the blessing of God offered vnto thée Where there is no prophecie the people perisheth He that despiseth it shall be despised of the Lord he shal be cast into darkenesse because he would not delight in the light V. 21 Trie al things and keepe that which is good Trie al things God hath giuen you the spirite of discretion and of iudgement Be wise and knowe what is that good and acceptable will of God He not deceiued with wordes of mans wisedome Let not the basenesse or simplicitie of anie cause you to refuse the message which he bringeth and carrie not your selues to liking of al that whatsoeuer shall be told you of such as beare great shew and countenance This was it that deceiued the people of GOD they gaue eare to false teachers which lead them to worshippe the workes of their owne hands Therefore they saide vnto the stone thou art our father thou hast deliuered vs they sell downe before it worshipped it beléeued in it they slewe the Prophets of God and stoned to death such as were sent vnto them The Scribes and Pharises séemed so grane and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed They were altogether appliable to beléeue to do to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith vnto them Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues S. Iohn therefore saith Dearely beloued beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for manie false prophets are gone out into the world And further directeth vs howe we should trie them hereby shal ye know the spirit of God euerie spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God Againe hereby may you trie them Whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne If there come anie vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither bid him God speede Hereby S. Paul required the Galathians to trie betwéene him and the false Apostles If anie man preach vnto you otherwise than that yee haue receiued let him bee accursed For now do I preach mans doctrine or Gods the Saduces erred touching the resurrection because they searched not the scriptures God teacheth vs by the prophet Esay to make triall of teachers and doctrines When they shall saie vnto you enquire of them that haue a spirite of diuination and at the soothsaiers which whisper and murmur shoulde not a people enquire at their God from the liuing to the dead to the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is bicause there is no light in them Paule putteth Timothie in mind wherefore he left him at Ephesus to commaund some that they teach none other doctrine And to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breede questions rather than godlie edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betwéene good and il betwéene light and darknesse God hath made them the promise of his spirit and hath left vnto them his word They of Berea when they heard the preaching of Paule searched the scriptures dailie whether those things were so as he taught them and manie of them beléeued So do you giue héed to instruction and yet receiue not al things without proofe and trial that they are not contrarie to the wholesome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good When you haue tried and found out the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded man is vnstable in al his waies Follow the truth and be not carried about with euerie wind of doctrine The diuel wil come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light Let him not take the loue of the trueth from you let him not remooue you from faith and a good conscience returne not like swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane Except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirite wil returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last state of you shall be worse than the first We haue great cause to harken diligently to the Apostle to keepe that is good We see this daie great confusion in al places Sathan woulde faine entangle vs againe with the errour of the wicked and séeketh to drawe vs from our stedfastnesse Now is the time wherin God maketh some triall of his seruauntes now iniquitie séeketh to haue the vpper hand They seduce the people saie here is Christ there is Christ here is the Church there is the Church God giue vs his holie spirite to guide vs in iudgement that we maie discerne the truth from falshoode and knowe the blessed and gratious will of GOD that wee maie walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our life In this worlde as there is a Iacob so is there an Esau as there are manie that loue Christ with an vnfained hart so are there manie that serue Antichrist and as there be many true professors of the trueth of God so are there manie despisers of the same This wée maie sée here at home within this realme We maie sée it and mourne and lament for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of GOD and man They saie with their lippes GOD saue Quéene Elizabeth yet they holde vppe their sword against her Alas what hath she deserued at their handes she hath alwaies dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud God preserue her that she maie long raigne ouer vs and bring al her enimies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that hereby they séeke to haue religion refourmed Thankes be to GOD religion is refourmed farre better than our fathers knewe it these many hundred yeares If those which liued before vs might haue séene and heard as we sée heare they would haue reioiced and thought themselues happie But they would haue the Masse What find they or sée they in it wherfore they should so desire it Trie things saith Paul Therefore examine and trie the masse What do we learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comforte for saluation It is a dumb and deadly seruice The people are forced to be at it it is the verie kay of their religion the people are bound to be present at masse yet they neither receiue anie thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand anie thing You are wise you haue reason you are the children of GOD be you iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause Will they call this the Lordes supper Is this
a pullie and binde great weights of leade at their héeles to rent them and teare their bodies asunder Some they haue tied vnto great péeces of timber and haue put fire at the soales of their féete They haue opened their mouthes and made them drawe in Lawne into their bodie A thing most cruel and yet which they haue practised the maner whereof hath béene thus reported They laie it so farre in the mouth that a mans breath easily draweth it into his bodie and so it is conueighed into the stomacke When it is wel setled then commeth the tormentour and taketh the Lawne by the other ende and rasheth it sodainelie with such a force as it séemeth he doth plucke out the verie heart and entrailes such a rare strange kinde of crueltie as is not practised vpon most notorious rebels and traitors As for death 40 or 50 at one time haue béene heaped together and burnt in one fire They haue set vpon the seruauntes of God and compassed the Church where they haue assembled togither to pray vnto God and murthered them in their innocencie whiles they lifted vp pure handes vnto God The French king by the counfaile of such as hate the Gospel of Christ sent his cruel souldiers and murthered his subiects at Valois He ouerthrew their houses burnt their Towne destroyed man woman and childe spoyled their corne and turned their trées vpside downe He wasted defaced vnpeopled it not for that they were théeues or rehels but because they beléeued in the name of Christ. Consider how many are murthered in Flaunders and in the kingdome of Fraunce They are not so farre from vs as Iudea from Thessalonica They ioyne next vnto vs. God is blessed in his saints and holy in al his workes no crueltie is able to quench his truth There is no counsel which shal preuaile against the Lord. He giueth increase and placeth children in fréede of their fathers The more are slaine by the enemies the more spring up by the working of his spirite The more are hewne downe the more multiplie We may not be strangers in this case It beboueth vs to consider the afflictions of our brethren They belong vnto vs We must pray to God for them that he wil put an ende to their misenies otherwise wee haue not the spirite of God we beare no loue nor care for his bause Of your countrey men This was the greatest and beauiest part of their troubles For what a heartes griefe is it to the father if his sonne rise vp against him or to the sonne to sée his father readie to betray him and to seeke his bloud Where this is done he will say O father I am thy sonne alas what haue I done to haue thy displeasure death is bitter but thy displeasure is more bitter than death It were a cruel thing that any man should kil an other what is it then if thou shouldest kil thine own child yet if thou be so bent take my life and spare my conscience spare my soule that I may deliuer it vp into his handes that hath giuen it me I would be obedient vnto thée thou art my father but I may not disobey God He is the father of fathers He hath saide He that loueth father or mother more than me he is not worthy of me It is a miserable case when persecution groweth so hot y â— the child is driuen to forsake his father or the father his child yet so doth the world blind many Satan so possesseth their harts y â— he turneth their loue into hatred and shutteth their senses and thoaketh and dammeth vp the springes of nature They become so blind and so unsensible that they neither féele their owne fleshe nor know their owne bloud They thinke in so doing they doe God good seruice They are enemies to the truth They are y e enemies of the crosse of Christ their end is destruction And forbid vs to preach vnto the gentiles that they might bee saued This is the ende whereunto the Gospel is giuen that the people should be saued S. Paule sayth God wil that al men shal bee saued and come to the knowledge of the truth Therefore our Saniour appointed his Apostles to this office of preaching his word saying Go and preach the gospel vnto al nations Goe vnto the lost sheepe of Israel He sayth It is not the wil of my father that one of these little ones should perish Whosoeuer beleeueth and shal bee baptised shal be saued S. Iames exhorteth the faithful Receiue with meekenesse the worde that is graffed in you which is able to saue your soules By it we heare the swéete voyce of our Sauiour Come vnto mee all ye that trauaile and be heauily loaden and I wil refrosh you By it we heare the merciful calling of God Turne vnto mee and ye shal be saued By it we are warned to depart from the companie of such as are enemies to the truth and to haue no fellowshippe with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse Saue your selues sayth S. Peter from this frowarde generation By it we are taught to beléeue that Jesus Christ is the sonne of GOD that â—…is name is Jesus because he shal saue his people from their sinnes and that there is not salnation in any other besides him For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God This is therefore the dutie of the preacher to preach vnto the people that so they may be saued that they may knowe the wayes of GOD that they may repent them of their sinnes and be renewed vnto godlinesse Who would thinke there were any that would hinder the course of the Gospelâ—… or forbid to preach it unto the people The Apoâ—…e here layeth that fault to the Jewes That they forbid him to preach to the Gentiles The same fault Christ founde in the Scribes and Pharises Woe be to you interpreters of the lawe for ye haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye entred not in your selues and them that came in ye forbad Sâ—… there haue béene alwaies and such there are now O say they why should y â— people know these thinges what should they meddle with the scriptures let them do their businesse and apply their occupations It is not reason not fit that euery one should be learned When they thinke they know somewhat they become proud and denise heresies and maintaine them as if God had not left them to enstruct the people or as if the holy scriptures and not the malice at Sâ—…tan were the cause of heresies But God hath said Gather the people together men 〈◊〉 women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law The Prophet Dauid thought it méete y e people shold know the scriptures therefore said Blessed is that man whose delight is in the law of
might be saned in the middest of burning fire yet y e thrée seruauntes of God walked in the fire safelie and came safe foorth againe We knowe sayth the Apostle that all thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The Apostles reioyced in their persecution that they were counted woorthie to suffer rebuke for Christes sake And Paule speaking of this perfection in the godly sayeth We reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And not so onlie but also we reioyce in tribulations Who hath not heard of the patience of Iob his heardes of Cattel were driuen away his houses consumed with fire his children slaine his body stricken with a scurfe or manginesse his wife loathed him and his friendes for sooke him What did Iob in all these miseries what thought hée or what spake he let his patience in suffering his wordes of thankesgiuing teach vs howe to beare aduersitie The Lorde sayeth he hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken it blessed bee the name of the Lorde Againe Though he slay me yet wil I trust in him Who is able to expresse the manly comfort of his heart which said I wil trust in him though he kill me He is my God I am his creature His wil be doone I wil alwayes giue him thankes and praise his holie name By these we are learned to giue thanks in pouertie in afflictions in miserie and in al things though they are heauy and greeuous vnto vs. What are we then that are neither thankful for riches nor for health nor for our pleasures nor in the aboundance of al things yea which abuse the good giftes of GOD to dishonour God who hath giuen them vnto vs the earth is the Lords and al that therein is the world they that dwel therin He openeth his hand and filleth al thinges liuing with his good blessing Let vs looke vp into the heauens there is God the Father of lightes from whom euerie good and perfect gift commeth there is our redeemer Iesus Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge-When we turne in our beddes when we sée our fare and the furniture of our â—…able when we sée our seruants and children about vs when we sée our money and houses and lands let vs thinke with our selues how many good men faithful seruants of God lack the same and haue not receiued these blessinges in such measure as we In al these thinges God speaketh to vs and sayth I haue giuen them thée thou hast them at my handes vse them well and be not vnthankful If I would stande herein and declare what rauses we haue to giue thankes vnto God I shoulde neuer make an ende There is no beast on the grounde no fish in the Sea no bird in the ayre no starre in the heauens no leafe of the trée no corne of the field no sande on the shoare no droppe of water no sparckle of fire but GOD hath created them all for the sonnes of men So much are wée bound alwayes to giue thankes to God and to say as the Prophet O Lorde our Lorde howe excellent is thy name in all the worlde Let vs confesse before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his woonderful workes before the sonnes of men But who is able to render thankes sufficient to God for that he giueth vs y e knowledge of his Gospel and maketh vs know the secrets of his wil this is a great blessing and farre aboue al the other comforts of this life They that haue not this are in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death To be short euen in death we haue to praise God we must say I thanke thée O God for thou hast deliuered him froÌ„ the bodyof this death thou hast translated him vnto thy selfe that so he may remaine with thée in thy glorie Thus whither soeuer ye turne what state or part of life or death soeuer ye coÌ„sider whether it be trouble or peace things present or things to come heaueÌ„ or earth life or death you shall alwaies finde causes to be thankefull V. 19. Quench not the spirite Hée meaneth by the spirite the giftes and graces of the spirite The spirite of God is the spirit of wisedome and the spirite of truth No man sayeth S. Paule can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe The spirite helpeth our infirmities and againe The same spirite beareth witnesse with our spirite that we are the children of God It is he that leadeth vs into all trueth that openeth our hearts to vnderstanding and guideth our féete into the waie of peace O saith he despise not the wisedome of the spirite refuse not his help but seek it that you may be strengthened comforte your selues in his testimony of your adoption quench not the light he hath kindled in your hearts disdaine not his leading abuse not his mercy abuse not the time of your visitation let not so great mercie of God be bestowed on you in vaine fulfil not your own willes abstaine from fleshly lusts walke in the spirite desire the best gifts and let euerie man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God V. 20 Despise not prophecying Prophecie is the preaching and expounding of the word of God and he is called a Prophet and doth prophecie that openeth vnto vs the wil of God This is not meant of fond and vain and lying prophecies as were those of Merline and such like which tell you tales of lions and beares and goates of the sunne of the moone and manie strange deuises Such prophecies must be despised they are workes of darkenesse and forged by the Diuell to make vproares and to beguile the people But despise not prophecying That is despise not to heare the word of GOD turns not awaie thine eare from vnderstanding God giueth power to his word that it may worke according to his good pleasure It will let thée sée the weakenesse of thine errour and settle thée in the waie wherein thou shouldest walke If it had béene dangerous for the people to heare the preaching of the Gospell hée would not haue sent his Apostles into all the worlde If Lidia shoulde not haue liked to heare Paule prophecie howe might she haue knowne GOD If those great numbers which heard Peter and were connerted had despised prophecying and woulde not haue heard him open the Gâ—…pell vnto them they had neuer considered the great mercie of GOD nor sought to be instructed in their saluation Faith commeth by hearing This hath béene the meanes by which Christ hath giuen knowledge to Kings Princes and al nations It hath pleased God saith Saint Paul by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Despise not then to come to the Church of God to praie in the congregation of the faithful to heare the Scriptures of God read and erpounded it is
shall set themselues against his holie will be they neuer so manie they shal be damned Let such marke wel what Ignatius who liued in the time of the Apostles hath saide Audivi quosdam dicentes si non invenero Evangelium in antiquis non credam Talibus autem ego dico quia mihi antiquit as Iesus Christus est cui non obeaire manifestus irremissibilis interitus est Ignaty epist. 5. ad Philadel I haue heard some which saie vnlesse I find the Gospell in them of olde time I wil not beleeue it But vnto such I saie that Iesus Christ is vnto me antiquitie Whome to disobey is manifest and vnpardonable destruction Let no man saie I hope I doe well my meaning is good I haue a desire to please GOD I beléeue well I doe my conscience If I doe aâ—…isse God will regard my simplicitie Let no man so saie Saint Augustine saith It is certain that a foolish faith not onelie doeth no good but also hurteth If thou beléeue not the truth thou dwellest in lying thou art the child of the Diuel which is a liar and the father thereof The mouth which speaketh lies slaieth the soule Thy faith is no faith it is but a wilful opinion it is but an errour for it is not according to the truth it is not built vppon the rocke it is not grounded on the word of God Change thine errour Faith is by hearing and hearing by the worde of GOD receiue the truth beléeue the truth and loue the truth Otherwise if thou refuse the breade of life and féede on poison if thou forsake the water of life and digge vnto thy selfe a Cesterne that wil holde no water thou shalt leade thy daies in wilfulnesse and shalt die in sinne thy bloud shall be vpon thine owne head Thou shalt not sâ—…e the glorie of God death and damnation shall be thy méede bycause thau hadst pleasure in wickednesse and diddest not giue thy heart to receiue and loue and beléeue the truth Nowe it remaineth that wée heare howe Antichrist shall be euerthrowen Wée haue séene his pompe and pride his might and power that hée ouerlooketh all the worlde bindeth all Kings and Princes and nations to kéepe his lawes and is himselfe exempted from all lawes of GOD or man So mightie and so maruailous is his power Who can declare it Hée is called of his owne side Stupor mundi The gaze stocke or wonder of the world Something lesse than God something more than man But being in all this estate in the middest of his Pontificalibus so fast mortized so high built vppe to the skies so surely shoared so strongly beset on euerie side hée shall be sodainely shaken downe and become the shame of the world How maie this be done being so mortized so built so shoared and so beset who shal shake him downe What power shall consume him shall it be the great power of Kings or of Emperours They shall giue their power and auctoritie to the beast and fight with the lamb that is against Christ. Shal it be the auctoritie of Bishoppes and Cardinalles and great Clearkes al they are lincked and ioined to him Shall it be by the wisedome and drift of Counsailours and men of lawe They be the féede men and sworne to him Shal it be the violence and conspiracie of the people They shall knéele downe to him and honour him and reuerence him as an Angell of God If neither the power of Doctours nor of Bishops nor Archbishops if not the power of Counsailors and men at lawe if not the power of the Kings and Princes of the worlde if not the power and commotion of the people if al these shal not abolishe him what power then is it wherewith he shall be consumed it shal be the power of God which shal be reuealed from aboue The Lorde shall consume him with the spirite of his mouth These wordes are diuersly taken Some â—…und them thus GOD shal appoint the great Angel Michael to set vppon Antichrist and he shal destroy him Others take these wordes to be spoken of the daie of iudgement and then this shal be fulfilled when Christ shall saie Departe from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire that this is the spirit of the Lordes mouth wherewith hée shall be consumed But the Apostle speaketh of the preaâ—…hing of the gospel That God by his word which is mightie to doe al that whereunto hée appointeth it shal make his doings manifest and let al the world sée that he was not sent of God that he did neuer set foorth the glorie of God that hée hath not sought the saluation of the people that in matters of faith and in al his life he is aduersarie to Christ this is that breath that shal descrie his errours and vanities this is that spirite which shal consume the kingdome of Antichrist This ouerthrowe is alreadie begun as our eyes may beholde this day In like sort speaketh Esay the prophet He shal smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lippes shal he slaie the wicked Princes make their conquests by power and strength by fire and sworde and engines of warre but God shal beate downe his aduâ—…rsarie with the râ—…d of his mouth By the true preaching of his worde His worde is mightie it is his sword it is his mace it is the rod of his mouth it is the breath of his lippes It is of great force no strength shal withstand it it shal finite the earth it shal â—…ea the wicked S. Paule sayth We doe not warre after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are mightie through God to cast downe holdes This sword hath hewne downe in many places the crueltie tyrannie simonie insatiable gréedinesse the errours ignoraunce darkenesse vanities hipocrisie superstition and idolatry which haue bin brought into the church and vsed by Antichrist These were the pillars and strength and glorie of his kingdome And here marke the Apostles spéech Hée saith not God shal coÌ„uert Antichrist or change his heart that he may be saued But he sayth Whom the Lord shal consume Gods word is almightie By his word he can do whatsoeuer pleaseth him He can make the deafe to heare the blind to sée He was able to cal the théefe vpon the crosse vnto repentance He was able to raise vp Lazarus out of his graue He is able of stones to raise vp children to Abraham He can throw downe euery high thing that is exalted against the glorie of GOD and wil bring kinges and Princes and the rulers of the earth to the obedience of Christ. But of Antichrist it is sayd The Lorde shal consume him Such is the hardnesse blindnesse of his heart he wil not receiue the loue of the truth he wil not beléeue the trueth of God that he might be saued Therefore destruction shal come vpon him Hereby we are taught what to thinke or hope of
water of Tyber and Tyber is a riuer that runneth by Rome Ioachimus Abbas sayeth Antichrist is long since borne at Rome and shal be aduaunced in the Apostolique sée He is borne and sheweth himselfe not at Babylon not at Constantinople but at Rome These be plaine spéeches If any man doubt this let him reade their bookes they be extant abroade Antichrist shal sit in Peters chaire and Rome shal be the seate of his kingdome I haue tolde you he shal come when the state and maiestie of the Empire shal bee weakened Antichrist shal possesse the Emperours landes and beare the sword and weare his crownâ—… and shal make the Emperour fal downe and worship him and kisse his féete Hath there euer béene any such Bishop in the worlde Hath there I say euer béene anie such If euer there were any such Saint Paule sayth the same is Antichrist I tolde you the worlde shal fal downe and reuerence him and shal séeke life and salnation at his hands Iohn sayth they shal crie Oh who is like the beast who is like our holie father who is so wise so learned so holie they shal followe him whither soeuer hée wil leade them they shal eate what so euer he wil giue them And they which shal doe thus are such as haue no féeling no care no loue to the trueth of God Therefore God forsaketh them and leaueth them to follow liâ—…s I tolde you he shal preuaile by falshoode and by fained myracles by Bulles by Pardâ—…ns by Purgatories and by such other deuises and shifts of Sathan I tolde you he shal be contrarie to Christ in Sacramentes in sacrifice in prayers in life in doctrine in religion in the whole forme and order of the Church He shal shutte that Christ hath opened He shal open that Christ hath shutte He shal curse that Christ hath blessed and blesse that Christ hath cursed No man shal be accounted faithful no man catholike no man the sonne of the Church no man may be saued without him Such credite and countenaunce shal he beare I tolde you he shal be confounded and beaten downe by the force and power of Gods mightie worde His worde is omnipotent It shal disclose the workes of darkenesse it shal hewe downe Idolatrie Superstition and the whole kingdome of Antichrist as our eyes doe sée this day Blessed be God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ his mightie hand hath wrought these thinges Hee hath triumphed the name of his Christ he wil blesse the thinges he hath begunne He wil ouerthrowe the whole power of Antichrist by his presence and by the glorie of his comming Then shal it appeare who is the successour of Peter who is the true vicar of Christ and who is Antichrist V. 13. But wee ought to giue thankes alwayes to God for you brethren beloued of the Lorde because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirite and the faith of trueth 14. Whereunto hee called you by our Gospel to obtaine the glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ. God hath chosen you froÌ„ the beginning his election is sure for euen The Lorde knoweth who are his You shal not be deceiued with the power and suttletie of Antichrist you shal not sal from grace you shal not perish This is the comfort which abydeth with the faithful when they beholde the fal of the wicked When they sée them for sake the trueth and delight in fables When they sée them returne to their vomit and to wallowe againe in the myer When we sée these thinges in other we must say alas they are examples for mée and they are lamentable examples Let him that standeeh take héede that he fal not But God hath loued me and hath chosen me to saluation His mercie shal goe before mée and his mercie shal follow in me His mercie shal guide my féete and stay me from falling If I stay by my selfe I stay by nothing I must néedes come to grounde Although al the worlde shoulde be drowned with the waues of vngodlinesse yet wil I holde by the boate of his mercie which shal safely preserue me If al the world be set on fire with the flame of wickednesse yet wil I créepe into the bosome of the protection of my Lorde so shal no flame hurt me He hath loued me he hath chosen me he wil kéepe mée Neither the example nor the companie of others nor the entising of the diuel nor mine owne sensual imaginations nor sworde nor fire is able to separate me from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde This is the comfort of the faithful So shal they wash their hands in the bloud of the Lambe Therefore saieth Paule you are my children I haue begotten you in Christ God hath giuen you vnto mee he hath made the Gospel which is come vnto you by my ministerie fruiteful in you I ought to giue God thankes alwayes for you Whatsoeuer falleth vpon others although others fal and perish although they forsake Christ and followe after Antichrist yet God hath loued you and giuen his sonne for you he hath chosen you and prepared you to saluation hath written your names in the booke of life But howe may we knowe that God hath chosen vs howe may we sée this election or howe may we feele it the Apostle saith Thorough sanctification and the faith of trueth these are tokens of Gods election Haue you receiued the gospel it is the light of the world it teacheth vs to knowe that God is God and that wee are his people The credite you giue to the Gospel is a witnesse of your election We beléeue what soeuer God speaketh because it is the worde of God For his word is trueth We beléeue that Christ is the lambe of God that he hath taken away the sinnes of the world because it is the word of God We beléeue that the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from al sin because it is the word of God We beléeue Christ came to saue sinners Because it is the worde of God We beléeue God wil deferre his wrath and will shews mercie for himselfe for his owne names sake because it is the worde of God We beléeue they that trust in the Lorde shal not be confounded because it is the worde of God We beléeue we are saued by grace through faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast because it is the word of God We beléeue without faith it is impossible to please God and againe that faith commeth by hearing and again that it is the gift of God because it is the word of God It is the trueth We beléeue that Antichrist shal be confounded and bereft of al his glorie because the worde of the Lord hath spoken it His word is righteousnes and truth We wil alwaies beléeue that is true therfore we cannot but
beléeue the word of God Faith knoweth no falshood it beholdeth the truth onely and not al truth but the truth of God It is not setled vpon vanities nor vpon errors Unlesse it be truth by the word of God whatsoeuer thou holdest in opinion is not to be called faith The Turke is setled in errors he perswadeth himselfe hee is rightly setled he calleth his opinions Faith and beléese Yet this is not faith because it is not the faith of truth it hath not the worde of GOD to assure it Therefore when men wil say beléeue our Masses beléeue our sacrifices beléeue our transubstantiations and our real presences beléeue vs what soeuer we say beléeue that we can not erre beléeue that you are in a good beléefe if you say you beléeue as the Church beléeueth though you knowe not how or what y e Church beléeueth They abuse and mocke the people of God There is no truth in this doctrine It neuer past out of the mouth of God God ordeined not Masses nor that the priest should offer sacrifice for the quicke and dead Therefore it is no matter of faith it is folly and vanity it is vngodlinesse it is errour it hath no substance He that receiueth such doctrine maketh much of a shadowe he can not hold it Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God The worde of God is trueth The Gospel is the worde of God and the power of God to saue them that beléeue The beliefe of the Gospel is laide vp in our heartes by the spirite of God He bringeth vs to the knowledge of the trueth This spirite beareth witnesse vnto our spirite that we are the sonnes of God This spirite teacheth vs to withdrawe our mindes from worldly cares to cal our doings to a reckoning to thinke of the dreadful day of iudgement to repent for our former sinnes and to serue GOD in holinesse and righteousnesse This spirite sheweth vs the mercy of God helpeth vs to pray and prayeth for vs is our comforter helpeth our inâ—…irmities and maketh vs knowe the things that are giuen vs of GOD. This did Dauid sée when he praied Create a cleane heart in mee oh God and renue a right spirit within mee My heart is sinfull my heart is foule renue it with thy spirite thy spirite in right he shall make my heart cleane Againe take not thy holie spirit from me I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaiden turne thy farâ—… awaie from my sinnes beâ—…lde me and receiue me in thy mercie Restore me to the light of thy countenance Open thou my lippes and my mouth shal shew foorth thy praise stablish me with thy frée spirit This strength we gather in God by his spirite This comforteth vs in al temptations and â—…areth witnesse with our spirit that we be the children of God that God hath chosen vs and doth loue vs and hath prepared vs to saluation that wée are the â—…eires of his glorie that God will kéepe vs as the apple of his eiè that de wil defend vs and we shall not perish V. 15. Therefore brethren stand fast and keepe al the instructions which yee haue beene taught either by word or by our epistle God hath set you in a race Let no man hinder you let no man kéepe you from the goale Stand past and kéepe that doctrine which you haue 〈◊〉 I was present with you I taught you by 〈◊〉 of mouth when I was away from you I taught you by letters I am carefull for you I beare you in my heart and loue you 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus Hée hath giuen me charge euer you hee will require you at my handes I haue clensed and garnished your hearts by the word of trueth take héede take héede the wicked spirit come not and bring seaâ—… spirites worse than himselfe and enter in and â—…el with you and the end of you be worse than the beginning Remember Lots wife shée went not foorth straight into the maie appointed her but looked backe behind hir and she became a pillar of salt and so continueth vntill this daie A terrible example to those which haue set their hand to the plough and looke backe againe and haue made themselues vnworthie the kingdome of heauen God will forsake such and make their hearts hard as a stone You are the â—…ome of the Lordes fielde God hath blessed you growe then and be fruitfull vntill the haruest that you may be gathered into the Lordes barne You are the light of God which God himselfe hath kindled let no pâ—…ffe of wind put you out You are the house of God God hath built you vppon a rocke let no violence nor tempestuous-weather beate you downe I haue spoken to you I haue written to you I haue shewed you the whole counsaile of God The word which I spake to you is the verie worde of God I testitie before the Lord and call God to witnesse vnto my soule that it is the truth of God and not anie deuise of man You did beléeue it you receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeede the word of God Become not now vnfaithful although you spie many infirmities in your teachers although you sée them fal into offences and ware couetous and giue euil example in their life and conuersation Although you sée the faith of manie shalten and that they haue put away from them a good conscience and turne backe from the loue of the gospell which they once séemed to professe and so are gone out from among you yet stande you vpright Hold fast y e doctrine which you haue receiued and continue in the things which you haue learned and be perswaded that they are able to make you wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus Christ saith woe be to the worlde because of offences whosoeuer shal offend one of these litle ones which beléeue in mée it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hée were drowned in the deapth of the sea And againe hee saith Blessed is he which is not offended in me Therefore worke your own saluation in trembling and in feare Blessed is he that abideth with Christ in temptations and continueth faithfull vnto the end V. 16. Nowe the same Iesus Christ our Lorde and our God euen the father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17 Comfort your hearts and stablish you in euerie worde and good worke After his exhortation that they would stand fast and continue faithfull vnto the ende hée turneth himselfe to God and praieth him to looke vppon them mercifully downe from heauen and to fulfill the worke begunne and to increase and multiplie his grace in them So ought al Preachers and seruantes of God to doe in their sermons For alas what are we what is our worde what is our labour without the assistance of God We are onelie the voice of a crier
they wil be protestants in company of others they are quite become contrarie They come to the church and receiue the holy communion they resort secretely to corners where they heare masse They like the one and like the other They like the light and they loue darkenesse and make no difference betwéene them These are readie to serue Christ and also readie to serue Antichrist faithful neither to God nor to Baal And this is among many counted the highest point of wisedome to be able so to colour and hide himselfe that you shal not know what profession he is of to what church he ioyneth himselfe what religion he holdeth whose worde or Gospel he followeth in what GOD he beléeueth Such there are And they onelie bée the singuler men reckoned the sine wittes and cunning fellowes of the worlde This is to be lamented that in a christian estate there should be any such That they at whose handes God shal require a straiter accoumpt than of others because he hath giuen them the vse of greater talents either of wit or of learniâ—…g or of preferment or of riches should so mispende the good giftes of God or vse his talents to such euil purpose that they more than al other shoulde deuise meanes how to deny Christ among men and as much as in them lieth to seeke to crâ—…e againe the Lorde of glorie The lewes deale not so wickedly the Turks deale not so traiterously The Jeâ—…e although his case bee miserable and his heresies most dangerous yet hee is earnest in his folly he wil not dissemble his profession The Turke is faithful vnto Mahomet and wil not denie or forsake him These false brethren and dissembling christians are worse than Iewes and Turkes They are voyde of conscience voyde of sayth voyde of feare of shame and of the grace of GOD. They are filthie swine shamelesse dogges and the enemies of the crosse of Christ. These hinder the passage of the Gospel and blaspheme the holie worde of their saluation and do al that in them lyeth to abolish the light of Gods truth S. Paule telleth vs al men haue not faith many hearts lie naked and voide of faith many séeme to liue and yet are dead Howsoeuer these men carie out their doings in this life they cannot mock God He knoweth who are his Christ shall say vnto these running witted dissemblers depart from mée ye hipocrites I knowe you not You shal receiue your portion with the diuel and his Angels Pray that we may be deliuered from such vnreasonable and euil men that they stoppe not the frée passage of the Gospel that they may haue no power against the glorie of God Then shal it appeare that God is faithful in al his wordes and holy in al his workes that his truth and mercie shal last for euer He wil establish vs in al goodnesse and defende vs from al euil he wil kéepe vs from al the power of Satan he wil kéepe vs from al temptation that the wicked shal not preuaile against vs. And we are perswaded of you through the Lorde that ye both doe and wil doe the things which wee warne you of You knowe what commaundements we gaue you by the Lord. I spake vnto you the wil of GOD and not mine owne I was vnto you but a messenger to deliuer vnto you such an errand as GOD sent vnto you I hope ye haue receiued it in such dutie as becommeth and that you both doe and wil hereafter obey it I am your phisitian The receipt which I haue giuen you is soueraigne and shall worke your health I trust it tarieth with you you brooke it wel I haue spoken vnto you in the name of God His name is holy He wil cause that my labor shal not be in vaine but wil make it fruitful in you Although al men haue not saith yet al men are not voide of faith Although there be many the children of this world yet there be some the children of light he that is of God heareth the worde of God They that be the sonnes of God are obedient to the wisedome of god their father God guide your harts that you may loue him that you may knowe what good God hath wrought vnto your soules that you may sée the depth of his mercie that in al your tribulation and aduersitie vnder the crosse and in your death you may looke for the day of Christ when the trumpet shal be sounded the graues shal be opened the dead bodies shal come foorth and we shal bée taken vp into the cloudes then shal he chaunge our vile bâ—…die that it may be like his glorious bodie then shal we be like the Angels of God wée shal sée God face to face and rest with him for euer V. 6. We warne you brethren in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that yee withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately not after the instruction which he receiued of vs. The kingdome of God is like to a draw net â—…ast into the Sea that gathereth of al kinde of thinges it is like a fielde wherein groweth both corne and wéedes Sundrie Uirgines went out to waâ—…e vppon the Spouse some were wise some were foolish some had oyle in their Lampes some had none Many came to the mariage some had their wedding garment some lacked it Manie are called but fewe are chosen Some beare the name of christians yet liue in Vsurie to the spoyle and vndoing of their brethren Some beare the name of Christians yet liue in adulterie and fornication as the heathen which knowe not God These be they through whom the name of God is euil spoken of Therefore sayeth Paule I warne you that you withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately Forsake him refuse his companie eate not with him druâ—…ke not with him that so he may be ashamed of his filthinesse Keceiue him not to your house nor bid him God spéede For he that biddeth him God spéede is partaker of his euil béedes Haue you no fellowship with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse but euen reprone them rather A little leauen doth leauen the whole lâ—…mpe The wrath of god shal come not onelie vpon those which commit wickednesse but also vpon al those which consent to the working thereof Among the Corinthians one had committed incest taken his fathers wife Saint Paule sayeth Let such one be deliuered vnto Satan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Deliuer him vp to Satan Marke his â—…rdes and in what case he speaketh them For they that delite in wickednesse are sold ouer vnto sinne which are filthie and increáse in filthines They are not of God they haue no part in the Church of God The Diuel and Satan hath power ouer them therefore deliuer thâ—…m vp vnto Satan The rewarde of sinue is death the soule which hath sinned shal die For this cause hath the
hated of them that embrace his doctrine 281 Fond tales of Antichrist 281 320 Antichrist not any one mā 282 Antichrist a Bishop 320 330 379 Antichrist an vniuersal king 329 Antichriste by what markes knowen 283 316 334 Antichrist commeth in shew of seruing Christ. 285 341 Antichrist ruleth by pretence of religion 287 349 Antichrist suttle and cunning 305 308 Antichrist taught of Satan 340 Antichrist proud and pompous 289 332 Antichrist exceeding cruel 263 283 Antichrist wherin his strength standeth 363 Antichrist his place or seate 290 326 379 Antichrist howe taken as God 291 Antichrist whom he deceiueth 207 351 381 Antichrist in what time reucaled 304 Antichrist not to be conuerted 364 Antichrist by what power ouerthrowen 361 363 381 Apostasie from the faith 94 388 Perswasions to Apostasie 97 Retentiue from Apostasie 98 Appearaunce of eu◅ auoide 219 Astronomers passe boundes 182 B Babilon wherein rich 376 Babilon fallen 373 Babilons fal causeth ioy in heauen 377 Battaile betweene Christ and Antichrist 369 Bishop of Rome seruant of seruauntes 296 Bishop of Rome rich by the spoil of the Empire 328 Bishop of Rome his priuiledge 292 296 349 Bishop of Rome lawelesse 334 Bishop of Rome called God 293 Busie bodies 155 C Children how to be nurtured 62 Children how they waxe ill 69 Church of the faithful 9 Chnrch of the wicked 6 The name of the Church and fathers deceiueable 234 359 Church cōpared to weak things 279 Churches particular decaye in faith 270 Church primitiue how ordered 266 Church of Rome hath no speciall promise 236 Church of Rome may erre 275 277 Church of Rome vnlike the primitiue Church 268 274 Christ ouercommeth 372 Cities wel gouerned 32 Single communion 311 Conscience 103 Constancie in the truth 214 240 244 388 412 Couetousnesse hindereth the Gospel 56 85 Crosse of Christ of whom esteemed 218 D Dead in Christ. 176 Deceite in bargaining enricheth not 111 Decrees and decretalles forged 256 Disciples of Christ are humble 316 Departing from the faith 263 375 Doctrines contrary to the word of God 48 E Election howe knowen 384 Empire large sometimes 323 Empire decaied a signe that Antichrist is come 327 3◅4 380 Emperour hath not any one citie of the Empire 328 Encrease in holinesse 154 239 Enemies to the gospel raise nobles 41 188 214 224 339 Excommunication what it is 413 Excommunication daungerous 416 418 Excommunication why ordeined 402 413 F Faith grounded on the worde 384 Faith without the truth no faith 369 385 Faith is not idle 12 109 Faithful men examples of godlinesse 28 30 148 Faithful man hath three badges 205 False brethren 396 397 False brethren auoide 401 False miracles of two sortes 343 Fathers howe carefull for their children 60 Fathers or multitude no rule to warrant religion 359 Filthinesse cloaked vnder pretence of single life 310 405 Flesh of Christ howe eaten 261 Foolish faith hurteth 360 Fornication 109 G Gospel what it worketh 79 Gospel no cause of tumults 40 Gospel often refused 40 80 351 Gospel not quailed by crueltie 75 77 242 262 God maketh his gospel fruitful 16 30 37 391 393 God openeth his trueth to the simple 19 292 God maketh thē loue the trueth that sometimes hated it 37 God deliuereth the faithful 205 366 Godly men are persecuted 13 22 73 92 188 179 242 261 Goods not free for il vses 128 Grace what it worketh in vs. 11 238 380 H Hearers of the word 69 209 352 Hipocrisie a high point of wisedome 396 Hope of the faithful 14 157 383 I Idlenes the teacher of mischief 156 407 Idle bodies not to be relieued 410 Ignorance cause of wickednes 116 Ignoraunce cause of despaire 158 Image worship 347 Images in steede of preaching ◅46 Infidels shall rise againe 169 Interest and V◅urie differ 135 Inuocation of saintes 346 Ioye of the godly or wicked 200 Ioye in tribulations 23 91 190 Day of iudgement vnknowen 181 261 Day of iudgement comfortable 174 176 179 Day of iudgement dreadful 174 243 365 K Keyes of the Church abused 312 Kissing ofreliques 347 L Labour required in euerie vocation 156 157 Labourers in the gospel worthie maintenance 58 147 405 Later day as dayes of Noah 170 Latine service a cloake for ignorant priestes 46 Lawe necess◅ie 151 Law may be followed betweene filendes 150 151 Loue the fruits thereof 12 147 152 191 200 Loue perswadeth to godlinesse 191 M Man of sinne reuealed 337 363 Mariage in ministers 217 Masse no teacher of godlinesse 216 Minister his office 12 20 35 43 49 50 52 80 87 410 Ministers painful worthie maintenance 58 147 405 Ministers vnprofitable to be remoued 85 194 196 407 Miracles wrought by Antichrist 348 Mourning ouer the dead 160 N Naturall corruption of man 237 246 Newe birth or regeneration 259 O Oblations and enriching of abbies 347 Office of Apostle and Bishop diuers 300 P Pardons 337 Peace in the Church the gift of God 223.423 Peace wherein it consisteth 225 423 People ought to reade the sc◅ptures 82.84 228 Peter no bishop of Rome 301 Pilgrimage 347 Pleasers of men 55.57 Pope no sollower of Peter 216 Pope aboue Emperour 330 Praier continually needful 204 Praier howe to be made for the wicked 402 422 Prayer abused to couetousnesse 313 Preachers are Gods instrumēts 390 399 Preachers most needefull 194 Primacie the fountaine of vaine presumption 314 337 Primitive Church 266 Princes and Magistrates labour 410 Purgatory impropried to the bishop of Rome 3◅3 Purgatorie a shoppe of mar◅ 314 337 R Reason the husbande 226 Reformatiō of Rome past hope 364 Refusers of the worde 72 195 210 352 357 Religion what it is 32 Religion by whō established 39 Religion of whom receiued 81 352 358 Religion forced or diffemoled 350 T◅th of religion howe tryed 212 250 359 Reliques 347 R◅tion of the bodie 165 Resemblaunces of resurrection 163 Resurrection of infidels 169 Rocke wherein the Church is built 258 Church of Rome may erre 275 277 Church of Rome vnlike the primitiue 268 274 Rome departed from the faith 265 Rome the seate of Antichrist 323 380 S Satans sleights against the gospel 86 254. Scriptures what they teach 34 Scriptures forged 255 Scriptures wrested 257 Sinne punished by sinne 82 Sinne which shall not be forgiuen 359 Spirit of God our guide 208 252 386 Superstition zealous 78 T Teachers examples of godlines 403. False teachers deale deceitfully 46 51 56 253 Thanks due to God in al things 205 The ssalonica once beloued now forsaken 236 Torments straunge and cruel against the godly 75 Translation of Scriptures 47 V Vsurie what it is 113 Vsurie whence it groweth 115 142 Vsurie what good it doeth 116 129 130 Vsurie defended 124 128 138 Vsurie and interest differ 135 Vsurie forbidden by scripture 121 Vsurie disproued by learned fathers 118 Vsurie condemned by lawes 138 Cases for Vsurie answered 131 Vsurer worse than a theefe 138 Vsurer excommunicate by his owne conscience 145 W Walkers inordinately to be reproued 198 Warre howe terrible 369
Lorde Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father 4 Knowing beloued brethren that ye are elect of God 5 For our Gospel was not vnto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce as ye know after what maner we were among you for your sakes We giue thankes c. Paule teacheth what is the office of a good minister He must euer carrie in remeÌ„brance y e estate of the congregation ouer which the Lord hath placed him He must giue thankes to God in their behalfe and pray for them that God will blesse that which he hath begunne and conâ—…rme them vnto the end that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ that he will behold them from aboue and blesse his inheritaunce and guide the shéepe of his pasture Your effectual faith Faith is not idle it worketh and is forcible it breaketh out like fire it is alwayes fruitefull through loue Faith without workes is no faith it is dead and bringeeh death And diligent loue Loue is paineful and ful of trainaile it thinketh not euil it seeketh not hir owne things it is bountiful This loue had the Thessalonians to the saints of God which suffered affliction in all places for the Gospels sake Many were spoyled of their goods cast out of their houses and banished from their countrey Euen as at this day for the like cause manie of our brethren the good seruantes of God are driuen into banishment cast into prisons put to the sworde or consumed in fire in those places where the God of this worlde hath so blinded their eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine vnto them It is high time in such cases for charitie to shew hir self She can not dissemble nor despise the teares of hir brother It sheweth foorth as the morning light it taketh from hir selfe to relieue them which are in neede It dealeth bread to the hungrie and bringeth the poore that wander vnto hir house and couereth the naked and hideth not hir face from hir owne flesh Vnto them that haue this loue the Lorde giueth his blessing Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needy the Lord shal deliuer him in the time of trouble And Christ saith Blessed are the merciful for they shal finde mercie And the patience of your hope How many are the troubles which the children of God suffer in this life let vs beholde the times which were before vs. Abel was innocent and iust yet was he slaine by the hands of his brother and without a cause The Prophet Dauid saieth of the Prophetes and holy men of God and the same words saith the Apostle of the Church of Christ vnder the Gospel For thy sake are we killed al the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Ieremie sayeth Thy worde is vnto them as a reproch and againe For thy sake I haue suffred rebuke What vilanies were wrought against our sauiour Christ They reproched him in spéeches brought false accusations and false witnesse against him and killed the innocent in whose mouth there was found no guile WheÌ„ S. Paul appealed to the witnesse of Timothie who did fully know his doctrine maner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue and patience and that he knewe also the persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him and which he suffered at Antiochia IconiuÌ„ and at Lystra after he had thus remeÌ„bred his persecutions his owne innocencie he saith Al that wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution What then hath the godly to leane vnto but hope the prophet Dauid therfore said Though I should walke through the vallie of the shadowe of death I wil feare no euil for thou art with mee Therefore saide Iob though hee flaie me yet wil I trust in him For he that putteth his trust in the Lorde shal neuer be confounded In this hope spake S. Paule Christ is to me both in life death aduantage Againe Whether we liue or die we are the Lords And againe God forbid that I shoule reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And to y e Romans he saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This is the foundation of faith euen a strong rocke which shal continue for euer Neither tribulatioÌ„ nor anguish nor persecutioÌ„ nor famine nor any danger can remoue the faithful from his hope But the wicked and vnstable fal from their hope and their fal is miserable They haue hard the worde of God that teacheth vnto saluation but did not regard it they haue forgotten the workes of the Lorde and receiued his grace in vaine For when they haue heard the worde the Diueâ—… commeth taketh away the word out of their heartes least they should beléeue and be saued And the end of these men is worse than the beginning It was not so with the Thessalonians They receiued the worde of God willingly and it was fruitful in them so that thereby they increased in faith in loue and in hope Their faith the Apostle calleth forcible or â—…ffectual their loue diligent painful their hope mightie through patience whereby they ouercome al maner of dangers reioyceth on their behalfe because he found so great successe of his trauaile in the Gospel amongst them Knowing that you are elect of God You were blind y e children of wrath without vnderstanding without God without hope But God hath had mercy vpoÌ„ you hath giueÌ„ you grace to know your calling Herein it appeareth y t you are the chosen of God and of the flocke of Christ. My sheepe saith he heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me and I giue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perish neither shal anie plucke them out of mine hande For our Gospel was not vnto you in worde only but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce That you haue yéelded obedience vnto the worde and that my ministerie hath béene effectual amongst you it commeth not of any power in your selues or in me it is the worke of God He hath blessed my ministery he hath blessed your hearts It is the gift of God least any man shoulde boast thereof Hereof he speaketh to the Corinthians Who is Paule then and who is Apollos but the ministers by whome yee beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase It is he which hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Without him we can do nothing He guideth vs and al our couÌ„sailes and leadeth vs into al trueth No man can come vnto mee sayth Christ except the father which hath sent me drawe him And by y e Prophet Ezechiel God saith I wil giue you a new heart
Thou shalt crie for succour and finde no man to helpe thée In these and these places hath manie a good mans childe béene cast away Oh take héede my sonne thou art the staffe and the comfort of mine age If aught come to thée otherwise than wel I shall soone after ende my daiâ—… in sorrow If a father be thus carefull that his child shoulde escape worldlie dangers hée must be more carefull of spirituall daungers in which whosoeuer is lost is lost for euer Therfore thus wil he saie to him Oh my sonne vnderstande what GOD hath doone for thy sake Take héede to thy selfe the worlde is al ouer â—…rewed with snares The dinel ranâ—… and séeketh whome he may deuour Giue â—…round to him but resist him and he wil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thée Be strong in saith The name of the Lorde is a strong Tower of defence-Call vppon him in the daie of thy trouble and he wil deliuer thee Hée wil giue thée of his spirite Take héeâ—… my sonne and be not deceiued let 〈◊〉 wilfulnesse cast thée away If sinners entire thée be not a companion of them in wickednesse Fashion not thy selfe to the likeneâ—… of this worlde for the worlde passeth awaie and the lust thereof He that loueth this worlde the loue of God is not in him Be not like vnto them that perish Thou wast conceiued and borne in sinne thou arte by nature the childe of wrath But God made thée méete to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light and hath deliuered thée from the power of darkenesse and hath translated thée into the kingdome of his deare son Receiue not this grace in vaine Cast aâ—…aie the workes of darkenesse and put on the armor of light Be renewed in thy heart and in thy spirite that it maie appeare I haue béene careful for thée Thus a good father séeketh to traine vp his sonne and to nurturs him Besides these fathers must also be carefull for their children to giue them correction and chastisenient God knoweth the mould of mans heart Hée séeth our inward partes He hath said it in the beginning The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Hée did sée that al the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onelie euill continually Beholde mans nature and consider it euen from our first birth Howe full of affections howe waiward in the young childe which lieth in the cradle His bodie is but smal but hée hath a greatheart and is altogether enrlined to euill And the more hée wareth in reason by yeares the more hée groweth prowde froward wilful vnrulie and disobedient If this sparckle be suffered to encrease it will rage ouer and burne downe the whole house Wée are not borne good but by education wée are changed and become good Therefore the wise man saieth Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a childe but the â—…odde of correction shall driue it awaie from him And againe The rodde and correction guâ—…e wisedome but a childe set at libertie maâ—… his mother ashamed And in the same Chapter Correct thy sonne and hee wil giue thee rest and wil giue pleasures vnto thy soule Hée that spareth the rodde hateth the childe 〈◊〉 If thou bring vp thy sonne delicately hee shall make thee afraid and if thou plaie with him hee shall bring thee to heauinesse Bow downe his necke whiles hee is young and beate him on the â—…tes while hee is a child least he wax stubborne be disobedient vnto thee and bring sorrowe to â—…hine heart saieth Saloâ—… 〈◊〉 Who hath not heard the storie of Eâ—… and of his sonnes It is worthie to be reâ—…mbred for euer Hee had shrewd children they feared not GOD but brake his commaundements and offended the people Their father heard of their doings but tooke no care for it hée suffered them and let them alone so long that God grewe displeased thereat and called vnto Samuel and saide Beholde I will do a thing in Ifrael wherof whosoeuer shall heare his two eares shall tingle In that daie I will raise vp against Elie al things which I haue spoken concerning his house when I beginne I wil also make an end And I haue told him that I wil iudge his house for euer for the iniquitie which hee knoweth bicause his sonnes ranne into a slander and hee staied them not And it came to passe shortly after The Arke of God was taken by the Philistines and the two sonnes of Ely Hophni and Phinees died And Ely also when he heard the report thereof fell from his seate backeward and his necke was broken Such shame and confusion came vpon him This was the hand and iudgement of God in sparing his children he cast awaie his children and himselfe altogither But Iob dealt farre otherwise with his children his eie was vppon them and hée tooke care least they shoulde offende God He sanctified them and offered burnt offerings for them daily For Iob thought it maie be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts Therefore hée praied for them My sonnes saieth he are yong and tender and lacke discretion The wages wherein they walke are slipperie they maie soone be decâ—…iued and runne into danger O Lorde be thou their guide be vnto them a tower of defence let thy holie spirit goe before them to direct them in al their waies So mindful was he of his children Infancie is the first part of our life and as it were the foundation thereof Where a vertuous and godlie childhood goeth before there a godlie and vertuous age followeth after Contrariwise when the fathers are not carefull to teach their children to knowe God and to know themselues when they doe not bréede them vppe in vertue nor reprooue them when they doe amisse they become corrupt in their vnderstanding and abhominable in their doings voide of al knowledge and grace and of reuerence or féeling of nature V. 13. For this cause also thanke we God without ceasing that when you receiued of vs the worde of the preaching of God yee receiued it not as the worde of men but as it is in deede the worde of God which also worketh in you that beleeue As the Ministers duetie is to teach the word of God and diuide it aright without deceit or guile so ought the people to receiue it with reuerence and to giue obedience vnto it But herein haue wée not power of our selues our readinesse commeth of God vn lesse it please God to worke within vs and to remooue the vaile and to mollifie our hearts whatsoeuer wée heare it mooueth vs not it helpeth not our vnbeliefe it bringeth vs not to the obedience of Christ. If an earthly Prince speake or send message vnto vs we giue al shewe of reuerence and heare him with al diligence This word is not of flesh and bloud it procéedeth not from Kings or Emperours or from parliament or from councels of men but from GOD the father and from
of the highest wherein they shaldwell this is the holie mountaine wherein they shall rest that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Here lette vs consider the rages and tempests of a troubled minde and of an vnquiet conscience which knoweth that GOD is an auenger of all wickednesse and that death is the due rewarde of sinne which acknowledgeth him selfe to be a sinner and findeth no way howe he shall escape Hell fire This man when he thinketh with him selfe of these things hée can not but be amazed and disquieted aboue measure The sounde of the Trumpet is euer in his eares he heareth the voice of the Judge saying stand foorth sinner now declare how thou hast vsed thy bodie giue a reckoning of thy whole life Then his conscience beginneth to quake and tremble Then he néedeth no witnesse to accuse him nor iudge to condemn him Hée is both witnesse and iudge against himselfe The daunger hereof maie somewhat appeare in those which are taken and prisoned and arraigned before a Judge When hée knoweth him selfe guiltie heareth the euidence prwued against him séeth the Judge seuere to deale iustice without mercie and therfore is assured of death what griefe and torment féeleth he at heart what would he not giue what would he not doe to scape the danger But the danger whereunâ—… God iudgeth vs is greater And the maner of his iudgement is straighter Here the Judge maie be deceiued he is but a man but there GOD is the Judge who is the searcher of the heart and raines and no man shall be hidde from his heate Here nothing can be done without euidence without witnesses and proofe before God he that hath offended shall accuse himselfe This is the case of conscience It selfe is witnesse it selfe caâ—…eth for iudgement to condemnation His conscience shall make the sinner say I haue offended against God I haue despised his word would not giue care to learne it I would not knowe the time of Gods mercie and of my visitation I liued in fornication and committed theft and kept wrongfully other mens goods I was disobedient to parents nourtered not my children in the feare of God kept not my heart from doing iniquitie I abused my goods my wits my senses and the good grace of God I haue sinned against heauen and against God and am not worthie to be called his sonne the wrath of God is worthily fallen vpon me hel fire is my méede the mercie of God can not saue me for my sinne is greater than that it can be forgiuen Mine owne hart conscience heauen and earth the angels and archangels God himselfe and Christ the redéemer of them that beléeue in him are against me I can not cast mine eyes to any place but euer I sée my damnation before me Then doth he tremble with agony and stande in feare His hart dasheth and beateth as the waues of the sea He sâ—…leth vprore warre lightning thoÌ„der death and hel in his heart hée shal flée when no man followeth him He shal sayâ—… to the hilles and rockes fal on me and hide me from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Such is the terrour of an vnquiet mindâ—… Though al the princes in the world would ioyne themselues to do it The wicked can neuer enioy peace God kéepe vs far from such agonies and giue vs pure hearts and cleare consciences CHAP. 4. ANd furthermore wee beseech you bretheren and exhort you in the Lord lesus that ye increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God 2. For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by the Lord Iesus WE commaunde you not nor vse any force but entreat you with all pacience and méekenesse that yée wil loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those thinges which please God You are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruailous light He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowen his iudgementes Wee come not to you in our owne name We haue charge to preach y e gospell to al nations Therefore we speake vnto you in y e name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We shewe you the way that you may walke in it we declare vnto you the wil of God that you may be saued For yet wil the Lorde waite that he may haue mercie vpon you and therefore wil he be exalted that he may haue compassion vpon you sayeth the Prophet Esay Wee haue opened vnto you that whole treasure of Gods mercie We haue lead you to the throne of grace and made you sée the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde We haue preached vnto you remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name If you haue hearde vs and beléeue you shal be saued If any man preach vnto you otherwise than that you haue receiued let him be accursed How ye ought to walke and please God It is not ynough that ye beléeue Ye must also walke and liue according to knowledge This is the wil of God For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which GOD hath ordained that wee should walke in them For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto al men teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life Looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glorie of the mighty God of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. In this sort hath our teaching béene among you That you might shewe foorth your faith by your works That it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead This we are taught by the words of our Lord Iesus he sayth Not euery one that sayeth vnto me Lorde Lorde shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth my fathers wil that is in heauen Againe Euerie tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doeth it not shal be beaten with manie stripes Thus hath our Lorde commaunded vs to be like our father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may sée our good workes Thus the Apostle taught Thus the church of God this day teacheth It requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merites and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruits and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beléeneth the gospell as he ought groweth and goeth forwarde from vertue to vertue If be were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge If hee were weake he groweth in strength If hée were wicked he turneth vnto gedlinesse V. 3. For this is the wil of God euen your holinesse and that yee should
the sacrament of our redemption Is this that which Paule receiued of the Lord and deliuered vnto the Church Is this the shewing foorth of the Lordes death vntill hée come They woulde haue the Popes auctoritie restored What is the Pope they saie hée is the successour of Peter What doth the Pope as Peter did or what did Peter as the Pope doth He is a mortall man And cursed are they of God that put their trust in man He feedeth not the flocke he teacheth not the simple hée strengtheneth not the weake I wil saie no more GOD make him a seruant of Christ and a faithful disposer of the mysteries of God They are offended at the mariage of the ministers of the Church Yet Gratian their great maister sayeth Copula sacerdotalis nec legali nec Euangelica nec Apostolica authoritate prohibetur The marriage of Priestes is not forbidden by any authoritie either of the lawe or of the Gospel or of the Apostles The holie fathers that liued in the Apostles time and shortly after report that Peter and al the other Apostles excepting only Iohn were maried and had wiues the Prophet Esay was married and yet he sawe the Lord sitting vpon an high throne Moses was marryed and yet saw God face to face Wil they reforme the Prophetes and the Apostles Wil they account that to be vnholie which the Apostle calleth honorable in al men Ignatius the scholer of Saint Iohn saide I wish to be found meete for God as was Peter and Paule and the other Apostles that were married They paint their banner with the Crosse and fiue woundes Why bring they those armes against vs Doe not we beleeue the crosse of Christ doe not wée reioyce and comforte our heartes by the remembraunce of his woundes doe not wée reade and she we foorth to the people the storie of his passion GOD knoweth it and you can beare vs witnesse and they can not denie it that we make this worke of our redemption wrought by the passion of our sauiour Christ the chiefe and principall rocke and foundation of our faith Therefore say wee with the Apostle GOD forbidde that we should reioyce in anie thing but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Nay rather they are become our enemies because wée beléeue in Iesus Christ crucified Because we say as Gods worde teacheth that Iesus Christ is the onely aduocate to the Father for our sinnes and that hee hath with one offering consecrated for euer them that are sanctified and that the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from al sinne For this cause are they become our enemies Let vs nothing feare their treacheries and attemptes let vs kéepe that is good and holde it fast vntil death Nowe we haue tasted the word of God and haue receiued the comfort of the Gospel let vs not despise it nor be wearie of it Let vs pray vnto God that he establish the loue of his trueth in vs and that he wil open the eyes of their heartes and bring them to bee partakers of those mercies which yet through ignoranâ—…ce they haue despised V. 22. Abstaine from al appearaunce of euil Kéepe your selues not onely from doing those thinges which are euil but also from al appearaunce of euil Offende not the conscience of thy brother that he may haue no occasion to thinke euill of thée Commit not adulterie and withdrawe thy selfe from the companie of such vnthriftie and light and suspected persons Bée not like to them that are such Laie not out thy money to Usurie nor doe anie thing whereby others may thinke so of thée Beware of vncharitable conueyaâ—…ce of thy money Be not Idolaters And leaue off to doe anie thing that maie bring you into suspition of Idolatrie Giue not that honour vnto anye creature which is proper to GOD. Haue no felloweshippe with their workes beare no appearaunce of liking their euill Goe not as they goe liue not as they liue Saint Paule reprâ—…ueth the Galathians Yee obserue dayes and monethes and times and yeare I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine So doeth hee the Colossians also If yee bee dead with Christe from the ordinaunces of the worlde why as though yee liued in the worlde are ye burdened with traditions as touch not taste not handle not So doe the Idolaters you shoulde not bee like vnto them They are the children of darkenesse you are the sonnes of light They wil not be like vnto you and forsake their false Gods Why should you become like vnto them and forsake the God that made the heauens and the earth You can not make them ashamed of their errors and imbrace the trueth Why then should you betray the trueth and be partakers with them in error The Christians in olde time beganne to weare Garlandes made of Bay What harme might be in that What is a Garlande but a furniture for the heade What is Bay but a litle trée or bush Yet the Fathers that liued with them to teach them sayde it was not lawful not for y e the thing it self was il of it selfe but for that they would not séeme to followe Idolaters It had some appearance of euill It was a ceremonie and solemne fashion among the heathen they woulde not be imboldened and it would offende the heartes of manie of the faithfull to see Christians followe the fashion of the Heathen When king Antiochus sent vnto Hierusalem and to the Cities of Iuda that they should followe the straunge lawes of the Countrey many chose rather to die than to bee defiled with vncleane thinges and to breake the holie couenaunt which God had giuen them Darius made a decrée whosoeuer should aske a petition of any God or man for thirtie dayes saue of the King he should be cast into the denne of Lions Daniel would not be kept so long from the seruice of God Hee would not dissemble he would not hide his zeale nor shewe anie appearaunce of it He prayed and praysed God as he did before and opened his chamber windowes that it might bée séene Policarpus might haue saued his life if he woulde haue dissembled He would not he coulde not He sawe it woulde haue béene an appearaunce of euil and a discourage vnto the brethren therefore spake boldly Christianus sum I am a Christian. And béeing required to speake il of Christ saide Octoginta sex annos seruio ei nihil me laesit vnquaÌ„ quomodo possum maledicere ei blasphemare regem meum qui salutem mihi dedit I haue serued Christ these fourescore and sixe yeares and he did neuer anie thing hurt mee howe may I speake il and blaspheme my king which hath giuen me saluation This is my faith Christ is my God this is my religion I am not ashamed to suffer death rather than I wil denie him who suffered death in his owne bodie to sauâ—… mée It is good sayth
y e names of our fathers The Church of Thessalonica whose foundation was surely built by S. Paule himselfe for which he was so careful vnto which he wrate special letters to commende their increase in godlinesse and their stedfastnesse in the Gospel is forsaken and laide wast If the worke which the spirite of God wrought by the Apostle be decayed whose work may we thinke shal stande Ieremie spake vnto the people of the Jewes saying Trust not in lying wordes saying the Temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. That temple GOD himselfe commaunded to be built the forme and fashion thereof God himselfe deuised and appointed therein he placed his Tabernacle and sette vp his mercie seate therein he shewed foorth his maiestie and the glorie of his countenaunce Yet al this notwithstanding God saide by the prophet trust not in these wordes they be lying words and wil deceiue you As the Prophet spake of the temple at Ierusalem so may it be sayde of any other church throughout the worlde So may it be saide of the Churche of Rome Wée may say trust not in lying wordes saying the church of Rome the Church of Rome Say not thus with your selues the Church of Rome is built vpon a rocke so surely that it can not be moued or that no winde can shake it say not the faith of that Church can neuer faile These be lying wordes trust not in them for Christ neuer spake any such thing of y e church of Rome It neuer had promise of more special priuiledge than was giuen to the Church at Thessalonica Reade the Scriptures beholde the words of our Sauiour and consider them yen shal finde no spéech made of the Church of Rome nor any promise nor péece of promise wherein he bindeth himselfe more to y e church of Rome than he hath done to other churches or to this of Thessalonica Thessalonica was beautiful in the sight of God the Lorde of hostes had pitched his tentes rounde about her the name of the most bolie was placed in the middest of her shée enioyed like spirituall peace and prosperitie as did the Ierusalem of the almightie she was as a Citie fenced within it selfe but the Lord hath taken away the light of his countenaunce from her shée hath forsaken the waies of righteousnesse she hath left off to serue the Lorde and is become the place which the Lorde hath forsaken there is scarce anie remnant left there of those which call vppon the name of our saluation and loue the Lorde Iesus with an vnfained heart This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes And is his hande shortned that he cannot or is his zeale abated that he wil not in like seueritie deale with such as forsake him If he spared not the natural braunches if Ierusalem were ouerthrowne because of her iniquities it cannot be that hee wil spare other places that doe the like but that they shal also be cut off This is it that our Sauiour hath saide in the Gospel by S. Mathewe Therefore say I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken from you and shal be giuen to a nation which shal bring foorth the fruites thereof Such terrible dreadful examples hath God layde before our eyes to kéepe vs in his feare and in aâ—…e of his iudgements V. 2. Grace be with you and peace from GOD our Father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. This is the salutation of Paule in al his Epistles to say I wish that the blessing and fanour and loue of God may light vppon you But for the better consideration hereof that we may know how earnestly we ought to pray vnto God for this grace and peace which the Apostle wisheth to the Churches let vs looke into our selues and sée how miserable we are if wee be left voyde of this grace and if God take his holy spirite away from vs. By nature what are we other than the bonde slaues of sinne We are not able to lift vp our eyes into heauen nor to beléeue in GOD nor to praise him nor to cal vppon his name We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues Vnlesse hee open our lippes wee cannot shewe foorth his prayse Vnlesse hée heale our deafenesse we cannot giue care to his worde Vnlesse he giue vs vnderstanding heartes wee cannot take â—…owledge of his wil. Destruction and vnhappinesse sayth the Prophet Dauid are in their wayes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes speaking of such as had not receyued the fauour and grace of God to guide and direct them And by the Prophet Malachie God vttereth his displeasure against them saying I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lorde of hostes neither wil I accept an offring at your handes Therefore the Apostle prayeth that they may receiue such measure of Gods grace as may quench in them the fierie dartes of the wicked and enhable them to holde fast that worthie thing that is committed vnto them and may kéepe them holic and vndefiled against the glorious comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. V. 3. Wee ought to thanke God alwayes for you bretheren as it is meete because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the loue of euerie one of you towardes another aboundeth 4. So that we our selues reioice of you in the church of God because of your patience and fayth in al your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer God hath wrought this good worke of faith and loue and pacience in your hearts he wil make it prosper and encrease It is he which hath put this fire in you and he wil make it burne Hee hath layde his leauine in the dough or meale of your heart and wil make it heauie and worke vntill al be leauined Hée wil make you abounde more and more and wil bring to a good ende the thing he hath begonne Your faith groweth exceedingly This is the wil of God that we ware and encrease in al holinesse Hereby we know whether we be of God or no. We may not stand at a stay but must be renewed One sayth in via virtutis qui noÌ„ proficit deficit Whosoeuer mendeth not him self in the practise of vertue he groweth worse God hath placed vs in a race to run we must so run that we may attaine the price We are graffes of y e Lords planting we must grow to the heigh and breadth of a trée and bring foorth fruit We are pilgrimes and strangers and passe by the wildernesse of this world into our heauenly resting place wee may not stay by the way but must remoue our tentes and continually march on forwarde vntill that day come when wee shall enter into the lande of promise So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Church of God c. Your faith is not onelie true and pure but setled and
heauen the spirite of God ordring al thinges and directing al the heads of the church In the time of Tertullian the Christians stil kept this maner Therefore he sayth Coâ—…mus ad diuiâ—…arum literarum commemor ationem fidem sanet is vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam sigimus We meete together at the reading of the holy scriptures wee nourish our faith with those heauenly wordes by them we raise vp our hope settle our affiance trust Augustine Chrisostome Origen other auntient and godly fathers commended the reading of the scriptures vnto the people called vpon them to read them theselues or to get others to reade vnto them And that they would heare them not onely in the Church but also at home in their houses They taught them the hurt and daunger of ignoraunce that ignoraunce of the scriptures hath béene the cause of her esies and that it hath brought in corruption of life and of maners This was the order and vsage of the Church in the time of the holy Apostles and of our first fathers The people were guided by the worde of God they were made partakers of the holie mysteries and al thinges were done in the Church to edifying And the same order is this day restored and practised in our churches Let vs looke into the church of Rome and behold the vsage behauiour thereof Where shal we find that heauenly comelinesse which S. Paule requireth Where is the comfortable reading of scriptures Where is the people taught their saluation in Christ Iesus where is the brotherly méeting of al the congregation at the communion of the Lordes supper May we say of Rome that it holdeth fast the forme and fashion of that church which Christ and his Apostles left vnto vs and which the holy ancient fathers continued nay rather we may say of them with Chrisostome they may haue the chestes and cofers wherein the treasure was sometimes kept but the treasures they haue not We may say it is not nowe a house of prayer but a denne of théeues We may say it shal no more be called Bethel the house of God but Bethauen the house of vanitie or of lying Iupiter and Bacchus and the Idols of the heathen were not so dishonored of their worshippers as the almightie and euerlasting and onely true God is dishonoured in that sinagogue I speake of it as it is nowe and as it hath béene these many yeares For in the time of our elder fathers it had great testimonie of true holinesse Ignatius called it castissimam most chaste Tertullian saide it was a happie Church because the Apostles of Christ suffered martyrdome in it and left their whole doctrine vnto it And in like sort did others giue vnto Rome as it was in those times reuerent and worthie commendation But now saith he O Roma à Roma quantum mutata vetusta es nunc caput es scelerum quae caput orbis eras O Rome howe much art thou channged from the olde Rome thou which hast beene the chiefe in al the worlde art nowe the chiefe in al naughtinesse They haue forsaken the trade of life and the loue of the Gospel which they of olde time had in Rome and therefore cannot be inheritours of their commendation When Chrisostme considered the state of the Church as the Apostle speaketh of it vntâ—… the Corinthians did see how farre the church in his time swarued from that he sayd Nunc verò vestigia tantum rerum illarum tenemus We haue now the only bare signes of those things Againe Videtur ecclesia hodie mulieri quae mansuetudine veteri exciderit similis quaeqúe Symbola tantum c. The church which is now may be likened to a woman which hath forsaken her wonted modestie And hath only certaine outward shewes of that first felicitie and keepeth stil the hutches and boxes of precious thinges but lacketh the treasure which was in them To such a woman may the church this day be likened I speake not this of the giftes for the matter were not so great if we wanted them only but of life and of vertue And againe he sayth Scrinium aliud paternt the sauri exinanitum bodie dicam c. I wil tel you of one other boxe of that treasure which our father left vnto vs which is empty and hath nothing left in it at this day In times past they did sing altogether so doe we also but then they were al of one minde of one heart at this day you shal not finde one man that agreeth with himselfe there is such warre and discord in al thinges euerie where The name of peace is common in al places but peace it selfe is no where to bee founde Then men did vse their houses like churches now men do vse the church as they vse their house nay more prophanely than any house Thus Chrisostome blamed the church in his time and layeth out their departing from the faith He liued about 411. yeres after Christ. What may we thinke he would say of the church that hath béene of later yeres if he had liued to sée the desormitie and abuses thereof where besides that they are not of one minde and of one heart they suffer not the people altogether to sing the praises of God where they haue not only emptieâ—… such boxes or hutches wherein Christ left great treasures vnto his church but haue made light account of them and haue cast away the very patterns and images of true godlinesse They driue away the people from reading the scriptures and reckon that as vnlaweful as to cast the bread of the children vnto degges or pearles before Swine They leade men from trust in the bloud of Christ and teach them to beléeue such thinges and to put confidence in those creatures which cannot profit or helpe them at al. You may remember what prayers they vsed But blesse your eares for they are wordes ful of horrible blasphemie They sayde to the holy and blessed Virgin Marie the mother of our redéemer sauiour In te virgo Maria confidimus in te speramus nos defendas in aeternum Our trust and hope we put in thee O Virgine Marie defende vs euerlastingly They say O faelix puerpera nostra pians scelera O happy mother which doest purge vs from our sinnes And Sanctae Mariae merita ducant nos ad regna coelestia The merites of holie Marie bring vs to the heauenly kingdome Againe Tu mediatrix dei hominum aduocata pauperum refugiuÌ„ peccatorum Thou art the mediatour betweene God and man the aduocate for the poore the refuge of al sinners O merciful Christ what is become of thy passion where is the price of thy blout howe are we lead away from thée to séeke redemption in a creature Againe they say vnto her Thou art the Ladie of Angels thou art the Queene of heauen Commaund thy sonne shew thy selfe to be a mother He is thy sonne thou art
his mother the mother may commaunde the childe must obey Againe they turne al that is spoken in y e whole booke of the Psalmes of the prophet Dauid either of God or of Christ and apply it to the Virgin Marie cal that Psalter Psalterium beatae Mariae the Psalter of blessed Marie Who wil take the paines to peruse it shal find that comfortable spéech of our sauiour Come vnto me al yeo that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you thus blasphernously abused in y e second psalme Venite ad eam omnes qui laboratis tribulati estis refrigerium solatium dabit animabus vestris Come vnto her al yee that trauell and be heauily loaden she wil giue rest comforte to your soules An other saith the kingdome of god is of two parts of iustice and of mercy He reseructh iustice to himselfe the other part that is mercy he hath yelded vnto his mother Therfore one of them plaieth the Proctour taketh vpon him to shew the differeÌ„ce of those two courtes saying A foro iustitiae dei appellandum est ad forum misericordiae matris eius You must appeale from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his mothers mercie And is there not good cause he should giue vs this counsell if it be true that he hath written Nulla gratia venit de coelo ad terram nisi transeat per manuâ—… Mariae Est enim meà iatrix saluationis iustificationis recoÌ„ciliationis communicationis No mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but it must passe by the handes of Marie For shee is the mediatour of our saluation of our iustification of our reconciliation and of our participation What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie They which wil séeme somewhat to blush at these things wil perhappes excuse this and call it spirituall daliance Vnhappie are they and heauy iudgement shall abide theÌ„ that in such sort dallie and scorne the price of our redemption O let vs open our eies we are the sonnes of God God hath giuen vs eies to sée and eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Let vs iudge vprightly It is gods cause Whosoeuer considereth these and such other great errors must néeds confesse that y e church of Rome hath wrought that departing whereof the Apostle speaketh In the late councell of Trident Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto did something plainly acknowledge the great Apostasie and departing of the church of Rome both in matters of faith and in conuersation and life These be his words Vtinam à religione ad superstitionem c. Woulde God they were not gone wholie with generall consent from religion to superstition froÌ„ faith ro infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist froÌ„ God to Epicure saying with wicked heart and filthie mouth there is no God Neither hath there bene this great while anie pastor or Pope that regarded these things For they al both Pope and Cardinals and other sought their owne and not so much as one of them sought for the things that pertaine to Iesus Christ. Yet say they there can be no departing from faith in the Church of Rome the faith thereof cannot faile for Christ hath said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not And againe The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Therefore in that place there can be no decay This is the saying of some who humble not themselues to knowe their errour who loue the praise of men more than the praise of God whose glorie is their shame which mind earthly things The Apostle saith there shall be a departing that it shal be not among the Jewes and Jnfidels but among those which were reckoned to be of the housholde of faith and the children of God What is it froÌ„ which they shal depart or wherein the decay shall be doth he meane their riches their gold and siluer bread c. No but the doctrine of the gospell and faith in Christ. The pure words which as siluer from the earth are tried and purified seauen times in the fire the wel of water which springeth vp into euerlasting life shal decay in the house of God The people shall shut their eares that they may not heare the truth and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies through hipocrisie And let them not say the church of Rome can not erre For where did Christ euer giue or where haue the Apostles euer mâ—…de mention of any such priuiledge granted to that Church S. Peter saith There were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shall be false teachers among you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation and many shall folow their damnable waies by whome the waie of truth shall be euil spoken of Paul warned the Church of God at Ephesus not onelie that after his departing gréeuous woolues should enter in among them but also that of themselues should men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them When Christ said When the sonne of man shall come shall hee finde faith vpon the earth And when he told his Disciples that the abhomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place when he warned them in this sorte Then if anie shall saie vnto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not For there shall arise false Christs false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued It is most euident he spake of that departing which should come should appeare in the church of God which departing our forefathers did behold and marke in their times and which hath of late yeares appeared so manifestly that no man who is not wilfully blind can doubt thereof S. Paule knew not anie such state of the Church of Rome or anie especiall grant made vnto it in such forte that it should neuer erre for vnto the church of Rome he writeth Boast not thy selfe Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least he also spare not thee Thorow vnbeliefe they are broken off thou standest by faith Behold therefore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God Towards them which haue fallen seueritie but towards thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els thou shalt also be cut off That is if he spared not the Iewes his owne people how wil he spare thée that art but a stranger If thou continue not thou shalt be cut off It may be thou shalt also depart from the faith as the Iewes haue done then shalt thou be as a withered branch shalt not draw any moisture from the roote then wil God also forsake thée and thy end shal be worse than the beginning I trow in saying thus he said not Thou shalt not
Church of God ordained excommunication that he which hath doâ—…e wickedly may bee ashamed that others who are guiltlesse may be afraid and that the heauie displeasure of God may be auoyded We warne you saith he in the name of our Lorde You know me and my name and that I am an Apostle of Christ. But the commandement which I giue you is in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. I warne you by the glorious day of his comming that you withdrawe your selues from euerie one that liueth inordinately Receiue him not to your companie bid him not God spéede that you be not partakers of his euil that he may knowe his filthiuesse and be ashamed Yet let vs praie for such that they may bee sorie that they may knowe whome they haue offended and turne againe vnto the Lorde For God would not the death of a sinner but that he repent of his wickednesse and liue The mercie of God is abouâ—… al his workes V. 7. For ye your selues know how ye ought to followe vs for wee behaued not our felues inordinately among you 8. Neither tooke we bread of any man for nought but we wrought with labour and traâ—…aile night and day because wee would not be chargeable to any of you 9 Not bicause we haue not auctoritie but that we might make our selues an example vnto you to follow vs. 10 For euen when wee were with you this wee warned you of that if there were anie which would not worke that hee shoulde not eate 11 For wee heare that there are some which walke among you inordinately and worke not at al but are busie bodies 12 Therefore them that are such we warne and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnesse and eate their owne bread 13 And ye brethren be not wearie in wel doing Here Paul maketh his spéech against those who vnder the pretence of the Gospell liued idlely and would not labour Take an crample of me I liued not idlely I earned my bread I was not chargeable to anie Do you as you haue vs for an example So ought the seruants of God to liue that their wel doing maie be a patterne for the people to followe Saint Paul telleth Timothie A Bishop must be vnreproueable He saith not without sinne for no man is without sinne but without rebuke And againe Let no man despise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and in purenesse And vnto Titus the Bishop of Candia he saith In al things shewe thy self an example of good works with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie integritie with the wholesome word which cannot be condemned that he which withstandeth maie be ashamed hauing nothing concerning you to speake euill of So in this place to the Thessalonians he saith you behold my conuersation howe I haue liued among you Be ye folowers of me let me be the patterne for you to follow Such shoulde be the spéech of al those who are Bishops ministers in the church of God They must walk so vprightly that they may be vnto al others the patterns of good life of liberalitie of mercie and of loue They must carie the arke of the Lord that the people maie followe them We behaued not our selues inordinately c. Whereas I was an Apostle of Christ the first fruits of the gospel a chosen vessel called from aboue and set apart from mine owne owne to be the embassadour of God into the worlde and had so much to do Yet I vsed my hands and pained my bodie to get my bread I liued like one of Adams children in trauell of my bodie and sought my bread in the sweate of my browes Not that I might not lawfully haue liued vpon you and haue required my maintenance at your hands It was lawfull for me to haue done so for the workman is worthy of his hire God hath appointed that he which teacheth the Gospel shall liue by the Gospel This matter S. Paule reasoneth with the Corinthians Haue wee not power to eate and drinke or haue we not power to leade about a wife a sister as wel as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lorde and Cephas Who goeth a warfare at anie time at his owne cost Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke I might eate and drincke at your charge and require charges of you for me and mine I am the souldior of God Christ is my captaine I haue planted the vine of the Lord of hosts among you I haue fed you you are the shéepe of the house of Israel The hire due to the souldiour the fruit wherof he should eate which kéepeth the vine and the milke which Christs shéepe yéeld to their féeder is nothing else but your charitable beneuolence towards the seruants of Christ. Againe It is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne He tranaileth for thée that thou maiest liue Suffer him to licke a little for his paines We are the Lordes oxen we thresh foorth his corne If we haue sowne vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if wee reape your carnall things We are Gods husbandmen we trauaile and take paines we plough we sowe we harrowe wée are abroade in wind and weather in storme in haile in lightning and thunder No man knoweth the care the poore husbandman taketh Winter nor Sommer our worke is neuer at an ende Now if we by our labour minister to you the breade which commeth from heauen is it much that you giue vs the bread of the earth Do you not know that they which waite at the altare are partatakers with the altare It hath so séemed good vnto GOD it is his appointment he hath established it by his lawe and it is most agréeable to the lawe of reason and nature Yet this is also to be weighed in the consideration hereof that whosoeuer asketh the paie of a souldiour must buckle his armour and goe a warrefare He that drinketh the wine must plant the grape he that requireth milke must féede the flocke he that wil not be mureled must thresh the corne he that reapeth carnall things must sowe spirituall things he that requireth the bread of the earth must minister to his hearers the bread of heauen he that wil liue of the sacrifice or of the altar or of the Gospell must offer the sacrifice wait vpon the altar and teach the gospel He that teacheth not the gospell nor careth for the teaching he that serueth not the altar nor careth for the seruing hée that goeth not on warrefare that planteth not that féedeth not that thresheth not that plougheth not that frauaileth not that taketh no paines that abideth not lightning thunder wind weather storme and haâ—…le he that careth not to doe these things
commanded to write vnto the Angel of the church of the Smyrnians These things saith hee which is first and last which was dead and is aliue I knowe the blasphemie of them which saie they are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan They reuile you and speake al maner of euill against you for my names sake They charge you with teaching false doctrine and saie you haue departed from the Church that they are the séede of Abraham the children of promise the true worshippers of God and which walke in the steppes of their forefathers But their boast heereof is vaine It profiteth them nothing that Abraham was their father that the couenant was made with them that they were circumcised that a lawe was giuen vnto them Let them not trust in their fathers let them not trust in lying words and saie the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lorde If they were Abrahams children they woulde doe the workes of Abraham If God were their father then would they loue Christ his sonne and séeke to set foorth his glorie If they were of the shéepefolde of God they woulde heare his voice They are of their father the Diuel and the lusts of their father they wil doe They are in name the seruants of Christ but serue Antichrist they call themselues Iewes but are the Synagogue of Satan For saith the Apostle he is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the spirite not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Of those which are such Leo saith Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Yee arme your selues with the name of the Church and yet ye fight against the Church And Chrysostome saith The name onely of Christ doth not make a Christian but he must also haue the trueth of Christ for there are manie which walke in the name of Christ but fewe which walke in his truth It is therefore manifest as Lyra saith That the Church is not among men by reason of anie Ecclesiasticall or secular authoritie or dignitie because manie princes and high priests and others of the inferiour sorte haue forsaken the faith Though they pretend shew of holines though they drawe to themselues credite by long continuance though their numbers be great and they consent togither yet if they haue forsaken the faith if they holde not the truth of Christ if they fight against and persecute the Church if their circumcision be not the circumcision of the heart and in the spirit if they heare not the voice of y e shéepheard if they loue not Christ Iesus the sonne of God and set not foorth his glorie if they séeke to stop the course of the gospell if they séeke to get name among men if they resist Moses and Aaron they haue onelie a painted visard and carrie onelie an emptie name of the Church they call themselues so and are not But the Church of God is in God the father and in the Lorde Iesus Christ it is the companie of the faithful whom God hath gathered togither in Christ by his worde and by the holy ghost to honour him as he himselfe hath appointed This Church heareth the voice of the shephearde It wil not followe a stranger but flyeth from him for it knoweth not the voyce of straungers Of this Church Saint Iherome sayth Ecclesia Christi in toto orbe ecclesias possidens spiritus vnitate coniuncta est habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelij Apostolorum Non est egressa de finibus suis â—…d est de Scripturis The Church of Christ which containeth the churches through al the world is ioyned togither in the vnitie of the spirite and hath the cities of the Law of the Prophets of the gospel and of the Apostles This church goeth not forth or beyonde hir boundes that is the holy Scriptures It is the piller of the truth the bodie the fulnesse and the spouse of Christ it is the vine the house the citie and the kingdome of God They which dwel in it are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the hoshould of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christ himselfe being the heade corner stone in whome all the building coupled togither groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lord. This Church Christ loued and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the worde that hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrincle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame Such a Church was the Church of God at Thessalonica such a Church are they who so euer in any place of the worlde feare the Lord and cal vppon his name Their names are written in the booke of life they haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which they trie Abba Father they growe from grace to grace and abounde more and more in knowledge and in iudgement they cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light they are made absolute and perfect vnto al good works they are euermore coÌ„forted in the mercies of God both by the holy scriptures wherein God declareth his gracious goodnesse towardes them and by the sacramentes which are left vnto the Church to be witnesses assured pledges for performance of the promise of Gods good will and fauour towardes them Grace be with you and peace c. God giue you the forgiuenesse of your sins and the peace and comfort of your conscience God let al his blâ—…ssings fal vpon you that you may sée the riches the treasures of his mercy that you may be filled with al fulnesse in the spirite that you may beholde the glorie of the kingdome of God and those thinges may bie reuealed vnto you by his spirit which he hath prepared for them that loue him Without this grace you can doe nothing you can neyther féele the burthen of your sinnes nor séeke to be eased of theÌ„ nor perceiue when they are forgiuen you cannot rent your heart and set apart from you the vanities and lustes of the flesh which doeth euermore fight against the soule you cannot discerne the worde of God and by it enter the way to euerlasting life you cannot abhorre that which is euil and cleauâ—… vnto that which is good without the grace of God you cannot continue stedfast constant in faith and in hope of the mercies of God through our sauiour Iesus Christ. 2 We giue thankes to God alwaies for you al making mention of you in our prayers 3 Without ceasing remembring your effectual faith and diligent loue and the patience of your hope in our