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 keptvnder 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 ceâ—emonies 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 inso much that shee and her members breake out into those mournefull complaints of the Prophet Ieremy How doeth the Citie sit solitary that was full of people How is shee become a widdow that is destitute of the trueth of her Spause 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
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 Oecolamp and Bucer to George Morrel and Pet. Masson is in the Memor of the said Monel 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 which Christ Iesus hath left vnto vs the one is Baptisme the other the Eucharist which wee receiue to shew what our perseuerance in the faith is as wee haue promised when we were baptized being little infants As also in remembrance of that great benefit which Iesus Christ hath done vnto vs when hee died for our redemption washing vs with his most pretious bloud These Articles being resolued vpon by them astonished the Priests that were amongst them to gather vp the reuenewes of their Cures being out of all hope to see those people reclaimed and brought vnto the obedience of the Church of Rome by any force much lesse of their owne acord and perceiuing the dore to be shut against their gaine they retired themselues without speaking a word Vpon this their retrait the Masse vanished of it selfe in the Valleys of the said Waldenses And because they had onely the new Testament and some bookes of the old translated into the Waldenstan tongue they resolued speedily to send to the presse the whole Bible their bookes being onely manuscripts and those but a few They sent therfore to Newcastle in Suitzerland Suisse See the Ecclesiasticall History of the Churches of France pag. 37 1536. where they gaue fifteene hundred crownes of gold to a Printer who brought to light the first impression of the French Bible which was seen in France and incontinently in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred thirty six they sent to Geneua one Martin Gonin to prouide a large supply of such bookes which he should see to bee fit for the instruction of the people but they were frustrated of their intent because this good man was apprehended for a Spy passing ouer the hill de Gap by a certaine Gentleman named George Martin Lord de Champolion and so soone as hee was knowne to be a Waldensian he was sent to Grenoble and there kept in prison In the booke of Martyrs of our time lib. 3 fol. 111. and afterwards in the night-time cast into the Riuer Lyzere for feare lest hee should speake of his beliefe before the people for the Monke Inquisitor that deliuered him to the secular power told them that it was not good that the world should hare him because saith hee it is to bee feared that they that heare him may become worse then himselfe There happened warres in Piedmont betweene King Francis the first of that name and the Prince of Piedmont which fell out happily for these poore people for so long as those confusions continued they were at quiet vntill Pope Paul the third of that name sollicited the Parliament of Turin to take some violent course against them in doing iustice vpon them as vpon pernicious Heretickes whensoeuer they should bee deliuered into their
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 muft 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 sinall 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 saued Amen A confession of sinnes common both with the Waldenses and Albingenses CHAP. II. O Dio de li Rey Segnor de li Segnor yo me confesso a tu car yo soy aquel peccador que tay mot offendu c. O God of Kings and Lord of Lords This confession is taken out of the Booke of the Waldensec intituled New comfort I confesse my selfe vnto thee for I am that sinner that hath grieuously offended thee by mine ingratitude I cannot excuse my selfe because thou hast shewed mee what is good and what is euill I haue knowne what thy power is and haue vnderstood thy wisedome I haue taken notice of thy Iustice and seene thy goodnesse and therefore all the euill that I haue done proceedeth from my owne corruption O Lord forgiue me and giue mee repentance for I haue contemned thee by my pride and presumption I haue giuen no credit to thy wisedome nor obeyed thy Commandements but I haue trausgressed them all for which I am sorry and much displeased with my selfe I haue not feared thy Iustice nor thy Iudgements but I haue committed many wickednesses euen from my cradle vnto this day neither haue I loued thy groat bountie and goodnesse as I should and as thou hast commanded mee but I haue giuen too great a trust vnto the deuill by the fraile corruption of my nature I haue followed pride and hated humilitie and if thou pardon me not I am vndone so deepely is linne rooted in my heart I am so carried away with the loue of riches and vaine-glory affecting the praise of men that I beare but little loue vnto those to whom by their good deeds I am most obliged If therefore thou forgiue mee not there remaineth nothing for my poore soule but euerlasting perdition Anger reigneth in my heart because I haue not endeuoured to alaye it enuy fretteth mee because I haue no charitie O Lord forgiue me for thy goodnesse sake I am rash lazie and sluggish to doe that which is good hardie and bold to doe euill and more then diligent O Lord vouchsafe mee thy grace that I may not bee of the number of the wicked I haue not shewed my selfe thankefull for that good thou hast done vnto mee and giuen vnto me out of thy loue as I ought and as thou hast commanded mee for I haue beene alwayes by the peruersenesse of my nature disobedient vnto thee in all things O Lord forgiue mee for I haue not serued thee but contrarily I haue greatly offended thee I haue beene too carefull to serue my body and mine owne will in many vaine thoughts and wicked desires wherein I haue taken pleasure I haue blinded my body and exercised my thoughts and imaginations against thee in many wickednesses and I haue sought after many things against thy will Haue pitie on mee and giue mee humilitie I haue cast vp mine eyes to behold the vaine delights and pleasures of this world and I haue turned them away from thy countenance I haue giuen eare to the sound of vanitie and to wicked speeches and it hath beene a grieuous thing vnto me to vnderstand thy
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 were not in figure Christ should be alwayes bound to such a thing for it is necessary that the spirituall eating should be continuall As Saint Augustine speaketh He that eateth Christ in truth is he that beleeueth in him For Christ saith that to eate him is to dwell in him In the celebration of this Sacrament Prayer is profitable and the preaching of the Word in the vulgar tongue such as may edifie and is agreeable to the Euangelicall Law to the end that peace and charity might encrease amongst the people but other things that are in vse in these dayes in the Church of Rome and those that are members thereof belong not at all to the Sacrament What the Waldenses and Albingenses haue taught touching Mariage CHAP. VII MAriage is holy In the Booke intituled The Spirituall Almanacke fol. 50. being instituted of God in the beginning of the World And therefore it is an honourable thing when it is kept as it ought in all purity and when the Husband who is the head of Wife loues her and keepes her and carrieth himselfe honestly towards her being faithful and loyall towards her and that the woman for her part who is made to be a helpe vnto man be subiect to her Husband obeying him in whatsoeuer is good and honouring him as God hath commanded her taking care of his Houshold affaires keeping her selfe not onely from ill-doing but all appearance of euill continuing faithfull and loyall vnto him and both of them perseuering in that which is good according to the will of God taking paines together to get their liuing by honest and lawful meanes wronging no man and instructing those children which God hath giuen them in the feare and doctrine of the Lord and to liue as our Lord hath commanded them Prayer and fasting is profitable when there is question of the celebration of Matrimony and the reasons and instructions and aduertisements touching the same But the Imposition of hands and the Ligatures made with the Priests stoole and other things commonly obserued therein and by custome without the expresse word they are not of the substance nor necessarily required in mariage As touching the degrees prohibited and other things that are to be obserued in matter of Matrimony wee shall speake when we come to the discipline Taken out of the Booke intituled The Spirituall Almanacke What the Waldenses and Albingenses haue taught touching the visitation of the Sicke CHAP. VIII El besongna que aquel que porta la parola de Dio lo nostre Seignor en tota diligenza IT is necessary that hee that is the Messenger of the Word of God should inuite and draw euery one to our Lord and Sauiour with all labour and diligence both by the good example of his life and the truth of his Doctrine and it is not sufficient that hee teach in the Congregation but also in their Houses and in all other places as Christ and his Apostles haue done before him comforting the afflicted and especially those that are sicke He must admonish them touching the great bounty and mercy of God shewing that there can
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 headoreth 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 Ghostto 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 he couereth his iniquity with many miracles of whom the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.9 Whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and with all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse Fifely by outward holinesse prayers fastings watchings and almesdeeds against which the Apostle saith Hauing the appearance of godlinesse but denying the power thereof Sixtly he coueroth his iniquity with certaine words of Christ and the writings of ancient Fathers and with Councels which they doe so farre forth obserue as that they may no way hinder their wicked liues and pleasures Seuenthly by the administration of the Sacraments viz. of Penance by which they disgorge and vomit vp all their errours Eightly by corrections and verball preachings against vice for they say and doe not Ninthly they couer their iniquity by the vertuous life of some that liue dissemblingly others truly For the Elect of God who will and doe that which is good are detained as in Babylon and are as gold wherewith Antichrist couereth his vanity not permitting them to serue the onely God or to put their trust in Christ alone or to embrace the true Religion These things and diuers others are as the mantell or cloake of Antichrist wherewith he couereth his lyes and malice to the end he may not be reiected as a Pagan and vnder which he proceedeth dishonestly and like a whore We are now to shew both out of the Old and New Testament that a Christian is bound by the Commandement of God to separate himselfe from Antichrist For the Lord saith in the 52. of Esay 11. Depart ye depart ye goe ye out from thence touch no vncleane thing goe ye out of the middest of her be ye cleane that beare the vessels of the Lord For ye shall not goe out with hast nor goe by flight c. And the Prophet Ieremy Chap. 50.8 Remoue out of the middest of Babylon and goe forth out of the Land of the Caldeans and be as the hee-goates before the flockes For loe I will raise and cause to come vp against Babylon an assembly of great Nations from the North Countrey and they shall set themselues in army against her from thence shee shall be taken And Numbers 16.21 Separate your selues from among this Congregation that I may consume them in a moment And againe in the 26 verse Depart from the Tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs least ye be consumed in all their sinnes And again Leuit. 20.24 I am the Lord your God and haue separated you from other people Yee shall therefore put difference betweene cleane beasts and vncleane and you shall not make your soules abominable by beast or by fowle nor by any manner of liuing thing that creepeth on the ground which I haue separated from you as vncleane Againe in the 34. of Exodus Take heed to thy selfe lest thou make a Couenant with the inhabitants of the land for feare lest when they goe a whoring after their Gods and doe sacrifice vnto their gods and one call thee and thou eate of his sacrifice And thou take of their daughters vnto thy sonnes and their