of that were for the most part corporall but the commandements of this are spirituall the commandements of that were temporall but of this are eternall that was the law of seruants this of children that was giuen by the hand of man though a holy man this by the hand of the word it selfe of the eternall father and wisedome of God By the excellencie of the law-giuer appeares the excellencie of the law The best wine of the feast was reserued for that Lord whose duety and office it was to turne the cold water of the law into the precious wine of the Gospell c. This studie of the lawe of God and especially of the Gospell of Iesus Christ should be the chiefe studie of all christians by Granatensis iudgement and it is of verie manie their least and last studie Naie the church of Rome hath hidden them from her children as a sharp knife least they should cut their fingers therewith But shee should not haue done so by Granatensis his iudgment In 6. cap. Luc. Stella vpon these wordes And they came to heare him writes thus As the soule of Christ was the instrument of the Deity to worke miracles in the bodies of men so the wordes of Christ were the instrument of the same Deitie to worke miracles in their soules And as it was a wonderfull thing that Christs hand should giue sight to the blinde and should cleanse the Lepour so it was farre more wonderfull that his very word should giue life to dead soules For the words of Christ did not only stirre vp the mindes of his hearers neither did only perswade them as other preachers are wont to doe but they had also such a vertue and power that they seemed euen to compel the hearers that they should doe that which he preached Therefore the words of Christ gaue grace also without the which the minde cannot once moue her selfe to that which is righteous before God And a little after He that is of God heareth Gods word therefore you heare them not because you are not of God Euery one is glad to heare the noble actes of his country-men If any bee a Frenchman hee delights to heare any man tell the noble actes of Frenchmen but if one in the presence of a Frenchman should tell of the noble acts of the Hungarians he would make no account thereof he would giue no eare So by nature euery one delights to heare of the famous actes of his kinred and of his auncestors because hee comes of them But if men chance to talke of those thinges which belong not to his he makes no account of them but he goeth away So they truely which are Gods children delight to heare those things which are of God but they which are not of God but haue the Diuell to their father as obstinate children they delight not to heare Gods word And therefore the Lord said vnto them Therefore you heare not because you are not of God Whose are they then You saith he are of your father the Diuell and therefore you delight to heare his wordes and communication as murmurings blasphemies filthie and dishonest words One of the chiefest signes whereby it may be knowne whether one be predestinate or no is this whether he delite to heare the word of God and sermons For if he delite and take pleasure to heare the word of God surely it is a great argument that he is elected and of the householde and family of God O what a great company is there which are weary of hearing sermons and haue not tasted or sipped of the words of life So there is a great company of them that goe to hell They will haue leasure enough to read prophane filthy bookes wherin is nothing handled but of the world and the flesh but they cannot abide a holy and deuout booke in their handes no not halfe an hower yea if a sermon last aboue halfe an hower how will they goe home murmuring and grudging That now that saying of Paul may be verified of our miserable and vnhappie time There shall come a time when they shall not endure holsome doctrine but they shall heap to themselues teachers according to their owne lusts hauing itching eares and shall turne alwaie their eares from the trueth and shall be giuen to delight in fables Oh that all Christians would acknowledge this mightie power of Gods word which Stella héere teacheth It is as forcible and mighty euen now to heale soules as Christs hand when as hee was here was of force to heale bodies And that if they would apply it often to their soules it would heale all their infirmities Secondly that they would delight to heare Sermons It is the chiefest signe to knowe whether one be predestinate or no and who would not gladly be assured hereof In 6. Luc. And after speaking of the ground of Gods Lawe he writes thus Wherein O good Christ is thy law founded Not in power For thou hast compelled no man to receiue thy faith neither hast thou forced any to embrace thy law Neither is it grounded on naturall reason for although it be not against naturall reason but doth presuppose it yet it is aboue it for it surpasseth all the bounds of reason and goes beyond all the wit of man be he neuer so quicke witted and subtill In what thing therfore is this law grounded Surely onely in his Authoritie for only because Christ hath spoken this therefore we must beleeue it His word must be our only and sufficient warrant in all our actions 2. lib. de Abraham Pat. ca. 5. S. Ambrose verie excellentlie writes of the daily reading of the scripture And that thou maiest know that it is good that the beginning and the ende should agree together good Iesus him selfe hath saide I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende Therefore let our minde be euer with him let it neuer depart from his Temple and from his word let it euer bee occupied in reading the Scriptures in Meditations in Prayers that the worde of him who is in deede may euer worke in vs and that daily we either going to the Church or giuing our selues to prayers at home we may beginne with him and ende with him So the whole day of our life and the whole race of the daie shall beginne in him and ende in him For euen as in the beginning of our life to beleeue in God and to follow him is our saluation so perseuerance to the ende is necessarie And it is the best care that a soule can haue that marking wel the word of God it do nothing against reason wherewith it may be made sadde that euer knowing well what shee doeth shee maie keepe the ioy of a good conscience Here Saint Ambrose puts downe the whole course of a Christians life dailie to studie the Scriptures and to direct all his actions according vnto them De Iacob beat vita 2. lib. cap. 2. And againe he
doth not say the words I haue spoken a little before but the wordes I doe speake are spirit and life and therefore are my flesh For euen as that which containeth a mans spirit and life is his flesh euen so saith our Sauiour that which containeth my spirit and life is also my flesh So that by this short sentence he exhorteth all men to the reading of his word Wouldest thou be partaker of Christs life and spirit then eate his flesh that is read his word muse and meditate therein day and night And no doubt beleeue the saying of thy Sauiour his wordes he hath spoken shall be spirit and life vnto thee Thus we may sée how Ferus doctrine most manifestly agrées with the doctrine of our Sauiour Manie for want of eating of this flesh which feede their bodies daintily with the flesh of fishes and foules at this daie haue faint and pined soules nay dead soules void of the life and spirit of Iesus Christ In Mat. cap. 7. Ferus also of the certaintie of our saluation and of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures writes thus What saith he do men so greatly desire as securitie How much would the Emperor of Rome giue that he might be safe from his enemies How much would euery iust man reioice if he were certaine of his estate if he knewe that he should neuer fall how greatly would euery sinner reioyce if safetie were assured him against death hell But all these things doe Christs words onely performe This saith Ferus But the Romane Correctors in their copie do command to put out onely They are loth that so much should bee attributed to the Scriptures Of the sanctification also of the sabboth In cap. Mat. 22 Ferus hath this notable lesson The chiefest worke of the sabboth saith he is to cease from thine owne workes and to giue place that God may worke his in thee that is faith charitie patience longanimitie chastitie The second worke is that we apply our selues to doe good workes and to meditate in the Law of God to heare the word of God to pray in spirit and truth Especially therefore the word of God is to be heard without which there is no hallowing of it know that this is commanded thee of God that thou heare his word and keepe it and of this he will require an account of thee in the day of iudgement Neither is it enough for thee to heare it once or twise vnlesse thou heare it often The Diuell is euer assaulting thee and thou must euer by the word of God resist him by which alone he is ouercome Againe thou must meditate of the word of God or els thou hearest in vaine And two things especially are to be meditated out of the word of God that is to say our sinnes and Gods goodnesse And by these two as in Iacobs ladder sometime we must descend into our selues and sometime ascend vnto God Thus farre Ferus If this be true how hallowed they the Lords sabboth in the daies of our forefathers when Gods word was neuer or seldome preached to them If this be true that we should meditate on this Law of God then must we know it And here the Romane addition to Ferus detractes from the word of God againe that dignitie which Ferus giues to it By which alone saith he the Diuell is conquered but they blot out alone Of voluntarie religion Ferus writes thus Then In cap. 4. Ioh. their worshippings had not the warrant of the word of God and how can then they be certaine or sure to please God for they onely followed their owne reason and the examples of the fathers For thus they reasoned with themselues If an earthly or fleshly calfe pleased God offered at Ierusalem how much more shall a calfe of gold seeing it is more precious lasteth longer Also if it were lawfull for our holy fathers to worship God in this mountaine why is not the same lawfull for vs But in the worship of God neither mans reason neither the examples of the fathers but Gods word are to be followed Thou shalt not doe saieth he that which seemeth good in thine owne eies but that I command Here Ferus sets downe the only true and certaine ground of Gods true worshippe that is the word and commandement of God Here the reason of man or the examples of the fathers are denied to bee sure grounds of Gods worshippe and yet the Papistes doe builde their faith on these Dom. 1. Sexag Of the Scriptures also Philippus de Dies writes thus The matters which faith teacheth are so excellent that no mans wit be it neuer so sharpe and subtile can attaine vnto them for if it could then it were no faith And therefore to obtaine this faith we must heare the word of God as the Apostle exaggerates saying howe shall they beleeue in him which they haue not heard And after he concludes saying Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And so it appeareth how to the obtaining of faith it is necessarie to heare the word of God Behold how God which is the fruit which we hope for is not obtained without charitie and charitie is not obtained without faith and faith is not obtained without the preaching of the word of God And therefore for the verie great agreement and likenesse that it hath the Lorde called his worde seed What other doctrine doe we teach at this day here in England of the necessitie of hearing and knowing the worde of God In 3. cap. ad Col. Theodore also vpon that place of the Apostle to the Colossians Let the word of God dwell plentiously among you writes thus The olde law also commanded the daily meditation and studie of Gods word Thou shalt meditate in them saith the Lawe sitting at home in thy house rising vp also and lying vpon thy bed and going in thy iourney This thing the Apostle commandeth that we should also carrie about with vs the doctrine of the Lord and that we should praise him and that we should sanctifie him with our tongues with spirituall songs That phrase also in your hearts is as much to say As not in your mouthes onely That same note which the Hebrew text yéelds in that same Psalme we vse daily to repeat is worth marking Psal 95. v. 7. In the Hebrew it is thus Because he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and sheepe of his hands If to day you will heare his voice Here is the full point in the Hebrew text and here endes the verse and not where the common translation appoints it to ende So that then we are his people and shéepe of his pasture Here are great priuiledges such as none could be wished greater such as euerie man would desire to be partaker of But as euery one desires to be partaker of these priuiledges and blessings so let him as well marke the infallible and most plaine
THE TRVE CATHOLIQVE FORMED ACCORDING TO THE TRVTH OF THE SCRIPTVRES and the shape of the ancient Fathers and best sort of the latter Catholiques which seeme to fauour the Church of Rome The Contents vvhereof are to be seene in the Page following Exod. 12.35.36 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moses and they asked of the Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of gold and rayment And the Lord gaue the people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians and they graunted their requests so they spoyled the Egyptians Cyprian lib. 2. Epist 3. And because now his second comming drawes neere his bountifulnesse and the great account that he makes of vs doth lighten our hearts vvith the light of truth euery day more and more Ambros de Abrah pat lib 2. cap. 9. We reade of a fire kindled at the sunne-setting which should lighten the euening of the world and should shine in the darknes and should reueale things which were hidden AT LONDON Printed by PETER SHORT dwelling at the signe of the Starre on Bredstreet hill 1602. THE CONTENTS OF this Booke 1 A Preface to the Reader 2 The true Catholikes Alphabet or A B C. 3 His Pater-noster or Lords prayer 4 His Catechisme or briefe summe of Religion wherein the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist is refuted and the true meanes of the calling of the Iewes is declared 5 His house or the notes and marks of the true Church drawne out of the Scriptures 6 Certaine godly Prayers which dayly he may vse 7 The liues maners of the ancient Christians drawne out of the Scriptures and Fathers To the Christian Reader I Offer vnto thee good Christian Reader in this Treatise the summe of our Religion And if forraine things delight thee as now adayes they do all men most commonly I do offer vnto thee I say our Religion proceeding out of the mouthes of the verie enemies thereof For as the people cried and said in Darius his dayes 1. Esd 4.41 Truth is the greatest and strongest thing of all others Euen so this sentence shall stand true for euer And here thou shalt see that performed in deed which Dauid did but prefigurate that Goliah his head is stricken off with his owne sword 1. Sam. 17.51 And surely if the bodie and the shadow bee relatiues as the Philosophers teach and that euerie shadow hath a bodie then truly Dan in the law may be also a figure of Antichrist in the Gospel Gen. 49.17 2. The. 2.2 and the Madianites of the Papists Dan as his name imports in Hebrew is a Iudge He will vsurpe the office of a Iudge amongst his brethren And euen so doth the Pope this spirituall Dan Leuit. 13.3 Matt. 8.4 He will be a Iudge also by vsurpation he will not iudge only betweene leprosie and leprosie that is betwixt notorious sinnes as the law commanded but he will iudge euerie light disease which the law commands not Hee will not bee iudge onely of those knowne sins which goe before to iudgement 1. Tim. 5.22.24 which Saint Paul bids Timothie that he should take heede of but also of those which follow after He will know the secrets of mens hearts of which Saint Paul saith Iudge nothing before the time 1. Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the hearts manifest and then shall euerie one haue praise of God And is not this to be Dan Is not this to be a Iudge Madian signifies iudging And as hee is Dan so also his armie and souldiers are Madianites they come of Dan that is their name For they take their name of him as the Papists do of the Pope and they shal perish also as did the Madianites Of whose ouerthrow thus we reade Iudg. 7.22 When the three hundreth blewe with trumpets the Lord set euery mans sword vpon his neighbour and vpon all the host which fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah to the borders of Abel-Meholah vnto Tabbah Here first is the small number of the Lords armie the small number of the professours of the Gospell in comparison of the Madianites of Papists Friers Here are also the Lords weapons the trumpets of the Gospell against Madian and their destruction by one of them drawing swords against another Here is to make perfect this victorie and to conquer also Sathan the father of Dan the breaking of pitchers that is the mortification of the flesh Rom. 6.19 Col. 3.5 Matth. 16.24 and of the lusts thereof which Saint Paul so often teacheth and the denying of our selues and the following of him with our crosse on our backes which our Sauiour also commands And they fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah and to the border of Abel Meholah vnto Tabbah Here is that verified which our Sauiour saith of the eternitie of the Scriptures That heauen and earth shall perish Mat. 5.18 2. Tim. 3.16 Rom. 15.4 but not one ioâ—te or tittle of the word of God shall perish And that Saint Paul writes of the excellencie of them That all the whole Scriptures are giuen by inspiration from God And againe That whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning And againe Nowe all these things came vnto them for examples 1. Cor. 10.11 and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Euerie verse and word in them doe edifie and are of force nay they edifie and teach vs And in this one point they surpasse almost all other writings The lawes of Iustinian manie of them are not conuenient for our age nor Galens prescriptions of medicines for our bodies 1. Pet. 1.25 but the word of the Lord is the same for euer The Madianites fled to Beth-hashittah Tsererah as to their castle of refuge and that is in our language to the afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads And do not euen now the Papists so Ierem. 7.4 Do they not crie as the Iewes did The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord So now they The Church of Rome the Church of Rome Is not the continuance thereof so manie yeares and the great glorie of it their Refuge Is not this one of their chiefest arguments But what is Rome Is it not Beth-hashittah Tserarah that is 2. Thes 2.8 that afflicted house now readie to fall on their heads It consumes daily by the Spirit of God as Saint Paul prophesieth that it should do and euerie day is it in declining And ere it belong in one day Reu. 18.8 that is sodainly as Saint Iohn prophesieth shall her plagues come vpon her death and sorrow and famine and she shall be burnt with fire For it is the mightie Lord euen God himself that iudgeth her And she shall fall into that miserable sorow and destruction which here also followeth euen to the very border or lippe as it is in the Hebrew of Abel Meholah
of her fornication She is contrarie to the true Church which teacheth to worship God alone the Creator but this Synagogue hath causâ—d men to drinke of the wine of her fornication that is to worship others besides God and to worship the creatures and this is spirituall fornication And hath not the Church of Rome done so Who seeth it not Hee is onely to bee worshipped according to the truth of the Gospell that made heauen and earth but what Saint or Angell had any fellowship with God in that worke And therefore the Church of Rome in teaching the worship of these is Babylon and therefore she dissenteth most manifestly from the truth of the Gospell And therefore she is that whoore whose fornication is rather in doctrine then in maners Now she being thus manifestly descried the third Angell followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forhead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine that is poured out of the cup of his wrath and he shal be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe c. O terrible sentence for all obstinate Papists which as yet the Gospell being so long and so manifestly preached will worship the image of the beast that is which will acknowledge the Popes supremacie or put their trust in his characters and consecrated creatures For as S. Iohn hath taught before He shall make an image of the Beast Reu. 13.14 that is as the Roman Emperor was Monarch ouer the world so he shall challenge a Monarchy ouer the Church And hath not the Pope done thâ—s God giue all men eyes to see this And here gentle Reader if peraduenture in this Treatise I do dissent in some points from the godly brethren I must desire thee to beare with me patientlie I dissent not with a contentious mind but with a mind longing and searching for the truth and according to my simple Talent deliuering it to thee and to thy iudgement Our dissensions are as diuers boughes proceeding from the same roote of the tree and as diuers arrowes shot out of the same quiuer aiming at the same marke shot against Babel Thou which art endued with Gods Spirit Ierem. 50.14 Rom. 8.9 1. Cor. 2.15 and art Iesus Christs iudge charitably who comes neerer the marke condemne not any Gods souldiers are commanded to shoote not on one side against Babel but round about her I vrge the fasts of Wednesdayes Fridayes and of Lent which the Fathers and the Primitiue Church solemnly obserued Who as they were not superstitious in these their fasts as the Papists were so they were not so curious in the numbring of the dayes of Lent as wee are They fasted about fortie dayes which was called of them Quadragesima and euerie weeke the fourth and sixt day not superstitiously but religiously to studie the Scriptures and to came the flesh The which fasts I vrge now againe in our dayes to rouse out of the sleepe of security the men of our age which eate and drinke as the men did in the dayes of Noe Luke 17.27 of whom our Sauiour giueth vs warning to beware least we perish with them I wish that all men would watch in their priuate prayers and that publike prayers also might be early in the morning which times of praying are both agreeing with the Scripture and to the Primitiue Church I commend the signe of the Crosse as an holy signe which diuers godly learned men haue thought to be that signe of the Sonne of man which shall appeare before the day of iudgement whereof mention is made in the 24. of Saint Matthewes Gospell If that sword of Goliah that killed him were kept reuerently lapt vp in a cloath and that in no obscure place but behind the Ephod in the Tabernacle Why should not that sword which killed the true Goliah indeed which vaunted himselfe against all Israel I meane the Crosse with which sword the diuell had thought to haue killed our Sauiour Iesus Christ 1. Sam. 21.9 1. Sam. 17.10 and wherof that other Goliah was but a shadowe bee had in reuerence in Christs Church amongst vs Christians And here we may note also that the Ephod may signifie Christ as the signification of the name it selfe may seeme to import which signifies to put on aboue or to couer ouer all And all Christians must put on this Ephod aboue all their other garments of their good works be they neuer so perfect And in this respect also they may bee called Kings and Priests Then Goliah his sword must not be placed before the Ephod or lapt vp with the Ephod but lapt vp in a cloath behind the Ephod So the Crosse is not to be made equall with Christ as the Papists haue made it but to be placed behind the Ephod lapt in a cloath that is as a reuerend and sacred thing to be accounted of So that this estimation of the signe of the Crosse for there is a mutuall relation betweene the signe and the thing signified makes nothing for Popery As concerning the testimonies of the Scriptures which concerne these points of doctrine which are handled in this Treatise in some places I alleage them not because I haue handled them else where in the exposition of the Epistle of Saint Iude. And I haue here alleaged the sayings of manie of the Romish Writers whom they call Catholikes In translating of whose sayings I protest I haue vsed as great faithfulnesse as can be and that I haue many times stucke so vnto the letter that I haue lost the grace of the sense Thus fare thou well good Christian Reader and the Lord Iesus giue thee a right iudgement and vnderstanding in all things Thine in the Lord FRANCIS TRIGGE Faults escaped amend thus Pag. 25. line 36. for sonne read sum of all Hammashe p. 94. l. 8. merit r. mercie p. 96 l. 37. put out onely pag. 103 in margin Dom. 18. post c. r. Dom. 8. pag. ibid. l. 33. works r. worlds p. 133. adde in margin De orat med die Lunae p. 148. l. 31. r. that they may c. p. 160. l. 25. now r. not p. 161. l. 11. adde saith p. 163. l. 20. after declared r. often deceiued p. 174. l. 4. meanes r. names p. 187. l. 30. the r. this p. 227. in margin cap. 40. r. cap. 4. p. 242. lin 5. It is not r. Is it not p. 247. l. 26. count r. cannot p. 255. in margin adde Ferus in Acta Apost cap. 1. p. 293. lin 33. caried r. cured p. 307 l. 8. dele foure p. 326. l. 4 dele the first in p. 342. l. 13. â—o r. to p. 370. l. 36. as r. is p. 441. l. 29. r. Lash vak 462. l. 21. r. Banah p. 577. l. 8 r. Stater p. 585. l. 3. r. out of their c. p. 586.
is commanded vs. Also by this word he taught that we should seeke all good things from him and by him for it is a most true saying No man ascends c. And againe the same Ferus writes thus Who that he might spare his seruant Ibidem would whippe his owne sonne But God that he might spare his enemies and them who were vnthankefull to him gaue his sonne to death He hath giuen vs his righteousnesse merits yea and whatsoeuer he hath done or suffered And therefore wee may glorie of them as if they were our owne which thing only can preserue vs from desperation Thus farre Ferus If we haue Christ with all his merites giuen vs what néede we anie more what neede we anie merites of Saintes out of the Popes treasure then to satisfie for our sinnes And after the same Ferus writes thus But thou wilt say Christ is now absent from our eies how shall we lay holde on him I answere he is not laide hold on saith he by the hand of the body but by the hand of the hart which is faith Therefore in only Christ by the faith of thy heart thou shalt finde sufficiencie and aboundance because he alone brought with him God himselfe with all his goods This faith in Christ maketh not ashamed because Christ is truth And therefore Esay saith All that beleeue in him shall not be confounded For faith directed aright neuer confoundeth This word therefore teacheth that God is both top and toe the beginning and ending of our saluation the Author and the finisher thereof I am Alpha and Omega saieth he c. And to the same effect Ferus writes on the Preface of Matthew Haue that euer before thine eies of Esay A childe is borne vnto vs and liued for vs and died for vs and that which is more is giuen vs with all that he hath Therefore when thou hearest Christ to haue done or suffered anie thing thinke that same Christ with that he hath done or suffered to be thine insomuch that thou maiest bragge thereof as of thine owne for he needed not to be incarnated or circumcised he needed not to fast pray or suffer but hee hath giuen all these thinges to vs we stand in neede of them For our merites are not sufficient For they are like a defiled cloth of a woman Therefore thou must say O Father I acknowledge that I am nothing but I know that Christ hath done this not for himselfe but for me c. But some will saie then whereunto serue our good workes if Christs merites be sufficient Ferus answereth a little after Haue care saith he that of the truth of God thy faith may be nourished and of his mercie thy hope and of his goodnesse thy loue and of his iustice thy feare Behold saith he these are the exercises of a Christian life For what doth God require els but that thou shouldest feare him Here we maie plainlie sée how Ferus still makes our workes not merits but dueties and exercises of our Christian life God will not haue vs idle or vnprofitable or vnthankefull to him And after the same Ferus writes thus The wise men shewed their inward deuotion of their mindes In cap. â— Mat. by their outward falling downe for our outward worship is without superstition when it proceedes from the inward So the children of Israell hearing that God had respect to their afflictions fel down flat on the earth so we also are prostrated by this acknowledging our selues to be nothing but dust and we arise againe acknowledging that our saluation is only of the grace of God Thus Ferus writes in the Text in the Copie printed at Paris but the Corrector in correcting the escapes in the printing at Rome biddes put out onely the Papists will not acknowledg with Ferus that our saluation comes onelie of the grace of God Apoc. 7.10 but partlie also out of our owne merites and workes But all the true Saintes of God with Ferus acknowledge their saluation to come of the Lambe Genes 38.18 This was prefigured in the law by manie Types and shadowes Thamar requireth of Iudah as a pledge of his loue his Signet his Cloake and his Staffe The same pledges of his loue hath our true Iudah Iesus Christ giuen to vs that is the signets or seales of his Sacraments the cloke of his righteousnes the staffe of his holy spirit By the strength where of wée may passe thorow all the waues and flouds of this world 2. King 2.11 This was that which was prefigured long before also in the ascension of Elias who left his double Spirit and his Mantle to his Scholler Elizeus so our true Elias Iesus Christ who by his own power hath ascended into heauen who as it were a shadowe of him the other Elias did ascend hath left to all his Disciples to all his faithfull seruantes his double spirit his two Sacraments and the mantle of his righteousnesse Of him it is truelie saide that hee hath put on righteousnesse as an Habergion Esay 59.17 and an helmet of saluation vpon his head This Habergion of his righteousnesse and this mantle and this shield of faith hee hath left to all his faithfull seruantes and souldiours And by the strength of these they are able to stand against all the assaultes of their enemies and to quench all the fierie darts of the diuell Dominic 1 in Septuagesima Philippus de Dies also writes thus concerning this matter Our heauenly Redeemer saith Know that your saluation dependeth of my onely will and pleasure and this is his predestination that shal be saued wherefore let no man be exalted though he come early into the Vineyard neither despaire â—hough he come late so that hee come for if he come early he owes me more then I owe him saith God for I helped him that hee might come early and I am the Lord who may do whatsoeuer pleaseth me And this is better and more profitable for men that euery one be sober and watchfull considering I receiued the theefe from the Crosse and dismissed Iudas from my Table and Dish And so Saint Augustine saith that men how to knowe how to liue well it is the gift of God And man owes more to God because he doth good works in his seruice then God owes to man because he does them And so this glorious saint sayth The works of man they are the gifts of God And if any shal say O Lord I fast recompence me for my fasting the Lord may say to him again yea rather pay thou me because I gaue thee grace and helpe that for me thou mightest fast Another sayth Lord recompence me because I haue giuen away all my goods for thy sake Another Lord recompence me for in thy seruice I haue beaten and chastened my body Another saith I haue beene a Virgine or martyr for thy sake Another because I haue endured so many tribulations To whom the Lord
Pintus As this precious stone of it selfe caries a Maiestie and glorie with it it needes not the helpe or skill of man to polish it So much lesse the scriptures They glorifie themselues their authoritie is their owne maiesty And no doubt as in the handling of them of which Pintus seemes here to speake so also in the discerning of them Who requires a witnesse to prooue that the sunne shineth Here the thing it selfe is a sufficient witnes So the scriptures by their owne Maiestie especiallie beare witnesse to themselues To Infidelles perchance which neuer knewe nor read the Scriptures the authoritie of the Church maie bee an Introduction to beleeue them as that woman was to the Samaritanes to beleeue in Christ c. But after they shall haue once read them and hauing also well meditated vpon them day and night and laid them vp in their harts Ioh. 4.42 Luk 2.51 as Mary did the words of Simeon and Anna they will then saie as the Samaritanes also saide to the woman Now we beleeue not because of thy saying For wee haue heard him our selues and knowe that this is indeede that Christ that Sauiour of the world So they will also saie of the Churches Testimonie Pintus of reading the holie scripture writes thus Pintus in 3. cap. Ezech. All holie Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach In all mens Books may errours be found be the Author thereof neuer so wise nor neuer so learned for euen as in a fruitfull field sometimes amongst holesome hearbes grow those that bee hurtfull so mens wittes sometimes amongst holesome counselles yeeld also manie errors The heathen Philosophers although setting apart all priuate and publike actions they gaue themselues wholy to search out truth yet they haue committed to writing their own vaine deuises and innumerable vanities For All men are liers as the Psalmist sayeth What shall I speake of the vnprofitable fictions of the Poets The Poets sing of strange but not credible matters If sometimes they affoorde vs any thing that is good they mingle it vvith a thousand lyes But all the holy Scripture is true all to bee read all to be searched all to be deuoured As they which digge mettalles doe not lose the least scrappes but if so bee that they find any mine of gold they diligently search after euery vaine and they take out the earth also with the Gold and they are very circumspect so wee must doe in the holy Scripture we must passe ouer nothing we must not make light account of one word of the holy Scriptures yea we must be much more desirous and diligent in searching out this treasure and wee must endeuour to bring all to light For here is no earth mingled with gold it is all most pure gold tried to the vttermost yea as the Psalmist saith Aboue thousands of gold and siluer In the holy Scriptures because God is the author of it Who can neither be deceiued nor deceiue anie whatsoeuer is written is truth whatsoeuer is taught is vertue whatsoeuer is promised after death is immortality and euerlasting felicity The word of God giueth light and directs vs the way to heauen for the diuine Psalmist saith Thy word is a lanterne to my feet Therefore all that loue God desire to heare it therefore saith Christ our God He that is of God heareth Gods word And in Saint Lukes Gospel Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it O woonderfull reliques being so precious and in the world so little esteemed If we make great account of the garments of the saints and if we reuerence some parts of their garments and that rightlie because they touched their bodies how much more ought wee to esteeme the words of Christ which issued from his heart by his most blessed mouth and touched both his tongue and his lippes They are all heauenly full of holinesse breathing heauenly mysteries Moyses beganne his booke from the generation of the creatures but Saint Matthew began his from the generation of the creator saying The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. And after This booke is the Chronicle of Iesus Christ this is his testament what sonne will not reade the Testament of his father who is it that wil not giue good heed to his fathers last wil This new Testament is an infinit treasure which can neuer be spent of heauenly wisdome and celestial treasures And after The word of God ought to be in our hands that we might neuer forget it but it cannot be in our hands vnlesse it be first in our heart and therefore before God saith My words shall bee in thy hand he saith They shall be in thy heart He that will not fall into sinnes let him keepe Gods words in his heart The holy Prophet would teach vs this in these words I haue hid thy words in my heart least I should sinne against thee He loued the word of God so greatly that as a most precious treasure and most excellent Iewelles he kept them laid vp in the closet of his heart And Salomon in the Prouerbes speaking of the law of God Bind it saith he alwaies in thie heart and compasse it about thie necke and when thou walkest let it go with thee As in the arke of the Testament was the law of God manna as the holy scriptures do record in many places So in the soule where the word of God is kept Christ that hidden and heauenly manna is there by his grace of whome Esay saieth Truelie thou art a hidden God And the same Christ in Saint Iohns Gospell saith I am the liuelie bread that came downe from heauen In that soule which is refreshed with this heauenly food is the law of God written not with inke that I may vse Saint Pauls words but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in Tables of stone but in the fleshie Tables of the heart Saint Paul saith That those which haue the law of God imprinted in their mind that they shew the worke of the law written in their hearts And these obey and loue GOD whereof the truth it selfe saith in Saint Iohns Gospell If anie man loue me he will keepe mie saieng And in Saint Lukes Gospell Blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it For as saint Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes saith Not the hearers of the law are iust before God but the doers thereof shall be iustified And saint Iames saith in his Canonical Epistle Be ye doers of the word not hearers onelie deceiuing your owne selues Euen as he which will make an assault vpon his enimies or defend himself from them stands need of a sword the which being taken in his hand he may strike them that he may obtaine the victory So he that will triumph ouer the world the flesh and the diuell the most cruell enemies of the soule he must carie in his hands that is in his works the word of God
night in the word of God For by this exercise the soule is fed with the knowledge of the trueth and the will with the loue and sweetnes of it And when as the vnderstanding and the will are as it were two principall wheeles of a clocke that is of a life that is rightly gouerned if they moue in order and as they ought all the whole worke and whatsoeuer dependes thereon shall be perfectly ordered In this holy reading a man seeth his wants he resolueth his doubts he findes remedies to keepe in store against tribulations there are good counsels also afforded him there he learns many mysteries he is strengthened by the examples of vertues and he learnes the profit that comes by them And therefore Salomon so highly commendes it in his Prouerbes Keepe saith hee my sonne the precepts of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Binde them in thy heart continually and knit them about thy necke When as thou walkest any whither let them go with thee and when thou sleepest let them preserue thee and when thou awakest talke with them because the commaundement is a lanterne the law a light and the nurture of discipline the way of life Thus farre Granatensis Where he plainely condemnes that position of other Papistes that the reading of the scripture is daungerous Nay hée condemnes that which in their blind kingdome when as Gods word was banished they allowed that is the reading of vaine Histories as of Beuis and such like That saith he is most dangerous The author also of that booke called the Resolution agrees with Granatensis herein Who is there now adaies saith he which maketh the lawe or commaundement or iustifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditation Part. 1. ca. 2. as king Dauid did Neither onely in the day time did he this but also by night in his heart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs doe passe ouer whole daies and monethes without euer entering into these meditations Nay God grant that there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditatiōs meane We beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our Christ ā faith as that there is a Hell a Heauen a reward for vertue a punishment for vice a iudgement to come and an account to be made and the like but for that we chew them not well by deepe consideration and doe not digest them well in our hearts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more then a preseruatiue put in a mans pocket can helpe his health c. This author besides that he commends the continuall studie and meditation of the scriptures séemes to mislike with that generall faith knowledge which the Church of Rome teacheth we must not beléeue in grosse saith hée but we must particularly muse vpon and applie the things to our selues Ferus also of the princely authoritie of the scriptures writes thus And here thou feest the great boldnes of trueth Only trueth can say Fer. part 2. pass I feare no man No other doctrine is so perfect that it can say so besides that which God hath reuealed in his word And after he writes thus That Christ suffered all other iniuries with silence besides this blow on the face which the high Priests seruant gaue him He replies to that saith Ferus least that he should thinke that it were not lawfull to reprooue princes with the word of God whereas the word of God spareth no bodie It is the iudge of all men c. If the word of God be the iudge of all men then of the Pope hee must submit himselfe vnto it he cannot dispense with it The same Granatensis also De deuor Lib. 1. cap. 44. of the authoritie of the scriptures writes thus The controuersies that arise about trust or credite of bargaines betweene man and man and of ecclesiasticall decrees commaundements the Maisters and Doctors of that facultie know best And those same spiritual matters also are diligently to be examined that we may see if they agree with the rule of the diuine scripture He makes the holy scripture the rule of spirituall matters Granatensis also in another place yéeldes this excellent testimonie to the scriptures Med. 7. vitae Christi Mat. 2. And as these men speaking of the wise men made no account of this wisedome and of the argumentes of the flesh after that they saw a contrarie witnesse and testimonie giuen them in heauen so neither must thou thinke that the iudgements and opinions of the world to be of any force when as thou seest the word of God and the most holy gospell to teach the contrarie Let the world reproue and let it gainesay as much as it listeth the words of God let all the wise men of this worlde storme against it let them alledge olde customes let them oppose the examples of Kings and Emperours all these are but vapors and smoke neither are they of any force against the worde of God and his holy gospell and his heauenly wisedome And after Where art thou which art borne King of the Iewes the lawe of all deuout men the captaine of all miserable men the sight of all blind men the life of the dead and the euerlasting saluation of them that shall liue for euer And a fit answere followes In Bethlehem Iudah Bethlehem is expounded to be the house of bread and Iudah confessing For there Christ is found where after the confession of our faultes the bread of the heauenly life that is the doctrine of the gospell is heard mused vpon and kept in a deuout mind that it may be practised in deed and also may be declared to others There the child Iesus with his mother Mary is found whereafter sorrowfull contrition and fruitfull confession the sweetnes of heauenly comfort is tasted sometimes amongst streames of teares where praier him whom she founde almost in despaire now leaues reioysing and presuming of pardon c. And in another place he writes As concerning the first we must consider that it ought to be the chiefe and most principall exercise of a christian that he should meditate in the lawe of God and in the doctrine of the commandements And therefore among the commendations of a iust man this is one of the chiefest that he should meditate in the law of God day and night Med. 11. vitae Christi And the kingly Prophet in his Psalmes doth almost euery where make his boast of the loue which he had to the law of God and that he daily meditated in it And that the wordes of God were more sweete to him then hony and the hony combe If it were so delectable and pleasant to that most holy King to reade meditate and studie the words and precepts of that olde law how farre more pleasant should the reading and meditation of the words of the Gospell be to vs All the commandements
and proud persons which will examine all things at their owne pleasures without the faith of the Church may plucke in their combes he addeth hast thou seene these things Who denie the sufficiency of the scripture but the Church of Rome who will teach all things with the finger of reason but that synagogue As their doctrines of the supremacy fréewill reall presence inuocation of saints do plainly declare Ierome of the scriptures writes thus to Eustochium In praef Esai Thou compellest me O Christian virgine Eustochium to passe ouer now to the Prophet Esay and to performe that to thee which I promised to thy mother Paula while she liued Therefore I pay both to thee and by thee to her that which I doe owe obeying the commaundements of Christ who saith search the scriptures And againe seeke and ye shall finde least I should heare with the Iewes you erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God For if according to the Apostle Paul Christ be the vertue of God and the wisedome of God and he which knowes not the scriptures is ignorant both of the vertue of God and of his wisedome the ignorance of the scripture is the ignorance of Christ Eustochium a virgine was so in loue with the scriptures that she compelled Ierome to write his commentaries vpon the Prophet Esay And shall not our women studie know and loue them The ignorance of the scriptures is the ignorance of Christ as Ierome heere plainely auoucheth how can it be then the mother of deuotion as the Papistes affirme In cap. 16. Io. Of the sufficiencie of the scriptures Ferus writes thus I haue as yet many things to say vnto you That which he said before seemes contrarie to this Whatsoeuer I haue heard of my father I haue declared vnto you But they are not contrarie For first that which he saies I haue declared vnto you he takes the preterperfect tense for the future tense for the certaintie of this doctrine which is a familiar thing in the writing of the prophets As when as Esay saith He was wounded for our iniquities which notwithstanding chanced long after Compare this doctrine with the Rhemists doctrine Then Christ also in trueth hath reuealed all things vnto vs necessarie for our saluation because hee hath preached the Gospell which is the fountaine of all trueth For whatsoeuer the spirit hereafter hath reuealed to the Church proceeded our of this fountaine So that trueth which the holy Ghost reuealed in the first councell of the Apostles that is that circumcision and other legall ceremonies were not necessarie to saluation came not from any where else then from the gospell where Christ plainely shewes that we haue saluation through faith in him and not of the workes of the law So that trueth that the sonne is consubstantiall to his father which appeared in the Nicene Councell against Arrius issued out of the gospel for although that word Homousion or consubstantial be not found in the Gospell yet there are found there other wordes of as great force as I my father are one Héere we may note first that that place I haue many things to say vnto you by Ferus a papists iudgement makes nothing for traditions or vnwritten verities Secondly that the holy Ghost reuealeth to the Church no new or straunge doctrine but that which is contained in the scriptures whereas other papistes affirme that the holy Ghost doth reueale doctrines to the Church besides the scriptures which are as firmely to be beleeued as those which are contained in the scriptures Lastly that that same doctrine of Christes equalitie with God his father Ferus acknowledgeth to be gathered out of the scriptures And after vpon the same wordes he writes thus I haue as yet many things to say to you The Apostles had forgotten many things and many things they did not vnderstand aright many things also Christ had spoken obscurely the which might be drawen into a wrong sense the which after chanced in the heretikes Therefore the holy Ghost was necessarie for them which might bring into their memories those things they had forgotten and should lighten those things they vnderstood not and should giue the true meaning of all obscure sayings Therefore this word may be referred to the whole gospell as though he shoul say although I haue taught you many things yet you neede further instructions for the causes now mentioned He shall speake all things which he shall heare that is which truely are and indeed stand fast and haue authoritie in the scriptures deuising nothing of his owne peruerting or misconstruing nothing heere we may learne what is to be preached taught in the Church or else we shall heare that I speake not to them and yet they prophecied Héere we may plainely sée what doctrine Ferus would haue taught and preached in the Church onely the scriptures and such as the holy Ghost doth drawe out of them In cap. 14. Ioh. not any vnwritten verities or traditions of the Church or inuentions of man And in another place he writes thus of Christ I am the way of life the trueth of doctrine and the life of saluation all men desire the way the trueth and the life These are not any where found certaine or sure sauing in Christ In cap. 2. Mat. And of the excellency of the scriptures he writes thus As in the latter daies the word of God came clad with flesh into the world and it was one thing that was seene and another that was vnderstood the sight of the flesh in him was apparant to all men but the knowledge of his diuinitie was giuen but to a few and to his elect so the word of God and the spirit is couered with the vaile of the letter The letter is looked vpon as the flesh and the spirit lying hid within is perceiued like the deitie And as the sheepheards being taught of the Angels knew Christ in his ragges and simple swathling clothes who otherwise would neuer haue beleeued that that childe was Christ although they had seene him a thousand times his clothes were so base of no great cost So the letter of the Scripture is plaine and it seemes often to speake of matters of no waight Therefore vnlesse we be lightened from aboue it doth not seeme that we should finde Christ in them Ferus here doth not make the Scriptures a bare or dead letter as some other Papistes doe but a liuing letter vnder which being read and studied Gods spirit lieth hid euen as vnder Christs flesh his diuinitie Oh wonderfull force and maiestie then of Gods words Oh that all Papists would confesse thus much and beléeue it It would make them reade the scriptures And herein Ferus agrées with the doctrine Ioh. 6.63 euen of our Sauiour himselfe who saith That the wordes which I speake are spirit and life which saying of his is to be referred to all the Scriptures of the Gospell For he
that they came out of the land of Egypt in the moneth of Abib when corne waxed ripe and began to be eared And this God wils them here to remember And surely no doubt for our learning and instruction That we also should come out of Egypt in the moneth Abib when as the Lords corne shall waxe ripe when as the doctrine of the Gospell shall growe to perfection when as the séede of the Gospell shall not now be newe sown as it was in the daies of the Fathers but now shall be eared and be comed to perfection Mat. 13 26.30 Mar. 4.28 and be readie for the reapers to thrust in the sicle and reape it into the Lords barnes As our sauiour teacheth The earth bringeth out of her selfe first the blade then the eare and after the full corne in the eare Such like is the growth of the seede of the worde in the Church I would to God all Israelites which nowe amongst vs belong to the Lord would remember this moneth Abib when we shall come out of the spirituall Egypt as the other Israelites came out of that corporall Egypt the Lords corne shall waxe ripe and shall growe to perfection Manie Israelites obserue not this They will haue the ceremonies and rites which the Fathers obserued euen now to be obserued still as though corne being greene and like grasse had not the hoses or huskes belonging to it which it being now ripe do wither away and fall downe as nothing which in the beginning grew aloft and flourished Surely this lesson the moneth Abib must teach vs the Lordes corne is now waxen ripe and therefore wee must not looke for those rites and ceremonies those hoses or huskes which in the beginning when as the Lords corne was greene the Fathers tolerated or perchance made great account of that part of the corne which in the spring flourished most and grewe aloft is now become withered and quite fallen to the ground The true worshippers as our sauiour teacheth worship the father in spirit and trueth Io. 4.23 And the name of the whore of Babylon is a mysterie as saint Iohn sheweth vs Reue. 17.5 that is she is full of ceremonies and mysteries Wee are made partakers of Christ if we keepe and holde fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.14 That is the beginning of our confidence our vnderpropping that is of our faith as Chrysostome expounds it euen vnto the ende That is asmuch to say as if wée kéepe fast the faith in the beginning taught and preached They that holde not the beginning of their firmitie and first faith haue lost their part in Christ The traditions of men will not warrant it them as saint Paul also writes to the Galathians O ye foolish Galathians Gal. 3.1 who hath bewitched you that you should beleeue another Gospell Euen then Sathan began by little and little to chaunge the Gospell of Christ to bring in his traditions and so to make the first Christians to loose their benefit in Christ let vs beeing warned by their example beware this his sleight Ferus of the markes of the true Church writes thus In 2. cap. Mâ—â— That also is the true Church which the starre declares that is where the word of God is taught and raigneth and where they liue according to the word of God and where all things are done according to the word of God and of Christ in what corner of the earth soeuer it be The new Testament saith Ferus is nothing else but a manifestation of those things which were sealed vp in the old vnder the rude letter vnder diuers figures The which thing is excellently declared vnder the figure of a booke sealed which none could open but the Lambe that was slaine and hereof it came to passe that the Apostles in their preachings opened the scriptures and hence it is that Christ wrote nothing but preached by worde of mouth that which was conteined in the olde lawe And also sewe of the Apostles wrote any thing And if any of them did write they would onely teach things that were contained in the olde If this be true then the scripture which the Papists cal traditioneÌ„ is not of like force with that which is scripta or written Secondly then the traditions which we are to beléeue are commended to vs in the worde of God and are the same that are contained in the written word of God For such traditions onely the Iewes were commaunded to obserue As we read in Ieremie Stand by the waies Ier. 6.16 marke and enquire of the auncient waies which is the good way and walke in it and you shall finde comfort for your soules But the traditions of the fathers besides the word were vtterly forbidden them as we read in Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Iudah and for foure I will not turne Am. 2.4 but because they haue cast away the lawe of the Lord and haue not kept his commaundementes Their lies caused them to erre after which their fathers haue walked Sée how the following of their fathers steppes could not iustify them neglecting or making light account of the law of the Lord no traditions of fathers besides are warranted them So saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians That they should keepe the traditions which they had learned eyther by word or by Epistle 2. Thes 2.15 That is no doubt such traditions as either were written in other parts of the scripture or were agréeing to the worde written How greatly soeuer the nature of man delightes in traditions in the seruice of God yet our Sauiour telles all men plainlie They worship me in vaine Mat. 15.9 teaching the doctrines and commandements of men God will be worshipped of all his according to his own commandements All other worshippe be it neuer so statelie or costlie is vaine worship and displeaseth God Then by Ferus iudgement that doctrine which is not contained in the olde Testament vnder some type or figure is not to be beléeued in the newe And then as the olde Testament condemned all traditions besides the lawe written so that from that the Iewes might not depart neither to the right hand nor to the left so doth also the new Testament In cap. 4.30 The same Ferus of the worship of Christians writes thus The true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and truth Waye saith he our worship according to this rule and see whether it be not more like Iewish then Christian worshippe Nay be sure that thou art not as yet a true worshipper although thou obserue al outward things neuer so exactly vnlesse thou worship God in spirit and truth How manie euill worshippers were then in the daies of our forefathers by his iudgement in the midst of Popish darknesse In. cap. 16. Mat. Also Ferus writes thus of this matter There is nothing more pestilent then euill doctrine and therefore Christ doth shadow it by
what doe we answere to this We thinke it not meete that that manner of speech which hath obtained the name of a custome among them should be accounted for a rule and canon of true doctrine Let vs both stand to the iudgement of the holy scriptures inspired by God and amongst whome are found opinions agreeing to the diuine Oracles let the sentence of truth bee pronounced on their side What can be plainer then this Custome must not be the canon and rule of truth in doctrine but Gods worde and they which haue that on their side let them haue the victorie The like offer now we make to the Paâ—â—â—ts But that booke of S. Basill is of Erasmus suspected to be forged and that not without iust cause as the most Reuerend Father in God the L. Byshop of Winchester in his booke called The difference betweene Christian subiection and vnchristian rebellion hath verie learnedly prooued Of Christes doctrine Ferus writes thus Fer. de pass part 2. and he quite ouerthrowes the verie ground of Traditions Christ proueth saieth he the truth of his doctrine by two arguments First that he neuer taught secretly but openly For he that doth euill hateth the light but he that doth the truth comes to the light Secondly he giues his hearers leaue to iudge I saith he spake openly in the world in secret I spake nothing that I would haue kept secret or not come to light yea he plainly coÌ„manded his Apostles That which I tell you in darknes preach you in the light He told his Disciples many things alone but for no other cause then that others were not able to comprehende them For whatsoeuer Christ hath taught he will haue it published and made knowne to all least any should excuse himselfe And hereof Saint Paul saith If our Gospell be hidde it is hidde in those that perish For in truth Christ speakes openly in the world euen now wisedome cries in the streets Therefore no man can iustly excuse himselfe of ignorance And this also is most true that he taught in the Synagogues and Temple of the Iewes where all were wont to assemble themselues yea not onely in the Temple and in their Synagogues but in ships and hilles Luke 6. and plaine fields That is publikely where men most commonly mette together therfore they can haue no excuse Therefore at another time he said vnto them If I had not comed and spoken vnto them they had had no sinne c. This quite ouerthrowes the Popes Religion Christ will haue his doctrine knowne to all and the refore he frequented common places They goe about to kéepe it in secret and thinke it not conuenient that all shoulde know it Againe he deliuered all things openly and nothing by tradition secretly Lib. 5. Eccles Hist ca. 2.4 Eusebius also of Traditions writes thus Not onely saith hee of the day of Easter is the controuersie but also of the manner of fasting for some thinke that the fast ought to be kept but one day some other but two daies other moe daies some fortie daies so that counting the howres of the day and night together they make a day which varietie of obseruations began not in our times but long before vs of them as I suppose who holding not surely that which was by tradition deliuered in the beginning haue eyther by their negligence or vnskilfulnesse afterward falne into another custome Héere we may learne that traditions are no safe and sure kéepers of trueth as the papists would make vs beleeue How soone had they lost the true tradition of fasting which the Apostles practised euen in Eusebius daies And shall wee nowe in the ende of the worlde grounde our faithes vpon traditions Ier. de ord Eccle part 3. c. 9. Saint Ierome also concerning the authoritie of Bishoppes and Elders in the Church writes thus If any of vs could know the custome of the time past I would proue that which I say to haue beene obserued euer and to haue beene obserued when as the Apostles preached in the Church And after by the spite of certaine some things were corrupted and some things were presumed Héere Ierome affirmes that what was done in the Apostles times he could not then certainly learne much lesse we nowe Such an vncertaine rule in matters of faith tradition is And Austen also of Antichrist writes thus But what is the cause of the delaie that he may be reuealed in his time you do know De ciu del lib. 20. ca. 19. that which he said that they knew he would not vtter And therefore we which know not which they knew desire to come to the knowledge of that which the Apostle ment with great labour neither can we attaine vnto it because that those things which he added haue made the sense also more obscure for what meanes this nowe the mysterie of iniquitie worketh let him onely that now holdeth holde till he be taken out of the waie and then that wicked one shall be reuealed I plainely heere confesse my selfe to be ignorant what he hath said yet I will not keepe close the suspitions and surmises of men which I haue read or heard concerning this matter In Austens daies that tradition which was deliuered by saint Paul to the Thessalonians concerning Antichrist a most great and weightie matter was forgotten and doe we thinke that till our daies the Church hath kept traditions of lighter matters inuiolably Irenaeus to Florinus an heretike writes thus I saw thee Euseb lib. 5. Eccle. hi. ca. 19. when as yet being but a childe I was with Policarpe in Asia who then didst verie well whilest as yet thou remainedst within the Emperours palace and didst studie to please Policarpe For I remember farre better the things which were done then then they which are done now because those things we learne wheÌ„ we are children grow vp in vs with our minde and doe cleaue fast vnto it Wherefore also I can tell thee the place wherein Policarpe did sit when as he did dispute and also his manner of going his countenance the maner of all his life and also his apparell and also his sermons and discourses he made to the people and also howe he liued with Iohn and how he was wont also to tell of others which had seen the Lord and also how he remembred all the words which the Lord spake which he had heard of them and of his miracles and doctrine and yet notwithstanding he reported all these agreeing to the scriptures the which things I then of the mercie of God which he vouchsafed to bestow vpon me hearing attentiuely and diligently did write not in papers but in my heart and which thinges by the grace of God I yet keepe faithfully and doe as it were chew them ouer againe with my selfe without ceasing I take God to witnesse and in his sight I affirme vnto thee that if that blessed Apostolical man Policarpe had heard any such matter as thou
conclude this matter for of miracles I shall haue an occasion to speake hereafter Ludouicus Viues a Papist writes thus of Legenda aurea Lud. Viu de caus corr art lib. 2. The French men saith he write of the French and the Italians of the Italique and the Spaniards of the Spanish and the Germans of the German and the English men of English affaires and some others to please some other countrey And the Author thinkes that he hath sufficiently plaied his part if he haue commended as much as he can that nation he respects not the truth of the matter but the glorie of the countrey Neither in the writings of the acts of the Saints is there any greater regard of truth in which all things ought to be exact and absolute Euerie one wrote their actes as he was affected towards them so that the Authors affection indited the historie and not the truth How vnworthy of the Saints and christian men is that historie of the Saints which is called the Golden-Legend which I cannot tell why they call it golden when as it was written of a man hauing an yron mouth and a leaden heart what thing can be named more dishonourable then that booke Oh what a great shame is it to vs christians that the most famous actes of our Saints are not more truely and sincerely committed to memorie either for the knowledge or imitation of so excellent vertues as were in them when as the Greeke and Roman writers haue written so diligently of their captaines Philosophers and wise men Thus much Ludouicus Viues affirms He smelled Satans sleights in these matters He was not ashamed to confesse his blacknesse and that euen the most part of their Legends are lies I could wish that all true Catholiques would doe the like and marke well what S. Paul teacheth that Antichrist shall come by the working of Sathan 2. Thess 2.9 with all power and signes and lying wonders in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Let all true Catholiques hate all lies whatsoeuer though they be in their Legend and loue Gods word which is truth it selfe Psal 119.142 Osorius of the Iewes writes thus De Sap. ◠lib. We haue not as yet touched the greatest euill wherewith they are afflicted and what I pray you is that you will saie vnto me their raging madnesse by which they hauing forsaken the studie of the law and the Prophets they haue gotten vnto themselues other learned helpes Search the Scriptures saith the Lord himselfe for they beare witnesse of me That this thing which Christ commands the Iewes might not easily doe Sathan by his sleight and subtiltie deuised that they despising the study of the holy Scriptures might spend all their life in studying of poysoned and hurtfull doctrines The Greeke and Latine Poets faine many things but yet wittily and finely not to deceiue any but to delight from whose fables many things may be verie fitly applyed to our maners and to our life but the Iewes inuent and coine such things which haue no delight in them at all For they are verie absurd and foolish not beautified with any eloquence of wordes or of speech which they haue committed to writing not that they might delight the mindes but that they might intangle them with errors For they say that God did not make perfect the heauens and that the light of the Moone was diminished for her pride enuie And that our first father Adam before Eue was created had copulation incestuously with all other beasts and that all other trees when as he had transgressed the Law of God did lift vp aloft from him both their leaues and fruits least he should take any commoditie by them and that only the figge tree because she was guiltie of his offence for it was the fruit thereof they say which our first parents did taste against Gods commandement did yeeld to them her leaues wherewith they might couer their priuie parts c. Such vanities Sathan deuised for the Iewes to kéepe them occupied withall when as they forsooke the studie of the Scriptures And hath he not done the like in the Popes kingdome When the studie of the scriptures was neglected as before hath béen shewed This Osorius confesseth and wee haue by experience prooued true And after he writes thus Thus much onely I will say when as Mahomet in his Alchoran hath fained many things not onely impudently and wickedly but also foolishly and blockishly yet in many places the Iewes in the monstrousnes and impudencie of their fables haue gone beyond Mahomet So that Mahomet being compared to them may seeme to bee some bodie And yet these Maisters of the Rabbines are read and learned and with these wicked disciplines as Esay prophesied their youthes are intangled and these are imprinted into them in their tender yeeres as Gods testimonies Surely the like maie wee saie of the monstrous lies and fables which Sathan deuised in time of Popery and were giuen to be taught children in steed of Gods worde as were the fables of Beuis of Hampton Valentine and Vrson Houleglas Clyme of the Clough and such like Surely all these like apples grew of the same trée came no doubt from that father of lies and from that prince of darkenesse Sathan And being saith he delighted with these studies they despise the studie of the law of God and they verie seldome take the Prophets into their hands and they place the chiefe wisedome nowe in this shoppe of madnes rashnes and wickednes And doe not manie euen so amongst vs who will seeme religious They will delight to heare a plaie or to reade some vaine historie but the Lawe of God they will not take in their hands But saith Osorius as concerning the maners and dealings of their liues with what errors and wickednes doe they pollute the puritie of the lawe For that they expound the law that it is necessarie that he which is condemned of the greater part of the iudges shall suffer punishment But he that is condemned by the sentences of all the iudges shall be acquited And he that shall go about to kill a Citizen by false witnesse shall die but he that shall kill one shall be absolued As though the purpose of hurting without taking effect were worthy of punishment but hauing obtained his purpose were worthy of praise It is also lawfull for them by the decrees of their Rabbines to defraude Christians of their money to take their liues from them to beguile any nation to inuent crafts and deceits to wish a plague day night to the innocent c. With such corruptions and false expositions of the law is that doctrine stuffed which they call Talmud which professeth that it obserueth the letter of the law verie diligently And doth not the Pope so expound Gods law that yet if anie man kill another he maie dispense with
neglecting these do teach vs to seek for righteousnes remissiō of sinnes through a vaine rash confidence Behold saie they here there is Christ The which is in truth to seduce for these things are to be founde no where else then in the Catholike Church his spouse by Christ Thus the Romane edition enterlaceth and addes to Ferus They doe mislike that righteousnes and remission of sinnes should be obtained from Christ and by Christ They will haue as should séeme our owne workes and their sacraments of pardones ioyned with him and their Church For that they meane by the Catholique Church This they would force Ferus to teach which he neuer taught But Ferus in his true originall concludes this matter thus Christ therefore meanes in these wordes that wee should hope or looke for no other Christ but him that is that we should seek for righteousnes saluation remission of sinnes of him alone nothing regarding if the false prophets taught any other thinge Secondly of these wordes thou hast taught thee that Christ is tyed to no place outward shew peculiar kinde of worshippe or state of men that he should be found there alone and no where else otherwise all men must be forced to goe to one place or to be of one trade He is not bounde to Ierusalem nor to any other Citie that there all men should finde him neyther that he should bee founde of any other but of him that went thither Christ may be founde in euery Citie and in euery state and trade of mans life which is not repugnant to the word of God There are two things to which he hath bound himselfe wherein he hath foretold that he may be found that is to saie his word and his sacraments annexed to his worde There thou shalt finde Christ in deede neither is hee a false Prophet that sendeth thee thither Thus farre Ferus Where wee may note that to teach men to séeke for righteousnes in any other thinge then in Christ is to looke for another Christ is to denie Christ to becomed in the flesh And therefore is to be a disciple of Antichrist Though they séeme neuer so much to reuerence Christ with their toongs if they beleeue not with their hearts that he is such a Christ as the gospell teacheth that he alone is our righteousnes they are of Antichrist Secondlie if we will haue Christ we must séeke him in his word He is tyed to no place but to it How greatlie then did they beguile our forefathers which taught them to goe a pilgrimage to vndertake great iournies to séek Christ at Ierusalem and other places and in the meane time negelectd and neuer regarded his word Surelie they taught men the wrong waie to finde Christ if this be true that Ferus taught which is most true No nor if Christ bee not tied to any one state of men more then to another then not to their Friers as they bragge he is more then to anie other kinde of men If this doctrine had been taught our forefathers I thinke they would not haue bestowed their landes vpon Frieries and Monasteries as they did Lastlie whereas Ferus saith that Christ is only tyed to his word and sacraments annexed to his word the Romane edition leaues out Annexed to his word as though there might be sacraments not annexed or grounded vpon the word of God As in truth manie of their sacraments are Againe Ferus vpon these words Let them that be in Iewrie flie vnto the hilles writes thus But whither must we flie To the hils to the higher places As he did which saide I haue lift vp mine eies vnto the hilles from whence commeth my helpe And also In thee O Lord haue I put my trust I shall neuer bee put to confusion And I haue lift vp my soule vnto thee Happie is hee that hath fled to the hilles he shal be safe in deede Ferus heere by these hilles meanes heauen and that we must trust onelie in God as is most manifest by the scriptures he alleadgeth The Romane edition addeth Wee must flie vnto the hilles that is to the Catholique Church And to the superior places as he did shal said I haue lift vp mine eies vnto the hilles c. They would haue men trust in their Church as should séeme And so they abuse both Ferus meaning and the Scriptures he alleadgeth which cannot be referred to the Church but to God alone Gagneius vpon that place of S. Peter Babylon Coelected writes That the Greeke scholia and al other interpretors doe interprete Rome to be Babylon which he so calles for the confusion of their Idols Where we maie note first that Peter makes himselfe equall with other elders calling himselfe Compresbyterum that is a fellowe elder in his former epistle And in this his second epistle If Babylon be Rome as Gagneius séemes to affirme he makes it equal with other Churches calling it Coelected that is equallie chosē of God with other Churches And what prerogatiue then can either Peters successors or the Church of Rome challeng Secondlie if by al interpretors iudgments as Gagneius affirmes by Babylon Rome is vnderstood then no doubt this séemes to giue a light to S. Iohns Reuelation foreshewing where that Babylon should be which he should prophecie of For all the scriptures are as a golden chaine one linked within another and like that strange whéele Exechiel sawe A wheele appeared on the earth by the beasts hauing foure faces The fashion of the wheeles and their worke was like a Chrisolite Eze. 1.15 and they foure had one forme And their fashion and their worke was as one wheele in another wheele This strange whéele no doubt represented the gospell The scriptures agrée altogither S. Peter and S. Iohn did meane one Babylon And that former is Rome by Gagneius and all interpretors iudgments And surelie the second also Who will now then if he doe but marke these two places conferred togither for in scriptures one place expoundes another looke for anie good from thence Againe if Peter had béene made head of the Church by our sauiour he had sinned in not taking that power and authoritie vppon him in debasing himselfe and making himselfe equall with other pastors In 1. cap. Luc. Stella saith That it is humilitie to accept any honour offered of God And it were pride to put any let or hinderance vnto it How then did not Peter here by Stella his iudgment offend in pride in putting a stoppe or hinderance to that authoritie which our sauiour had giuen him when as he makes himselfe equal with other pastors That place of S Paul which they alleadge for the authoritie of the Church of Rome ouer all the world I thanke my God thorowe Iesus Christ for you all because your faith is published thorowe the whole world In 2. cap. Luc Stella expounds That is in manie places Stella also of the obedience to the ciuill magistrate writes thus That wee
Christian against Antichrist These things haue I written vnto you 1. Ep. 2.26 as concerning those that deceiue you and the annointing yee haue receiued of him abideth in you so that no man needeth to teach you any thing no not Elias nor Enoch We may note here how that he armeth the faithfull onely with the Scripture and the holie spirit against Antichrist and that they neede no other armour And againe I write vnto you children Verse 14. that you haue knowne the father I write vnto you fathers that you haue knowne him that was from the beginning I write vnto you young men that you are strong and the word of God dwelleth in you The worde of God is the knowledge and light of olde men against Sathan and his sonne Antichrist and the strength also of young men to wrastle and encounter with them both and with this they being strengthened they are able to ouercome them Saint Paul also speaking of Antichrist and of his members which by and by after his departure should succéed in the church saieth thus Act. 20 24. I knowe this that after my departure shall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you not sparing the flocke and from amongst your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to drawe away the Disciples after them Therefore watch ye remembring how by the space of three yeeres night and day I haue not ceased to warne euerie one of you And now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you further then I haue as yet builded you and to giue you an inheritance amongst all those which shall be sanctified Here Saint Paul teacheth that Wolues shall succéede in the Church and no doubt these were the members of Antichrist Against these as a faithfull Pastor he commits his shéepe to God and to the word of God which is able to build them further naie to preserue them safe and sound from all errors and dangers in the wildernesse of this worlde and to bring them euen to heauen if so be that they shall follow onely the direction of it And here also we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God it is a bottomelesse pitte no man can euer come to the depth thereof so that of it that saying of Saint Austen is verified So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures that I should euerie day profit in the study of them Aug. ep 3. if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I should learne them hauing neuer so much leisure studying neuer so earnestly and hauing neuer so good a wit they are still able to build further This testimonie Saint Paul and Saint Austen yéelde to the worde of God and what néedes Maister Bellarmine then to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch as necessarie to preserue the elect in the faith as though the worde of God were not sufficient Our Sauiour himselfe in the Gospell teacheth the same doctrine and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie rising againe frō the dead whosoeuer they are in points of saluation Luk. 16.31 They haue Moses the prophets saith Abraham the father of the faithful if they will not beleeue them neither wil they beleeue if anie arise from the dead againe no if it were Enoch and Elias This lesson Abraham by our sauiours testimonie hath taught all his children and yet by Maister Bellarmine his iudgement the faithfull must looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preserue them in the faith Esay also opposeth the word of God against all doctrines of dead men whatsoeuer Esay 8.20 Should not a people enquire of their God From the liuing to the dead will you seeke To the lawe and to the testimonie Psal 119.105 The lawe and the testimonie must be a light to our feet our counsellers in all controuersies and doubts as also they were Dauids Chrysostome vpon Matthew writes thus of Antichrist and of the onely way to bewray him Then that is Chrys Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat. when Antichrists kingdome shall come they which are in Iewrie let them flie vnto the hilles These things are to be vnderstood spiritually thus Then when you shall see the abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place that is when you shall see a wicked heresie which is the host of Antichrist standing in the holy places of the Church at that time they which are in Iewrie let them flie to the hilles that is they which are Christians let them get them to the Scriptures For as the true Iewe is a Christian as the Apostle saith not he which is a Iew openly but he which is a Iew in secret so christendome is true Iewrie whose name signifies confession or thanksgiuing and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apostles of which hilles it is said Thou wonderfully giuest light from the eternall hilles And againe of the Church he saith the foundations are vpon the holy hilles And why doth he command all christians at this time to get them to the scriptures Because at that time since that heresy hath taken place in the Church there can be no other proofe or triall of true christianitie nor any other help for christians which thē would know which is the true faith but the holy Scriptures Before by many meanes it might be shewed which was the church of Christ and which was the heathenish Synagogue But now they which will know which is the true Church can know it by no meanes else but onely by the Scriptures And after Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confusion of all things should be in the latter daies therefore he commaunds that Christians which would be sure to know the true faith should flie to nothing else but to the Scriptures Here we maie first learne what Antichrist is not a Deuill incarnate as the Papists imagine but a wicked heresie which shall take possession in the Church nay in the beginning of that Homily he saith That when as all heresies are as it were the host of Antichrist yet especially that which shall take vpon it the face and roume of the Church Quae obtinuit ecclesiae locum stetit in loco sancto ita vt videatur quasi verbum veritatis stetisse cum non sit verbum veritatis sed abominatio desolationis id est exercitus Antichrists qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas à Deo which hath borne the shew of the Church so that it seemed to haue continued in the holy place as the word of truth when as it is not the word of truth but the abhomination of desolation that is the host of Antichrist which shall make many mens soules destitute of God And dare anie man then venture his saluation vpon the bare name and shewe of the Church He saith here plainlie that Antichrists heresie shall haue the roume and shewe of the Church Therefore it is dangerous onely to relie vpon
any signes for God hath sufficiently yeelded to our infirmitie that in the beginning of the law and gospell he adioyned to his word certaine signes as seales by which we might be assured that they were the word of God But now he will not at our pleasure giue any more signes but he will haue vs beleeue his word For we walke not by sight but by faith And hereupon he saith to Thomas Blessed are they which haue not seene and yet haue beleeued Therefore not without cause he condemnes those which as yet seeke for signes For first not to beleeue without signes is against the nature of faith For faith is a substance of those things which are not seene but are hoped for Secondly not to beleeue without signes is iniurious to God as though he could either deceiue or be deceiued Thirdly it is daungerous to giue more heed to signes then to the word of God it selfe for the diuell can shew signes the which thing we see in the enchaunters of Egypt Hereof also Moses forbiddeth that no credit should be giuen to the Prophet doing miracles and in the meane while teaching against the law because miracles cannot make the false word true but seduce rather but if they be annexed to the true word they confirme and seale vs the more in the truth Lastly faith conceiued by miracles is not so constant for they which beleeue not because of the word but by reason of miracles oftentimes fall into incredulitie in the time of tribulation neither continue stedfast in faith as we may see in the Israelites who verie often when as the miracles ceased fell a doubting Againe he writes thus Then we may safely beleeue miracles if the doctrine agree with the word of God which they teach that they are done in Christ And againe of the ends of miracles he writes thus God hath annexed miracles to his word Fer. in 3 ca. act as it were certaine seales by which we should be assured that they were not the words of man but of God which we see confirmed with such great signes which belong onely to God to doe for which cause Christ did not onely miracles himselfe but gaue his Apostles also power to do the same as also in times past to Moses and the Prophets Thus much Ferus Therefore miracles of themselues if they be separated from the word are of no force to establish anie doctrine 13. Of Apparitions of spirits AGainst Appearing of spirits Ierome writeth thus Ierom. in 8. ca. Esai This you ought to know that euerie nation asketh counsell of their owne Gods and enquires of the dead for the liuing but to you he hath giuen his law for to helpe you that you may say The diuination of the heathen is not such which often deceiueth the worshippers And not like ours which without any gift is drawen out of the law of God And after No maruell if you follow your traditions when as euerie nation asketh counsell of their Idols speaking of the Scribes and Pharisées following the traditions of their fathers Therefore we will not aske counsell of you being as it were dead concerning the liuing God hath rather giuen you a law and the testimonie of the Scriptures which if ye will not follow you shall haue no light but euer darknes shall oppresse you May we not say the like of the Papists who followed the apparitions of spirits and the traditions of the elders Saint Bernard also asketh a question of the blessed Virgine of whom it is said that she cast in her mind what that salutation should meane Oleast in 2. ca. Gen. And why she should suspect talking with an Angell and he answereth wilt thou O man be in daunger without care feare then securitie it selfe Wilt thou be safe and sure from the diuell then feare Angels from heauen Thou hast heard that Sathan hath transformed himselfe into an Angell of light that he might deceiue man Thus much Oleaster alleadgeth out of Bernard I would to God they themselues had followed this holy fact of the blessed virgin who at the first suspected the Angell that appeared to her and that they had not giuen credit to the apparitions of Angels nor of the Saints No nor to the blessed virgin her selfe or of the soules of any departed of whom they haue learned most part of their religion Sathan may seeme a saint the blessed virgine nay euen an Angell of God Beware therefore how thou at all beléeuest such apparitions least thou be deceiued Looke rather to Moses and the prophets according to thy Sauiours counsell then to these doubtfull apparitions And after Why O woman dost thou lie saying God hath forbidden both to eate and touch the tree when as God onely forbad the eating thereof Note heere that he calleth it a lie to adde to the commaundement of God though it seeme religious as not so much as to touch the trée This Eue might seeme to haue said of a deuotion that she bare to the commaundement that she would not so much as touch the trée But that had béene superstition that had béene more then God commanded she might lawfully haue touched the tree And many such superstitions beside the word Eue the mother Church of Rome vpon a good intent for deuotion bringeth now into the Church Stella also of Reuelations writes thus Simeon beleeued the scriptures which spake of Messias and after he had Reuelations Stell in 2. Luc. Hereby we are taught that they are worthy to haue Reuelations shewed them which beleeuing the scriptures obtaine those things which they beleeue and doe them Secondly that those Reuelations are certaine which doe not dissent from the Scriptures Thus farre Stella I would to God they had examined all their reuelations and apparitions by this rule of the scriptures then the papists by lying spirits had not béene so often deceiued as they haue béene Of the nature and sleights of the diuell In orat dom Ludouicus Viues hath verie excellently writen thus Thou O Lord art onely good and whatsoeuer thou hast created are good because thou art the creator of them But he that is thy continuall enemie the diuell is naught and wicked He is thy enemie and therefore also ours because thou accountest vs for thy children He can hurt thee by no manner of meanes but he can and is willing to hurt vs diuersly and he is euer readie to destroy vs neuer sleeping his opportunitie And which of vs in any respect is able to resist him for if we deale with him in strength he is most strong neither is there any power found vpon earth as Iob saith that may be compared vnto him If by pollicie he is most craftie he will counterfait loue fauor to thee whose destruction aboue all others he longeth for and to whom euery minute he imagineth mischiefe Nay also he will seeme to beare a faire shew as that he alloweth truth and vertue which he hates most deadly and he will
of them yet oftentimes carelesnesse and forgetfulnesse will creepe into our minds therefore he preferres the prayer which a good Christian is able to make of himselfe by such words as the holie ghost shall put in his minde before anie such prayers made of others Cap. 4. be they neuer so deuout And the same Granatensis writing of certaine hymnes made by one Ieronymus Vda saith thus These three hymnes of the trinitie are to be commended to euerie person in this kind and his other hymnes to others which being well vnderstood and deâ—outly repeated and considered are as it were most sweet Mannâ— to our soules making them fit to taste heauenly things So that theâ— all their hymnes being not vnderstood by his iudgement are worth nothing And again of praier he writes thus In the power of this Lord meaning Iesus Christ let vs come to the throne of grace with great confidence being assured that whatsoeuer we shall aske in his name we shall obtaine it This is the chiefe condition which our petition or prayer ought to haue ioyned with it that it may be of force with God as saint Iames saith that is to say faith and sure confidence which ought chiefely to be grounded not in our selues or in our owne works or merits but in the merits of Christ Iesus and also in the infinite goodnes and mercie of God which can be ouercome by no kinde of wickednes and chiefely on the truth of the word and promises of God who through the whole scripture promiseth that he will neuer forsake them which turne to him with their whole heart call vpon him and haue all their hope most assuredly reposed in him Although thou hast beene hitherto a most grieuous sinner yet thou must not therefore be discouraged for as Saint Ierome saith sins that are past do not condemne vs if now they do not please vs. By which words we may plainly perceiue how greatly they are deceiued who waighing their owne wants and infirmities doe despaire of the mercie of God as though God would not heare them if so be they pray vnto him And they do not consider that the principal foundation of this confidence are the merits of Christ the mercie of God and the truth of his words which is as it were a shield as the kingly Prophet saith Compassing about all them that trust in him No sinner by his iudgement ought to dispaire though his sinnes be neuer so grieuous but ought boldlie to come to the throne of grace and what néedes then the intercession of saints Therein he erreth that he makes the mercie of God and the merits of Iesus Christ but the principall and not the onelie foundation of our confidence when as Dauid saith Thou O Lord alone makes me dwell in safetie and securelie what foundation can man haue of confidence or securitie beside this Againe of the excellencie of the name of Iesus in another place he writes thus Thy name is like oyle powred out without all doubt there is a great resemblance betwixt oyle and the name of the bridegroome and therfore the holy ghost not in vaine hath compared the one of them to the other And I say for three properties of oyle because it giues light it feeds and it makes soft if you can yeeld no better reasons then these It feeds the fire it nourisheth the flesh and it asswageth paine Therefore it is light meat and medicine Behold now the same things in the name of the bridegroome It giues light being preached it feeds being studied vpon and being called vpon it lenifieth and asswageth And let vs briefely runne ouer euerie one of these Whereof I pray you sprang so great and so sodaine a light ouer all the world but by the preaching of the name of Iesus Neither is the name of Iesus onely light but also meate are you not so often comforted as you thinke vpon it what makes so fat the minde of him that museth often thereon as it doth what makes our senses so quicke strengthens the powers of our soules makes liuely or good and honest our conuersation cherisheth our chast affections All the meat of the soule is drie if it be not basted with this oyle It is vnsauorie if it be not seasoned with this salt If thou write any thing it doth not please me vnlesse I read Iesus there If thou dispute or conferre it pleaseth me not vnlesse Iesus sounde there Iesus is honie in the mouth musicke in the eare and ioy in the heart but it is also phisicke Is anie amongst vs sorrowfull let Iesus come into his mind and let it leape vp into his mouth and behold as soone as you shall name him light shall spring all clouds shall be disperst and faire sunshine shall appeare Doth anie man fall into sinne nay doth he runne by despaire into the snare of death If he shall call vpon this name of life shall he not by and by begin to breath againe and recouer life What euer accustomed heardnes of heart fainthearted cowardlines cancred malice or slouthfull idlenes was euer able to abide to appeare before this glorious name who had euer the fountaine of teares dried vp and calling on the name of Iesus did not burst out againe more plentifully and flowed more sweetly Who euer now quaking and trembling in daungers this name of power being called vpon did not by and by receiue courage and repell all feare Who euer wauering and boiling in doubts calling vpon this glorious name receiued not forthwith most assured resolution and certaintie Who euer discouraged in aduersitie and euen nowe fainting if hee once but named this name of helpe lacked strength And to this thing the Lord himselfe inuites vs when as he saith Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Nothing so bridles the rage of anger asswageth the swelling of pride heales the wound of enuie stoppes the streame of ryot quencheth the flame of lust slakes the thirst of couetousnesse and vanquisheth that tickling itching of all vncomlinesse For when I name Iesus I set before mine eies a most meeke man humble and lowly in heart courteous sober chast mercifull and famous in all vertue and holinesse and the same also God omnipotent who heales mee with his example and strengthens me with his arme Therefore I take from him examples to follow as he is a man and helpe to leane and trust vnto in all my troubles as he is God these as Apothecaries stuffe this as the strength and vertue of them And I make thereof such a confection as no Physition in the world is able to make This electuarie thou hast O my soule hid laid vp as it were in the box of this name Iesus most holsome truely which is of power and force against all thy plagues and infirmities Let this boxe be euer in thy bosome euer at hand that all thy thoughts and actions may alwaies be directed to Iesus
hast giuen me before the world was made He that is about to go to the dwelling place of Christ to the glorie of his heauenly kingdome ought not to weepe or lament but raâ—â—â—r according to the promise of the Lord according to the faith of truth in his passage and translation to reioice Here we maie plainly see the faith and hope of all Christians at their deaths in Cyprians daies They died ioyfullie without feare and care in as much as they were sure they went to God This was the common receiued opinion of the Catholike Church then This doctrine Cyprian by reuelation was commanded to preach The latter reuelations which the Papists bragge of which teach a doctrine contrarie to this it is likely they were not of God And after Cyprian writes thus We must consider beloued brethren and often thinke that we haue renounced this present world and that we liue here as strangers and pilgrimes let vs embrace that day which appoints euerie man to his home which taking vs hence and deliuering vs from the snares of this world restores vs againe to paradise and to the kingdome of heauen who being placed in a farre countrey will not make haste to returne into his owne countrey who making haste to saile to his friends would not wish for a prosperous winde that he might sooner embrace his dearly beloued friends We account now Paradice for our country we begin now to haue the Patriarkes for our parents why doe we not make haste and runne that we may see our countrey that we may salute our parents In 1. ad cor c. 3. Primasius also S. Austens scholler vpon that place of S. Paul writes thus And euery mans worke what it is the fire shall proue If any mans worke shall abide that which he hath builded vpon he shall receiue a reward that is saith he either the examination of the last iudgement or present affliction which is compared often to fire He makes mention here of no fire of purgatorie which if it had béen the faith once giuen to the Saints he would not haue béen ignorant of nor vpon the exposition of this place here omitted it In cap. 9. Mat. Iansenius of that place of S. Marks Gospell writes thus The Lord said that the eie or hand offending is to be cut off but because that cannot be done without paine he addeth euerie one of Gods elect and chosen which will please God must be seasoned with the fire of afflictions And after Because we haue need of wisedome circumspection and discretion it is necessarie that one may beware of offences that he neuer giue any offence or take any he addeth And euery offering must be seasoned with salt And after he concludes thus As no oblation according to the prescription of Moses is lawfull vnlesse it passe thorow the fire and be seasoned with salt so whosoeuer will be a spirituall sacrifice which is acceptable to God it is necessarie that he be purged and tried with the fire of tribulations and as it were preserued to saluation and that he also be seasoned with the salt of the wisedome of the Gospell lest he be corrupted with the contagion of the wicked or by his owne infection he infect and giue offence to others but that rather by his soundnesse he may take corruption from others Héere we may learne how that Iansenius expounds that fire and falt whereof Saint Marke speaketh of the doctrine of the Gospell and of the fire of afflictions in this life and not of the fire of Purgatorie To which fire some other Papistes would wrest that place Petrus Berchorius writes thus Where Christ buildes his Church the sound of a hammer or hatchet is not heard Berch moral in 3. lib. Reg. ca. 4. no punishment or griefe is felt because for a suretie the stones that is the saints which are the matter of the temple are first in this world hewen by tribulations and engrauen and made square by vertues Therefore when they ascend thither they shall be troubled no more but shall be placed in Gods sanctuarie in rest This world by his iudgement the quarrie that is the forrest here all the stones and timber for Gods heauenly temples are squared and hewed after this life they are placed in the building and they do rest Ferus also writes thus Furthermore therefore also faith is said to saue because by it we are incorporate into Christ and are made his members and one bodie with him In 3. ca. Io. but Christes bodie and members shall not be iudged neither can be iudged or damned yea they shall iudge others No not into Purgatorie For is not Purgatorie a sentence or iudgement Gregorie also teacheth the same that Berchorius hath taught Salomons temple saith he bare an image of this citie In Psal 4. penitent meaning the Church In the building whereof with stones there was not the noise of a hammer heard without For we which shall remain in these holy buildings we are knocked as yet without doores by afflictions that hereafter we may be placed in the temple of the Lord without any correction of discipline In as much as whatsoeuer is superfluous or crooked in vs is now by hammering as it were and knocking cut off And then in that heauenly building the onely bond of truth shall couple vs. Whatsoeuer saith Gregorie is superfluous in vs or not squared or straight is now in this world cut away from vs by tribulations that we may be fit stones for the heauenly buildings and in them to remaine for euer What needs then that squaring and making fit in purgatorie whereof Gregory seemes to make mention in the third Psalme 3. Psal peniten Both these sentences cannot stand togither and the latter seemes to be the truer Greg. lib. 9. ca. 33. in Iob. Gregorie also of the afflictions of this life writes thus God iudgeth man two waies in this life For either by the euils which he presently suffers he begins to inflict the torments to come or else he quite extinguisheth the torments following with these present afflictions For if so be the iust Iudge their sins requiring it did not both correct some here also hereafter the Apostle Iude would not haue said he destroied them the a Secundo second time or twice that beleeued not And also the Psalmist wold not haue said of the wicked let them be cloathed with shame as with a dubler Now we call a dublet a double garment Therefore they are clothed with shame as with a dublet which according to the guiltinesse of their deserts are punished both temporally and eternally For punishment in this life deliuers them onely from paine to come whom it changeth and maketh new men For those whom the calamities of this present life do not amend they bring them to those which are to come But if so be that the afflictions of this life present did not defend some from euerlasting punishment Paul
day of iudgement shall be purged with that fire because they shall not go into purgatory as M. Bellarmine séemes to affirme And so these authorities of the olde Testament of scriptures Fathers which M. Bellarmine alledgeth in that place with this his shift prooue nothing Master Bellarmine also would confirme purgatorie out of that place of saint Paul De Purg. lib. 1. ca. 4. What do they which are baptized for the dead if the deadrise not againe why are they baptized for them This place saith he plainely prooues that which we would desire if it be rightly vnderstood And he saith that there are sixe expositions of this place And he concludes thus That the sixt exposition is true the natural meaning of the place that the Apostle speaks of the baptisme of teares repentance which is a accomplished by praying fasting and giuing of almes c. That this may be the meaning what do they which are baptized ouer the dead if the dead rise not againe that is what do they which pray fast sigh and afflict themselues for the dead if the dead rise not againe And so do Ephrem in his testament and Petrus Cluniacensis in lib. contra Petrobrusianos Dionysius Hugo Gagneius and others expound this place But Gagneius of this place writes thus Gag in 1. Cor. cap. 15. Diuers men of this place bring diuers iudgements I thinke that there may be two meanings of this place The first whereunto Chrysostome agrees If the dead rise not againe what do they which are baptized for the dead that is for the hope of the dead For as Chrysostome saith in the primitiue Church they which were to be baptized repeated the whole Creed wherein is this place I beleeue the resurrection of the dead In which hope of rising againe from the dead they were baptized which otherwise would neuer haue bin baptized and haue changed their olde life vnlesse they hoped that they should arise to an immortall life And this is that which Paul cals to be baptized for the dead Or else because that Paul taught the faithfull that to be baptized was nothing else then through the spirit and water to die with Christ and to be buried with him that being buried with him they might also rise againe with him if after the maner of his death they were grafted into him as he teacheth in the sixt to the Romās And therfore he saith what do they which are baptized that is which die in Christ to the olde man and their accustomed delights are buried with him for dead that is for the hope which they haue of rising again from the dead Me thinkes also there may be another sense of this place that baptisme may be taken for affliction punishment As Christ saith to the sonnes of Zebedee the 10. of Marke Can you be baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized withall that is suffer the punishment which I shall suffer By this meanes then this should be the meaning what do they which are baptized that is which are afflicted for the dead that is either for the hope of the dead and of rising againe to a life immortall or for the dead that is for the testifying of the resurrection of the dead for the which the martyrs did not doubt to suffer death This is all that Gagneius saith And in neither of his two latter expositions he affirmes that which M. Bellarmine would haue him that they afflicted themselues to do the dead good in purgatorie but rather to do themselues good in hope that there should be a resurrection or else to suffer death for the trueth of the doctrine of the resurrection as the martyrs did Master Bellarmines exposition also séemes to be against the words of the text For the text saith what do they which are baptized for the dead again why are they baptized for them He speaketh in both places passiuely as though they should suffer this baptisme of others If baptisme here were taken for the works of repentance done for the saluation of them which are in purgatorie it should haue béene vsed rather actiuely And S. Paul should haue said what do they which baptize themselues which pray and fast for the dead and not what do they which are baptized of others This cannot properly be applied to praiers and fastings as he would haue it Lyra also refutes their exposition which thinke that some were baptized for them which were alreadie dead In 15. ca. ad Cor. and saith that it is not likelie that the Apostle would confirme his doctrine of the errors of others And he expounds to be baptized for the dead that is for mortall sinnes which are dead works for the washing away of which baptisme is receiued which were to no purpose if there were no resurrection Glos ord in cap. 15. Cor. And the ordinarie Glosse expounds it after the same manner they are baptized for the dead that is for to blot out their sins or else to mortifie themselues according to the similitude of Christs death what meane they doing this if they shall not then liue Neither Lyra nor the Glosse nor Gagneius agrée with Master Bellarmine in this his exposition But that exposition which some of the Fathers Phil. Mor. lib. 3. de sacrif Missae ca. 7. Aegid Niemus in 1. ep Cor. ca. 15. Eus Eccl. hist lib. 7. ca. 11. and some also of our latter writers haue made of this place séemes to mée most probable That to bee baptized ouer the dead is to haue baptisme and other ecclesiasticall prayers ministred and executed at the Toombes of the martyrs And so had the first Christians as appeareth by Eusebius who writes thus of Galienus There is reported also another decree of Galienus which he granted to other Bishops by which he granted them full authoritie of going to and possessing those places which were called Churchyards And againe of Maximinus he writes thus Lib. 9. ca. 2. Hee left nothing vnattempted that hee might quite ouerthrow our peace And first of all vnder a certaine pretence he goeth about to take from vs our freedome and libertie in assembling our selues togither in our Churchyards c. By this it appeares that the first Christians made their common prayers at the toombes of martyrs And it is likelie that as they celebrated there their praiers so also their sacraments And that by occasion of the place they made all the baptized to make a solemne profession of the resurrection 18. Of Jdolatrie STella speaking of the abuse which some vse in their Churches In 21. Euang. Luc. who respect more the outward decking and adorning of the Church then the spirituall and inward declares after their opinion of Images I doe not say this saith he a Vt honorem adorationem damnem imaginum that I might condemne the honour and adoration or worship of Images but I reprooue those that doe so greatly make account of those outward
because no man of himselfe can ordaine any thing by which the deuill may be put to flight for he is so mad that he feareth no man This victorie belongs only to God as Ezech. saith in the 28. chap. vnder the name of Tyrus And although there be no power vpon earth which may be compared to the power of the Diuel as we read in Iob the 41. chap. yet in Christs presence all their power is cowardlinesse But that the Diuels sometimes yeelde at the words of Coniurers that plainly they doe to beguile men If Salomon ordained exorcismes surely they were such wherein Gods praises and works and promises were recited which the Diuell being not able to abide was cast out by the power of the word of God So Dauid plaied on his harpe before Saul and he was better in his minde but these did no such things but vsed certaine words and magicall characters and formes And he verie excellently describes them They were Iewes saith he who had a speciall commandement giuen them that they should not abuse the name of God and that they should make no account of their magicall artes Then they were the sonnes of a priest who ought to haue been furthest off from superstitions but the more learned the more wicked they were I coniure thee by Iesus marke heere that the wicked vse good words against those that heereof excuse themselues of their superstitions because they say that they vse none but good and holy words yea so much the more they sinne the more grieuously because they abuse Gods word They vsed the same wordes which the Apostles vsed but they could doe nothing by them because they vsed exorcismes and charmes not of faith vnto the glorie of God but onely of curiositie vnto their owne gaine Iesus I know A notable testimonie of Christ and of his Apostles the Diuell knewe truely the power of Christ and he was affraid of the power of the Apostles granted to them by Christ for of Christ himselfe the prince of the world the Diuell was ouercomed and cast out of doores see the 12. chap. of Iohn But you who are you That is to say you are my bondslaues I would that all priests and cleargie men would marke this one word well And leaping on them Marke here how Christ is good to the Godly but verie terrible to the wicked and desperate Ferus here giues an Item or priuie nippe to all priests and cleargie men These are like those priests sonnes they should be furthest off from this sinne and they are the chiefe practisers of it This is their gaine this is their physicke In our Church we haue found this true by experience And after he addes Learne out of this historie the vertue and power of the name of Christ that thou maiest trust in it Secondly take heede least thou thinke or go about to driue away the Diuell by thy owne strength For thou canst not doe that vnlesse thou beest holpen with a stronger then thy selfe that is through faith in Christ Thirdly be verie carefull least thou take in vaine the most holy name of God abusing it to thine owne gaine or curiositie By this example also he would declare how grieuously he would punish and be reuenged vpon the contemners and prophaners of his name Faith in Christ only vanquisheth the diuell and in déed no other mans deuise els whatsoeuer And this euen the verie witches haue confessed that they haue not been able to hurt manie whome they meant to haue done harme vnto because they had such a strong faith in Christ The Papists in their darke and blinde kingdome haue had manie externall things which as they supposed were of force to driue awaie the Diuell But Ferus tels all true Catholikes that it is onlie faith in Christ that in truth hath that force and nothing else though he séeme to shun and flie from many other things This he doth but to beguile men A golden porch or entrie into the true Catholikes house MIctham an Hebrew word signifies a crowne of gold or a wedge of most fine golde which I haue placed at the entrance of this house as Dauid prefixed the same word at the beginning of the xvi Psalme which containes the resurrection of our Sauiour Christ and our entrance into heauen taken out of the Canticles which likewise containes in it a most excellent and doubtfull question which troubleth manie at this day and euen an heauenly and most certaine answere vnto the same O saith the Spouse shew me whom my soule loueth Cant. 1 6. where thou feedest where thou restest at noone in the heate of the day This is a question which euen now euery true christians soule without all doubt makes vnto God Now is the heat of the daie The sunshine of this world makes manie sunburnt as we saie and their couetous dealing is a slander to the gospell and the burning heate of persecution Mark 10.30 2. Tim. 3.12 which as euer euen so now also followes the Gospell makes manie doubt where to rest and to quiet their soules and consciences in this hot sun-shine and in the heate of persecution And therefore here now the Spouse praieth the bridegroome to shew her in these dangerous times of offences and of persecution where hee resteth that shee maie not be like one in this wildernes who wandring along Psal 18.1 Esay 32.2 should ioine her selfe to some of his companions but that she may rest with him alone And here we maie note the loue of the true Spouse of Christ shée wil not rest her selfe nor repose anie confidence in anie of Christs companions that is no doubt Saints Rom. 8.17 whom S. Paul calleth fellow heires with him but onely in Iesus Christ alone shée acknowledgeth no vicegerent shée will rest with none but with the Spouse himselfe And this is that which S. Iohn one of Christs chiefe companions Ioh. 3.29 teacheth also all Christians He that hath the bride he is the bridgroome but the friend of the bridgroome which standeth by and heareth him reioiceth greatly at the bridgroomes voice Here is the duetie of all the faithfull onely to heare the bridegroomes voice to heare him talke with the bride This is all their ioie they haue nothing to do with the bride Of them all it maie be said as the quéene of Saba said of Salomons seruants Happy are thy men 2. King 10.8 happy are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome So all Iesus Christs Saints are seruants they attend on the bride and the bridegroome And this is their happinesse that they maie heare the bridgroome speake they haue nothing to doe with the bride as I said euen now The bridgroome nowe thus louingly answeres his louing Spouse Verse 7. If thou knowest not for thy selfe as it is in the Hebrew O thou fairest amongst women go out thy selfe after the tract of those sheepe and feed thy younglings whether Goats or
also was more then God commanded them They might no doubt haue touched that tree without sinne if they had not taken and eaten of the fruit thereof Gen. 2.15 For Adam before was placed of God to dresse the Garden therefore no doubt he might haue pruned and touched anie trée in the garden without danger And here that fault in religion first sprang which men call superstition The which is thus defined Vocab scholast to be a fault opposite to religion in excesse when a man will be religious more then néeds and more then God commands Lastly she doubts of the truth of Gods word And she saith Gâ—n 3.3 Gen. 2.27 least peraduenture yee shall die wheras God had said In dying yee shall die as it is in the Hebrew that is ye shall most assuredly die Here are then the notes and markes of the false Church to vse subtiltie to depart from the plaine and expresse commandement of God to adde any thing though it séeme religious superstitiously vnto it and to doubt of the truth of it And by these the notes marks of the true Church by the contrarie may be gathered to vse plainnesse in her doctrine to cleaue to the word of God to adde nothing to it neither to doubt of the truth of it And that these are infallible and vndoubted markes of the Church 1. Sam. 15.20.21 1. King 13.18 the histories of King Saul and of the man of God that came to Bethel prophesied against Ieroboams golden calues and S. Pauls protestation twise vttered plainly prooue Gal. 1.8.9 Wherof the first teacheth that Saul being a King might not dispense with Gods worde to saue the life of another King no nor to saue fatte shéepe and oxen which as man would haue thought it had béene pitie to haue killed no not for sacrifice and for Gods owne honour and seruice No pretence of mans brain maie dispense with Gods word it must be obeied The second also teacheth the same lesson The man of God being a Prophet doing a myracle healing the kings withered hand againe being beguiled by another Prophet who was an olde man and therefore not likely to be a liar and pretending also the reuelation of an Angell yet this Prophet this man of God going beyond his commission who transgressed Gods word being drawn and perswaded by all these fleshly reasons and that but a little to a thing which in mans iudgment would seeme but necessarie euen but to refresh himselfe escaped not death for this his contempt but was killed of a Lyon Neither King nor Priest here can dispense they must obey If anie excuse might serue the turne surely then we would thinke that both these were excusable but their excuses would not saue them harmelesse therefore no other lesser pretences or excuses can warrant vs can secure meaner men if Kings and Prophets by these escaped not And to these histories as it should séeme S. Paul alludes when as he saith Gal. 1.8.9 If an Angel from heauen or we our selues preach to you any other Gospell that is anie other meanes of saluation then that ye haue alreadie receiued let him be accursed And he saith the same twise no doubt because some men should not marke this or hardlie beléeue it and that they should beléeue Angels from heauen naie euen diuels from hell in the shape of men teaching doctrines and meanes of saluation which the gospell teacheth not Oh that all true Catholikes which relie so much of the name of the Church would marke diligentlie this lesson iterated of the Apostle and would accept no other waies or means of saluation besides those only which the gospel teacheth They are worthily accursed which will not beléeue this doctrine which Saul a king teacheth them with the losse of his kingdome which the man of God teacheth them with the losse of his life and Saint Paul himselfe the Doctor of the Gentiles twise togither 1. Tim. 2.7 most euidently and that vnder the paine of a curse Dauid also teacheth vs the same lesson Psal 95.7 For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his hands To day if yee will heare his voice c. for so this verse is pointed in the Hebrewe So that then would we haue God to be our God would wee be his people and shéepe of his foulde that is members of his true Church what then let vs heare his voice This is an euident and plaine marke of his true Church and of all his shéepe Our Sauiour also in the gospell agréeth with Dauid My sheepe saith he heare my voice Ioh. 10.27.28.29 and I know them and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hand my father which gaue them me is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers handes Here is the true brande of all Christs shéepe they heare his voice and they know him And here is the benefit they reape by being his shéepe here is his most pleasant and swéete pasture which passeth all the pleasant meadowes and pastures in the world That he knoweth all his sheepe not in generall but euerie one particularlie And of this must euerie one of his sheepe be most assuredlie perswaded Exod. 33.12 Luk. 12.32 Rom. 6.23 that he knowes him euen by name as he knew Moses and he giueth them eternall life it is his free gift Oh how are all men bound to loue and serue such a louing Lord and shéepheard that bestowes on them such a gift This bountifulnesse passeth all the bountifulnesse in the world and this gift all the gifts in the world Luk. 17.10 And all that euer we can doe are but dueties and humble seruices to such a mighty and bountifull prince Oh prowd Pharisee that wilt thinke here thou canst challenge or bast deserued anie part of this gift It is a most frée gift it is no desert And thou art sure of it thou shalt neuer perish none is able to take thée out of Iesus Christs hands And this because men are fainthearted and it is the principall marke that sathan shootes at to take this assurance of saluation out of mens hearts and to make them doubt of Gods loue towardes them as hee did Eue it is twise repeated here of our Sauiour 1. Pet. 2.22 in whose mouth is no deceipt His sheepe shall neuer perish and none is able to plucke them out of his fathers handes And wilte thou not beléeue him wilte thou doubt The same marke of Gods Church and of all his children our Sauiour teacheth in another place I am the vine saith he and ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him Io. 15.4 the same bringeth forth much fruit For without me can ye doe nothing If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withereth
all things he adbed nothing of his owne Again heereby it plainly appeareth that the word is the rule and square of the Church by which it is to be builded and gouerned and not the Church of the word as the Papists would haue it And that is Psal 138.2.87.1 Eph. 2.20 to beare rule in the Church and that the Church is not to rule it By this also that great pillar which the Papists doe obiect for the defence of the Church fals to the ground The Church say they is the pillar of truth and therefore whatsoeuer the Church teacheth must of necessitie be beléeued The Church cannot erre But they must marke here that as the Church is called a pillar 1. Ti 3.15 so the word of God is also called truth Thy law is the truth saith Dauid And therefore if she keepe not the word of God Psal 119.143 Gen. 19.26 she may erre she may be a pillar of salt without it as was Lots wife but a piller of truth without it she cannot be Now if this be the true Church which hitherto vnder the type of Noahs Arke I haue described let vs a little compare the Church of Rome to this and sée how they agrée togither Who brags that she is this Arke of Noah and that whithout her there is no saluation And first to beginne with the name she is not Tebah She is not a building she hath not taught her children one to build another in the common and holy faith as saint Iude counselleth Iud. ep vers 2. Ephes 4.12 Her Pastors haue not built the bodie of Christ as saint Paul teacheth they should do They haue accounted their chiefe office to be to sing masse and not to preach the gospell And in her building when she did build she hath not builded Tebah that is the Arke with the word of God Ezech 13.10 Mar. 7.7 but with the clay and morter of man Also she teacheth and thinketh that this worke of building is finished alreadie But saint Paul teacheth that the word of God is able to builde further Act. 20.32 Fer. in 1. c Act. and to giue an inheritance among all them that are sanctified And Ferus saith verie excellently That if all the things which our Sauiour Iesus did should be written all the world could not containe the bookes which should be written Containe saith he that is vnderstand For if saith he the world cannot nor all the men that euer shall be in the world containe that is vnderstand that which is written alreadie being so small in volume how were it able to vnderstand if all things that Iesus did were written Iesus our Sauiour his works were manie in number Psal 36.7 1. Pet 3.18 and profound in mysteries Gods word is a bottomlesse pit no man can euer come to the bottome of it We must grow and may grow in the knowledge thereof daily And therfore manie at this day are deceiued in this point They wil beleeue no more they say then the fathers beléeued and that which they saw not they will not sée But if God lift vp his cloud giue light true Israel must go forward in their pilgrimage They may not say Exod. 40.38 because we haue staied in this place thus long therefore we will stay here still Lastly the Church of Rome is not this Arke of God she kéepes not these Iewels of Gods word in her heart she as a ship rather 1. King 22.48 she sailes with Iehosaphat vnder pretence of religion for gold She is wealthie The Pope cannot now say as Peter said siluer and gold haue I none or as Ferus notes on that place I will haue none if I might haue it the custodie of greater Iewels and treasures is committed vnto me Act. 4.6 She deuoures with the Pharisees vnder pretence of long prayers Mat. 23.14 widowes houses causing the husband to giue his house vnkindly euen from his wife a poore desolate widow that they might pray for him And thus they are become great landlords here vpon earth whereas Christ saith plainely my kingdome is not of this world Iohn 1◠36 But they haue gotten Christ now by their praying and massing euen an earthlie kingdome here in this world The Arke was made of Pine trées that would neuer be rotten and is the Church of Rome built of such timber Looke but a little into the liues of her Popes and you shall sée most euidently the contrarie Their Popes haue béene notorious in all kind of wickednes Some of them sorcerers coniurers as a Fascic temporum Homagium fecit Diabolo An Do. 1004. Siluester secundus Some proud who haue made compelled Kings and Superiours to stoope vnto them b Baleus in vita Pontificum as Adrianus quartus Some enuious who haue not onely ouerthrowne the actes of al their predecessors but euen vnburied their bodies againe as c Fascic temp An. Do. 904. Pontac Bur. in Chron. An. Do. 1159. ex Platin◠Sergius tertius Some ambitious insomuch that there haue béene three Popes at once Fasciculus temporum Anno Domini 1034. The pride of Alexander the third Pontacus Burgedalensis a Papist in his Chronicle reports thus At his feete Fredericke the Emperour fel down desiring the absolution of his excommunication And they say that two d Pontac ibid. kings Lewes king of France Henrie 2. king of England did wait vpon him a foot as yeomen of his stirtope holding his horse by the bridle on his right hand and on his left and to haue conducted him thorow the citie Totiacum with great pomp Of Pope Ioan the woman Fasc temp An. Christi 954. Fasciculus Temporū writes thus This was called Ioan English by name but by countrey was borne at Moguntia and is reported to haue beene about this time And she was a woman that went in mans apparrell And she so greatly profited in the holy Scriptures that there was none like to be compared with her and she was chosen Pope But after being gotten with child as she went solemnlie in procession she trauelled and died And this seemes saith he to be the sixt Pope that hitherto had the name of holy father without the thing and was plagued of God as the rest were And she is not placed in the Catalogue of Bishops Some heere make a tale and say that for this cause no German is chosen Pope which is most certain that it is a lie So that if this woman were no Pope yet there were fiue Popes by his iudgement that had the title of Holinesse giuen them which were wicked Of Bonifacius the eight the same Author writes thus Anno Christi 1294 This Boniface in matters concerning the Popes courts was most expert And because he had none that might be compared to him in wisdome he became so arrogant that he called himselfe the Lord of the whole world as well in temporall as in spiritual causes And
6.2 as saint Paul termes them must be faithfull sayings They must be verities as our Sauiour often in the Gospell confirmes all his with Amen which signifies truly and verily And saint Paul saith that all the promises of God in Christ are yea 2. Cor. 1.20 and in him are Amen They must bee so sure euen as though they were ratified with an oth Againe sweare to me by the Lord saith she teaching vs that all our lawfull othes must be made in the name of the Lord Ier. 5.7 Psal 63.11.50.15 and not by anie creatures And that this is a chiefe part of Gods honour to be sworne by in iudgement as it is also to be called vpon in trouble Againe that you shall shew mercie to my fathers house Here is the true meanes of Christian saluation By mercy we are all saued Epist Iud. 21 euen as this Rahab and her fathers house was saued through mercie Ro. 15.7 12.10 Here is also Christian charitie she is not onely carefull for her selfe nor for her father and mother but also for her brethren and sisters and all that belongs to them And that they should quicken them or cause them to liue Here is spiritual regeneration 2. Cor. 5.14 Io. 3.3 Rom. 10.17 without the ministerie all men are but dead men The iust man liues by faith and faith comes by hearing the word of God and how can they heare without a Preacher There is no life of grace and goodnes in man They haue tasted of that bitter fruit of Eue their grandmothers apple they haue died the death And this is that which she addes also saying And you shall deliuer our soules from death And she required also a signe of the truth Heere is not onely preaching the truth by words but also by signes And here are the Sacraments of Gods Church expressed Rom. 4 1◠They are signes of the truth they confirme that to the eie also which the tongue preacheth to the eare And the men said vnto her Our soule shall die for yours if you shall not disclose this our businesse And it shall come to passe that when the Lord giues vs this land we will deale mercifully and truely with thee Here is the chiefe duetie of all christians they must be faithfull to God and to their brethren 1. Sam. 15.31 Mat. 26.25 Ioh. 1.47 they maie not be traitors like Achitophel like Iudas they must all be men of truth like Nathaniel that true Israelite in whom was no deceit Ioh. 1.47 They must not be hypocrites that is to shew a lambes face and haue a lyons heart to haue sweet words in their mouthes Psal 55.21 and swords in their hearts as Dauid describes the wicked And she let them downe by a coard thorow her window because her house was ioyning to the walles of the towne and she dwelt in the wall This coard which let them downe and saued them maie fitly resemble the passion of Christ as a part maie signifie the whole He was bound for vs with a coard Mat. 27.21 when hee suffered his passion As this coard saued them so his passion saueth vs. Againe as that red coard let them downe Phil. 2.5.6 so the bloudy passion of our Sauiour lets vs downe it makes vs humble while we remember what he hath done for vs. What is it now 2. Cor. 5.14 that wee ought not to doe againe for his sake to our brethren Christ also is the true wall Zach. 2.5 Esay 26.1 that defends vs from our enemies And her house was in the wall So must all christians dwell in Christ that is 1. Ioh. 4.8 dwell in charitie as S. Iohn expounds it if they minde to dwell safely And she said vnto them Verse 16. flie vnto the hill least the pursuers meet with you and hide you there three daies till the pursuers be returned and then returne your way Here is also the state of Christs church declared While it remaines in this world it shall bee persecuted it shall not haue an houres rest Mat. 4.2 but some or other will assault it If Christ fast Sathan will assault him in the wildernesse if he a little take his rest in the ship Matt. 8.24 Matt. 22.15 the sea with her waues will go about to drown him if he go on the land the prowd Pharisees will lay awaite for him Mat. 10.24 So the disciple is not aboue his maister Luk. 9.23 so euerie good christian in all places euerie day shall haue his crosse shall haue his pursuers all the three daies of the continuance of this world in the daie of nature before the floud as the histories of Abel and Noah Gen. 4 8.6.3 2. Sam 15.1 Iob. 1.10 Acts 8.1 in the daie of the lawe as the histories of Dauid and Iob in the day of grace as the histories of Christs church plainly prooue And all these 3 daies all Gods children must hide them in that hill that is in Iesus Christ On this hill called Moriah as all the Iewes with one consent saith Munster Munster in annot in 22. cap. Gen. doe affirme Abel and Cain offered their sacrifices and Abraham his sonne Isaac and Dauid his sacrifice also on the threshing floore of Araunah and on that hill Salomon built his temple He is that womans seed that should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3 15. Gal. 3 10. Gen. 49 10. that one seed of Abraham wherein all nations shall be blessed that Messiah that should come whom Iacob prophesied of that was all their comforts And the men said vnto her we will be free of the oath which thou hast made vs sweare Verse 18. Behold when we come into the land thou shalt binde this coard of red threed in the window whereby thou lettest vs down and thou shalt bring thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy fathers houshold home to thee And whosoeuer then doth go out of the doores of thy house into the streets his bloud shall be vpon his head and we will be guiltlesse but whosoeuer shall be with thee in the house his bloud shall be on our head if any touch him And if thou vtter this our businesse we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made vs sweare Here is the preaching of the Gospell that bringeth saluation 1. Cor. 11.26 Rom. 10.9 Gal. 2 20. 1 Pet. 4.2.3 Gal. 6.14 We must binde the red thréed in our windowes that is we must beleeue Iesus Christs death and passion with our harts and with our mouthes also confesse it and in the windowes of all our senses expresse it We must be crucified to the world and the world also must be crucified vnto vs. The honors pleasures riches of this world must not be our delight we must not set our hearts vpon thē Psal 62.10 1. Thes 5.14 Heb. 10.25 We must bring our fathers and mothers and brethren
by and by ought to follow exhortation and interpretation thereof So Paul saith There is but small profit if they speake with tongues in the congregation and doe not also prophesie and expound Here also marke that prophesiing is not to be despised that the interpretations iudgements of others in expounding the Scriptures are to be heard Héere we maie sée as in a little mappe the whole summe of Christian religion and the markes of the true Church The true Church solemnizeth the Lords Sabboth in preaching and hearing his word And without this saith Ferus there is no sanctifying of the Sabboth at all And if this be true in the thicke darknesse of Poperie where Gods word was neither preached nor heard nor meditated on there was no Sabboth kept Nay euen in our daies there are manie Catholikes which thinke they keepe holy the Sabboth verie religiouslie and yet will not come to the Church to heare Gods word And all such Ferus tels that they prophane the Sabboth and kéepe no sabboth at all Againe he teacheth that the onlie weapon to ouercome the diuell is the word of God Then no doubt the diuell was a great conqueror when as no man almost had this sword in his hand he had made as great a conquest of Christians soules as Sisera had made of the bodies of the Iewes of whom being now by her conquered Deborah sings thus They chose new gods then warre was in the gates Iud. 5.8 Was there a speare or shield found among fortie thousand of Israel So dealt Sisera with Israel and so dealt Sathan with Christians he depriued them of their weapons to kéepe them more surely in his obedience Can he be a mans friend that takes his weapon from him in the midst of most raging and cruell enemies But this hath the Church of Rome done she hath taken the Scriptures which Saint Paul calles the sword of the Spirit Ephes 5.16 1. Pet. 5.8 from the hands of the lay people and the diuell is called of Peter A roaring lyon seeking whom he may deuoure In the true Church saith Ferus Gods word is read and not any fancies of man Paul himselfe sits and heares the word of God and therefore no Christian people must thinke scorne to do it And that after the reading preaching ought to follow and that not only works but faith also must be taught These are the markes of the true Church by Ferus iudgement And whether the Church of Rome haue had these in her or not let euerie man iudge In cap. 15. Act. Againe of Christian religion he writes thus vpon these words Why go you about to lay a yoke The second reason is that it is not lawfull for the Apostles to put a yoke vpon the consciences of men which the Lord hath not put for he that doth so tempteth God It is the dutie of the Apostles to preach the Gospel that is glad tidings and not like tyrants to rule ouer mens consciences Let those Bishops marke these words of Peter which make our religion which the mercie of God would haue free in the fewnesse and manifestnesse of her seruices a bondslaue with their burthens they lay vpon it so that the Iewes are in far better case then we who were subiect to the ceremonies of the law and not to mans deuises And Augustine writes thus to the questions of Iamarus c. Euery true Catholike maie marke here how he toucheth the pope who taketh vpon him to rule ouer mens consciences and euen to loade them with his decrees and constitutions And because the Papists brag much of their generall Councels let vs mark how Ferus there describes a true generall Councell vpon these words And when there had beene great dissension See how wisely they deale in the matter They doe not rashly pronounce sentence but they weigh euerie thing For in matters of faith which touch the consciēce it is not enough to say We will and command Marke therefore how the Apostles assembled themselues together They came together plainely they seek for nothing else but the glorie of God they desire the saluation of others To conclude they weigh all things wisely What maruel is it then if the holy Ghost were in this Councell according to the promise of the Lord Where two or three are gathered together c. We come together otherwise with great pompe and state we seek to maintaine our owne glorie and estate and we perswade our selues that we may do any thing by the fulnesse of our authoritie And how can the holy ghost allow such assemblies c He toucheth the Popes state pride He thinks that the holie Ghost will not guide such proud and stately assemblies Againe of the conclusion and doctrine of that Councell he writes thus vpon these words Which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare The law is an intollerable burthen because it requires not onely our hand but also our heart Secondly because it conuinceth vs to be sinners For wee doe euer more against the lawe then according to the law And also those things we do according to the law wee do them imperfectly but by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ we do beleeue to be saued A conclusion and a knitting vp of the matter both very godly and Apostolike that by the grace of Christ both Iewes and Gentiles are saued and not of their merits For only Christ sufficeth to all so that the law profiteth nothing to the Iewes to their saluation for euen they are saued by grace not by the law so farre against all reason is it that any man should impose those things to the Gentiles which profited not the Iewes themselues And to this end were the Epistles of Saint Paul written to the Romans and to the Galathians And our saluation is called the grace of Christ because he hath deserued it for vs. Let them therefore bragge of their merits we will seeke the glory of God Thus farre Ferus Here is the true Church put downe and her doctrine the milke she giues her children That onely the grace of Iesus Christ saues not merits She that brags of her merits and trusts in them is the strumpet is the whore is not the true Church and the spouse of Iesus Christ by Ferus his iudgement And whereas it is obiected of some against the Gospell that since the preaching thereof heresies haue sprung vp in the world and that before the Church was in peace let vs marke how Ferus answereth that obiection vpon these words Ferus in cap. 13. Act. And he resisted them Behold the combat saith he of truth and falshood This combate euer hath beene and will be God spake but one word in Paradise and by and by came the serpent which resisted it Moses being sent into Egypt found there sorcerers which withstood him The Prophets euer had false Prophets opposite vnto them Christ comming into the world found aduersaries The same thing
with the holy Ghost And this is that which Christ promised once If two of you shall agree vpon earth whatsoeuer thing they shall aske it shall be done vnto them Ferus would haue common praiers made with the common consent of the whole Church or else saith he they are of no force Contrarie to the common practise of the Roman Church amongst vs in times past Againe he writes thus of the euill life of the Church which offends manie Ferus in cap. Act. 23. Although it be a great imperfection and defect where the life is not approued and vertuous yet there is lesse danger if the faith be right and sound then if the life were good and the faith euill For without faith it is impossible to please God and he that comes to God must beleeue Therefore it is of more force if the faith be pure and good then if thy works were good Thus farre Ferus He preferres that Church which hath a right faith although in some respect she faile in good workes before that Church which hath good works and an euill faith And of the Church Ferus in Act 21. and of the sacrifices thereof he writes thus Paul taught that Gods house was the Church and that now the true sacrifice was to bee offered in euerie place So Theodoret expounds it in cap 1. Malach. alleageth this place of S Paul and that of our Sauiour Ioh 4.23 1. Tim. 2.8 the which thing also Malachie prophesied Ferus séemes to expound the sacrifice which Malachie speaks of to be Christian prayer as Saint Paul doth also who saith I will that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubtfulnesse S. Paul here without all doubt alludes to Malachie Here is pure hands and that pure sacrifice void of wrath and doubtfulnesse Here is in all places And expounds that place of Malachie of Prayer and not of the Eucharist as some of the Papists do Iacob Vshanskus Guesnensis Archiep. Heb. 13.15 Ose 14 3. And for all Iewish sacrifices for that sacrifice Mincha which was drawn to the altar now Saint Paul puts downe in another place the fruit of our lips which sentence he takes out of Osee who cals prayers and giuing of thanks the calues of our lips And of religion maintained by warres he writes thus He that maintaines his cause by seditions and tumults of the people Ferus in Act. 21. discouers and bewrayes himselfe that he hath not a iust cause A good cause needs not vproares or mans authority who hath God the fauourer and protector of it And doth not the Pope vse these meanes to further his cause In this he declares he is not of God But in this waightie matter to let all mens testimonies passe which are light vpon the ballance as Dauid termes them Psal 62.9 yea lighter then vanitie it selfe and to returne to that vndoubted fountaine of all truth the word of God with which I began That is an euident and infallible marke of Gods Church which the Angell taught Saint Iohn Reu. 19.10 Who when as he would haue worshipped him said See thou do it not for I am thy fellow seruant and one of thy brethren which haue the testimonie Iesus Worship God Here is an euident marke of Gods Church she worships only God and not Angels And secondly here is a reason why we should not worship Angels we debase our selues in worshipping them they are our fellow seruants And who in common sense will worship his equals By worshipping Angels we forget that great dignitie whereunto Iesus Christ hath aduanced vs. We are now Iesus Christs we are his members 1. Cor. 3.23 1. Cor. 6.15 Therfore as he doth not no more should we worship Angels A second mark of Gods Church here also we may learne She hath the testimonie of Iesus And what is that that is the spirit of prophesie as the Angell after expounds it that is the Spirit of God wherby all Gods children are able in some measure to vnderstand and expound the scriptures For as all Gods children haue Gods Spirit so it is no doubt a fire in them and therefore it will burne through Christian charitie it will lighten their knowledge and disperse the mysts of darknesse This fire hath Antichrist quenched by taking the wood and matter of it awaie I meane the Scriptures from the common people And to this that of Saint Paul hath relation no doubt 1. Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit But here they thinke that because they worship Saints and Angels therefore they shall be blamelesse But that shall not excuse them Reu. 14 7. because they are plainly taught and commanded to worship him onely that made heauen and earth And by these words God onely is signified and all other creatures are excluded And this Epithite is commonly attributed to God in the Scriptures Psal 124.8.134.3 Our help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made heauen and earth Here is as it were a distinction put betwéene the workes and the workman all the works iointly must worship their maker they must not begin one to magnifie or worship another Nay the more to conuince them in this their errour all the Saints and angels haue refused this seruice Act. 10.26 Act. 14.15 Peter to Cornelius Paul to the men of Lystra saying We are men like to your selues why do you honour vs And the angell twise in the Reuelation wheras S. Iohn did not forget himselfe and would haue yéelded to the angell the honour due to God but euen this ciuill outward honor which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the angell twise refused alleaging my former reason Reu. 19.10 22.9 that he was one of our fellow seruants and fellow seruants must not worship one another but only their master Teaching vs to be very warie in worshipping yea euen angels least our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grow into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as amongst the Papists it hath done These two are easily in words distinguished but not so easily in déed To bowe the knée is but a ciuill honor but yet to bow the knee to Baal Rom. 11.4 God accounts part of his honor And S. Paul writes thus most manifestly of the worshipping of angels Let none ouer-rule you Col. 2.18 or spoile you of your prize which by the worshipping of God you obtaine by humblenesse of mind and worshipping of Angels aduancing himselfe into those things hee neuer saw rashly puft vp with his fleshly mind As though hée should saie No man knowes the estate of angels whether they heare our prayers at all times and can helpe vs at their pleasures or not and who will then pray vnto them nay this shall make vs lose our prize We all in this life as Saint Paul teacheth runne as it were in a race 1. Cor. 9.24 now he that runneth in a race must haue his eyes still fixt on the goale