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
A Briefe resolution of a right Religion TOVCHING THE CONtrouersies that are nowe in England Written by C. S. PRO. 15.32 He that refuseth to be reformed despiseth his owne soule but he that submitteth himselfe to correction is wise LONDON Printed by Roger Ward for Iohn Proctor and are to be sold at his shop vpon Holborne Bridge 1590. TO THE READER THou hast courteous Reader heere offered vnto thy viewe a small booke conteining the resolution of a true Religion It is garnished with no great eloquēce or rhetoricall florishe as manifesting my intent therin to be more to delight the inward heart with matter of substance then the outwaed care with words of trifling daliance The positions I hope will proue true the question not doubtfull though dangerous to my selfe in that I shall hazard my person in running vppon the cragged Rockes of the pestilent toonged Papistes I trust notwithstanding the shippe of my safetie will be strong inough if not to breake the rockes yet to beare the bruntes of all such stormie and tempestuous accidentes as winde and weather shall throwe vpon me sayling in so troublesome seas howbeit I meane well euen to the Romish Catholikes themselues whom earnestly I would request to reade this small worke with a single eye and with an indifferent minde not caried away with inraged rancor or woonted obstinacie for I will not feare to make themselues Iudges of the cause if they haue their eyes to see or wils to iudge with indifferencie I haue not runne ouer all matters of both sides for neither could I in so smal a roume onely and especially I haue leuelled at the verie foundation Read it through therefore gentle Reader with no lesse good minde then I wrote it and then I doubt not but thou wilt in fine be resolued with me of a right Religion If my worke want learning in recompence thereof I pray thee accept my good will wherin is no defect Thus not doubting of thy humanitie hoping well also of thy diuinitie I commend this my booke to thy gratefull curtesie and bid thee most heartely farewell Vale in Christo C. S. R. Armin in praise and commendation of this briefe Resolution of a right Religion THere are manie that haue tooke vpon them to set downe the poyntes of true Religion and haue aptly argued of particular partes yea and rightly disciphered the ample Rules of trueth amongest whome as chiefe this learned student C.S. hath sufficiently plainely and profoundly plac'd it before our eyes and hauing quite supprest false doctrine hath presented to our viewe this right resolution and I in this behalfe will say that the papist may well knocke himselfe on the brest saying a Confiteor making vaine signes of repentance of his sinnes but if he looke narrowly vnto it he shall finde it nothing but mockerie and hypocrisie The other vitious and detestable sect are Martinesses who see so farre into matters that they ouersee themselues wresting thinges from the right sence to the wrong making shew of zeale when it is meere follie therefore let them know here is the right religion though a briefe resolution short and sweete and therefore you that will be heyres of heauen and you zealous protestantes wish him wel whose imployed studie was and is to conduct you to the trueth and therfore hold euery sect false whose rules he doth contradict and withall patience waite for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ and labour so that you may be found of him without spot and blamelesse Surely that day ought to be fearefull to the wicked but of vs that should be most desired knowing assuredlie that there is no condemnation to those which are in Christ Iesus and his great kindnes and meekenes when hee commeth to make vs liue with him for euer in heauen Amen R. A. A BRIEFE RESOLVTION OF a right Religion GReat controuersie hath long bin betweene the Papists and Protestantes as they are commonly tearmed whether of them be the true church for it is agreed of both sides that Extra Ecclesiam non est salus but surely me thinks it is a question scarse questionable for the papistical Romishe Church arrogateth that they are the true church and our Religion grounded out of the worde of God perswadeth vs to be of the true church for we are builded vpon the sacred writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles Christ Iesus himselfe being the a Ephes 2.20 corner stone their church or rather synagogue of Sathan is builded vpon vnwritten verities and depraued sacred trueth the pope of Rome a man nay b Reue. 13.1 a beast with seuen heades and tenne hornes and vpon his hornes tenne crownes and vppon his heades the names of blasphemie being the head thereof We imbrace Paule we imbrace Peter and yet we renounce the Pope who vainly boasteth himselfe to be Peters successour in asmuch as the Pope is neither like to Peter in doctrine maners nor religion and in vaine shall the pope boast to haue his place when he commeth nothing neere vnto in the qualities of his person nor in the doctrine of the Apostles for in this respect there is as much difference betweene them as betwixt blacke and white light and darkenesse heauen and hell as afterward shal be manifested Christ hath forewarned vs that there shall arise c Mat. 24.24 false Christes and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders to deceiue if it were possible the verie elect Paule hath giuen vs a good caueat let no man saith he deceiue himselfe againe let euery man take heede howe he buildeth And he addeth this rule to know d 1. Cor. 3.18 assuredly the true and right foundation for saith he other foundation can no man lay but that which is layd alreadie which saith hee is Iesus Christ The same Paule in his Epistle to the Galathians saith e Gal. 1.8 if we or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you anie other Gospell then that we haue preached Anathema esto let him be accursed And this sentence he iterateth a second time If we are bidden not to beleue Angels from heauen if they teache doctrine contrary to Paules will aine man then be so foolish as to beleeue the pope vpon his word and vnwritten verities teaching matters contrarie not onely to Paule but to Peter and to all the whole body of the sacred scriptures When f Luke 16. Diues was in hell and cast vp his eyes and saw Lazarus in Abrahams bosome and being in torments could not obtaine of Abraham that Lazarus might dip hys finger in water and coole his toonge because hee was tormented in that flame He did then beseeche Abraham that he would send Lazarus to his fathers house for he had fiue brethren that he might testifie to them least they also came in that place of torment But whether did he referre them They haue saith Abraham Moses and the Prophets let them heare them for if they will not heare them neither will
there bee woorkes of superogation able to saue both themselues and others also they may so aboūd with such superfluitie of good workes Yea worse then all this they holde and teache and teach other to practise which is most horrible blasphemie that bad workes are also meritorious namely that treason in subiects and murthering of their lawfull Christian Soueraigne is not onely lawful but alowable yea commendable nay more than so meritorious in heauen which doctrine as it is moste blasphemous so the practise thereof is moste damnable and dangerous abhorring from nature which teacheth euerie subiect to feare and honour his prince as nature bindeth the sonne to feare and honour his father for princeps est patriae parens degenerating from the law of all nations for it is lawfull and meritorious for a papisticall Romanist treacherously to murder his holy father the pope yea rather more if of euils the least be to be chosen then it is for a sworne subiect to be false and traiterous to so christian a prince Meere repugnant to all Scripture yea contrary to the doctrine of Peter himselfe whose doctrine the pope must obey and teach if in succession hee will be accompted a lawfull Apostle of Christ harken O ye Papists and listen what Peter teacheth you follow his doctrine let not the popes bare name of holy father deceiue you any more nor the name of the Apostolicke Sea for they are but lying wordes to deceiue you Compare the Apostleship of Peter with the Apostleship of the Pope and then if you find him contrarie though he be Peters successour reiect him and tread hys doctrine vnder feete The wordes of Peter are thus be m 1. Pet. 2 13. subiect therefore saith he to euery humain creature whether it be to the king as to the chiefe or to relers as to them that be set in authoritie for the punishment of them that doe ill and the praise of them that doe good againe in the same chapter he saith honour all men loue brotherly charitie feare God honour the king againe he commandeth seruantes to submit themselues in all feare vnto their masters not onely saith he if they be good but also though they be froward If a froward maister be to be honoured and feared of his seruaunt much more ought the person of a kinde and vertuous Soueraigne be had in most reuerent estimation of all subiectes considering that the person of a Prince on earth is the image of God in heauen that she is a person of mightie maiestie of puissant magnificence and of most glistring princely royaltie who being placed in her throne by God by whome Reges regnant principes dominantur is impossible to be thrust out by the power or pollicie of men no not of the deuill himselfe nor all his adherentes for that must needes stand which God hath stablished but that may easily fall which men onely haue erected heauen and earth may passe but not one iote of the word of God shall perishe but shal be fulfilled They therefore may aswell thinke it as possible to pul God out of heauen as it is to remoue a lawful annoynted prince from beside the seat wherein God himself stablified her The vaine hope of the papists therefore dismayed and the false Apostleship of the pope confuted by the faithfull Apostle Peter let vs proceede further to compare them together n 1. Pet. 2.11 Beloued saith Peter I exhort you as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule And againe he saith o 1. Pet. 1.15 As he which called you is holy so be ye also sanctified in all conuersation because sayth he it is written p Leuit. 11 4 4 be ye holy as I am holy So that Peter admitteth no vncleannesse nor dispenseth with anie sinne but reproueth all and onely alloweth sanctimonie of life and conuersation and hee bringeth in scriptum est also for the warrant of his doctrine I would all that pretend themselues to be his successours would doe the like and giue the like wholesome sound admonitions and preceptes then should not men eyther for loue or money haue pardons dispensations commissions with authoritie to commit most diuelish murder accompting that for meritorious which is most monstrous and meriteth in trueth a moste bloudie reuenge for the body and eternall tormentes for the soule if it should be but so much as conceaued in the imagination What the office of a true Apostle is Peter describeth in his fift Chapter q 1. Pet. 5.1 The elders that be amongest you I which am also an elder exhorte feede as muche as in yours the flocke of Christ not compelledly but willingly not couetous of filthy gaine but of a readie minde not as exercising lordship ouer the clergie but that yee may be r 2. Cor 4 24 examples of the flocke If Peter shewing himselfe that he is an elder doe clayme no Lordship in hys Apostleship how commeth it to passe then that the pope his pretended successour claymeth not onely a lordship and dominion in Rome but a litle of supremacie ouer all nations The Papistes answereth at christ said vnto Peter Thou s. Mat i6 18 art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it and I wil geue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen And whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shal be boūd in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in heauē But can these words of binding loosing giue a supremacie and kingdome vnto the Pope and not to Peter whose successour he is For we heard before from Peters own mouth that he claymeth nor alloweth but disclaimeth and disswadeth such exercised lordship ouer the Cleargie So that neither did he affect such proud titles of honour Lordship and superioritie but sought rather as he wished all other to be examples of mildnesse and good conuersation How can wee thinke that Christ should giue such Lord-like authoritie when Christ telleth his disciples contending among themselues who should seeme to bee the geeatest The t Luke 22 25 Mat 20.25 Marke 15.24 Kinges of nations saith he beare Lordship but it shall not be so with you but he that will be the greatest among you let him be as the least or as a seruant Now if neither Peter had the superiority but forbiddeth it as teaching al humilitie being taught by Christ his maister the kings of nations are to beare the lordship his apostles should be so far from contending for primacy on earth that they should rather be as seruants appointed to minister to the Church of Christ to build a kingdom for God in heauen If neither Peter had it and if Christ also forbad it shewing the kingdomes belong to the kinges of the nations how can any man gather that Christs meaning was to giue that to Peter which he forbiddeth Peter al the rest of the apostles If
liuing God whome Peter confessed If Peter then be not the head of the Church downe must fall the title of the vniuersall Bishop of all the Church which title the pope proudly hath vsurped as deriued from Peter who was content to be a member of the Churche and not the head thereof but the swelling ambition of the Pope is so monstrous that hee neither careth to commit treason against christian princes but most proudly hee will intrude himselfe into the seate and throne of God himselfe and he will be head of the Churche to dye for it but I beleeue in the end he will scarse be so much as the foot or one of the toes of the Churche his blasphemie is so monstrous and so intollerable If then sillie Pope thou wilt be head of the whole Churche shewe which way thou makest title for Peter from whome thou claymest was content to be a member of the Church And thou because thou canst not be a member of the church most proudly claymest to be the head because thou canst not be the head thou wilt be no part of the church at all I beleeue the consequent darest thou proud pope without all authoritie derogate so much from the glory and maiestie of Christ as to take from Christ his crown to set it vpon thy head most traiterously and thinkest thou that he will not trample thee vnder his feete doth not Paule to the Ephesians speake in plaine tâ—armes that God raised Christ from the dead and set him at his right hand in heaueÌ„ly places aboue all principalities powers and lordships and euery name that is named not onely in this world but in the world to come and hath submitted all thinges vnder his feete and hath made him head aboue all thinges to the Churche which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all If Christ be the head of the Church as this text doth most plainly proue then caÌ„not the pope be the head of the church in earth as hee proudly vsurpeth for there can be but one head of the Church and that head is Christ so that it is the sole appropriated title of Christ to be the head of his church on earth and euerie where for God hath giuen this title to neither man nor angell nor archangell but to Christ onely whom he raysed from the dead Looke through the whole life of Peter looke through all his Epistles and doctrine and thou shalt finde in him all the markes of a true and worthie Apostle his minde humble not eleuated with pride his doctrine sound which he had receiued from Christ his counsell good his admonitions wholesome his Epistles most deuine The pope his boasting successor cannot abide the charge of preaching sincerely the word of God but yet will hee be an Apostle as touching the place and retaine the name of an Apostle and when a man is no more an Apostle and reuera wanteth both the doctrine and sincere minde of an Apostle what is this else but to be a false Apostle and an intruder into the Church of God What his doctrine is perticularly to recite al were to tedious and almost infinit their idolatrous masse their inuented purgatorie deuised onely to purge mens pursses not their soules their bowing to idols their intercession of saintes their freewill their iustification by workes nay their workes of superogation and infinite more what doe all these but make voyd the crosse of Christ and disanull the grace of God repugnant plainely against the law of Moses and the sacred scriptures But who may speake against him in anie thing who may tell him that God commandeth we should not k Exod. 20. bow down nor worship carued Images and if he leaue out this second commaundement cleane out of the booke because it maketh agaynst him who can reproue him In his absurd doctrne of transubstantion after the wordes of consecration vttered who can perswade him but that the bread is the verie body of Christ and the wine is the verie bloud though Christ call it plainly the l fruite of the vine in plaine tearmes Who may tell him that he should onely teach the godly doctrine of Christ as a faithful Apostle and not his vnwritten verities nor curtoll the scriptures of God nor yet dispence with any thing therein contained who may tell him of his charters of pardons his dispensations to commit cruell and vnnaturall murders against Christian Princes rebellions robberies adulteries and all the villanies of the world and all this vnder a pretensed colour of the supremacie which Peter neuer had ouer the Church of God ouer all Princes and Emperours yea and I thinke aboue God himselfe for what is this els but to chop and chaunge and to vse at his pleasure the sacred word of God and to abuse it to all vngodlinesse and wickednesse Their answere is short that the Scriptures are to be expounded by generall counsels and they and the pope make the Church and the Church cannot erre And whatsoeuer therefore they shall say or decree that is the worde of God and to be reuerenced as an oracle from heauen whatsoeuer it be And hereupon is builded the implicita fides of the Roman papistes to beleeue as the Church beleeueth is fayth good inough for a papist This argument is verie pithagorium Ipse dixit ergo verum est O subtill papistes O simple and deceiued people O moste diuelishe and pestilent religion thus to bewitch mens heartes and to cast a mist before their eyes to blindfolde them in such polluted doctrine And the more to colour this their fraud and apparent deceite they haue established ignorance for the mother of deuotion and images they haue made lay mens bookes and as for the Bible that shal be read to the people in an vnknowne toong as in Latine O diuelish deuise of Sathan O hellish darkenes Not the deuill himselfe could haue inuented a more subtil yet a most pernitious religioÌ„ Is ignoraunce the mother of deuotion when Christ calleth it the mother of error saying to the Saduces you Mat. 22 29. erre not knowing the scriptures Can an vnlearned man sayth Paule say Amen to thy seruice vttered in an vnknown toonge when he knoweth not what thou saiest and he sayth plainly that there is no Rom. 14. edification in such vnknowne language howe can these men boast that they edifie the people then when the people say Amen they know not to what and their implicita fides beleeueth they knowe not what they tell them the church cannot erre and this is sufficient for them if you will goe anie further the Church must answere O silly Romanistes so much seduced by that deluding Antichrist wherevpon is your Church builded vpon the pope as the head of the church and the generall counselles Peter neuer claymed to be the head of the Church hee neuer had that authority giuen him nay it was denied him to seeke after it And Christ onely is
the head of the church as hath bin proued before Ergo the pope hath no such preheminence As touching their generall counsels wherewith they binde mens consciences as with cordes how can they proue those counsels to be autentically true for whatsoeuer it be that is decreed by them they make them as oracles and necessarie conclusions of the trueth though they disagree neuer so muche from the Scriptures for suche matters must not be called into question for they hold it as a principle that from the determination of a counsell there can be no appellation but what if they erre They say they cānot erre whie Because they be the Church who alloweth it Will they prooue themselues to bee the Church who in their blinde and deuelishe doctrine and conuersation shewe themselues to be the Synagogue of Sathan I knowe not and I am sure themselues will neuer be able to prooue For the word of God is that which must trie out the trueth of the religion and Church of God For as for building faith vpon general Councels it is a verie feeble foundation and no question they might erre and did erre yea they are somtimes contrarie one to an other as the Synod of Constantinople gathered together vnder Leo the Emperour iudged that images set vp in Churches should bee ouerthrowen and broken in peeces A litle afterward the Councel of Nyce which the Empresse assembled in spite of him decreed that they should be restored both these Councels could not c true and whether of these should a man take to be true or how can he tell which is true but by that Scripture which is geuen by diuine inspiration which is the rule of the Church and the square of trueth whereupon the church must be builded els we shall neuer knowe what or which is the trueth Augustine saith that the latter Councell can not stande without present perrill of idolatrie Epiphanius saith it is a wickednesse and abhomination to haue Images seene in the Church of Christians The Councell of Constance forbad the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper to be geuen to the lay people but willed that the Priest onely should drinke thereof which I thinke the Romanistes themselues will not agree vnto Thus because Councels may easily erre ther is no faith to be built vpon them but all faith all religion and the true Church is onely to be built vpon the o Ephe. 2.20 Prophetes and Apostles Christ Iesus being the head corner stone the rocke that neuer falleth nor fadeth For this is a marke incident to the Church My p Iohn 10.3 sheepe saith Christ will heare my voyce Againe Christ saith He that is of q Iohn 3.47 God heareth Gods wordes you therefore heare them not saith he because you are not of God The sheepe will followe their good shepheard for they knowe his r iohn 10.3 voice A stranger they will not follow Therfore the church and true spouse of Christ must be subiect to her head and husband enclining to his wil and gouerned by his word For the Church which is not builded vpon the word of Christ is built vpon the s Mat. 7.26 Sand and so subiect to a continuall ruine and ouerthrow as Christ himselfe preached in his sermon But that which standeth vpon Christ the rock the t Math 16 18 gates of hell shall neuer preuaile a-against it as Christ tolde Peter Trie the spirites saith S. Iohn whether they be of v God or no f Iohn 4 1 for many false prophetes are come into the world Againe he that knoweth God heareth vs saith S. Iohn hee that is not of God heareth not vs by this we know the spirite of trueth and the spirit of errour The false prophetes saith hee speake of the world and the world heareth them because they are of the world but wee are of God saith he So that both Iohn and Christ shew this to be a marke to knowe the spirite of errour if they heare not the wordes of Christes apostles Let not the pope therefore deceiue thee gentle Reader as though he could not erre neyther let his generall counsell so bind thy conscience without appellation but that thou be free to trie the spirits by the worde of trueth For many false prophetes are come into the world Trie the gold by the touch stone For be he Pope be they generall councels yea be they Angels from heauen if they preach matter contrarie to the doctrin of Christ beleeue him not nay Anathema esto hold him accursed as Paule commandeth thee The Scribes and Pharises demaunded of Christ why his disciples transgressed the traditions of the elders Christ answered them Why doo yee Math 15 2 transgresse the precepts of God thorough your tradition for God commanded saying Honour father and mother c. Hypocrits saith he wel prophecied Esayas of you saying This people commeth neere vnto me with their mouthes and honoureth me with their lips but their heartes are farre from me but in vaine doo they worship me teaching for doctrine the preceptes of men And is not the religion of Rome as vain a worship when they teach for doctrine the preceptes of men viz. of generall Councels and that we must hold them as vndoubted oracles of the holy Ghost and that none must mutter against them or gainsay them vpon paine of a condemned heretik Yea they hold that the word of God is subiect to the censure of the Church which say they is their Pope generall councels and whatsoeuer sense they set vpon the scriptures is to be receiued for true without questioning against it what is this els but to make the head subiect to the foote the sheepe to rule their shephearde and the Spouse which should be subiect to beare authoritie ouer her husband that shoulde be soueraigne her Lord and maister to gouerne her after his wil But herein the Church of Rome sheweth her self to play the harlot plainly when she renounceth her head when she forsaketh her husband and runneth a whoring after her owne ymagmations Iudge then gentle reader whether thou think to be the true church ours that is builded vpon the foundation of Christ the prophetes and apostles or the church of Rome that is builded vpon the Pope his Cardinals and his generall councels Ours that acknowledgeth Christ to be the onely head thereof or theirs who most dishonourably to christ acknowledge the Pope the head therof Ours that is builded vpon God ortheirs that is builded vpon slippery men Ours that admitteth no impuritie or theirs who for money and to serue their turne will dispence with most monstrous and haynous cruelties Their religion which seeketh and thirsteth after blood beeing therein like to the Deuill their father who was a z Iohn 8 44 murtherer from the beginning or ours which seeketh peace of conscience in a godly conuersation Ours seeketh the glory of God theirs seeketh their own pomp and the glory of the world Ours giueth free liberty to