Thus doth the eternall God know when it pleaseth him how out of one and the same stemme to make the light of his mercies to shine from whence heretofore sprang nothing but darknesse Long and many happie yeares may your Honour continue in the same purpose and intent to preserue and to loue that Church for which Christ Iesus died and to dedicate the rest of your dayes to his glory and the edification of those flockes for whom he hath shed his most precious bloud Herein consists all your glory And that your felicitie may spring from hence I begge at Gods hands from the bottome of my heart euen with the same affection which binds me euer to continue Your Honours most humble seruant Iohn Paul Perrin of Lion From Nyons in Dauphiney Ian. 1. THE PREFACE THe Church of God in the world is of higher esteeme then the world it selfe It is the fruition of our Lord Iesus Christ He was crucified for it and without it nothing can be accounted good But as our Redeemer inuiteth vs to enter and to continue therein for our saluation so Satan endeuoureth to make men wander from the right way to their damnation He blindeth them to the end they may take that for the Church that hath but the name thereof holding them in error seducing them by a worldly glorious pompe and so makes them disdaine the true Church principally because it is subiect to persecution in the world wherein they that honour not the Maister cannot cherish the seruants in such sort that not acknowledging any other Church then that which hath triumphed for many ages together in the bloud of those Martyrs whom it hath killed they demand with great importunitie what and in what parts of the world the Chatholicke Church hath bene if that which so long and so peaceably hath obtained the title thereof be not the same Where was it hid say they during the fiue ages last past They are instant vpon vs that at the least we shew them some one in the whole course of so many yeares that hath beleeued that which in our times hath bene so much extolled vnder the name of Reformation This historie of the Christians called Waldenses Albingenses will satisfie those that can reade it without passion For therein appeares that for these last foure hundred and fiftie yeares there haue bene especially in Europe a great number in diuers kingdomes and countries which haue made profession of a religion altogether conformable to the word of God and the doctrine which hath bene receiued in the reformed Churches hauing mourned vnder the darkenesse of Antechrist wherein they shined like precious stones in a dunghill and roses among the thornes They seemed to the world but as abiect men but God beheld them as his children and gaue them eyes to see and eares to heare and an heart to vnderstand the truth And as he made way to his iudgements by leauing those to the spirit of amazednesse that had forsaken his word so he hath made way to his mercies in withdrawing this remainder of his people from the Temples polluted with idolatries causing the sacred inward ministerie of his Spirit to worke in them prouiding them temples and preseruing them from the infection of the externall ministerie defiled with infinite humane inuentions The writings of the said Waldenses and Albingenses which haue bene miraculously preserued vnto this present time make good in this historie the puritie of their religion and iustifie them against the imputations of their aduersaries They make it appeare vnto the world that they haue had for the foundation of their faith the Simbole of the Apostles allowing also of that of Athanasius for the rule of their obedience the eternall law of God for the substance of their prayers the Lords prayer And finally that they haue preserued the Sacraments instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ in the selfe same puritie wherein he first ordained them And also that they haue alwayes liued vnder a good and holy discipline carrying themselues in regard of their manners and conuersation according to the same word which is the rule of their faith And yet neuerthelesse we shall make it appeare that for all these things without which no man can be a true Christian they haue bene cruelly condemned to death banished sacked burnt cursed and persecuted with violence of armes Without reason then is it demanded where the Church was in these ages last past since it appeares that the almost infinite numbers which the Popes for righteousnesse sake haue put to death were the Church how contrarie soeuer to the Church of Rome and the Popes in whatsoeuer they were contrary to the Church of God Now forasmuch as the first point of the truth which these faithfull Martyrs haue maintained concerneth God who is without beginning and without end without whose command there is nothing true or auailable it must necessarily follow that the inuentions of men must giue place when God speaketh especially the truth being as ancient as the lye And we must also acknowledge that they that haue beleeued in former ages in one onely God by Iesus Christ haue bene the true members of the Church making the Catholike Church in what part of the world soeuer they haue bene placed Now it appeares by the doctrine and confession of the faithfull whereof much is spoken in this historie that they haue alwayes put their hope in the liuing God expecting saluation and life by no other meanes but by the Sonne of God If then for these things they haue bene slaughtered what wrong is done vnto those that are guiltie of the same sinnes by those bloudie desires which they haue to banish those out of the world whose mouthes by reason they cannot stop if seeming to seeke the Church in ages past they be sent vnto those faithfull whom such as themselues haue put to death Haue they not rather reason to be thankfull vnto God with vs for that the violent assaults of Satan haue bene alwayes in vaine because the Church hath euer continued in the person of Gods seruants victorious by faith and triumphant by martyrdome which we haue not measured in this historie according to the crueltie of their punishment but the iustice and goodnesse of the cause It will adde much to the glory of God to follow this bloud by the trace gathering together the certaine proofes of the faith and constancie of millions of witnesses who haue sealed the truth with the losse of their owne liues They whose hearts God shall moue to enlarge this historie by the true narration of what hath passed touching this subiect in those places where it hath pleased the Lord to make them grow increase as there is no Kingdome State Principalitie nor almost Citie towne or village in Europe where this innocent bloud hath not bene shed shall adde much to the edification of his Church when many shall contribute to the notice thereof that which God hath done in passed
endured to the yeere 1532. one thousand fiue hundred thirty two at what time they resolued to order their Churches in such sort that that exercise which was before performed in couert might be knowne of euery one and that their Pastors should preach the Gospell openly that is to say without any apprehension of persecutions that might happen vnto them His Highnesse was speedily aduertised of this change and much moued therewith in such sort that hee commanded one Pantaleon Bersor to speed himselfe into the said Valleys with his troopes of men which hee so readily performed that before the people were aware of it hee was entred their Valleys with fiue hundred men part on foot and part on horsebacke ransaking pillaging and wasting whatsoeuer was before them The people leauing their plough and tillage put themselues into their passages and with their slings charged their enemies with such multitudes of stones and that with such violence that they were constrained to flie and to abandon their prey many of them remaining dead vpon the ground This newes came presently to his Highnesse being likewise told him that experience had taught them before that it was not the way to reclaime and subdue these people by armes the places of their habitation being so fauourable vnto them they knowing better the straites and passages of the Country then the assailants and therefore there was nothing to bee gotten when the skin of one of the Waldenses must bee bought with the losse of the liues of a dosen of his other Subiects Hee thought it therefore not good to molest them any more by armes but onely that they should be taken by retaile one by one as they came into Piedmont and examplary iustice executed vpon them if they changed not their beliefe that so by little and little they might be destroyed to the astonishment of all others that dwell in the said Valleys and so their ruine might be procured insensibly and without the danger of any other the Princes Subiects All this hindred not but that they still persisted in their resolution And to end that all things might bee done in order amongst them they assembled themselues together out of all their Valleys to Angrongne in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred thirty fiue 1535. and the twelfth of September that is to say all the heads of euery families with their Pastors where by of them it was certified that their brethren the Waldenses of Prouence and Dauphine had sent into Germany their Pastors George Morell and Peter Masson to confer with Oecolampadius Bucer and other the seruants of God who there preached the Gospell touching the beliefe which they haue had from the father to the sonne time out of minde that they had found that God had been very mercifull and gratious vnto vs in that he hath preserued vs vndefiled in the middest of so many Idolatries and superstitions which haue infected all Christendome in the ages past This admonition or remonstrance giuen by Occolamp and Bucer to George Morrel and Pet. Masson is in the Memor of the said Morel fol. 5. vnder the tyranny of Antichrist of Rome They haue encouraged vs by holy aduertisements and reasons giuen and exhorted vs not to bury those talents which God hath imparted vnto vs finding it an euill thing that we haue so long delayed the time to make publike profession of adhearing to the Gospell and causing it to be preached in the eares and to the knowledge of euery one leauing the euents vnto God of whatsoeuer it shall please him shall fall vpon vs by procuring his glory and the aduancement of the Kingdome of his Sonne And afterwards hauing read the letters of the said Oecolampadius and Bucer which were sent vnto them as to their Brethren the Waldenses of Prouence and Dauphine the Propositions or Articles following were ordered reade and approued signed and sworne to by all the assistants with one minde and consent to conserue obserue beleeue and retaine amongst them inuiolably without any contradiction as being conformable to the doctrine which hath been taught them from the father to the sonne for these many hundred yeeres and taken out of the word of God ARTICLE I. That Diuine Seruice cannot bee done but in spirit and in truth For God is a spirit and whosoeuer will pray vnto him must pray in spirit II. All that haue been or shall be saued haue been chosen of God before all worlds III. They that are saued cannot but be saued IV. Whosoeuer holdeth free-Will denieth wholly the Predestination and the grace of God V. No worke is called good but that which is commanded by God and no worke is euill but that which is forbidden by God VI. A Christian may sweare by the name of God not any way contradicting that which is written in the fift Chapter by Saint Matthew prouided that hee that sweareth take not the name of the Lord in vaine Now that man sweareth not in vaine whose oath redoundeth to the glory of God and the good of his neighbour Also a man may sweare in iudgement because he that beares the office of a Magistrate be he Christian or infidell hath the power of God VII Auricular Confession is not commanded of God and it is concluded according to the holy Scriptures that the true confession of a Christian consisteth in confessing himselfe to one onely God to whom belongs honour and glory There is another kinde of confession which is when as a man reconcileth himselfe vnto his neighbour whereof mention is made in the fift of Saint Matthew The third manner of Confession is when as man hath sinned publikly an all men take notice of it so he confesse and acknowledge the fault publikely VIII We must cease vpon the Lords day from all our labours as being zealous of the honor and glory of God for the better exercise of our charity towards our neighbours and our better attendance to the hearing of the word of God IX It is not lawfull for a Christian to reuenge himselfe vpon his enemy in any manner whatsoeuer X. A Christian may exercise the office of a Magistrate ouer Christians XI There is no certaine time determined for the fast of a Christian and it doth appeare in the word of God that the Lord hath commanded or appointed certaine daies XII Marriage is not forbidden any man of what quality or condition soeuer he be XIII Whosoeuer forbiddeth marriage teacheth a diabolicall doctrine XIIII He that hath not the gift of continency is bound to marry XV. The ministers of the word of God ought not to be changed from place to place except it be for the great benefit of the Church XVI It is not a thing repugnant to the Apostolicall communion that the ministers should possesse any thing in particular to prouide for the maintenance of their families XVII Touching the matter of the Sacraments it hath been concluded by the holy Scriptures that we haue but two Sacramental signes the
of the Sacraments Q. By what markes doest thou know the false Ministers A. By their fruits by their blindnesse by their wicked workes by their peruerse doctrine and by their vnfit disorderly administration of the Sacraments Q. How may we know their blindnesse A. When they not knowing that truth which belongeth of necessity to saluation they obserue humane inuentions as the Commandements of God of whom that is verified that the Prophet Esay speaketh and that hath beene alledged by our Sauiour Christ Iesus Mat. 15. This people honour mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me but they serue me for nothing teaching the doctrine and commandements of men Q. By what meanes or markes are wicked workes made knowne A. By those manifest sinnes of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. saying that they that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God Q. By what markes is false doctrine knowne A. When men teach against Faith and Hope as diuers kinds of Idolatries worshipping the reasonable sensible visible or inuisible creature for it is the Father onely with his Sonne and the holy Ghost that must be serued and no other creature But contrarily we attribute to man and to the worke of his hands or to his words or to his authority in such manner that men being blinded thinke that God is a debtour vnto them for their false religion and couetous Simony of Priests Q By what markes is the disorderly administration of the Sacraments knowne A. When the Priests know not the intention of Christ in the Sacraments and teach that all grace and truth is included in them by the onely outward ceremonies and leade men to the participation of the Sacraments without the truth of Faith Hope and Charitie It is the will of the Lord that all his should take heed of false prophets saying Beware of false prophets And againe Beware of the Pharises that is to say of their leuen and false doctrine And againe Beleeue them not follow not after them Dauid hateth all such persons and therefore he saith I hate the congregation of the wicked And the Lord commandeth vs to withdraw our selues from among such people Numbers 16.26 Depart from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest you be consumed in all their sinnes And the Apostle 2. Cor. 6.14 Be ye not vnequally yoked together with vnbeleeuers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darkenesse What concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that beleeueth with an Infidell And What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the vncleane thing and I will receiue you Againe in the 2. Thes 3.12 We command and exhort you by our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh disorderly And in the 18. of the Reuel 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues Q. By what markes may we know those that are not in the truth of the Church A. By their publike sinnes and erroneous faith for we are to flie such people least wee bee contaminated with their sinnes Q. By what things oughtest thou to communicate with the holy Church A. I must communicate with the Church in regard of the substance by Faith by Hope and by Charity and by the obseruation of the Commandements and by finall perseuerance in that which is good Q. How many Ministeriall things are there A. Two the Word and the Sacraments Q. How many Sacraments are there A. Two that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Q. VVhat is the third vertue necessary to saluation A. Hope Q. VVhat is Hope A. It is a certaine expectation of the grace and glory to come Q. By what meanes doe we hope for grace A. By the Mediatour Iesus Christ of whom Saint Iohn speaketh Chap. 1.17 Grace came by Iesus Christ And againe VVe beheld his glory full of grace and truth and we haue all receiued of his fulnesse Q. VVhat is Grace A. It is Redemption Remission of sinnes Iustification Adoption Sanctification Q. By what meanes doe wee hope for this Grace in Christ A. By a liuely faith and true repentance Iesus Christ saying Repent and beleeue the Gospell Q. From whence doth Hope proceed A. From the gift of God and his promises and therefore saith the Apostle He is able to accomplish whatsoeuer he promiseth for he hath promised himselfe that at what time soeuer a sinner shall know him and repent him of his sinnes and hope that hee will haue mercy pardon and iustifie c. Q. VVhat are the things that diuert a man from this hope A. A dead faith the seducing of Antichrist to any other then Christ that is to say to Saints and the power of that Antichrist in his authority words benedictions Sacraments reliques of the dead The teaching men to haue hope by those meanes that directly oppose themselues against the Trueth and against the Commandements of God as Idolatry after diuers manners and Simoniacall wickednesses c. Abandoning the fountaine of liuing water giuen by grace to runne after broken cesterns adoring and honouring and seruing the creature by Prayers and Fastings and Sacrifices Donations Offerings Pilgrimages Inuocations c. Trusting thereby to attaine grace which none can giue but God alone in Christ Iesus So that in vaine they trauell and lose their siluer and their life and doubtlesse not only this life present but that which is to come for which cause it is said that the hope of felons shall perish Q. And what say you of the blessed Virgin Mary For she is full of grace as the Angel testifieth Haile Mary full of grace c. A. The blessed Virgin hath beene and is full of grace in her selfe but not to communicate vnto others for her Sonne only is full of grace to bestow on others as it is said of him And we all receiue of his fulnes grace for grace Q. Doest thou not beleeue the Communion of Saints A. I beleeue there are two things in the which the faithfull doe communicate the one is substantiall the other Ministeriall They communicate in the substantiall by the holy Ghost in God by the merit of Iesus Christ But they communicate in the Ministeriall or Ecclesiasticall by the Ministery duely exercised that is to say by the Word by the Sacraments and by Prayer I beleeue the one and the other of these two Communions of Saints The first onely in God by the Spirit the other in the Church by Christ Q. In what doth life eternall consist A. In a liuely working faith and perseuerance therein Our Sauiour saith Iohn 17.3 This is life eternall that they might know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent And he that perseuereth to the end shall be
of the Gospell by annunciation or manifestation In the Sacraments Sacramentally For the Lord Iesus hath lent or giuen these helpes of the outward Sacraments to the end the Ministers instructing in the faith should so accommodate themselues to humane weakenesse as that they might the better edifie the people by the Word of the Gospell There are two Sacraments The one of water the other of nourishment that is to say of Bread and Wine The first is called Baptisme that is to say in our language the washing with water either of the riuer or the fountaine and it must be administred In the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost to the end that first by the meanes of the grace of God the Father beholding his Sonne and by the participation of Iesus Christ who hath bought vs and by the renewing of the holy Ghost which imprinteth a liuely faith in our hearts the sinnes of those that are Baptized are pardoned and they receiued into grace and afterwards hauing perseuered therein are saued in Iesus Christ The Baptisme wherewith wee are Baptized is the same wherewith it pleased our Sauiour himself to bee Baptized to accomplish all righteousnesse as it was his will to be Circumcised and wherewith hee commanded his Apostles to be Baptized The things that are not necessary in Baptisme are the Exorcismes the breathings the signes of the Crosse vpon the Infant either the brest or the forehead the salt put into the mouth the spittle into the eares and nostrills the vnction of the brest the Monkes Cowle the anoynting of the Chresme vpon the head and diuers the like things consecrated by the Bishop as also the putting of the Taper in his hands clothing it with a white vestment the blessing of the water the dipping of it thrice in the water All these things vsed in the administration of the Sacrament are not necessary they neither being of the substance nor requisite in the Sacrament of Baptisme from which things many take occasion of errour and superstition rather then edification to saluation Now this Baptisme is visible and materiall which maketh the partie neither good nor euill as it appeareth in the Scripture by Simon Magus and Saint Paul And whereas Baptisme is administred in a full congregation of the faithfull it is to the end that he that is receiued into the Church should be reputed and held of all for a Christian brother and that all the Congregation might pray for him that hee may be a Christian in heart as he is outwardly esteemed to bee a Christian And for this cause it is that we present our children in Baptisme which they ought to doe to whom the children are neerest as their parents and they to whom God hath giuen this Charitie Of the Supper of our Lord Iesus Christ AS Baptisme which is taken visibly is as an Enrolement into the number of faithfull Christians which carrieth in it selfe protestation and promise to follow Christ Iesus and to keepe his holy Ordinances and to liue according to his holy Gospell So the holy Supper and Communion of our blessed Sauiour the breaking of bread and the giuing of thankes is a visible communion made with the members of Iesus Christ For they that take and breake one and the same bread are one and the same body that is to say the Body of Iesus Christ and they are members one of another ingrafted and planted in him to whom they protest and promise to perseuere in his seruice to their liues end neuer departing from the faith of the Gospell and the vnion which they haue all promised by Iesus Christ And therefore as all the members are nourished with one and the same viands and all the faithfull take one and the same Spirituall Bread of the word of Life the Gospell of Saluation So they all liue by one and the same Spirit and one and the same Faith This Sacrament of the Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ is called in Greeke Eucharistia that is to say Good Grace of this doth S. Matth. testifie in his 26. Chap. saying Iesus tooke bread and blessed it and brake it and gaue it to his disciples and said Take eate this is my body And S. Luke Chap. 22. This is my body which is giuen for you this doe in remembrance of me Likewise hee tooke the Cup and blessed it saying This cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you This Sacrament was instituted by diuine ordinance perfectly to signifie vnto vs the spirituall nourishment of man in God by meanes whereof the spirituall life is preserued and without which it decayeth the truth it selfe saying If you eate not the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke not his bloud there shall be no life in you Concerning which Sacrament wee must hold that which followeth by the testimony of the Scriptures That is that wee must confesse simply and in purity of heart that the bread which Christ tooke in his last Supper which he blessed brake and gaue to eate to his Disciples that in the taking thereof by the ministry of his faithfull Pastors he hath left a remembrance of his Passion which in it owne nature is true bred and that by this Pronowne This is demonstrated this sacramentall proposition This is my Body not vnderstanding these words Identically of a numerall Identity but Sacramentally really and truly but not measurably The same body of Christ sitting in heauen at the right hand of his Father vnto whom euery faithfull Receiuer must cast vp the eyes of his vnderstanding hauing his heart eleuated on high and so eate him spiritually and sacramentally by an assured faith The same we are to vnderstand of the Sacrament of the Cup. Saint Augustine saith that the eating and drinking of this Sacrament must be vnderstood spiritually For Christ saith The words that I speake are spirit and life And Saint Ierome saith The flesh of Christ is to be vnderstood after a twofold manner either spiritually of which Christ saith Iohn 6.55 My flesh is meate indeed and my bloud is drinke indeed Or it is to be vnderstood of that flesh which was crucified and buried Of the spirituall eating Christ saith He that shall eate my flesh and drinke my bloud is in me and I in him There is also a twofold manner of eating the one sacramentall and so both good and bad doe eate the other spirituall and so the good onely doe eate And therefore saith Augustine What is it to eate Christ It is not onely to receiue his body in the Sacrament for many doe eate him vnworthily who will not dwell in him nor haue him to dwell in them but he eates him spiritually that continueth in the truth of Christ And therefore to eate the sacramentall Bread is to eate the Body of Christ in a figure Iesus Christ himselfe saying Neuerthelesse as oft as you doe this you shall doe it in remembrance of me For if this eating
in their euill wayes and especially with those that smell of Idolatry referring all seruice thereunto and so of other things Encar en qual maniera li fidel debian regir li lor corps Non seruir a li desirier mortal c. Againe in what manner the faithfull ought to rule their bodies NOt to serue the mortall desires of the flesh To keepe their members that they be not armes of iniquitie To rule their outward sences To subiect the body to the soule To mortifie their members To flye idlenesse To obserue a sobriety and measure in their eating and drinking in their words and the cares of this life To doe the workes of mercie To liue a morall life by faith To fight against the desires To mortifie the workes of the flesh To giue themselues in due times to the exercise of Religion To conferre together touching the will of God To examine diligently the conscience To purge and amend and pacifie the spirit FINIS THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE THIRD PART OF THE HISTORY of the Waldenses and Albingenses This Booke of Antichrist is in an olde manuscript wherein there are many Sermons of the Pastors dated the yeer 1120 and therefore written before Waldo and about the time of Peter Eruis who taught in Languedoe where hee was burnt at Saint Giles before Waldo departed from Lion And this Treatise was afterward preserued by the Waldenses of the Alpes from whom we had it with diuers others Contayning a refutation of sundry Doctrines of the Church of Rome As the smoake goes before the fire the battell before the victory so the temptation of Antichrist before glory CHAPTER I. A Treatise of the Waldenses and Albingenses of Antichrist ANtichrist is the falshood or vntruth of eternall damnation couered with an outward appearance of the truth and the righteousnesse of Christ and his Spouse opposite to the way of truth righteousnesse faith hope and charity and to the morall life and ministeriall verity of the Church administred by false Apostles and obstinately defended by both powers Ecclesiasticall and secular Or Antichrist is a delusion which hides the truth of saluation from things substantiall or it is a fraudulent contradiction against Christ and his Spouse and euery faithfull member It is not any speciall person ordained in any degree or office or ministery but it is that falsehood it selfe which opposeth it selfe against the trueth which couereth and adorneth it selfe with beauty and pietie out of the Church of Christ as with names and offices and Scriptures and Sacraments and diuers other things That iniquity that is after this manner with all the Ministers thereof great and small with all those that follow them with a wicked heart and hood-winked eyes this congregation I say thus taken altogether is called Antichrist or Babylon or the fourth Beast or the Whore or the man of sinne or the sonne of perdition The Ministers are called false prophets lying teachers the Ministers of darkenesse the spirit of errour the Apocalipticall whore the mother of Fornication cloudes without water trees without leaues dead and twice rooted vp waues of a troublesome sea wandring starres Balaamites and Egyptians It is called Antichrist because being couered and adorned vnder the colour of Christ and of his Church and the faithfull members thereof it oppugneth the saluation purchased by Christ and truely administred in the Church of Christ whereof the faithfull are partakers by Faith Hope and Charity Thus it contradicteth the truth by the wisedome of the world by false religion by counterfeited holinesse by spirituall power secular tyrannie riches honours dignities and the delights and delicacies of the world Forasmuch therefore as it is manifest to euery one that Antichrist cannot come in any forme or fashion whatsoeuer but so as that all these things aboue mentioned must bee ioyned together to make a perfect hypocrisie and falsehood that is to say with the wise of the world the Religious Pharises Ministers Doctors with the secular power with the people of the world ioyned all together who then altogether make the man of sinne and errour fully compleate For notwithstanding Antichrist were long since conceiued in the Apostles times yet it was then in the infancie and it wanted members both inward and outward And therefore it was the more easily knowne and destroyed and kept vnder and being but rude and rusticall as yet was dumbe For it had not the wisedome nor the reason to excuse it selfe to define and pronounce sentence It had not as yet Ministers without truth it wanted humane Lawes and Statutes and outwardly it had no religious followers And therefore though it were fallen into errour and sinne yet it had nothing wherewith to couer its villany and the shame of errour and sinne for hauing neither riches nor doctations it could not winne Ministers for seruice nor multiply and preserue and defend its owne for it was destitute of secular power and helpe and could not inforce or constraine any from the trueth to falsehood And forasmuch as many things were wanting it could not pollute nor scandalize any with its trumperies and therefore being as yet tender and feeble could obtaine no place in the Church But afterwards growing in its members that is to say in its blinde Ministers and hypocrites and the vassals of the World it is growen to a perfect man in the fulnesse of age that is to say when the spirituall and secular louers of the World blinde in faith were multiplied in the Church with all power These being wicked and willing to be entreated and honoured touching things spirituall they haue couered their maiesty malice and sinnes by making vse of the wise men of the World and the Pharises to this purpose as it is said before Now this is a great wickednesse to couer and to adorne that iniquity worthy excommunâ—cation and to establish it by such a meanes as cannot by man bee giuen to man but belongs onely vnto God and to Iesus Christ as he is Mediator Most deceitfully and by rapine to take these things from God and to transferre them to it selfe and it workes seemes to be a great robbery as when it attributeth to it selfe the power to regenerate to forgiue sinnes to distribute the graces of the holy Spirit to make Christ and other the like things And in all these to couer it selfe with the cloake of authority and of the Word deceiuing by this meanes the rude people who follow the World separating themselues from God and the true Faith and the reformation of the holy Spirit from true repentance and the powerfull operation of perseuerance in good forsaking charity patience humility and that which is worst of all departing from the true hope and putting their trust in the vaine confidence of the World making themselues seruants to ceremonies which make for these things fraudulently causing the people to fall downe and to worship the Idols of the World vnder the name of Saints and reliques in such sort that men
wandring wickedly from the way of truth thinke they serue God and doe well and so they are moued to hatred and malice against those that loue the truth commit diuers murders of soules as the Apostle speakes truly This is that compleat man of sinne which exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God and that oppugneth all truth who sits in the Temple of God that is in the Church shewing himselfe as if hee were God who is come with all falshood and lying for those that perish And forasmuch as he is truly come wee neede no longer expect him for hee is already olde by the permission of God yea he is already in the wayne and his power and authority much diminished for the Lord hath long since slaine this man of sinne with the breath of his mouth by sundry good and godly persons giuing them a power contrary to his and those that loue him and hath brought vnto naught his place and his possessions and diuided this City of Babylon in which all manner of wickednesse is in his full strength and vigour What the workes of Antichrist are THe first worke of Antichrst is to take away the truth and to change it into falsehood and errour and heresie The second to couer falsehood with the truth and to confirme an vntruth by seeming faith and by vertue and to mingle falsehood with things spirituall amongst those people that are subiect vnto him whether it bee by meanes of his Ministers or the Ministerie Now this two-fold manner of proceeding containeth a perfect and most accomplished malice which could not bee in any tyrant or powerfull Potentate from the beginning of the world vntill the time of Antichrist Neither hath Christ had any enemy before this which could so change the way of truth into falsehood or that had power to peruert those that make profession either of the one or the other that is to say of truth or falsehood In such sort that our holy Mother the Church with her true children is trodden vnder-foot especially for the true seruice of God and the Ministery thereof insomuch that shee and her members breake out into those mournefull complaints of the Prophet Ieremy How doeth the Citie fit solitary that was full of people How is shee become a widdow that is destitute of the trueth of her Spouse Shee that was great among the nations because of that power shee had ouer sinne and errour and the Princesse among the Prouinces by that part shee had in the world and the things in the world Mourne and behold with a carefull eye and thou shalt finde all these things accomplished euen in these times For the holy Church is reputed a Synagogue and the Synagogue of the wicked is acknowledged to bee the mother of those that beleeue in God and obey his Lawes Falsehood is Preached for truth wrong for right Iniustice is held for Iustice errour for faith sinne for vertue vanity for verity Obiect But what other workes proceed from these first Answer These that follow The first worke is that hee turneth that seruice and worship which is onely proper and due vnto God to himselfe and his workes and to the poore creature reasonable and vnreasonable sensible and insensible Reasonable as to men hee-Saints and shee-Saints that are departed out of this world Vnreasonable and to Images carrion or reliques His workes are the Sacraments especially the Sacrament of the Eucharist which he adoreth as God and as Iesus Christ seruing things blessed and consecrated and forbidding the worship of the onely God The second worke of Antichrist is that he robbeth Christ of his merit with all the sufficiency of grace righteousnesse regeneration remission of sinnes sanctification confirmation in grace and spirituall nourishment and imputeth and attributeth it to his authority and to the forme of words and to his workes and to Saints and to their intercession and to the fire of Purgatory drawing the people from Christ and his conduct vnto the things aboue-named to the end men should not seeke the things of Christ nor by Christ but trust only to be saued by the works of their hands and not by a liuely faith in God and his Sonne Christ Iesus and his holy Spirit but by the will and workes of Antichrist for so he teacheth that all saluation consisteth in his workes The third worke of Antichrist consisteth in this that he attributeth the renewing by the holy Ghost to an outward dead faith and baptizeth children into that faith and that by it wee haue the Baptisme and the regeneration and therein hee giueth Orders and Sacraments and in it he groundeth all Christianity which is repugnant to the Spirit of God The fourth worke of Antichrist is that hee hath ordained and placed all Religion and Sanctity of the people in the Masse and hath patched together many ceremonies whereof some are Iudaicall some Heathenish some Antichristian To the hearing whereof leading the congregation and the people hee depriues them of their spirituall and Sacramentall food and separateth them from the true Religion and the Commandements of God and withdrawes them from the workes of mercy by his Offertory and by his Masse he setteth the people in a vaine hope The fift worke of Antichrist is that hee doeth all his workes to the end hee may bee seene of men that he may solace himselfe in his vnsatiable auarice that he may make gaine of all things and doe nothing without Simony The sixt worke of Antichrist is that hee giueth way to all open and apparant sinnes without any Ecclesiasticall sentence neither doth hee excommunicate the impenitent The seuenth worke of Antichrist is that hee neither ruleth nor defendeth his vnity by the Word and power of the Spirit of God but by the secular power and hee addeth vnto his ayde things spirituall The eight worke of Antichrist is that hee hateth and persecuteth and putteth to death the members of Christ These are in a manner the principall workes which he doth against the truth for all of them can by no meanes bee written or numbred Let it suffice for this present that wee haue noted the more generall and shall likewise set downe by what workes this iniquity is couered First and principally by an outward confession of Faith whereof the Apostle sayth They confesse they know God with their mouthes but they deny him in their hearts Secondly hee couereth his iniquity by length of time and in that he is maintained by certaine Sages and religious Monkes and Virgins and Nunnes and Widowes and other women of austere life As also by the people without number of whom it is said in the Reuelation And power was giuen vnto him ouer euery Tribe and Language and Nation and all the Inhabitants of the Earth fell downe and worshipped him Thirdly hee couereth his iniquity with the spirituall authority of the Apostles against which the Apostle saith We can doe nothing against the truth and power there is none giuen vs to destruction Fourthly