THAT THE POPE IS THAT ANTICHRIST AND An answer to the Obiections of Sectaries which condemne this Church of England Two notably learned and profitable Treatises or Sermons vpon the 19. verse of the 19. chapter of the Reuelation the first whereof was preached at Paules Crosse in Easter Terme last the other purposed also to haue bene there preached By LAWRENCE DEIOS Bachelor in Diuinitie and Minister of Gods holy word REVEL c. 19. v. 19. And I sawe the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make battell against him that sate on the horse and against his armie ¶ Imprinted at London by George Bishop and Ralph Newberie An. Dom. 1590. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND MOST REVEREND FAther in Christ my Lorde the Archbishop of Canturbury his Grace Primate of all England and Metropolitane one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell THE impugnations which the enemie of the whole Church so strangely diuersly maketh against this Church of England are not so much to be marueiled at as of euery true Christian heart to be lamented They of the Church of Rome condemne vs for falling away so farre from them such as are sprong vp amongest our selues and are gone out from vs because wee approch so neere vnto them The first hold vs as Antichristian for shaking off the Popes gouernment whome they make Christes vicar the others for that wee retaine they say his gouernment still are in bondage to it The first say we are out of the true Church the others say no lesse and that we haue not Gods Church amongst vs. The first affirme that we haue no Ministers no sacraments no lawful seruice of God amongst vs the others that we haue no Ministers rightly called no sacraments duely administred no worship of God and that we worship a false Christ The first holde that the seruice of God in our Churches is so wicked as it is not to bee frequented the others that it is idolatrous and to be auoided The first are of opinion that the Soueraigne Christian Magistrate ought not to haue gouernment in causes Ecclesiastical otherwise then to defend the Church and to see the lawes therof executed because making of Church lawes and gouernment Ecclesiasticall is soly in the Pope and in his Clergy the others holde the like position against the Princes Ecclesiasticall supremacie for that this gouernment belongeth to Elderships and Synodes of Ministers and Elders for else Christ doth not gouerne in his Church as they teach Thus both sortes push at the peace of this Church with the hornes of the beast and albeit vpon diuerse groundes yet to one and the selfe same end which is the vtter ouerthrowe of the Church if their courses be not carefully and speedily preuented Which me thinketh may best be effected by doctrine and by discipline The first by instructing the simple seduced and by confuting mightily the froward and insolent the second by sharper corrosiues against the wilfull and obstinate sect-masters on both sides being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men condemned euen of their owne consciences This teaching and confutation in sundrie weightie pointes is in mine opinion very soundly and iudiciously though in briefe sorte as best fitting sermons here performed both against the Romanistes and Catharites The copie whereof happely falling into my handes I haue made so bolde with the Authour as to prefixe a title thereunto implying not all but the most principall matters treated of and thus to publish it for common instruction and comfort Dedicating the same to your Grace as to him to whom the Author hath dedicated himselfe in all duetiful seruice and who daily seeketh by the said two meanes mixed with mildnes and grauitie to reforme the fancie-full nay sinnefull conceipts of both the factions and to settle this Church in the vnitie of the spirite and bonde of peace Which that your L. and others in authoritie may effectually bring to passe vnder the long and blessed gouernment of our dread Soueraigne to Gods glorie the propagation of the Gospell exceedingly impeached by them and to the comfort of all godlie and peaceably affected English The Lorde of Lordes in mercie graunt for Christes sake Amen 17. Nouemb. 1590. Anno 33. D. Elizabethae Reginae The first Sermon vpon Apoc. cap. 19. verse 19. TWO things especially are sette foorth in this whole booke of the Reuelation First the persecutions and the rewardes of those that with true faith cleaue onely to Christ secondly the assaults and wicked attempts of the enemies of the trueth against the Church together with their punishments and ouerthrowe Because it is a prophesie of thinges to come therfore is the booke hard to be vnderstood for prophesies sooner are fulfilled in the worlde then the world can perceaue the true exposition and interpretation of them This verse doeth minister occasion to speake both of the wicked which do persecute and of the godly which are persecuted and it hath some thinges in it easie and some harde to bee vnderstoode Who the beast is and who be these kings and what be their armies and what is the maner of their fight we knowe and who it is that rideth on the horse and what is his armie wee may with smal searching easily finde out for time hath reueiled these things But the time wherein this last fight of the beast shall bee and the maner how he shal be ouerthrowen hath some doubt I wil speake of these things in order as they lie in the text The beast here spoken of is the Pope of Rome the Kings of the earth meant in this place are the princes that submit themselues to the obedience of him their armies are both the captaines and warlike souldiers and also the manifolde and sundry sortes of Ecclefiasticall and spirituall persons as they call them which either by force of armes or by witte and eloquence by strength or pollicie fight for him Hee that rideth on the horse is Christ his armie are they that beleeue in him onely for saluation and obey his Gospell In speaking of Antichrist and his armies and their fighting I must striue to bee the more briefe not onely because the matter of it selfe is large and such as whereof a man can finde no end if he would go about to speake all that may be said but also because I feare it would be somewhat tedious vnto you to heare me speake of that whereof you haue heard others speake very oft and largely already Of the other part that is of Christ and his armie it is comfortable and profitable for vs to heare because wee doe account our selues which doe professe the Gospell in this land to be as it were a wing or an olde trained band of that armie I thought it necessary to speake of these two pointes at this time First because Antichrist either now reneweth or continueth still his warre against vs or at least is suspected and of some reported so to doe Secondly because
owne making Last of all in his lawes and by his flatterers hee hath beene called God in plaine termes and he hath suffered it There it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa our Lord God the Pope and againe Tues omnia super omnia Thou art all and aboue all Howe can any creature shewe him selfe as God in Gods temple more presumptuously then by these meanes or more directly for otherwise in flat termes to proclaime himselfe as God to be honoured with diuine honour it is too grosse and it is not such a craftie mysterie as should deceaue a meane man much lesse bring into danger Gods elect To these things agree the words of Daniel which many take as spoken of purpose of Antichrist or at least they are applied to him by the Fathers The king shal do what him list he shal exalt himselfe and magnifie himself against all that is called God and shall speake marueilous things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made neither shall he regarde the God of his Fathers nor care for any God for he shall magnifie himselfe aboue all Peter and Iude speake of their pride in lifting themselues aboue Magistrates saying that they should despise gouernment and speake euill of them that are in authoritie These are the markes of this beast other might be added out of Daniel Paul Peter as that they shal worship God with gold and siluer for all their religion stoode in outward worldly ostentation that they should forbid mariage and meates as they make great holines in single life accoūt mariage vncleane and the eating of flesh at certaine times they vtterly condemne as vnholie That likewise they should be rich and mighty and should make merchandise of all things yea of mens soules for they as in way of religion solde wood stones incense oile and all things if they had dedicated them once to some holie vse they were costly merchandise although otherwise the vilest things that might be All these markes agree most fitly to the Romish Antichrist to none other The Pope therefore is the beast which being aided by the kings of the earth fighteth against Iesus Christ. As for the marks which the Papistes make of Antichrist they touch him not they come not neere him They imagine he should be of the tribe of Dan because that tribe is not reckoned among the tribes of which many are marked to be saued A weake foundation the tribe is there omitted therfore Antichrist shal come of that tribe Thus they ground their religion of that which the Scripture hath not said And as for Enoch and Elias to come and preach against him in their owne persons which they say they haue not done against the Pope and therefore he is not that beast that is a thing imagined as the other for no Scripture hath saide that they two shoulde come but they ground it on this that Christ sayth Elias should come and restore all things which was fulfilled at his first comming and that two witnesses are promised to be sent against Antichrist which are vnderstood by many to be Iohn Husse and Hierom of Prage both burned at the Councel of Constance or as others expound it of a sufficient number to cōuince the errors of Antichrist for the scripture maketh 2. witnesses a sufficient trial And this age hath sent out many witnesses against him That also which they say is not yet fulfilled yet must be before the comming of Antichrist is false which is that the gospell must first be publikely preached receaued in all kingdomes of the world but it is not any where saide that this should be before the comming of Antichrist Christ sayth that the Gospell should be preached through the worlde before the ende should come And it is one thing for the Gospell to be preached and another thing to bee receaued It hath bene preached that is by some meanes made knowne to all nations but it hath not bene publikely receaued of al nations by common cōsent Another thing that cōmeth neere this is that which S. Paul saith that there must be an apostasie first A falling away frō the faith not frō the Empire of Rome is meant by it For Paul saith vsing that word to Timothie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some shal fal from the faith the word is not vsed otherwise in scripture And the Apostle seemeth so to expounde it afterward himselfe when he saieth because men receaued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued for if they receaued not the loue of the truth it seemed they had the truth but loued it not therefore were thus punished Wherefore there must be a falling away from the faith from the loue of the trueth and strong delusion to beleeue lies where Antichrist is These thinges came to passe in poperie So much therfore as is said concerning the gospel to be receaued or forsakē before or in the kingdom of Antichrist is fulfilled in thē Yet they say the Pope is free from one especial notable marke of the beast What is that Iohn saith he that denieth that Iesus is Christ the same is Antichrist And againe euery spirit which confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God but this is the spirite of Antichrist And Peter agreeably saith they shal deny the Lorde that bought them And Iude in like maner they deny God the only Lord our Lord Iesus Christ And somwhat like it by way of affirmation is that of Daniel he shall honour the God whom his fathers knew not This marke they say of denying Christ the Popes haue not If they haue not this marke also thē they haue none of the rest Large bookes are writtē of this to shew how they deny Christ They deny him to be the king ouer his Church for the Pope maketh himselfe the king But saith Bellarmine he acknowledgeth himself Christes deputie But it is certaine that Christ neuer cōmanded any such deputie nor vicar if he wil be Christs deputie against the pleasure wil of Christ or if he were deputed yet rule otherwise then Christ would haue him only according to his own affection humor doth he not thrust Christ out of his kingdome As though one might not cal himselfe a deputie yet draw all to himselfe so doth the Pope howbeit Christ neuer ordained such a deputie Therefore while he will be as Christ and for Christ he is made against him and is Antichrist Furthermore he doeth not suffer Christ to be the onely and sufficient Prophet to his Church which hath reuealed fully the will of the father to it for partly he shutteth vp his Testament and will not haue the people reade it and partly hee ordayneth other lawes as necessarie to saluation as the lawes of Christ by his decrees partly he interpreteth the wordes of Christ not according to Christs meaning
priestes with the Popish clergie but the three vncleane spirites like frogges that came out of the mouth of the beast can be no other but the Popish spiritualtie for the father and the number and the qualitie and the comparison and the worke and effect agreeth to none other The beast is said to be their father for the pope did beget and nourish all that spiritualtie as it standeth and is Popish for by his commandement they had their beginning and still haue their being and therefore it is sayd that these spirites come out of his mouth There was no order among them of cardinalles bishops priests of monks and friers but they were all in number and forme by his appoyntment and confirmation They vsed no ceremonie but it was ordeined by him Their priuileges and exemptions from the secular power were all granted by him Their liuing and maintenance was all held of him and to him in token thereof the payed the first fruites of their liuinges Hee inuested the bishops and by his authoritie the bishop made all the rest so they came out of the mouth of the beast It were long in particular to prooue all these thinges The qualitie of vncleannesse and filthinesse is praedominant in them for they are vncleane in their soules as not being washed in the blood of Christ nor with the pure water of Gods word And they are vncleane in their bodyes for the most part of their monkes and friers tooke a pride in their slouenlinesse And they are vncleane in their actions as being defiled with adulteries and Sodomiticall sinne because they condemned marriage They are aptly also reduced to the number of three for their bishops and priestes and such as haue the actions of all their religious matters make one order and their friers and monkes and scholasticall students which are sequestred from action and placed as it were in contemplation make another order and their canonists and lawyers with their other officers make their third order All these together make the beasts spirituall armie And these are fitly compared vnto frogges for as frogges lie in the mudde so these tumble in worldly things and humane speculations and can not lift vp their mindes to that which is heauenly And as frogges haue but one tune so they sing onely obedience to the pope and as frogges cry most fiercelie about the time of raine and tempest so these when they come crying ouer the sea vnto vs alwayes giue a most sure token that there is a tempest comming These frogs delight not by any meanes with calmenesse and quietnesse their delight is to haue the world all kingdomes troubled Therefore their worke is this to runne from one prince to another from one noble man to another from this gentleman to that gentleman to persuade them to warre Thus is their spirituall armie described To set forth how they fight with scriptures and fathers wrested from their true meaning with decrees of councels of their owne making with promises of great successe and victorie with lyes and slanders against princes and preachers and all professours of the Gospell with conspiracies and treasons and murthers and poysoning of great persons with contributions of money all that they can make to the maintenance of these warres with indulgences and pardons from all sinnes past to come with incantations coniurations inchantments for they are the spirits of deuils with promise of heauen it selfe to all that take sword in hand for them it were infinite Our experience in this age teacheth vs enough too much if it so pleased God that we cannot be ignorant of their most deuillish and desperate maner of fighting Thus much of their spirituall armie and of their fight They haue also other armies of warlike souldiers and captaines The pope neuer yet attempted any matter so wicked against any prince or for his owne estate but he had kings and dukes and noble men that woulde alwayes be readie at his commandement to fight in his quarell and if other things failed yet Peters patrimonie in Italie is so great and the summes that haue and do come in by first fruits other infinite taxes both of his clergie and laitie that it was easie for him to raise an armie at any time in this later age One while Charles the French emperor fought for him another while Henry the third emperour of Germanie Sometime he hath them of Italie at his commandement as in times past the dukes of Hetruria of Florence and almost any other The king of Sicilie was euer as his seruant France hath fought for him against the emperour and against England against the Italians and against one pope for another Pope England hath not wanted in this kinde of seruice for him Our kings he hath set against France and France against vs and our nobles against our owne princes both of old time and of late And this thing still he doth attempt God confound his enterprises in this behalfe as hee hath done hitherto in her Maiesties reigne Now he hath but fewe in comparison that wil take armes at his deuotion The Spaniard not in any regard of his Religion but in hope of a Monarchie vnder his title hath stepped forth as his champion in this age to fight his warres for him By him the armies are renewed and supplied in the Lowe countries by him the warres are holden vp in France through his meanes Geneua hath bin besieged and he hath sent his inuincible nauie to subdue vs but God bee thanked that hath drowned it in the seas We may not thinke that either the beast or his champion will so giue ouer For it is against the nature of the enemies of Gods people to desist although they see Gods hand neuer so manifestly against them Not ten plagues will keepe Pharao from pursuing the Israelits Not the Angel destroying an hundred and fourescore thousand in one night will feare the Babylonians but they will come against Ierusalem It is fatall to the beast to bid battell so long till he procure his owne ruine and the fall of thē that would hold him vp They will fight againe The frogs these vncleane spirits that come ouer to vs are a most sure token that we must looke for a tempest It will come most certainely but when it will fall we are not certaine God turne it vpon their owne heads when so euer it commeth as he did that which is past I haue spoken longer then I thought I should of the first part touching the beast and his kings and their armies We can not speake too much against thē that neuer thinke they do ynough against vs. It is good for vs to haue our mindes armed against them and to be perswaded that they are not only enemies to vs but vnto God and Iesus Christ and his gospel and the saluation of his people God graunt to our Queenes maiestie and all our nobilitie and the whole people his spirit and grace against
the poyson of their doctrine and his mightie defence against all their manifest terrors and secret conspiracies This the God of all might and comfort graunt vnto vs through Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour To whome with the Father and the holy ghost three persons and one God be all honour and glory world without ende Amen The second Sermon vpon Apoc. cap. 19. verse 19. I Deuided this verse into two parts The one is of those that doe oppugne the other of those that doe defend I haue spoken alreadie of them that giue the onset They were the beast the kings of the earth and their armies I shewed that the beast is the Pope of Rome the kings of the earth are they that yeelde obedience to him their armies are first the spiritual and learned sorte that striue to maintaine the popedome by witte learning and secondly the warriers and other people that by sword and force do fight for him Now it remaineth to speake of the parties the are oppugned and doe defend themselues They fight against him that sitteth on the horse against his armie For armie some translations reade souldiers But it doth not so well aunswere to the Greeke The word signifieth an armie pressed forth and set in order to battel He that rideth on the horse is vnderstoode to bee Christ His armie are they that beleeue his gospel obey it These are assalted oppugned by the beast his armies Two thinges must bee obserued in this onset made against Christ and his people by the enemies First that Christ and his people haue the right and lawfull possession of the Church and the trueth of heauen of earth and of all things and that they would thrust both Christ and his out of this possession Christ sayeth of himselfe All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth and his people are made the heires of the world for to thē it is said all things are yours and againe He that ouer commeth shall inherite all The beast then and his armies labour to thrust Christ his armie out of all Which they could not doe if Christ and his people had not the right and possession of all And Christ hath suffered them to besiege him and his people and to thrust them into verie great straites for a season For they haue bene constrained to flie into the wildernes and there to ly hid But now Christ will vp on the white horse and raise the siege and bee shut vp so straite no longer That is the first thing that followeth of this that the beast is he that maketh the assault The second thing that followeth thereof is this that the enemies euer seeke their owne destruction or els it would not come vpon them It should seeme reason that Christ and his people should set vpon the beast his armies For is it meete that they holding that which belongeth vnto Christ frō him should not be suffered to liue and to enioye it But Christ dealeth not so he suffereth thē quietly to withdrawe thēselues from him and letteth their fury increase till they go about to roote him and his people from among them He giueth them scope to shewe their malice Now when Gods people seeme strangeliest assaulted and are in danger of greatest bondage then is their deliuerance neere at hand A prouerbe was made of the dealing of Pharao with the Israelities Quando duplicantur lateres tum venit Moses When the brickes are dubled thē Moses commeth When the enemies armies are greatest and best furnished then are they most neere their ouerthrow It is a thing worthie to be marked how Antichrist still giueth the onset and all his attempts for the most part haue turned to his losse This much of the beast his assaulting and of Christ and his being assaulted and defending thēselues It followeth to shew what it meaneth that Christ is described here by riding vpon a horse The horse that he sitteth vpon is said to be a white horse And that it is Christ that rideth vpon him there can be no doubt For the discriptiō that goeth before can agree to none other Thus Iohn saith of him I sawe heauē open and behold a white horse and he that sate vpon him was called faithful and true and he iudgeth and fighteth righteously his eyes were as a flame of fire on his head were many crownes he had a name written that no man knew but himselfe he was clothed in a garment dipt in blood and his name is called the word of God and out of his mouth went asharpe sword that with it he should smite the heathen For he shal rule them with a rod of yron for he it is that treadeth the wine-presse of the fiercenes wrath of almightie God All these thinges agree to Christ alone He is faithfull and true in his promises hee iudgeth fighteth righteously in punishing the wicked defending his people while they continue in obedience to him his eyes are as fire he seeth searcheth all things yea the hearts of men He reigneth ouer all and hath obteined many crownes by many victories and kings and princes subdued vnto him his garment was dipt in blood to redeeme vs and he hath dipt it againe doth now dayly in the slaughter of his enemies his name essence is such as none knoweth but God that is himselfe And hee is the word of God which was in the beginning which is God by whome all thinges were made Out of his mouth commeth the sharpe sword of Gods iust decree which cōdēneth the enemies last of all he executeth gods vengeance vpon thē and as it were presseth them in the winepresse of his wrath Christ therefore is vnderstood by him that sitteth on the horse But why is Christ said to sit vpon a horse that a white horse What meaneth this horse It is well knowen to all men that the horse is a warlike beast as it were made for warre He is strōg to carry bold to come vpō the face of the enemie he is swift to make speede fit to be turned this way that way So he was apointed to warre But for priestly actions and persons he was not thought meete Therefore the priests of Egypt might not ride vpon a horse It was thought among them a thing prophane Neither might some of the heathen Romane Flamines so much as touch a horse And euen now it is thought an vnseemely thing for the Pope to bee seene to ride vpon a horse within the citie of Rome except onely vpon one solemne day in the yeare when he rideth to the Laterane and all his prelates with him vpon white horses For otherwise in Rome he is caryed vpon mens shoulders for the most part Once a yeere he would like Christ ride vpon a white horse yet hee neuer rideth on the horse whereon Christ rideth he can not abide that white horse What then is this white horse
heathen of the land gathered in the name of Christ whome they truely worship and readily obey as their onely king priest and prophet ioyned together as members of one bodie ordered and gouerned by such officers and lawes as Christ in his last will and testament hath thereunto ordained all and each of them standing in and for their Christian libertie to practise whatsoeuer God hath commanded and is reuealed to them in his holy worde executing the Lordes iudgementes against all transgression and disobedience which ariseth amongst them and cutting it off accordingly by the power which their Lord and king Christ Iesus hath committed vnto them This is the Church this is the armie of Christ in their account and such they will not acknowledge vs to be Our parishes which they call perishes they examine by all the parts of this description and wil not allowe to any parish any one of these thinges Ten partes are found in it Let vs see how they examine our Churches by them First they say the Church consisteth of a faithfull people None are accounted of thē to bee of the Church but such as are regenerate haue the spirit and are indued with knowledge and haue receaued the gift of a sauing faith But it is certaine that many are in the visible church that haue not these things For first the kingdome of God is like a net that gathereth together good bad the bad are not regenerate neither haue these things by thē named And as many followed Christ when he walked vpō earth were his disciples which followed not for regeneration but for that he fed their bodies so is it in the Church now And what shal we say of the tares the Christ cōmandeth to be suffered til the haruest least the wheate be plucked vp with thē They are not only hypocrites which are like the good for the tares are not like the wheate but the open wicked mightie which if the Church would goe about to roote out from among them they would indanger the whole as by experience hath oft bin feene When Paul saieth All men haue not faith he speaketh not onely of them that are without but euen of them that are within the Church And to the Corinthians hee sayth Some haue not the knowledge of God I speake this to your shame Wherefore euen in the Church of Corinth the people whereof are called faithfull and Saintes there were some that had no knowledge of God And why may not that befall the Churches of Christ which befell the Israelites Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the worde that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it As wee are like them in hearing so why may not some among vs be like them in not beleeuing And yet as they were so may we be reckoned of the outwarde Church They see that the Church in the time of the Prophets had many which were neither regenerate nor faithfull such as had neither the spirrte nor knowledge But they would make vs differ from them in a straiter couenant of separation For they say the carnal propagation from Abraham and outward circumcision was inough to keepe them in the Church but nothing keepeth vs in it that is outward not baptisme nor any outwarde thing but onely grace and faith and the spirite If any man haue not these and be not so esteemed hee is not to bee accounted so much as of the visible Church And this they grounde of the practise of the Iewes which as they saye separated none from their Synagogues for sinne But this is false Them that confessed Christ they put out of their Synagogues althogh vniustly for diuers kindes of sinnes they had diuerse sacrifices which must bee offered by them before there coulde bee any attonement for them So the Iewes separated some for sinnes and yet wicked persons were stil of their outward Church As for the places that they alleage to proue that all in the Church must be faithfull and haue the spirite petaine eyther to the elect onely and such as are called according to purpose as when it is saide to so many as receaued him he gaue power to bee made the sonnes of God And againe I will write my lawes in their hearts or else declare what euery one ought to be and not what euery one is or shal be as when Paul sayeth In Christ neither circūcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a newe creature or else speake of outward profession shewe of faith as whē the Corinthians are called faithfull and such as S. Iames speaketh of in his second chapter or last of all because some haue these in trueth they are ascribed to the rest because they make one outward body with thē are denominated of the best as when Paul saith Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified As Augustine sayeth that a heape wherein lyeth more chaffe thē wheate is yet called a heape of wheate and not of chaffe because it is a heape for the wheates sake So although there be wicked vnfaithfull men in the Church yet the Church is called faithful because it is a Church for the faithful godly not for the wicked Wherefore it is not necessarie that the visible Church should consist onelie of a faithfull and a regenerate people such as haue the knowledge and the spirite of God the outward profession of these thinges and the Sacraments and the shadow as it were of the good keepeth thē in the visible Church although such men are in it only for their further damnation except they repent Thus much of that they say the Church must be a cōpanie of faithful people The second note which they make is a separation frō the heathen of the land These heathens they tearme by many other names calling them vngodly prophane and atheists and the other common sort of them take all such as come to Church with vs to bee no better the other that will seeme to speake with more iudgement make such to be prophane which are without the Church or returne to their former filthines or haue done any thing that may shewe them to bee without the couenant of Gods grace and free promise Euery man that hath not knowledge to render a distinct account of his faith in all necessary branches they esteeme prophane thus they minse it but their writings and doings shewe that all are prophane with them that are not of their owne societie Now the separation frō prophane persons is so great a matter with thē that if but one such man remaine be kept in the Church either he maketh it as they thinke no Church or at least maketh all exercises of prayers and of Sacramēts to be of no vertue nor value but offēsiue to God hurtful to the Church Therefore they accoūt our churches no churches our sacramēts no sacramēts our praiers no
to a perfect man This place speaketh onelie of doctrine and not of lawes for gouernement either in the Church or common-wealth except they thinke their Pastors and Doctors must make lawes for al things And as for that to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 14.37 cutteth not off al lawes for the Church made by men If any man thinke himselfe to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things which I write vnto you are the commandements of the Lorde He writeth there of not vsing strange languages where they are not vnderstood and and of women that they should not preach in the Church But there are other thinges which by lawes must be ordered which Paul nor the scripture anie where hath determined in speciall Last of all they applie to this purpose all those places of scripture which teach that nothing must bee added nor taken from the worde of God The making of lawes about orders in gouernement is no addition to Gods worde For the thing is not there forbidden Thus they will seeme to proue that in the worde are sufficient lawes to order mens actions vpon this grounde they will haue the penall lawes of Moses reuiued then they must bring vs againe to the land of Canaan they must establish to vs againe that kingdome For those penall lawes like as the ceremoniall were proper onely to that people Now the Priesthoode being changed the lawe is changed As they saye the worde hath sufficient lawes to determine all thinges so likewise they will not admitte that princes shoulde make lawes thereby to helpe forwarde the kingdome of Christ. For they saye the kingdome of Christ commeth not by the lawes of men but by the worde and spirite For this purpose they abuse these scriptures First that of Saint Luke Luke 17.20 The kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation They meane with obseruing princes lawes but Christ meaneth that his kingdome commeth not neither is discerned by outwarde pompe and worldlie glorie which the Pharises looked for but is properlie a thing inwarde in the heart That place nothing pertaineth to outward lawes Also they misapplie that of Zacharie Neither by an armie nor strength Zach. 4.6 but by my spirite saieth the Lorde of hostes This is spoken by comparison that God in the preseruing of his Churche vseth principallie the working of his spirite and not an armie nor strength of men Yet that hee vseth armies and strength for their defence the Churche in all ages hath had experience But the principall is his spirite outwarde strength and lawes in comparison of it and without it are nothing When Esaie sayeth Beholde Esaie 40.10 the Lorde God will come with power and his arme shall rule for him his arme ruleth euen by the good and wholesome lawes of men Iere. 17.5 And that curse in Ieremie pertaineth not to vs because we are ruled by lawes of princes Thus sayeth the Lorde Cursed bee the man that trusteth in man and maketh fleshe his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lorde For we trust not in the lawes of princes nor in them when we vse thē vnder God for our quiet gouernement we knowe that Kings are nursing fathers and Queenes are nursing mothers Dauid Salomon and Iosaphat and Ezechias and Iosias and all godlie princes made lawes for the Churche of God and were approued yea the lawes decrees of Nebuchadnezzar of Cyrus and Darius were for the behoofe benefite of it Manie thinges are left vndetermined in speciall wherein princes make good and profitable decrees for the Churche If their position were true the Prophets and our Sauiour shoulde not haue condemned either the princes or the lawiers for making vniust lawes but for making anie lawes at all Princes especially serue Christ euen in making lawes for Christ Wherefore it appeareth not that sufficient lawes in speciall are set downe in the worde for the Churche nor that it is wicked for the Church to vse the lawes of princes and to bee subiect to them if otherwise they bee not vngodly Nowe marke what they saye of our lawes Wee they saye are not gouerned by the worde of God but by Canons Iniunctions and Decrees of these Antichristian and Popish courts Let them name one Canon or Decree and Iniunction that maintaineth anie thing that is popish or against Christ and surely it ought to be abolished But there be lawes which they had which came not from them but either from the word of God or the light of nature or former holy constitutions Why should their detaining of them in vnrighteousnes hinder vs from the conuerting of them to the furtherance of the Gospell They are not popish so long as they are not directed to maintaine poperie but are applyed to godlinesse and peace in obedience of the trueth The ninth marke of their Church is that al and ech one of them must stand in and for their Christian libertie to practise whatsoeuer God hath commanded and is reuealed vnto them in his holy word This their liberty is one of the chiefe points wherein they stand Here neither Prince nor Counsellour nor Byshop nor Law must restraine them from refusing or casting off whatsoeuer they mislike or from taking vpon them and putting in practise any thing that they haue determined and concluded to be done Seeing according to their conceit they haue found out that Byshops and all other officers in our Church are popish and that the ministery beareth as they suppose popish names and markes and the lawes are popish they will neither sue to Prince nor Counsell for the remouing of any of these things but with all speede cast the yoke from their owne necks And seeing they haue found in their fansies that an eldershippe and no other lawes but the written word is to be heard therefore they will erect these things among themselues For God say they hath left power in euery man and euery assembly of his people to cast off al that may hinder to transport thēselues to any thing that may further their saluation In matters necessary to saluation we graunt there is by Gods gracious working such freedome giuen to Gods people that all the deuils in hell cannot hinder them from hauing that whereby it should be brought to passe But such are not the things which they striue for Saluation may be had in this state without them But their opinion of vs in respect of Christian libertie is this They say that all wee remaine in bondage to the Egyptian and Babylonish yokes yeelding obedience to these Courts and their Cannons Now let vs heare their scripture by which they will maintaine their so absolute libertie and condemne vs as men in Egyptian bondage The places are these first that to the Galathians Gal. 4.9 But now seeing ye know God yea rather are knowen of God howe turne ye againe to impotent and beggerlie rudiments whereunto as from the beginning you will be in bondage againe Paul there speaketh
of the obseruation of dayes and ceremonies of the lawe with opinion of necessitie to saluation iustification we repose neither saluation nor iustification in any ceremony or outward thing which we vse not in the gouernment not in apparel this or that In the vse of them our minds are free The like meaning hath that to the Collossians Collos 2.20 If yee bee dead with Christ from the ordinances of the worlde why as though yee liued in the world are yee burthened with traditions There is no tradition in our Church that can be a burthen to a mans conscience being rightly taken seeing there is no idolatrous tradition among vs nor any ioyned with opinion of necessitie or worship of God or merite to saluation But in those things the soule is left free to depend wholly vpon Iesus Christ The like meaning hath that to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 7.23 Yee are bought with a price bee not the seruauntes of men Paul condemneth not obedience in things lawfull but in voluntarie worshippe And as for vs we place no necessary part of Gods worship in the traditions of any mē The booke of cōmon praier is not reckoned so necessary as if God were not otherwise rightly worshipped neither yet absolutely as meere traditions of men for as much as it is either scripture or agreeable vnto scripture Outward ceremonies are retained for order but no part of Gods worship placed either in crosse or garment To these places of scripture as of like nature may be ioyned that of the Actes Acts 4.19 Wee ought rather to obey God then men that is whē they cōmand things contrary But in the gouernmēt or in the ministery or in Gods worship or in the admission of men to the sacraments the lawes of this land doe not commaund things contrary to God for any thing that we haue yet found Last of all for our bondage Apoc. 14.19 they produce first the Reuelation where it sayeth If any man worshippe the beast or his image The gouernment by Byshops they take to be the image of the beast They were we confesse so to be accounted while they maintained the Pope and his lawes but now they are not so when they are set to further the Gospell and truth of Christ These are the places by which they would conuince vs to be in bondage But the Scriptures by which they chalenge their large and infinite liberty are these Ioh. 8.33 first that of Iohn Ye shall knowe the trueth and the trueth shall make you free Christ speaketh of freedome not from lawes and Magistrates and Ecclesiasticall gouernment but from sinne and Satan for he sayth He that committeth sinne is the seruaunt of sinne The next that is pretended to speake for their liberty is Paul to the Galathians Gal. 4.6 Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Paul disputeth of our freedome from the curse of the lawe and from circumcision and other ceremonies so that the curse is not to be feared of vs that are made free by Christ nor iustification to be sought by the ceremonies of the lawe nor any part of Gods worshippe to be reposed any longer in them And the same is his purpose in the fift Chapter when he sayth Stand fast in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free This is the freedome of conscience the libertie from the curse pronounced by the lawe and from the ceremonies thereof with opinion of worshippe or merite of saluation Thus are we free We are vnder a gouernement and haue some fewe ceremonies but we neither count them parts of Gods worship nor any cause of our iustification or saluation Thus our minds are free although our bodies be bound in an outward obedience They may therefore become subiect with vs to this gouernment and yet inioy due Christian libertie The tenth and last note of their Church is this that it must haue the power that Christ hath giuen to his Church to the worlds end and all the powers in earth and hell cannot take from them namely to bind and loose and to reforme things that are amisse Which power they say we haue not For our assemblies as they iudge cast out Satan by the power of Satan namely say they by these impes of Antichrist the Byshops Commissaries and Priests These be their words Then if they say true in deed in this Church gouernement we haue no binding sinners and loosing them that doe repent but by the deuill Let vs see what binding or loosing the church of God should haue and how farre that which we haue is wanting and disagreeing from the trueth The power giuen to the Church in this respect they affirme to becōtained in these places which follow Psal 149. First in the Psalme when it is said To bind their Kings in chaines their nobles in fetters of yron This place seemeth properly to be vnderstood not of Ecclesiastical censures but of outward victory gotten by the sword against Gods enemies by his people after their oppression This God giueth oftentimes to his Church and hath his name be praysed giuen already vnto vs God graunt when need shall require we may obtaine it hereafter The next place by which they chalenge this power is in Matthewe If hee will not heare them Mat. 18.17 tell it to the Church and if hee refuse to heare the Church also let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and as a publicane By the Church might here be vnderstood the gouernors to whō this authority should be committed of the church or els the whole assembly speaking by the voice of one or fewe for the declaration of the obstinacie and damnable state of such an one but as for a presbyterie in euerie congregation it cannot serue seeing if it be spoken by relation to the practise of the Iewes they had no such thing but in Ierusalem in one citie one assemblie one consistorie of such iudgement for all After this they seeke somewhat for their excommunicating presbytery in Luke Luk. 10.19 Behold I giue vnto you power to treade on serpents and scorpions and ouer all the power of the enemie and nothing shall hurt you This was a miraculous gift conferred vpon the Apostles both for their preseruation and the glorie of Iesus Christ as Paul by the viper hanging on his hand receyued no hurt The thinges going before are referred to the power of the word beating down Satan from the soules of men As for excommunication or punishing the wicked by censures this pertaineth not to that That to the Corinths maketh the most shewe for their purpose When ye are gathered together and my spirite by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 5.4 let such a one be deliuered vnto Satan But this maketh against that which they seeke seemeth to fauour that order which we haue For Paul being one man alone did decree this sentence The Church was to declare it But