shall set themselues against his holie will be they neuer so manie they shal be damned Let such marke wel what Ignatius who liued in the time of the Apostles hath saide Audivi quosdam dicentes si non invenero Evangelium in antiquis non credam Talibus autem ego dico quia mihi antiquit as Iesus Christus est cui non obeaire manifestus irremissibilis interitus est Ignaty epist. 5. ad Philadel I haue heard some which saie vnlesse I find the Gospell in them of olde time I wil not beleeue it But vnto such I saie that Iesus Christ is vnto me antiquitie Whome to disobey is manifest and vnpardonable destruction Let no man saie I hope I doe well my meaning is good I haue a desire to please GOD I beléeue well I doe my conscience If I doe aâ—…isse God will regard my simplicitie Let no man so saie Saint Augustine saith It is certain that a foolish faith not onelie doeth no good but also hurteth If thou beléeue not the truth thou dwellest in lying thou art the child of the Diuel which is a liar and the father thereof The mouth which speaketh lies slaieth the soule Thy faith is no faith it is but a wilful opinion it is but an errour for it is not according to the truth it is not built vppon the rocke it is not grounded on the word of God Change thine errour Faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of GOD receiue the truth beléeue the truth and loue the truth Otherwise if thou refuse the breade of life and féede on poison if thou forsake the water of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that wil holde no water thou shalt leade thy daies in wilfulnesse and shalt die in sinne thy bloud shall be vpon thine owne head Thou shalt not sâ—…e the glorie of God death and damnation shall be thy méede bycause thau hadst pleasure in wickednesse and diddest not giue thy heart to receiue and loue and beléeue the truth Nowe it remaineth that wée heare howe Antichrist shall be euerthrowen Wée haue séene his pompe and pride his might and power that hée ouerlooketh all the worlde bindeth all Kings and Princes and nations to kéepe his lawes and is himselfe exempted from all lawes of GOD or man So mightie and so maruailous is his power Who can declare it Hée is called of his owne side Stupor mundi The gaze stocke or wonder of the world Something lesse than God something more than man But being in all this estate in the middest of his Pontificalibus so fast mortized so high built vppe to the skies so surely shoared so strongly beset on euerie side hée shall be sodainely shaken downe and become the shame of the world How maie this be done being so mortized so built so shoared and so beset who shal shake him downe What power shall consume him shall it be the great power of Kings or of Emperours They shall giue their power and auctoritie to the beast and fight with the lamb that is against Christ. Shal it be the auctoritie of Bishoppes and Cardinalles and great Clearkes al they are lincked and ioined to him Shall it be by the wisedome and drift of Counsailours and men of lawe They be the féede men and sworne to him Shal it be the violence and conspiracie of the people They shall knéele downe to him and honour him and reuerence him as an Angell of God If neither the power of Doctours nor of Bishops nor Archbishops if not the power of Counsailors and men at lawe if not the power of the Kings and Princes of the worlde if not the power and commotion of the people if al these shal not abolishe him what power then is it wherewith he shall be consumed it shal be the power of God which shal be reuealed from aboue The Lorde shall consume him with the spirite of his mouth These wordes are diuersly taken Some â—…und them thus GOD shal appoint the great Angel Michael to set vppon Antichrist and he shal destroy him Others take these wordes to be spoken of the daie of iudgement and then this shal be fulfilled when Christ shall saie Departe from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire that this is the spirit of the Lordes mouth wherewith hée shall be consumed But the Apostle speaketh of the preaâ—…hing of the gospel That God by his word which is mightie to doe al that whereunto hée appointeth it shal make his doings manifest and let al the world sée that he was not sent of God that he did neuer set foorth the glorie of God that hée hath not sought the saluation of the people that in matters of faith and in al his life he is aduersarie to Christ this is that breath that shal descrie his errours and vanities this is that spirite which shal consume the kingdome of Antichrist This ouerthrowe is alreadie begun as our eyes may beholde this day In like sort speaketh Esay the prophet He shal smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shal he slaie the wicked Princes make their conquests by power and strength by fire and sworde and engines of warre but God shal beate downe his aduâ—…rsarie with the râ—…d of his mouth By the true preaching of his worde His worde is mightie it is his sword it is his mace it is the rod of his mouth it is the breath of his lippes It is of great force no strength shal withstand it it shal finite the earth it shal â—…ea the wicked S. Paule sayth We doe not warre after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are mightie through God to cast downe holdes This sword hath hewne downe in many places the crueltie tyrannie simonie insatiable gréedinesse the errours ignoraunce darkenesse vanities hipocrisie superstition and idolatry which haue bin brought into the church and vsed by Antichrist These were the pillars and strength and glorie of his kingdome And here marke the Apostles spéech Hée saith not God shal coÌ„uert Antichrist or change his heart that he may be saued But he sayth Whom the Lord shal consume Gods word is almightie By his word he can do whatsoeuer pleaseth him He can make the deafe to heare the blind to sée He was able to cal the théefe vpon the crosse vnto repentance He was able to raise vp Lazarus out of his graue He is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham He can throw downe euery high thing that is exalted against the glorie of GOD and wil bring kinges and Princes and the rulers of the earth to the obedience of Christ. But of Antichrist it is sayd The Lorde shal consume him Such is the hardnesse blindnesse of his heart he wil not receiue the loue of the truth he wil not beléeue the trueth of God that he might be saued Therefore destruction shal come vpon him Hereby we are taught what to thinke or hope of
false â—…rine The Diuel is subtile his baites are pleasaunt you are weake and simple he will soone deceiue you Here let vs consider howe easily man maie be deceiued that so we maiâ—… knowe the corruption and weakenesse of our nature and therefore what cause we haue euer to walke warily to take heede to our steppes and to praie vnto GOD that hee â—…line our heartes vnto his testimonies When I saie man maie be deceiued I meane not baies or children or fooles or the simpler sorte of men but the learned the wife the politike the â—…ga and Princes of the worlde the teachers and rulers of the people When Adam was yet in Paradise and made the ruler ouer al the beaâ—…s of the â—…ld and was full of the graces and blessings of God he soone departed from the ecuntâ—…ll of God and gaue eare to the serpent so easily was he â—…eceiued Israel was as the apple of the Lords eie a people whom the Lord loued and to whome he gaue their hearts deure Hee deliuered them from Pharao and with an out-stretched arme ledde them through the red sea Who would thinke si great â—…cies would eâ—…er be forgotten or that such a people so wel instructed in the knowledge of God and so often put in mind of their duetie shoulde either most parte or al of them turne from GOD Moses was absent but a while he went aside to receiue the tables of couenaunt in the meane time they made vnto themselues a molten calfe and worshipped it they offred vnto it and saide These be thy Gods O Israel that haue brought thee out of the lande of AEgipt So easily were the wisest of them and Aaron and the whole multituted deceiued Their children after them forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Astaroth They said to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me They haue turned their backe to me and not their face saith god by the prophet Ieremie And was this y e offence but of some smal number of them were they but few or of the baser and simpler sorte whome the wicked spirite had thus seduced to make them forsake the true and liuing GOD and to giue the glorie due vnto him to dombe creatures and to the works of their owne hands No they departed from GOD in greate multitudes with full consent and vnitie they warranted their doings by antiquitie and by the custome of their fathers before them The Prophet saith According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iudah and to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem haue ye set vp altares of confusion euen altares to burne incense vnto Baal And in an other place he saith A great multitude euen al the people that dwelt in the land of Aegipt in Phathros answered Ieremie saying the word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But wee wil do whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as wee haue done we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes c. Thus euen among that nation which God hath chosen vnto himselfe the Apostacie was so great the departure from true holinesse was so vniuersal that not onelie euerie citio but euerie stréete was defiled with their Idolatrie And besides the women which burnt incense vnto other Gods a great multitude yea all the people with one consent cried out against their preacher refused to heare the word of God and maintained their superâ—…tion The lilie may be said of the Scribes Pharises They were wise they were learned and caried great them of holinesse yet they loued darknes better than light they were blind leaders of the blind they despised the commandemits of god for their own traditions not on lie they but Herod and Pontius Pilate with the gentiles and people of Israel gathered the salues togitherngainst against the Lord I against his Christ. What shoulde I speake of those Churches which the Apostles of Christ planted and watered and confirmed in the trueth at Corinth Paule preached the Gospel they receiued it gladly he thanketh GOD on their behalfe That in al thinges they were made rich in him in al kinde of speache and in al knowledge Yet soone after they abused the holy mysteries they denyed the resurrection of the dead they became carnal and had enuying and strife and contention among themselues The Galathians reioyâ—…h so much in him that he writeth thus of them I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them to me Yet they did not abide in the trueth but gaue eare to false Apostles and were deceiued Therefore he reprooueth them saying O foolish Galathians who hath bewiâ—…ched you that you should not obey the trueth are ye so foolish that after ye haue begonne in the spirite yee would nowe be made perfect in the flesh ye did runne wel who did let you that yee did not obey the trueth I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine This frailtie and weakenesse of our corrupt nature hath shewed it selfe foorth and hath appeared in al ages 〈◊〉 and our Fathers haue gone astraie and haue solowed after lyes The Lorde hath looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstande and â—…eoke God Al are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one sayth the Prophet Dauid Therefore the Apostle beseeâ—…heth the church at Thessalonica that they settle themselues vppon a sure foundation and that they be not remoâ—…d from the trueth He putteth them in mind what they haue heard and of whom they haue heard it and eâ—…horteth them to continue stedfast therein Neither by spirite nor by worde nor by letter as it were from vs. Let no man entiâ—…e you from the loue of the trueth nor withdraw you or remoue you from that blessed â—…pe vnto which you becalled neither by pretence of any which any would séeme to receiue of the spirite of God nor by pretence of any woords of mine as if I had so spoken nor by any letter giuen vnto you in my name as if I had so written In these woordes hee docth not onelie strengthen them against such practises of crafty and false teachers but giueth them there withal a testimonie of their constant abiding in the trueth of the Gospel Otherwise if the seducers had prenayled and if the Thessalonians had yéelded vnto them and receyued their errour hâ—…e woulde then haue framed his speeche vnto them after this manner Oh suffâ—…r your selues to hee aduised You 〈◊〉 not runne wel you haue lost the high way Giue place to the spirite of God submit your selues vnder his mightie hande refuse not the calling whereby hee hath
ye shal haue tribulation ten daies be thou faithful vnto death I wil giue thee the crowne of life Thus god suffereth his seruants to be sifted to be tried as pure golde in the furnace receiueth them as a swéete smelling sauour of burnt sacrifice And this is it whereof the Apostle putteth the Thessalonians in remembraunce that they are strengthned by the holy ghost not only to abide such afflictioÌ„s as they suffer because they haue receiued the gospel but also to reioice because they are assured whatsoeuer shal happen vnto them they be the children of God V 7. So that you were as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia 8 For from you sounded out the word of y e Lord not in Macedonia and Achaia only but your faith also which is toward God spread abroade in all quarters that wee neede not to speake any thing 9 For they themselues shewe of you what maner entring in wee had vnto you and howe you turned from idols to God to serue the liuing and true God 10 And to looke for his sonne from heauen whome hee raised from the dead Iesus whiche deliuereth vs from the wrath to come The countries rounde about them were drawen by the example of the Thessalonians to beléeue the Gospel preached vnto them You are sayth he as y e bright sunne beames They beholde you and reioyce of you euen as of the morning light You are an holy Citie sette vppon an hil you cannot be hid your saith is a paterne of saith your life is a patern of life vnto them They haue learned of you howe to guide their wayes You haue called them backe from errour and from vngodiâ—…nesse to serue the true and liuing God You are made vnto them a swéete smelling sauour of life vnto life For so it hath pleased God to make his Gospel knowne in al places through you to make you the builders of his church When they beholde your godly conuersation which is in Christ they are ashamed of themselues When they behold your light they find fault with their owne darkenesse O say they this is a holy people this is a people that feareth God Let vs heare them what they teach let vs leade our liues in holinesse and righteousnesse as they doe Let vs by hearing these wordes enter into our selues God hath giuen his light to â—…hine vppon vs hee hath blessed vs with the knowledge of his Gospel Let vs take héede we turne not the light into darkenesse nor the truth of God into lies Manie thousande eyes are set vpon vs to looke vpon and beholde vs. Let vs be an example of godlinesse Let vs be as a light to them that yet abide in darkenes Let not the name of GOD be euil spoken of through vs. His name is holy Woe be vnto the worlde sayth Christ because of offences for it must needes be that offences shal come but woe be vnto that man by whome the offence commeth Whosoeuer shal offende one of these little ones it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea It were better for that man if hee had neuer béene borne For the bloud of them that perishe by his offence shal be required at his handes The wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against those that are such because they withholde the truth in vnright conâ—…sse The kingdome of God shal be taken away from them and giuen to a nation that wil bring foorth the fruites thereof It followeth From you sounded the word of the Lord not in Macedonia Achaia only c. If a man carrie in his hande a light burning candle it giueth not light to him only that carrieth it but to al those which be in the house and they also sée it which are without Euen so if any be the child of knowledge and carrie about him the light of-God he doth not onely tast of the comfort thereof himselfe and worke comfort to those that appertaine to the Church of God but lightneth also the hearts of Paganes and Jâ—…dels which are abroade Such as are bathed or persumed with precious ointments or pouders haue not only the pleasure to themselues but the sauour therof casteth if selfe out and is pleasant to al those which stande by The Gospel is the light of God It shineth in the darkenesse of this worlde It is the swéete incense and sauour of God Wheresoeuer the breath thereof is receiued it bringeth life But your faith also which is toward God spredde abroade in al quarters As the lightning is séene from one part of the ayre to the other and as the sounde of great noise spreadeth it selfe farre and wide so deeth the light of good conuersation in the godly shewe if selfe foorth And therefore he telleth them they haue filled al the Countrie of Macedonia with knowledge with wonder at their faith and â—…nesse in the truth As if he had saide great is the renowme of your king Alexander and your countrey is famous He hath ouerrun the whole world and subdued it He hath conquered Graecia Asia Arabia Phrygia Armenia Scythia and India Kings and princes sel downe before him The whole world stoode in awe of his name Yet Alexander had but the power force of men He had great treasures of golde and siluer He had numbers of horses and camels and Elephants He had sworde bils speares and dartes and such like artillerie and armor These were the things wherewith he ouercame his enemies Hereby both he and his people were renowmed What then may be said of the battaile which you haue fought or of the victorie which you haue gpttâ—… you haue won y e Alexander could neuer win You haue ouercome your selues You haue ouercome the world He conquered the bodies of many had them at coÌ„maundement But their soules stoode out would not be conquered You haue subdued your soules brought them to the obedience of the Gospel You haue ouerrun al the countrie and triumphed among the people And al this is brought to passe without force without policie without arâ—…ur without artilerie onely by your patience and suffering for the Gospel sake That wee neede not to speake any thing To make the commendation of their faith more euident he telleth thenâ—… the same of their zeale and constancy is kno 〈◊〉 in al places Whither seener I go saith he they know you and speake of you and bearken to you Hereby appeareth how néedeful it is that chief townes and cities he wel gouerned that vice in them be senerely punished that â—…tne and godlinesse be maineteined and the people instructed because the examples of such places spread abroad in al quarters nigh them They themselues shewe of you what maner of enteraunce wee had vnto you After what sort you receiued me and ginedeare I was vnto you Al places were laide and beset for me to séeke my life but
fondly or peeuishly saith Erasmus It would be ouer long to declare vnto you the foolish or rather blasphemous applying of the Scriptures to approoue their gestures at masse the soueraintie and chieftie that they chalenge One of their Bishops in y e late counsel as Trent saide of Paulus 3. then Pope Papa lux venit in mundum the Pope which is the light is come into the world Which are the words of the Euangelist declaring the Godhead of Christ. By these few it may appeare how vniustly they charge vs with corrupting the word of God And howe truely this fault is to be laid 〈◊〉 to them which either abridge the sense of the Scripture or reach it further than it yéeldeth or vtterlie refuse to stande to the authoritie thereof and in no case can like that the people of God shoulde reade the Scriptures and haue adiudged them heretiques and consumed their bodies in the fire which haue defended in spéech and sought to maintaine the doctrine of truth set down in y e holy scriptures The Apostle saith He was allowed of God They that enter into the ministerie must be allowed not of men onelie but of God Therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe sée whether his calling be of God If be haue not a testimony that God hath called him inwardly al other outward calling is to smal purpose God is a righteous iudge He will saie to the conscience and to the heart of such a one friend how camest thou in hither without thy wedding garment Who brought thée in Giue an account of thy stewardship thine account is great And because some are this date to be admitted into this office let vs praie vnto God for them that god wil alow them that he wil giue them hearts to conceiue and tongues to speak the trueth of God that they maie be the seruants of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God that they maie be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that they maie laie out the Lords money to his aduantage and so it maie be said vnto them Thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy maisters ioie V. 5 Neither yet did we vse flattring words as you know nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither sought we praise of men neither of you nor of others The seruant and messenger of God must so speake as God speaketh God speaketh déeply and to the heart He launceth the spirit and woundeth the inward parts He biddeth Esaie them the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes God himselfe saith I visite the sinne of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Againe he saith If yee shall despise my ordinances either if your soule abhorre my lawes so that yee will not doe al my commandements I wil set my face against you and you shal fall before your enimies and they that hate you shal raigne ouer you But vnto those that repent them of their sins and turne 〈◊〉 to him God saith Turne vnto me ye shal be â—…aued Againe Thou disobedient Israel returne saith the Lord and I wil not let my wrath fall vpon you So must the minister of God he must â—…hew foorth the mercie of God not hide his iudgements He hath the Lords busines in band he maie not do it negligently A flatterer maketh it his greatest care to please men hée séeketh their fauor he feareth to displease and dareth not speake that that will be euill taken When he séeth a theefe he runneth with him is partaker with the adulterers he soweth pillowes vnder the armes of sinners Whosoeuer saith nay his nay is readie if any saie yea he is ready to say yea he chaÌ„geth often as y e weatherecock he dareth not striue against y e stream his hart is at the wil of others he séeketh some gaine he séeketh his owne glorie and not the glorie of God They which are such are called in the Scriptures hirelings dumbe dogs that cannot barhe They denie God betraie his truth and deceiue the people They locke â—…ppe the truth in lies Of such the spirit of god saith Woe vnto them that haue a double heart and to the wicked lippes And A double minded man is inconstant in al his waies And He that is not with me is against me And He that gathereth not with me scattereth And How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lorde be God follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him And againe What communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial Cursed is he which â—…attereth the people and is vnfaithfull in the Lordes worke Nothing is so requisite in the steward of God as that he be found faithful and that he speake those things whereunto the Lord hath sent him boldly That they kéepe not backe the message giuen them of God nor feare to doe their errand for anie malice of men Who is it saith Saint Peter that wil harme you if you follow that which is good notwithstanding Blessed are yee if yee suffer for righteousnesse sake yea feare not their feare neither be troubled If the Apostle speake this comfort to all Christians which haue a care to serue God and thereby erhorteth them to stedfastnes and to sanctifie the Lord in their bearts and to â—…e readie to giue an account of their faith and of the hope that is in them howe much more ought â—…reachers and they which are appointed to the ministerie lay aside al feare and flatterie of men Woe vnto them that goe downe into Aegypt for help The Aergyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirite and when the Lorde shall stretch out his hand the helper shal fal and hee that is holpen shal fail and they shal altogether faile Christ â—…leth his diâ—…iples they are salt and they are light Salt must néedes be sharpe to a rotten wound Light must néeds be painful to a 〈◊〉 A good Phâ—…ution must néeds trouble and disguiet his sicke patient before hée can heale his disease and a good surgion must néeds trouble and rip vp â—…tered woundes We are Sur â—…eous we are â—…tions The worde of God is committed vnto vs that by vs it miâ—… be applied to season the earth and that the light ther of shonlâ—… shine foorth in al the worâ—… Crâ—…put aloud lift vp â—…hy voice as a trumpet If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who waâ—… prepare himselfe to the battel When God had called â—…eremie to the office of a Prophet said Thou shalt go to al that I shall send thee and whatsoeuer I commaund thee shalt thou speake he said further Feare not their faces least I destroy thee before them For beholde this daie I haue made
Iesus Christ. When this worde is read Princes and Emperours stande vp and laie downe their sword and vncouer their head and bowe their bodie and doe reuerence bicause they knowe it is the worde of GOD which God himselfe vttered that it should be as the deaw of heauen to moisten our soules as a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life as a sauour of life vnto life and the verie power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beléeueth Without this worde wée can receiue no comforte wée can not sée the light nor growe in saith nor abide in the Church of God It is the word of reconciliation By it God maketh atonement betwéene himselfe and the sonnes of men Therfore when the Epistles the Psalms the Chapters and the Gospell are read in our hearing let vs remember whose worde wée heare Let vs thinke thus with our selues These are the words of our gracious GOD. My God openeth his mouth from heauen aboue Hée speaketh to me that I maie be saued he speaketh to me to kéepe mée from errour to comforte mée in the aduersities and troubles of this life and to leade me to the life to come What is the cause why so manie so little regarde the worde of GOD Why they doubt it and suspect it Why they are so soone wearie of it and beare it not that reuerence that belongeth to it Bicause they thinke not neither from whome it commeth nor with whose bloud it is sealed nor to Inhose benefite it is written Let vs not be ashamed to giue place to the worde of GOD to awake our senses and to submit them and our wisedome and learning and bodies and soules vnto it Let vs not harden our hearts Let vs humble our selues before God and saie Beholde here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies Which also worketh in you that belceue Whosoeuer heareth the wordes of God and doth them not shall be likened to a foolish man that buildeth his house vppon the sand If yee know these things saith Christ blessed are yee if ye doe them The same worde of God which Paule taught the Thessalonians which was preached by Peter and the rest of the Apostles to the faithfull which Christ receiued of his father and deliuered to his Church is this day by the mercie of God purely and truly set downe vnto you By it you are required to amend your liues and comforted in the promises of GOD to the forgiuenesse of your sinnes If there he anie in whom it worketh not this effecte if there be anie which though they heare it beléeue it not nor are thereby renewed in their mindes it is a token that they haue not receiued the lous of the trueth of the Gospell they despise the worde of saluation and it shall iâ—…dge them in that daie V. 14. For brethren you are become followers of the Church of GOD which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus because yee haue also suffered the same things of your owne countrie men euen as they of the Iewes 15. Who both killed the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophetes and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrarie to al men 16. And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Wherein became they followers In suffring as they did This is the badge and cognisance of the sonnes of God Christ sayth If any man wil come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse dayly and followe mee They followed others not in pleasure and glory but in trouble and persecution For that was the way of the prophetes and Apostles and of Christ himselfe Esay the Prophet was cut in sunder with a Sawe What more cruel death His bodie was rent his bowels torne and yet hee not quite dead In such sort it liked the cruel tormentors to sport themselues Why what had he done he was a prophet They néeded no other matter against him It was ynough that they found him to be a prophet Hieremie was stoned to death Wherefore because he called the people to repentaunce that they might be saued Because he was a prophet Amos was slaine with a barre poore olde man No reuerence giuen to his gray head no regarde or pitie was taken of him Wherefore because he rebuked iniquitie Because he was a Prophet Zacharie was sâ—…aine when he was in his prayers and doing sacrifice in the holy place betwéene the entraunce and the alter Wherefore Because he declared the trueth because he was a prophet This hath béene the malice and hatred of the Diuel The Prince of the darkenesse of this world hath raged so euen from the beginning By this meanes he hath sought to deface the truth glorie of God and to establish his owne kingdome in shedding the bloud and murthering the saints of God The Churches of God in Iudea were miserably bered and afflicted they were hated of al men and counted vnworthie of life Wherfore because they turned to the true liuing god did beléeue in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore they were stript spoyled headed quartred drowned burnt and put to most reprocheful death Who would become their â—…ollowers Who would willingly learne to be so persecuted and made gazing stockes to al the worlde is discouraged not the Thessalonians They were a thousand mileâ—… distant from Iudea but were ioyned in fellowship of the Gospel and in brotherly loue vnto them They hearde of their mildenesse and of their constancie and were stirred vp by their example They did hearken after them and were carefull for them as for their brethren and the members of the same bodie You haue heard what numbers of late haue béene persecuted and put to death among vs. Wherefore because they turned from idols to serus God as he hath commanded and did put their trust in him You haue hearde how patiently and méekely they went to their death and what a plentiful haruest God hath raised of their bloud For the death of his saintes is precious in the sight of the Lorde Their bloud cannot be spent in vaine Wee must remember their patience and zeale and the cause why they suffred We must not despise or set light by the Gospel of Jesus Christ for which they so ioyfully gaue their liues And it is not ynough that we be mindeful of such examples as we haue had at home We must also carefully consider of other Churches abroade God hath kindled a fire he wil haue it burne O what formentes doe our brethren daily suffer What crueltie is deuised daily against them I speake not of death onelie but of rackings and wonderful extremities more painefull than death Wherefore are these thinges done vnto them Because they are turned to the true and liuing God and beléene in the name of Jesus Christ. Some they hang by the hands and drawe vp with
the Lord and in that lawe doeth exercise himselfe day and night And againe Wherewith shal a yong man redresse his waies In keeping thy words When Christ himselfe came first into the world to plant his Church he vourhsafed the poore and simple the knowledge of his trueth and the wed it first vnto them The first that had tidings of his birth were not Scribes and Pharises out a company of poore shéepheards The first that receiued his gospel taught it in the world were not doctors or learned men barâ—…rs tol-gatherers of base condition The first that met him with triumph at Ierusalem and sang Ozanna were not Bishoppes and priests but babes and infants They that followed him most and beléeued were not the greatest men of power and policy but such as the Pharises termed a cursed people which knew not the law The first that told the Apoâ—…les the resurrection of Christ were not the sagest and wisest men but two or thrée séelie women The first that were â—…nuerted to the faith after his resurrection were not any of the great learned or other wise estéemed known among the people but about 3000. poore séely simple men so base so out of knowledge that not one of their names could euer be knowne Why should any man resist the wisedom of God and denie the people the breade whereon they should féed the light by which they maie safelie walke the hearing and reading of the word by which they may be turned to GOD from idols to serue the liuing and true God they haue cruel hearts and are enimies to the glorie of God and to the saluation of his people which in such sorte denie them the knowledge of the Scriptures To fulfil their sinnes alwaies They haue resused the word of reconciliation they are not contented that they haue stoned the prophets killed them that were sent to the but they yet resist the holie Gospel deuise meanes to kéepe al others from the comforte thereof This is a token of Gods heauie displeasure vpon them that they repent not of their former â—…uils but grow worse and worse When the Scribes Pharises séemed to â—…ike the crueltie of their fathers said if they had béen in their daies they would not haue béen partners with them in the vloud of the prophets our sauiour maketh their hipocrisie knowne that herein they should be like to their fathers for they shoulde kil and crucifie the prophets and wise meÌ„ and scourge them in their sinagogues persecute them from citie to city said to them Fulfil ye also the measure of your fathers The cause of this indgement of God in giuing ouer the wicâ—…ed to increase the heape of their sins the Apostle setteth down to y e Romanes As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered theÌ„ vp vnto a reprobat mind to do those things which are not conuenieÌ„t For so he somtimes punisheth our sins suffereth the wicked to heape sin vpon sin y e so their daÌ„nation may be y e greater For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Though GOD he patient and long suffring because he would haue all men come to repentance yet in whom his mercie taketh no place to worke their amendment vpon them he poureth out his wrath and indignation to the utmost He meaneth not that al the whole nation of the Jewes were so caâ—… out of the fauour of GOD that neuer anie of them shall be saued for in an other place he faith Hath God cast away his people God forbid For I my selfe am an Israelite of the seede of Abraham of the tribe of Beniamin God hath not cast away his people which he knew before But miserable shall be their end and a terrible damnation shall they haue whosoeuer withstand the truth of God and to the rest of their wickednesse ioine such a hatred and dispitefull contempt of the poore and simple sort of the people that they kéepe them from the wholesome wordes of doctrine and forbid such as are willing to preach vnto them This is their condemnation that light came into the world and they loued darkenesse better than light They persecute vs saith Saint Paule and forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies for the wrath or God is come on them to the vtmost V. 17 Forasmuch brethren as wee were kept from you for a season concerning sight but not in heart we enforced the more to see your face with great desire 18 Therefore wee would haue come vnto you I Paul at least once or twice but Sathan hindred vs. He tolde them before how dearely and tenderly he loued them exhorting comforting and be séeching euerie of them as a father his children He taketh care least by anie meanes they should doubt of his great good wil to ward them And therefore doeth both witnesse the same and shew them through what cause hée hath staied from them Such a zeale and care had he ouer the people O in what case then are they that are carlesse and make no regard of the people of God which hunt after manie liuings and bend not themselues to do good which serue their owne bellie and séeke to be rich and eate vp the people of God as if they were breade They cannot say they haue a desire to sée the face of their flocke and that their heart is with them Howsoeuer they finde time for other matters they can neuer take time to know their shéepe and to doe the worke of their ministerie among them They care not for them they thinke not of them They plant not they water not they watch not they giue no warning of the daungers at hand they teach them not to denie ungodlinesse and worldlie lusts and to liue soberly and righteously and godlie in this present world It were happy if al such were remoued out of the Church of GOD. They destroie the soules of manie and leade them to destruction by their negligence What accompt shall they giue vnto GOD for the soules of their â—…rethren where shall they stand or what will they saie when he shall bidde them make a straite accompt of their stewardship this is the practise of Sathan He vseth al meanes to snare vs and withdraw vs from that blessed hope Sometimes he letteth the encrease of the Gospell by raising vp tumultes and disquieting the Church of God and stirring the hearts of such as are in auâ—…tie to perfecute by al meanes the teachers of the Gospell of Christ. Againe when God giueth peace and quietnesse to his Church he leadeth the ouerséers of the people to a forgetfulnesse of their duetie to séeke the pleasures and delights of this life and to haue no regard of the worke of the Lord. Such occasions the Diuel seeketh to hinder our saluation and to withstand the truth and glorie of God V. 19 For what is our hope or ioy
the blessing of God offered vnto thée Where there is no prophecie the people perisheth He that despiseth it shall be despised of the Lord he shal be cast into darkenesse because he would not delight in the light V. 21 Trie al things and keepe that which is good Trie al things God hath giuen you the spirite of discretion and of iudgement Be wise and knowe what is that good and acceptable will of God He not deceiued with wordes of mans wisedome Let not the basenesse or simplicitie of anie cause you to refuse the message which he bringeth and carrie not your selues to liking of al that whatsoeuer shall be told you of such as beare great shew and countenance This was it that deceiued the people of GOD they gaue eare to false teachers which lead them to worshippe the workes of their owne hands Therefore they saide vnto the stone thou art our father thou hast deliuered vs they sell downe before it worshipped it beléeued in it they slewe the Prophets of God and stoned to death such as were sent vnto them The Scribes and Pharises séemed so grane and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed They were altogether appliable to beléeue to do to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith vnto them Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues S. Iohn therefore saith Dearely beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for manie false prophets are gone out into the world And further directeth vs howe we should trie them hereby shal ye know the spirit of God euerie spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Againe hereby may you trie them Whosoeuer transgresseth and 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 If there come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hereby S. Paul required the Galathians to trie betwéene him and the false Apostles If anie man preach vnto you otherwise than that yee haue receiued let him bee accursed For now do I preach mans doctrine or Gods the Saduces erred touching the resurrection because they searched not the scriptures God teacheth vs by the prophet Esay to make triall of teachers and doctrines When they shall saie vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuination and at the soothsaiers which whisper and murmur shoulde not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is bicause there is no light in them Paule putteth Timothie in mind wherefore he left him at Ephesus to commaund some that they teach none other doctrine And to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breede questions rather than godlie edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betwéene good and il betwéene light and darknesse God hath made them the promise of his spirit and hath left vnto them his word They of Berea when they heard the preaching of Paule searched the scriptures dailie whether those things were so as he taught them and manie of them beléeued So do you giue héed to instruction and yet receiue not al things without proofe and trial that they are not contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good When you haue tried and found out the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded man is vnstable in al his waies Follow the truth and be not carried about with euerie wind of doctrine The diuel wil come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light Let him not take the loue of the trueth from you let him not remooue you from faith and a good conscience returne not like swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane Except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirite wil returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last state of you shall be worse than the first We haue great cause to harken diligently to the Apostle to keepe that is good We see this daie great confusion in al places Sathan woulde faine entangle vs againe with the errour of the wicked and séeketh to drawe vs from our stedfastnesse Now is the time wherin God maketh some triall of his seruauntes now iniquitie séeketh to haue the vpper hand They seduce the people saie here is Christ there is Christ here is the Church there is the Church God giue vs his holie spirite to guide vs in iudgement that we maie discerne the truth from falshoode and knowe the blessed and gratious will of GOD that wee maie walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our life In this worlde as there is a Iacob so is there an Esau as there are manie that loue Christ with an vnfained hart so are there manie that serue Antichrist and as there be many true professors of the trueth of God so are there manie despisers of the same This wée maie sée here at home within this realme We maie sée it and mourne and lament for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of GOD and man They saie with their lippes GOD saue Quéene Elizabeth yet they holde vppe their sword against her Alas what hath she deserued at their handes she hath alwaies dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud God preserue her that she maie long raigne ouer vs and bring al her enimies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that hereby they séeke to haue religion refourmed Thankes be to GOD religion is refourmed farre better than our fathers knewe it these many hundred yeares If those which liued before vs might haue séene and heard as we sée heare they would haue reioiced and thought themselues happie But they would haue the Masse What find they or sée they in it wherfore they should so desire it Trie things saith Paul Therefore examine and trie the masse What do we learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comforte for saluation It is a dumb and deadly seruice The people are forced to be at it it is the verie kay of their religion the people are bound to be present at masse yet they neither receiue anie thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand anie thing You are wise you haue reason you are the children of GOD be you iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause Will they call this the Lordes supper Is this
their faces This was done vnto them that so they might be rooted out and their name quite put out from the â—…arth It was high time for the Lord to put to his hand They called vpon him in their troubles and he heard them Then sent he Moses and Aaron and deliuered them he opened the redde sea and gaue them passage When the Philiâ—…ines oppressed them GOD sent them Gedeon Barac Iehu Debora and Sampson whom he endued with wisedome and courage and pâ—…wer to ouercome their enimies and to sette them at libertie What should I speake of Nabuchodonosor Anâ—…ochus Nero Iulian and other tyrants They opprâ—…ssed the seruants of GOD and kept them in great miserie But God looked downe from heauen and was their helper in the time of néede he brake the â—…ords asunder and delinered them The more â—…ie was extended or practised against them the more glorious did GOD sheiâ—… himselfe in the 〈…〉 of Antichrist By him the Church of God shall suffer great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world And then shal his surie encrease and his tyranic be the greater when his kingdome shall decay and the daies of his desolation shall be at hande Primasius saith Tunc cadet Babylon quando nouis sime potestaâ—…em persequendi sanctos acceperit Then shall Babylon come to the ground when she shall last of al take power to persecute the Saints of God For then wil God arise and will iudge his owne cause he wil deliuer the afâ—…icted and will slaie Antichrist with the breath of his mouth Hereof S. Gregorie saith thus The Church after these daies of her affliction shall afterwarde notwithstanding be â—…rengihned with great power and might of preaching Except there come a departing first There must first be a departing from faith in the Church of God and then shall be the comming of the Lorde There was one general departing in the daies of Noah Al flesh had corrupt their waies there was not aniâ—… that did seeke after righteousnesse Then came the daie of the Lorde vpon them he powred out the waterâ—… and they preuailed vpon the earth so that both man and cattel and worme the soule of the heauen were destroied There was a general departing of the Iewes people of God at Hierusalem They made the house of God a denne of théeues they saued a théefe and crucified the Lord of glorie God had no delight in them neither regarded their sacrifices Christ said vnto them O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which haue beene sent vnto thee howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children togither euen as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yee woulde not Beholde your house is left vnto you desolate They shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Such a departing it shall be whereof the Apostle speaketh and so general that the sonne of man when he commeth shall hardly finde faith vpon the earth But this departing is diuersly taken Some vnderstaÌ„d it of the empire that the kingdomâ—… and countries which were before in subiection to that estate shal depart from it and that then Antichrist shal spring vp Others thinke that this is spoken of that departing wherein the godlie haue carried themselues from the obedience of the church of Rome But others more truly say it is the departure from the doctrine and religion and loue and obedience of the gospel of Christ wherof in another place he saith In the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shal giue heede to spirites of errour and doctrines of Diuels forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and know the truth These men shall haue a forme of godlinesse but shall denie the power thereof They shall turne their eares awaie from the truth and wil encline their hearts to heare fables The wordes of the Apostle are plaine to shew that there shal be a departing But as we sée it is not agréed vppon what maner of departing this shal be nor by whome it shall be wrought Our aduersaries lay it vnto vs saying you haue wrought this departing you haue departed from the Church of Rome you are they of whome S. Paule hath spoken you are the founders of Antichrist so say they But would to God they and their fathers and the Church of Rome had not wrought this departure Bernard behelde the state and pride and disorders of the Church of Rome in his time therefore saide Superest vt reueletur homo peâ—…cati filius perditionis non modo demonium diâ—… sed meridianum quod non solum transfiguratur in angelum lucis sed extollitur supra umne quod dicitur Deus aut quod colitur It remaineth that the man of sinne that is the sonne of perdition be reueiled euen the diuel which flieth not onely in the day but destroyeth in the noone day which is not only changed into an angel of light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And Gregorie did sée who they were that should worke this departing and make way for Antichrist therefore sayde Ego fidenter deco c. I speake it boldly Whosoeuer calleth himselfe the vniuersal priest or desâ—…reth so to be called as doth the Pope in the pride of his heart he is the forerunner of Antichrist Now that we may yet better know what maner of departure that shal be let vs consider what Saint Paule speaketh of the Church of God which was in his tune Vnto the Coriâ—…thinans he sayeth If al prophecie and there come in oneÌ„ that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of al men he is iudged of al men and so are the secrets of his hâ—…art made manifest and so wil he fal downe on his face and worship God and say plainly that God is in you in deede How is it then brethern When you come together euerie one of you hath a psalme hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a reuelation hath an interpretation let al things be done vnto edifying c. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in al the churches Blessed were they of God Al thinges among them were done to edifying The holy scriptures were read openly in the presence of the people the people rcuerently kept silence and gaue eare and vnderstood the wil of God and submitted themselues vnto it The prayers were in a knowne tongue to that â—…e vnlearned might vnderstand them and say Amen The holis misteries were duly ministred The people receiued the sacrament of the Lordes supper vnder both kindes as Christ had instituted and did al communitate together Chrisostoine writing vppon that chapter sayth Vere tum Ecclesia coelum fuit c. Verely the church then was a
his mother the mother may commaunde the childe must obey Againe they turne al that is spoken in y e whole booke of the Psalmes of the prophet Dauid either of God or of Christ and apply it to the Virgin Marie cal that Psalter Psalterium beatae Mariae the Psalter of blessed Marie Who wil take the paines to peruse it shal find that comfortable spéech of our sauiour Come vnto me al yeo that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you thus blasphernously abused in y e second psalme Venite ad eam omnes qui laboratis tribulati estis refrigerium solatium dabit animabus vestris Come vnto her al yee that trauell and be heauily loaden she wil giue rest comforte to your soules An other saith the kingdome of god is of two parts of iustice and of mercy He reseructh iustice to himselfe the other part that is mercy he hath yelded vnto his mother Therfore one of them plaieth the Proctour taketh vpon him to shew the differeÌ„ce of those two courtes saying A foro iustitiae dei appellandum est ad forum misericordiae matris eius You must appeale from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his mothers mercie And is there not good cause he should giue vs this counsell if it be true that he hath written Nulla gratia venit de coelo ad terram nisi transeat per manuâ—… Mariae Est enim meà iatrix saluationis iustificationis recoÌ„ciliationis communicationis No mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but it must passe by the handes of Marie For shee is the mediatour of our saluation of our iustification of our reconciliation and of our participation What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie They which wil séeme somewhat to blush at these things wil perhappes excuse this and call it spirituall daliance Vnhappie are they and heauy iudgement shall abide theÌ„ that in such sort dallie and scorne the price of our redemption O let vs open our eies we are the sonnes of God God hath giuen vs eies to sée and eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Let vs iudge vprightly It is gods cause Whosoeuer considereth these and such other great errors must néeds confesse that y e church of Rome hath wrought that departing whereof the Apostle speaketh In the late councell of Trident Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto did something plainly acknowledge the great Apostasie and departing of the church of Rome both in matters of faith and in conuersation and life These be his words Vtinam à religione ad superstitionem c. Woulde God they were not gone wholie with generall consent from religion to superstition froÌ„ faith ro infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist froÌ„ God to Epicure saying with wicked heart and filthie mouth there is no God Neither hath there bene this great while anie pastor or Pope that regarded these things For they al both Pope and Cardinals and other sought their owne and not so much as one of them sought for the things that pertaine to Iesus Christ. Yet say they there can be no departing from faith in the Church of Rome the faith thereof cannot faile for Christ hath said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not And againe The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Therefore in that place there can be no decay This is the saying of some who humble not themselues to knowe their errour who loue the praise of men more than the praise of God whose glorie is their shame which mind earthly things The Apostle saith there shall be a departing that it shal be not among the Jewes and Jnfidels but among those which were reckoned to be of the housholde of faith and the children of God What is it froÌ„ which they shal depart or wherein the decay shall be doth he meane their riches their gold and siluer bread c. No but the doctrine of the gospell and faith in Christ. The pure words which as siluer from the earth are tried and purified seauen times in the fire the wel of water which springeth vp into euerlasting life shal decay in the house of God The people shall shut their eares that they may not heare the truth and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies through hipocrisie And let them not say the church of Rome can not erre For where did Christ euer giue or where haue the Apostles euer mâ—…de mention of any such priuiledge granted to that Church S. Peter saith There were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shall be false teachers among you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation and many shall folow their damnable waies by whome the waie of truth shall be euil spoken of Paul warned the Church of God at Ephesus not onelie that after his departing gréeuous woolues should enter in among them but also that of themselues should men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them When Christ said When the sonne of man shall come shall hee finde faith vpon the earth And when he told his Disciples that the abhomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place when he warned them in this sorte Then if anie shall saie vnto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not For there shall arise false Christs false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued It is most euident he spake of that departing which should come should appeare in the church of God which departing our forefathers did behold and marke in their times and which hath of late yeares appeared so manifestly that no man who is not wilfully blind can doubt thereof S. Paule knew not anie such state of the Church of Rome or anie especiall grant made vnto it in such forte that it should neuer erre for vnto the church of Rome he writeth Boast not thy selfe Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least he also spare not thee Thorow vnbeliefe they are broken off thou standest by faith Behold therefore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God Towards them which haue fallen seueritie but towards thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els thou shalt also be cut off That is if he spared not the Iewes his owne people how wil he spare thée that art but a stranger If thou continue not thou shalt be cut off It may be thou shalt also depart from the faith as the Iewes haue done then shalt thou be as a withered branch shalt not draw any moisture from the roote then wil God also forsake thée and thy end shal be worse than the beginning I trow in saying thus he said not Thou shalt not
which hath shut soorth the faithful from the holy Communion and hath made them carelesse for the receiuing thereof which hath defaced the sacrament abused the Church of God and caused the people to giue the honor of God vnto a creature this is the working of the mysterie of iniquitie he is Antichrist Was there euer any which tooke the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and wrought to himselfe therwith a principalitie or kingdome in earth was there euer any which hath shut them out from the kingdome of God to whom God hath opened it and hath set frée the consciences of those sinners whom God hath not loosed he is Antichrist Was there euer anie which beguiled the people which deuoured widowes houses vnder colour of long praiers and hath vsed them as a net to fishe for the treasures and riches of al the world he is Antichrist Was there euer anie which solde bulles and pardons and forgiuenesse of sinnes and the mercies of God and the merites of men and the bloud of the Martyres and the passion of Christ the sonne of God Was there euer anie that solde Paradise and Heauen madâ—… sale of the soules of the people and al for money the same is Antichrist Was there euer anie which came in the name of Christ with the shewe of holinesse with the countenaunce of the Church and hath shewed himselfe in all his life and doctrine contrarie to Christ hee is Antichrist Was there euer anie which hath saide I am aboue Kinges and Emperours and the states of the worlde I am aboue Councels I am aboue the whole Church of Christ and aboue the Angels of God No man may iudge me I can not erre Whosoeuer shal be saued must be vnder me If any shal not obey mée they are cursed before God God and I haue one iudgement seate we sit together I can do whatsoeuer God can doe He that thus saith is Antichrist The mysterie of iniquitie doeth worke alreadie saith the Apostle He shal not open himselfe What so euer hée doeth hee doth it in secrete So shal he auaunce himselfe so shal hee speake great thinges and blasphemies against the highest so shal he preuaile and prosper so shall hée darken the heauens and drawe the thirde part of the starres after him so shal he sit in the holy place euen in the seate of God and al this shal he worke vnder pretence of humilitie and shal cal himselfe the seruant of seruaunts Onely he which now withholdeth shal let til he be taken out of the way Nowe the Emperour holdeth the whole power and authoritie ouer the worlde but it shal be taken away from him and then shal Antichrist come when al stoppes and lets shal be remoued Who is he that doth stoppe him and let his comming The Emperour of Rome So saith Tertullian so Augustine Ambrose and Chrysostome Antichrist shal possesse a great part of the Romaine Empyre yet so long as the Emperour shal stande and prosper he wil not suffer any part of his empire to be abated So long as the Emperour shal be able to beare himselfe Antichrist shal neuer be able to growe But a time shal come when the Empire of Rome shal be rent asunder then the authoritie of the Emperour shall decay then Antichrist shal gather strength and shal place himselfe where the Emperour was A traitour can not vsurpe the crowne so long as the right king is able to stande and maintaine his state Antichrist is a traitour A traitour both to God and man When the Emperour shal fal and decay then he shal rise vp When the Emperour becommeth weake then he shal growe strong Therefore Paule saith Antichrist shal not come yet for the Emperour letteth him The Emperour shalbe remoued and then shal Antichrist come But before I procéede to say more of this diuision of the Empire That wee may come to the bottome of this matter so sée the meaâ—…ng of this prophecie euidentlie layde open before vs I wil shewe more plainly and particularly of Antichrist who he shal be It is a hard and doubtful thing as are al prophecies but marke wel that shal be spoken I will speake nothing without good warraunt and authoritie of the olde writers and fathers I wil tel you the conditions of Antichrist and where hée shal dwell that knowne it shall be no harde matter to knowe the rest Who shal he be then or of what condition that we may knowe him Some haue said he should be a Jewe of the tribe of Dan some that Nero the bloudy tyrant should rise again and hee should be Antichrist some that hee should be a mightie persecutour which should rage and range ouer the whole worlde rase towers and castles set on fire the Church and oratories and kill whom so euer he méeteth Hyppolitus saieth he shal be begotten by the Diuel and himselfe shal be a diuel These deuises were imagined and written many hundred yeares sithence as euerie bodie were best able to deuise But these are fables and haue no grounde To say the trueth Antichrist shal neither be a Jew nor Nero nor one begotten by the Diuel He shal be a Christian he shal be a Bishoppe and a holie father and a Bishop of great shewe and countenaunce in the worlde Marke he shal not be a King nor an Emperour nor a tyrant nor a temporal Prince but a Bishop But howe may this be knowne that wee may be certaine of it For you wil charge my sayings with partialitie as if what should bée spoken by mee might procéede of displeasure and malice Who then hath so spoken or written that we may beléeue him Heare Gregorie himselfe a Bishoppe of Rome what he recorded of this matter well nigh a thousande yeares agoe Rex superbiae prope est quod dici nefas est sacerdotum est praeparatus exercitus The king of pride that is Antichrist is euen at hande and an armie of priestes is prepared which is a wicked or horrible thing to be spoken Loe both the king which is Antichrist and his garde to waite vpon him a companie of priestes and clarkes of Monkes and Fryers to attend vpon him And vpon whom shal an armie of priestes attende but vpon a Bishoppe If you saye this is no plaine proofe but forced and wrested because he nameth not a Bishop but a king of pride heare him againe Fidenter dico quòd quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vocat vel vocari de siderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit I speake it boldlie whosoeuer either calleth himselfe the vniuersal priest or desireth so to be called as doeth the Pope in the pride of his hart he is the forerunner of Antichrist In this place he doeth not only tel vs Antichrist shal be a Bishoppe but also what maner of Bishoppe He shal be a Bishop that Bishop which shal claime vniuersal authoritie Such a Bishop as shal say It is of the necessitie of saluation that euerie
people mislike and doubt the word of God and imbrace his follies This is a myracle These be the workes of Antichrist which hée shal bring to passe This shall hée worke in al deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse He shal come with al kindes and shiftes of deceite He shal come with shewe of praying with vizarde of fasting with companies of Monkes Fryers Chanons and al kinde and colour of holinesse He shal séeke to preuaile by threatning and by flattering by fayre meanes and by foule hee shal excommunicate and release from excommunication hée shal promise forgiuenesse of sinnes and life euerlasting He shal make boast of the Fathers and auncient doctours hée shal make boast of the vniuersal consent he shall boast of general councels he shal boast of Christes Apostles and of the Gospel of Christ and of the worde of GOD. So shal he falsely and deceitefully worke himselfe credite and beguile the worlde in abusing the holy name of God No kinde of deceitefolnesse or suttletie but he shal vse it So shal he make the people séeke vpon him and kings and emperours to fal downe before him and to say who is like vnto the beast who is so wise so learned so holie so wealthie so mightie and so catholike without him no man is to be rekoned holie or learned Without him no man may traffique buie nor sel. Without him no man may reade publiquely in Uniuersities no man may preach to the people no man may be accounted a Christian no man may hope to bee saued without him without his leaue and liking Such wonders such myracles shal he worke so shal he conquere and subdue the worlde Nowe who bee they which shal bee deceyued in whom shal he preuaile Among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued They shal be deceiued by him Which perish whose hearts are not marked with the spirite of God whose names are not written in the booke of life in whome the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shoulde not shine vnto them they shal followe him and shal be the children of damnation and shal haue their rewarde with him Be he learned or vnlearned bée he King or subiect albeit he be holie albeit hee be catholicke Antichrist shal come vnto him in al deceitefulnesse of vnrighteousnesse because hée hath not receiued the loue of the trueth that hée might bee saued Here marke he doeth not saye Because they receiued not the trueth but he sayth because they receiued not the loue of the trueth Manie in our dayes can speake thus I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth for it is the sauour of life vnto life They can say There is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must bee saued neither is there saluation in anie other than by Iesus Christ whome we haue learned by the Gospel manie wil confesse there was neuer more nor better teaching since the time of the Apostles They séeme to receiue the trueth But they are like the horse and mule in whome is no vnderstanding They receiue it because the Prince receyueth it and because the politique lawes of countries establishe it They are carried awaye with the swaie of the worlde They heare it with their cares Nay I woulde GOD they woulde lende their eares to the hearing of it but with their heartes they doe not heare They haue no feeling of the worde of GOD and of the trueth They wetghe it not they loue it not They consider not what it is nor from whome it is sent They knowe not that it is the water of life and the breade which is sent from heauen They haue no tast no sauour nor pleasure in it Therefore it shall bée taken from them and giuen to a Nation which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof They shal be cast into vtter darknesse and the last state of them is worse than the first It had beene better for them not to haue knowen the waye of righteousnesse than after they haue knowen it to turne from the holie commaundement giuen vnto them It shoulde not be â—…harged vppon them for their damnation for our Sauiour sayeth If I had not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde not haue had sinne but nowe haue they no cloake for their sinne They finde no swéetenesse in the worde of GOD they are not conuerted by it that they may bee saued they haue no pleasure in the wayes of the Lorde they haue no comforte to knowe his will These bee the bondslaues of Sathan these be they vppon whome shall come the abhomination of desolation these be they against whom Sathan and Antichrist shal preuaile because they haue not receiued the loue of the trueth They haue not receiued it into their heartes that they might be saued They had no heartes to féele it they had no eyes to see it V. 11 And therefore God shal sende them strong delusion that they shoulde beleeue lyes 12. That al they might be damned which beleeued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse The spirite of God is the spirite of trueth and giueth light into our heartes and maketh vs beholde that blessed hope and reioyce in the knowledge of his will Therefore the Prophete Dauid maketh prayer O God renue a right spirite within me and take not thy holy spirite from mee And againe O Lorde my GOD lighten mine eyes that I sleepe not in death And againe hee sayeth With thee is the wel of life and in thy light shall we see light Without this spirite we are but fleshe and bloud euen voide of sense and vnderstanding The natural man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him No man knoweth the thinges of GOD but the spirite of God And those thinges which God hath prepared for them that loue him he hath reuealed vnto vs by his spirite Christ sayth No man commeth to me except the father drawe him Vnlesse a man be borne from aboue vnlesse God print and seale his heart with his finger hee shall not be able to see the kingdome of God Nowe if we haue the worde of God before our eyes and regarde it not nor be thankeful for it nor set price by it God in his iustice wil withdrawe it from vs. Then shal we delight in darkenesse and haue pleasure in errour our latter ende shall be more dreadful than was our first beginning This is it which Paule saith God shal sende them strong delusion That is his holy spirite the spirite of trueth shall depart from their heartes and the power of Satan shal dwel with them and wholy possesse them This is the iust iudgement of GOD. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the worlde and men loued darkenesse rather than
light They forsake the light and delight in darkenesse and this is their condemnation They wil not vnderstande nor séeke after God that they may be reformed The Prophet saith Because he loued cursing it shal come vnto him and because he loued not blessing so shal it be farre from him God will strike them with blindenesse They shal be asâ—…onied They shal fall into rebuke and the snares of the Diuell They shal be drowned in perdition and destruction So great shal be the power of errour Men shal not onely be deceiued but shal be deâ—…iued mightilie and stronglie They shal desire to be deceiued and shal beare a deadly hatred against him who so euer shal séeke to reforme them They shal harden their heartes against God and his holy worde they shal stop their eares and not hearken to his counsell they shal not open their eyes to beholde the destruction which is to come vpon them So great and so mightie shal be the delusion So deadly shal be the cloud and blindnesse of their hearts They shal bee giuen ouer into a reprâ—…bate minde They shal be filthie and increase in filthinesse Such shall be the power of Satan such shall be the power of errour and deceitfulnesse They shall despise the glorions Gospell of Christ therefore GOD shall forsake them and giue them ouer to followe Antichrist God hath this daie sent the light and comfort of his holie word into the worlde Manie godlie men haue desired to sée that we sée and to heare that we do heare Blessed be the name of the Lorde which hath in mercie visited vs. We beséeth him to blesse the worke that hée hath begunne Saint Paul saith The grace of God that bringeth saluation to al men hath appeared And to the Colossians he saieth The Gospel is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the worlde And againe Haue they not heard no doubt their sounde went through all the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde The poore receiue the glad tidings of the gosped GOD hath visited and redéemed his people But yet the Apostle saieth They haue not al beleeued our Gospel For Esaâ—…as saieth Lord who shall beleeue our reporte And againe saieth the Prophet Esay I'haue spred out my handes al the daie vnto a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good Wisedome crieth in the stréetes 〈◊〉 I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched Prouâ—… out mine hande and none woulde regarde Such is the power of Satan so shall hée stoppe their eares that they shall not vnderstande what is spoken in the name of the Lord. Paul is a true Prophet and foretold long before that which we maie nowe beholde with our eies In the latter times some shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour They shall be as men without sense or féeling they shall forsake the truth and betake themselues to followe lies and fables Euen they shall doe this which shall sitte in the Church of God who shall professe and carrie the name of Christ. Christ ministred his last supper in both kindes Saint Paul telleth the Corinthians As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death till hee come That this institution of Christ should be kept in the Church vntil the ende of the worlde The Apostles receiued this order the holie fathers and martires vsed it But nowe manie euen too too manie wil not so haue it nor so vse it They will not followe the example of the Fathers nor of Martires nor of the Apostles nor kéepe the ordinance of Christ so strong a delusion hath bewitched them The people of God were taught to praie in the vulgare tongue that their heartes might giue consent and their mouth saie Amen This order did Peter and Paul and Iohn and Iames and the godlie fathers kéepe There is not one of them that tooke order for the contrarie but nowe there are some risen vp which in spite of Christ and his Apostles saie praiers shall be made in a strange tongue either Latine or Gréeke The people shall not vnderstand what they heare They shall not knowe what it is which they themselues saie their hearts cannot giue consent thereto their mouths cannot saie Amen The example of the Apostles the commaundement of Christ the comforte of the people the confusion of the Church nothing mooueth them so great and mighty is the power of error The people worshippe a creature in stéede of the creator who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer They sée they doe amisse yet continue in it and finde no faulte They sée wherein their Fathers were deceiued yet they saâ—… they coulde not be deceiued They sée manie and fowle abuses yet séeke not to redresse them For they saie wée will walke in the waies of our forefathers wée will belieue as they beléeued howsoeuer they belieued Wée will doe as they did whatsoeuer they did they will not heare the worde of the Lord. Thus shall they delight in darkenesse and loath the light they wil be deceiued and will not sée the trueth So mightie and so terrible is the power of errour They be learned in Philosophie and in the tongues they be learned in the lawes they be learned in Phisicke learned in the Doctours and learned in stories They are skilfull to buie and sell to purchase land to enrich themselues and to prouide for their children They haue knowledge in al things else But themselues and the trueth of God and the way to saluation they haue not knowne A théese when he is taken blusheth A harlot is ashamed of her filthinesse and a drunkard of his beastlinesse But they that are such haue hardned their faces they cannot blush Whatsoeuer they haue saide or doone either openly or in secret by hipocrisie or crueltie by rauin or treacherie in offering pardons to sale in deceiuing the people of God in accusing the righteous and condemning the innocent they cannot repent they knowe no shame So great is the power of errour Christ saith vnto them The Publicanes and the harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God They consider that they haue done amisse but you are wilfull in your blindenesse Oh the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God Who is wise and considereth this They striue against the manifest truth they striue against their owne conscience they striue against the spirite of God This is that sinne which shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the world to come Therefore saith Paul that al they might be damned which beleeued not the truth Al shal be damned which beléeued not Then let no man saie I will follow the example of my fathers I wil doe as the greater part doth So manie and so manie for so manie yeares in so manie places haue bin on this side The iudgement of God standeth not in the multitude but in the truth Whosoeuer