets declare good things vnto the King with one accord 1. King 22.13.14 let thy word therefore I pray thee be like vnto the word of one of thē and speake thou good Micheas answered him roundly As the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake The like zeale and courage we reade in Scripture to haue beene in Elizeus the Prophet vnto whom when King Iehoram Ahabs son had sent to know of him what successe his battell intended against the King of Moab was like to haue the Prophet very boldly answered the King after this manner What haue I to doe with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Fathers and to the Prophets of thy mother 2. King 3.13.14 and said moreouer vnto him as the Lord liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regarde the presence of Iehosaphat the king of Iudah I would not once haue looked towardes thee nor seene thee But of all others commended in scripture for zeale and courage the prophet Elias may carie the praise from them al Of whom in Ecclesiasticus it is thus reported Ecclesiast cap. 48.1 that he stood like a fire and his words burned like a lampe and because the people of Israel could not away with the commandement of the Lord by the word of the Lord he shut the heauen and so brought a famine vpon them He was appointed to reproue in due season and to pacifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement before it kindled Malac. 4.6 and so to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers Vnto the which place the Angell Gabriel prophesying before hand vnto Zacharie what manner of person his sonne Iohn Baptist should be alludeth saying Luk. 1.17 that he should goe before the Lord in the power and spirit of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. O that all the Preachers and Ministers of this kingdome were so possessed with the power and spirit of Elias that by beating downe sinne and wickednesse by the sword of the spirit and by giuing knowledge of saluation to the people of God they might prepare the waies of the Lord by pulling downe the mountaines by raising and filling vp the vallies by making crooked things straight by making rough waies smooth By the mountaines are vnderstood men that are very high and proud in the opinion of their owne righteousnes which by the preaching of the Gospell shall abate their pride and so come to Christ By the vallies are meant men that are vtterly despaire of all men and altogether liuing in dispaire such shal be raised vp to the fellowship and communion of the kingdome of heauen By crooked things are signified such things as haue beene warped and writhed sundrie waies Psal 119.9 which shall be made straight by the leuell and squire of the Gospell For how shall a young man saith Dauid clense his waies but by ruling himselfe after the word of God As for the rough waies that shal be made plaine they are called rough by reason of the thornes of manifold vices and naughtie desires and lusts the short is that the course of all things shal be changed to such contraries that all impediments and lettes that shall hinder the course of the Gospell shall be broken and so the Preachers of Christs sacred word Gospel shall make readie a people prepared for the Lord. But alas we are fallen into these miserable daies euen the worst and last daies that we are so farre off from suffering ourselues to be reproued when we sinne that we doe reioyce when we doe wickedly Wee cannot abide to haue our faults touched Our Pride is growen as high as the Heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell and yet wee cannot in any wise suffer ourselues to be reproued Wee say to the preachers Peace and talke not vnto vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scripture Tell not vs of Christ of Peter of Paul wee bid the preacher speake vs faire and we bid him blesse those things which are accursed by Gods owne mouth Nay manie there are which are already wearie of the Gospel and wearie of their preachers they call them Pulpit-men of the spirite Priests and I know not what as though themselues had nothing to doe with the spirite of God They say the Preacher is too busie hee medleth with that he knoweth not Yes thou foolish man he knoweth it well enough He knoweth that pride is pride that extortion is extortion that couetousnes is couetousnes that sacriledge is sacriledge that vsurie is vsurie that sinne is sinne and thou and thine owne conscience knoweth it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it But God is iust and as the extreme disdaine of Gods truth and his holie Gospel deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance So can it not bee without speedie and earnest repentance but that this Gospel that we are alreadie so wearie of shall bee taken away from vs euen the kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shall be taken away from vs And then what can there remaine but blindnesse and ignorance which is the kingdome of the diuell But this is the only comfort that Preachers haue in this great contradiction and opposition of the worlde that if they haue a carefull endeuour to discharge a good conscience in crying out against wickednesse and lifting vp their voices like a Trumpet against the disorders of common life God Almightie will so arme all such zealous preachers with such an inuincible strength and constancie that all the powers of the world shall neuer be able to ouercome them Bee not afraide saith God to the Prophet Ieremie of their faces for beholde saith hee I haue this day made thee a defenced citie and an iron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iuda and against the Princes therof Ier. 1.18 against the Priests therof against the people of the land They shall fight against thee but they shall not preuaile against thee For I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. What saith S. Cyprian Shall the inuincible Tents of Christ defended with the strength of the Lord Lib. 1. Epist ad Cornel giue place to the terrors and threatnings of men Shall the Church yeeld to the Capitol Shall the outrages of madde men be greater then the iudgements and censures of ministers No God forbid it must not be so For are not the preachers the lights of the world and therefore appointed by God to espie faultes are they not the voice of Iohn Baptist why then should not they crie out against sinnes Seeing therefore they are the seers of the Lorde they must not be blinde and being the Lords criers they must
they could not agree together and contrarie to his word they would not seeke to serue him and therefore chose rather to bee without Christ altogether then to worship him and others with him against his will and commaundement And verilie God will take it in better part that thou deuote thy selfe to any religion be it neuer so bad then to make a hodge podge of religion and so to haue a mixture of good and bad religion together insomuch that I am perswaded that the worship of Mahomet lesse offendeth God then when such as are by profession Christians shall giue diuine honour to a piece of bread Eze. 20.39 As for you ô house of Israel saith God by the Prophet Ezechiel goe you and serue euery one his Idol seeing you will not obey me pollute my holie altar no more with your giftes and with your Idolls Where the Prophet intimateth that God had rather that the Israelites should bee professed Idolaters then to pretend his holie name with such corruptions True religion will admit no mixture but is simple God himselfe said Thou shalt not let thy cattell gender with diuers kindes Leui 19.19 Thou shalt not sowe thy fielde with mingled seede neither shall a garment of diuers colours come vpon thee signifying that wee must sticke to one religion which indeed requireth the whole man and cannot endure any doubling in the worship of God nor any blending of Iudaisme and Christianisme together nor any reconciliation at all betweene Christ and Belial betweene the table of the Lorde and the table of diuels betweene God and Melchom It is not possible that one wombe should containe Iacob and Esau one house the Arke and Dagon one temple prayer and merchandise one heauen Michaell and the Dragon and so God hauing ordained his Law stricktly to be kept without declining either to the right hand or to the left giueth vs to vnderstand that hee himselfe will be serued alone without corriualles of his glorie with all our heart strength and soule Sonne saith God giue mee thine heart Pro 23.26 and let thine eyes delight in my wayes but Sathan willing to part stakes with God crieth out with the Harlot Nec mihi nec tibi sed diuidatur Let honour and glorie and worship bee neither mine nor thine 1. King 3. but let it be diuided But the Lorde our God beeing a iealous God will not be crowded in a corner of the heart but he will haue either all thine heart or no part at all either all glorie or no glorie aut Caesar aut nullus And so we are taught by the word of God in Deuteronomie Deu. 61.4.5 Heare ô Israel the Lord our God is Lord only thou shalt lette the Lorde thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might that is we must loue God sweetely strongly perseuerantly Loue God with all thine heart that is kindely and affectionately Loue God with all thy soule that is wisely and discreetly Loue God with all thy might that is stedfastly and constantly Let the loue of thine heart inflame thy zeale towards him Let the knowledge of thy soule guide it with discretion Let the constancie of thy might and strēgth confirme it That is let thy loue bee feruent circumspect and inuincible So that thou maiest say with the Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities Ro 8.38 nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus my Lorde Out of that which hath bene already spoken touching this point of mingling Gods worship with the worship of any other this conclusion or corollarie may be deriued which is this that if either thou serue God with my other as Saints Angels or anie creature which the Papists doe Or if thou serue him alone any other way then he prescribeth thou louest him not but thou doest hate him yea extreamely hate him and shalt finde at his hands the reward of a deadly enemie Strange therefore must needs seeme to bee this Doctrine of the Papists wherein they teach that wee may honour God as wee our selues can best deuise That if our intent be good and our meaning be good it skilleth not how or in what manner wee worship him That these kindes of worshippings of God which come of our owne heads without the expresse commandemēt of God are the more agreeable vnto him the more they proceede of our selues Which doctrine of theirs is the maine proppe of all idolatrie and the very roote of all superstition For the wayes of God are not as our waies his thoughts are not as our thoughts hee hath bridled our deuotion and hath taught vs to worship him not in such sort as may seeme good in our eyes but onely as hee hath commanded vs. God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle according to that order and forme shewed him in the mount neither durst Moses adde or diminish any thing or to doe more or lesse then God appointed him Certaine it is that our good meanings make not our doings good Neither is our zeale a rule whereby wee may measure out either our Faith or our good workes but onely the knowne will and pleasure of God There wanted no good intent or good meaning either in the Israelites when they made a golden calfe Exod 3.2.4 or in Nadab and Al thu when they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared king Agag or in Vzza Leuit 10.2 1. Sam 15.22 2. Sam 6.6 1. King 12.28 when he put his hand to the Arke to holde it nor in Ishu when hee would needs ioyne the worshipping of Ieroboams golden Calues with the worship of the true God of Israell and yet we see how that iealous God which could neuer abide to be worshipped otherwise then hee himselfe had giuen in commandement executed his fierce wrath vpon them all for their confected religions and halting consciēces And this for all the world is the very guise and manner of worship the papists vse True it is they worship God and they worship Christ but not according to his prescript but in ioyning the worship of other creatures with the worship of the only true God they proue themselues to be plaine Idolaters holding this for a most certaine doctrine that the Crucifixe is to be worshipped with the very selfe-same worship wherewith Christ himselfe is to be worshipped The difference then betweene the Papists and vs in the doctrine of the worship and seruice of God consisteth both in the manner and the matter of Gods worship In the manner of Gods worship wee vpon iust grounds doe varie from them because that whereas God being a Spirite loueth only such worshippers as worship him in spirite and truth and to that ende would haue religion it selfe to be free vnder very sure and most