in the first kind we vnderstand to be meats times the maner order of many things both ciuil and seruing to Gods worship that they are al left free so that in al these things God and his word hath giuen free liberty not inthralled his Church but onely requireth an orderly comely vse directed to his glorie And in the second sort is the duetie to parents to husbands to wiues to children and such like that no man vnder the colour of religion cast away such dueties Therefore I will onely speake of these two which being well marked I hope the wise and carefull reader will see what is the true duetie of religion in all And first looke vpon a Gen. 12. 15 20 21. 25. Abraham he was a prophet yet had he his first and second wife and by vertue of Gods promise when he said So shal thy seed be he was made strong euen in his old daies to beget many children and it was not an vncleane thing vnto him though hee were a prophet so to bee maried In Moses and his priesthood you see that he being a prophet b 1. Cron. 23.14 begat children and the priests and Leuits had their wiues So in the prophets it is found that they were not restrained from this benefite for it is expressed that c 1. Sam. 8.1 Ezec. 24.15.16 2. King 4.1 Samuel and Ezechiel had wiues and the children of the prophetes And where Ieremie is forbidden it is expressed not to bee in regard he was a prophet but onely because of the d Hier. 16.2.3.5.8 troubles of his time for which cause he is also forbidden the house of mourning of feasting because that he might teach the people by such speeches as by a figure in his example there great calamitie which hung ouer their heades And in the new testament we know that the a Math. 8.14 Apostles had wiues before their calling and it is no where expressed that they were forbidden to keepe them afterwardes but rather the contrarie as where Paul saith b 1. Cor. 9.5 Haue we not power ta leade about a wife being a sister as well as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Caephas As touching the ministers of the congregations they were so farre from barring them from wiues that they doe expressely prescribe c 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6 what they should bee and how their children should bee gouerned pronouncing the forbidding of mariage to bee d 1. Tim. 4.1.2 doctrine of deuils and that e Heb. 13.4 mariage is honourable among all men Therefore in this point is the practise of England sound and catholike and our profession the ancient and vnchangeable truth For wee say f Artic. 32. of the mariage of priestes Apol cap. 8. diuis 1. Bishoppes priestes and deacons are not commaunded by Gods lawe eyther to vow the estate of single life or to abstaine from mariage therefore it is lawfull also for them as for all other Christian men to marrie at their owne discretion as they shall iudge the same to serue better to godlinesse As touching the Magistrate you see in Abraham how hee kept onely the gouernment of his owne house and how lowly and humbly he caried himselfe in g Gen. 12. 20. Egipt and Gerar where there were kings of the countrie And Melchisedeck though he were priest of the most high God vsurped not authoritie ouer other kinges but being a figure of Christ hee blessed Abraham for a speciall misterie as is expressed and taught in the Epistle to the Hebrewes h Heb. 7. shadowing the royall priesthood of Christ aboue the priesthood of Aaron Therefore in this time religion abridged not any duetie but rather fulfilled them Moses when hee describeth the order of a king ouer Israel hee sheweth that God would make a king ouer them Where hee vseth i Deut. 17.14.15 these wordes in the person of all the people I will set a king ouer mee And againe vnto them Thou shalt make him king ouer thee There me and thee containe all estates and orders ecclesiasticall and ciuill And so was Ioshuah the first Captaine k Ioshuah 1.18 cap. 3. the commaunder of all neither is there any sillable exempting any one estate more then other When this came in practise in the time of the prophetes were not the priestes and Samuel subiect to Saul l 1. Sam. 19. 22. Nathan and other seers vnto Dauid and all other prophets with the priestes subiect to Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezechiah Ioshiah c. Did not they commaunde and order the building and repairing of the temple place and displace high priestes call the people to the pure worship of God and commaund the priests in the holy administrations And they themselues were subiect to none m 1. Cron. 23. 24 25. 26. c. 2 Cron. 2. 3 4. c. 28. 29. 30. c. but to Gods worde that by his bookes and worde they should bee ruled and guided and by no man o Deut. 17.18.19 Iosh 1.8 2. Cron. 34. or mans worde or commandement whatsoeuer So our Sauiour Christ commaundeth to giue f Math. 22.21 Caesar his due and to God his due and though hee were Lord of all yet because his kingdome was not of this world h Cap. 27. g Math. 17.25 he payed tribute and meekely yeelded himselfe when he was wrongfully iudged And the spirit of truth which hee gaue his Apostles did guide them in the same steppes that for themselues it is not found they vsurped any ciuill authoritie by colour of religion but commanded euerie soule i Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 to be subiect to the higher power and namely to the king as to the superior and to the gouernors vnder him Therefore also the practise of our Church in this behalfe is verie godly and beseeming the religigion of God and that we herein professe is a most auncient and catholike veritie For wee say k Artic. 37. The Queenes Maiestie hath the chiefe power in this realme of England and other her dominions vnto whom the chife gouernment of all estates of this realme whether they bee ecclesiasticall or not in all causes doth appertaine and is not nor ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction So then we may boldly conclude that as touching this holy comfort of mariage and duetie to the magistrate our Church followeth the right euerlasting and vnchangeable truth The fifteenth Article of the hope which is in the true religion 15 Iesus Christ will come againe with glorie and then all the dead shall rise againe in their bodies And hee shall iudge the quicke and the dead and will crowne all beleeuers with euerlasting righteousnesse saluation and life with God for euer THis Article sheweth the last work of Christ in his kingly office namely of his returne againe vnto
time and with the preaching of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles is most comfortablie sealed vp and confirmed the Lords name be praised therefore The Lords name I say be praised who hath bin so mercifull and gratious vnto this little Ileland that passing ouer many greater richer and mightier nations hath set such an especial loue vpon vs as he hath vouchsafed to preferre and exalt our nation aboue many other to be of his holie and catholike church of the blessed communion of his saints and a true member of his visible people vpon whom his name is called That we may truely iustly and boldly say that the religion which we follow and the faith and doctrine which wee confesse is the faith of Gods elect the knowledge of the truth according to godlines vnder the hope of eternall life the verie true and onely way of saluation which God and not man teacheth Which he hath taught al the fathers before the law was giuen or any part of Gods woord written during the space of 2517. yeeres In the ende of that time Abraham our father euen the father of all beleeuers 430. yeeres before Moses when the world began to be corrupted receaued and professed for al nations which should be after him Which Moses and the Prophets proclaimed and maintained some 1445. yeeres vntill the blessed time of Christes holie incarnation And which the same Iesus Christ the glorious son of God euen the Lord of life preached in his owne person and his holie Apostles which heard him and saw al his great works did witnes and publish to all the gentils and was confirmed by gods holie testimonie from heauen with great signes and wonders and gifts of the holie ghost And which the same euerlasting God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded to be taught vnto all people out of the holie Scriptures of Moses the Prophets and Psalmes and hath opened and made manifest by the holie inspired writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and left and commended vnto his Church for the saluation of his elect vnto the worlds end By which al gods people ar to be known by which God will be glorified in his saints and out of which no man hath been shall be or can be saued I say therefore againe the Lords name be praised for euer Amen CHAP. IIII. Where is declared First that antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish Synagogue which is but of yesterday 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christs time forward is shewed by the Scripture 3. Therefore the papists do prooue themselues to be no church when they ground themselues on this false principle the church cannot erre 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by manie witnesses from the Apostles time euen vnto our dayes THE Synagogue of Rome claimeth antiquitie vniuersality and succession visible from the time of Christs Apostles to be vndoubted markes of the church of God and so of the pure religion addinge thereunto as it were the sinewes and ioints to make them all holde together the faithfull and constant grace of the church visible vnder the ghospell namly this false principle that It cannot erre And therfore when they are convicted to haue fallen from the true christian religion and find themselues openly bewraied being tried by the perfect touchstone of Gods holie written woord to be lately vpstart and of a new deuised religion doctrine and faith brought forth into the world by the fanatical and superstitious humor of heretical prauitie and humaine follie and begotten by the cunning insinuations and coulorable suggestions of him which vseth all spirituall craftines and profoundnes of wisedom to bruse the heele of the womans seede and to darken the glorious light of the heauenlie faith of Gods chosen least happely they should not be found the very true Antechrist after the maner of him that trāsformeth him selfe into an angel of light they would beare downe the world with the vaine titles and goodly shew of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession of the vnerring and vnchangeable persistance of the visible church in the truth and leaue out altogether that which is indeede the very nature and foundation of the church the true religion faith and doctrine of Apostles and Prophets of God But alas these are but the figge leaues of Adam which cannot couer their shame for as all men knowe that the serpent cannot proue himselfe a man by his auncient continuance and remaining in the world vnlesse hee had those essential properties of bodie and soule whereof euery man doth naturally consist So for so much as all these things antiquitie vniuersalitie c. are such as heretikes Ethnikes did and could claime from Caine and Cham or Iaphet as wel as Christians from Seth and Shem and that the true nature of the church cōsisteth in the fellowship of the true religion doctrine and faith the sygnogoge of Rome vnlesse it hold the true faith and religion cannot for these things be the true visible church of God For no antiquitie vniuersalitie or succession can make the whore of Babel to be the true and chast spouse of Christ And who knoweth not that Caine was before Sheth and that their two posterities were the two churches one which is of Caine called the children of men because their religion came of a runnagate man the other was called the childrē of God because their religion was giuen and taught them of God Likewise in the Apostasie of the time of Abraham the nations were almost setled vpon the dregges of their filthie idolatry when Abraham was now but newly called Ismael and Esaue which fell out of the church and house of Abraham became goodly states and monarkes before Iacob was established and the people of Israell were gathered into a knowen and visible floorishing forme of a church which was 430. yeeres after the calling of Abraham Lastlie the gentils continued in that apostasie and idolatrie ouerspreading all the world from the time of Abraham vntil Christ eighteene hundred yeeres when the Church was but in a little corner of the world the land of Canaan and of that a great space in the territories of Iuda and Hierusalem onely Because Caine Ismael and Esaie calling antiquitie and visible succession before Sheth and Isaack and Iacob is their religion the true religion or were they the true church or shall the Gentils iustifie thē selues to be the true worshippers of God or to haue the true God because they can brag ouer the Iewes christiās with al these termes of antiquity vniuersality succession visible c. therfore he that readeth the stories shall find how they scoffe at the Iewes christians euen as the papist do at vs because that although they haue no truth on their side yet they thinke these painted paper walles and leaden weapons of long continuance and open appearance and flowrishing in
whereby God hath been truely serued and worshipped his elect saued and the true faith confessed from the beginning of the world and namely from Abraham euen vnto our daies which is now 5528. yeeres and the gates of hell could never preuaile against it no power of men subdue it no heresies ouerthrow it no wisdom or learning confute it no persecutions destroy it no pollicie nor crueltie subuert it no tract of time weare it out no changes or subuersions of kingdoms countries or states ouer whelme it no lawes edicts counsels canons cursses decrees or decretals put it down or banishe it Magna est veritas preualet Great is the truth and preuaileth Blessed be the God of truth And herein is fulfilled that which the prophet saith a Psal 19.9 102.27.28 The feare of the Lord is cleane and endure for euer And thou O God art the same and thy yeeres faile not the children of thy seruants shall continue and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight The second part of the newnes of Poperie CHAP. I. How the Romish superstition disagreeth with the true auncient catholike religion and faith of Gods elect where is declared 1. How manie waies in this sort disagreement is to bee founde 2. And that in all the former fifteene articles they disagree very greatly THere are two things which doo euidently argue the new and late begetting and birth of Romish heresie The Ante-christianitie or disagreement it hath with the pure holie and old faith which God hath once giuen to the Saints and the conformitie and agreement it hath with all heretical prauitie For seeing that all men know and the papists themselues must needs confesse that it is come foorth within these last times of the world for the face thereof neuer sawe the sonne before if it agree not with the wholsome truth of the inspired scriptures of God and so not of the auncient catholike faith of Gods chosen but resembleth and beareth the expresse and indeleble charecter of filthie new borne heresie it must needs leese those dainty terms of vnitie antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession and of the olde and catholike religion And so the truth is For as then the Popes of Rome became most loftie and proud and aduanced themselues aboue all estates when they vsed in their stile the lowlie termes of seruus seruorum Seruant of Seruants so seased they then to bee truely and in deed Catholike or vniuersall when cutting of themselues from the true vniuersall church and religion they tyed the name and honor of Catholicke church to one place calling it contrarie to the holie creed The catholike church of Rome Therefore as I haue in the former part shewed the auncient and vnchangeable religion what it is and how it hath continued vnto this our age so now I doubt not but that it shall appeare through Gods grace to euerie honest conscience of any reasonable capacitie not forestalled with the preiudice of willful blindnes that the church of Rome and the religion thereof is not of the same generation hath no affinitie with God and his truth but is altogether earthly sensual and diuelish And first of the disagreement it hath with the true faith that is what it is not then of the agreement with heresie that is what it is In the first part the reader is to vnderstand that disagreement is in diuers sortes sometime direct and plaine contrarie as light and darkenes sometime contradictorie where one saying is the destruction of an other as to say A man is a reasonable creature and to say a man is not a reasonable creature Sometime they disagree by hauing a differing nature though not so directly set on against an other as a stone an egge and a tree differ from a man sometime the disagreement is hidden and vnderhand when there is a shewe to maintaine the truth in words and yet in deeds comming in by some hidden and closely carried circumstance men ouerthrew the same truth 2. Sam. 3.27 As Ioab spake with his mouth peaceable vnto Abner and with his hand he smote him vnder the fift ribbe that hee died And there is yet an other difference which is expresly named in holie scripture that is wheÌ„ in a matter taught in the scripture definitiuely men either take awaie something and make it too short or too little or else adde something and make it too long or too great Wheresoeuer there is any of these disagreements they cannot be said to be one and the same and so the church of Rome in all points of Christian religion differing in some one of these kindes cannot be said to bee of the true catholicke religion As in the first kinde the true religion a 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3 saith It is the spirit of errors and doctrine of diuels to forbid mariage and to abstaine from meats The sea of Rome say directly contrarie that by the holie ghost and spirit of truth they forbid mariage and to abstaine from meats In the second kind the true religion saith b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes they say A man is not iustified by faith without workes In the thirde kind the true religion saith c Heb. 1.3 Iesus Christ hath by himselfe purged our sins they say we are purged also by satisfaction purgatorie indulgences and diuers other things In the fourth kinde the true religion saith that d Iacob 1.21 the woorde of God is able to saue our soules The synagogue of Rome do so say also in words but in deed they cut the throat of Gods word by equalling or preferring of traditions canons decrees decreâ—als and humaine customes euen as Christ e Matth. 15.6 speaketh of the pharisees who also in woords pretended Gods woord that they make the woord of God of no effect or authoritie by their tradition But as touching the last disagreement that shameles whoore of Babilon diminisheth and taketh from Gods word when they keepe the cup from the comon people and adde vnto Gods word when they cause the sacrament to be lifted vp and adored and verie many such things they doo Therefore if I shew that in al parts of religion they disagree from the truth in one of these kinds it will be sufficient to prooue that their abhominations are nothing sauouring of the true auncient religion 2. And this I will do God willing in two sorts First in this Chapter by shewing how they disagree with the articles taught out of Gods word in the former part and secondly in the next Chapter howe dissent from the doctrin of S. Paul S. Peter whoÌ„ they say to haue bin at Rome and to bee planters of that church in this first I must desire the reader to looke vpon euerie article as before cap. 2. and he shal easilie see the disagreement for I wil but a little open and briefely point out their error and the disagreement will bee manifest of it selfe Marke therefore
know God turned from dumbe idols to serue the liuing and true God Hereof the almightie giueth sentence by his holy seruant Hieromie saying d Hier. 9.23 Let not the wiseman glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c. And according to this frame is the last iudgement literally described namly that e 2. Thes 1.7 the Lord Iesus should shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. 2. And herein we shall find that he which knoweth God is instructed in two things First that God is one and that there is no other God beside him euen as Moses saith f Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and how is he one namely g Esai 44.6 the first and the last the beginning and the ending which is which was and is to come h Maluch 3.6 he neuer changeth nor hath so much as a i Iacob 1.17 shadow of turning Therefore saith the Psalmist k Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were made and before thou haddest formed the earth and the worlde euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God Secondlie that God is the l Iacob 4.12 onely law-giuer and teacher of righteousnes saluation as saith m Psal 94.10 Micas 6.8 Psal 98.2 the Prophets He teacheth man knowledge shewing him what is good and what the Lord requireth of him he declareth his saluation his righteousnes he reueileth in the sight of the nations 3. Now in the true and perfect vnderstanding of these true things we shall clerely see that there is but one true catholike religion from the beginning of the world to thend thereof fitly proportioned to the nature of the only God the author foūdor maintainer therof For as Christ teacheth because n Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit he must be worshipped in spirit and truth So the nature of God being one vnchangeable his supreme authority to be the only lawgiuer there can no religion please him but onlie one which varieth not whereof himselfe is the author For this cause in one part of our religion which is our iustification saluatiō S. Paul reasoneth thus a Rom. 3.29 God is hee the God of the Iewes only not of the gentils also for it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith vncircumcision thorow faith Thereby shewing that as God is one namely as wel ouer the Gentils as ouer the Iews so he will iustifie circumcision which are the Iewes vncircumcision which are the gentils that is al other nations by one way of religion that is to say thorough faith and beleefe in his sonne Iesus Christ For which cause this religion is called the b Tit. 1.1 faith of Gods elect because al the elect are but of one religion and therefore saint Iude c Iud. ver 3. wisheth vs to contend for the faith which was once giuen to the saints affirming that in writing thereof hee writeth of the common saluation And it is called in the former place of saint Paul The knowledge of the truth according to Godlines vnder the hope of eternall life shewing what is the matter of this religion and lastly to shew the author he saith which God that cannot lye hath promised before the world began hath made manifest in his times c. To which sence are these words in the Epistle to the Hebrewes d Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same is for euer where speaking before of the word of God and faith and after admonishing them not to bee caried about with diuers and strange doctrins he meaneth by Iesus Christ putting the cause for the effect the doctrin and religion whereof he is the founder that as he in regard of his Godhead is without change beginning and ending so he is eternally the foundation of the church and that doctrine and religion which he teacheth is the truth euerlasting infallible and not to be altered as it seemeth to be expounded in the epistle to the Ephesians e Ephe. 4.4 There is one bodie and one spirit euen as you are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and thorow all in you all And for this cause saint f Epist 2. ver 9. Iohn is bold to say whosoeuer transgresseth abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne 4 For the more plaine euidence of this matter we may obserue in the new Testament two thinges First that Christ and his apostles professed taught no new religion but the same which the scriptures of the old testament did before instruct and secondly that in it the gentils were made and adopted children vnto Abraham The former Christ sheweth where he saith a Matt. 5.17 Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfil them and againe b Ioh. 5.39 Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternal life they are they which testifie of me And saint Peter affirmeth that c Act. 10.43 To him giue all the prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes and saint Paul saith that he spake d Cap. 26.22 no other thinges then those which the Prophets Moses did say should come and e Rom. 16.26 that the Gospell and reuelation of the misery of Iesus Christ is opened and published among all nations by the scripture of the prophets at the commandement of the euerlasting God for the obedience of faith Therefore Christ and his Apostles taught no new thing differing from the old Testament the writings of Moses and the prophets Now for the second Christ saith f Matt. 8.12 Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaacke and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Heare he spake of the calling of the gentils insinuating that they must bee saued by the same faith and religion by which Abraham was and for this cause entring into the house of Zacheus a gentile and finding faith in the promise made to Abraham he saith g Luk. 19.9 This day saluation is come into this house for asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham and it is shadowed in that phrase of Christ where hee saith that Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome Cap 16. But it is made more plaine by the Apostle saying h Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede and heires by promise So
the world doth sufficiently couer and defende their filthie follie Whereas they foolishlie know not and consider not or at the least thorough maliciousnes and hardnes of hart wil not know that an ill thing the more vniuersall the longer the larger the stronger the more in custome vse authoritie and open familiaritie of men the more dangerous infectious incurable and deadly it is And this gentilisme and poperie are so much the more stronge in dilusion for the damnation of soules by howe much they being void of godlines and truth are and haue been ancient vniuersal visible c. And therefore it hah cost the more sweat and bloud vnto the faithfull seruants of Christ to cure the infected people and to bring them againe into the bosom of Abraham and arcke of Noe the folde and church of Christ We may then boldlie say that such ministers are to be obeied who as an a Ian. lib. 4. cap. 43. auncient father saith together with the succession of their Bishopricks according to the good will of God the father haue receaued the certaine gift of the truth which while the church of Rome that now is hath not done because they doo not beleeue in those things which are they are fallen into those things which are not hauing forsaken the pure and chast nature and beutifull ornaments of the true spouse of Christ which is the sincere doctrine of holie scripture they are faine to array themselues in the counterfait and comon whorish apparel of al the filthy idolaters of the world the vaine pretence of antiquitie vniuersalitie c. But yet this suit of apparel will not serue them no more then that can fit a childe borne yesterday which is large and wide for a man of a great and full stature For how doo these termes agree to that apostalical sea of Rome which is one of the last lowest borne children of superstition begotten of the diuell in this last furie of his old age euen now he knoweth his time is verie short For as it shall appeare in the latter part of this booke through Gods gracious assistance the synagogue of Rome wil want at the least 4500. yeres of that antiquitie vniuersality and visible succession which I haue here already shewed to appertaine to the true auncient catholike religion of Gods most holie vndoubted church founded in Adams promise seperated in Abrahams posterity published offered to all the world by Christs most blessed Apostles For an introduction into which matter I will in this Chapter through my Lord Christes fauour and grace shew vnto thee good Christian reader how this religion of ours now professed and openly maintayned in Englande which is manifestly proued alreadie in the Chapter going before to be the ancient true faith from the beginning of the world and namely and especially from our father Abraham now in these latter daies hath descended and continued by succession visible in the worlde from the Apostles time vnto ours For although wee bragge not of antiquitie and vniuersalitie yet wee doe humblie thanke our louing God and mercifull father in Iesus Christ that vnto vs the pure doctrine and true Christian religion is come and is fruitfull as euer it hath bin in any part of the world and we are made the children of Abraham through faith in Iesus Christ 2 And that you may vnderstand this the better you are to know the measure hereof by the holy scriptures of God which as a line being gone ouer all the worlde doth shew the tract and footesteppes of religion among the gentilles vnto the ende of the worlde In the 24. of Mathew the 17. and 21. of Luke and in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is fore described the treading vnder feete of Hierusalem and the Iewes vntill the times of the gentils bee fulfilled and that in these times should arise false prophets and false Christes and deceiue many yea great chaunges and alteration in religion should be in all the Christian world The kings and princes of the earth should obey the will of the least and this obedience should be so vniuersall that no man should be permitted to buy or sell without his marke in their foreheades the prophetes and witnesses of Christ should bee slaine and there should bee the patience and triall of the Saintes Smoke comming out of the bottomlesse pitte couereth the aire and hideth the Sun Moone and stars What doth this shew but that the world should bee found a continuall enemie to the true religion and that the faith of Christ should not alway be vniuersally professed and maintained but that the Christian Churches should fall into errors and that the true religious and faithfull people of God should passe through the furnace of the fierie triall and bee as it were heere and there certayne scattered stones of a building that is witnesses standing vp for the truth testifying that there is a pure religion ordained and accepted of God And not that the Church shoulde bee alway a beautifull pauilion and goodly temple wherein the King dwelleth seene and admired and honoured of all men According to that of Christ a Math. 24.13 Because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall waxe colde And this coldnesse shall bee so great and so vniuersall that the true professors of Gods true religion b Vers 9. shall be hated of all men and men c Ioh. 16.1.2 shal thinke they do God seruice when they kill any of them And the ground of this Saint Paul sheweth saying d 2. Tim. 4.3 The time will come when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine c. And yet it seemeth to be more fully opened where hee foretelleth that there must bee an e 2. Thess 2.3 Apostasie or falling from the faith before the world could haue an ende and the man of sinne disclosed 4 which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sitte as God in the temple of God And a little after 7 For the misterie of iniquitie doth alreadie worke c. Wherein hee teacheth plainely foure thinges First that there should be a generall decay of religion in the Church Secondly that it should be by such an aduersarie of Christ as should raigne in the Church Thirdly that he should bee reuealed in his time And fourthly that this was an hidde and secret thing which did beginne to worke secretely euen in the Apostles time By which wee may perceiue the succession and vniuersalitie of the Church in the visible shew and flourishing of the true religion is not to bee found nor looked for in all the times of the gospell after the Apostles daies but that by little and little it should bee darkened corrupted and hidden For howe can that bee saide to bee the true visible Church of Christ where his aduersarie dwelleth and beareth all the rule aduauncing himselfe as God And whereas touching the true faith the people are
Certes al these are contrarie to the true religion which in the olde Testament saith g Gen. 6.5 All the imaginations of the thoughts of mans hart are onely euil continually and in the new h 2. Cor. 3.5 we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God As touching the fourth article howe we are deliuered from the corruption damnable estate wherinto we fell by Adams transgression There be many waies and religions forged in the great cage of Antechrist ful of vnclean birds out of which as out of the botomles pit come great swarmes of locustes bringing with them a mist and cloud of darknes which hideth all godlines and true religion But to leaue out verie many deuises till another place I onely wishe the reader to cal to mind the holie Eremits Munks Friers and Nuns and namly amongst the manifold broods one Frances and an other Dominick This latter bread the religion of the obseruant preaching black friers the former the deuout host of the beggerly minorites and out of these two many seckes of diuers rules names of religions who by their vow and streight obseruation by them deuised set downe diuers rules to subdue this corruption and to obtain eternall life therefore they are by an excellency of speech called by the name a Gratian decret pars 2. caus 19. Quest 3. Bonauentur de profectu religios Antho. de Rampegol fig. Biblia Catholicon a Iohan. de Ianua in virgo of religion or religions al other are called seculer because they renounce the world and by fulfilling of three perfections which they obserue that is to say Pouertie chastity and obedience by which they are compared vnto angels the blessed crown which is giuen vnto such as they say they shal obtaine euen the special reward of the learned being presented vnto Christ in the heauenlie kingdom And the opinion deuotion of these religions grew to be so highly esteemed of men their life to be so angelical that in steed of christ his merits men would leaue al things whatsoeuer to follow them ye the very coule garment of Frances was thought to be of such vertue that some b Ioh. Sleiden lib. 12. noble men som very learned of those times haue taken order to be buried in them yea they are not afraid c Iere. Bouch. in his conformities to compare him with Christ in al things Therfore you may perceiue they had forgotten the true religion way of saluation which is in christ d Gen. 12.3 in the old testamēt is called the seed of Abrahā in whom al the families of the earth were appointed to be blessed and in the new testament he is called e Ioh. 14.6 the way the truth the life and the rule of this religion is that f cap. 3.16 that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternal life Therefore here is no agreement betweene these popish religions and the true ancient and catholike religion seeing they teach many other waies to heauen beside that which God hath taught vs to be the onely way for all the families of the earth to be blessed Concerning the fift article these bastardly counterfeites of Rome are more like the strange beast of Arabia and Ethiopia then the obseruers of the true religion For they greatly wound the doctrine of Christes person vnder a colour of honouring him and they ouerthrow his mediatorship by pretence of deuotion For while they giue godly honour to his bodie in the sacrament and make him to be a verie man vnder the formes of bread and wine inuisible in all places where the priest doth consecrate doe they not make him a man in fansie to haue an heauenly bodie in no part to bee like a true naturall man doe they not hereby make him to haue but one nature which is God or els that the manhood is swallowed vp or confounded with the Godhead for it is the nature of God and not of man to bee inuisible incircumscriptible and in many places at once therefore in stead of the seede and sonne of Dauid and Abraham they teach vs to beleeue they cannot tell what But as touching his office all men know how many mediators and intercessors they call vpon beside Christ Though a 1. Tim. 2.5 Gods word say there is but one mediator Marie Peter Paul all the Apostles martirs and foolishly canonized Saintes are made mediators Then against Christs sacrifice by whose perfection all sacrifice should cease as b Heb. 10.18 God teacheth they haue a new deuised sacrifice for quicke dead they haue masses diriges pilgrimage shrift penance purgatorie indulgencies satisfaction merite deuout obseruations numbring of prayers Auemaries creedes fastes almes workes of supererogation vowes vestementes crosses tapers relickes shrines ointinges coniurings and I know not what other trumperie and beggerly rudimentes of this world by which they wold make perfect the works of Christes mediation for our redemption righteousnesse and saluation Which the more they be aboundant and ouerflowing the greater is their disagreement with the true religion of God which teacheth in the old testament thus a Esai 53.5.6 God laide vpon Christ the iniquitie of vs all namely that hee was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes we are healed And in the new testament thus b 1. Ioh. 1.7 The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from all sinne Now if Christ bloud cleanse vs from all sinne and by his stripes wee bee healed alas what neede we make so much adoe why doe we forsake the c Ioh. 1.24 Esai 55.1.2.3 lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the worlde with the sure mercies of Dauid and seeke after vaine thinges in which there is no helpe why should we commit these d Hier. 2.23 two euils to forsake God the fountaine of liuing waters and to digge vnto our selues pittes euen broken pittes which will hold no water In the sixt Article the opposition is plaine and apparant for although they whom Christ teacheth say that all e Philip. 3.4 righteousnesse taught by workes is but dunge in comparison of the doctrine of righteousnesse which is by faith onely yet they of this whoorish Babilon deny it and f Antidigma Coloniens cap. de iustificat per quas causas Concil Trident sess 6. make faith with hope and loue the formall cause of our righteousnesse they make an inherent righteousnesse And affirme directly that a man is not iustified by faith onely but also by workes Is not this a verie great disagreement where as the true religion teacheth the Church of God to say as in the olde testament thus g Psal 143. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified And in the
they met or came by euen as wee read of rhe papist in France in our daies most cruelly murdering Gods beloued Saints And as the papists haue their coniurations of their holy waters and Agnus dei and exorcismes in Baptisme so these wicked donatistes with those abominable heretikes called Basilidians and Eunomians had their enchantments and coniurations These filthie heretikes the donatistes together with that horrible heresie of Arius did so far account themselues the holie and catholike church that they would baptise againe them which were of the true church making thēselues only the catholike church And there were other heretiks called Apostolici that is apostolike which so termed thēselues because they thoght thēselues more apostolike then others namly because they receaued not into their cōmunion maried persōs such as possessed goods proper to them selues So find we among the papists these vnmaried persons religious without proprietie of goods the papists call themselues the holie mother church of Rome the Catholike and apostolike church and are in deed verie like their fathers these heretikes hauing in deed no more but the name of the holie catholike and apostolike church banishing from them and by fire and sword persecuting the true religion and doctrine and faithfull members of the holy catholike apostolike church But what should I endeuour to shewe all the popish stocke linage and kindred what neere affinitie they haue with Iudaisme in plentie and maner of ceremonies traditions of elders meritorious righteousnes and fained holines what bastardlie conformitie they haue with all pagainisme in innumerable idols and sorts of religions and in sundrie patrons of saints and Gods of countries and nations what perfect consanguinitie they haue with Mahumetisme making vp as it were one entire bodie of Antechrist engendred bread compact and compound of all heresies religions superstitions and rudiments of this world whatsoeuer by east and by west raysing vp wars seditions and all maner of vilaines to put downe the glorious and blessed name and gospell of Christ by their owne Alcorans lawes decrees and decretals with innumerable forgeries that they them selues may raigne as the chiefe prophets of GOD and head of his church Only this one thing would be remembred that after Anno domini 600. these two monstrous twins began to come foorth into the open sight and light of the world and to shew them selues blasphemous against God and his Christ being engendred with the cursed seed of Sathan and of a long breeding in those former heretikes euen from the Apostles times of which times and generation it is said by Saint Paul the blessed seruant of Christ 2. Thess 2. The mysterie of iniquitie doth alreadie woorke Therfore one of their owne popes Gregorie whom they call the great the first of that name and Pelagius his predecessor resisted most mightelie Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople for presuming to take vnto him the name of vniuersall patriarke priest of priestes or Bishop of Bishops affirming that hee which so did was the forerunner of Antechrist And so indeed it fell out for it was not long after that Mahomet came forth in the East and began to supplant the church of Christ with his abominations And pope Boniface the 3. which in a few yeres after this Gregorie got this vniuersall title of Bishop of Bishops and so began Antechrists first birth in the open eies of the world And these two brothers haue since growen to their perfection and the more they haue growen the lesse hath been the honour and name of Christ and the knowledge of his gospell amongst the sons of men Till now it hath pleased God of his gracious goodnes and free fauour to make them knowen what they are and by the breath of his mouth to consume thē Now the glory of Christ crucified and the truth of his gospel beginneth like the morning light to take holde on the corners of the earth The Lord our God and merciful father be blessed and praised therefore Amen CHAP. IIII. Of the original of poperie Wherein is declared 1. that by the precedent Chapters it may appeare to be of a late birth 2. That neither the difference os calculation in stories nor forging of writinges nor managing of good authors doo hinder the knowledge of their new birth 3. Their owne toongs and traditions proue poperie new 4. Many particulers are rehearsed out of popish authors and the former counsels 5. Fiue foundamentall points more largelie examined by antiquitie 6. The latter ouergrowing and lopping and dailie now sprowting of poperie 7. That popery is not yet a perfect bodie of his fulshape proportion and members NOw am I come to the arising of poperie how it therein agreeth with heresie For if it may be plainly and directly shewed how poperie had his beginning both in regard of the author thereof and of the time wherein it bread and came forth diuerse and a disagreeing and seperate from the true religion whose authoritie and time came from God that it is of a later generation and off-spring then euerie wise christian will readily see and acknowledge that it is borne in these last times with other filthie heresies and that it cannot be the true ancient catholike religion but new borne and late vpstarted superstitious and counterfeit like as a 1. King 3.16 she that pleded for her selfe to be mother of the liue child was foūd by wise Salomon to be in deed the mother of the dead child And this by gods grace I doubt not but to make manifest to euery honest man who wil not wilfully blind his eies against the knowne truth And this I may so much the more boldlie affirme because that vnto him that marketh it well it doth alreadie sufficientlie and plainely appeare by that which is written before And that by foure arguments of great demonstration in my conscience First because that the true religion is the same which is now in England and this is proued to haue beene from the beginning of the worlde by Gods ordinance set foorth in holie Scripture and because by the learned men of this lande it is euidently taught and defended in the chiefe and maine heads thereof out of the fathers for 600. yeeres after Christes incarnation and by historie knowne to haue remained in the greeke church and in diuers partes of the west till our time Secondly because the religion of Rome is directly contrarie and disagreeing thereunto And thirdly that they follow not the doctrine taught by Saint Paul and Peter and lastlie that they agree with the heretikes of the primatiue Church and be as it were compact of many heresies which sprang vp in the first 600. yeeres which foure thinges being apparant in the former Chapters of this booke there needeth no more to proue the new learning of popish superstition to bee of a late off-spring and generation 2. Howbeit I wil here adde a fift argument which is this that popery may be shewed how it is
wee may beleeue him in this time was found out the gowne of Iesus Christ which fell by lot vnto one of the soldiers when Christ was crucified in a village called Zaphat For wee must suppose that Christ woare durable cloathing which woulde not waste in 600. yeares and that the soldier kept it as some holy relicke and gaue it or sold it to some Christian But I will not trouble the reader with such bables onely let him obserue and marke that here ignoraunce and blind deuotion began to spring and to draw men away from the pure truth of the gospell This Platina tels vs that Theodatus ordained that the sonne of the godfather Godfathers not to marie should not marie the daughter which his father held at the font this is a new kindred Boniface the 5. Sanctuarie for offendors ordained that one shold not be drawen out of the church by force but the church shold bee a place of refuge for offenders Organs musicke in the church The pax Vitalianus ordayned organs in the church and musicall instruments Leo the second founded the Pax to be giuen the people in the masse time A strange chaire This Platina telleth of a new and strange chaire at Rome called Sedes Stercorea wherin the new created Pope sitteth and vnderneath the last deacon trieth him whether he be a man which newly came vp by this occasion that Pope Iohn 8. Anno 855. as he went to the Church of Lateran Masse for the dead was deliuered of a child and therefore the Popes after that going to that Church passe not that way are thus tried Benedict 3. ordained that the priestes deacons and the Pope should bee present at the funerall of a Bishop to giue honor to the corps and to pray for the dead mans soule and commanded all priests to say masse when the Pope died In the time of Formosus which was about Anno 890. Hee saith The Emperors Popes holinesse lost at one time that he could not tell for what cause in one time the truth of the Emperours and of the Popes their holines was lost and abolished Steuen the sixt brought vp this new custome that one Pope did vndo and annihillate the doings and decrees of his predecessors wherein the Christian reader by the way may consider that wee are to beleeue them when they make the Popes decrees equall with the scripture seeing themselues can so easily put downe such authentical doings And here is not to bee omitted how grieuously Platina a In the life of Sargius and of diuers others complaineth in rehearsing the liues of many wicked popes about this time calling them cursed and bastardes from the vertues of the good Popes Of Iohn the 16. he saith that hee conuerted the goods of the Church to the vse of his kindred brothers parentes and carnall friendes and of that sprang a custome which the Popes comming after did obserue and keepe that not for the faith and deuotion of Christianitie but for the treasures of the Church the Popes sought that honour namely to enrich themselues and their friends brothers sisters cosens nephewes c. About which time a Booke 6. Anno 990. Polydor Virgill in his storie of England obserueth that the Monkes degenerated and the priestes into tyranny by meanes of their riches This Platina can tell you that Syluester the second came to his popedom by negromancie and that Benedick the 8. after his death appeared vpon a blacke horse for hiding vp money that was giuen for the poore And Benedick the 9. sold his Popedome and so also after his death appeared like a monster horrible idoll Syluester the third through mony became Pope Anno 1000. also Gregorie the 6. for at this time this new learning was ruled by money and friendes Damasus the second occupied that roome by force without the consent of the people and cleargie so the custome was that the ambitious obtained the papacie This Platina commendeth Gregorie the seuenth although for that he telleth of him hee might rightly bee called Hellbrand for his presumption ouer his Lord the Emperor for his hellish and blasphemous bulles wherein he maketh Peter his God saying O glorious Peter prince of the Apostles incline thine eare heare thy seruant whom thou hast nourished vp from his infancie preserued kept from the hands of his enemies vnto this present time c. And in his statutes a little after he describeth the man that doth as appertayneth to a Christian by this To feare God S. Peter To feare God and S. Peter And in another curse he saith to Peter Paul I haue not chosen you but you haue chosen me laid this most greeuous burden vpon my shoulders c. By these and such like he vttereth wordes of great dishonour to God maketh Peter in vertue power worship equal to God Christ which are new broached errors fearefull in the eares of true Christians And such as Peter would earnestly haue detested if hee were aliue a Act. 10. Cap. 14. who rebuked Cornelius in a lesse matter And Paul would haue rent his cloathes said O men why doe you these things we also are men subiect to the like passions as you are He can tell vs also of Vrban the second that he began the wares against the Sarasines and Turkes And that from thencefoorth the cheefest labours of Popes haue beene in wars for Peters patrimony deposing kinges and Emperours and translating of kingdomes and dignities Out of which goodly roote there sprang vp the bloudie factions of the Guelphes and Gibellins Florentines Venetians Genenois Cecilians c. The b Anno 1260. Romanes refuse to obey Vrban the 4. And these garboiles grew so strong that the Popes were faine to bee nonresidents for seuentie foure yeres beginning at c Anno 1310. Clement the fifth vntill Gregorie the eleuenth Then out of this engendred an other newe thinge d 1380. a scisme of nine and thirtie yeares wherein were someime two sometime three Popes at once till the councell of Constance And so this time in warres canonizing of Saints breeding and enlarging of pardons and many other trumperies continued vntil the time of Luther Here I ouerskip Boniface the 8. with his two swordes and his angels be set in the night to perswade Celestinus to surrender his pope seate and Iohn 23. a deuisor of new thinges he would make and vnmake Bishops of Abbots and Abbots of Bishops new canons dignities in the church and by and by in another fashion And thus haue they handled the religion of Christ Like vnto a potter turning his wheele who maketh the clay now of one fashion and now of an other that no certainty of truth and ancient godlinesse can be found in that sea But as the Prophet Esay saith a Cap. 29.19 Your turning deuises shall it not bee as the potters
it is not of the willer nor of the runner but that we be saued it is of God which hath mercie Tenthly to confesse that pardon is geuen to them that aske according to the grace and mercie of God not according to their merites seeing the Apostle sayth that repentance it selfe is the gift of God where he saith of certaine men least God should giue them repentance which catholike faith is contrary to the new religion of Rome in those things First for the preparation vnto grace and workes of condignitie for they say then grace were no grace Secondly for the concurrence of free will to worke with the grace of God so to merite for they giue all to Gods grace and all pardon and saluation to Gods free mercie Loe here christian reader thou seest that the papists can tell vs of the particuler originall of the most part of their trumperie that the old christian churches in their counsels determinations were protestants touching the authoritie of Bishops and prouinces touching mariage eating of flesh priuate masse and receiuing the communion touching the holie scriptures and the reading of them touching weomens Baptisme and appeales to Rome and touching the grace of God freewill and merite therefore the heresie of the church of Rome being gathered since those primatiue times must needs be of a new generation lately sprong vp and come abroad into the worlde 5 And that thou maist yet further see Poperie hath lost the life breath of christianitie how they haue lost the verie life and breath of all religion and so are cleane fallen away from being any member in Christs church and to haue no part in the communion of Saints as in any sort to be called Gods visible people I wil shew thee fiue other points which are fundamentall and so farre of the foundation of christian religion that without them no man can be a mēber visible nor inuisible of the catholike church wherein thou shalt see that the protestant was the ancient true primatiue christian church of God Fiue fundamental points of christianity rased by poperie the papist a verie apostata comming in deed of a contrarie race euen of the very stocke of antechrist The first is of adoring God only the second of the condition of the couenant with God on our behalfe the third of the seales of the couenant the fourth of the writings of the couenant the fift of the soueraigntie and headship of Christ ouer his church And that these are foundamental consider with me that in the * 2. Idolatrie first they breake the spiritual wedlocke with God which giue his worship and honor to idols and images as thou mayst see God in a Cap. 16. Ezechiel complaining and saying Thou hast taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my siluer which I had giuen thee and madest to thy self images of men and diddest commit whooredom with thē c. * Merits of workes 2. In the second when they ioine workes and the fulfilling of the commandements with faith for they shut themselues from the righteousnes in the couenant whereby they should reioice with God as the Apostle saith b Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioice but not with God yea they abrogate the grace of God and make Christ die in vaine as the same Apostle teacheth saying c Gal. 2.21 I doo not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without a cause * 3. Sacramēts In the third they annihilate and ouerthrow Christs institution in the seales of the couenant by their transubstantiation and vnbloudie sacrifice adored and make but a fanatical body of Christ and an imaginatie manhood where as Christ saith d 1. Cor. 11.24.25.26 Doe this in remembrance of me and Saint Paul expoundeth it saying As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lords death till he come For if he bee contained in heauen as Saint Peter e Act. 3. 21. saith till the restoring of al things and that this sacrament is to remember and shewe his death till hee come what is it but a newe institution when they say it is turned into his person and adore him as present and what can that bodie or manhood which is in heauen bee in the sacrament really and corporally any otherwise but in fansie and imagination seeing in the same till he come to iudgement he is in heauen In the * 4. Scriptures fourth they blot out the writinges of the couenant when as Christ a Mat. 15. sayth They make the lawe of God of none effect by their traditions while they equall their own deuises with the written word of God make it in sufficient to saluation and set the church which shoulde bee ruled by it and obedient to it to be aboue it the people aboue the lawe and the ladie vnder the handmaide * 5. Supremacy Lastlie they commit treason against the person of Christ when they set the pope in his place without his assignement that a mortall man shoulde bee head of the vniuersall Church and bodie of Christ For Christ onely is called b Eph. 1.22.28 1. Cor. 3.11 The head in all thinges ouer his Church and the foundation thereof excluding all other Nowe then seeing that there can bee no foundation of Christianitie nor Church of God where the couenant is broken by spirituall whooredome and where there is no reioicing with God and the grace of God and Christ death is made vaine and where the seales of Gods letters patentes and his glorious image which is Christ is defaced and his holie writinges blotted and abased and man aduanced in the chaire of the son of God and office of Christ it must needes followe that they being guiltie in these thinges there cannot bee any part of the visible Church of Christ amongest them I thinke it therefore good to take some more paines in these fiue points that thou maist see howe that in the first primatiue ages the Catholike truth was to be founde amonge the Christian protestants and that the popishe heresie in these pointes came vppe afterwardes to bee openlie seene and closelie grewe vnder them Consider therefore good Christian reader what I say and the Lord giue thee the spirit of true discretion and wisedome in all that thou readest First in the question of adoring God the papist thinke they doo not commit fornication because they haue a fine shift to say they doe not adore the image as to account it their God to put their trust in it but onely reuerence it as a representation of God by bowing before it kissing it praying before it c. they adore him which the image representeth And they thinke themselues verie wel discharged from idolatry seeing their images are not dedicated vnto diuels and false Gods but vnto the true God Christ and his Saints
ABRAHAM'S FAITH THAT IS The olde Religion WHEREIN IS TAVGHT THAT THE RELIGION NOW publikely taught and defended by order in the Church of England is the onely true Catholicke auncient and vnchangeable faith of Gods elect AND THE PRETENSED religion of the Sea of Rome is a false bastard new vpstart hereticall and variable superstitious deuise of man Published by IOSIAS NICHOLLS an humble seruant and minister of the gospell in the Church Stand in the waies and behold and aske of the old waies which is the good waie and walke therein and ye shall find rest for your soules HIER 6.16 LONDON Imprinted by Thomas Wight 1602. TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God my Lords grace Archb. of Canterburie and to the right Honorable my L chiefe Iustice of England both of her Maiesties most Honourable priuie Counsell Iosias Nicholls wisheth all grace and peace in our Lord Iesus Christ PVrposing right Reuerend Honorable to publish this little book it came into my mind to commend the same to your honourable protection For it seemed to me that although all good men of al estates are bound in conscience and loue to contend earnestly for the faith which as S. Iude saith was once giuen to the Saintes yet are there some more proper reasons in regard of your two callings which challenge in my iudgement a more peculiar eye and watch vnto these causes For being both of the same most Honourable table of her Maiesties most graue wise and Christian Counsell where all are set in the same charge and ioyned in the same care namely in all prouident and godly ouersight to manage the great affaires pertaining to Gods worship and glorie and the blessed safetie of the Queenes most excellent Maiestie whom God vouchsafe long to preserue among vs yet the one being a minister and Bishoppe of the gospell and set ouer many others for the good and faithfull teaching and practising of the christian faith in this land And the other a professed and chiefe Iudge for the executing of all lawes and statutes ordeined for the maintenaunce of true religion iustice peace and godlines this being a necessarie declaration of our Christian faith and religion established by the publike magistracie and lawes of this realme and a faithfull displaying of the iniquitie of poperie being a mortall enemie and a verie great opposite vnto the same It could not so properly respect any other whose ofifce and profession did so neerely and naturally offer it selfe to patronize and protect so iust a matter of this kind Therefore I humblie craue your Honours fauour to accept of this my trauaile and your fatherly countenaunce vppon mine honest labours Which although I frankly acknowledge might haue beene more eloquently and exquisitly handled by some man of greater giftes yet I hope that in some measure it shalll satisfie the expectation of such honest and Christian readers who both can and will iudge according to equitie und truth For my purpose being considering the season to shew the antiquitie and certaine truth of our faith and religion nowe professed in England and the newnesse vncertaintie and falshoode of the popish superstition to this ende that it might bee a stay to many which wauer and seeme nowe readie to fall away I endeuoured rather to ioyne plainnesse and perspicuitie with breuitie then by large amplification to shew great learning and by direct arguments to make manifest an vndoubted truth to the conscience of all men for the gayning of some vnto Christ rather then by saying what I could to trouble the reader with abundance of matter or hunt for that which is vayne and fruitlesse And this verily I thought most necessarie and the rather because diuers men in differing manner haue heretofore handled this argument both that I might giue occasion to men to enquire after and to reade such godly writinges and also because the present season seemeth to call for the same when poperie beginneth to ouerspreade and after a sort to set vp his brissels against the gospell and men of that superstition are verie much lifted vp that it might appeare what a foolish wicked new broacht and monstrous heresie and apostasie they so much contend for so egerly labour for being greedie of that which will slay their soules and proud of that whereof they ought to bee ashamed Therefore I haue made choice of such methode and reasons as I hope thorow Gods blessing shall effect that I purposed and make that manifest which I desire Whereof knowing that your Honours can iudge with wisedome and that your Christian care tendeth to this ende that the people by all good meanes should bee staide in their faithfull obedience to God and our most gracious prince I was bolde to present this booke vnto you most humblie beseeching you to accepte of my bounden duetie to my Prince countrie and to the Church of GOD earnestlie praying GOD to bee with you alwayes with his gracious fauour and good spirite to guide you and prosper you in all good and godly endeuours to his honour and glorie to the good of prince and countrie to the increase of the Church and to your owne soules comfort in Iesus Christ Amen Your honours most humble to commaunde IOSIAS NICHOLLS TO THE HOLY AND Christian congregation of England being a most liuely member of Christes Catholicke and visible Church Iosias Nicholls Minister and seruant of Iesus Christ as a son to his most deare mother wisheth all grace and spirituall blessinges in heauenly things in Christ and all peace and prosperitie in godlinesse truth for euer NO Nation euer vnder heauen English men grealy bound to praise and serue God for his rich blessings in by the Gospell vnder the happie raigne of her maiestie more bound to praise serue God then we English men now aboue fortie yeares vnder the happie raigne of our deare Soueraigne and Ladie Queene Elizabeth whom God long preserue tasting enioying the sweet goodnes fauor of God most kindly shewing it selfe and shining into our harts by his most blessed and ioyfull Gospel No nation euer vnder heauen hath had more cause of ioy and comfortable encouragement vnto godlinesse and honestie then we Englishmen all these yeares when God most miraculously by a maiden Queene the weaker vessell hath made his name knowen and his Saintes glorious by deliueraunce when mightie potentates could not stand in battaile hee hath raised health by a woman and made the weake to confound the strong No nation euer vnder heauen hath had more sure and perfect experience of the truth of God and his worde and of the certaine knowledge of the holy faith and pure religion then we Englishmen whose eyes the God of this world hath not blinded most abundantly haue had that we might glorie in our God and magnifie the rich grace of Iesus Christ and the effectuall power of his holy and blessed spirit For we haue seene the breath of Gods mouth mightie to consume Antechrist and
in this Article two things The vse and power of this word and the true touchstone how we may know or where we may find this word The first is touching religion that Gods word is the only rule thereof which onely teacheth the doctrine of righteousnesse and saluation And this is verie well to be seene in the storie of Abraham that he had no sauour of religion before God taught him by his word neither can wee find that he added any thing of his owne And this will euidently appeare if you consider how God first preached vnto him a Gal. 3.8 Gen. 12.1.2.3 the gospell and so from b Cap. 15. 17 18. time to time reuealed more and more vnto him and that God acknowleged him to bee a c Gen. 20.7 prophet such an one as would d Cap. 18.19 command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. What is all this els but that God by his word taught him the true religion and godlinesse what he should beleeue and doe As for Moses he maketh the word of God so absolute a rule that the Church ought not e Deut. 4.2 to put any thing to it nor take any thing from it and the prophets are also verie confident in this point saying f Prouerb 30.5 Euerie word of God is pure put nothing to his word least hee reproue thee and thou be found a lyer And the reason of this perfection is plaine because it maketh g Cap. 2.1.9 a man to vnderstand righteousnes and iudgement and equitie and euerie good path and to exclude all mens inuentions from ordaining any part of religion God saith by his prophets that h Esai 29.13 The wisedome of the wise shall perish because their feare toward God was taught by the precept of men Which Christ intepreteth to this sence i Mat. 15.9 That they worshipped God in vaine teaching for doctrines mens preceptes If this suffice not then let vs heare this point in expresse wordes of the Prophet k Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule So likewise our Sauiour Christ in the gospell gaue to his Apostles and Church no other thing but the l Ioh. 17.8 worde which God his father gaue him pronouncing that this is m Vers 17. The truth by which they should be sanctified n Cap. 15.3 made cleane o Cap. 8.31.32 and free from sin p Cap. 5.24 and by hearing thereof they might haue euerlasting life Therefore the Apostles finding the absolute sufficiencie thereof doe forsake all wisedome of men for the same calling it the words of eternall life q Cap. 6.68 Hereof it is that Saint Iames saith r Cap. 1.19 Be swift to heare and slow to speake because wee men must not put forth our owne wisedome in matters of faith and religion but submit our selues to learne of God as he after expoundeth saying ſ Vers 21. Receiue with meeknesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And thereupon Saint Paule condemneth all shewes of t Coloss 2.22.23 wisedome in voluntarie religion after the commandement and doctrines of men giuing charge that no man u Vers 8. spoile vs through philosophie and vaine deceite according to the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ And the ground of this is this that in x Vers 3. Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Now as touching the second point which is the touchstone to trie the word of God where and how to find and know it This is The holy inspired writinges of the olde and new Testament wherein is contained all the word of God touching religion necessarie for the Church and Gods elect to know for their saluation Which although it were not written in the time of Abraham and of the fathers but after by Moses the Prophetes the Apostles and Euangelistes yet is it so absolute a rule and canon that wee ought not to beleeue any thing of faith and religion touching saluation to be or to haue beene the word of God which may not be rightly gathered taught or proued confirmed or allowed by the writings of Moses and the prophets in the old testament and in the new testament by the Euangelistes and Apostles of Iesus Christ And this will appeare verie euidently to the conscience of all faithful and wise hearted Christians if they consider what the spirite of God teacheth in all these times For the first a most glorious writer was the a Deut. 5.22 finger of God writing the ten wordes in two tables Then Moses by his direction wrote all the b Exod. 24.4 words of the Lord and a little before his death he wrote the whole c Deut. 31.9 law and deliuered it to the priestes the sonnes of Leui. So that then and from thenceforth the law written became the canon of the Church and the onely rule to measure religion by as may appeare because it was published in this sort d Deut. 27.26 Cursed bee he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this law to do them e Cap 30.10 which is interpreted to bee the commandementes and ordinaunces of the Lord written in the booke of the law And Ioshuah being of the same times knowing it to bee such an absolute rule chargeth the people a little before his death to f Ioshua 23.6 obserue and do all that is written in the booke of the law of Moses that they turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left By which it appeareth that in his time the writinges of Moses were this touchston to know the word of God as it were the arke of God wherein the tables of the couenant written with the finger of God were kept which will somewhat more be seene if you consider with me that in Moses writings and in and by nothing els we learne all the word of God reuealed and made knowne to the Church not onely touching the creation and olde world but also concerning Abraham Isaack Iacob and whatsoeuer God spake would haue to be knowen to be his word in his time which hee committed to writing for the perpetuall vse of the people of God And after him God added the pen of the prophets for the more perfect manifestation of this word and misterie of Gods will and yet so as nothing in substance did differ from the written law of Moses Therefore the prophetes pronounce the same writinges to be a most perfect Canon not to be added to nor taken from saying after this maner a Esa 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in thē And againe b Malach. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel the
to worship God onely and namely to praie to him alone THis article is plaine needing no explanation And we may see it clerely in the story of Abraham that he being called from the b Iosh 24.2.3 woorship of strange Gods for euer after woorshipped the onely true and liuing God c Gen. 12. ver 14. 15. 17. c. to him he made his alter and called vpon his name swore by his name and in all religious woorship as sacrifice circumcision and vowes he did stil keepe himselfe alwaies to worship God onely Such is the minde of the church of England For we say d Artic. 22. of purgatorie The Romish doctrine concerning purgatorie pardons worshipping and adoration as well of images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saints is a fond thing vainely fayned and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God For hereby we vnderstande that the Scripture teacheth that wee should worship God onely and pray to him onely and therefore we condemne al woorship and praiers which are not made giuen and directed to God onely and therefore we commaunde the ten commandements to be read in our churches to teach men to acknowledge one god and him onely to worship Moses also if we will heere him sheweth the same truth First in the affirmatiue he saith e Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and sweare by his name which wordes our Sauior Christ f Matth. 4.10 alleaging in their meaning sheweth that they commaunde vs to worship and serue God onely And in the negatiue Moses a Deut. 4.14 c. cap. 12.2.3 c. cap. 13. 21.8 Num. 6.24 testifying that God shewed the people no image of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer forbiddeth them the making of all images of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer and the worshipping of any such image or likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer directing them in all causes to turne to him to pray to him and to blesse in his name To this also accorde the Prophets in whom God speaketh on this maner b Psal 50.15 Call vpon mee c. c Esai 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue vnto an other neither my praise to carued images d Cap. 45.23 I haue sworne by my selfe the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnes and shall not returne That euerie knee shall bow vnto me and euerie toonge shall sweare by mee And therefore on the one side hee reprooueth them e Zepan 1.5 which woorship and sweare by the Lord and Malcham that is doe any way communicate Gods worship to others and on the other side teacheth vs to pray onely to God as it is written f Psal 62.8 Trust in him alwaie yee people power out your hartes vnto him for GOD is our hope g Psal 95.6 Let vs vvorship and fall downe and kneele before the Lorde our maker And this is also the rule of the Gospell as where our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray h Matth. 6.9 Our father which art in heauen c. saying when yee pray pray after this maner there you may perceiue all other excluded For wee cannot say to any other Our father which art in heauen or Thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie therefore if this be the maner of prayer wee must pray to none other but to God And the Apostles in their doctrin i Act. 14.15 1. Thess 1.9 called men from dumme idols to worship and serue the liuing God And that I may not vse many wordes in so manifest a matter I onely obserue this that this phrase k Reuel 19.10 22.9 Act. 10.25.26 Rom. 1.23.25 Worship GOD in the newe Testament shutteth out all creatures men and angels from all maner of religious worship which seruice being due to him should bee giuen or done to none other And so it is verie apparant that in this article wee are of the most auncient and Catholike faith with Abraham Moses c. The twelfte article of certaine speciall exercises of religion and markes of the church that is the Sacraments 12. A Sacrament is a signe and a seale ordained of God to assure vs of the couenant of mercie which is in Christ Iesus And there be two Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. The first is a signe and a seale of our first entrie into the fellowship of God and his church and of our adoption and regeneration The seconde is a signe and a seale of the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ continually strengthning vs and confirming vs in all the graces of God vnto eternall life IN handling of this article if I declare two things First that these three times of the fathers of the law of the gospel agree in the description of the nature of a sacrament and herein that these two Baptisme and the Lords supper are only for the new Testament and namely according as they are here described no otherwise And secondly that herein the church of England agreeth with the holie scriptures of all these times as a true obseruer of Gods woord therein I shall sufficiently prooue that the church of England holdeth the most auncient true and catholike faith In the first there are three things to be shewed the nature the number and the special difference of the sacraments In the nature wee see what is general and common to all Sacraments and this is in two points who made them and whereof they consist the first is they are ordained of God and this is so farre off the nature of a sacrament that none can be so without God be the author for who can giue man a special signe and seale of Gods fauor c. but God himselfe amongst men he is guilty of treason that will make a seale of a princes letters patents in the kings name except he haue the seale deliuered him by the prince for that purpose So and much more for so much as God is more excellent and honorable then any prince of the earth and his will more vnsearchable and the freedom and glory therof more hie and heauenlie no man may or can ordaine a sacrament to assure vs of Gods good will whereof he hath no warrant or authority from God For if as the Apostle saith No man doth knowe the things of God 1. Cor. 2.11 but the spirit of God surely much lesse can any man ordaine a Sacrament which is such a thing as by it we may be assured of Gods free grace and mercie in Iesus Christ Therefore you shall find that in all times the church so long as it was obedient and not idolatrous neuer aduentured to make a Sacrament as you may see in Abraham who had sacrifices and circumcision although we may be assured that by the spirit of prophesie he was instructed in these things yet shall
many ought to be vnder the gospell and how these two differ in their special and particuler vse The confession of the church of England is altogether so and of the same consent For as touching the nature of a Sacrament we say the same in substance of truth a Sacraments ordained of Christ are not onely badges and tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by the which he doth worke inuisibly in vs and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in him and againe b Articl 25. of the sacramēts b Apolog. part 2.10 diuis 1. Wee allow the Sacraments of the Church that is to say certaine holie signes and ceremonies which Christ would we should vse that by them hee might set before our eies the misteries of our saluation and might more strongly confirme the faith which wee haue in his blood and might seale his grace in our hartes and in the same places there are no more but two sacraments acknowledged which properly ought to be called by that name and as touching the speciall difference First we say of Baptisme a Articl 27. that It is a signe and a seale of our new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receaue Baptisme are grafted into the church the promises of forgiuenes of sinnes and our adoption to be the sonnes of God by the holie ghost are visibly signed and sealed c. and of the Lords supper we say b Articl 28. The supper of the Lord is not only a signe of the loue that Christians ought to haue among themselues but rather it is a Sacrament of our redemption Insomuch that to such as rightly woorthely and with faith receaue the same the bread which wee breake is a communion of the bodie of Christ and likewise the cup of blessing is a communion of the blood of Christ If all these things be compared together with the Scriptures you shall see that they doo verie fitly agree so that in the doctrine of the Sacraments we are of the auncient faith of Gods elect and of the holie vniuersall church The thirtenth article of the order of religious exercises and seruice of God 13. All religious exercises as prayer and Sacramentes c. ought to be done in the toonge or language which the people best vnderstande and as is most to edification HOw the pride presumption of man brought this great plague of many languages into the worlde and thereby great seperation of people and nations and diuersities of religion as c Gen. 11. Moses doth declare the originall so the story and experience of all times doo witnes And as it caused great toile and contention among men so it came to passe in tract of time that the true religion was found but in one people and language and that of Abraham and his seede the children of Israel Howbeit when the fulnes of time was come that the most glorious sonne of God our blessed Sauiour sanctified all nations vnto God by his death then were all languages made d Phil. 2.11 Esai 45.23 holie vnto the Lord that Euerie toonge should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glorie of God the father Therefore what people so euer it pleaseth God to call to be of his church and teacheth them his holie religion the language of that very people is made holie to the Lord to talke of his woord to confesse his name to pray to his goodnes to celebrate his heauenly worship This appeareth by the storie of Abraham being an a Gen. 14.13 11.16 Hebrew comming of Heber that God reuealed his worde vnto him and his seede in the Hebrew tongue In that tongue which was to them naturall and knowne he and they vsed all their prayers and holy exercises and in that tongue did Moses the prophets write all the oracles of God Saue onely when Iudah was in captiuitie Daniell wrote some Chapters which concerned the Chaldeans all nations in that language of Calde which they best vnderstoode and fittest at that time for all nations the Emperor of the world being of that language and by mixture with other people the Hebrew writings of the prophetes do somewhat sauour of the language of the people among whom they dwelt Therfore it doth appeare that God was carefull as a matter best for the Churches edification to haue his will reuealed vnto his people in that tong they best vnderstood So when all the world in all nations was called by the gospel to know and worship the true and liuing God then were the scriptures written in Greeke namely so much as then was written by the Apostles and Euangelistes which language was at that time the most b Act. 21 37. common language of the worlde in so much as all c Gal. 3.28 nations are called Grecians in opposition to the Iewes and their language Also God d Act. 2. endued his Apostles with the gift of diuers tongues that euen in that gift it might bee made manifest that all languages are sanctified in Christ and that hee thought it need that euery country people should worship him in their owne language And therefore the Prophet Daniel prophesying of these daies directly saith e Dan. 7.14 All people nations and languages shall serue him Hereupon Saint Paul least the vse of gift of many languages should be abused spendeth one f Cor. 14. whole chapter about this matter and therein teacheth that it was most to edification that the prayers and exercises of Gods worship should bee in a language knowen to the vulgar and meaner sort of people a thing so familiarly knowen that I need not repeate it Therefore without any amplification in this point I may conclude that seeing the Church of England both by practise as is seene in our dayly seruice of God by the booke of common prayer and also by our confession in the Apologie g Apolog. cap. 18. diuis 1. Artic. 24. of the common prayers and Articles of our religion published for that purpose doth allow no other but the vsuall language best knowen to the people as best to edification it followeth that herein wee agree with the auncient and catholike riligion and order of Almightie God and of his seruants Moses the prophets and Apostles The 14. Article of libertie in religion whether it take away any naturall comfort or duetie among men 14 The true and catholike religion forbiddeth no man or woman of what caling soeuer to marrie so it bee in the Lord and commaundeth all sortes of men and that of all callings as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill to be subiect to the ciuill magistrate and higher power and to obey him in the Lord. IN this Article are two specials as mariage and the dutie to the magistrate which two may be as an instance for all of like sort for
fallen into an Apostasie And the reason he giueth confirmeth it directly that it should vndoubtedly fall out and so come to passe for hee afterward affirmeth that it commeth of the righteous iudgement of God vpon the reprobate saying God shall sende them stronge delusion that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned Vers 12.12 which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which thing if it be wel seen into vprightly waied it will cōuince the church of Rome to be of the false religion and antechristian church and their brauerie of profession their antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession to be the sitting of the man of sinne in the temple of God that is the plague and running soare of the Church the damnation of many soules and that now within these few yeares the gospel teaching the true Christian religion hath reuealed their Apostasie and that so openly clearly as euerie man may see it if he doe not wilfully blind his owne eyes 3 Now if they say that the Church cannot erre and thereupon build their antiquitie vniuersalitie succession c. Namely that they must needes bee the true Church being so actiuely and vniuersally visible in their continued succession because it belongeth to the Church vnder the gospell as they say to bee as the Moone that neuer is ecclipsed nor couered vnder a cloud but alwaies appeareth glorious and beautifull vnto the world then doe they euidently declare and proue themselues to bee the false sinagogue of Sathan and their religion to bee his delusions and lies Because the worde of God doth so manifestly say there shall bee an Apostasie and falling away in religion and that the enemie of Christ should raigne in the place of Gods temple And least happily wee should bee deceiued in thus iudging euen in this one point of their religion that they hold that the church cannot erre they cōuince themselues to be Antechrist many wayes especially in that they make the authoritie of the Church aboue the scriptures that they might be iudges of it and not of them What do they herein more truely then professe to all the worlde that there sitteth amongst them the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God for what is there in the whole world by which God is knowen or can bee knowen truely and rightly to bee God and by which God is exalted and all his honour truth and word magnified and his will wisedome and goodnesse glorified and worshipped but onely the inspired writinges of the blessed booke of God If they hauing no truth on their side to maintayne themselues to bee the Church of God they will foist in with a brasen face contrarie to euident scripture this vntruth that the church cannot erre and thereupon vsurpe authoritie ouer this booke of God and after it to haue no authoritie but such as they allow and to haue no other meaning or sence but such as they giue and so God and his holy law must looke for no other name credite and dignitie but as it pleaseth them being men to giue And so againe God and his word should not bee builders and describers of the Church but the Church builders and describers of God and his word doth it not then necessarily follow that they are verie Antechrist and the seate of Apostasie Moreouer if Christ say this Apostasie should bee so great that if it were possible a Math. 24.24 the verie elect should bee deceyued Are not they verie Antechrist to make the Church alwaies visible and not able to erre And let the godly Christian reader consider what vse there is of these rules precepts b Math. 7. 1. Ioh. 4.1.2 2. Ioh. vers 9. Beware of false prophets beleeue not euerie spirit c. hereby shall you know the spirit of God that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God c. Againe there is prophesied of a woman whose name is Reuelat. 17. 18. A misterie great Babilon the mother of whordoms abominations of the earth which is a great citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth and all nations drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And God saith to vs Go out of her my people c. If the true vse of these scriptures teach vs two things first that we must trie and iudge the false prophets the spirits and whosoeuer may cal themselues the Church by the doctrine of Christ expressed in the scriptures and that vnder the time of the gospell a citie by false doctrine should poyson all nations and we ought to go out of that citie how can any man iudge the Citie of Rome which calleth her selfe the mother of all Churches and vsurpeth ouer all nations seeing that it hath forsaken the truth and yet claimeth vniuersalitie perpetual succession visible refuseth to be tried by the holy oracles of God these rules and Canons of holy scriptures how I say can any man iudge otherwise but that it is the verie seat of Antechrist And in this that it would bee maintained by saying it cannot erre it erreth most apparantly And therefore that onely is the true Church and house of God whether visible or inuisible a Heb. 3.6 Math. 18.20 which holdeth fast the true faith where two or three are gathered together in Christes name and not that which pretendeth visible succession and saith it cannot erre 4 Howbeit in all this time it was not as the church of Rome would beare vs in hand that our religion which is that auncient religion of Abraham had such an ecclipse that it cannot bee traced in these 1600. yeares after Christ for as before the comming of Christ it lay hidde in comparison of the vniuersalitie of the whole world in the house and posteritie of Abraham and sometime more then other appearing and shining forth when God made his glorious truth to cast the beames of light far and wide at such times as he made his saintes glorious by deliuerance as out of Egipt and Babilon And in subduing the Cananites in prospering Dauid Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezekiah and Ioshiah So in this time of Christianitie among the Gentils there hath beene as it were an ebbing and flowing and as I may say a morning and an euening For the gospell beginning with small degrees and like a grayne of mustard seede was persecuted by the vniuersall world at the first And yet preuailed mightely through all those bitter and intollerable persecutions of the first three hundred yeares in so much as in the first Christian Emperours dayes namely Constantine the great when hee summoned the first generall Councell of Nice for the cause of Arrius there came 318. Bishops and these were from all partes of the worlde West as farre as Spaine and North in a manner at the verie North Pole So that all the worlde stoode amased
at the glorious shining of the sonne of righteousnesse in those happie daies Yet men knowe that reade the stories of the church what whiles that blasphemous hereticke did worke how many friends abettors he had what great afflictions that good Catholike Bishop Athanasius had what persecution for many yeares together the true beleeuers endured after the death of that good Emperour by the ouerspreading of the Arrians and their followers Howbeit although that persecution much afflicted the faithfull and darkned the beautie of the Church and many heretickes inuaded them very sore and diuers liuing in wildernesse and solitarie places deuised strange formes and seruices of God yet for the space of sixe hundred yeares and more the vniuersall Church was not so much tainted but God raysed vp notable pillars of truth and lightes of his church by whom the truth of faith and found religion had all that time a most excellent witnesse For the Apostles ended at the death of Iohn the Euangelist Anno 99. Ignatius liued about Anno 110. hauing beene Iohns disciple and Bishop of Antioch Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and Iustinus martyr at Rome Anno 140. Iraeneus Bishop of Lions in France Anno 175. Tertullian in Africke flourished about Anno 190. Origin of Alexandria about Anno 210. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage Anno 255. Arnobius 310. Lactantius Firmianus 325. Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt 340. Hilarius B. of Pictauia in Aquitania 360. Basilius B. of Caesarea in Cappadocia 370. Gregorius B. of Nazanzen Epiphanius B. of Cyprus Ambrose B. of Millain Hieronymus Stridonensis Augustine B. of Hippo Iohn Chrisostom B. of Constantinop Possidonius Prosper Fulgentin Casiodonus Gregorius first of that name B. of Rome These verie many more verie good writers beside infinite others liued in that first 600. yeres and som after by whom the light of Gods truth and the pure religion was defended against diuers and sundrie sorts of heretikes and declared by sermons and godly interpretations of holie scripture which may euidently appeare euen vnto him that can but read the English toonge if hee peruse the writings of our reuerend Bishops and teachers of this lande First the challenge was made by master Iewel in a Sermon preached at Paules crosse Anno 1560. the Sonday before Easter that for 600. yeeres after Christ our religion might be defended by the writings of fathers and counsels secondlie the defence was most truelie and fullie performed by the same master Iewell against Harding by master Horne against Fecknam master Pilkington against the man of Chester master Punet against Th. Martin as also by master Noel against Dorman master Edward Deering to Hardings reioinder master Calfils answer to Marshals defence of the crosse master Fulke against Allin Sanders Bristow c. and by the conference in the Tower with Campion and that of master Reinolds with Hart. In these and diuers others very notable english bookes all points of our Christian faith are not onely maintayned by the writinges of the foresayde auncient Fathers and Counsels of the first sixe hundred yeeres but also by diuers other wrighters and Counsels followinge in other ages yea by diuers Papistes as the Schoolemen popishe decrees decretals and historiographers But wee doo frankely confesse that sixe hundred yeeres after Christ beeing past the visible church not so well seasoned nor the true faith so openly vniuersally faithfully maintained but more and more decaied obscured and darkned vntill the reuelation of Antechrist which hath been since Luther Neither doo we take it to be any derogation to the truth seeing that these last nine hundreth yeres were the daies of darknes and the time of the punishment of God that they which regarded not to know God should be giuen ouer to lyes and fables as is before manifestly prooued by the scriptures Notwithstanding in all this time it was not so obscure hidden but that the stories of these mystie daies doe affoord vs sufficient matter and markes whereby we may find where how and in what sort the true faith and religion stroue with the foolish and vnthankfull hart of man offering him in all this declining and apostatical generations the ioifull light of truth and the right way of peace and saluation but they would not but they fought against it and herein I will not stande to rehearse all particulers which would aske a great volume but onely mention that which is most generall and notoriously knowne vntill this 600. yeeres the churches by east and west were in vnitie and the christian faith continued his vniuersall and visible succession but shortlie after by reason that Bonifacius the thirde obtained the supremacy ouer all Bishops brought it into the sea of Rome there grew discontentments which continued vp and downe vntill Hildebrande came vp about An. 1237. all which time the Greeke church eastwarde held the auncient catholike faith as we now doo but by meanes that the Greeks condiscended not to the vnmeasurable pride of the popes there was made a seperation and so the faith was found onely in the Grecians amongst whom it also remained as it may appeare by this that in the time of the counsell of Basill about An. 1440. Engenious the fourth in a priuate conuocation at Florence laboured the grecians to condescende to the latin church to allow of purgatorie of the popes supremacie of vnleauened bread in the communion and of transubstantiation so that the east churches which containe not only Grecia but also the Ethiopians Syrians and many other great nations did in some good measure hold out the true faith vntill this time Now in the west parts there were certain men called Waldenses or Albigences and Pauperes de Lugduno who first at Lions in France and after in diuers other places as Meridoll and Cabriers and in many townes of the countrie of Piemont in great numbers shewed themselues from An. 1160. till the time of Luther Iohn Wickliefe and his fellowes and with them the good christians called Lollards did shew themselues in England in the time of Edwarde the third about the yere 1371. and thenceforth and in the time of Richard the second whereof followed great persecution many yeres Iohn Husse and Hierom of Prage with the countrie of Bohemia were famous for the true religion at the counsell of Constance about Anno 1413. and many yeres after So that when Luther came vp he found not the gospell and true religion without witnesse in diuers places Therefore leauing out Berthramus in France Iohn Scotus in England and verie many notable men in diuers countries whom God stirred vp heere and there euen in these euil daies of darknes som by writing some by preaching some by suffering and by death to giue testimonie in these west parts and vnder the Popes nose I may boldlie conclude this Chapter with humble and hartie thankes to God that the religion which wee holde and professe in Englande is the onely true auncient catholike and vniuersall religion wherein and
new testament thus h Rom. 3.23.24 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus 25. whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud c. In the seuenth Article there are three contradictories of the lying erring multitude of Rome vnto the true religion For they i Concil Trident sessi 5. sess 6. canon 18. 25. say that Concupiscence in the regenerate after baptisme is no sinne although they confesse Saint Paule calleth it sinne 2. That there is nothing in him displeasing God but he is pure innocent and immaculate 3. A iustified man can keepe all Gods commaundements If these men had learned and beleeued the true religion they would not dare to speake so directly contrarie to truth seeing God teacheth far otherwise First in the old testament where the church is directed to say k Esai 64.6 Wee haue bin all as an vncleane thing all our righteousnes as filthy clouts And in the new testament l 1. Ioh. 1.8 If we say we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs. Which two places being spoken of the people being by the sacrament of initiation or Baptisme entred into the Church do shew plainely that original corruption is a sinfull matter in the flesh of the regenerate by which they are made vnable to doe any one worke perfect much lesse to doe all Gods commandements at all times in thought word and deede a thing which euerie man 's owne conscience doth testifie if he bee not too much besotted with the looking vpon his fruitlesse peacockes taile In the eight Article they make additaments namely that a Concil Trid. sess 6. canon 24. 33. 20. good workes are also causes of the encreasing of iustification and truely deserue eternall life and encrease of glorie and that the obseruing of the commandements of God and the Church are the condition of the promise of eternall life to which the iustified man is bound if he will be saued By which while they robbe Christ of his merits and giue more honour to the corrupt life of man and lesse to the redeemer and lay an other burthen vpon Christians then that which God layeth and such as no man can beare they leade themselues so farre from religion that either by a vaine hope of that which is not they forsake their owne saluation or els by a greeuous desperate downe-fall finding themselues as the truth is vnable to fulfill the condition they lay themselues open to euerlasting perdition But God alloweth no such additamentes where he teacheth vs in the old testament to say vnto him b Psal 16.2 Thou art my Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee And in the new c Luc. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruants c. And the condition of fulfilling the commandements is called d Act. 15.10 a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare and if it were possible to doe the commandements yet the holie Ghost teâ—â—eth vs that e Gal. 2.21 if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Against the ninth Article the Romists do diuersly oppose themselues shewing themselues to bee of no religion For first they adde the commandement of the church making it equall vnto Gods written worde saying f Gret decreâ— pars 1. dist 20. cap. de libellis They which receiue not indifferently their Canons they profitablie effectually and to purpose holde or beleeue neither the catholike faith nor the foure holy Euangelistes They adde moreouer that g Distinct 19. all the decretals constitutions of that sea yea though it decree things scarce to bee borne yet must they bee borne with a godly deuotion though there bee as h Decret abbreuiat in versibus they say in one booke of decrees aboue 3000. Againe they say that i Concil Trident sess 4. decret 1. pari pietatis affectu reuerentia Traditions pertaine to faith and maners and that they doe receiue and embrace them with equall godly deuotion and reuerence as they doe the holy scriptures Lastly they set the Church before the scriptures as that by k Test Rhem. note vpon Gal. 2. vers 2. 6. D. Smith briefe treatise cap 2. 3. it the scriptures are so farre made knowen to all Christians as they are not bound so to take them vnlesse by the authoritie of the Church they knew them And that the authoritie of holy scripture dependeth and hangeth vpon the iudgement of the vniuersall or catholike church and that there are many vnwritten verities left by Christ and his Apostles to be beleeued and obeyed vnder paine of damnation Here is the mouth of blasphemie if wee may beleeue the vndoubted word of God how hee teacheth vs to esteeme of the holy scriptures and of the Church for in the olde Testament hee saith l Esai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And in the new a 2. Tim. 3.13 The holy scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation c. Let then euery wise man iudge that if the scriptures bee able to make a man wise vnto saluation and that there is no light that is to say knowledge of truth and godlinesse in them which agree not to the holy scriptures what canons decrees decretals traditions or vnwritten verities can haue any authoritie vnlesse they agree to the written word of God or that they can containe in them any thing not written in the scripture which is of necessitie to saluation or which not to doe or beleeue is damnation Againe how can the scriptures take their authoritie from the church seeing that the church is of no light vnlesse it bee found agreeable to the scriptures and therefore no church except it bee approued by the scriptures and so the scripture is iudge ouer the church and not contrarie And if I say the scriptures can make a man wise vnto saluation it is the greatest follie in the world to clogge the people of God with so many thousand of needles canons decrees decretals traditions and vnwritten falsely called verities and so make the light and easie yoke of Iesus Christ most heauie and burdenous If these diuilish blasphemies were true alas who could be saued For who was euer found that did or could doe all the foresaid Canons and traditions Therefore in them is fulfilled which is said by the Lord of Hypocrites b Math. 23.4 They bind heauie greeuous burthens not to be borne and lay them on mens sholders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers Let vs abandon therefore these painted sepulchers and enemies of all true
the title of Christ hanging on the crosse was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine Where you may see three strange thinges to bee done of these holy fathers first to celebrate that in an vnknowne tongue which containeth great instruction to the faithfull people as if it were meete in their eies that the meate which was good and appointed for them ought to bee kept out of their sight Secondly that this order must be learned of Pontius Pilate who put Christ to death a verie good an Apostle for an Apostaticall Church Thirdly this is expressely repugnant to holy scripture which saith c 1. Cor. 14.26.28 Let all things be done to edification and that hee which speaketh in a strange tongue should keepe silence in the Church In the foureteenth Article they bee also contradictorie to the truth And first touching matrimony they haue three degrees of contradiction d Concil trid sess 8. canon 9. First absolutely forbidding all preestes and ecclesiasticall persons to marie e Canon 11. Secondly they forbidde mariage certaine times in the yeare as in Lent c. And f Canon 3. thirdly take vpon thē to dispence with the order of God g Cap. 18. in Leuiticus touching the degrees of kindred prohibited also to adde and ordaine moe degrees to be prohibited which God hath not forbidden And whosoeuer doth maintain the Christian libertie herein they pronounce him Anathema accursed Forgetting what h Act. 10.15 Reuelat. 3.7 God said to Peter That God hath purified pollute thou not and that Christ the head of his Church hath the keye of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth c. Wherefore seeing that Christ hath made i Heb. 13.4 Tit. 1.15 mariage honourable for all men and that by his ordinance To the cleane all things are cleane doe they not herein bewray their apostatical presumption to challenge authoritie more then euer Peter durst euen aboue Christ when they make mariage dishonourable in certayne times and persons and dispence by giuing libertie where Christ forbiddeth and making restraint where hee giueth libertie Now in the authoritie of the magistrate how vnlike the Pope is vnto Peter euerie man seeth For cleane contrarie to all religion and honestie hee taketh vppon him not onely to bee vniuersall Bishoppe aboue all Bishoppes but also vniuersall ministeriall head in earth aboue all power and potentates kinges and Emperours that is aboue all that is called k Psal 82.1 The Pope aboue all called God God Therefore we need not vse many wordes in this place seeing the Pope vsurpeth that which Christ himselfe neuer did in his owne person neyther gaue to any other after him For he meekely submitted himselfe to the ciuill power saying directly a Ioh. 18.36 Mark 10.43 My kingdome is not of this world and forbidding others he saith It shall not be so among you In the fifteenth Article the disagreement by addition that where the true religion by holie scripture haue this hope of the bodies rising at the last day The sea of Rome teach another arising namely of the soule out of Limbus Patrum out of purgatorie and out of Hell before that great day of iudgement come As first that b Test Rhem. annot Luc. 16.22.26 Dorbel distinct 2 sent 4. In miss quotid pro defund offert Christ descended into Hell deliuered the fathers some out of Limbus some out of purgatorie which had lien there till that time And that in hell a man may suffer part of his temporall penance which being ended hee is free from thence and therefore they pray in their Masse Domine Iesu c. O Lord Iesu Christ deliuer the soules departed c. Which dreaming additament of hope concerning the dead bewrayeth it selfe to disagree from the Christian religion in as much as God doth teach men that after death the faithfull doe onely rest till the last day First in the olde testament thus c Esa 57.2 Dan 12.13 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Thou shalt rest and stand vp in thy lot at the end of the daies And in the new Testament d Reuelat. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours If they rest and that till they stand vp then no translation out of Limbus Purgatorie or Hell And if they rest then no penance in hell or purgatorie for the faithfull Therefore I may conclude in this place that the popish superstition hath verie little or no affinitie with the true ancient and catholike religion but it hath verie many great intollerable disagreements from the same CAP. II. Of the disagreement that popish superstition now taught in Rome hath with the religion which Saint Paul taught the Romans and with the doctrine Saint Peter taught the Iewes IT will also appeare how new the superstition of poperie is if we find they keep not the doctrine of the blessed Apostles and founders of Christs Church Saint Paule and Saint Peter vpon which two they father all their authoritie and doings and call them founders and protectors and patrons of the church of Rome If then they be fallē from the faith which these two holy Apostles taught by the spirit of truth they must needs be accounted vpstarts of an apostatical new borne generation Marke therefore good Reader and consider Saint Paul taught the Romanes that it was an hethenish wickednes a Rom. 1.23 to turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The sea of Rome that now is cleane contrarie to that doctrine doth make images to represent the Trinitie and to represent God the father by the likenesse of an olde corruptible man The doctrine which Saint Peter taught the Iews saith that b Act. 2.23 Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to bee crucified and slaine by the handes of wicked men The sea of Rome that now is doth say that God did onely foresee but not determine or ordaine any thing which he commandeth not and it is certaine he commanded not the Iewes to crucifie Christ therefore in these two points they agree not with Paul Peters doctrine S. Paul taught the ancient Romanes that a Rom. 8.7 The wisedome of the flesh that is to say the knowledge and will of man as it is infected by original corruption before we be regenerate is enmitie against God and that it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed can bee And the doctrine of Peter to the Iewes is that wee b 1. Pet. 1.22.23 cap. 2. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 3.5 are borne againe as new borne babes shewing that without the spirit of God we haue not one good thought But these new Romistes say that mans will onely stirred vp by the grace of God can prepare it selfe to the grace of iustification and doeth workes of congruitie pleasing God and
But this is verelie but a meere sleight of Sathan for the truth of christian religion is not so neither was it so reputed in the primatiue ages of the church but that to make such images to God and Christ was abominable the worshipping in that sort idolatrous For to omit what Christ sayth that a Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth and that of Saint Paul b Act. 17.29 For as much as wee are the generation of God we ought not to thinke that the godhead is like vnto golde or siluer or stone grauen by art and the inuention of man Thereby teaching that both matter and forme in this cause is wicked and vnlawfull what shall then the worship bee but plaine idolatrie Let vs here the first fathers speake Irenaeus who liued about Anno 170. being scholler to Polycarpus who was Saint Iohns disciple c Aduers heres lib. 1. cap. 24. condemneth the heretikes who called them selues Gnostici hauing certaine images painted and certaine also made of other matter saying that the forme of Christ was made by Pilate and also he d Cap. 23. taxeth the heretike Basilides for vsing images and incantations and inuocations and hee calleth them Parerga that is to say nothing to the matter euen as the prophet saith e Esai 44.10 Who hath made a God or molten an image that is profitable for nothing But Origen which came somewhat after namely about Anno 270. f lib. 7. contra celsum is more plaine and full in this matter For hauing to doo with one Celsus who reprooued the Christians as the papistes doo vs because they tollerated no images in Gods worship accusing them to be like the most barbarous nations the Scythians Lybians and Syrians which were without God and the Persians he sheweth that these nations might doo so either because they feared the diuels might lurke in such places and matter so framed and shaped or for some other cause but saith he Christians and also Iewes when they heare Dominum deum tuum timebis c. thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue and thou shalt haue no strange Gods neither shalt thou make to thy selfe an idoll nor the likenes of any thing c. doo not onely abhorre the temples and alters and images of the Gods but if need be they do come more readelie euen vnto death least by any excesse and wickednes they should defile that which they doo verie well and rightlie thinke concerning God Then a little after he blameth Celsus for the same which papist pretende that they doo not beleeue the images to bee God because the common people by their example whom they thought to be wise did worship them as God beleeuing them to bee Gods which all men reuerence so that they will not abide to heare that any man shoulde denie that to bee God which is worshipped by it selfe And where as Celsus affirmed that the images were not counted Gods but dedicated to the Gods hee aunswereth that to do and affirme such a thing is verie plainely apparant to belong vnto men which erre concerning the Godhead But wee doo not so much as account those images to bee of the diuine likenesse because that wee forme or can forme no image of God who as hee is inuisible so he is without bodie And last of all hee taketh away the obiection that God made man after his owne image shewing that that is vnderstood in regarde of the vertues of the soule Whereby you may perceiue that the doctrine of the Christians in those daies was that no man could make any image and likenes of God and therefore to make such images of representation howsoeuer thereby to honour God was farre from Christians not onely left the people should haue a godlie opinion of those images by wise mens example but also that they might not defile their faith in the knowledge of the inuisible and incorporall God the maker of all thinges they were then many degrees distant from our popish idolatrie and new refined imagerie who would not so much as permit any such images to bee made at all least they should bee defiled The like we finde in a De orig error â— lib. 2 cap. 2. Lactantius Firmianus who liued about Anno 335. For hee sheweth that when the Christians blamed the gentils because they feared their workes of their owne handes the aunswere of the Gentils was readie euen the same of the Papistes that they feared not those images which they made but them vnto whose likenesse they were made and to whose names they were consecrated Hereupon hee confuteth this popish shift by these reasons following First that God being in heauen they should lift vp their eies to heauen Secondly God being alwaies present euerie where and the images seruing naturally to remember the absent they should not worship images then God being alwaies liuing such dead and insensible thinges can not bee his image and lastly that cannot bee the image of God which is framed with the fingers of men out of stone brasse or other matter but man himselfe But what neede I to rehearse many particulars seeing the papistes themselues confesse the antiquitie of the primatiue church to bee against them First Polydor Virgill a De inuent rerum lib. 6. cap. 13. Omnes ferme veteres sancti patres damnabant c. saith that Hierome testifyeth That not onely they were voide of our religion but almost all the olde holy fathers did condemne the worship of images for feare of idolatrie then which there can be no wickednesse more execrable For seeing no man at any time saw God as Iohn saith what forme shall we giue vnto him c. And so he disputeth out of Moses and others against such images which testimony of Polydor is confirmed by Erasmus Roterodamus whom Alphonsus de Castro writing of heretickes would by no meanes leaue out of the Romish fellowshippe but bringeth the facultie Theologicall of Paris to speake for him for he b In Catechis saith Vsque ad aetatem Hieronimi c. vnto the time of Hierome there were men of an approued religion who suffered no images in the churches neither painted nor engrauen nor wouen no not so much as Christs image as I thinke because of the Anthropomorphites yet by little and little the vse of images crept into Churches This Hierom liued about Anno 430. And to him ioyned Augustine who liued as some thinke till An. 385. And after him liued Damascenus about An. 455. Of these two Steuen Durantus writing from Rome a De ritibus ecclesiae lib. 1. cap. 5. sect 2. can tel First that S. August de fid symbol cap. 7. saith that wee must not thinke that God the father is circumscriptible with any humane forme And againe It is wickednesse to place such an image vnto God in a Christian church And Damasc
which deliuereth by the bloud of Christ because he is blessed whose sinne is remitted pardoned Hierome n 390. ioyneth close vnto him and o Vpon Rom. 4. saith God iustifieth by faith onely the wicked man when he conuerteth and not workes which hee hath not And againe vpon p Vpon Gal. 3. these wordes Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse he saith so also vnto you onely faith is sufficient vnto righteousnesse And a little after Because that in the law c. because no man keepeth it therefore it is said that by faith onely the beleeuers are iustified S. Augustin a Anno 400. homil 6. Vpon these words loue your enemies standeth vp as it were with him and protesteth No man is made iust but of a sinner as wee haue often song blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen hee said not blessed are they which not committed sinne but blessed are they whose sinnes are forgiuen them For if thou aske who hath not committed thou shalt find no man Whereby then shall any man be blessed vnlesse he bee pardoned that he hath done and couered that hee hath committed And a little after Thinke not that by thy merites thou art made such an one because the grace of God hath made thee such an one The Milenitane councell doeth b Anno 420. close vp this faith when it will haue nothing giuen to mans will or workes but ascribeth all to the mercie grace of God as is shewed but a little before c Anno 450. sermo 30. Petrus Chrysologus expoūdeth this matter by the cause where he saith Non veni vocare iustos I came not to call the righteous but sinners he putteth not backe the iust but because that without Christ no man is counted iust in the earth I came not to call the righteous but sinners in so saying hee putteth not backe the righteous but because hee findeth all men sinners harken to the Psalmist The Lord looked downe from heauen vpon the sonnes of men that hee might see if there were any that vnderstood or sought after God all haue gone out of the way c. Let vs bee brethren let vs be sinners by our owne confession that by the pardon of Christ we may not be sinners Theophilact commeth d Anno 760. some pretie while after and yeeldeth to this veritie saying vpon e Vpon 3. vers 11. these wordes And that no man is iustified by the law in the sight of God c. he hath therefore shewed that men are made accursed by the law and are vnder the curse but the blessinges are heaped vp by faith Now he doth plainely shew that verie faith yea euen alone hath in it selfe the vertue of iustifying c. The ordinarie glosse vpon the bible ioyned with Lyra being of f Lyra wrote about 1320. later and more corrupted time by euidence of truth is drawne to the same confession g Vpon Rom. 3 4. saying Workes follow him that is iustified but do not go before him that is to bee iustified but by onely faith without workes going before a man is made iust And againe Vnto him who hath not time to worke if he beleeue onely faith is sufficient to righteousnesse Bernard h Bernardus Clarenallensis liued in Anno 1120. liuing some good time before this finding the same truth in Gods booke giueth like witnesse i Vpon Cantic sermon 22. saying Quisquis propeccatis compunctus esurit c. Whosoeuer being pricked for his sinnes doth hunger and thirst for righteousnesse let him beleeue in thee who dost iustifie the wicked being iustified onely by faith he shall haue peace with God Here the Christian reader may see that protestantes flourished in the primitiue church and that the ages after did not want witnesses of this truth Now if I be asked how the opinion of righteousnesse by workes came into the Christian societie and corrupted it I desire the reader to cast his eies vpon the matter it selfe consider with me that the way of saluation is Christ only he is made ours by faith for vnlesse wee learne beleeue in Christ we can not be saued The deuill therfore by all meanes hath laboured to keepe men from the knowledge of Christ first he drew away the wise learned of al nations many ages together that they thought themselues happie by their wisdome vertue lawes works with other deuises but knew not the true God and the righteousnes saluation which is by Christ yet God hauing an eye to his elect whom he called maugre the malice of sathan this was otherwise in the church of God And God called and taught Abraham a Gal. 3.8 the gospel namely that men should be righteous by faith onely Here the Deuil hath a new worke and in processe of time vnder colour of the righteousnes of the law he caused the church of the Iewes to fall from God by forsaking faith and seeking to bee iust by their workes for as Saint Paul witnesseth Rom. 9.31 Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse could not attaine vnto the law of righteousnesse Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the workes of the law Heere God resisted Sathan and opened the way of life vnto all nations For in the fulnesse of time when the promise of the gospell vnto Abraham of iustifying the gentiles through faith was now to be accomplished God sent forth his sonne to be the light of the world and he his Apostles preached repentance to all nations and taught them righteousnesse saluation by faith in Christ onely And then as S. Paul also teacheth c Vers 30. The gentils which followed not righteousnesse attained vnto righteousnes euen the righteousnesse which is of faith Here the Deuil bestirreth himselfe and first euen in the Apostles time hee raiseth vp the Iewes who being d Act. 21.20 zealous for Moses fight eagerly for the law e Gal. 3.1.2.3 and that the workes of Gods commandements be ioyned vnto faith f 1. Thess 2.14 15.16 or to bee aduanced aboue faith Against which Saint Paule laboureth and writeth to the Romains and Galathians most strongly proouing that onely faith in Iesus Christ doth iustifie that God had so decreed it by his word c Act. 15. and the Apostles by a counsell determine that the Gentils are free from the law of Moses Afterward the diuel prepared diuers heretikes to this battaile who in diuers sortes assayled this faith some fighting against the person of Christ as Simon Magus and Arius and their followers some stroue for their owne perfection and righteousnes as Ebion Pelagious Donatus Cathari and such like Against all which God stirred vp learned valiant and faithful men who defended and maintained the faith by the sword of the spirit and kept it found many yeres so that the heretickes preuailed not But in this verie time
cleros telleth vs out of Isidorus that among the auncient fathers a priest and a Bishop were all one And the same thing he d Distinct 93. cap. legimus affirmeth out of Hierome with many reasons drawne from holy scripture and he sheweth that the first rising of one Bishop ouer another was deuised for a remedie against schisme And as concerning the preheminenc of the citie of Rome he addeth Si authoritas quaereretur c. if authoritie be sought for the authoritie of the world is greater then that of one citie wheresoeuer there is a Bishop at Rome or at Engubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium or Alexandria or at Thebes or at Guarmatia it is of the same merit it is of the same priesthood which the glosse there doth interpret that discreete learned and wisemen esteeme all alike but ideots and the comon people despise a Bishop of a smale or litle citie And a litle after e Distinct 95. cap. olim he saith As the elders or priestes knowe that they by the custome of the church are subiect to him which is set ouer them So let the Bishops know that they are greater then the prists rather by custome then by the truth of Gods ordinance and that they ought to rule in comon Cesar Baronius by the cōmandement of pope Gregory the 13. making a new legend called Martyrologiums after the order of their new callender in his notes vpon that booke f Ian. 20. pag. 22. at the letter c. teacheth vs that this word Papa pope was first accounted to come of the greeke word Pappas signifying a father and in the same sence came to be a name of dignitie that the reuerend clerkes or clergie men were called by that name Afterward the same name began to be peculiar vnto Bishops that they were called Papae that is popes or fathers vntil An. 850. then it began to grow to fasten only vpon the head of the pope of Rome at the length pope Grerory the 7. An. 1071. in a synod ordained that there should be but one name of Pope in all the Christian world This man also a Quint. ad April pag. 160. 161. witnesseth that it was in times past the old custome of the church that the Bishops were not onelie called Pontifices prelates but also summi pontifices chiefe or hiest prelates because that the office of a Bishop was called the chiefe priesthood this hee proueth by expresse examples vntill the 6. counsel b About An. 645. of Toletane and he bringeth in Saint Augustin saying those wordes what is a Bishop but the first elder that is the hyest priest briefely hee calleth them no otherwise then fellowe Elders and his fellow priestes But after Baronius addeth that the latter custome obtained that the Bishop of Rome should bee called summus maximus pontifex the hiest and greatest prelate or Bishop Polydor vergill c De inuentorrer lib. 4. ca. 10. telleth vs that the first honour that was giuen to the Bishop of Rome was this that he might change his name when he is created Pope if his name be not handsome and the author of this deuise was Sergius whose name was called os porci that is the mouth of an hogge But more neere to our matter Platina d In vita pelagij deinceps sheweth that the commandement of the Emperour did sway all the matter in the choise of the pope vntill the time of * Pelagius the second About Anno 600. So that when by the extreame fall of waters they could not go to the Emperor the pope was faine to send Gregorious to make his excuse because the election was nothing woorth without the Emperors approbatiō And after him in the election of Gregorious the clergie people desired the Emperor that it would please him to cōfirme the election which was made concerning Gregorius And where as Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople obtained by a Synod the title Ecromenicus that is of vniuersall Bishop Gregorie resisted him not because as Platina saith it belongeth to Peters sea as they falsly call Rome but because it was a new and blasphemous name and such as none before them did euer allow of or take vnto him selfe As Gregorious himselfe in diuers letters both to the Emperor the Empresse to diuers Bishops to Iohn himselfe doth write whereof you shal heare some part First to the Emperour he among other things a Epist lib. 4. cap. 29. Mauritio August Epist 32. saith Quis est iste c who is this that against the statutes of the gospel against the decrees of the canons presumeth to vsurpe to himselfe a new name Would to God that without the diminishing of others there were one which desireth to be called vniuersall and a little after But be it far from the harts of Christians this blasphemus name wherein the honour of all priests is taken away while it is madly arrogated of one vnto himselfe And b Constantie August Epist 34. to the Empresse It is a verie heauie thing that it should be patiently born that al being despised my foresaid brother fellow-bishop goeth about to be called Bishop alone but in this his pride what other thing is shewed but onely that the times of antechrist be at hand And vnto c Epist 36. Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria and Anastasius Bishop of Antioch None of my predecessors haue euer consented to vse this so prophane a terme or word Because forsooth if one be called vniuersal patriarch the name of patriarch is taken from others vnto which if you ioine that of the sixt counsell of Carthage That all matters should be ended in the prouince where they began And that of the Milenitane counsell that no appeale should be made out of the prouince ouer the sea you may easilie plainly perceiue that vnto this 600. yeres after Christ it doth so far appeare that the Pope had no supremacy ouer kings or Emperors that his authoritie was not so much as ouer any minister or priuate man out of his owne diocesse or prouince and that to claime any such title as to be vniuersall Bishop was new blasphemous the ouerthrow of priesthood not sufferable and a fore-running of Antechrist How the pope brought vnder the ciuill power by growing ouer the ecclesiasticall And here thou maist obserue that in all this time there was not yet any question of superioritie ouer the superior ciuil magistrate but ouer the Bishops them selues But how they came to crow ouer the ciuill magistrate the storie of the time following doth declare wherin I might spend much time of the seed of these things as the aduancing of the honor of Peter cunningly pretended to draw on the primacy vpon the pope of Rome his counterfeit successor Constantine forged donation but I shal not need to rip vp euery circumstance For if neither these nor any other were able to cōpasse this infernal primacy in
Bishops through euery prouince shoulde receaue of him their inuesting and vnles the Bishop be inuested of the King he should be consecrated of no man and this decree was established with a curse confiscatiō of goods b 18. tit 16. ca. 1. An. 1070. Gregory 7. hauing shuffled away the emperor in the election of popes by a contrarie Synode of an hundred and ten Bishops did accurse all ecclesiastical persons which receiued their inuesting by the hand of any seculer person c Platina in vita Pascalis c. An. 820. Pascal the first being chosen pope without the Emperours consent humblie excused himselfe and craued pardon And Gregorie the 4. as Platina saith was of so great prudency and modestie that he would not occupie the pontificall dignitie although he were chosen of all vntill he were confirmed by the Emperor which was then Lodouicus king of France But in a a Anno 865. while after pope Nicholas the first obtained of an other Emperour that no seculer Prince or Emperour should thencefoorth be present in the counsell of the Church vnlesse in question of the Christian faith And b Anno 1115. Alber. Krant Saxon. lib. 5. cap. 37.38 in time it came to passe that Pope Paschal the 2. was faine to excuse himselfe from the staine of heresie for graunting by constraint to the Emperor Henry the 5. his right in this cause In this verie time god stirred vp the eloquent learned pen of Bernhard to admonish the Pope how far he was fallen from God amongst many other things with these wordes where speaking of wealth ritches and goods hee sayth to the c Ad engeniū pontif maximi de consideratione About Anno 1149. Pope vsus tamen horum bonus c. yet the vse of those things is good the abuse euill the care worse and the gaine more dishonest be it that thou maist challenge these things by any other way or reason whatsoeuer but not by the apostolicall right For hee could not giue vnto thee that which hee had not that which hee had that he gaue euen the care as I said ouer the Churches What did hee giue Lordship heare him selfe speake not being Lords hee saith in Gods heritage but being made an ensample to the flocke and least thou shouldst thinke it spoken onely for humilitie and not also for truth there is the voice of the Lord in the gospel The kings of the nations do raigne ouer them and they which haue rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes and hee doth inferre but you shall not be so It is plaine that the Apostles are forbidden Lordship Go thou then dare thou to vsurpe to thy selfe either a Lordly Apostleship or an Apostolicall lordship Thou art plainely forbidden both if thou wouldest haue both alike thou shalt loose both otherwise thinke not thy selfe exempted from the number of them of whom God complaineth They haue raigned not by me they were princes and I knew them not Now if it please thee to raigne without God thou hast glorie but not with God And the addition vpon a Vpon Reuelat cap. 13. Lyra not a few yeares after affirmeth that it is manifest that in the primatiue Church from the time of the Apostles vnto the time of Syluester the Pope when the faithfull had no worldly power then did the Church flourish most of all in spirituall thinges And a little after But when in processe of time the faithfull obtained great secular power these vertues meaning faith hope and charitie and if by the mercie of God they did not wholy decay yet are they not commonly found to haue the same power as they had in the primatiue But behold a maruellous chaunge b De moribus Germaniae Aeneas Syluius affirming Power riches and strength to bee farre better in the Apostolical sea then in any other seculer throne whatsoeuer And he calleth the Pope of Rome as Emperour of the Christian armie and a wise king saith That the Senate of the Cardinals doe beare the roome of the world And again he saith Christ appeared poore humble not that wee should bee poore did he it but that by that meanes hee might redeeme vs c. And a little after Now the prelates of Rome ought to be rich men potentates after the same maner for our saluation therfore hee is bolde to set foorth the earthly maiestie of the Pope aboue the glorie of all princes saying And if thou didst see the Bishop of Rome to celebrate or to heare the diuine seruice thou wouldest truely confesse that there is no state nor glorie and maiestie but onely the Bishop of Rome when thou seest the Pope sitting on high in his throne the Cardinalles sitting at the right hand the great Prelates Bishoppes and Abbots and protonotaries standing at the left hand and the Orators of kings haue their place the great states theirs There the Iudges and heere the Clearkes of the chamber there the deputies of the states and heere the Subdeacons and Accoluthes and the other multitude doe sitte on the ground Truely thou wouldst say the court of Rome to bee like an heauenly Hierarchie where all thinges are honourable and all thinges set in order by a prescribed and setled manner Loe heere thou seest a glorious throne but not of God For which Steuen the fift prouideth a square stone whereon it might bee set when he ordained Anno 890. a Gratian. decret distinct 19. cap. enimuero That the lawes and decrees of the Church of Rome should be for euer and without dispute to bee obserued b Anno 1300. Reade Iohn Baleus de act Rom. Pontif. Clement the fift prouideth a stay for this throne in that hee decreeth that they which were dissigned in Germanie to bee Caesars although they had the name of the King of the Romanes yet shoulde they receiue of the Pope the right and name of the Empire And c Anno 1338. Platina Balaeus Benedict the twelfth prepareth both matter and money for on the one side he challengeth the Emperiall power in the vacancie of the Emperour till a new bee chosen and on the other side vsurpeth to himselfe and his successours the bee stowing of Bishoprickes prelacies and beneficies 6. But see there ouergrowinges for heere they stay not For they make the d Grat. distinct 12 cap. non decet cap. preceptis Church of Rome mother and head of all Churches and confirmer of all religions and vnder this power e Pars 2. causa 12. Quest 1. Cap. dilexissi Allow mens wiues to bee common And are not ashamed of this blasphemie as by decree to say f Distinct 40. cap. Si papa Though the Pope draw with him innumerable soules into hell no mortall man may presume to reprooue him who is iudge of all men and to be iudged of no man g Decret Greg. lib. 1. tit 33. cap. 6. So much difference as there
their decrees framed and ordained Beside this all these latter counsels haue not beene made with vniuersall consent but the church hath been deuided into two parts East and West vntill the time of this counsell of Basill and then it was sewed together with rotten threed and presently rent in peeces againe as it were in a moment and there was one counsel at Basill and an other set against it a Florence Now I say seeing these counsels of Constance Basil Trident in which the most part and chiefest of Popery hath been in the most generall maner determined published for the acts and determination of the church were but a verie smale part of the vniuersall church Namely of the Westerne parts I know not howe they can assure vs that in them we haue the churches determination except they could proue these counsels ecumenical and vniuersall of all Christian churches as was the first general counsell of Nice vnder Constantine the great Againe the counsels for sixe hundred yeeres after Christ did not decree as they haue done since and the faith of the church was not the determination of the Church but the sentence of holie scriptures and many points of faith haue been since determined not by but without holie Scriptures what should wee esteeme the auncient primatiue Churches to haue erred in faith or that they knew not or held not the true faith because that in verie many articles they lacked the ecclesiastical determination Lastly seeing that euerie day they bring foorth new deuises and sanctions and the latter many times contrarie to the former who can tell when he is in the truth or out of the truth or when the Church hath made her true and right determination Hee that readeth ouer Gracian and the Tomes of the counsels with the histories of the liues of the Popes or doo but well marke and consider that little which I haue penned out of them in this Chapter shall easilie perceiue that they are euer learning but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth they dote about questions which are endles and strife of woords there is no certaintie in their religion little trueth and vncessant innouation Therefore I may conclude that as this monster is of a later generation and a new continuall conception so no mortall man can tell when hee will come to his full birth and bee a perfect bodie or when he will haue his certaine determination right shape and proportion and finall growth and compleate stature I will leaue him therefore to the high Iudge and Lord of all flesh vntill that great and fearefull day a Reuel 19.20 When the beast shall bee taken and with him the false prophet and they both cast aliue into the lake of fire which burneth with brimstone Come Lord Iesus come quickly CHAP. V. Heere is shewed that all men ought to flie poperie First because of the exceeding daunger it bringeth to them selues to their seede and countrie Secondlie It is of all heresies and Apostasies the most pernitious Thirdlie It is not tollerable or to bee wincked at in any Christian common wealth Fourthly We of England haue great cause to praise God that we haue nothing to do with it NO sooner had my penne concluded the former Chapter but that me thought I hearde the great comaunder of all the worlde calling vnto all Christians concerning the Romish religion and saying a Esai 52.11 Departe depart go out from thence and touch no vncleane thing For seeing that poperie is so directly and manifold differing from the true ancient and catholike religion so agreeing with all filthie heresies and lately sprung vp out of the vncleane brood of humane inuention and diabolicall suggestion bearing downe all puritie of faith and true holy worship of God that hereby the Romish Church is certainly found to approue it selfe to bee that great Babilon which is become the habitations of deuils and the hold of foule spirits and a cage of euerie vncleane and hatefull bird I can no otherwise vnderstand the duetie of all Christians but that they bee obedient to that heauenly voice which els where calleth vs out of that prophane sinagogue of Rome saying b Reuelat. 18.4 Go out of her my people that ye bee not partakers in her sinnes that ye receiue not of her plagues It behoueth therefore euerie soule to consider wisely of this thing because of the daunger that may happen to himselfe to his seed and to his countrie For as it was no pleasant thing to Noe to liue among those proud and cruell people of the first worlde whose destruction hee knew to be most certainly approching and as Lot dwelling at the gate of Sodom vexed his righteous soule in hearing and seeing their vnlawfull deeds his verie life was hazarded in the destruction of the wicked if God had not beene singularly mercifull vnto him So all men that feare God cannot but know that such wicked and filthie heresie as poperie is must needes bee as a canker that fretteth euen vnto destruction of the soule For it not onely draweth vs vnto many noysome and hereticall prauities but also to most abhominable idolatrie and the verie ouerthrow of the couenaunt of grace and true faith by which we stand in the fauour of God and haue the hope of eternall life by Iesus Christ They which speake most fauourablie for papists seeme willing to haue them in some sort of the visible Christian Church doe endeuour the same by making their apostasie to bee no greater then the apostasie of the ten tribes of Israel after their falling away from the house of Dauid vnder the hand of Hieroboam At which time they left the temple at Hierusalem and the pure worship word of God and made them calues in Dan and Bethel and worshipped God as it pleased the kinges of Israel But if men would consider the a 1. King 2. 2. Cron. 18. 19. storie of that good king Iehoshaphat when hee ioyned affinitie with Ahab they might easily see this thing how neere hee was to leese his life for such fellowship what losse hee had of shippes and how God rebuked him saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vppon thee Loe heere the Israelites are counted wicked the haters of God and such as for whose fellowship Gods wrath commeth vppon his children Therefore seeing the papistes are much more worse it must needs bee verie daungerous to haue any fellowshippe with them And if the soule bee farre more precious then the bodie then is the hazarde the greater And doubtlesse no man is able to expresse the greatnesse of the mischiefe which that wicked broode may bring vpon a man for so much as they transgresse the worde of God and follow not the doctrine of Christ and haue chosen their owne waies and their soule delighteth in their owne abhominations For it is written b 2.