wee neuer fast and that our preachers doe preach against it as against a thing altogether vnlawfull But as they speake truth in this so let them be beleeued in euery thing else Indeede wee holde and that truely that all meates may bee eaten at all times and at all seasons of him that hath faith for so the Apostle teacheth saying Nowe the spirite speaketh euidently that in the later daies some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede to spirites of error doctrine of deuils which speak lies thorough hypocrisie and haue theyr consciences burned with a hot yron forbidding to marry and commaunding to abstaine from meates which GOD hath created to be receiued wyth thankes-giuing of them which beleeue and knowe the truth And in another place hee sayeth Euerie creature of God is good and nothing ought to bee refused if it bee receiued with faith and thankesgiuing for it is sanctified by the worde of God and by praier So that wee holde it a matter meerely indifferent to eat or not to eate at all times Wee repose no religion in eating or drinking but hold it rather for a matter of pollicie than of diuinitie Our Sauiour Christ sayth there is nothing that entereth into man that defile the man but those things which come out of a man those defile a man It is sayd also in another place All things are cleane to those that be cleane And further we reade in the history of the Acts how the Apostle Paule himselfe was commanded in a vision as it were by oracle from heauen to eate of all meates conteyned in the sheete being also forbid to call that vncleane which God had sanctified made cleane And therefore I say we hould it lawfull by the word of God to eate all meates at all times yea though it were in Lent it selfe But yet if it please the Prince for pollicy sake and for a common wealth for that at that time of the yeare all creatures do breede and ingender together and therefore besides that they are not so wholesome as at other times of the yeare if they should then be killed and eaten as they are at other times there must needes growe great dearth scarsity of them to commaund vs to absteine from eating of flesh that time of the yeare only we willingly obey it as a matter of pollicy and not of diuinitie religion or conscience And albeit it be obiected that Christ fasted 40. dayes and 40. nightes yet it followeth not that of necessity we should absteyne from flesh only for so long no more than it followeth that we must absteyne from all other meates because Christ did so Wee haue no one sillable in the word of God for our warrant to do so Nay if we would imitate Christs example in this we are not able For can wee absteyne from all kind of sustenance whatsoeuer 40. dayes and 40. nights as Christ did And yet if wee wyll follow strictly hys example we must doe so Therefore it is true omnis Christi actio nostra est instructio non imitatio euery action of Christ is our instruction but not a president to follow in euery thing And doubtlesse if he would that we should haue absteyned from the eating of flesh in Lent only he would haue geuen vs some precept or other or at least some one word or other sounding that way To conclude therefore we hould that fasting from meates and drinkes is both good and godly and many times very necessary to tame the wanton affections of the flesh and to subdue them to the spirit And yet we looke not to merite by our fasts neyther yet doe wee fast in honor or worship to any dead Saints as the Papists most blasphemously doe And thus much of fasting Now to go forward It is a good worke in euery one to preuent and as much as lyeth in hys power to hynder and stay euery euill action or vngodlye deede which eyther hee knoweth of hys owne knowledge or else is informed and aduertised of by others is like to come to passe if he do not he is as guilty of the mischife whatsoeuer it be that hapneth as he that committed it And therefore it standeth euery one in hand to take heed to himselfe that he be not partaker of other mens sinnes for euery one hath inough and too many of his owne to answere for God be mercifull to vs. It is a good worke in euery one to practise sobrietie temperancie and frugalitie as well in his meates as also in his drinks to eschew all gluttony drunknes ryot excesse to vse such apparell and attyre as is decent and comely rather obeying necessity than seruing curious phantesie knowing that our apparell was geuen vs to couer our nakednes withall to hide our shamefull parts and not to puffe vs vp into a prowde humor or vayne conceipt of our selues And trust me truly I see no greater reason that we haue to be prowde of our apparell than the poore Lazar hath to be prowd of his rags clouts that wrap his sores It is a good worke in euery one to moderate his affections so as he neyther thinke meditate nor practise any euil against any man that he refrayne his tongue from all maner of swearing and blaspheming of Gods most holy name that he fall out with no man curse nor ban not any finally that he keepe his eyes from beholding of vanitie his eares from hearing of filthines or ribaldry and his hands feet from committing of euill Now if these be good works as they are indeede then most vnhappy are they that be so farre from doing any of them that they dayly and hourely practise the contrary and will iustifie themselues too by the word of God For sayth one is not swearing tollerable doth not God say thou shalt honor me and sweare by my name and therefore they conclude that God is rather honored than dishonored by swearing Othersome when a man reprooues them for it will aske hym why Is it not lawfull for a man to haue God in hys minde and to name hym often yea the oftner the betters Thus these reprobate miscreants iustifye themselues in theyr sinne and abuse the word of God to their owne destruction For answere to the first I graunt indeede that God is honored by swearing by his name in this sence when a matter or controuersie falleth out which can not otherwise be determined than by an oth then are we being called by the Magistrates and those that are in authority to depose the truth by the inuocation and calling to witnesse of the name of God or else in a priuate action betwixt party and party to end a controuersy we may lawfully take an oth for so the Apostle sayth let an oth make an end of all controuersies In these two respects it is lawfull to sweare as I haue sayd and God is honored thereby if we depose the truth as he is truth But as he
Stone and Nantwich in Chesshire for horse and man to passe Hee caused the like causie to bee made betwixt Dunchurch and Brausen in Warwikshier well nere three miles in length Hee gaue twentie pounds in monie towards the making of Royton bridge he made also foure bridges two of stone and two of timber he built also a notable free schoole at DraitoÌ„ in Shrop-shier with lands sufficient for maister and vsher for euer Moreouer hee gaue in his life time fiue hundred poundes in monie to the hospitall of Christes Church in London and an hundred pounds at his death Sir William Peter knight besides that he gaue one hundred pounds a yeere in lands to Exeter colledge in Oxford builded also ten almes houses in Ingerstone for twentie poore people euerie one of them hauing two pence a daie a winter gowne and two loads of wood amongest them all keeping for sixe kine Winter and Summer for euer William Lambe Gentleman of the Chappell to king Henrie the eight made the great conduit nere Holborne bridge in London carrying the water by pipes of lead aboue two thousand yards and this he did of his owne proper cost and charges amounting by estimation to the summe of fifteene hundred poundes The same master Lambe gaue to the parish of Saint Faiths vnder Paules in London sixe poundes thirteene shillings and foure pence yeerely to be distributed equally amongst twelue pore people euerie fridaie twelue pence in monie and twelue pence in bread for euer He gaue also to Christs hospitall yerely for euer sixe pound and an hundred pound in monie to purchase lands to the same To Saint Thomas hospitall in Southwarke hee gaue 4. pound a yeere for euer To the hospitall called the Sauor hee gaue sometimes ten pounds at once towardes the buying of bedding for the poore He gaue to the Companie of the cloth workers in London foure poundes a yeere for euer He gaue to the same companie his dwelling house and other lands to the value of thirtie pounds a yeere to hire a Minister to saie seruice euerie wednesdaie fridaie and saterdaie to preach foure sermons euerie yeere after his decease in the Church called Saint Iamesses in the wall by Cripple gate in London and also to giue to xii poore men to euerie one a freeze gowne ready made a shirt of locoram and a new paire of shooes and to twelue pore women twelue gownes of freese twelue smockes and twelue payre of shooes for euer Hee also erected a free schoole and six almes houses at Sutton Valens in Kent with sufficient allowance mayntenance for them both Hee also gaue to the townes of Ludlow and Bridgenorth to either an hundred pounds a peece to set poore men on worke withall He gaue also towardes the setting of poore men on worke in Suffolke an hundred poundes I might heere recite many moe such lyke examples of our good forefathers if I feared not to bee tedious but I will wade no further heerein at this time hoping that those fewe except we haue shakeÌ„ hands with all godlynesse made a league with death a couenant with hell as the Prophet speaketh wil yet some what serue to the stirring vp of our drousie mindes to the exercise and practise of good workes and to leaue behinde vs to the posterityes to come some fruites of our faith some seales of our profession and some pledges of our christian loue and charitie as our good ancestors haue done before vs. For is it not a shame vnto vs that our forefathers liuing in the times of superstition when poperie and Idolatrie had ouerflowed almost the whole world and hauing but as it were a glimmering of the glorious lyght of the Gospell of Christe shoulde notwithstanding so farre passe vs in good workes as that we may not once be compared to them in anie small measure Oh what a condemnation will this be vnto vs It had bin better for vs a great deale we had neuer knowen the truth than knowing it not to follow it as Christ witneseth in a certayne place if I had not come vnto them and done those works which none else could do they should haue had no sinne yea I pray God that publicanes and sinners do not goe before many of vs Protestants into the kingdome of heauen for wee talke much but walke nothing after it And therfore now at the last euen in the name of God let vs contend and striue one with another in an holy zeale if not to excel yet to match or if not to match yet to come some-what neere our forefathers in doing of good works Let vs follow the councell of Christ who sayth Let your lightes so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorify your father which is in heauen And doubtles God is glorified by vs in nothing more than in good works being done in faith according to the word of God and in leauing of monuments and remembraÌ„ces of our christian loue and godly zeale towards the brethren behind vs. And no maruaile for in the very actioÌ„ of good works we effect three most excellent vertues christian dutiess as first we glorify God in our selues and by our selues secondly we relieue sustaine and comfort our poore brethren and thirdly we moue theyr harts their soules spirits to thank God for vs to pray for vs and to praise the Lord for his blessings bestowed vpon them in the mouing of our harts to the succoring of theÌ„ For if the goods that wee bestowe be the Lordes and not ours as without all peraduenture they are the Psalmist bearing witnes where he sayth Domini est terra plenitudo eius The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and the Prophet affirming the same speaking in the person of God golde is mine siluer is mine and all the riches vpon the face of the earth is mine and haue not my handes made them all and if it be God that geueth both the will and the deede as the Apostle sayth it is then great cause haue the poore soules to prayse the goodnes of God for hys fatherly care and mercifull prouidence towardes them in succouring and relieuing theyr necessities by the hande or ministery of such and such hys seruants And vppon the other side happie and blessed art thou whome God thy creator doth vse as an instrumeÌ„t to do good and to relieue his Saints vppon the earth that haue neede It is a testimonie to thy conscience that thou art a childe of grace a vessell of saluation and feaâ—â—ed vp to the day of redemption But heere peraduenture it may be obiected that these men that did these workes were for the most part Papists and therfore their deedes were naught and no better than the workes of the Turkes Infidels or Pagans I graunt that the most part of them were indeede Papists but yet it followeth not therefore that they were absolutely euill because they were done by Papists The Deuill may doe and sometimes
shall iudge But this winde shakes no corne as the Papists say for the Pope cā easily wipe away al this a thousād times more with a word What am not I Christs viccar generall and Peters successor Haue not I claues regni caelorum the keyes of the kingdome of heauen haue not I potestatem soluendi ligandi power to bind loose In a word am not I God can not I forgiue sinne at my pleasure Oh blasphemous mouth God shall destroy thee with the breath of his mouth The very Iewes shal rise vp in iudgemēt against thee cōdemne thee who sayd Can any mā forgiue sin 〈◊〉 God alone They thinke it also a good worke and of great merite to gad vp and down the cuntreys on Pilgrimage to this place and that place to this hee Saint and that shee Saint yea although it be as farre off as Rome Constantinople or Ierusalem is hence the further the more merite to visite Bethleem where Christ was borne the holie Sepulchre where he was buried the holy Crosse wherevpon he suffered the nayles that were driuen into his handes and feete the speare that was thrust into his side his bloud that was shed when he hanged vppon the Crosse the milke of Maries brests or else they lye the cratch or manger wherein Christ lay with infinite the like supersticious reliques too long to be recited heere To all which must be attributed a diuine worship with kneeling before them praying vnto them belieuing and trusting in them and aboue all for this is the chiefest work they shoote at offering vnto them as it were a sacrifice to Baal gould siluer iewels and precious stones of infinite varietie These things although they doe the idolls no good for so I will not feare to call them yet doe they serue to inritch these ambicious and greedie Priests who dayly gape for such prayes And truely but that the iudgements of God are a deapth without bottome hys counsayles vnsearchable and hys wayes past finding out I would wonder that any man could be so blinded or besotted as to trauayle so many hundred myles nay so many thousand myles sometymes in the meane tyme not regarding hys or theyr poore wyfe and children at home how miserably so euer they lyued to thys Saint and that Saint to thys Idoll and that idoll as though one were better than an other or that one could helpe better or more than an other Therefore it is true which the Apostle by the holy Ghost vttereth of such men where he sayth when men will not belieue the truth then God geueth them ouer to a reprobate sence to belieue lyes Alas did they or doe they thinke that these idolls can doe them any good eyther heare theyr prayers relieue theyr necessities or graunt theyr petitions No no this was but the subtiltie or rather playne knauerie of the couetous Priests to get money withall although to the destruction of theyr owne and infinite millions of Christian soules besides Full well was it sayde therefore of the heathen Poete Oh auri sacra fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis Oh cursed loue of money what wickednes is there in all the worlde which thou wilt not cause a man to doe for the loue of thee This caused the holy Ghost to denounce that couetousnes is the roote of all euill Oh remember what the Apostle sayth Godlynes is great riches if a man be content with that that hee hath Forget not what hee telleth you in an other place those that studie to be rich in thys world fall into diuers temptations and snares of the Deuill Seeke therefore to be ritch in God and not in the transitorie vanities of thys lyfe whiche vanishe away lyke a scumme or bubble before a man haue any vse or fruition of them Deceyue the world no longer with your bableries for filthy lucre sake repent and turne to God for hee is mercifull and would not your destruction Agayne the Papists accoumpt it a wonderfull good worke to make and erect Images and Idols in Churches and crosses in high wayes to creepe to them bare foote and bare legged to kneele before them to adore and worship them to pray to them to trust and belieue in them to aske and looke for all good thyngs at theyr handes to offer to them and in summe to attribute all diuine honor and worship to them being notwithstanding stocks and stones dead and insensible creatures and which as the Prophet sayth can neyther heare see smell taste nor vnderstande no nor so much as stirre out of theyr places If they be ouerwhelmed with dust they can not so much as make themselues cleane or if they be throwne into the fyre they can not ryse vp agayne and therefore not without cause doth the Lord pronounce accursed both the image and the image maker And as for crosses I see neyther reason nor scripture for them why they should be set vp eyther in Churches Churchyards high wayes or any place else Oh but say the Papists it doth a man good to looke vppon that engine whereupon Christ dyed But if they wyll needes haue crosses to gaze vppon let them looke vppon euery Christian man and woman who theyr armes being spread abroade doe resemble most liuely both the crosse and also Christ himselfe a thousand tymes more truely than these idolatrous counterfeite crosses of wood and stone And because they shall see the small or rather the no necessitie at all of these crosses amongst vs Christians I will shew the originall of them how and vppon what grounds and for what causes they fyrst came vp The heathen people and infidels denegers of the faith professed enemies to Christ Iesus reproched the Christians and cast in their teeth that their Sauiour and theyr Messias in whome they trusted was hanged vppon a crosse betweene two theeues as the most notorioust malefactor of all to his and theyr perpetuall approbrie ignominie and shame for euer as they most blasphemously affyrmed The Christians heerevpon to shewe that they were not ashamed neyther of Christ Iesus nor yet of his crosse caused to be set vp as well in Churches and Churchyards as also in high wayes streetes and lanes diuers and sundry crosses which custome hath continued and descended as it were by succession from them vnto vs at this day Now who seeth not heereby the small necessity of them amongst Christians For at this day there be none that doe vpbrayd vs that our Sauiour in whom we belieue was hanged vppon a crosse and therefore the cause of the erection or setting vp of crosses being ceased let the crosses themselues be remoued also For certainly the continuance of them in high wayes or elsewhere doth mayntayne a notable branch of Popish idolatrie and superstition amongst vs whilest some when they passe by them will geue them the right hand put off theyr caps make obeysance and worship them as that archtraytor seducer of Gods Saints Campion did passing along