Irenaeus affyrmeth who saith thus Columna firmamentū Ecclesiae est Euangelium spiritus vitae The piller and buttresse of the Churche is the Gospell and the spirite of life Saint Augustine saith Nolo humanis documentis c. I will not saieth he that the holy Churche bee shewed by mens documentes but by the worde of God Chrisostome saith Nullo modo cognoscitur quae sit vera ecclesia Christe nisi tantummodo per scripturas By no way it is to be known whyche is the true Church of Christ but onely by the Scriptures Thus you may sée plainly by these ancient holy lerned writers whatsoeuer the Pope his late Parasites write and bragge of the Church of Rome that the true Church Christ only is to be known tryed by the holy Scriptures Perhappes you wil say that many places of the Scriptures are so darke and so doubtfull that they wil neuer be vnderstanded vnlesse they be opened and expounded by some learned Doctor or Writer I wil not deny but that it is good and necessary to haue the Scriptures opened and declared by godly vertuous and learned men yet not of necessitie to be bounde thereto and so to beléeue their writings so farre as they shall agrée with the Scriptures but that must not be by the Pope and his Doctors for they as you haue heard before so interprete the Scriptures that they lose their meaning and sense both of God Christ the Prophets and the Apostles and so are made the Popes doctrine onely to serue his wicked and ambitious authoritie and desire And also you shall here perceiue that the holy and auncient Fathers and Doctors are of this opinion that the Scriptures are able to expounde themselues and néede none other interpretor and that there is no case in religion so doubtful or darke but y t it may wel be either proued or reproued by collection and conferēce of the Scripturs Saint Hierome saith Moris est scripturarum obscuris manifesta nectere It is the order of the Scriptures after hard things to ioyne other things that be plaine Saint Augustine also saith Solet circumstantia scripturarum illuminare sententiam The circumstance of the scriptures is wont to giue light and to open the meaning Tertullian giueth the like rule Oportet secundum plura intelligi pauciora The fewer places must be expounded by the moe Thus these learned Fathers and Doctors iudgement is that the Scriptures expounde their owne meaning and one place openeth an other But nowe marke what one of the Popes Chaplaines wryteth concerning the exposition of the Scriptures and whether he agrée with the Diuel or with these saide holy Doctors or not Hosius one of the pillers of the Popes Church saith If a man haue the exposition of the Church of Rome touching anye place of the Scriptures althoughe he neither know nor vnderstand whether and howe it agreeth with the wordes of the Scriptures yet he hath the very word of God You may perceiue by this fellowes writing of what Church he is and that he is of an other Church than Saint Hierom Saint Augustine Tertullian or Chrisostom were for he saith If the Church of Rome expound the Scriptures though it be contrary to the Scriptures or do not agree with the wordes of the Scriptures yet it is the very word of God Thus haue the Popes Doctors deluded the people that the Scriptures were no Scriptures vnlesse it agréede with the expositions and so they made the very word◠of God whyche is our light to Saluation to be very darkenesse and our leader to damnation Marke also what that Caterpiller Cardinall Cusanus writes for the authoritie of their Romishe Churche aboue the Scriptures I tell thee saith he that there is nothing taken for Christes commaundement vnlesse it be so allowed of the Churche meaning the Churche of Rome when the Churche hath chaunged hir iudgement Gods iudgemente is likewise changed Oh abhominable and detestable imps of Sathan though the whorish Church of Rome may change in hir iudgementes yet God in his holy worde is infallible and vnchangeable in hys iudgements What hel-houndes are these that woulde make vs beléeue that as the Popes iudgements doe change so Gods iudgementes doe change and that nothing is taken for Gods commaundement vnlesse the Pope and the Romish Church allowe it but contrary say I that the commaundements of the Pope and of their Churche are nothing vnlesse Christ doth allow them And marke wel for as thys Cusanus hath written euen so the Pope hathe chaunged the law of God cleane contrarye to his own or rather the Diuels commaundement For whereas God himselfe sayde Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Now that is not Gods cōmandemēt vnles it be allowed by the Church of Rome and bicause the iudgemēt of the church of Rome is changed therfore Gods iudgement therein is changed So that this law must now be takē thus thou shalt honor Pope for a God on earth and thou shalt call him Lorde God the Pope And whereas God saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauē Image of any likenesse that is in heauē c. Now the Church of Rome hath changed hir iudgement therein therfore Gods iudgement is changed wherfore that commandment must be turnd thus Thou shalt worship Images as thou wouldst the sonne of God he that worshippeth an Image and saith it is Christe offendeth not nay he offendeth that worshippeth not an Image he that worshippeth not an Image is an heretike thou shalte worship an Image with y e same reuerēce wherwith thou dost worship y e holy Trinitie And wheras God said Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Now the church of Rome hath changed hir Iudgement so that God hath chāged his iudgemēt therin also Therfore now you must say thus if thou haue married a wife thou shalt sweare take thine othe to forsake hir to put hir away from thée but thou shalt not sweare to forsake whoores or harlots or to refuse whoredome And whereas God saith thou shalt keepe holy the Sabboth day c. now that is none of Gods cōmaundement for the Church of Rome hath changed hir iudgement therfore Gods iudgemēt is likewise changed wherfore that lawe must now be turned thus Thou shalt not kéepe holy the Sabboth day but whereas Gods worde should then be redde and preached thou shalt in stéede therof commit idolatrie worship Images and pray vnto them and knéele to Masses and honor a péece of bread and take it for the bodie of Christ. God also saith Honor thy father mother yea but now for that the Church of Rome hath chaunged hir iudgement God hath also in this commandement changed his iudgement therfore that law must now be thus Thou shalt disobey thy father and mother King Prince Country and obey the Pope and the Church of Rome
Pope Who contrarie to the Pope doth teach you mercie for murther humblenesse for hautinesse and clemencie for crueltie and he calles him blessed that delighteth in the lawe of God and exercises himselfe therein day and night whereas the Pope curseth them that exercises themselues in the worde of God and hydes and burnes the word of God But say what we will and proue what wée can against the Pope you are so farre in loue wyth him and his holye lawes and especially his Masse that you care not though al runne on whéeles so that you myght haue it here in Englande You may haue it if you will there is no penaltie of death on it Marrie they are some thing dearer than they were wont to be for the day hath bin that you mighte haue had one for a groate but nowe they are so deare that I thinke you had rather steale them priuily than buye them openly And I will not say but that you may steale a Masse in a corner as diuers haue done but if you do so you are verie théeues to God to your Prince to your selues for thereby you rob God of his glory the Quéene of hir dutie and your owne soules of heauenly felicitie O how are you bewitched with blindnesse do you knowe what mischiefes the Masse would bring with it if it might be suffred openly and fréely againe in this Realme I know well you do not for if you did you would not be so desirous of it you would faine haue the drinke but you consider not the poyson y t is in it I may compare you to théeues which construe the best but consider not the worst For théeues before they steale do say among themselues we shall haue a iolly bootie it will make vs men for euer it will buy vs trim apparell we shall fare like Lordes and we shall lyue like gentlemen and so they stay there and reason no further but therewith they consider not how therby they shall offend God than which nothing can be worse they cast not aforehand that they may chaunce to misse of their purpose and may pay as déerely as though they had it they do not consider the great shame they may reape therby they quite forget that if they be knowne and taken that therfore they shall be hanged Thus théeues vse to debate aforehand of al the best that may happen leaue out al the worst that most coÌ„monly doth happen euen so you cast in your heads what great comfort and ioy it woulde be to your minde and fond fancie if you might once enioy here your Masse againe but you respect not the manifolde mischiefes that your Masse would bring with it as the great idolatry you should commit thereby the heauie wrath of God you shoulde procure thereby and the torments of hell fire that you should gaine thereby for séeking saluation therein which can be found in nothing but in the death of Christ and by beléeuing in him Here is inough I thinke but yet here is not all for if the Masse come in shée must haue hir waiting men come with hir also and what are they I pray you if you say you can not tell yet I am sure that I can tell these they are marke them well warres troubles discordes contentions crueltie miserie bondage losse of goods yea and losse of liues and libertie which some of you may haply like them before they are come but none of vs all I thinke would like them if they should come The Lord kéepe that monstrous Masse hir relickes and hir retinue out of this Realme And I beséeche God prosper our Quéene that hath banished hir and will by Gods helpe kéepe hir out during hir life yet you doate so much of your Masse and of the Romish religion that you thinke if you had it here that then you should haue more plentie quietnesse and peace than you haue Beléeue it who will for I will not But if we had it as the Lorde kéepe it from vs you shoulde then knowe it better by féeling than you will beléeue me by telling What doe you thinke y t the Popish Masse can bring vs more plentie quietnesse and prosperitie by Idolatrie than our worthie Quéene or Maistresse hath brought to vs with Gods worde if the Diuell doth persuade you that it will be so Gods word doth assure vs that it cannot be so Marry if you coulde proue y t any one prince of your religion hath raigned so royally so quietly so peaceably so plentifully so prudently so politikely so prosperously and so mercifully with such treasons vttered such daungers escaped such mischiefes discouered with subiectes so loued of the enimies so feared with such league vnited and ech where so famed so long togither as our worthy Quéene a professour maintainer and defender of the word of God hath done the better we might beléeue you but that I am sure you neuer can doe Therefore as Papistes and we are contrarie in religion so if a Papist should raigne ouer you after our Quéene looke for contrarietie in regiment and not for the like as trouble for quietnesse warres for peace penurie for plentie follie for prudencie vnaduisednesse for pollicie aduersitie for prosperitie slauerie for equalitie bondage for libertie and crueltie for mercie and so be sure for contraries in all the rest of this our most blessed and happy gouernment How fond are you that beléeue that you shall still enioy this your happy state thoughe you change Gods true Religion and your mercifull gouernesse what woman is so foolish that liued quietly and merily vnder hir first husband that was godlye and vertuous that will thinke to liue as quietly and merily after with a wicked shrewde and crabbed husband who will thinke that if he change the bright day for the darke night that yet for al that he shal kéepe the right way goe without daunger none vnlesse mad men or fooles For chaunge your day for the night then chaunge your safe going for daungerous stumbling If a woman chaunge a good and vâ—rtuous man for a crabbed shrewde husband then she shall chaunge hir merrie life for a sorowfull life Euen so if you chaunge your godly and mercifull Princesse for a wicked and cruell tyrant then be sure to change your ioy and prosperitie into miserie and calamitie And so likewise if you change Gods true and most holie worde for false Papistrie superstition and Idolatrie then assure your selues you shall change these your wonderfull benefites and blessings of God into his manifolde plagues and cursings This assuredly looke for if you shall haue any such change as you looke for They that are not content with a faire hot Sunne-shining day without Winde or cloudes but are desirous of change of weather then they must looke that their change of weather shall be winde rayne clouds frost snow stormes tempests or lightning and thunder for fayrer weather thaÌ„ they had before they can not haue so your goodlye
change that you desire and hope for must néedes be warres troubles penurie aduersitie crueltie and such like as before is mentioned Now if you will not beléeue me beléeue y e word of God that cannot lye which plainely declares what prosperitie and blessings they shall haue that followe his worde and kéepe his commandements and also the plagues that shall happen to them that chaunge and turne from his worde which are written by Moyses the Prophet the seruant of God as followeth If thou shalt obey diligently the voyce of the Lorde thy GOD not the voyce of the Pope and obserue and do al his commandements which I do coÌ„mand thee this day then the Lord thy God will set thee on highe aboue all the nations of the earth and al these blessings shal come on thee ouertake thee if thou shalt obey the voice of the Lord thy God Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed in the fielde blessed shall be the fruite of thy bodye and the fruite of thy grounde and the fruite of thy Cattell the encrease of thy Kine and the flockes of thy Sheepe blessed shal be thy basket and the Dough blessed shalt thou bee when thou comest in and blessed also when thou goest out The Lord shal cause thine enimies that rise againste thee to fal before thy face they shal come out against thee one way and shal flye before thee seuen ways The Lord shal coÌ„mand the blessings to be with thee in thy storehouses in al that thou seâ—st thy haÌ„d vnto wil blesse thee in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee The Lord shal make thee an holy people vnto himselfe as hee hath sworne vnto thee if thou shalt kepe the commandements of the Lord thy God walke in his wayes TheÌ„ al the people of the earth shal see that the name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee they shal be afraid of thee And the Lord shal make thee pleÌ„teous in goods in the fruite of thy body and in the fruite of thy Cattel and in the fruite of thy ground The Lorde shal open vnto thee his good treasure eueÌ„ the heaueÌ„ to giue thee rayn vnto thy land in due season and blesse al the workes of thy handes And thou shalt lende vnto many nations but shalte not borrow thy self and the Lord shall make thee the heade and not the taile and thou shalt be aboue onely and shalte not be beneath if thou obey the commaundementes of the Lorde thy God which I commaunde thee this day to keepe and to doe them But thou shalt not decline from anye of the wordes which I commaunde you this day eyther to the right hande or to the lefte to goe after other Gods to serue them But if thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lorde thy God to keepe do all his coÌ„mandements his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this daye then all these curses shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee Curssed shalt thou be in the Towne and curssed also in the field curssed shal be thy basket and thy Dough cursed shal be the fruite of thy bodie and the fruite of thy land the encrease of thy kine the flockes of thy sheepe cursed shalte thou be when thou comest in and cursed also when thou goest out The Lorde shall sende vpon thee cursing trouble and shame in all that whiche thou settest thy hande to do vntil thou be destroyed and perish quickly bicause of the wickednesse of thy works whereby thou hast forsaken me the Lorde shall make the pestilence cleaue to thee vntill hee hath consumed thee c. The Lorde shal smite thee with a consumptioÌ„ and with the feuer and with a burning ague and with feruent heate and with the sword and with blasting with meldew they shall pursue thee vntil thou perish And thine Heauen that is ouer thyne head shall be brasse and the Earthe that is vnder thee Iron The Lord shall giue thee for the raine of thy lande dust and Ashes euen from the Heauen shall it come downe vpon thee vntil thou be destroyed And the Lorde shal cause thee to fall before thine enimies thou shalte come out one way against them and shalt flee seauen ways before them And shalt bee scattered through al the kingdomes of the earth And thy carcasse shal be meate to all the foules of the ayre and vnto the beastes of the earthe and none shall fray them away The Lord wil smite thee with the botche of Egipt and with the Emrods and with the scab and with the Itche that thou canste not bee healed And the Lorde shal smite thee with madnesse with blindenesse with astonnying of the heart Thou shalt also grope at the noone days as the blinde gropeth in darknesse and shalt not prosper in thy wayes Thou shalt neuer but be oppressed wyth wroÌ„g be polled euermore no man shal succour thee Thou shalt betrouth a wife and another man shal lye with hir Thou shalt build a house shalt not dwel therein thou shalt plant a Vineyarde and shalt not eate the fruite Thyne Oxe shal be slaine before thine eyes and thou shalt not eate thereof Thine Asse shal be violently taken away before thy face shal not be restored to thee Thy sheepe shal be giueÌ„ vnto thine enemies and no man shall rescue them for thee Thy sonnes and thy daughters shal bee giuen vnto another people thine eyes shall still looke for them euen till they fall out and there shall be no power in thine hand the fruite of thy land and all thy labors shal a people eate which thou knowest not Thou shalte neuer but suffer wrong and violence alwaye so that thou shalt be madde for the sight that thine eyes shall see The Lorde shall smite thee in the knees and in thy thyghes with a sore botch that thou canst not be healed euen from the sole of the foote to the toppe of thine head The Lord shall bring thee and thy King which thou shalt set ouer thee vnto a natioÌ„ which neither thou nor thy Fathers haue knowne there thou shalt serue other Gods euen wood stone thou shalt be a wonder a prouerb a common talke among all people whether the Lord shall carry thee Thou shalt carrie out much seede to the fielde shalt gather but little in for the Grassehopper shall destroy it Thou shalt plant a Vineyard dresse it but shalt neither drinke of the Wine nor gather the Grapes for the wormes shall eate it Thou shalt haue Oliue trees in al thy coasts but shalt not annoint thy selfe with the oyle for thine Oliues shall fall Thou shalt beget sonnes and daughters but shalt not haue them for they shal go into Captiuitie c. Here you may sée the great blessings of God promised to his people that hearken to his voyce and obey his lawes and commaundementes so that they decline neither to the right hand nor
to the left hand to goe after other Gods or to serue them which blessings most plentifully he hath poured on this Realme of England euer since our gracious Quéene put downe Idolatrie and Papistrie and set forth the Gospell and word of God And also here you may plainely perceiue and vnderstand the maruellous curses and plagues promised and threatned to them that will not obey the voyce of the Lord our God and kéepe his commaundementes and ordinaunces which plagues and cursses haue aboundantlye lyghted on those Countreys and Kingdomes that embrace and maintayne Idolatrous Papistrie reiecting the Gospell and persecuting the Professours thereof Which is a manifest argument that this Religion that we haue is the true Religion wherewith God is well pleased and your Papisticall doctrine is a false and wicked religion wherewith God is highlye displeased For as God did prosper and blesse the Iewes his people to whome Moyses pronounced the sayde blessings so long as they hearkened to his voyce and obeyed and followed his word and commaundements and as hys sayde plagues and cursses fell vpon them when they harkened not to the voyce of the Lord but committed Idotrie euen so euer since he hath and doeth blesse and prosper the professors and followers of his worde and poures his sayde plagues and cursses on them that despise his worde that are enimies to the Gospell and persecute the professors of the same Marke well and you shall sée that in all ages God guided protected and blessed the Kings and Rulers that clensed their Countreys of Idolatrie and that did set forth and obeyed his law What famous victories did he giue to Iosua the Duke and Captaine of the Israelites which obeyed God and harkened to his voyce to whom God spake as followeth Moyses my seruant is deade nowe therefore arise goe ouer this Iorden thou and all thy people vnto the lande whiche I giue them that is to the children of Israell euerye place that the sole of your foote shall treade vppon haue I giuen you as I sayd vnto Moyses from the Wildernesse this Libanon vnto the greate riuer Perath all the lande of the Hettites euen vnto the great Sea towarde the going downe of the Sunne shal be your coaste There shall not a man bee able to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life As I was with Moyses so will I be with thee I will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Be strong of a good courage for vnto this people shalt thou deuide the land for an inheritaunce which I sware vnto their Fathers to giue them onely be thou strong and of a most valiant courage that thou mayest obserue doe according to all the law which Moyses my seruant hath cōmaunded thee Thou shalt not turne awaye from it to the right hand nor to the lefte that thou mayest prosper whersoeuer thou goest let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day night that thou mayest obserue and do according to all that is written therin for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe These were the wordes that God spake to Iosua Therfore marke y e promises of God to him if he follow do according to the law of God then his way shold be prosperous he should haue good successe none should withstand him al the dayes of his life God would be with him which in déede God performed wonderfully and kept promise with him for that he hearkned to y e voyce of the Lord and directed al his wayes according to the law of God For was not God with Iosua when miraculously he departed the water of Iorden and the children of Israel went drie ouer the same straight towardes Iericho did not God wonderfully deliuer Iericho to Iosua and his people when after the sounding of the Trumpettes the walles thereof fell downe through his power and so Iosua and all his people went into it and tooke the Citie and so they destroyed all the Idolatrous people the enimies of God that were in the same But sée howe sodainely the Lorde went from them and suffered the men of Ai to kill .xxxvj. of the Israelites and made the rest of thrée thousande of them fearefully to flée away bicause Achan in the spoyle of Iericho tooke that for a praye which the Lorde directly commaunded to the contrarie Thus you may easily perceiue that the harkening to the voyce of God following of his worde is the cause of good successe and victorie and the disobeying of his worde and following of their owne fansies was the cause of euil successe and ouerthrowe But God blessed Iosua still bicause he was not cōsenting to Achans fact who stoned him therfore to death for after y t the Lord made Iosua to vanquish and ouercome the fiue Kings of the Amorits in which conflict the Lord threw stones from heauen vpon his enimies and at Iosuas bydding the Sunne and Moone did stand still a whole day togither that he might haue time to ouercome his enimies These wonders did the Lord for his seruant Iosua and his people that harkened to his voyce and obeyed his worde Many other kings did Iosua ouercome through the strength of the Lord that fought for him and his people And when Iosua waxed olde then he called all Israel their elders their heades their Iudges and their officers before him giuing them then the same warning that Moyses and God gaue him to hearken to the voyce of the Lorde saying I am old and stricken in age also you haue séene all that the Lorde you God hath done vnto all these nations before you howe the Lorde hath fought for you Behold I haue diuided vnto you by lot these nations that remaine that as yet were not ouercome to bée an inheritaunce accordyng to your Tribes from Iorden with all the nations that I haue destroyed euen vnto the great sea Westward And the Lord your God shal expell them before you and cast them out of your sight And ye shall possesse their lande as the Lorde your God hath sayde vnto you Bée ye therefore of a valiant courage to obserue and doe all that is written in the Booke of the lawe of Moyses that ye turne not ther from to the right hande nor to the lefte c. But sticke faste vnto the Lorde your God as yée haue done vnto this daye for the Lorde hath cast out before you great nations and mightie and no man hath stande before your face hitherto One man of you shall chase a thousande for your Lorde your God hée fyghteth for you as he hath promysed you Take good héede therefore vnto your selues that yée loue the Lorde your GOD Else if yée goe backe c knowe yée for certayne that the Lorde your God will cast out no more of these nations from before you but they shall bée a snare and destruction to you and a whippe on your
sayth Whatsoeuer the Church teacheth mening y e Pope and the Church of Rome That same is the expresse word of God and whatsoeuer is taught against the meaning consent of the Churche is the expresse worde of the Diuel So that if this be true that he sayeth then the Romish religion which the Papists teach is Gods word and the Gospell which we teache is the worde of the Diuel What a blasphemous wretch is this to cal gods word the worde of the Diuel Hosius and other that saye so and take it so at the dreadfull terrible day of iudgement when neither proude Pope presumptuous Prelates blasphemous Byshops nor péeuish Priests nor Papists shal beare any such sway as they do now and haue done shal then know whether that which we now Preach and teach is the word of the Diuel or not I beséech God that al suche may repente before for then to repent it wil be too late Siluester Prierias sayth Whosoeuer leneth not to the doctrin of the Church of the Bishop of Rome as vnto the infallible rule of God of which doctrine the holye Scripture taketh force and authoritie he is an Heretike Let Prierias and a thousand of the Popes Doctors besids saye so for as long as Christ sayeth not so we care not if Prierias saye true then Christe and his Apostles were Heretikes and manye other for in Christs time there was no Pope of Rome for as loÌ„g as Christ himself was aliue he néeded no vicar And was y e scripturs then w tout authoritie and of no force bycause the church of Rome was vnplanted and bycause there was no Pope it was happy there came a Pope after or else the Scriptures had bin of no force nor had any aucthoritie it was maruell that Christ bad them then Search the Scriptures Did Christ send his Apostles abroad to preache a Gospell that had no aucthoritie and that was of no force it appeares that it had some force for Christe saide that They that beleeued the Gospell which they Preach and were baptized shoulde be saued and they that beleeued not shoulde bee damned Oh what a diuelish preposterous doctrine is this Papistrie y t teacheth that the holy Scripture and word of God taketh his force and aucthoritie of the Churche of Rome whereas their doctrine and all other muste take their force and aucthoritie froÌ„ it For Christ saith Euery plant that my heauenly father hath not planted shal be rooted vp And bycause Papistrie is contrary to Gods word and so not plaÌ„ted by God therefore it shall be pluckte vp by the rootes Therefore though the Churche of Rome and the Pope shoulde bothe perish as many Churches haue done and as the Romish Churche muste néedes perishe yet God hathe and wyll still gyue aucthoritie and strength to his worde This your Papisticall doctrine is suche a false and rydiculous religion that in euerye point it ouerthrowes it selfe Marke againe an other of the Popes pen-men howe blasphemously he writes for the exalting of the aucthoritie of the Romishe Churche Iohannes Maria Verractus saieth We do humbly confesse that the aucthoritiie of the Church meaning the Churche of Rome is aboue the authoritie of the Gospell if it be true that he writes thoughe he be not ashamed to write a moste abhominable lye yet I am sory to write true of him whiche is that I am moste certayne that the spirite of the Diuell hadde greater power in hym when he wrote it than the spirite of God Saint Paule is of a contrary opinion to this Ioannes Maria Verractus for he saith That the gospel of Christe is the power of God to saluation to all that beleeue and both for hys credite and for his authoritie and auncientie is to be beléeued as well as thys Papisticall writer Nowe if the Churche of Rome haue greater power than to be the power of God to saluation then I knowe not what power it shoulde be vnlesse it be the power of the Diuell to Damnation And if that be his authoritie aboue the gospel that he doth meane let him kéepe that authoritie to himselfe and much good doe it him but there is no wise man wil yéelde or submitte hym selfe to that power I thinke This fellowe belike takes his own word for a warrant for he brings neither Scripture nor auncient Doctor to confirme his sayings Well séeing hée bringeth no other aucthoritie to affyrme his saying but himselfe I will be an other that wil maintaine his assertion that the aucthoritie of the Romaine Church and of the Byshoppe of Rome is aboue the aucthoritie of the Gospell And nowe you shal knowe wherein it is greater which hée woulde not vtter for belike he was somthing ashamed of the matter forsooth it is greater for to set the Pope aboue Emperoures and Kings to make him Lord of Lordes and King of Kings to make him tread on the Emperors necke to make him claime to haue al power in heauen in earth to make al the whole earth to be his Uicarage or Dioces to set Kings and Princes togither by the eares to make true subiects rise and rebell against their Prince and King to make him take vppon him to be called the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the worlde to make hym a tyraunâ—e and to burne the Scriptures to murder burn and kil the seruaunts of God that professe the Gospell to make hym commaunde the Angelles to come oute of Heauen at hys pleasure if they wyll doe so much for him and to carrye mens soules to Paradise howe wickedly soeuer they dye to make him an earthly God to make him be called our Lord God the Pope to make him do in a maner whatsoeuer God can do and to make him and Chryste to haue one Consistorie or seate of Iudgement In these béefore declared the Churche of Rome hath greater aucthoritie than Gods worde for Gods worde hathe no suche force nor authoritie This is your godly Churche of Rome In all these thinges and manye moe suche she hath aucthority aboue Gods word but in godlinesse in trueth and in all thinges that appertayne to our saluation the Scriptures and the word of God hathe force and aucthoritie aboue your Church of Rome But perhappes you wil not beléeue me though I haue sufficiently proued it by the Scriptures vnlesse I shewe you some authorities out of ancient Doctors If you looke that the Doctors ought to confirme the Scriptures then you are wide for the Scriptures must confirme and allow the Doctors But to satisfy you withall I wyl alleadge the Doctors who you shall sée wyl agrée with me that the Scriptures must allowe the Churche and that the right Church is knowne by the Scriptures and whosoeuer refuseth to bée tryed by the Scriptures is not of the right Church nor of the church of God The Churche of God is knowne only by Gods word as the auncient learned Father
was created or made and hath bene allowed approued and vsed by many great Emperoures Kings yea and Popes Cardinals and Byshops and many other too long to be put in daying in these daies at the latter ende of the world But whereas the murther of Caine the Idolatrie of the Heathen and the pryde of the Diuell began long before Christe yet the Pope and his Religion began long and many a day after Christ as plainly appeares Therefore seing the murther of Caine the Idolatrie of the Heathen and the pryde of the Diuell that are so ancient and so long before Christ may be put to daying then the Popes authoritie his new Romishe religion that began so long after Christ wherein murther Idolatrie pride beares such a sway may aswel be put to daying be brought to accōpt Therfore regard not the church of Rome for hir anciētnes who though you beléeued she was so old so ancient yet in cōparison of y e gospel she is very yōg but sticke to the worde of God and the Gospell which is both auncient and true wherevpon the right true Churche is buylded and be not angrie with vs for forsaking that false late vpstart Church of Rome and in following Christ and his Gospell which makes vs the true Churche neyther say that we boast our selues to much in saying so which is no proude boasting but a godly reioysing For if it be a proude parte to followe Christe in religion and liuing who is the best patterne to followe of all that euer dwelled on the earth what is the Pope then that claymeth Christes authoritie to him selfe and to be as Christ For one saluted the Pope in this maner as followeth Touching prymacie thou arte Abel Touching gouernment thou arte Noe touching the Patriarkeship thou art Abraham touching order thou arte Melchisedech touching dignitie thou art Aaron touching Authoritie thou art Moses touching Iudgement thou art Samuel touching power thou arte Peter touching annoynting thou art Christe All this I trowe is sufficient for a Pope and I may say further touching thy takyng of all this vppon thée thou art Antichrist That Churche that hath such a head and chiefe Captaine as claymes and takes all these Titles and yet for all that is a very limme of the Diuell muste néedes be a true and holy Churche such a Churche is that Churche of Rome that you haue so much estéemed therefore if you meane to be of the Churche of Christe then flie away with spéede from this Churche of Antichrist For how can that be the Churche of Christ that will not suffer the Gospell which is the Statutes and Lawes of Christ to be red and taught in it As all earthly Emperours Kinges haue their statutes lawes for the obeying of them the maintenance of the countrey Cōmonwealth so hath Christ the sonne of God his statutes lawes for them that be his people the Christians thereby to obey their Captaine Christe to do these things that may conserue them all togither here in a holye congregation and that maye leade them the waye to the kingdome where their head King Captaine in Christ is But as they that wil not suffer the lawes of their Kings or Emperours to be read published to their people but will hyde them destroy them and burne them bycause they should not obey their Emperours and kings and that they should not do their things that should be for the prosperitie concord and continuaunce of their Countrey and common wealth are no true subiectes of those Kings or Emperours but rather rebels and traytors Euen so the Pope and the Churche of Rome are not the true children nor Churche of Christe but rebels and Traytors to him that hydes destroyes and burnes the Scripture Gospell Gods worde bycause we shoulde not knowe our duetie to oure Christe and that we shoulde not kéepe his commaundements Perhappes some of you wil saye if the Popes be so wicked their doctrine so detestable and the Churche of Rome so contrary to Christe as is here alleadged then why doth the Emperour and diuers Kings and so manye Rulers in Christendome followe him and do not espie his diuelish doings Mary I wil tel you why they do not forsooth bicause they looke not in the worde of God whych is the only Candle that woulde make them to sée and so without it they are blinde therefore the Pope doth suppresse it burnes it and hydes it and falsely expoundes it and makes them beléeue it is Heresie to be in their vulgare and knowne tongue and all bycause he woulde not haue them to sée that he maye leade them by the noses whiche waye he liste for the Pope is assured that if the Kings and Rulers that are the defenders of his religion did once know the Scriptures and had them in their vulgare tongue as oure gracious Quéene of England the King of Denmarke the King of Scots and other Dukes and Rulers of Germany and of diuers other Countries haue then they woulde spye his iugling and forsake him as hir Grace and the other Kings Rulers haue done The Lion or wilde Bull saieth M. Iewell bee they neueruer so cruell or great of courage yet if you may once closely couer their eyes ye may easily leade them whether you lyst without resisting Euen so doth the Pope hoodwinke and blindfolde the Princes of the worlde and holde them in ignoraunce for want of looking in Gods worde which done he maketh them to holde his Styrrop to leade his horse to kneele downe and to kysse his shoe and to attende and wayte vppon him at his pleasure but if they eyther knewe him or them selues they woulde not doe it which they will neuer knowe well before they know Gods word better than they doe And thus the blynde Popes leade the blinde Kyngs Princes and Rulers whereby they are all lyke to fall in the ditche and the Pope learnes the blinde Kings and Princes méekenesse and humilitie and the Diuell teaches him to bée presumptuous and proude for humilitie it can not wel be called vnlesse the Pope hath one humilitie and Christ an other For Christ sayth learne of me for I am méeke lowly in hart Nowe if Christ which is the chiefe teacher of humilitie and méekenesse had thought it had bene a point of humilitie to haue troden in the Emperours necke that an Emperour with his wife and childe shoulde haue come in the colde frost and to stande thrée dayes without at his gate for his absolution and pardon that an Emperour shoulde holde his Styrrop whiles he got vp on his horse y e Kings shoulde holde his horse leade his horse by the brydle and go on foote whyles he did ride to set the Emperours Crowne on his head with his foote and to strik it off againe with his foote to suffer a Duke to lie in chaynes vnder his Table whiles he was at dinner and that Kings and Emperours shoulde
which Christ did teache in the Scriptures euen so she hath with their vaine fonde and superstitious fastings quite banished the true fasting required by the Gospell For Christ in the Gospell sayth When ye fast be not sad as the hypocrites are c but when thou fastest appeare not vnto men to fast but vnto thy Father which is in secret thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Here Christ doth appoint vs that we must not let it bée knowne when we fast but the Popes faste is so published and the dayes so commonly and openly commaunded and appointed that euerie one may knowe when they fast So that Christ hath not appoynted his fasting so priuily but y e Church of Rome proclaimes hir fastes as openly Christ hath appointed no dayes nor times for his fasting the Churche of Rome hath appointed dayes and times for hir fasting The meaning of Christs fasting is to abstaine froÌ„ whatsoeuer either meats or drinkes y t makes vs prone to sinne The Popes fast is to forbeare fleshe onely but permits men to eate all kynde of fishe thoughe it be neuer so daintie and deliciously drest and all kinde of Iunkets and banketing dyshes with delycate wynes as muche as wée will cramme and poure in Christes fast is to kéepe our bodyes lowe to be in subiection to the spirite but that is not performed in the Popes fast but by their daintie dyshes and drinkes the Spirite is brought in subiection to the bodie Christes faste is a willing an vncompelled abstinence the Popes fast is a constrained abstinence and is done of many against their wils Christes fasting is to make vs vertuous and holy before God the Popes fast is hypocriticall and to make vs séeme holye before men This is difference enough to shewe you that the Christian fasting of Christ and the common fasting of the Pope are farre vnlike and doe not agrée so that the one shall haue his rewarde hereafter of God and the other hath his rewarde alreadie of men Therefore beléeue not that your accustomed fast of the Church of Rome came either from Christ or his Apostles for neither Christ in his Gospell nor the Apostles in their Epistles doe once commaunde it or affirme it and therefore we can not allowe it S. Augustine one of the excellentest Doctors whose iudgement I trust you will not refuse writes vpon what dayes we ought not to faste and vppon what dayes wee ought to faste I fynde it not appoynted or lymitted by anye commaundement eyther of our Lorde or of the Apostles But what if Saint Augustine had wylled vs to faste on suche dayes as the Pope doeth appoynt and a thousande other learned men moe yet wée are not bounde eyther to beléeue or follow him or them vnlesse we finde their sayings agrée with Gods word for Gods word must leade them but they may not leade Gods worde Therfore bicause your Popish fast is not commaunded nor allowed by the holye Scriptures but cleane contrarie to the same as before is proued therefore it is superstitious wicked and highly displeaseâ—h God and so of vs Christians ought not to be vsed nor commended but vtterly to be eschued and contemned vnlesse it be vsed for worldly pollicie God commaundes vs to refraine swearing euerydaye but for fasting he appointes vs no day but the Pope commaundes vs to faste certaine dayes but byds vs not forbeare swearing any daye yet manye of you regarde the Popes lawe so much and Gods commaundement so little that you thinke it a heynous matter to breake the fasting dayes that the Pope hath commaunded but make it no matter of conscience to sweare euery day which God hath forbydden therefore kéepe the fasting dayes commaunded by our Quéene for good order and pollicye and not for the Popes pleasure for his holinesse or hypocrisie Thus you may sée howe farre wyde you wander and all bicause you will not giue your selues to the hearing and reading of the Scriptures Consider further of your holy Romish Religion which attributes to oyle health of body and soule and remission of sinnes which no oyle but the bloud of Christ can doe And therefore a most blasphemous doctrine Thus the oyle is blest Fiat domino hoc oleum c. O Lorde let this oyle by thy blessing be made a spirituall oyntment to purifie both soule and body And also this is to be said ouer the sicke Per hanc Sanctam vnctionem c. By this holy annoynting thou maist haue remission of thy sinnes Is not this a precious oyle trowe you whereby we may haue remission of our sinnes you may sée what vertue is in the Popish Priests wordes that can make such a precious oyle truely if God had remeÌ„bred this oyle he might haue spared Christ his deare sonne from dying O what a horrible and blasphemous doctrine is this that is taught by your Romish Churche S. Thomas de Aquino which may be S. Thomas of Watring in Englishe saith Some saye and that not without good reason that a man may obteine remission of his venial sinnes which are not deadly sinnes onely by entring into a Churche that is consecrate If one had suche a Churche it would neuer lightly be emptie and it is purposely noted in the glose vpon the Decretalles that veniall sinnes may be remoued eyther by a Pater noster or by holy water that it may be so by a Pater noster which is the Lordes prayer so that it be faithfully sayd I wil not denie but that the popish Pater noster spoken in Latine of them that vnderstande not what they say or els that holy water will do it I will in no wise graunt Thus the church of Rome hath founde out an other manner and way of forgiuenes of sinnes then either Christ or his Apostles euer taught what a damnable doctrine is this to teach remission of sinnes by such toyes and trifles which can be had by no meanes but by the passion death of Christe May not you thinke that the church of Rome is of a pure doctrine and of a perfect religion that allowes and ordaines that Belles must be baptized and christened and allowes Godfathers therefore and giues them a name and puts a coate on their backes to kéepe them from colde as children haue when they are Christened truely I haue redde and perused the whole Bible and the new Testament thorowly and yet I could neuer read in any parte thereof of the christening of belles Marry I remember that Christ a little before his Ascention sayd to his Disciples all power is giuen to me in Heauen and in earth go ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost c. but then he made no mention of the baptising of Belles for if he had the Apostles would haue baptised Belles aswell as the Popes Suffraganes and then we should eyther haue heard of it in the Actes
passe from me but god sayde then neuer a word of y e Masse to his son in y e gret agony yet then was the time for God to haue spoken of it if euer he would speake of it therefore it is most manifest that the Masse hath no suche power to release vs of our sinnes as the Pope and his Prelates would make vs beléeue For if it would deliuer vs from our sinnes then God at this special time wold haue heard the earnest prayer and request of Christ his deare and only sonne and would haue kept him from that cruell death that after he suffered and would or might haue answered his sonne thus oh my louing sonne be merry and glad thou shalt not dye for the sinnes of the people for I haue deuised another easier way to saue thē wherby thou shalt not néede to dye and this it is the Pope and his Priestes shal say and celebrate the Masse whiche is not onely the most highest and honorable seruice that can be done to me but also it shal be a sufficient and perfit sacrifice for sinnes both of the quicke and dead and therby they shal be deliuered from Hel as well as though thou had dyed for them and it shal be a ladder for them to climbe vppe to heauen If God had said thus to his son our sauiour Christe when he prayed so earnestlye to his Father for the sauing of hys life I would haue liked you Masses a great deale better but bycause Christ saide to his Father if it be possible let this Cup of deth passe frōme yet God suffred him to die for al his request therfore it is most manifest true y t it is impossible for vs to be saued by any thing but only by the passion death of Christ. This is so sufficiēt an argument to make you forsake most spéedily y e most detestable Masse y e robs Christe of his merits to take hold on Christ to embrace his gospel as none cā be more sufficiēt probable But for that manye of you doe thynke and beléeue that the bread in the Masse after the Priest hath consecrated it is the verye bodie of Christe bycause Christe sayde This is my bodye you shall nowe heare playnely by the auntient and learned Fathers and Doctors what Christ ment by these wordes But firste before I rehearse them you shall sée what Christe ment by conferring of his owne wordes Christe tooke breade and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue it to hys Disciples saying this is my bodye whiche is giuen for you this doe in my remembraunce now thys latter sentence doe thys in my remembraunce doth shew the meaning of the first sentence For if Christ hadde lefte hys owne bodye wyth vs then he woulde not haue sayde doe thys in my remembraunce For what néede one be wylled to remember that thing that hée séeth Saint Paule likewise sayeth That whiche I deliuered vnto you I receyued of the Lorde for the Lorde Iesus the same nighte in whiche hee was betrayed tooke breade and gaue thankes and brake it and sayde Take yee and eate yee this is my body which is broken for you this do in remembraunce of me After the same manner hee tooke the cup when supper was done saying this cup is the newe Testament in my bloud yet the cuppe wherin was the wine was not the new testament though the very words are so this do as ofte as yee drinke it in remembraunce of me for as ofte as yee shall eate this breade and drinke this cup not meaning that they shoulde drinke the Cuppe thoughe he say so but the Wine in the Cuppe yee shall shewe the Lordes deathe till hee come Here Saint Luke and Sainte Paule differ from Sainte Matthew and from Sainte Marke for here they saye This Cuppe is the newe Testamente in my bloude but Marke and Matthew sayth This is my bloud of the new Testament c. wherby it appeares that therein S. Luke and S. Paule doe open the meaning in this place of y e other two Euangelists So y t therby Christ mēt not that the Wine was the bloud but that the Wine doth signifie his bloud and is a newe couenaunt or witnesse of his bloud that was shed for manye and so he meant of the bread And Saint Paule sayth further Ye shall shew the Lordes death vntil he come So that by his words it plainelye appears that in eating of the Lords supper we chiefly ought to remember Christ in his absence and shewe and remember his death and to be thankeful to him therefore vntil he come again at the last day for these words vntil he come do signifie plainely that he is absent in his body and will come at length And nowe you shall heare whether the auntiente Doctours and writers were of the same iudgemēt or not Tertullian expoundeth these wordes of Christe hoc est corpus meum hoc est figura corporis mei which is This is my bodye that is to say this is the figure of my body likewise Saint Augustine sayth Non dubitauit Dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum cùm daret signum corporis sui Our Lord saith he doubted not to say this is my body when he gaue a signe of hys bodie And he sayth Christ receiued Iudas vnto his banket whereat he gaue to his Disciples the figure of his body and bloude here by these auntient and learned writers it appeares that the breade that Christe brake and gaue to hys Disciples was not his body but a figure and signe of hys body Sainte Cyprian sayeth The cuppe is offered in the remembraunce of Christe by the wine the Lordes bloude is shewed or signified therefore Wine is vsed that by Wine we maye vnderstande the Lordes bloude c. Sainte Augustine sayth in this sacrifice is a thankesgiuing and a remembraunce of the fleshe of Christe that hee hath offered for vs and of the bloude that hee shedde for vs And if you refuse all these learned authors aforesaid yet you wil not refuse I hope y e Popes own glose y t expoūdeth it thus vocatur corpus Christi id est significat corpus Christi It is called the body of Christ that is to say it signifieth the bodye of Christ. De consecra dist 2. hoc est quod in glossa A great sort moe of learned Authors write of the Sacrament to this effect but these are sufficient to proue that the Sacramentall breade and wyne are fygures and sygnes of the bodye and bloud of Christ and not the verye bodye and bloud of Christ. If it be a Sacrament as you call it then it can not be the body of Christ for Saint Augustine sayth Sacramentum est visibile signum inuisibilis gratiae A Sacramēt is a visible signe of an inuisible grace Now if it be a signe of an inuisible grace then it is not the inuisible grace it selfe So that the Sacrament
home wherwith his hart was so sore and his body so distempered that through extreme sicknesse he got him to bed and so lying he was not able for the stinke in his stomacke and painefull vomiting to receiue any reliefe of meate or drinke but cried out still sorrowfully complayning of that stinke and with no small othes for belike he made an accompt that the Pope woulde dispence with him for them cursing y e crowe that had poysoned him To make short he continued but a fewe dayes but with extreme paine of vomiting and crying he desperately died without any token of repentance of his former life You shall hardly finde a perfect Protestant and a faythfull follower of the Gospell die in this sorte as this Masse-monger did Truly if the Masse be so auaileable and of such force as you take it to be and the Pope of such a power as many of you thinkes him to be for it is written in his law as is beforesayde that he hath all power in heauen and in earth and that is enough for a Pope then eyther by the vertue of the Masse which this Burton so maintained and busily set vp or else by the Popes mightie power me thinkes this his Champion of the Masse shoulde haue bene preserued from dying thus strangely and desperately But if the Pope and his holy Masse doe suffer them that put such trust in him and confidence in the Masse to die sodainely without repentance to die desperately and to cal on the Diuell and to lie in such extreame paines and torments as a great sort of them doe and haue done surely if I were as you the Pope and his Masse shoulde goe to the Diuell ere I would trust any more to him or to it Also one Richard Denton hauing wordes of commendations sent to him from one William Wolsey that was after burned for professing the Gospell which were that he maruelled that the said Denton tarried so long behind him seeing he was the first that deliuered him the Booke of the Scriptures into his hand and told him that it was the truth desiring him to make hast after as fast as he coulde Which Denton said when the said message was done to him I confesse it is true but alas I can not burne But after though he coulde not burne willingly in Christes cause he was burned agaynst his will not in so good a cause for after that his house being on fire he went in to saue his goods therby was burned lost his life And thus he was burned for earthly goods y t refused to burne for heauenly treasure Marke this ende of a Papist and an enemie of the Gospell One Clarke an open enemie to the Gospell and all godly Preachers in King Edwardes dayes hanged himself in the Tower of London The great and notable Papist called Troling Smith fell downe sodenly in the stréete and died Dale the Promoter of the professors of Gods worde was eaten into his body with lyse so dyed as it was well knowne of many Cox an earnest Protestant in King Edwardes dayes in Quéene Maries time a Papist and promoter or accuser of the Gospellers going wel and in health to his bed as it séemed was dead before the morning Alexander the kéeper of Newgate a cruel enimie to them that lay there for Religion died verye miserably being so swolne that he was more lyke a monster than a man and was so rotten within that no man coulde abide the smell of him This cruel mā to hasten the poore lambes to y e slaughter woulde goe to Bonner Storie and other crying oute Ridde my prison ridde my prison I am too much pestred with these Heretikes It séemes that this cruell wretch was better content to haue the companie of Théeues and murtherers great offenders against the lawe that were in his prison than Gods people that professed his word that were no offenders against the lawe Beholde the great and terrible iudgement of God on the parson of Croundall in Kent who vppon Shroue Sondaye hauing receyued the Popes pardon from Cardinall Poole came to his Parishe Churche and exhorted the people ro receyue the same as he had done himselfe saying That he stoode nowe so cleare in conscience as when he was first borne and cared not nowe if he shoulde dye the same houre in that clearenesse of conscience Where vppon he beyng striken sodainely by the hande of God and leaning a little on the one syde immediately shronke downe in the Pulpet and so was founde deade speaking not one worde more Truely if they haue no better lucke with the Popes Pardons and blessings than I sée they haue they were better a great deale to haue a foole blesse them with his Bable than to haue the Pope to Pardon them or blesse them with his handes if I were desyrous to die sodainely or to breake my necke from which the Lorde blesse me and euery bodie I woulde eyther get the Popes Pardons or else haue eyther hys or one of his Cardinals blessings for other good they doe none that I can heare or sée One Iohn Peter sonne in lawe to the said Alexander the kéeper of Newgate being an horrible blasphemer of God no lesse cruell to the said prisoners that professed the word of God rotted awaye and so most miserably dyed who cōmonly when he would affirme any thing were it true or false vsed to say If it be not true I pray God I rot ere I die Also one Robert Bawlding a Papisticall persecutor was stricken with lightning at the taking of William Seaman wherevpon he pyned away and dyed One Rockwood the chiefe procurer of the great trouble of certaine Callys men for religion who at the point of death staring and raging cryed he was vtterly damned and being wylled to aske God mercie who was readie to forgiue all that asked mercie of him he brayed and cryed out all to late for I haue sought malitiously the deathes of a number of the honest men in the Towne And though I so thought them in my heart yet I dyd that laye in me to bring them to an euill death All to late therefore all to late The which same wordes the sayde Rockwood answeared to one that said I neuer saw men of such honesty so sharpely corrected and taking it so paciently and ioyfully At which time the said Rockwood fetching a friske or two scoffingly answeared all to late But whereas he sayde and ment that it was all to late for these godly prisoners to haue pardon of their Prince in this world nowe God iustly turned these words to himselfe it was all to late for hym to haue pardon at Gods hand in the worlde to come For he saide he was vtterly damned and when he was counselled to aske God mercie he said it was all to late Also one Pauier towne Clarke of the Citie of Londō a notorious enemie to y e word of