minde and be buried with that honour that fewe of his ranke and sorte was euer before Who could euer haue thought that after such a straunge and a most cruell massacre in France about the yeare 1572. there should haue beene remaining so much as any one Protestant aliue and yet notwithstanding all that crueltie though fewe in number forsaken and destitute of all worldly assurances being brought as it were to nothing haue yet strangely and indeed miraculously lifted vp their heads againe to the terrour and confusion of their proudest enemies Againe how can we conceiue it possible that the citie of Geneua should euer be able to hold out so long against so many intended inuasions and plottes by the Duke of Sauoie entending their vtter ruine and desolation but that the hands of their armies were strengthened by the hand of the mightie God of Iacob their strong redeemer who maintaining their cause against the rage of their enemies compassed them about with many ioyfull deliuerances hiding them as it were a shaft in the quiuer of his most carefull and mercifull prouidence What was purposed and intended by that inuincible Nauie of the Spaniards in 88. the Christiā world can witnesse that it was nothing else but to bring this noble Realme of England into slauish bondage And did not almightie God the sonne stand vpon our gard by getting himselfe honour vpon Pharao and vpon all the Egyptians euen vpon that great Armado which had beene so long in preparing so that their Altar-God their Crucifix God their Capitolian God were not as our God our enemies being iudges sundrie of the souldiours of Spaine confessing that during all the time of the fight at sea Christ had shewed himselfe a plaine Lutherane But let vs looke a litle further into the exceeding fauour of God shewed in particular to the late Queene Elizabeth how many and sundrie times was her dearest blood sought and how neere the bloudie traitours haue beene to the very execution of their diuelish designements some of them and more then once or twice in neerest and priuate places with their murderous weapons in their hands and yet behold how still they were preuented the Lord striking them with such a suddaine trembling of heart and astonishment of minde that they had neuer the power once to lay violent hands vpon her If all this doe not suffice for proofe of the truth on our side and not with the Papists let goddes speciall fauour miraculously shewed to the Kings maiestie that now is and his exceeding blessings vpon this our countrie by his most happie entrance vnto this crowne and successe to this kingdome be to vs as it is indeed an argument that the religion professed this day is the true religion acceptable to God conformable to his word but as God in all ages hath shewed his power in the miraculous and gracious deliuerance of his Church and protection of his holie and eternall truth so did it neuer more cleerely shewe it selfe then in the wonderfull and mighty deliuerāce of our gracious K. Iames the Queene the Prince and the rest of the royall braunches together with the Nobilitie Clergie and the Commons of this Realme by the pouder-Traytors the papists appointed as sheepe for the slaughter And let thus much be sufficient to haue spoken touching the strange and wonderful things which almighty God hath shewed in these last daies for the honour of his Gospell for the better satisfaction of them which as yet stand in doubt whether the Gospel we preach be the onely true Catholike faith of Christ But besides those men which stand at a stay and are not yet resolued which religion I meane ours or the papists is truest ther is risen another generation of men that are of opinion that there is no reall difference between the doctrine of the present Romane church the religion of the protestāts so make a fauorable compromission that the questions of religion betweene vs might easily be accorded which I take to be a thing altogether impossible the Papists standing in such termes of opposition against vs as they doe I remember my selfe preaching at a certaine countrey parish some three yeeres agoe a simple countrey man commeth vnto me and thus beginneth to question with me Syr your preachers make vs simple men of the countrey belieue that there is a wonderfull great difference betweene the new old Religion Pray Sir saith he what oddes is there betweene Our Father and Pater noster None at all said I but onely this that the one is in Latine and the other in English You haue answered right saith he and so I am perswaded that there is no other difference at all betweene the Masse our English Communion but onely that the one is in Latin the other in English And of this opinion it seemeth ther be manie which thinke and are perswaded that our religion and the religion of Rome are all one for substance For satisfaction therefore of them which thinke our English Communion and the popish Masse all one for substance I will set downe certaine reall differences whereby it may euidently appeare that the doctrine of the popish Masse neither hath nor can haue any agreemēt at all with the Lordes supper I speake at this time to men of great vnderstanding knowledge iudge yee what I say First whereas all the seruice and sacraments in S. Pauls time were done in the congregation in a knowne language the whole seruice of the Masse is saide either in the Greeke or Latine tongues not vnderstood of the common vulgar people Christ both gaue bread and likewise commanded them saying Drinke yee all of this the Church of Rome will at no hand suffer and permit the Lay-people to drinke of the Cup calling them Heretikes and Calixtions that desire to receiue the Cup together with the bread in the celebration of the Lords Supper By Christs institution the Priest and the people should both communicate together but in their Popish Masse the Priest is suffered to eate and drinke all alone the people standing by and not partaking the Lords supper with him Christ at his Maundie instituted a Sacrament of thanksgiuing and commaunded vs by eating and drinking to be partakers of his bodie that was wounded and of his blood which was shed the next day for the remitting and pardoning of our sinnes But the Church of Rome hath turned this Sacrament into a Sacrifice And whereas the Sonne of God saide Take this and eate it in remembrance of mee the Church of Rome saith take and offer this to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Christ tooke the bread in his hands blessed it and gaue it to his Disciples but hee did not say looke vpon it kneele and knock vnto it and worship it with diuine honour all which the church of Rome commandeth to be done in their popish Masse but as Christ took the bread so he left it bread whereas the popish
common people to imitate such vices as they see in their Princes vnder whom they liue And let this suffice to haue obserued in the person of Ahab Touching the people whom the Prophet reproueth in this for their halting consciences and doubling in matter of religion we may see the pronenesse and inclination of mans corrupt kind and nature to the most abominable vice of idolatrie True it is that mans nature at the first had vnderstanding graunted to the end that the truth might be learned by them and the true worship of the one God the onely Lord and maker of all But the diuels malice craftily came in place and caused men to forget their owne estate and the maiestie of God for their owne imaginations So that flesh delighting in her owne deuises hath made vs prone aboue all other faultes to superstition and wicked worshippings Sundrie lawes and ordinances almightie God deliuered to his people to be kept yet concerning none other matter did he giue either mo or more earnest and expresse lawes than those that concerned the true worshipping of him and flying of idolles and images and idolatrie and yet it is strange to consider how the Iewes the onely chosen people of God notwithstanding they were so often and earnestly warned so dreadfully threatned concerning images so many times and so extreamely punished therefore should yet for all this like blinde men without all knowledge and vnderstanding dishonour and diminish the high maiestie of the liuing God by the basenesse and vilenesse of sundrie and diuerse images of dead stones and stockes and mettalles to whom they bowed and gaue worship The meanes how the people of the Iewes fell to such grosse idolatrie was partly by the inclination of their owne corrupt nature and partly occasioned by the gentiles and heathen people dwelling round about them which were idolaters for thus the Prophet Ezechiel testifieth of them that they were wont to say Eze. 20.32 we will be as the heathen and as the families of the countries and we will serue wood and stone We see how the Iewes forced Aaaron afore his brother Moses could descend from the mount to make them a golden calfe Vp say they to Moses Exod. 32.1 and Aaron make vs goddes that may goe before vs. Ezechiel affirmeth that when the Israelites were yet in Egypt they had rebelled against the Lord and had not cast away the abominations of their eyes nor yet forsaken the idolles of the countrie Yea when they were in the land of Canaan they had no sooner tasted of the sweetnesse thereof but when they saw euery hie hill and all the thicke trees they offered there their sacrifices Eze. 20 28. and there they presented their offerings of prouocation there also they made their sweete sauour and powred out there their drinke offerings We may reade and see in the booke of Iudges that notwithstanding God sundrie times most grieuously plagued them for their idolatrie yet still they went a madding after their idolles We see that after the zealous kings Ezechias and Iosias had reformed religion and reduced it to his ancient puritie the people were so prone to the contrarie that immediately the people after their decease returned to their vomite againe Yea when the ten tribes were brought to Captiuitie for seruing God otherwise then he would the tribe of Iuda was not by this their brethrens plague amended nor when they were brought vnder yoke themselues they considered any whit the cause of their distresse which was the forsaking of the Lord their God When they were in Babylon they went as neere as they could to the rites of gentilitie and returning againe into the land of promise vnder Antiochus they fell againe Such is and such hath alwaies been the violent perswasion of errour and such is the force of superstition that assoone as euer occasion is ministred our corrupt nature inclineth to it desiring alwaies of our selues to attemper goddes seruice to our outward senses That blessed impe our late Iosias K. Edward the 6. was no sooner departed this life but the common people of the land as though they had neuer heard of God neuer heard any Preacher that shewed them the good and right way were mad after pilgrimages pardons c with other such idle toyes No maruaile then if al men generally being as wel inclined of their owne corrupt nature to spirituall fornication as to carnall and that the nature of man is no otherwise bent to worshipping of images if he may haue them and see them then to whoredome and fornication in the company of harlots no meruaile I say if so many occasions being ministred partly by the Priests and Iesuites remaining in prisons and lurking in diuerse parts of this kingdome and partly by the comming in of forraine Embassadours into this land which are in right permitted to haue the free vse and exercise of the present Romane Religion there are so many of our people specially of women a sex euer too credulous and apt to beleeue which are like the idolatrous Iewes euen mad in running to heare and see a Priest say Masse which Masse they are strongly borne in hand that it is the most precious treasure and inualuable iewell that euer Christ left to his Church that the want thereof is to be redeemed not onely with the losse of an 100 markes but with the losse of an 100. thousand liues But to speake of the Masse as the truth of the thing requireth and as hereafter I will more largely proue this I say that the popish Masse as now it is vsed in the Church of Rome is a very sea of abominations a gulfe a hel of iniquitie the vilest villaine that euer crept into the Church of God being so many waies derogatorie to the death and bloodshedding of Iesus Christ wherein poore simple soules are forced to attribute diuine honour to a peece of breade which the Papists teach them to call their Lord and their God and also made beleeue that the very hearing of a Masse is auailable vnto them ex opere operato that is onely because it is said and done and lastly that the Masse in all respects of power and vertue is as auailable and effectuall for the remission of sinnes as was the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse the absurditie of which positions shall receiue a iust confutation when I come to lay downe such arguments and proofes as may be produced out of the word of God for the disprouing of their daily Sacrifice of their Masse Hauing thus farre spoken of the person of Elias and of the person of Ahab and of the people whom the prophet Elias thus reproueth The thing hee reproueth it remaineth now that I speake of the speciall thing which hee reproueth in them that is their halting betweene two opinions not being resolued whether God were the Lord or Baal Which may seeme the more strange that this people which were the seede of Abraham the Lords owne
words of the Prophets declare good things vnto the King with one accord 1. King 22.13.14 let thy word therefore I pray thee be like vnto the word of one of thē and speake thou good Micheas answered him roundly As the Lord liueth whatsoeuer the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake The like zeale and courage we reade in Scripture to haue beene in Elizeus the Prophet vnto whom when King Iehoram Ahabs son had sent to know of him what successe his battell intended against the King of Moab was like to haue the Prophet very boldly answered the King after this manner What haue I to doe with thee get thee to the Prophets of thy Fathers and to the Prophets of thy mother 2. King 3.13.14 and said moreouer vnto him as the Lord liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regarde the presence of Iehosaphat the king of Iudah I would not once haue looked towardes thee nor seene thee But of all others commended in scripture for zeale and courage the prophet Elias may carie the praise from them al Of whom in Ecclesiasticus it is thus reported Ecclesiast cap. 48.1 that he stood like a fire and his words burned like a lampe and because the people of Israel could not away with the commandement of the Lord by the word of the Lord he shut the heauen and so brought a famine vpon them He was appointed to reproue in due season and to pacifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement before it kindled Malac. 4.6 and so to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers Vnto the which place the Angell Gabriel prophesying before hand vnto Zacharie what manner of person his sonne Iohn Baptist should be alludeth saying Luk. 1.17 that he should goe before the Lord in the power and spirit of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisedome of the iust to make readie a people prepared for the Lord. O that all the Preachers and Ministers of this kingdome were so possessed with the power and spirit of Elias that by beating downe sinne and wickednesse by the sword of the spirit and by giuing knowledge of saluation to the people of God they might prepare the waies of the Lord by pulling downe the mountaines by raising and filling vp the vallies by making crooked things straight by making rough waies smooth By the mountaines are vnderstood men that are very high and proud in the opinion of their owne righteousnes which by the preaching of the Gospell shall abate their pride and so come to Christ By the vallies are meant men that are vtterly despaire of all men and altogether liuing in dispaire such shal be raised vp to the fellowship and communion of the kingdome of heauen By crooked things are signified such things as haue beene warped and writhed sundrie waies Psal 119.9 which shall be made straight by the leuell and squire of the Gospell For how shall a young man saith Dauid clense his waies but by ruling himselfe after the word of God As for the rough waies that shal be made plaine they are called rough by reason of the thornes of manifold vices and naughtie desires and lusts the short is that the course of all things shal be changed to such contraries that all impediments and lettes that shall hinder the course of the Gospell shall be broken and so the Preachers of Christs sacred word Gospel shall make readie a people prepared for the Lord. But alas we are fallen into these miserable daies euen the worst and last daies that we are so farre off from suffering ourselues to be reproued when we sinne that we doe reioyce when we doe wickedly Wee cannot abide to haue our faults touched Our Pride is growen as high as the Heauen our couetousnesse is sunke as deepe as hell and yet wee cannot in any wise suffer ourselues to be reproued Wee say to the preachers Peace and talke not vnto vs in the name of the Lord tell not vs of the Scripture Tell not vs of Christ of Peter of Paul wee bid the preacher speake vs faire and we bid him blesse those things which are accursed by Gods owne mouth Nay manie there are which are already wearie of the Gospel and wearie of their preachers they call them Pulpit-men of the spirite Priests and I know not what as though themselues had nothing to doe with the spirite of God They say the Preacher is too busie hee medleth with that he knoweth not Yes thou foolish man he knoweth it well enough He knoweth that pride is pride that extortion is extortion that couetousnes is couetousnes that sacriledge is sacriledge that vsurie is vsurie that sinne is sinne and thou and thine owne conscience knoweth it too if thou wouldest be knowen of it But God is iust and as the extreme disdaine of Gods truth and his holie Gospel deserueth the extremitie of Gods vengeance So can it not bee without speedie and earnest repentance but that this Gospel that we are alreadie so wearie of shall bee taken away from vs euen the kingdome of God which is the true vnderstanding of Gods word shall be taken away from vs And then what can there remaine but blindnesse and ignorance which is the kingdome of the diuell But this is the only comfort that Preachers haue in this great contradiction and opposition of the worlde that if they haue a carefull endeuour to discharge a good conscience in crying out against wickednesse and lifting vp their voices like a Trumpet against the disorders of common life God Almightie will so arme all such zealous preachers with such an inuincible strength and constancie that all the powers of the world shall neuer be able to ouercome them Bee not afraide saith God to the Prophet Ieremie of their faces for beholde saith hee I haue this day made thee a defenced citie and an iron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole land against the kings of Iuda and against the Princes therof Ier. 1.18 against the Priests therof against the people of the land They shall fight against thee but they shall not preuaile against thee For I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. What saith S. Cyprian Shall the inuincible Tents of Christ defended with the strength of the Lord Lib. 1. Epist ad Cornel giue place to the terrors and threatnings of men Shall the Church yeeld to the Capitol Shall the outrages of madde men be greater then the iudgements and censures of ministers No God forbid it must not be so For are not the preachers the lights of the world and therefore appointed by God to espie faultes are they not the voice of Iohn Baptist why then should not they crie out against sinnes Seeing therefore they are the seers of the Lorde they must not be blinde and being the Lords criers they must
inheritance the dearly beloued of Gods owne soule a people whome the Lorde had chosen among all Nations to be a precious people to himselfe aboue all people on the earth in Name praise and glorie A people that so many times and so solemnlie had protested God forbid wee should forsake the Lord our God to serue other Gods the Lord our God we will serue and his voyce wee will obey that this people I say should stand in doubt whether that GOD that had wrought so many miracles for their deliuerance which had brought them out of the Land of Egipt with a strong and a mightie hand which had led them and fed them in the wildernes with Manna from heauen for the space of 40. yeares preseruing them in all the way which they went and destroying their enemies before them lastly in the ende bringing them into the Land of Canaan whether he were the onely true God to be worshipped and followed or rather Baal in so much that when the prophet Elias had said vnto them If the Lorde be God followe him if Baal be hee goe after him Silence was the onely answere they made him being not able otherwise to answere him one word Vnto this base irresolution the people were thus desperately brought partly being moued through feare of so great and mightie a Prince and so greatly aduancing the worship of Baal as king Ahab did by the inticement and prouocation of his wife So that perceiuing how both the King and Queene and almost all the Nobilitie being wholly affected addicted to the worship of Baal by reason of the weakenesse and infirmitie of their faith were not able to resolue in themselues what they might doe or how they might belieue standing in a mammering this way and that way one and the same man would somtimes worship the Lord and an other while Baal and sometimes both together being perswaded that religion was a thing indifferent and that it did not matter how they serued God if they had any care at all to serue him whether they serued him alone or serued him with anie other But little did this people vnderstand that religion is not as euerie common matter of mans life but a thing to be measured not by opinion but by truth to be chosen not by example but by iudgement to be holden not for companie but for conscience sake In this irresolution and wauering inconstancie of the people of Israel wee may as in a glasse beholde and see our selues euen the state and condition of our owne people how manie there are yet in our dayes which notwithstanding they haue bene bred and brought vp in this religion which by Gods great mercy this day is professed in the Church of England yet partly by the corruption of their owne nature partly led by the mouing perswasions of recusant Papists but specially being inticed therevnto by those false impostors deceiuers of the world I meane the Priests and Iesuites beginne to call the truth of our religion into question standing in a maze what they may doe whome they may followe what they may belieue sometime in loue and liking of our religion otherwhile againe being wearie of the Gospell imbracing the Romane religion falsely called by the name of the Catholike Religion and so daily wauering betweene two opinions declare themselues indeed to bee of no Religion For whom as my daily prayer to God is and shall be that he would be pleased to graunt them a solide and strong perswasion in the profession and defence of the true and onely ancient Catholike faith of Christ deliuered vnto vs in the holy scriptures of God and withall such a measure of heauenly wisedome that they may be able to discerne things that differ one from another and to giue a sound iudgement betweene that which is counterfaite and the true Catholike faith and religion of Christ So I could wish that they would consider with mee and that they would seriously ponder with earnest and vpright aduisement these fewe reasons or motiues which here I will set downe which may serue in steed of so many seuerall demonstrations to proue that this same doctrine we preach this day in all the reformed churches of Christendome is the verie truth of the Gospel of Christ First I would haue them but to weigh the beginnings and proceedings of our religion how in a manner all the trauels of our aduersaries haue come to nought and how no bodie driuing it forward without any worldlie helpe it hath taken increase and by little little is spread ouer into all countreys And verilie it cannot chuse but carrie great weight of perswasion to moue the conscience of any man to see so many kingdoms and countries ioyne together in the profession and obedience of one truth And there is no doubt but euen this day manie thousandes are the sooner led to humble themselues to the Gospell of Christ for that they see to the vnspeakeable griefe of the Pope and his fauourites the whole world that is to say the whole Church of God is contented so willingly and so humbly to imbrace the same Againe let them but consider that they haue seene with their owne eyes how the Gospell which hath bene preached vnto them and which somtimes with ioy they haue receiued euen amiddes so many stormes and tempests through death and persecution notwithstanding the abundance of innocent Christian blood which hath beene shed ouer all the world hath had a strange and wonderfull increase so that the more our religion hath beene persecuted the more still it hath increased and this was euer reputed by the ancient fathers to be the proper priuiledge and excellencie of truth about all other sects to come out of persecution as gold out of the fire more bright more illustrious more eminent then before A third motiue or forcible inducement to iustifie the truth of the Gospel now preached may be this euen the due consideration of that vniuersalitie of learning and sauing knowledge wherewith God hath blessed these daies of ours more plentifully and in greater measure then in former times he hath done In so much that whereas the Prophet Esay speaking of that aboundance of knowledge which should be vnder the kingdome of Christ in the time of grace hath these words Esa 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea and likewise the Prophet Ioel Ioel. 2.28 I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Your old men shall dreame dreames and your yong men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and handmaides will I poure my spirit We may truly say in this accepted time and this day of saluation that these scriptures are fulfilled in our eares euen our enemies being iudges who haue confessed that the word of God was neuer in any age so plainely taught and deliuered as in this time wherein we