speech of that learned father is truely verified this day in the church of Antichrist where the Papists can make their Crosses to speake their Idolles to goe their images to weepe to sweate to laugh to shift themselues from place to light their owne lamps Yea the vnholy fathers of the societie of Iesus to set a glorious countenance of their miracles tell vs in great sadnes that with their holie-water they haue calmed the Sea chased away mice out of the countrey and haue made barren women to conceiue and beare children But against such miracle-mongers saith Augustine My God hath armed mee saying Tractat in Ioh 13. in the latter dayes there shall arise false Prophets working signes and wonders to deceiue the very Elect of God if it were possible True it is the Apostles wrought miracles but it was thereby to confirme the Gospel they preached as the Euangelist writeth The Lord wrought with them Mar 16.20 confirmed the word with signes that followed And the Apost to the Hebrues likewise saith that saluation at the first begā to be preached by the Lord was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him meaning the Apostles bearing witnes thereunto with signes wonders with diuers gifts of the holy Ghost Heb 2.3.4 according to his will In the first beginning then and gathering of the church miracles were necessarie But as when wee goe about to plant a tree so long we water it vntill we see it hath takē root but when it is once substantially grounded and branches spread abroad wee take no more paine to water it So likewise as long as the people of the world were altogether faithlesse this meanes of miracles for confirmation of doctrine was of Indulgence graunted then But when once spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight The kingdome and Church of Christ was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles by the power of the holie Ghost Now therefore it is against faith if any looke for miracles againe to confirme the Gospell which is alreadie so confirmed that if an Angell from heauen should preach vnto vs any otherwise then that which hath bene preached vnto vs let him be accursed Seeing then the doctrine this day taught professed and preached in the Church of England is the verie same doctrine which Christ himselfe deliuered to his Apostles and they to their aftercommers there needeth no other confirmation by miracles to be wrought by vs. Thus haue I with what perspicuitie and breuitie the proportion of the time allotted vnto mee would permit runne ouer this portion of holy scripture The Lorde giue a blessing vnto the wordes which you haue heard this day with your outward eares out of my mouth and by the secret working of his holy spirite giue such force vnto them that they may become fruitfull in the hearts of you all And forasmuch as the Lord in these Halcion and happie dayes of ours hath dealt with vs in farre greater mercie then hee hath done with any other nation besides in that wee haue of his great clemencie these many yeares together enioyed with libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience the greatest ioy and felicitie that euer betided any people euen the sincere preaching of his most sacred word and Gospell with the right and due administration of his Sacraments with health peace libertie and quietnesse vnder the wise godly and most peaceable gouernment of his chosen seruant Elizabeth our late Queene and Mistrisse now at this time vnder the gouernement of our most gracious Soueraign Lord King Iames whose life the Lord preserue and long continue among vs that considering how the Lord hath multiplied his graces and blessings vpon vs that we may euermore continue constant and stedfast in the profession of his eternall truth that what opposition soeuer we find in the world of fawning flatterie or persecuting crueltie that we neuer suffer our selues to be remoued from the same but that we may striue for the truth euen to death holding fast that which we haue vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ that we neuer halt or double in matter of religion nor waue betweene two opinions but that wee may stedfastly cleaue vnto the Lord all the daies of our life that wee neuer admit any fellowship or communion with the Church of Rome knowing that the whole religion of poperie wherein it differeth from vs is nothing else but a most wicked apostacie from the ancient faith So that being confirmed and strengthened and established in that Gospel which hath beene preached vnto vs which we haue receiued wherein we continue and which is able to saue vs we may euery day more and more grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to the which Christ Iesus together with the father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all power glory dominion and Maiestie both now and euermore Amen FINIS
lieth still and all other godlie and Christian meetings quite geuen ouer Farre otherwise then it was vnder the raignes of Dauid Ezechias Iosias and Iehoshaphat in whose dayes the people enioyed those three blessings before remembred namely godlines honestie and peace All those godly and religious Kings not onely by words encouraging the people to serue God but by their examples drawing great multitudes to imitate the same zeale and feruencie which they saw to be in such Princes vnder whom they liued But on the other side when God in his anger and iust indignation sendeth wicked Princes to sit in place of iudgement and authoritie religion and vertue goeth to decay Gods honour is defaced the people drawne to idolatrie the worship and seruice of God prophanely abused the truth whereof as it appeareth by diuerse and sundry examples of wicked Kings in the holie scriptures so in none more plainly then in King Ahab of whome I shall haue occasion heereafter to speake of whom the Scripture thus recordeth that he solde himselfe to doe wickedly in the sight of the Lord that hee did exceeding abhominably in following idolles 2. King 10.30.31 according to allthat the Ammonites did being prouoked thervnto by Iezabel his wife For it was a light thing for him to walk in the sinnes of Ieroboam except he tooke Iezabel also the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sydonians to wife and serued Baal and worshipped him In whose dayes what an hauocke there was made of the Saintes and seruants of God what an increase there was made of most grosse idolatrie by ioyning Gods worship and Baals together what slaughter of the Prophets of God liuing in those times which went vp and downe wandering in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes beeing destitute tormented and afflicted and for the safegard of their liues being glad to wander in the wildernesse and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth Heb 11.37 is plainely to be seene by the complaint and request of the Prophet 2. King 19.14 which hee made vnto God against Israel saying O Lorde the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant cast downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophet with the sworde and I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away Albeit the answer of God said vnto him I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men Rom 11.3.4 which haue not bowed the knee to Baal In this great and miserable desolation and confusion of his Church the Lord remembring his people of Israel when they little looked for it and lesse deserued it sent Elias the Prophet vnto them who the more forciblie to drawe both the King and his Subjects to a serious consideration of their sinnes and to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased for their idolatrous worshipping of Baal 1. King 17.1 tolde king Ahab to his face As the Lorde liueth before whome I stand there shall be neither deaw nor raine these yeares but according to my word which indeed according to the saying of the Prophet came to passe For as Elias moued by the instinct of Gods holy spirit prayed vnto God earnestly that it might not raine Iam 5.17 so according to his prayer it rained on the earth for three yeares and sixe moneths By meanes wherof the famine was so great in Israel for lacke of raine that man and beast were readie to perish and raine they could haue none but at Elias word as Elias had told the king before the drought beganne At the ende of the three yeares and sixe moneths of drought 1. King 18.1 the Prophet Elias was commaunded to shewe himselfe to king Ahab and albeit hee was greatly disswaded so to doe by Obadiah whom hee met in the way yet the Prophet was resolute solemnly protesting to Obadiah As the Lord of Hostes liueth in whose presence I stand I will surely shew my selfe vnto Ahab this day 1. King 18 15. Meeting therfore with Ahab and beeing challenged by him as the author of that famine and troubler of Israel he discharged himselfe and protested before the King that God plagued the whole Land because hee and his Fathers house had forsaken the commaundements of the Lord and followed other Gods And to iustifie his speech he offered to prooue before all Israel on the danger of his owne head that the king and the Land were but seduced and abused by the Prophets of Baal and that hee would prooue by no worse meanes then by miraculous fire from heauen which should shew them whose sacrifice was accepted assuring them of raine aboundantly after their conuersion to the true GOD for which cause at this time hee was sent vnto them To this the King gaue his consent and by the perswasion and motion of Elias sent by his Princely authoritie for all Israel that they should gather themselues together in mount Carmel together with the Prophets of Baal 450. which were dispersed throghout all the tribes of Israel the prophets of the groues 400. which did eat at Iezabels table The King the chiefe heads of the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal being thus assembled together in mount Carmel Elias commeth to the people and saith thus vnto them How long will yee halt betweene two Opinions c In the which words of the Prophet I obserue foure speciall things worthy of consideration Diuisio First he reproueth the Israelites for their halting consciences betweene two religions Secondly hee declareth vnto them that they cannot serue both Baal and God together and that religion is not a thing indifferent Thirdlie hee exhorteth them to constancie in religion and in following of God Fourthlie the successe which followed this reproofe of the Prophet In the reproofe of the Prophet I obserue these foure points First who it is that reproueth Elias Secondlie the persons whom he doth reproue The people of Israel Thirdlie the person before whom King Ahab Fourthlie the thing he reproueth in the people their wauering and vnconstancie in matter of religion In the person of Elias The person of Elias wee haue to obserue the great zeale constancie and boldnesse which should bee in the ministers and preachers of the Gospel For vnto them it belongeth to preach the preachings the Lorde hath bidden them and to proclaime his vengeance against sinners yea euen to stand at the gates of paradise with a flaming sword in their mouth against obstinate and vnrepentant sinners That which the prophet Micheas saith of himselfe Mich. 3.8 that he was full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of iudgement and of strength to declare vnto Iacob his transgression and to Iacob his sinne was as truly verified in his owne person whom neither the Courtlike perswasions of the Eunuch that went for him nor the consent of 400. Prophets nor the fauour of two Kings nor the danger of his owne head could driue him from the word of God And when the Eunuch had said vnto him behold now the
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