Euangelistes some Shepeheardes and some teachers And for this only purpose they were ordeined to serue for the edifying of the body of Christ that the doctrine of the Gospell might continually be retained whereby alone the Churche is gathered togither and conserned But when this one truth namely the euerlasting Gospell of Christ was neglected and place giuen to Idolatrie and superstitions then new straunge worshippings deuised did bring in a necessitie of moe ministers than Christ did ordeyne to guyde and instruct his Church And of these erections of newe worshippings sprong more orders of officers in the Church namely Ostiarij Lectores Exorciste Acolithi Subdiaconi Diaconi Sacrifici Wherof though some names were in the primatiue Church and did then office in Gods seruice yet nowe they were drawen with the newe inuented ones to doe Idols seruice Wherevnto if you adde Monkes and Monials Friers Beguts Maiors Minors Eremites chast Nunnes and vnchast Nunnes that is common harlots gathered into an order of religion and moreouer the seuerall orders of Monkes Friers and Channons as Benedictes Bernardines Franciscanes Dominickes Augustines and such lyke Wee shall perceyue the Pope his broode to haue farre exceeded not onely these Iewes in sundrye Idolatries and superstitions but also all other ydolatrous nations of heathen folke And in seeing these their abhominable Idolatries with also their ydlenesse whoredome sodometrie treasons conspiracies and other their most horrible vilanies wherein they doe continue by dispensation of their Malchom the Pope if yet wee wyll mayntayne them and seeke to preserue them eyther in corners or openly wee can not escape greater plagues than are threatned to these Iewes by as much as we retayne more abhominable enimies to GOD and to hys truth than they did for wee doe not reade in all Iosias reygne which was 31. yeare that any of those remnauntes of Baall and Chemarims did cause insurrection in Iuda but wee haue experience of the Popes Chemarims pestilent practises in this behalfe here in our Realme and dispensations and pardons graunted by their meanes to Rebels for the same purpose And yet these are saued and maintayned contrarye to Gods lawe for which no doubt God is displeased with England For by his lawe they ought to die as also we see by this example of execution done by Iosias who would not haue spared anye of them Chemarims if hee coulde haue founde them but woulde haue serued them as hee serued the reast and as our Chemarims and Baalites ought to be serued And if Gods law were our rule I meane if wee would be ruled thereby it should not thus continue Alas what feare of God or zeale in Gods religion haue we I saye the great Baalites Chemarims neede not to hyde themselues here amongst vs for almost no man seeketh for them or if they once bee talked withall what commeth thereof is there any redresse of their mindes and Idolatries maye they not vse their secret seruice at their will God graunt that as our Prince and Magistrates doe allowe of Iosias doings in this point nowe in the twelfth yere of his reigne euen so they maye vouchsafe to put in practise after his example with like seueritie the like execution of Idolatrers and Idolatrous remnants now in the .xij. yeare of our Princes reigne remembring the perpetuall prayse that remayneth to and for such an acte as of Iosias it is sayde There vvas no Kinge lyke vnto him neither before nor after him that so vvholy turned to GOD vvith all his hart c. Surely there is not this day a greater lette of the increase of Gods Churche than these Papistes morrow Masse priestes are For where by preaching abrode in Churches the flocke of Christ shoulde be encreased and instructed looke what the Preacher buildeth by his doctrine these domesticall Papistes doe peruert and destroy in most places where they are retayned whereby they drawe after them many and many they make lame in religion that in continuaunce they become wearye and the Gospell is lothsome to them and so at length they grow to be haters of the truth And thoughe this sentence bee alwayes true and infallible namely that God knoweth his and will preserue them yet no man is thereby discharged of his dutie but eche in his office and charge must put to his helping hande to roote oute Idolatrie and errour or else he shall dearely account for that hee neglected his charge For God doth make men his instruments that men shall call men to him and doth make men ministers of his iustice one to another And therefore man must carefully diligently loke to his charge that he discharge his dutie to the vttermost of his power let God worke the successe If Magistrates doe not what they can to exterminate these things they know the perill I leaue them to god But if they do what they can and yet cannot preuayle they shal deliuer their owne soules and God will fynish the worke as he seeth good like as here hee sayth hee will roote out the remnants of Baall and the names of the Chemarims with the Priests Furthermore the Lord sayth that he vvill roote out all such as vvorship and bovv on the house tops to the host of heauen c. Hereby we see that such there were in Iuda and Ierusalem that did thus worship we reade that this good king Iosias did put downe the horses of the Sunne that the kinges of Iuda had giuen to the sonne which sheweth that the Sunne was worshipped and it is also written that he destroyed the aultars on the top of Ahas parlour which the kings of Iuda had made the aultars that Manasses built in the courts of the Lords house to the host of heauen which thinges were built in highe and open places euen in the face of the firmament of lyke to the ende that this host of Sunne and Moone and Starres might see their seruice and the higher they could climbe to doe their seruices so much the nearer their Gods they thought themselues and therefore their seruice the more accepted they vsed the same by night tymes also that the starres myght vewe their actions the better as they thought The Plannettes and Starres are called the host of heauen eyther for the continuall and orderlye course which they haue kept from the beginning and in respect of their multitude or number Or else for that men did attribute to them the power of gouernance in earthly thinges as mighty Gods. And this errour came first as it is thought from amongst those of the East parts and was now receyued amongst the Iewes which caused them so to worship and to buylde aultars to them The Astrologians of our time are not fullye so blockishe as to builde aultars and to worshippe the same hoste of heauen as they did though they strayne a veyne out of course
their sinnes he setteth an hypocrite to rule ouer them sendeth enimies in vppon them spoyleth them of their ioye bringeth them into captiuitie and so many wayes scurgeth them that he maketh them know by stripes that which they woulde neuer know by faire meanes so it came to passe with these people of Iuda and Ierusalem For neyther by gentle callinges nor benifites nor threates they woulde cease from their owne wayes as appeareth that within three or fower monethes after the death of this good king Iosias which for their thanklesnesse was taken away Idolatrie and superstition was erected again and within lesse than xxx yeares after this prophecie was fulfilled they were led awaye captiue to Babilon where they continued in captiuitie lxx yeares But though the Lorde rooted out from that lande as well the people as the prouision in such sort as they coulde not enioy it yet the destruction and ruine was to the wicked according to this Prophecie For euen in the captiuitie no doubt God had his beloued seruants as he sayde of Dauid If his children forsake my lavves and vvalke not in my couenant I vvill visite their sinnes vvith scurges but I vvill not take my louing kindnesse vtterly from them nor suffer my truth to faile So that thoughe this people were caried captiue and the prouision and place destroyed for their sinnes yet euen herein God sheweth loue to his seruants in that hee bringeth them home though by stripes and that hee casteth them not away So that though the punishment in this lyfe be generall yet the ruine destruction is only to the wicked as Dauid sayth The godly shall be punished but the vvicked shall be destroyed And whereas this good king Iosias and the Prophete Ieremie did know that religion should decay that god would shortly after rote out the people destroy the place and the prouision yet they ceased not ech in his calling to doe the vttermost that laye in them to erect and teach the pure seruice and will of GOD and though they preuayled not nor had such successe as they wished yet they ceased not to the ende they did their duties and endeuors left not God without his witnesse both to that people and to all ages after them and so deliuered their owne soules as sayth Ezechiel wherein Magistrates are taught and Preachers also howe they ought to deale in their seuerall charges and if they minde to please God and haue regarde to discharge their duties and so deliuer their owne soules they will no doubt take patterne and follow the examples of these Wee see also by that hath bene sayde how fowly they are deceyued that in reformation of religion think it inough to remooue grosse ydolatrie and superstition and for pollicies sake to retayne certaine as they count them light abuses which doe serue for pleasure or profite For if this good king with all his power and industry togither with the vehement exhortations of the Prophete Ieremie coulde not roote out the remnants of Idolatrie but that within fowre monthes after Iosias death all Idolatrie and superstition was vp agayne publikely What continuaunce maye we looke for of our halfe reformation If Iosias cast downe all Idols and monumentes of Idolatrie and executed the Idolatrers as farre as hee coulde come by the the knowledge of them and yet after his death Idolatrye vp agayne in so short space what may wee looke for that want so much of that perfection Naye that maintain and defend openly such things as hee destroyed I would our Ieremie also were not to slack in these days But it is to be feared in that he is so slack that our misery is the neerer at hand Our remnaunts of ydolatrie are not sought for to be destroyed as Iosias sought for them in his time But rather maynteyned against his example yet let vs marke diligentlye what God sayth by this Prophet Sophonie to them of Iuda and Ierusalem for retayning such remnants secretly I vvill sayth God roote out from of this lande man and beast fovvle and fish I vvill stretch out my hand vpon Iuda and vpon Ierusalem and so vvill I roote out from this place all the remnaunts of Baal c. It is most like that this people was so stubbornelye addicted to Idolatrie and superstitions that when they saw the king to ouerthrow the ydols to burne their monuments they hid from him as many thereof as they coulde with this minde that though the King did what he coulde yet he shoulde neuer roote out all but that they woulde keepe them secret and worship them secretly But sayth God by the Prophete novv I vvil c. as if God should haue sayde My seruaunt Iosias hath taken away as much as lieth in him Idolatrie and superstition with such monumentes thereof as he was able euen as I willed My seruant Ieremie also hath not ceased to call you from those offences But you against my will and agaynst your publike magistrate without regard of my goodnesse and voyce sent amongst you will maintain your ydolatries and superstitions and retayne the remnantes of them My seruaunt Iosias can not see your rebellious heartes and secret practises of Idolatry But I see you throughly and I will deale with you accordingly you shall knowe that I am able to sweepe away your Idols and remnantes of Idolatrye be they neuer so secrete For I will sweepe you cleane from this place yea and all the prouision of beastes fowles and fishes will I gather vp from you and you from them Thus will I roote out the remnantes of Baall Doe you think then that you can kepe any remnantes of Idolatrie by you when I shall thus roote out you and all these things from off this lande I made beastes fowles and fishes to serue your turne but for this your great and continuall ingratitude I will gather them vp from you with all other prouision that I appointed for you in this lande yea and I will roote you oute also least you might say your Idols preserued you Let see if Baall or your other Idols be able to fede helpe or deliuer you You wretched rebels that consider not from whence your help commeth but ascribe the same to your Idols and Gods of your owne making and wishe rather to wallow in that error than to come into lyght you esteeme darkenesse more than light errour more than truth and euill more than goodnesse And this is euer proper to Idolatrers and Bellygods that if they bee bridled of their willes that they cannot haue their pleasure and Idols to worship them Or that they be brought perforce to heare the true seruice of God then they murmour and swell this is their sentence commonlye it was merie with vs when we knew none of this geare As nowe in these dayes our Papists and irreligious bellials haue the same maner of grudging and
the same haue bene often reprehended God be thanked that many are reclaymed and God send the rest knowledge and feeling But certainly these remnantes sticke so fast in a number that it is to bee feared and loked for that God by punishing according to this prophecy or more extreemely must redresse these things and sweepe them out For they bee worse remnants of Idolatry here than Baals remnants or swearing by Malchom were amongest them of Iuda and Ierusalem A more horrible vice than Idolatrie there is not lightly in the sight of God but flat blasphemy doth farre exceede it And that is committed when willingly and wittinglye men sweare by the mightie name of God in denying of truth or affirming of falsehoode For in so doing they make God a witnesse to mainetayne and proppe vp a lye But Sathan is the father of falsehoode and the only mainteyner of lyes Therefore whosoeuer thus offendeth doth so much as in him is put God in Sathans place and no more thanke to that man than if he had in deede put God in that place and what greater dishonor can man doe to God than to make him most vnlike himselfe not only to spoyle him of his truth and godheade but also to make him a Deuill Oh most horrible cursed crime An endelesse trembling feare maye that person haue that so hath endeuoured himselfe The commaundement of god is that wee shall not name him in vaine but simply to name god is not to sweare by him and if once to name God in vaine bee forbidden than to sweare by him when no nede is must be a greater fault To sweare a truth when nede is by the name of god is a true worship of God but wittinglye and willingly to sweare an vntruth by the name of God is most horrible blasphemy against the spirite The horrible estate of these offenders our sauiour Christ hath pronounced O let vs beware of these mixtures which are beginninges of Idolatrie for one mischiefe bringeth in another with too too speedy increase Let vs watch and looke about vs for seeing that God will punish this mixt swearing as here he threatneth by the Prophet Wee cannot looke to escape greater punishments being more guiltye not only in mixtures of religion and othes but also in continuall vsing of Gods sacred name in vaine yea and swearing by it without neede in buying selling and talke both in matters of weyght and trifles euen for the gayne of a halfepeny god graunt it be not vntruly vsed also Some doe thinke whome I dislyke not that these Iewes who sware by the Lorde and by their Malchom also were such as did esteeme their king equall with God and therefore they swore by God and by their king and bicause Malchom is by interpretation their king it is so likely lyke as in Egypt where they knewe not god they esteemed their King most and therefore they sware by the soule of Pharao And if it were so I doubt not that they haue also numbers of cosin germanes in Englande at this daye that to flatter for their owne aduauntage will not stick to make the King equal with yea aboue god though if God shoulde sende another Prince afterwarde that were contrarie in religion and all other dispositions those same Gnatos and flatterers woulde yet haue him equall with god to The same estimation greater haue the Papistes of their king with the triple crowne For be he neuer so vicious and vyle a theefe yet whatsoeuer he commaundeth must be preferred to the commaundementes of God and whatsoeuer hee speaketh must be esteemed equall with or aboue the scripture and where the Scripture speaketh affirmatiuely hee hath authoritie to expounde the same negatiuely and contrary if I shoulde prosecute throughly the estimation that they haue of their king I should neuer haue done let this serue for a taste whereby may be felt that they make this their Kinge not only equall with God but greater than God though not so commonlye in swearing by him for they thought him to good to be ioyned with God in that seruice his trash they thought worthy ynough in this part whereby the honour they gaue him appeareth to be the greater though subteller and more hidden The Prophete Sophonie proceedeth and sayth that God vvill also roote out those that dravv or turne backe behinde the Lorde least they should learne to knovve him and follovv him Like as in an other place God sayth If man vvithdravv himself my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Whereby wee are taught what perill it is to withdrawe our selues behinde to be slacke and to detract oure comming to God when by his worde he calleth vs This vnwilling mind of ours to follow God is a token of hard fortune vnlikely to haue good successe true it is that no man commeth to saluation vnlesse God by his spirit dravv him But when God calleth and men haue begonne a good waye and then start backe and desire not further to knowe God nor to follow him it is a shrowde token and speciallye as I saye after they haue once begon in a good way and then waxe wearie and sluggishe when zeale dyeth in them for so at length the meditation hearing of Gods word groweth to be lothsome to them and afterward many such fal to contemne it we are therefore diligently to note this matter and to stande at our watch omit none occasion that may helpe vs forward in folowing of God knowing howe worldly and weake weare of our selues and easie to be drawne backward from God we see and haue experience of our selues howe soone we are wearie of holy exercises how small occasions in our worldly affayres do draw vs from those exercises we cannot intende to heare or read gods worde if we haue any thing else to doe in the worlde nay loth to be long at it though it be Sunday wherein by the law we may not otherwise worke yet had we rather be occupied in our playing and our owne delights than in meditation of Gods will. And what doth all this argue vs to be but drawers back and not to bee of that companie that desire to dvvell in the house of the Lorde all the dayes of their liues to beholde the fayre beautie of the lord c. Also farre vnlike those that haue the fountaynes of all their ioy and delight in the church of God or that esteeme the prosperitie of the Saintes and religiō to be the head of their mirth nay rather it sheweth vs to bee such as the Prophete Esay speaketh of that see no beautie nor fayrenesse in the Lord nor in his house that haue no delight in the glory of Sion and that we make the prosperitie of the Saints and religion the tayle of our myrth or rather no part of oure myrth but