they beleeue though one rise from the dead Thus we are referred to build our beliefe vpon Moses and the prophets Christ himselfe saith and commandeth vs g Iohn 5 39 to search the scriptures for saith he they are they that testifie of me So that the people are bolde to heare Christ Moses and the prophets and apostles with this clause also added that if any though an Angell from heauen teach doctrine contrarie vnto them Anathema sit wee must holde him accursed so that we are not to beleeue the Pope nor his vnwritten verities nor generall Counsels nor yet ancient Fathers no not Angels themselues though comming from heauen if they teach matter contrarie to the sacred scriptures as the people are to hear such kind of Teachers so are also all that take vpon them the office of teaching or of Apostleship not to teach doctrines of men or their owne fantasies or blind dreames but onely such stuffe as they receiue from God Moses he gaue the lawe to the Israelits but he did it by commandement from the Lord and spake as from his mouth What maner power the prophetes generally had is very well described in Ezechiell Thou h Ezek. 3.18 sonne of man saith the Lord I haue geuen thee to be a Watchman to the house of Israell therefore thou shalt heare the worde out of my mouth and thou shalt declare it to them from me Look to the Apostles and see what commission they had Goe saith Christ h Mat. 27.19 and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father the sonne and the holy Ghost teaching them to keepe all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commanded you so the apostles commission was to teach that which they had receiued from Christ Christ himselfe the sonne of the euerliuing God in respect that hee was an apostle or messenger sent from God his Father answereth the Iewes in the seuenth of Iohn saying My i Iohn 16. doctrine is not mine but his that sent me So Christ himselfe taught no other doctrine but that which he had from his father And S. Paule as a faithfull Apostle affyrmeth to the Corinhians that he k 1 Cor. 11 receiued that of the Lord which he deliuered vnto them Thus wee see that the apostles spake from the mouth of Christ Christ from the mouth of his Father and all both Christ and the Apostles Moses and the prophetes spake as from the mouth of God which is also verified by that one saying of the Authour to the Hebrues God l Heb. 1 1 in times past diuers waies spake vnto the Fathers by the Prophetes but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his sonne And Paule telleth Timothy that all scripture m 2 Tim. 3 16 is giuen by diuine inspiration and written as with the finger of God who is all trueth and therefor it is impossible should either lie or erre Therefore touching matters of religion let God alone be heard and the sacred Scriptures produced for the establishing of that religion which shall be acceptable in his eies For a mans faith is to bee builded vppon the surest anchor and m 2 Tim. 3 16 rocke and in such sort that neither windes nor waues be able to remooue it and that must be as Christ teacheth vpon his woord which is infallible and neuer fayleth And all both reason and diuinitie so perswadeth for that saying of Paule is true Let n Mat. 7.14 God be true and euerie man a lier It is well knowne and dayly experience can tel vs that men may erre and goe awrie but he o 1 Ioh 5.10 that beleeueth not God maketh him a lier as S. Iohn saith which cannot be without horrible blasphemie Let vs therefore not build our faith and religion vpon any man be he Augustine Cyprian Ambrose Hierome or whosoeuer nor vpon generall Councels for they were also compounded of men and Humanum est errare Men may erre therefore no question but they might erre And if in any any thing they doo not erre it is because they haue the word of trueth and of sacred Scripture for their confirmation or els they must needs erre So that all those ancient Fathers and generall Counsels they must all drawe water from the pure fountaine the sacred word of trueth or els they doo nothing els but preach the puddle of their owne inuentions which if they should doo though they were Angels from heauen we must not beleeue them nay Anathema sit we must hold him accursed by the rule of Paule aforesaid The woorde of God deliuered as from the mouth and hand of God being laide as a foundation wee are not to doubt but that our religion builded thereupon is most sure and certaine neuer able vtterly to bee ouerthrowne with all the power and pollicie of Antichrist and his adherents bee they neuer so subtil in the one or ful of fortitude in the other For why Christ the head of his Church is the defender thereof and the confounder of Antichrist The Papistes and enemies of the true Church of God they call vs Heretikes by a metaphoricall speach borrowed from themselues and giue railing sentence vpon bs when they are no longer able to conuince our reasons shewing therein their malignant tongues and malicious hearts but we answere with Paule that with that which they call heresie we serue the liuing God They call our religion a condemned doctrine attainted long ago by general Councels If they shew me the reuealed counsell from God I wil beleeue them and of generall Counsels some are meere repugnant and contrarie one to another so that they are of litle credite But what if it be condemned by men if it be allowed of God what neede we care We knowe that at Ierusalem they held a councel together to put p Math. 26.4 Christ to death as a malefactor yea and condemned him Was therfore his doctrine euer the worse or was it therefore so because they condemned him Did they not hold a councell against Stephen and stone him to death and yet Stephen is recorded to be a man full of q Act. 6.12 faith and of power What will the deceitfull Papistes say of Peter their Popes predecessour as they vainely boast There was a generall councell held against him also and condemning his doctrine scourged him and the rest of the Apostles with an inhibition that they should not teach any more in the name of Iesus If their general councels be of force to condemne vs and our religion I see no reason but that their religion should be also condemned by the former councell against Peter but Peters doctrine was true notwithstanding the Counsell and so may ours notwithstanding their Councels against vs For we as I haue oft said builde our religion vppon Christ vpon Peter the apostles and prophets The Papistes therefore do both foolishlie and ignorantly paint out the beautie of their Church by the tytle of vniuersalitie and thereupon
they cannot doo they thinke vnlesse they haue the peoples heartes and they perswade themselues that the people of the other side will neuer be reconciled to their Romish Church vnlesse their religion be easie plausible and pleasant to the outward sight and delight of the flesh Hereupon haue they graunted their Bulles their dispensations and all other their licentious doctrines which geue free leaue and authoritie to commit any sinne or sinnes for as long or as short a time as they listed so that they might take their choise of pleasant sinnes to sport themselues at their pleasure and conuenient leisure which to atchieue notwithstanding they must pay good currant coyne for Behold gentle Reader the two pillers of the church of Rome viz. The glorie and riches of their proude Pope and prelates was one and the libertie preached to the people was the other So that the pope I thinke went about to builde a kingdome for himselfe on earth rather then to build a church for God in heauen Hereupon is he magnified with so many titles Hereupon after he began to growe in ambition he vsurped the tytle of Supremacie ouer all kinges princes and Emperours of the world And when the pope had all this iurisdiction and preheminence what was it els but to say with the Whore of Babylon d Reue. 18.8 Sit as Queene I wonder that all the Papistes of the world are not ashamed of their vnholye father whose kingdome whose Church whose religion is onely to preach libertie and licentious kinde of liuing to the people seeking his owne onlie glorie and renowne and not the glorie of God This is that the Iesuits fight for that the Seminaries perswade and contend for that the papistes boast of that they dare challenge al the world in disputation for the defence thereof namely the erecting of the downfalling pride of the Pope in their subtill perswasions to reconcile sillie vnstable soules vnto their Romish Sea They can paint out the honour of Rome with most princelie building in the authoritie of their Pope with more then kinglie tytles and the glory of their splendant Church with no lesse eloquence insomuch as they haue made their tongues as sweete as musicke to enchant and their reason nothing but sophistry to deceiue of whom I wish all men to take heede as of rauening wolues and to flie them as venemous serpents For the true Church of God dooth not stande in such outward glystering pompe as these men would make beleeue but in trueth of the word of God deliuered in sacred scriptures as heretofore hath bene declared But all the pomp wherewith the Romaine Iesuits Seminaries and papistes doo so aduance their proude Pope withall and calling their Church the mother Church What dooth it els represent vnto vs but the glorious state of the Whore of Babylon which was clothed with e Reue. 17.4 purple and decked with golde with pretious stones and pearles hauing a cuppe of golde in her hand full of th'abhominations and vncleannesse of filthinesse and in her forhead was written not the mother Church but great Babylon the mother of fornications and of abhominations of the earth O but I doo the Pope great iniury for he calleth himselfe Seruus seruorum the seruant of seruants but what matter is it to cal himself so in name when in deed he sheweth himself Rex regū a king of kings and a Lord aboue all nations as his title of supremacie his vsurped authoritie of-excommunication of princes his putting downe of kinges and giuing their kingdoms away to whome he list doth manifestly bewray So that this is but a mist cast ouer mens eies to blind fold men from beholding the vsurped princelinesse of the Pope In trueth the Church of Rome sauoureth of too much earthly pompe to haue any part in the true church of God though it boast neuer so much and trust in lying words saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord The papistes can say that concerning Rome they haue the testimonie of Paule who in his Epistle to the Romanes writeth to al that be in Rome calleth thē f Rom. 1.7 beloued of God called saints but what profiteth it thē that in times past there was a true spouse of Christ in Rome sith now and manie yeares since it is become an adultresse and hath forsaken her first loue her first faith But al this is outcountenanced with the authority of the pope being Peters successor as he glorieth And the pope he chalengeth the Apostolike Sea so that hee will be Peters successour and yet vicarius dei what is this els but to assure vs that Antichrist shall sit in the Temple g Thess 24. of God as God boasting himselfe to be God The Pharisees in Christes dayes could say who can forgiue sinnes but God and yet the Pope hee will arrogate vnto himselfe that authoritie to wreath from kinges their crownes and scepters what is this but to sit in the temple of God as God and boasting himself to be God Now how well he dischargeth the office of an Apostle I think al men vnderstand he braggeth to be Peters successour but what glory is it to be Peters successour in place and not to retaine the doctrine and performe the office of the Apostle Peter It is the maner of papistes altogether to glorie of names persons and places and such outward titles they neuer looke to the trueth of inward puritie so that al there religion is nothing els but a painted schulchre fayre to the eye but within full of rotten bones because the pope was successour to a good Apostle It followeth not no more then an vsurper of a kingdome shal be said a lawful king because he is a successour to a lawfull king Though Peter were a true apostle yet the pope may be a false Apostle and that the Pope is a false Apostle appeareth by the notes of a true and false Apostle Peter had his calling from Christ to be an Apostle and so entred Peter into the Apostleship For Christ is the h Ioh. 10.1 dore whosoeuer entereth not in by the doore but climeth vp some other way the same is a theefe and a robber therefore let the Pope shew that he entred in by the dore or els hee is not like Peter a lawful Apostle In doctrine how the Pope and Peter agree is soone seene Peter saith if i 1. Pet. 4 1◠anie man speake let him speake as the words of God the pope hee blotteerth out his owne traditions his vnwritten verities and vomiteth out the puddle of his owne brayne yea he wil preache matter contrarie to the word of God and peruert the worde of God as when Paule sayth and the whole Scripture agreeing with hym that by the k Rom. 3.20 workes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified before God the Pope and Papistes holde and teache that good woorkes are meritorious yea and that
diuelish braynes that doe nothing els but deuise the vtter ruine and destruction thereof if they could tell which way To these men therefore me thinkes Gameliel a doctor of the lawe should satisfie answering in the like case to the rulers who tooke counsell to put Peter and the rest of the Apostles to death for their preaching in the name of Iesus Let them alone saith he for if this a Act. 5 28 worke be of men it will surely come to naught if of God you cannot dissolue it least you be found to fight against God As long therefore as our religion is builded not vpon men but vpon God in vayne doe papistes looke for the ouerthrow of that whereof God himselfe purposeth to vphold They obiect as contrarie vnto vs the antient fathers by whose consenting voyce if the debate were to be ended the better part of the victorie to speake moste modestly would bend to our side but whereas manie thinges haue bin well and wisely written of those fathers and something hath happened to them which is woont to happen to men these kinde natured children according to the rightnesse they haue both of wit and iudgement doe worship onely their faultes and errours and those thinges which are well spoken they eyther vtterly reiect or els mischieuousle corrupt with their bastard glozes and interpretations And no maruell though they thus deale with the fathers who were but men when they dare be bolde to adde to to take from to curtoll corrupt in like sort the sacred scriptures of God himselfe as afterward shal be declared But the papistes are so drowned in their owne sensuall blindnesse they are so addicted onely to the outward eye that they can see no true token of the true church they shew themselues to be men in that rather then they will haue no Church they will build it vpon men when they want the word of God for their foundation whervpon in trueth the true Church is builded but of the same fountain of ignorance is it that they call our religion newe because it appeared not in outward shewe along time together as their painted Church hath done to whome we answere that it is new to them to whome the Gospel is new And wheras it hath long lien hid vnknown and as it were buried that was the fault of the vngodlinesse of the world but nowe sith it is by the bountifulnesse of God restored againe it ought by right of full restitution to receiue againe the due title of antiquitie And herein the papistes do manifest iniurie vnto vs who conuey our religion farre before theirs namely from the mouth of God and the prophets of Christ and his apostles by a lawfull conueyance written with the finger of God sealed with the blood of his sonne and deliuered vnto vs by the handes of the prophetes and apostles so that we haue the writinges of God lawfully sealed and deliuered to giue in euidence for the trueth of that faith that we professe the truth whereof is confirmed by the myracles that are extant in scriptures wrought by Christ and his apostles for the establishing of his doctrine foreuer So that I trust the Papistes will not driue vs to other myracles for all the myracles that euer were done before either in the time of Moses and the Prophetes or Christ and his apostles for confirming of the doctrine that they should teach vpon which doctrine already confirmed by innumerable myracles signes and wonders Wee rest and stay our selues as vpon a most sure anchor and infallible foundation which can neuer faile nor fall They haue charged our doctrine as the welspring of troubles vprores and contentions and tearmed it most slaunderously a Doctrine of Libertines and licentious libertie But who knoweth not that these are euident and apparant badges of their Romish religion Dooth not daylie experience teach vs that the Romaine Iesuits and Seminaries of Rome doo disquiet not onely England but all Europe with erecting vprores and monstrous treacheries and treasons in peaceable common-weales with seeking to shead innocent blood to pull crownes from lawfull annointed Princes and setting subiectes if they could in rebellious troupes to bid battaile against their lawful Soueraignes But it is an hard matter to take Hercules club out of his hand and to wreath from Princes their crownes is more impossible but in raising warre against God the annointer of Princes and preseruer of their regal Scepters is far lesse hope to get a victorie Therefore to the turbulent spirited Papistes Elias hath taught vs to answere that it is not we that haue c 1. King 18 troubled Israell but themselues that wrastle against the power of God And whereas they vrge vpon vs a doctrine of liberties and licentiousnesse they throwe that vppon vs which is appropriated and peculier vnto themselues onely For our religion teacheth a true faith towards God and good and godly conuersation among men but all the Romishe Catholikes if they bee once reconciled to the Sea of Rome there is no trueth in their mouthes nor faithfulnesse in their heartes they may sweare and forsweare for Fides non est seruanda cum haereticis as they with as much rage as litle reason tearme vs yea what villanie may they not commit They may sinne all monstrous sinnes of the world and iustifie it when they haue done so that they may sinne and that with authoritie They may haue a pardon from the pope and a dispensation also for money to commit all filthinesse and kindes of naughtinesse adulterie robberie murther treasons rebellions And what villanie is there that they may not commit with boldnesse by vertue of their vitious and most pestilent religion For a popes pardon will salue all Doo wee not see it euident that the pope sendeth his Legates hither to perswade the people to a wrong faith to whisper in their eares treachery and treason against a most naturall prince and Soueraigne And to such fellowes as like hereof they graunt pardons and take it a matter meritorious in heauen But who is so blind that dooth not see the peruersnes and sensuall beastinesse of their Romish religion who when they are able no longer to stand vpright and to maintaine the pompe of the Pope but that his kingdom beginneth to fall being already shaken when by the power of the word of God the glory of their church beginneth to decay and fade away then they are driuen to deuise newe subtilties and because their doctrine cannot please God they endeuour another while to see if they can please men withall Wherein good reader I beseech thee consider with me vpon what good foundation the Church of Rome is builded and how well the pope that vainely bosteth himselfe to be Peters successour dischargeth the office of a true apostle The papistes and Romanistes they contend with stretched out voice and fight with all the violence they can to erect and vphold the vanishing and all tottering glorie of the pope This