vniuersall long-lasting corruptions reuoltes are ordinary in the Church that when the Church forsaketh the word of God then God withdraweth frō her his holy spirit that whē God hath called frō her his holy spirit the more she hasteth forward the further she wandreth frō the right path the more encreaseth her corruptiō that in her selfe no meane may be found to repaire her ruines or returne her into the right way if the Lord takes her not by the had guides her aright to the forsaken way by his spirit word We learne also that after the Lord hath lōg cōceled frō men the time of their corruptiō ignorance he hath geuen thē ouer to the vanitie of their minds which boast braue it with the bare titles of his Church Religiō renewing his Church in the meane season neuerthelesse in miraculous sort by his immediat and extraordinary callings as those of Noë Abraham Moses Ezechias Iosias and others We learne againe that Gods promises are tyed neither to persons nor places but onely to his elect and the same doth Iesus Christ most plainly teach in S. Matthew by the similitudes of the husbandmen to whom the housholder did let out his vineyard Math. 21. and them that were bidden to the mariage seing therefore your fathers and ye forsook the humilitie of true Christians to puff vp your selues with pride of the flesh seing ye gaue ouer the glorifying of the Lord in his word power and mercy to glorifie your selues in your carnall inuentions by your freewill and meritorious works let it not seeme straunge to you that God hath left your fathers and you in the miseries of ignoraunce 4. Esd 8. For Esdras prophesieth that many miseries and calamities remayne for them that shall liue in the later times because they shall walk in great pride ye runne after mans traditions ye bring nothing forth but wild grapes your hands are full of bloud you haue troden downe the righteous all your deuises are against God to prouoke th' eyes of his Maiestie ye put bitter for sweet ye haue no feare of God but through the commaundement receiued of men ye leaue the doctrine of God which ye haue heard from the beginning ye demaund more of him then he hath appointed ye haue left the faith ye fulfill the measure of your fathers sinnes ye teach all things rather then the word of God ye can not abide to be ruled thereby ye gaze and spend the time on fables and vaine toyes ye are wed to your owne insolent willes ye blame the way of truth and in couetousnesse ye make marchandise of mens soules with feyned wordes then leaue to think it strāge that the curse of God pursueth you by blindnes of hart Leuit. 26. ignorāce errors In the like case to yours Moses threatned the children of Israël that God would forsake thē On like occasiō prophesied Isay Isay 1.5.8.28 that the Lord would curse his Church and oppresse it with the spirite of sleepe would shut her eyes would couer the Prophets the chief of the seers would make her to stumble against his word would shut darkē the book would make the wisdome to perish frō the wise vnderstanding from the prudēt would hyde his eyes would not heare would take away the hedge from about his vineyard would breake the wall thereof it should be trodē down Math. 23. Luke 3.4 Esdr 5.7 This was the reason that Iesus Christ gaue the Iewes wherfore they were refused Likewise in Esdras we are certified that in the later times the land shal be barren frō faith that wit shall hide it selfe vnderstāding depart into his secret chāber it shal be songht of many and yet not be found that men shall obteine nothing because saith he men haue taken to them the thoughts of vanitie and haue purposed in themselues the deceits and traynes of sinne and touching these things haue said to the Lord that he was not In like maner S. Peter treating of th'instruments of Antichrist which forsake the way of the Lord 2. Pet. 2. saith that they should priuily bring into the Church damnable heresies calleth them welles without water and clouds carred about with a tempest to whom the black darknesse is reserued for euer How then could they keepe the right way that had no other guides S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 2. if that which we haue heard from the beginning shall remaine in vs we shall also continue in the Sonne and in the Father 2. Tim. 6. If any mā saith S. Paul teacheth otherwise cōsenteth not to the holesome words of our Lord and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing but doteth about questions and strife of wordes and a litle after he calleth them men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth which thinke that gaine is godlines to this purpose I wil say by the way that cleare-sighted persons can quickly discerne that the decrees and diuers doctrines of your Church are for the most part founded vpon gayne In summe sith ye haue despised the waters of Siloë marueil not that ye are fallen and welnigh drowned in the floud and bottomlesse gulfe of mens traditions ye haue left the piller and prop of the Lord your iniquitie is like a swelling in an high wall whose breaking cōmeth sodainly ye haue set naught by the hallowed fire of God to seek out another of your own kindling marueil not that ye walke not in the light but stumble in the darke and sith ye draw nigh to the deuill and draw backe from God marueil not that the deuill drawes nigh to you and God drawes backe from you Finally for that ye haue abused Gods promisses presuming to take him at his word without caring for the condition wherewith he gaue his word and thinking him tied by his promise to be with you and you not bound by the condition to obey him therefore hath that presumption entangled your soules within the cordes of vanitie and hampred you in those iniquities and curses which we daily see But all these inducements and considerations are yet too low for matters so high The secret cause of th'estrangings from God of your reuolts of the Church are past the reach of mans reason it is the bottomlesse sea of Gods counsell and therefore must bee treated of in another sort Why should wee aske how it may come to passe which wee see is come to passe why should we aske how it could be that the Church lost her way so long time since our Lord the Prophets and Apostles assured vs that so it should be such questioning doth vtter the mistrust of Gods prophesies lurking in our vnbeleeuing hearts Iesus Christ foretold vs Matth. 24. Marc. 13. Luke 21. many false Prophets should come and seduce many that iniquitie should abound that charity should be colde that th'abomination of desolation should be set
earth with the rod of my mouth and will slay the wicked with the breath of my lips Esdras reporteth in his vision 4. Esd 13. that our Lord seing all nations arising against him lifted not his hand held no sword nor warlike instrument but cast out of his mouth as it were a flash of fire which finally consumed all nations This is the stone cut without hands Dan. 2. that must bruise the iron the copper the earth Apoc 19. the siluer and the gold The sword that must confound heretiks procedeth from the mouth of God Iesus Christ accepted this sword reiected forbad th' other Th'Apostles neither had nor sought any other 2. Pet. 3. It is the word that made and preserueth the world as S. Peter saith The word of grace is mighty to edifie 1. Cor. 4. hath begotten the faithfull to Iesus Christ by the Gospell saith S. Paul Our weapons saith he are not carnall materiall 2. Cor. 10. but spirituall The Lord cleanseth washeth his Church by his word Ephes 5. When he reckneth vp the workemen and instruments of the Church weapons of Christen mē he makes no mention of robbers murtherers massacrers men of warre and their materiall armes 1. Cor. 12. but he remembreth Apostles Prophets and Doctors vertues healings knowledge of tongs administration of Sacraments Ephes 6. truth iustice peace faith hope charitic saluation the spirite the word of God and prayer When he speaketh of the workmanship of the Church he vseth these termes to plant 1. Cor. 3. to water to geue increase c. Such wordes are in no wise sutable to warlike violence For somuch then as we neither ought nor may build in the house of God with armes and that we must build with the word of God which is all sufficient necessary and commaunded let vs not dissobey th'auctoritie of the sacred Scripture the commaundements of our soueraigne God the conduct of his holy spirite according to th' example of of our Lord of his Apostles and of his Church arme we our selues with the word of God the sword of the spirite with humilitie patience and holines of life build we the Church euery one of vs to th'vttermost extent of his abilitie with these instruments And if any gainstand this our trauail with intent to frustrate our hope purpose to reuerse our worke or to build by vs and not with vs let vs pray and continue with increase of earnest desire But now me thinks I heare you say what neede more wordes these two cases are now cleare and vndoubted the one that we should not enterprise to force mens consciences the other that Clergie men should not seeke the preseruation of the Church otherwise than by spirituall armes but by this discourse or any other I cannot conceiue that the Magistrate is prohibited to destroy the body of an heretike or schismatike and consequently that our king is not permitted to employ his armes and armies against the Reformed which are reputed such I graunt you in some sort that the text of the Euangelist afore cited to this purpose seemeth more to bind the Ecclesiastical person than the Magistrate But that which I haue discoursed to you how the Church from Adam to Christ neuer vsed the force of flesh and bloud and of material armes for to multiplie and augment it selfe and for to ruine the infidels in detestation of their naughtie religion makes directlie aswel against the Magistrate as the Churchman For so much as Adam Seth Enos Noe Abraham Isaac and Iacob were not onelie Patriarkes but also were kings Gouernors and Magistrates of peoples Iosua the Iudges and kings of Israel who absteyned from such violence in behalfe of their borderers had the right of magistracie ouer them as alredie hath bene noted Notwithstanding it shall not be amisse to treate more particularly touching this power of the Magistrate ouer heretikes and infidels But first I take it for confessed that our Ecclesiasticall persons are guiltie of great error and enormitie at this instant in that they manage and imploy materiall armes inioyne and sweare euery one to put on armour for the ruine of the Reformed setting sorth and leading in their owne persons the bands of men of warre yea whole armies About whose heads ye may cōmonly see their weapons flourish with as much pride hatred and furie as the most barbarous Seculars can shew Proceed we then to the power of the Magistrate First the reformed wil answere you for their bookes actions approue that such is their doctrine and discipline how the Magistrate hath a iust lawfull vocation from God to condemne and put to death the heretike and schismatike and that if he neglect or refuse to execute this his duetie being able to performe the same he then misregardeth and offendeth the law of God and his owne calling and deserueth blame and punishment But withall they affirme and mainteine that before the magistrate proceedeth to such executions he must patiently heare them that are suspected of heresie or schisme they must cause them to be conuinced by the word of God in holy assured and free assemblies perswade them pray for them with patience awaite Gods pleasure for their conuersion and after if they persist still then is it not onely lawfull but also necessarie to deliuer them ouer to death they affirme also that as for themselues they were neuer called nor heard in a Counsel free and assured for them they haue not bene conuinced by holy Scripture that when ye called them it was onely to heare their condemnation the Iudges to whom ye sent them were deafe and trusted rather to loude clamors than sound arguments Againe that when yee haue conferred with them ye haue made exception to th'authoritic of Gods word according to which word they haue got th'upper hand in all that hath bene propounded that ye haue delayd crost the disputations conferences as fearing to be vtterly conuinced and being required ye would not returne it seemeth say they that ye could not abide the light of the trueth which was set before your eyes that therefore ye shrunke aside and hid your heads not daring to appeare but with playne or priuie force All which allegations they offer to verifie by the vnpartiall histories and autentike records of this time concerning the affaires of religiō as wel in Germanie as in this Realm and elswhere throughout Europe Now for my part touching this power of the Magistrate I pray you consider that the Gospel commaunds not the death of heretikes and infidels so expresly as the law According to the law they must not be suffered to liue til the morow but by the Gospel patience long tarying is chieflie prescribed in such pursuites as appeareth by the places aboue cited and speciallie by the answere of Iesus Christ to th'Apostles S. Iames and S. Iohn and by the doctrine of S. Paul Luke 9. 2. Tim. 2. Ye
made Israell to sinne Micheas and Elias accompanied Achab and Ochosiah both Idolaters Our Sauiour Christ visited the countreys of the Iewes and soiourned among them euen when they were most corrupt and swarmed with sectes heresies as is sayd he communed with Saduces that denied the Resurrection he eat and disputed with Pharisies he liued with Publicanes he gratified and honored the Gentiles with his presence preaching and miracles Th'Apostles bestowed most part of their care paine power and knowledge to conferre and communicat with the Gentiles they built founded Churches among the Gentiles they left the faithfull in the same countrey the same towne the same house with the Gentiles they permitted to the Christen woman the mariage already made 1. Cor. 7. to abide with her infidell husband saying what knowest thou ô woman whether thou shalt saue thy husband or what knowest ô husband whether thou shalt saue thy wife Shall we be so hardie as to pronounce that all these holy exāples be so many faults which we ought not to folow shal we so arrogātly ouerweene our selues after so many holy precedēts as to force the sacred Scripture to speake that which it doth not deliuer vs a doctrine not onely contradictorie to it selfe but also contrary to possibilitie For if it teacheth that we ought not abide in the same countrey and towne with Pagans and heretikes the holy Scripture bindeth vs to a cōdition impossible Into what parcell of the world may we goe where are not Pagans insidels heretikes and schismatikes Th' East and South swarme with Heathnish Idolaters the West North haue so many sects as families In what town in what company shall we hope to find one cōmon vniforme and assured consent of the truth seing among the twelue Apostles visibly taught by our Lord by words miracles conuersation example of life one was found that durst doubt of the Gospell and attempt the abolishing and ouerthrow thereof that banded himselfe against the truth bountie and power of God endeuouring not onely to gainstand God like the Geants but also to put him to death How shall a man sort him selfe with a company well assured in truth rightnes of doctrine faith sith he can not discouer nor discerne the knowledge wills and beleef of men bycause of their hypocrisie and false semblant at this day in all dealings but principally in case of Religion Mar. 13. 2. Cor. 10. we liue in the time that wolues disguise themselues in sheepes clothing and Sathan trasformes himselfe into an Angell of light false Prophets borrow the cognisance of good and true Disciples they that know the truth and dare not speake confesse it are cōstrained to stāmer with the cōmon sort Behold how none but the holy Ghost can touch to the quick or truly reproue thē of sinne John 16. that beleeue not in God as S. Iohn writeth therfore it passeth mās power to discerne the faithfull from the infidell The Lord doth not say that at his cōming he shall finde all his elect gathered in one cōpany but that he will gather them frō all parts of th' earth Luke 17. that two shal be in one bed th' one takē th' other refused two shal be grinding in a mill th' one takē th' other refused Morcouer the holy Scripture assureth vs that the Lordes field can not be without darnell that the visible Church cā not be without corruption schismes without enemies within without that while she is in this world she cā not enioy the title of Triumphant that she is named Militāt so she is in deede for she hath continually to sight against innumerable enemies domestical forrein So saith Iesus Christ that his doctrine shal bring a great cōfusion of miscōceiuing Mat. 10. enmities cōtrarieties between Potētats dominions Marke 13. between the neerest kinred frends Luke 12. within priuat houses families for religion sake S. Paul saith 1 Cor. 11. there must be heresies amōgst vs to th' end that they which are approued may be made manifest Let vs thē leaue these delicacies dainty tendernes for another world and in the meane while apply submit our selues to the necessity of the prophesies whose accōplishmēt cannot be auoided let the exāple of the whole church cōfort vs let vs resolue our selues on that which cannot be otherwise during the tune we shal inhabit this earth Let this counsell of S. 2. Tim. 4. Paul to Timothie sound in our ears euermore They shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers and shal turne their eares from the trueth and shall be geuen vnto fables but watch thou in all things suffer aduersitie doo the worke of an Euangelist and elswhere hold not the disobedient person as an enemie but admonish him as a brother He saith not despaire of him leaue the Church she abandon all but watch and trauaile admonish him brotherlie to the end the let be not in thee that the worke is vnperfect Although th' enemy hath forced our trēches baricados so that he is with vs pell mell that he is come to cope hand to hand we must not flie we must determine on the combat we must r'ally and stand strong to the Corps du gard hard by our chiefetaine within the shadow of our colours Seing then we cannot choose but be intermedled with heretikes we must watch ward and trauaile for our own defence against them we must geue th'onset with spirituall armes their presence must stirre vp and whet our carefulnes Seing the Church is militant it must not geue ground but abide where th' enemie is Who so flieth from his enemie and hath withdrawen himselfe so farre that he can not smite heare nor see him may not be termed militant or one that maketh warre We must keepe so close to our enemies that they see our fires heare the sound of our drummes and trumpets that they see heare and feele the glittering the noyse weight of our weapons Euen so the Church militāt ought to approach nigh the heretikes namelie by charitie that they heare and vnderstand the sound of Gods worde that they feele the vertue thereof to their confusion condemnation or conuersion If we should not draw nigh to infidels and heretikes after some sort or other God would not call so many as he doth daihe by the efficacie of his word which he makes them vnderstand publikly by exhortations sermons and seruices and priuatly by particular studies and conferences Let vs not be afraide of them the spirit of God is not a spirit of feare 2. Tim 1. the word of God is mightier than all things the primitiue Church required not to haue the Pagans banished but onely to be heard of them the vertue of the Gospel was not enfeebled by their speaking dealing and dwelling among them otherwise the combat is not appointed for the decay of the elect but for their
kindlers of your choler motioners of your cōmotions I was afraide to anger you ouermuch at the beginning of my discourse I haue examined your actions as if they wholy aymed at heretiks It is time to wink no more nor to conceale my meaning the salues haue mortified the inflamation of the wound your hot cōtentious humors begin to coole and qualifie ye begin to know your malady that furie reigned in your zele among your determinations being not leueled by the word and cōmandements of God that the same zele of yours was without warrant in danger of reproose curse punishment the knowledge of your owne cuill lessening thereof should haue purchased in you an hope of recouery and extreme longing to attaine thereto by any paines what so euer Th' acknowledgement of your errors ought to haue brought withall your trust and desire of repentance and your will redie to yeeld to seuere aduertisements requisite for that end Ouerrule therefore your passionate mindes and listen to me Let vs search your wounds throughly let vs encounter your disease with medicines of true contrarietie and fight with it to the vttrance let vs proceed to the soundations of your errors and see whether they be well grounded Examine we frankly whether the Reformed be heretikes and schismatiks either one or other without pausing on formalitie or proceedings to be had against them for of such matters inough is spoken asore and therein the iudgementes of trueth are not most often found Ye mainteine that they are heretikes and schismatikes for so much as they allow not the doctrine of the Catholik Apostolik and Romane Church and will not become of the body and yeeld to the discipline of that Church They say they are of the Catholik or vniuerfall Church doe beleue in the doctrine of Iesus Christ of his Apostles and of the whole Primitiue Church and doe yeeld to the gouernment and order of the same They repute the Roman Church at this day most abhominable We will limit your controuersie and say frankly that ye suppose thē heretikes and schismatikes because they auow not the Pope and his doctrine nor will bow vnder his authoritie nor enter into his Church For it shall appeare by the conclusion of this treatise more cleerely that herein consisteth the controuersie Forbeare me a little while to discourse with you as if I were a Reformed and to declare in breefe the reasons why the Reformed will none of the Pope nor his doctrine And be not offended if now and then I vse their tearmes and manner of speech for since the question in this behalfe leadeth vs to speake for them we must speake like them The Prophesies say they were not written for nothing the holy Ghost is trueth it selfe there shall not one onely word of all that he hath endited remaine vnperformed heauen earth shall faile Mat. 24. Marke 13. Luke 21. but the words of the Lord shall not faile Now so it is that himselfe hath forewarned vs how there should happen a great oppression in the Church a seducing almost generall and an abhomination most great The same is likewise foretold by the Prophets Dan. 7. 4 Esd 11. Apo. 13.17 chiesly by Daniel Esdras and S. Iohn in his Reuelation that immediatly after the first comming of the Lord a certaine power should arise that should bruise and spoyle the Lorde Saints thinking to change the times and the law and which should reigne with great tyrannie This is that great beast which speaketh high things and blasphemies against the Lord which should maintaine battell against the faithfull and vanquish them and should seduce or misleade by words fables false miracles and fauors of this world and should with armes subdue many Nations This is that strūpet so proud in attire in precious ornaments of gold stone in painted shew in word in power full of abhomination with whō the kings dwellers vpon earth haue committed whoredome and haue made themselues drunke with the wine of her leacherous dissolutenes in her cup of abhomination Of her haue th'Apostles aduertised vs 2. Pet. 2. 2. Thes 2. 1. Iohn 2.4 Iude. chiesly S. Peter S. Paul S. Iohn and S. Iude who haue spoken so manifestly of Antichrist that they conceale nought saue the name they haue described the Apostasie or reuolt the sonne of perdition his originall the cause of his perdition his pride his power the departing his manifestation or reuealing his fal Let vs then beleeue that there hath bene and now is an Antichrist which oppresseth this long time the trueth the Church and the faithfull which hath cut of Christ and taken all from him as Daniel faith It is written by Daniel and Esdras Dan. 9.7 4. Esd 11.10 how Antichrist should spring out of the fourth Monarchie and should as it were contemne and set vp the same againe no man doubteth that the fourth Monarchie is that of Italie or Rome the dreame of Nabuchodonosor expounded by Daniel makes it vndoubted Daniel 2. The Pope was aduaunced at Rome first by Phocas the murtherer of his Prince the Emperors succeeding some of their owne will others by his cunning fetches the rest through plaine force left him Italie and the citie of Rome where he stablished his court these Emperours made themselues their Empire subiect to the Pope together withall the Kings I ords and people of Christendome he calleth himselfe neither Emperour nor King but claymeth a soueraingtie ouer Emperours and kings and this is proued by infinit histories apparant by the Bull sent from Pope Boniface to Philip the Faire as also by Pope Clements proud answere to th'Embassadours of Lewis of Bauaria the Emperour Behold the greatnes of Rome the sourth Monarchie thus renewed and replanted behold also the Prophesie Apoc. 17. that Antichrist should be set aboue kings accomplished It is written by S. Iohn and S. Peter 1. Iohn 2. 2. Pet. 2. that out of the Church Antichrist should arise that he should be a successor of th'Apostles speaking of Antichrist and his retinue they say they are gone forth from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of ours they would haue taried with vs. Verily if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world thorough the acknowledging of our Lord Sauior Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and are ouercome their later end is worse with them than the beginning For better had it bene for them not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnes then after they haue acknowleged it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen to them But it is come to them according to the true prouerb The dogge is returned to his owne vomit the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the myre The Pope is borne and descended of the Church and of the Apostles of the Church of Rome built by the Apostles he hath exalted himselfe in th' order and
our owne workes The Lord saith Ioh. 15. Iac. 1. we cannot beare good fruite of our selues S. Iames warneth erre not my deare brethren euery good geuing euery perfect gift is from aboue S. Paul sayth Rom. 8. Col. 1. Rom. 6. that to sinne is to walke after the maner of men that he doeth not the good thing which hee would but the euill which hee would not that it is sinne which dwelleth in him that in his flesh dwelleth no goodnes that they which are carnall or in the flesh cannot please God that they are in the flesh which haue not the spirit of Christ that we know not our selues what we ought to pray for that the concupiscence of the flesh is enmitie against God that we are seruants of sinne Dauid saith Psalm 14.40.18 that none doth good no not one that what men doe in the presumption of their heart and in their counsels is sinne Thus we may not attribute any good deedes to our owne nature but it is God that worketh in vs that which is good Math. 14. If the Lord had not taken S. Peter by the hand he had perished in the Sea in like fort if God vpholdeth vs not we should sinke into the bottomlesse sea of our concupiscences into the sea of our sinnes into the sea of our froward and defiled nature if God should not call vs as he did Adam we should flie from him and doe nothing els but depart from him so farre as we could I am the light of the world Ioh. 8.15 saith our Sauiour he that followeth me walketh not in darknes if ye bide not in me as the branches in the vine-stock ye can bring foorth no fruite 2. Cor. 3. S. Paul saith that euery good thought is of God that the holy spirit prayeth for vs because we know not what we ought to pray for Rom. 8. that without this spirite we are enemies to God in thought and in euill workes that with this spirit he fighteth against the law of his mēbers Col. 1. this is that vnderstanding which maketh the inwarde man Rom. 7. wherwith he serueth God that God geueth the will the performance that he it is which geueth the holy spirit worketh his vertues in vs that whatsoeuer he did was done by the grace of God Iac. 4. And S. Iames biddeth vs limit all our affaires euen the most cōmon with this cōdition if the Lord will And this doth the Hebrewes ordinarily admonish by the parable of a Bridegroome who said absolutely I will sleepe with my spouse this night and when one of their wisemen aduised him to say if God will he wilfully replyed that is in my will and power will he or will he not it shal be done but they were scarce in bed together when they both died from whence they haue this Prouerbe among them the Bridegroome gets himselfe to bed and wots not what may him bestead Moreouer they teach how the duetie of him that prayeth is to referre the issue of his request expresly to the will of God and neuer to make his prayer peremptory without exception which is to be vnderstood when it is not euident that the holy Ghost hath endited our prayer but hereby appeareth their opiniō that man knoweth not what he ought to craue and therefore is bound to referre not his actions alone Psalon 51. Psal 119. but his petitions also and wishes to the will of God So Dauid craueth of God a cleane hart and to haue a right spirit renewed within him he craueth his holy spirit that he may prayse the Lord and that his praier may be acceptable to him The faithfull haue euermore confessed that all their good came from God the same is most common in the Scripture Psal 118. it is the voice of the righteous saith Dauid Vertuous and holy men haue alway in the Church bene named men of God specially among the Hebrues who called them likewise men of mercy as if they would haue sayd God bestowed on them more grace and mercy than on others contrariwise it is the voice of Antichrist to glorifie the flesh to glorifie man as saith S. Peter as it is the voice of true Christians 2 Pet. 2. that our good commeth from aboue it is not in vs it is not of vs it is none of ours Finally we learne in the Scripture that the Lords will is not to grant vs full and perfect victory ouer sinne in this world least we should proudly brag of the merit of workes He giueth vs his holy spirite and sometimes also true victorie ouer sinne to encourage vs against despaire in our continuall battaile but the principall end is that hauing felt our owne feebleforce and acknowledged our want of power we might with our whole hart repaire to him and finding how vaine it is to repose trust in any els we should of necessitie be driuen to confesse that we can not be saued but by him which would lead vs with S. Paul to this depth of contemplation Rom. 7. who shall deliuer vs from the bodie of this death For so S. Paul confessed that although he was endued with the holy spirit neuerthelesse for the most part he did not that which he would and whereas he imputeth the same to sinne that dwelt in him he confesseth himselfe a sinner So doeth the Scripture report to vs the sinnes of holy persons Prophets and Apostles enriched with the holy spirit And S. Paul saith that God gaue him a prick in the flesh 2. Cor. 1. the messenger of Sathan to buffet him because he should not be exalted out of measure and therefore was his prayer excluded which he made for his deliuerance vnto God thus I be sought the Lord thrise that it might depart from me and he said vnto me my grace is sufficiēt for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse and therfore the Apostle became resolute to reioice in his infirmities Let vs come to S. Iohn who writeth if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs we make God a lier his word is not in vs. 1. Cor. 1. It is writtē also that the Lord hath chosen the weak vile things of this world to th' end that he which glorifieth himselfe should glorifie himselfe to the Lord. Rom. 8. 2. Cor. 5. And in that regard doth the Apostle call the holy spirit giuen in this world by God to his elect the earnest penny or first fruicts of the spirit And in very truth if we were willing and able to giue assured iudgement of our selues if we were not vnwilling to bring to light things that are hidden and the counsels of our hearts we should perceiue and iudge that what resistāce by the grace of God soeuer we make we quaile and yeeld not withstanding for the most part There streameth daily amids our willes and our zele I wote
which sayd they needed not keepe themselues froÌ„ sinning Rom. 6. since they were vnder grace and not vnder the law proceedeth thus farre that he saith beyng made free from sinne ye are made seruaunts to righteousnes now to auouch these wordes that workes instifie vs is to make the spirit contrary to it selfe the Gospell to the Gospell S. Paul to S. Paul S. Iames to S. Iames which were no better then blasphemy against the spirit For as often as the purpose is to lay the ground-worke of the Gospell then the spirit saith specially and namely that it is by grace not by merit at all it is hard to reckeÌ„ how oft this is affirmed in the gospel in S. Paul chiefly There is no likelihood that two or three places forced racked should balance or weigh downe infinit others specially considering the caueats aboue written least we mistake the meaning of those words and not forgetting that S. Paul hauing vsed those termes saith I speak after the maner of men for the infirmitle of your flesh S. Iames who in th' end coÌ„cludeth that faith is perfected by works expresly teacheth vs that we caÌ„ not be saued by works saying in the same chapter that whosoeuer shall keep all the law shal faile in one poinct he shal be guilâ—y of all Now there iâ— no maÌ„ so holy that faileth not in some poinct of the law which coÌ„sequently is not guilty of all And thus no hope of saluation may be built on works Conclude we then that works of theÌ„selues 〈◊〉 nothing to saluation but do streÌ„gtheÌ„ accoÌ„plish witnes faith by which we receiue saluatioÌ„ Whether the body of Iesus Christ be really in the bread of the holy supper The Pope commaundeth to beleeue that the body bloud of Iesus Christ are really and in deed in the bread and wine of the supper He commaundeth that the bread of the supper be adored as God I maruéile that he makes not the wine be likewise adored for the reason of both is all one He hath ordeined a daily sacrifice of this body for to commend this sacrifice the more he hath prouided it a seruice of the church altar sacrificers priests and other officers priestly omaments oeremonies superstitions in words gestures in water fire otherthings being in-deed a mingle mangle of all religions that euer were He grouÌ„deth his opinioÌ„ of the reall corporall presence of the body bloud and of the substantiall turning or chaunge of the truth of the bread wine into the substance truth of the body bloud of the Lord Math. 26. vpoÌ„ these words of S. Matthew saying Iesus tooke bread after he had giueÌ„ thaÌ„ks he brake it gaue it to his disciples and said take eat this is my body hauing taken the cup giuen thanks he gaue it them saying drinke ye all of it for this is my bloud of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Now they may easely iudge who peruse the holy scripture wholy with an open heart the eyes of whose vnderstanding are not dym that this doctrine of the Pope tooke his beginning being in the phantasie of man rather then in the Scripture For if we gather and compare together whatsoeuer the Scripture doth conteine touching the Lordes supper we shall finde that the body is not in the bread but is at the right hand of God and yet the faithfull do eate and drinke spiritually and by faith the body and bloud of our Sauiour receiuing therewith the merite of his death and passioÌ„ and are nourished spiritually by his grace and that the bread and wine are set forth for signes of the Sacrament to signifie to vs that as bread and wine nourish vs for our temporall life so the body bloud of the Lord do nourish vs for the life euerlasting and as there is an vnion meeting together of many bodies in the bread in the wine eueÌ„ so should there be an vnion and agreement among the faithfull in communicating of the body and bloud of the Lord. WheÌ„ Iesus Chirst had said this is my body Math. 16. Mar. 14. this is my bloud of the new testament he addeth I say vnto you I will not drinke hence-forth of this fruict of the vine I will not drinke more of the fruict of the vine vntill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my fathers kingdome These wordes taken either spiritually or after the letter do sufficiently declare that the wine is not turned into the bloud of our Sauiour for he calleth it still the fruict of the vine And in Saint Luke to discouer vnto vs more clearely that this Luke 22. speach is figuratiue he saith this is my body do this in remembrance of me this cup is the new testament in my bloud which is shed for you he saith not the cup is my bloud but it is the new testament in my bloud that is to say it is a representation a signe of my bloud a testament a title and contract of new alliance in my bloud This sense and vnderstanding is not beside the purpose for he celebrated that same day with his disciples th' ancient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe which represented the lambe of God that should come to make vs through his death passioÌ„ to passe out of this traÌ„sitory world full of miseries boÌ„dage into th' other would full of surpassing ioy and libertie And for that this auncient Sacrament of the passe-ouer lambe was to take an end forthwith by his death he instituted the new sacrament of the new testament of the new league or alliance be gaue them bread and wine for signes of the spirituall nourishment which they were necessarily to receiue in the body and bloud of our Sauiour And as in the old alliance or testament the lambe was not Christ but onely represented the Christ so the bread and wine of the new testament are not the body and bloud but signifie and represent the body and bloud of Christ This interpretation is confirmed moreouer by these wordes do this in remembraunce of me it is ordinary to commend by signes and resemblances the memory of things absent and not of things present on th' other side if we are to take the words in S. Luke literally without admitting any expositioÌ„ beside the letter the wine is no more the bloud it is now the cup it must then be coÌ„fessed that these words are figuratiue and subiect to another interpretation then the naturall fignification of the letter will bearens there be any figure in S. Luke there may be also the like in S. Matthew It is written in S. Paul the cup of blessing which we blesse 1. Cor. 10. is it not the communion of the body of Christ the bread which we breaked is it not the communion of the body of Christ for we thâ—t are many
were kings of Israel the people of God Thus haue Gods people geuen faith to Pagans and kept it and haue bene chastised of God for presuming to breake it there is as good reason at least to keepe faith to them that are reputed hereticks for the hereticke is not more abhominable then the Pagan and Infidell ad withall the histories aboue cited iustifying the like obseruation of loyaltie towards heretickes conuict and deemed such We sweare we hold vp our hands to God now since it is to God that wee sweare and not to men why then doo we respect the qualitie of men Let vs not therefore stay vpon the qualitie of persons euen as our selues desire of the Lord to performe vs his promises without regard to our vnworthines for the holy Ghost likewise in all th'examples of promises wel kept yeldeth this onely reason for all one or other hath sworne It becommeth vs not rashly to slippe aside from the charge of Gods commandements We shal enioy more rest honour and libertie in seruing God than by shifting off our shoulders the yoke of his lawes The commandement is manifest Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine it is noted that this is a principall commandement of the law one of those two that haue a threatning penaltie annexed I wil not holde him guiltlesse saith he that taketh my name in vaine The religion of an othe hath euermore and euery where bene esteemed to haue such power ouer the consciences honor and reputation of men that after an othe taken none durst doubt of the trueth of matters deposed or sworne An othe determineth the whole variance it is vnchangeable as saith S. Paul Heb. 6. By this onely warrant strangers dare meete together without suspition and become companions and friends hereby neighbors and friends continue neighborhood and friendship hereby th' enemie walketh in securitie of life amids the fury and weapons of his mortall foe this is the onely caueat and prouiso required of Kings Princes and Nations of Gouernors Bailiffes and Stewardes of Iudges and Magistrates this is the onely meane to treate of peace among armes to conclude and mainteine the same He that sweareth by the name of God doeth assure others that his wordes are true euen as God himselfe is the trueth he taketh God for his witnesse and iudge he praieth him to confound and sinke his soule to the bottomles pit of hel if he doeth not keepe and make good his word so farre as in him shall lye Our forefathers in olde time shewed by their ceremonies that they so conceiued it He that taketh the name of God in vaine either beleeues there is no God at al or els accounts him a lier void of might and in effect defies him Now men that are naturally liars and voide of might if they know themselues so reputed o◠thinke that others beleeue them not they will rage and take on marueilouslie they wil stirre vp the coles fling the fire about hazard their quiet honor goods this present life and all th'unspeakeable ioyes to be hoped for in the life to come to haue amendes for such supposed iniuries God that is true almightie and most ielous of his honor what wil he doo trow yee Periured persons are noted hated and shunned as well of them that feele the damage of their faithlesnesse as of them to whom profite comes by their periurie if any profite may come of periurie The Aegyptians to declare how much they detested faithlesse persons digressed from their generall rules and ordinarie iustice for it was a ground in their law to punish each offender in that part or member which was chiefe instrument of th' offence and so it should haue sufficed them onely to plague the tongue of the periured neuerthelesse they put him to death vtterlie excluding all ransome of his life for anie price whatsoeuer If some law-makers haue not laide vpon them any like penaltie it was because they durst not for albeit they reknowledged that th' offence of this crime might greatly touch both the societie of men and euerie particular person thereof yet they principally considered how this sinne directly respecteth the diuine maiesty that for so much as to God the othe vow was made from him therfore being called to witnes they awaite for vengeance Thus you venture to perseuere in a sinne intollerable to God man the razer of religion and humane felowship Hereupō ye wil perhaps replie that since the pacifications ye haue sworne other contrarie othes from which later othes by a more strong reason ye may not depart but I wil reserue the assoyling of this your obiection to the conclusion of this discourse Meane while let vs examine the groundes whereon the maine stay of your doctrine proposed doeth stande and we shall finde them rotten and ruinous Let vs consider what befell the king of Hungarie and al Christendome for hauing too simply obeyed Pope Eugenius This king of Hungarie had fought with daunted and vanquished the Turke had compelled him to make a peace honourable beneficiall aduantageable and conuenient for all Christendome howbeit by commaundement of the Pope for the considerations aforesaid he departed from that peace he violated his faith and promise geuen he denounced warre to Amurath he presented himselfe in fielde better assisted thā before both with men with hope they ioyned in fight he lost the battell 30. thousand of his soldiers were deuoured by the sword himselfe there slaine his head carried on a Launces point along all the Countrie the Turke gaue not armes ouer till he had wasted and by conquest dismembred from Christendome the Empire of Greece Hungarie a portion of high Germanie and sundrie other Countries the Popes Legate being bringer of this gay doctrine was strangely descried and slaine when he deemed himselfe out of danger hauing escaped the brunt of the battell Such euents weighed and compared with the commandements of God th'examples here afore produced which certifie vs of his will may make one iudge religiouslie enough that God was displeased at their vnreuerend regard of his name and that thereby he would teach and make vs vnderstand that faith should be holden more deare of vs than all worldlie things We haue as good reason after so manie miseries heard seene and felt in religion and temporall affaires throughout all Europe as well in generall as particular to thinke that they haue happened in all or in part bycause of the infidelitie executed with crueltie against them who vnder the faith of the Potentats of Christendome presented themselues at the Councell of Constance with intention hope not to cope with th' aduersarie or defende their cause but by the word of God and further sithence that time against an infinite number of Christians that haue disloyally bene martyred in Germany Fraunce Spaine Italy in England Scotland Flanders and other countreys What know we whether the misfortunes of warre and other notable calamities that
themselues soueraigne rulers of their Religió in all lands vnder their obediēce the Othomans also deferre the same honour wholy to their Muphtis th'examples of our Christians among thē our domesticall presidents to this purpose come fast inough into your memory Whereupon yee concluded that sith it pleaseth not God to fauour your king and you also with a successor descended from his loynes for that yee see the next heires to whom by order of succession the Crowne doth apperteine according to your lawes and customes not to be of like Religion to yours ye therefore by good right do prouide in good time not to admit their dominion to th' end ye forgoe not your Religion I acknowledge that all these considerations haue some waight but yet they must yeeld to causes of more weight they must geue place to truth I auow that the will of subiectes towardes their Princes Princes power ouer their subiects whereof proceede the hope of commoditie fauour honour and dignitie and the feare of their contraries do astonish men and make them stark blind and do imperiously commaund their consciences I wot well that most men follow rather the Religion of fortune then that of God we know it too well But with the faithfull it hath no place to whom nothing is more deare then the Church of God who confesse with S. Act. 4.5 Peter that they ought to heare and obey rather God then men who know it to be requisite that by such visitations the chosen should be confirmed and made manifest as also the Church rid and disburdened of men that are in it but not of it You stay besides vpon obseruations of Heathen people estranged frō the faith iwis it is not there that the Christian must seeke sixe his eye to finde out and take view of his Vrsaminor his Pole starre to direct guide assure his course according to the same it is against his dutie to order his resolutions actions publik or priuat by their lawes or customes there is light enough in the house of God to illuminate and lead vs out of the same house we should not seeke light all sulnes of truth knowledge is in the holy Scripture the spring of vnderstanding the fountaine of sapiēce the floud of science issue fro the same which not withstanding are as vanities to vaine mindes and full of fruict to soules full of grace The likehhood is great in that where as religions haue bene so mightie among Infidels haue mounted aloft and bin seated on the Thrones of kings ruling ouer them with so much pompe auctoritie and credit that it was an enchantmēr sorcery that Satan wrought and worketh yet to continue and renew the first maladie corruption of the Gentiles and miscreants He knoweth that true Christen religion should come and abide in all pouertie humilitie lowlinesse and obedience he filled the hearts of men with vanitie he put into their heads and persuaded them how the greatnes and assurance of mightie states depended on religion how the blisse and felicitie of this worlde are children or vndiuideable companions of religion he inured them to a religion of gold of siluer and veluet to make them more hard to be woon by the Gospell At this haue the Iewes and so many nations byside taken offence it irked them greatly to resigne the commaundements powers and riches the glory ease and contentment of this world to make profession of subiection and euery other misery preached and promised by Iesus Christ to his folowers against their expectation Ye suppose then that the estates fauours and commodities of this world agree with true religion that they fauour and exalt it that without them it can not be planted it can not encrease and stand on this opinion your doubt and the motiues thereof be grounded Beleeue me this opinion springeth from Satan For the Church of God hath its roote in heauen there it takes beginning thence it getteth grouth perfection and euerlastingnes Satan worldly men and the flesh are enemies of the same It is a marke of false and phantasticall religion when this world with the vanities lusts delights therof when scepters crownes their pompe do kisse and embrace it making it their foundation and main-stay So began Zoroastres th' Empire of the Bactrians Persians by the supposed religion of Horosmadis Trismegistus that of th' Aegyptians by the religion of Mercurie Zamolsis of the Scithians by that of Vesta Charondas of the Calcidians by that of Saturne Allinos of the Cretians by that of Iupiter Numa by the fained and imagined superstition of Nimph Egeria sustained th'infancie of the Romaine Empire which staggered and had quite fallen at the rising thereof but that he assured augmented it he prepared the storehouse of their willes forces which furnished all those warres that aduanced the Empyre to the loftiest degree of highnesse Th' abominable religion of Mahumet founded exalted and established the great Turkish and Persian empires The religion of Changuis and fond deuotion to his dreames began the greatnes of th' Empire of Cathay To be short the world and false religion agree too well they lend one another the shoulder but it fareth not so with the Church of God By this ye know that ye are my Disciples Iohn 15. saith our Sauiour when the world shall persecute you if ye were of the world the world would not hate you if yee were of the world the world would loue his owne now since ye are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Ye shal be hated of all for my names sake Math. 10. ye shal be brought before Princes and Kings Mar. 13. ye shal be scourged in their assemblies Ye shal be beaten and brought before gouernours and kings for my sake The friends of the Church are not of this world her enemies are the crowne glory of the church are not in this world she passeth by this world to goe receiue them in th' other the Church being here on earth is not in her owne countrey she ought not to set by earthly cōmandements why should shee demaund here that which is due to her elswhere her kingdome is endlesse and incorruptible the commaundements of this world are temporary corruptible Math. 20. and changeable it is to Kings Lords temporall to whom this dominion and auctoritie do rather belong And therefore true religion neuer raised any Empire and Gods will was not that she should sway any scepter of the mighty monarchies of Assyria Media Persia Greece or Italy contrariwise the Church hath almost cuer bene tributary or capture or in warre bene driuen to borow hir harbour and liuing as a stranger on earth Hebr. 11. posted from countrie to countrie at the pleasure it seemeth of Monarchs of th' earth So was Abraham posted from Assyria to Mesopotamia from Mesopotamia to Canaan from Canaan to Aegypt from
it for by this onely rule hath he commaunded vs to serue him and hath forbidden vs to adde thereto or take ought therefro Now so it is that to the same word the Reformed submit and order themselues in their deuotions and actions somuch as they are able Then let vs freely conclude the appearance to be greater that ye are th'heretikes and schismatikes rather then they They may tell you as Elias tolde Achab we are not they that trouble Israel that trouble the Church but ye and your fathers house which haue forsaken the commandements of God and followed Baalim Antichrist mens commaundements and traditions fables lies and vanities but aboue all the schisme which you would cast on them reboundeth on your selues for this is a ruled case that he which seperateth himselfe is not the schismatike but he onely that geues the occasion And that is your corruption your confusion which occasioneth them to seuer themselues from you withall your seducings and chiefly your persecutions be so great that they cannot endure to tarry with you Apoc. 18. The Lord also commaundeth them to goe out of your Church your Babylon Goe out of her my people lest ye be partakers of her plagues The Reformed are as the woman desolated vpon the losse of her sonne that is fled into the fields that is fled into the desert And yet although they detest flie your errors they are willing neuerthelesse to tarry by you and among you to bring you by the word of God to the trueth of the word of God they are ready to preach in your Churches if ye will But how should they tarry with you ye chase them ye bannish them ye rifle them ye beate them ye massacre them martyr them and therefore ye haue slender reason God wot to call them schismatikes CHAP. VII Here followeth the Conclusion and the application of all this discourse with the admonitions or aduertisements THen forasmuch as afore when I was content to winke with you and when I treated touching the Reformed as if they had bene schismatikes yet it fell out vpon proofe that ye were in fault for violating and breaking the peace ye made with thē the faith ye gaue to them and the othe ye sware to God and also for intending and indeuouring to destroy them by force and materiall sword or compell them by the same sword to leaue their religion and take yours which fault ye haue redoubled with sinne vpon sinne in going about to confound the state of the Church the state of the Crowne the lawes of the Realme the order of successions the commō wealth the common peace and the wealth and peace of euery one rather then ye will liue nigh the Reformed or be gouerned by any of thē Know now how much your euill is greater your nature frowarder and your sinne horribler then ye thinke They are no longer heretikes to whom ye deny the interest and benefit of the law of all nations vnder heauen to whom ye haue vnrighteously violated your faith whom ye persecute in their goods persons whom ye compell against their consciences whom ye put to death they are the people of God the true professors of his holy Gospell They be no heretiks though ye assay by violence to bring them backe into the right way as ye say they be true and faithfull Christians whom ye seeke to bring out of the right way They are no heretikes whose company and gouernement ye seeke to shunne with so costly an aduenture as your countrey liues and soules are worth they are Gospellers though ye prophanely deride the name and hold a right opinion of the Catholike faith who demaunde nothing but reason and right euen for the comfort quiet profit and saluation of all and cuery one It comes to my remembrance that about the beginning of this discourse when I shewed you how needfull it was that othes should be made and kept and told you how it was impossible to excuse you of periurie and reproofe before God and men after ye had violated the pacifications of this Realme so solemnely sworne I promised you then to resolue you of a doubt which ye might make to wit that since the breach of the peace ye haue made many others and protestations against that peace so that by the same necessary religious regard of oths it seemeth impossible to you to returne againe to obserue the peace broken Behold a doubtfull knot which may be losed with very small ado For since it appeareth that the Reformed are true Christians and do demaunde onely the free and open passage of Gods word that the kingdome of Christ may reigne in mens hearts ye must confesse that your othes and protestations made before or after the peace to hinder the exercise of their Religion and destroy them are quite contrary to iustice to Gods glory the freedome of his word and the kingdome of his sonne so that these later othes and their like not those which you made for preseruing of peace are to be condemned and vtterly retected It standeth not so with vowes othes which are thought to be made to God as it doth with testaments some other actes among men whereof the later do make the former voyde for euen as God is vnmoueable and neuer chaungeth his will euen so his pleasure is that what soeuer is done with him mē promise him should be vnmoueable a vow or othe then being forcibly and lawfully made all other othes execrations and protestations which can be made in preiudice of the same may not nor ought be counted as othes but as periuries and mere vngodlinesse It is a monstrous abuse and profaning of faith to make it a warrant for trecherie impietie trouble confusion and ruine of a state and Church This is but to strengthen sinne with sinne to establish and make faithlesnesse necessary by othes and namely by othes that can not otherwise stand nor be auowed before Gods iustice Away then with these last oths and their like shew your disalowance of them by your repentance otherwise to returne to my purpose ye must confesse that ye will reteine them in despite of God and his Church of reason of iustice of the weale publik in the end of your selues Now sith the case so stands I tell you not that the Reformed are more in nūber value that they haue Cities not to be won by assault that they haue societies amities alliances ayde within without the Realme but I tell you that they haue many mo millions of Angels for them that the truth of God is vnvanquishable that God is for them that God shal be the maister that the lambe shal ouercome that his holy Word Chosen shall remaine and the traditions of men men them selues and the world shall perish I tell you that the people of God as Isay saith how few soeuer they be Isay 18.27 is a terrible people and vnconquerable for the
endure matters shall go from bad to worse ye haue the pay and wages whereof ye are but too sure For besides the retyring estranging and dispaire to atchieue those hopes which the League fed you with all ye haue as I told you plague and famine surplus of taxes torment wast violences and riots of men of warre Geue it ouer then lend it no longer your eares your wills or fauours Returne ech of you to your houses to the exercise of your callings keepe your thoughts your desires and labours within the clofure of your fields and shops Craue for peace of God and the king Craue it of God with earnest prayers with submission obedience a good successour of your king And go not on still to draw destruction wholy on your heads vpon a false feare of that thing which can not come on you in any wise and when it shall come it can not bring with it so great harme to you in your whole liues as one yeare alone of warre bringeth Ye shall no sooner haue forsakē the League but peace shal be at your walles it shal be published mainteined in your towne Cities ye shal no sooner haue forsaken it but that prosperitie and other blessings of God shall lodge in your towne houses and families shall appeare in your persons and on the labour of your hands shall fatten your fieldes and multiply your fruicts warre pestilence and famine shall vanish away peace and Gods grace shall shine againe on you And you my King lift vp your selfe about the dissimulation of your Counsellers To the King who for the most part to the mishap of you and of all this State are wonne already by straungers or parties sworne too farre in the differences of Religion they are auctours or part-takers in all these tumultes Sir discerne them seeke not for truth or faithfulnesse where passion rules take counsell aboue all of God and your soule Heare th' one and th' other before ye ordeine and cause your Edicts to be published and executed They against whom these men prouoke you make no profession but of the Gospell of the word of God enquire whether they falsely attribute to themselues this profession or no itstands you greatly vpon to do so For if the saying of the Reformed is true doubtlesse ye band your selfe against God against the kingdome of his word against the puritie of his Gospell against the Reformation of his Church ye auctorise men against God you preferre your commaundements before his you enter your name among the persecutours of the Church And thereupon you cast your selfe headlong into daunger of the curses of God you geue your selfe ouer to the punishments plagues and torments which the histories and word of God teach vs to be prouided aswel in this world as in the world to come for persecutors of the Church You know how God sent most dreadful plagues on Antiochus Herod and many mo for their entreprises presumed and done against him and his Church The same God that reigned then reigneth yet still and is as much to be feared as euer he was and also mighty to do miracles as then he was He reproueth euen kings for his peoples sake Psal 105. faith Dauid he reproueth them with plagues as he did Pharao and the king of Gerar that vexed his chosen Let God then reigne ouer you Gen. 12.20 leaue to him and his word the kingdome of mens consciences let it suffice you that he commaundeth so Man cau not iudge nor force the conscience for experience proueth it to be impossible Your ancestors being kings haue left you examples of this obedience They permitted their Princes and other subiects to tell them freely that God was to be obeyed rather then they This appeareth in the requestes presented to Charles the sixth by the Duke of Burgoine of Lembourg by the Earle of Neuers were allowed by the king and his Counsel We reade also that the Duke of Britaine being required to acknowledge Pope Clement by one of your predecessours said to him in presence of his Princes and all his Counsell that for his dignitie of being Duke of Britaine he was bound to do fealtie and homage to his Maiesty but in behalfe of Religion his conscience he ought no dutie but to God alone his aunswere was found reasonable there was no more spoken to him no army was sent into his countrey to compell him to beleeue in Pope Clement And in deed in force and violence is no religion as hath amply bene discoursed it is but a most damnable pretence Returne then quickly out of this euill way that leadeth to perdition Iudge not the controuersies of religion but with and after the word all things being faithfully lawfully and surely handled and debated Let not man couetousnes enure and ambition ouer-rule any more in such affaires Let not th' abominable pretēce of the League arme you any more against your humblest and faithfullest subiects against the Princes of your bloud to the losse of your saluation honor to the subuersiō of this realme Haue some pitie Sir of your soule for God is highly displeased at such pursuits ful of miustice and impietie Haue pitie of your honor and of the honor of your Counsellers of your Lieutenants and Magistrates that dependeth on yours Take heed that it be not spoken of you now and so long as the world shall endure that you are and haue bene one of the persecutors of Gods Church what dishonour shall it bring to you and your memory when Historians shall recken you in the same Role with Herod Nero Caracalla Maximus Dioclesian and other persecutors of the Gospel Take heed also least it be said of you that you haue corrupted the lawes of France that you defacefrō among Frenchmen the name of Frenchmen that you haue ouerthrowne and trampled vnder feet the libertie and honour of this Realme that you haue brought it to vtter ruine that ye haue giuen it in pray first to ciuile warres after to the tyranny of strangers Sir take compassion and pitie on your poore people they can do no more Ieaue of to torment them and your selfe also at the pleasure of straungers enemies of your quiet and your peoples What iniury haue your Princes and your cousins done you that you are so moued against them sauing that they stepped backe like faithfull vassals when you would haue smitten them at the instigation of strangers they haue in as modest maner as naturall defense would permit them put of the blowes of your armies guided and set on by straungers their enimies and to say the truth yours also though they were infinitely vexed in their persons possessions and goods vnder the auctoritie or rather abuse of your name they haue left of armes foorthwith euen when you commaunded them they haue gone towards you retired from you euen when it pleased your Maiestie Behold the onely occasions that you haue to wish them euill
in the holy place that all nations should band themselues against his elect that there should be warres noise of warres nation should rise against nation kingdome against kingdome the brother should deliuer his brother to death and the father the childe and children should rise against their parents and should cause them to die th'elect should be hated of all men great earth-quakes should be in many places dearth pestilence and great feare and that the seducing and tribulation should be so great that if it were possible the elect should be deceyued and except those dayes should be shortned there shall no flesh be saued such things saith he must needs be but th' end shall not be yet Dan. 7.9 Antichrist saith Daniel shall speake words against the most High and shall consume the Saincts of the most High and shall thinke that he may change times and lawes and they shal be giuen into his hand vntill a time times and the diuiding of time This is that which is written in Esdras 4. Esdras 5. that the way of truth shal be hid and the land shal be barren from faith and iniquitie shal be encreased more then thou hast seene now or hast heard in times past and all friends shall fight one against another then shall wit hide it selfe and vnderstanding depart into his secret chamber it shal be sought of many and yet not be found then shall vnrighteousnes and voluptuousnes haue the vpper hand vpon the earth one land also shall aske another and say is righteous iustice gone through thee and it shall say no at the same time shall men hope but not obtaine 4. Esd 16. they shall labour but their enterprises shall not prosper they shal be like mad men they shall spare none they shal spoile and wast such as yet feare the Lord for they then shall wast and spoile their goods and cast them out of their houses then shall the triall of my chosen appeare as the gold is tried by the fire Heare ô ye my beloued saith the Lord behold thy daies of trouble are at hand but I will deliuer you frō them be not ye afraid doubt not Apoc. 13.17.18 c. for God is your captaine This is the chiefe matter contained in th'Apocalips for there is described the great and long-continuing Reuolt of the later times how all the world shall wonder at the great Beast and worship him how this beast shall blaspheme against God how he shall allure and retaine on his side kings and peoples how he shall make warre on the Saincts and ouercome them how he shall haue power ouer all kindreds and peoples ouer all tongues and nations that this beast shall put to death them that will not worship him that he shall haue power to worke false miracles that he shall cause all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to beare his marke againe the kings and inhabitants of the earth shal kisse the great Whore that sitteth on the great Beast they shall commit fornication with her and shall be drunke with the wine of her fornication and the Marchants of the earth shal be enriched with the pompe and riot of her and of her citie of Babilon God shal put in the harts of kings to do the pleasure and will of this great Beast and to giue him their rule power vntill the word of the Lord be fulfilled The man of sinne or Antichrist saith S. Paul shall come with al power and signes and lying wonders 2. Thes 2. and in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued and therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies and further in that chapter he sheweth that there must be a departure from the faith before the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and because the same departure was to happen shortly after hee warneth them that the mystery of iniquitie did then already worke He foretelleth also that in the last daies shal come perilous times 2. Tim. 3. wherin men of corrupt mindes and reprobates concerning the faith shall resist the truth but they shall preuaile no longer saith he for their madnesse shal be euident to all men and after that he saith the tyme will come 2. Tim. 4. when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine but hauing their eares itching shall after their owne lustes get them an heape of teachers and shall turne their eares from the truth and shal be giuen vnto fables It is written in S. Peter there shal be false teachers among you 2. Pet. 2. which priuely shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord 1. Iohn 2. that hath bought them and in S. Iohn as ye haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now saith he are there many Antichrists Leaue then to demaunde how that may come to passe which ye see is come to passe and which is agreeable to mans naturall corruption to the ordinary conditiō of the Church and which must needes come to passe as the Prophecies must needes be true But iudge now if it be graunted you frō aboue whether we liue in the time of all these prophecies or no. See whether the branch of the fig-tree is tender and the leaues come forth Weigh whether ye breathe out any words but the words of men who seeke the ransome of your soules elswhere than in Christ who are not learned nor deuout but in your fansies and desires for your munkeries doctrines and deuotions are onely founded on the desire of man iudge whether ye that enioy this world at pleasure do persecute are of the crue of Antichrist or els the Reformed whom ye pill spoyle and sacke whom ye cast out of their houses whom ye chase out of the world who suffer at your hands endlesse vexation and who breathe out nothing but the word of God My children let vs do as Ezechias Iosias and other good kings of Israel did when they went about to set the Church in order they ouerskipped all mens traditions receiued and practized in the Church and searched out the word of God that lay before buried in darkenes and according to that word alone reformed the Church let vs looke back on the stone from whence we were cut of let vs bring our mother back to her former husband let vs returne together to the water of Siloe to wit Iesus Christ and his word Saint Iohn biddeth vs not to stand fast in the traditions and commaundements which we shall finde in the Church but in that which we haue heard from the beginning that which we haue heard from the beginning is the word of God Let vs hie fast and stand to it prescription of time or contrary custome cannot abate one iote of th'auctoritie trueth and power thereof it cannot deceiue vs we shall neuer want excuse before God if we rule our selues by