ministers which they lerned in the boke of life vppon whiche foundation the apostles and auncient fathers and doctours of the Church in this pointe haue builded as vpon a most sure and infallible rocke Hebr. ix Act. 7.17 Esay 66. Christe saith Paule is not entred into the holy places that are made with handes whiche are but similitudes of true thynges but is entred into the very heauens for to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. Euery priest is ready daily ministring and oftentymes offreth one maner offrynge Hebr. x. whiche can neuer take awaye synne but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for synnes satte hym downe for euer on the right hande of God and from hensfoorth taryeth till his foes be made his footestoole Ye shal haue poore folke always with you Math. 26. Iohn 12. Mark 14. Iohn 7. but me shall ye not haue Also Sainte Iohn in hys vii Chapiter ye shall seke me and shal not fynde me wher I am thether can ye not come Athanasius likewise in his crede sayth that Christ ascended into heauen and sytteth on the ryghte hande of God the father almyghtie from whence he shall come to Iudge the quicke and the dead And more ouer in the articles of oure fayth the thyrde daye he rose agayne from the dead he ascended into heauen and sytteth on the righte hande of God and from thence he shal come to Iudge the quicke and the dead which iudgement of the quicke and the dead if it be already past then is Christ really present as the papystes affyrme But if that dredful day be yet to com as it is the part duty of Christians to beleue although it be not farre of then is not Christ now with vs as in hys humanitye Mat. 16. Marce. 8. Luc. 9. but shal come in the glorye of hys father with hys Angels and then shall reward euery mā accordyng to his dedes at whose cōmyng God graunt we may be found readye and not slepyng Wel then for as muche as that one offrynge of Iesu Christ being all in al and onely sufficient To what entent or purpose should we haue such so many daily sacrifices for what are they but a very plain denial of Christ crucifyed to be a sacrifyce only sufficient for those that beleue to haue saluation therby And thus good Christian brethren although ther be in holy scripture many more places to bee alledged which myght be applyed and aptly serue for the satysfyeng o◠Christian consciences in this point that Christ sitteth at the right hand of the father as touchyng hys humanitye Yet I praye you let these for briefnes presently bee sufficiente and hereby may ye now see how the iugglyng Masse Priests haue abused the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Christ whiche mystery of all the faythfull oughte thus to be vnderstanded and for this purpose did Christ our sauior institute ordaine and leaue it vnto vs to be vsed That thou Christian shouldest come there vnto with a penitent hart for thy former offences fullye and earnestlye purposyng through the assistance of the almighty to put vpō thee the new mā which is created after god in righteousnesse and holynes of truth stedfastlye beleuynge that through the passion bloudshed and death of Christ vpō the Crosse which the bread wyne as holy signes do represent thou hast I say obtayned full remyssion of thy synnes And in thys fayth with reuerence and humblenes of hart eate and drynke the mysteries of the body bloud of Christ And this glorious worke hath oure almyghtye and gratious God the father wrought in by his sonne Iesu Christ our sauiour for the saluatiō of as many as stedfastly beleue the same And thus is to be vnderstanded of this pure holy Sacrament and not that after the subtyl sorcerye and coniuration of the priest being finished the bodye of oure sauiour Christe to be forth with there in the ful proportion of hys humanitye For as Sainte Austen witnesseth the bodily presence of Christe concerninge his humanitye is in some one place of heauen but hys diuyne presence was is and shal be there here and in all places where it shal please hym alwaies ready to assiste those that faythfully ar gathered together in his name And agayne he sayeth as concernyng the presence of hys fleshe The Church had Christ but a fewe dayes yet nowe it holdeth hym faste by fayth though it see hym not with eyes Cirillus lykewyse wryteth that all thoughe Christe toke awaye from hence the presence of his body yet in the Maiesty of his Godheade he is euer here Also Gregory affirmeth that Christ is not here by the presence of hys fleshe and yet is absent no where by the presence of hys Maiestye And thys I take to be so playnly sayd to satysfye in thys poynt as that there nedeth no more rehearsall of any other authors But if thys suffyse the not resorte then vnto the golden booke of that worthye Cramner late Archebyshoppe of Canturburye where thou mayest haue grounde woorke and sure foundation sufficient to buyld thy faith vpon in thys poynt and then with an vpryght conscience iudge indyfferently howe muche the dyuelishe and erronious doctrine inuented by the papists dysagreeth and varyeth from the sacred woorde of God and the opinions and mynds of the fathers and the Doctors of the primatiue church Wel thus were we instructed thus had we I say the truth of god taught and opened vnto vs we were dayly fed and nourished with the liuely words of god In the settyng forth and teachyng wherof when the preachers had diligently traueled and through their zelous earnestnes in the declaration of their Master Christ hys message they had so instructed and taught vs that thereby we were somewhat trayned from the daungerous perillous pathwaies of perditiō wherin we were before blyndly led and that by the assistance of God through those hys ministers wee were broughte to some vnderstandyng and knowledge of hym and hadde some taste and swetenesse of the Gospell of Iesu Christe which is the pleasaunt path way the leadeth to eternall saluation Then seased they not but continually and louyngly exhorted vs not to bee forgetfull of the greate mercye that God hadde so louynglye shewed in the reuealynge of hys truthe vnto vs styl puttyng vs in remembrance to perseuer in the same Proue 23 applying our hartes vnto learning and our eares vnto the words of knowledge 2 Timo 3 to cōtinue in reading the holy scriptures which is able to make vs wise vnto saluation throughe the fayth whiche is in Christ Iesu Thus wer we thē taught ye infinite numbers of godly instructions were geuē vs by these schoole masters worthy of their office 1 Peter 2 These wer true instructors these were they that Peter speaketh of euen the true prophets of the chosen generation of the holy natiō peculiar people that shewed vs the vertues of him
from place to place from countrey to countrey to offer to cary and bryng to them that neyther sawe nor felte but yet receauers they had that refused nothing al was fyshe that came to the net with theÌ„ these pâ—â—feryng pilgrimages had that papisticall broode Romyshe â—able deuised for their own lukers sake which though beneficiall to themselues yet moste abhominable in the sighte of God and a playne robbyng of God of the honour and reuerence only due vnto hym wherof thoughe they were not ignoraunt yet careles Secondly touching the Masse which was their chiefe staffe to stand by howe were we by them persuaded coniured and brought to beleue the same to be a sacrifice to put away the sinnes bothe of the quicke and the dead and that by the vertue ther of as they saide they transported soules from purgatorye to paradise purchased eternall saluation ye what sore was it not a salue for or what diseases wold it not cure And after the wordes of consecration spoken then no bread nor wine to remaine but were forthwith altered and turned into the very body and bloude of Christe ye the very same proportion of body that honge on the crosse to be there foorthe commyng at their commaundemente they had hym in a strynge in suche subiection to plucke him to them and put him from them at their owne pleasure the creator to be subiect to the creature Oh abhominable blasphemye oh diuelishe detestable and shamelesse sacrificers directly denying the death of Iesu Christe to be onely sufficient But now beholde therefore what they are and what theyr owne doyngs declare them to be euen the very enemyes of Christ Iesu they kepte the symple ones ignoraunte and shewe themselues to bee euen they Ro. xvi whome Paule willed vs to be ware of who with their flatteryng woordes and sweete preachynges deceaue the heartes of the innocentes These I saye be they of that viperous generation of that fylthye broode that oure Sauiour Christ warneth vs of Math 24. Mar. xiii by the holy Euangelist Mathew * If any man say vnto you to here is Christe or there is Christe beleue them not For there shall aryse false Christes and fals prophets shal do great myracles wonders in so much that if it wer possible the very elect shold be deceiued And alas howe were we poore selye wretches and innocentes in bondage wretchedly wrapped in captiuitie of many yeares subiect to these gredy whelpes of Antichrist who without all shame and destitute of godly feare continual lye poured out vppon and in maner drouned vs with innumerable blasphemies and hipocritical superstitious ceremonies ageinst God and his truthe Thus were we by them led towardes destruction of body and soule Thus were we through that wicked Romish trayne still kepte from the bryght beames of gods holy worde And beyng thus in our chiefe extremitie at an exigent euen at the pytte brynke of pardition beholde the mercyfull goodnes of our almyghty God the God of our forefathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob beholde I say the great care of God for his people who he so derely hath bought euen with the precious bloude of his sonne Christe behold how God here tendred the workes of his owne handes ye and behold the sweete and comfortable promyses of our sauiour Christe moste louingly performed Nothyng saith he is in secrete that shall not come abrode Mar. 8. nor any thyng hyd that shall not come to light be knowâ— For lost plesed our heauenly father of his free mercy then that his worde should be a lanterne to our feete Psal 119. Maâ— â— and a lyght to our path wais where as before we walked in darkenes now dyd the blynde see and the deafe heare and to the poore was the gladde tidyngs preached Psalm 19. This woord gaue lyght and brought foorth vnderstanding euen vnto the very babes it offred an euerlasting enheritance vnto all those that with constaunt faithe did or doo imbrace it God stirred vp then his faithful ministers to pronouÌ„ce the same his wil vnto vs Psalm â—7 to winne his people vnto hymselfe Oh how mercifully dyd god then blesse vs and shew the light of his countenance vpon vs geuyng vs true and skilful shepardes to guide vs euen such as at his hands had receiued a spiritual vnderstanding They preached vnto vs the kyngdome of god to be at hand They preached vnto vs the lost shepe of Israel the gospel of the kingdom of god They preached repentance Mathe. â— * Freely they receyued eueÌ„ of the good gyfte of god And freely they gaue agayn so that thorough the sounde and true doctrine of Iesu Christ taught by them we were led to the strayght and narrowe waye that leadeth vnto lyfe Mat. 7. Note therfore nowe gentyl Christian the great diuersitie in this pointe beetwene the fantasies dreames and inuentions of the perillous papistes and how much they varye and disagre with the truth of god taught vnto vs by the faythfull ministers of his most holy and inuincible worde The Romish broode taught vs that with gadding on pilgrimage and offring of money and trifles to stockes and blockes our sinnes were forgeuen vs and that those worme eaten ambassadours and painted Idoles were as mediators to take vp the matter betwene god and vs but S. Iames sayeth Iames. iâ—â— that these bee lyers against the truth and their wisedom not to discend from aboue but is earthly naturall diuelish and therfore to be detested abhorred and vtterlye despised But the true pilgremage in dede was taughte vs by the trustye messangers of their Master Christ Petâ—er 2. And which of al Christians ought continually to be obserued and followed and this it is Iame â— â— that we abstayn from sleshely lustes which fyght agaynst the soule to visit the prisoners and succourles people the fatherlesse in their aduersity to clothe and couer our nedy naked brethren with som holsom and comfortable garment c. But not to apparrell the blunt blocke that neyther feeleth heate nor colde and howe is it then possible they shoulde help vs or do vs any pleasure that cannot helpe themselues ye what neede we anye other mediatour or intercessour Iohn i. but him whome we haue alreadye to be our aduocate with the father euen Iesu Christ that righteous one And thus dydde those holy men of God teache vs they taughte vs Christ alone to be oure intercessour and aduocate and that God alone absolueth and freelye forgeueth vs for Christ his sake all our sins if we earnestly repent and beleue as witnesseth Peter we are saith he 1. Peter 1 iustified by faithe only in Christ his blood let this be sufficient in this pointe And now to the second pointe concernyng the reall presence of Christ to be in their Masse whiche the Papistes continually taught earnestly affirmed and with tooth and nayle mainteined Note now I say here the true vnderstanding thereof taught vs by Christ his
that called thē out of darkenesse into his marueylous lyght into the which through the great mercy of God their paynful trauel industrye dayly preaching we were trayned accordīg to the same a whyle we walked Alas in dede but a whyle for al to soone we began to be weary of our welfare we disdayned wel doing waxed forgetful of the great goodnes of almyghty god toward vs we were vnthankefull for the great benefites receaued at his hands we herkened not diligently to the worde◠of God pronounced by his messangers but necglected our duties both toward God and hys mynisters yet not withstandyng our peruers carelesnesse then such was the pity mercy of God tendering vs as the father his childrē that he would not sodenly so sharply deale with vs as our desertes deserued for so litle regarding so worthy a Iuel his holy woorde but rather louyngly warned vs by the mouthes of his seruaūts chosen vessels to kepe vs that we should not fal frō hym They I say cryed out to vs for the amendment of our lyfe that we should leaue of synne and wickednesse and follow vertue that we shold remember the great mercye wonderful worke of god in reueling his truth vnto vs. And that we should with earnest and zelous hartes embrace it whyle we had the light to beleue in the light that we might be the children of lyght least darknes again ouerwhelmed vs. Thus were we then daily taught and put in remembraunce Feruente was the loue of Goddes worde in these hys chosen and carefull were these shephardes for the flock committed to their charge but careles we were coldly affected nothyng regarding or passing for their godly admonitions and warnings which our carelesnes when they perceiued and that gentle and louyng persuasions woulde not preuaile then thundred they oute the plages whiche god had prepared being then euen at hande for vs and wherof we might assure oure selues vnlesse spedye repentaunce and amendment of oure former wickednes and dissolute lyfe And was it not then preached and daily by them cryed out in our eares that if we wold not hearken vnto the words of the lord pronoūced vnto vs by his ministers and with obedient heartes walke accordyng to the same Deu 28.4 that then we should go wast and be made an ensaumple a iesting stock to all nacions Ye was it not by thē most certainly saide that if we continued in our vnthankfulnes God woulde geue vs into the handes and gouernment of a forraine prince Deute 28 Ieremy 5 Barn◠4 and that god woulde bryng a natiō vpon vs from far whose tongue we shold not vnderstand which shold neither regard the person of the olde nor haue compassion on the young Did they not threaten vs in the name of the lord with sworde hunger pestilence if we considered not the great blessings of god beyng thankefull for the same and framed our lyues according to hys gospell Amos 8 Did they not with Amos prophecy of the hunger of the worde of god to come vpon vs and that we should go from sea to sea and from the South to the East to seeke it and should not find it were not these terrible threatninges dailye preached and pronounced vnto vs the rather to moue and stirre oure heartes and myndes to loue embrace gods truthe and the better to consider the louyng kyndnes of God towardes vs But alas all would not helpe the gentle persuasions the terrible threatnyngs as wel the one as the other wer in vayne So much were we with carelesnes corrupt wallowing in wickednes so fylthelye infected with vyce so much contemnyng spirituall instructions so lustyng after carnall thynges of this worlde so addicte to our own willes so puft vp with pryde so little brotherly loue amōgest vs so altogether care lesse that we neither regarde God nor his ministers we were not obedient to the voice of our teachers Pro 5. nor harkened not vnto them that informed vs The warnyng of the Prophets we toke but for wynd Rom. 6. * we were the seruauntes of synne and did not obey with harte vnto the forme of doctryne whereunto we were deliuered we were hearers of the worde but not doers we deceyued our selues Iames 1. for he that heareth the word and doth it not is like vnto a man that beholdeth his bodelye face in a glasse for as soone as he hathe looked vppon hym selfe he forgetteth foorthewith what his fashion was but happye is the hearer and that dothe folowe whiche we dydde not but wholy neglected and therefore dyd kyndle the wrathe of the lorde against vs And the lord then hydyng his face and swete countenance from vs perfourmed his promise and iustelye poured vppon vs the plages wherewyth he punisheth those that disobeye his godlye wyll and transgresse his holye lawe and commaundements For did not then the king of glorye and power whose heauye wrathe thorough our peruersnes we had purchased sodenly take from vs our noble and prudent prince king Edward the vi so worthye an ympe so vertuous so forwarde so gratiously grounded in christian religion so altogether geuen to aduaunce and set forth the glory of god as that the like of him in godly skil and of so tender yeares the earthe didde not conteyne The lyuyng god had so blessed him endued and so plenteously replenished his princely harte with a spirituall and heauenly vnderstanding that he had made him more meeter to inhabite the holy heauens there to he hold the mighty maiesty of god thē to continue on this corrupt erth amōgest vs wicked wretches that liued in security waxed forgetful of the great benefits and vnspeakable blessings of our heauenly father And therfore did god take from vs our so ioiful a iuel our pereles prince with him the word of life the swete comfortable gospel of Iesu Christ whiche nourished and was the pretious preseruatiue of our soules And for our vnthākfulnes suffred vs again to be made dronke with the spirite of error and as the lothesome dogge to his vomyte or the filthy sow to her wallowing in the myre so were we turned agayne to our olde abhominations we worshipped idoles we serued straunge gods of wood and stone we did the workes of the heathen whereby we highlye offended the maiesty of the almightie who therefore gaue vs ouer into the hands gouernment of a straunge king and nation according as he promised by the mouth of Ieremy Ierem 8 * sayinge I will geue theyr wines vnto aleantes and their fieldes to destroyers and so it came to passe for they who vtterlye hated vs reigned ouer vs we were subiect I saye vnto a nation fully infected with filthy idolatry and all abhominations of the Romish superstitious hipocrisy a nation with whome for their presumption and pride not Lucifer him selfe in his chiefest arrogancye might compare a vitious people which daily deuoured both wiues and widowes
defloured maydens a broode of caterpillers that wast consume and destroye all where they come a merciles people and destitute of the true knowledge of god What should I say euen a people hated and abhorred of vs and of all nations And yet we wer then in subiection to them Psalm 10◠Thē was the world turned vp side down with Englande mercy and pitye were fled the realm and merciles cruelty supplied the place iniquitie had the ouerhand The true teachers and preachers of his worde the ministers and chosen vessels of Iesu Christ i Cori. 4. i. Thessa 2 were then made as it had bene gasyng stockes to all the worlde reuiled euil spoken of despised emprisoned and that onely for professing their maister Christ but happy ye twise happye are they and all suche for the spirite of god i Peter 4 and the spirite of glory resteth vpon them that he railed vpon for the name of Christ For suche as God hathe chosen to himselfe haue bene in respect of the world wretched miserable turmoiled with manifolde troubles for so is the promise of almightye God Iohn 1◠* Because ye bee not of the worlde the worlde doth hate you and all that will liue godly in Christe Iesu saieth Paule shall suffer persecution Let therfore the fruites of the late godly ministers shewe of whence they were For suche was I say their stedfastnes in Christe Iesu and suche was their feruente zeale loue and hartye affection towarde GOD and hys holye worde which they so perfectly preached and faithfully taught that for the aduauncement thereof and the better strengthning of the faithe of their weaker bretherne 2. Tim. 2. they were content like constant faithfull and worthy souldiours of Iesu Christe theyr graunde capitayn not only to suffer hunger cold railing mocking buffeting whipping and imprisoning but also to geue their body to the fire there to be cōsumed to ashes Oh terrible tyme Oh pitifull spoile and Oh miserable murder destruction of gods houshold i. Peter 2 * but then was the time come that iudgement must begin at the house of god 2 Tim 2 * They wer vessels sanctified vnto honor mete for the lorde This didde they through the assistaunce of the holye ghoste for the aduauncement of gods glory 2 Tim 2 * and for the electes sake that they might also obtayne the saluation whiche is in Christ Iesu with eternall glorye patientlye and meekely as lambes receiued they deathe Saplen 5 * Whose lyfe of the foolyshe was thought to be verye madnesse and their ende to bee without honour but they are coumpted amongest the children of God Hebr vi and theyr portion is amongest the Saintes * Thoughe in the syght of the vnwyse they appeared to dye and theyr ende to bee verye destruction yet are they in reste and their hope full of immortality Rom 8 2 Cor ◅ 5 Hebr xi * They confessed theymselues to bee as straungers and pylgrems vppon the earthe They were no gredye gapers for prefermente neyther benefice nor Bishopryke nor anye other worldlye promotion or dignitye although largelye offred and promised yf they would haue forsaken their maister Christe and hys woorde coulde tempte or ouercome theym nor with drawe theyr earneste myndes from God They woulde not be fedde with eye pleasures they estemed not the tryslyng treasure of thys transitorye worlde nor the vayne and peryllous pompe thereof as the vayneglorious beallye god Byshoppes and woorrieng wolues who then sucked theyr innocente bloude dydde but suche was the godly constantnesse I saye of those lambes of God that they were nothynge myndefull of the countrye wherein they then were but were desyrous of a better that is to say Sapie 3. a heauenly* For God had proued them and founde them mete for hym selfe As golde in the furnace hadde he tryed them * They wer led by the spirite of God Rom. 8. bycause the spirite of God dwelled in them* Wherefore God is not ashamed of them euen to be called their God and hath prepared for them a citye euen the heauenly Ierusalem Now is the promyse of Christ perfourmed in them Iames. 1. * he that endureth when he is tryed shall receaue the crowne of lyfe prepared for them that loue him whereof they are nowe partakers for he that looseth his life for my sake saith Christ Math. 19. shal fynde it euen these therfore were of that number that haue geuen their lyfe for their Master Christe hys sake and in the defence of hys truth therforē haue they receaued the reward of a Prophete whiche was encrease of knowledge in this life and euerlasting ioye and felicitye in the worlde to come wherof God for his mercies sake make vs with them to be partakers But Oh England be myndful how God then of hys iuste iustice reuenged the vnmercifull persecution bloudshed of those his innocent lambes Prophets Martyrs sanctifyed soldiours whose bloud cried vengeance in the sight of god vpon the vnthankefulnes of his wycked enemyes whiche euen then fel vpō vs our countrey what numbers of plages thē followed one in an others necke mysery dayly increased the cōmon wealth went to ruine for want of those in whō the feare of god was graffed who being alreadye murdered or for conscience sake fled their countrey or remayning at home absented thēselues to auoide the daunger of being cōsumed to death by fyre But in a myserable state is the realme where the guyders of the flocke are withoute vnderstandyng and wher the truth of God is not taught Whereof the experience was then bothe to well seene and felte for whoe in those dayes were they that florished or whoe as the tearme goeth ruled then the roste in ecclesiasticall causes But the Romysh race of princelyke prelates the monsterous myghterd men whose ruffle and rauenous procedynges for wante of Godlye skyll or throughe a dyuelyshe obstinacye for lacke of good will to guyde theyr flocke what Christian harte lamenteth not to remember For in place of true teachers of the gladde tydinges of Iesu Christ we hadde detestable destroyers poysoned peruerters and shamelesse shadowers of the same whose onely care studye and trauell tended to trayne vs vp and kepe vs in ignorance and blyndnes accordyng to their wonted maner to kepe and mayntaine in full force the whole rable of the Romyshe abhominations to exalte and kepe in hys pompe the monsterous Antichrist of Rome as chiefe and supreme head gouernour of the Church which title by the autoritye of the Scriptures belongeth to euery prince within his owne dominions as well in causes ecclesiasticall as temporall and yet wer not they eyther ashamed or afrayed of thys theyr wicked procedynges neyther respected they the glory of almyghty God nor regarded their due obedience to their prince wherfore they declared themselues to be the same Ierem 5 1 Reg 14 that Ieremy speaketh of Wyse to do euill but to do wel they knowe not * shewinge