that they might bee saued And therefore God shall sende them strong delusions to beleeue lyes c. Thys warnyng principally toucheth vs vppon whome the latter endes of the worlde hath lyghted that wee shoulde carefullye take heede that by Wonders and Myracles and Apparition of Spirites wee bee not Seduced eyther to beleeue errour or to refuse the trueth of the Gospell offered vnto vs. Christ gyueth vs a speciall chargeâ— Beware saith he I haue tolde you of it before hand Therefore if you doe not harken vnto him but yeelde your selues by suche meanes to be caryed into Superstition Errour and Idolatrie the daunger shall bee the greater And Saint Paule addeth a terrible threatning Because they receyued not the loue of trueth God shal sende them stronge delusions that they may beleeue lyes that all they myghte bee damned whiche beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Let them looke therefore carefully to themselues which by suche Myracles are Induced or confyrmed to beleeue the corrupte errours of Pilgrimages and worshypping of Images of praying to Sainctes departed of Purgatorie of Masses and Trentalles of praying and offering for the synnes of the Deade and suche other infinite errours as hath beene brought into the Churche by Monkes Fryers and other false Teachers of the Churche of Rome It is a wonder to see the Heapes of such Myracles as of late yeeres haue beene put in writyng by Vincentius and a number of other like authors so that to such as feare God there is scant any greater Token that Antichrist is come and hath set a long time in the Church then this is That their doctrines are altogether confirmed rather by such Myracles Apparition of spirites then by the scriptures and word of God When the riche glutton as it is mentioned in the Euangelist desired of Abraham that one myght rise from death to life and warne hys brethren that they came not to that place of torment where he was Abraham aunswered They haue Moyses and the Prophetes if they will not beleeue them they will not beleeue though one rise from death to life Wherby the â—â—lye Ghost doth Signifie that after the true doctrine of Christes Gospel first published was throughly confirmed and bâ—yng generally receaued was put in writing and so remaineth as a perfect Testimonie of the worke of our redemption that the prouidence of God towarde the latter ende of the world woulde vse no moe Myracles least hee should thereby seeme rather to Discredite the truth of his written word than by such meanes conserue them For whosoeuer wil not beleeue the doctrine of truth confirmed by the expresse and euident worde of God will not beleeue y t same though they sawe a. 1000. myracles Take example hereof by y â— Jewes who continually called for Signes and Wonders but when they had seene many they neuer the sooner Beleeued but sclaunded the doinges of Christ and sayd that he and his Apostles wrought by the power of Beelzebub c. Christians therefore must learne some Rule wherby they may iudge false and deceitefull Myracles done by the power of the Diuell from them that bee done directly by the Worde of God in his Saintes And this rule is the ende wherevnto myracles doe tende Godly myracles bee alwayes shewed by God to confirme the Diuine nature and office of Christ in the worke of our redemption and that he is the true and onely Messias and Sauiour or to iustifie and proue the doctrine of the Gospel to bee good According as Christ sayth in the last of S. Marke Goe yee into the whole worlde and preache the Gospell to euerye creature he that shall beleeue and bee Baptised shall bee saued but he that wyll not beleeue shall bee damned and these tokens shall followe them that beleeue In my name they shall cast out Diuells and shall speake with newe tongues and shall take away Serpentes and if they drinke any euill thing it shall neuer hurte them they shall laye their hand vpon the sicke and they shall recouer c. Those Myracles then that bee done to this ende to direct the people to acknowledge Christ to bee the only ful and perfect redeemer of mankynde and to embrace the doctrine of the Gospell by the holye Scriptures confirmyng the same are good and godly and to bee esteemed true Myracles But contrariwyse if they leade men from Christ and directe them to put their trust of Saluation remission of sinnes in any other name vnder Heauen then Christ Jesu or to beleeue any other doctrine than that which by Gods word is euidently confirmed or to accept any other worshippe of God than by himselfe is appoynted are false Myracles and delusions of the Diuel wrought to deceiue men Let vs therefore beware of these thinges and looke into these myserable delusions wherewith the Diuell and his Ministers haue bewitched the worlde nowe these manye yeeres by Spirites Ghostes Goblines and many vaine Apparitions and faygned Myracles c. ⸪ ¶ The seconde Sermon vppon this part of the Texte Exfructibus eorum cognoscetis eos By their fruites shall ye knovv them IN this place we haue diligentlye to obserue the great difference y t Christ our Sauiour in this louing and Fatherly admonitioÌ„ doth make betwene the clothing the fruits By their fruites you shall know them he saith not by their garmeÌ„ts or outward clothing for wyth that y â— false Prophets vse to colour countenance all their crafts deceiptes of corrupt doctrine Now what these fruites be whereby they are knowne let vs consider by y t similitude or parable y t Christ here vseth Do they saith he gather Grapes of Thornes or figges of Thistles Euery kinde of tree hath fruit by which it is knowne to be good or bad The Apple tree by the Apple the Plumtree by the Plumme c. so euerie trade occupation or state of lyfe hath certaine proper and peculiar workes by which it is discerned either to be good or bad in it selfe or differing from other The Carpenter by right squaring framing of his Tymber the Mason by his buylding c. the Lawyer by his Counsaile the Phisition by his cure is iudged skilfull or ignoraunt euen so is the Preacher or Prophet knoweÌ„ by his doctrine that proceedeth from him which is the peculiar worke and sruite of his trade and occupation In all the olde Testament God doth accuse the false Prophetes to bee euill because they deliuered vnto his people false doctrine corrupt worship contrarie to his holy will and worde Heare not saith God by Ieremie the wordes of the Prophets that prophesie vnto you teach you vanitie They speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. And agayne Howe long doe the Prophetes delight to prophesie lyes euen prophesying the deceipt of their owne hart And immedately after Therfore beholde I will come against the
is true in vs or at the least they haue no likely pretence in truth to saye the contrarye On the contrarye parte the Doctrines of the Churche of Roome are either manifestlye repugnaunte to this confession in sunderye thinges or greatly imparing or disgracing the same Therefore their Preachers are false Prophets and not of God for not only doth he denie Iesus to be Christe that grosely in flat wordes so sayth or he that playnly denieth christ to be the sonne of God as Cerinthius other auncient heretikes did but he also that couertly vndirectly by false doctrines worketh the same by teaching other men to seke other Sauiors Mediators Intercessors maisters and directours to saluatioÌ„ besyde him that sayth I am the way the truth the life or which by instructing them otherwise in Christs SacrameÌ„ts other ordinaÌ„ces theÌ„ he himself hath coÌ„maÌ„ded appointed For profe y t the church of Roome doth this first let this Doctrine bee examined whereby they teach that the very Reall and Naturall body of Christ is in a thousand places at once that is in so many places as there are Ostes consecrated This Doctrine impeacheth the principall Article of oure fayth that christ of y â— blessed Virgine tooke flesh and had a very true and naturall body as we haue Sinne onelye excepted It is the property of God only to be in manye places at once As Christes body is now after his asseÌ„tion glorifyed and is transformed to a greater bewty brightnesse so yet it remaineth a very true substantiall bodye And to teach that the body of Christ is in manye places or euery where as his Deitie is doeth make an open gappe to the Heresie of Abbot Eutiches which taught y t Christe his humanitie was swallowed vp with y t Maiestie of hys Godhead and so became a diuine thing Furthermore for y t proofe of their errors in this Article let their doctrine be examined of the Popes Suâ—remacie wherby it is taught that he is the vniuersall Bishop generall Lord Maister and Gouernour of the whole catholike church that he hath authoritie to pardon sinnes to deliuer Soules out of Purgatory to destribute the merites of Christ of his Saints to dispence w t the ordinances of Christ to alter y t institucioÌ„ and vse of his instruments to coyne newe Articles of oure Faith of necessitie to be beleeued cleane without any Authoritie of Gods word all which things are only in duetye and in truth to be attributed to Christe and to none other as before I haue declared The second Article of doctrine is why Christe came in fleshe and what benefite mankinde hath by it When as Gods iust wrath against sinne committed by our fyrst parentes was so greeuous that no Creature in Heauen or in earth was able in anye parte to appease the same by the vnestymable goodnesse of GOD his onlye and dearely beloued sonne became a sacrifice to appease his wrath and displeasure and to reconcile vs to his Father and by his death passion and resurrection procured for vs recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ with his father remissioÌ„ of sinne righteousnes before god and eternall life in heauen These be the Fruites and benefites that we haue by Christs coÌ„ming in fleshe Here agayne we haue to call to our remembrance the note that is before spoken of touching the highnes and exellencie of the meane of our saluation For if the same in part or in all could haue bene wrought by any other creatures in Heauen or earth the wisedome of God would neuer haue giuen his sonne to death to procure the same benefites for vs. But that he might declare how odious and displeasaunt Sinne was to God he let vs by this meanes vnderstande that the offence thereof could not be taken away nor mankinde to him bee reconciled but onelye by the blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Jesus his son Good Christians must then assuredly perswade themselues that they haue reconciliation with God remission of sinne iustification before God sanctification of the holy Ghost and the heritage of eternall life by the excellencye and fulnesse of Christ his death and passyon only only I say and by nothing else For as I haue sayde Christ is the only full and perfect meane of our saluation as the whole course of the Scripture teacheth vs. Esay the Prophet many yeares before Christ came in fleshe signified thus much and cryeth to all them that hunger and thyrst after saluation that they should come and receaue it plentifully and freelye of the mercy of God in Christe and blameth them for seeking for saluation and the satisfying of their hungry and thirstie soules by any other meanes then y â— O sayth he all ye that thyrst come to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say bie Wine Milke without money Wherefore do you lay out your siluer for that that is no bread bestow your labor for that which doth not satisfye you hearken dilligently vnto me and eate that which is good and let your soules delight in fatnesse incline your eares and come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue c. By these wordes I haue sayde the Prophet calleth vs to receaue the comfortable water and sustenaunce of the Gospell which offereth full saluation and satisfying of our hungry soules freelye by Christ and sharpely rebuketh them that leauing christ seeke after other meanes by which in deede their hungrie desyre of Remission and Saluation in anye parte cannot be satisfyed and for that cause hee sayeth Theire Syluer is bestowed and theire Laboure spente in vayne Christ himself may seeme to expounde this prophecye and apply vnto himselfe in playne wordes that whiche the prophet heare speaketh in a figuratiue borrowed speech for he sayth Whosoeuer thirsteth let him come to mee and drinke And agayne Al ye that trauaile be heauy loden come vnto me and I will refreshe you The Apostles do fully in their doctrine iustifye y â— same Peter sayth There is no saluation in any other c. Neyther is there any other name giueÌ„ vnder heaueÌ„ wherby you shalbe saued c. And S. Paule It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwel and by him to reconcile all thinges to himselfe and to set at peace through the blood of his Crosse both the thinges in earth and the thinges in Heauen And again in the same Epist In whome are hidde all the Treasures of wisedome knowledge c. in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily you are complete in him which is the head of all pricipalitie Marke that he sayth We are complete in him and therfore neede we no other meanes of saluation And this our sweete Apostles S. John who teacheth vs this triall of spirits sayth The blood of Christe Iesus the sonne of God doth cleanse vs from all sinne The same Apostle maye seeme not onelye
to haue written hys Epystle but his whale Gospell also to this ende only and principallye that Christyans shoulde vnderstand that Christ only and no other thing or person is the meanes to bring to the people of God remissyon of sinne Justification Redemption and all the Benefites and parts of our saluation For in that gospell Christ is declared to be the Lambe of god that taketh awaye the sin of the world The fulnes of Gods grace of whose fulnesse all we take part The brasen Serpent that only healeth the sting of the olde Serpent Sathan The Fountaine of liuing water of which he that drinketh shall neuer thyrste The bred of life which he that eateth shal neuer die The true foode and drink of our soules of which hee y ◠eateth drinketh shall be sure to haue eternall life The Lighte of the world which only scattereth disperceth the clowds of ignorance and errour maketh vs to see the truth of God and right way of Saluation The good Sheapheard that giueth his lyfe for the benefite of his Sheepe The onlye Doare whereby we enter into the Church of GOD and so into eternall Lyfe The very Waye Truth and Lyfe without which Waye there is no walking to Heauen but wādring by wrong pathes vnto the Diuell without which Truth there is nothing but falshood and errour withoute which Life there is nothing but death eternal The true Vine by which only as branches we sucke the sweete and liuing iuyce of Gods holy spirite and without which wee are hable to doe nothing The onelye giuer of the blessed comforter that doth worke the peace of our Consciences and direct vs into all truth c. What good christian hart waying these things doth not thereof conceaue vnestimable comfort and more quietnesse of conscience then in all the heapes of mens deuises which they haue imagined to purchase vs the fauour of GOD and remission of sinne Yea what faithfull minde after the vnderstanding and imbracing of this sweete Doctrine doeth not deteste as blasphemous and wicked all suche as directe vs to any other meane of Saluation then the bloode of Christe onlye Wherefore the people of GOD muste bee well assured by this seconde rule of Saint Iohn that not onely they are false Prophets Wolues and of the spirit of Antechrist that in grosse tearmes denie Christ to haue come in fleshe but they also whiche will seeme constantlye to confesse this Article to bee moste true and yet in verye deede colourably and as it were vnder sheepes cloathing denie impugne and disgrace the causes Fruite Profite and effectes thereof by attributyng the same to other things than vnto the Death and merites of Christ only Now whether the Teachers of the Church of Roome doe this or no let such as haue the feare of god and care of their saluation vnfaynedly consyder They teach that Christe is not our onlye Mediatour and intercessoure vnto GOD or if they say so in wordes in effecte they denye it when they affyrme that wee haue infinite other that is all the Sayntes in heauen that be our Mediatours and Intercessoures for vs to directe our praiers to thē or by them They teach that Christs death is not a full satisfaction for the whole sinnes of the World or if in wordes they will saye so in Trueth they denye it when they affyrme that Christe his bodye was offered vppon the Crosse for the debte of Originall Sinne only and that for oure other daylye Offences it is offered in the Sacrifice of the Masse Or when they affyrme as Gabriell Biell doeth That althoughe Christe his Passion be the principall Merite for which grace is gyuen and the Kingdome of Heauen is opened yet it is neuer the only and whole meritorious cause thereof because there euer concurreth with the merite of Christe some worke or merite of him that receiueth the grace They teach that we haue not remission of sins the fauor of god only by christ but partly by the merites of Saynts partly by our fasting Almes deeedes and other good workes partly by pardons by Pilgrimages by Masses by building of churches erecting of chaunteries by holy water and such other thinges Wherefore I may conclude euen by this rule by whiche S. Iohn directeth vs to trie y ◠spirits of preachers whether they be of God or no y t the teachers maintainers of the Doctrine of the Churche of Rome are not suche as Christian men ought to beleeue and giue credite vnto but rather to beware of them and take heede that they bee not seduced by them The thyrde poynte of Doctrine is how we may be partakers of Christe comming in fleshe and how the benefites thereof are truely and rightly applied vnto vs. A doctrine surely no lesse needeful then the two former for in vayne to no purpose in respect of vs doth Christ come in flesh and suffer death if the benefits therof be not applied to vs and we made partakers of the same Now what this Mean is S. Ioh. in the same Epist doth euidently declare vnto vs saying Let that remain in you that you haue herd frō the begining For if that remain in you that you haue heard at the beginning you also shall abide in the son in the father What it is to abide in that which they heard in the beginning he afterward playnely expoundeth that is constantly with sure fayth to beleeue y ◠premises of God in his Gospel assuring vs of Saluation in Christes Sonne For this he writeth Euery one that is borne of God ouercōmeth the world this is the victory that ouercōmeth the world euē our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but he that beleueth that Iesus Christ is the sonne of god And after He that beleueth in the son of god hath the witnes in himself he that beleueth not god hath made him a liar becaus he beleued not in the witnes of God which he testified of his son And this is the record that God hath giuen vnto vs eternal life and this life is in his sonne In these words we haue first that saluatiō eternall life is y e gift of God not a thing of vs deserued Secōdly y ◠God the Father by his witnes promise doth assure vs that we shall be partakers therof for the merite of Christe his Sonne only This life sayeth hee is in his Sonne Lastlye that the meanes to be made partakers hereof is assuredlye to beleeue the truth of GOD promissing this in his sonne or else by infidelitie wee make God a lyer and leese out partes of his promise Christ himselfe also beareth witnesse of the same Meanes to apprehend our saluation So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer doth beleeue in him should not perishe but haue eternall life c. And agayne He that beleeueth in him is not condemned but he
teach and as you loue the saluatiē of your soules require you to beleeue that they be signes and figures in deede but such as most assuredly bring vnto the faithfull harte verily and in truth the selfe same things that they signifie so that the faithfull Christian receauer maye assure himselfe that as truely as God is God so truely he receaueth those things which the outward Sacrament doth signifie We ought therefore deerely beloued with humble hartes to giue immortall thankes to the eternall God in our Sauiour Christ Jesus that he hath vouchedsafe so graciously and so mercifully to haue consideration of our infirmitie to helpe our frailtie and as it were to leade vs like children by the hand and appoint vs whether to goe and what to doe and to giue vs those exercises to trade vs to the obedience of his will and confession of his name to marke vs with his badges and cognizances that wee may be knowen to be his to fasten vs together with these linkes of vnitie and Christian concorde and finally to prepare for vs such and so blessed instrumentes to bring vnto vs hys heauenly blessings Herein also we may behold his great wisedome that he would not lay forth vnto vs his spiritual mysteries and promises in wordes onely least they myght slip away and be forgotten but confirmeth and establisheth the same by his deede and seale also as I haue declared that we might the more assuredly embrace them We reade in Histories and see by experience that when men make any Couenaunt or bargayne they either shake handes or vse some other like ceremonie or solemnitie to confirme it In olde time among the heathen they vsed to kill a hogg◠or a pigge c. and to vse at the same certaine protestatious and curses if they stoode not to their couenaunt and league And euerie matter of conueighance we see passeth by deede and seale The Lorde when he made his promise to Abraham willed a Bullocke a Goate and a Weather to bee kylled and the Lorde in forme of a burning lyght passed betweene them by that solemnitie assuring him that whatsoeuer he had promysed should in truth be performed The outwarde Circumcision the Paschall Lambe and all the multitude of Sacrifices of the olde lawe were nothing but seales to confirme the trueth of Gods promise of saluation in the true sacrifice that shoulde come Euen so dealeth Christ with vs in his Sacramentes Those he hath ordayned as his deedes and instrumentes as before I haue mentioned to assure vs of his promyses And so much are his deedes more sure and his promyses more certaine and infallible than any mans can bee as his wyll is more iust to stande to that he hath sayde and his habilitie to performe it greater Nowe for so much as S. Paule in this place maketh comparison betweene the Sacramentes of the olde Lawe and of the Gospell and saith that the Israelites were Baptized in the cloude and in the sea and in Manna dyd eate the same spirituall meate and in the Rocke drinke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe I thinke it necessarie somewhat to note what difference is betweene theyr Churche and ours and their sacramentes and ours And principally I do this because many through ignoraunce are of that opinion that the saluation of mankinde by Christ was neuer hearde of in the worlde before Christ came in fleshe and that the Iewes had some other meane of saluation than by him and therefore that their sacramentes and ours are nothing like But this errour taketh away from all Christians a passing great comforte that is that Christian Religion and that Meanes of saluatiō is no new thing but hath continued euer since the beginning of the world according as it is said of Christ Agnus qui dccifus est ab origine mundi i. That he is the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world First therefore you must vnderstande and the whole course of the Scriptures teacheth vs that there is but one eternall and immutable GOD of both those Churches I meane of the Iewes before Christ and of christians nowe whome they both dyd worshyppe in spirite and in trueth For Christians must bee farre from that dinelish and wicked heresie of Marcion Valentinian and other whiche taught that there were two Gods one of the Iewes another of the Christians a good God and a badde a GOD that created the worlde and a good God that was Father of Christ Iesu But this detestable heresie hath beene iustly condemned and cast out of the Churche manye hundred yeeres since Secondlye both those Churches haue but one manner of saluation proposed to them in the promyses of GOD that is by the death of Christ the Messias and sonne of God Thys maner of saluation was first deuised by the wysedome of God and layde vp in the secrete closet of his diuine prouidence before the worlde was made So saith Saint Paule Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessing in heauenly things in Christ as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde Thys manner of saluation God himselfe first vttered and publyshed in Paradice saying to the Serpent after sinne committed I will sette enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and hir seede and thy seede shall breake his heade c. Here is promysed that one should come of the seede of the womā that should breake the serpentes heade that is vtterly destroye the power of the Diuell and deliuer mankinde from his tyrannie The same promyse was confirmed to Abraham and ratified to all the Patriarches in these wordes In thy seede all the nations of the earth shal be blessed This promyse so much moued faithfull Abraham that as Christ saith he greatly longed in spirite to see the day of Christ and he sawe it and exceedingly reioyced and vndoubtedly so did the other Patriarches and Prophetes as S. Peter beareth witnesse hereof All the Prophetes from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue borne witnes of these dayes What shall I saye of the whole manner of the law ceremonies and Sacramentes but that they were Preachings of that redemption that should be in Christ Iesu It were infinite to giue you examples in al I will note vnto you onely two or three What can bee more euident than the Sacrament of the Passouer That as a Lambe without spot was killed so the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesu should be sacrificed for our deliuerance out of the spiritual Aegypt of the Diuels kingdome where vnder the heauie burdens of sinfull workes wee were holden thrall and in bondage And as the blood of the Lambe sprinkled vppon the poste was a token for the Angell of Gods wrathe to passe that house so as many as by fayth haue the doore postes of their heartes sprinkled with the bloud of Christ the true Lamb that taketh
maliciously seeking to supplant one an other Which of you is able to accuse vs that wee pull downe Townes and inclose whole fieldes to feede wylde beastes famish a number of Christian people or that we ioyne house to house lande to land with oppression of the poore as thoughe wee woulde lyue alone vppon the face of the earth Which of you is able to saye that wee wast the treasure of the lande in feedyng three Cankers riotously to consume the same I meane Monstrous Vanitie in Apparell Needelesse pompe in Sumptuous building and Excessiue charge in daintie feeding Which of you is able to say that in all our doings we set not the feare of God before our faces make not his holy word the directioÌ„ of all our deuises Which of you I say is able to accuse vs in any of all these things If all men in all states and conditions bee able with good conscience thus to say Surely this lande is blessed But Heauen and earth seeth and the Lorde knoweth that it is not so in a number yet God forbyd for that number that we should condemne all God hath his in euery state and condition of man Nowe come I to the thirde parte contayned in the second sentence of my Theame Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi If I say the truth why doe you not beleeue mee Wherein I promised to let you vnderstande that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue Preached in this lande by the space of this 20. yeeres and that hath beene confirmed and established by the authoritie of the Prince lawes of this Realme is the onely truth that there is no truth of doctrine but it therfore y t you ought both faythfully without exception to embrace it and constantly wythout reuolting to abyde in it But mee thinketh I heare some say Sir if you coulde resolue vs that it is the trueth whiche you Preache wee would easilye receaue it but wee may iustly doubt of it For ye are but men and such men as carie their blemishes openly in the sight of the world ye may be deceaued and deceaue others As good Clarkes as you and as honest men for any thing wee see teache vs the contrarie and say their doctrine is the truth or at the leastwyse wee may iustly thinke that those great contentions that you make against y t Churche of Rome are but for trifling ceremonies and matters of small weight and importance and therefore that Christian Princes might do verâ—e well to see some order for those matters and to force you to agree for the residue whether you will or no that you may no longer trouble the worlde as you haue done these many yeeres with these needelesse controuersies Surely that they wyll not receaue our doctrine with triall I can not mislike it for S. Iohn in his 1. Epist 4. cap. giueth them the same Counsell Deerely beloued saith he beleeue not euery spirit that speaketh to you but trie the spirites whether they be of God or not for many false Prophetes are come into the world Therefore I would to God all sortes of men but chiefely Princes Counsellers and Magistrates would trie our doctrine by the true touchstone of Gods word as those noble Conuerts of Berrhaea did meÌ„tioned in y â— Act. 17 which came to heare Paules Sermons not of custome and fashion onely But dayly searched the Scriptures whether those things were true that Paule spake or no. If God would moue them so to doe they should easily vnderstand not onely that our doctrine were the truth but also that the controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome is not for trifling Ceremonies as they saye or matters of small weight but for the very substaunce of our fayth and ground of all Christian Religion and that there can bee made no more agreement betwene our doctrine and theirs then betweene light and darkenesse truth and error God and Beliall Christ Antichrist which thing it behoueth all Christians and professors of the Gospell deepely to consyder For as before time often I haue sayde in this place so now thinke I the time draweth nigh that Godds iustice for our vnthankefulnesse will pull vs to the tryall of our fayth and therefore it behooueth vs to vnderstande that we contend not for trifles but for matters of principall importance as I mean now to declare vnto you And if som persons shall thinke these poyntes needelesse to be spoken of in this place I humbly craue leaue that for the confyrmation of mine own fayth I may declare vnto you y â— grounds of my conscience that if euer I liue to be tempted to forsake my Lorde God and his truth that this my protestation made in this place may bee a bonde vnto my conscience The rule that I will vse to prooue that our Doctrine is the truth and not that which commeth from Rome shal be the same that the Scripture of God layeth downe by S. Iohn in the place before mentioned where after he hath as you haue heard admonished men to trye the Spirites whether they be of God or no hee addeth these meanes of triall Euery Spirite that confesseth Christ to haue come in flesh is of God and euery spirite that denieth Christ to haue come in flesh is not of God but is the Spirit of Antichrist of whome you haue heard howe hee shoulde come and now already is he in the worlde Nowe that you may vnderstande I go not about to deceaue you with shewe of eloquence and Rhethoricall amplifications and with motions of affections to leade you into erroure earâ— you be ware I will laye open myne argumente vnto you nakedly and barely that you may see euery ioynt thereof and with your selues consyder of what force it ought to bee in any christian coÌ„science And this I say euery spirit that confesseth Christ to haue come in fleshe is of God and teacheth you the truth And euery spirite that denyeth Jesus to haue come in fleshe is not of God but leadeth you into errour and is that spirite of Antichrist But wee and the Preachers of the Gospell in all Godly sence coÌ„fesse Christ to haue come in fleshe and our Aduersaries of Roome doe not therefore we and not they haue brought the truth vnto you The 2. proposition I know wil be denied for both y t parts therof which I wil proue vnto you by this meanes First I will let you vnderstand the causes why christ came in fleshe and what benefites he procured to mankynde by the same Secondly I will shew vnto you what it is to denye Christe to haue come in fleshe The firste of these two shall confirme our truth The seconde shall confound their error As touching the cause why christ came in flesh When sinne had made separation betweene God and man and the exceding great mercy of God was not willing vtterly to cast away man and to rasâ— him