euill Behold they speake for it ioy in it boast of it inforce to it as if they vvould send challenges into heauen make loue to destruction Their leudnesse cals for our sorrowe and zealous obedience that our God may haue as true Seruants as enimies And as vvee see naturall qualities increased vvith the resistaunce of theyr contraries so must our grace vvith others sinnes We shal redeeme somvvhat of Gods dishonour by sinne if vve shal thence grovv holye EPIST. IIII. To Mr. Doctor Milburne ¶ Discoursing how farre and wherein Popery destroyeth the foundation THe meane in all thinges is not more safe then hard whether to finde or keep as in al other morality it lyeth in a narrow roome so most in the matter of our censures especially concerning Religion wherein we are wont to be eyther carelesse or too peremptory How farre and wherein Popery raceth the foundation is worth our inquiry I neede not stay vpon wordes By foundation we mean the necessary groundes of Christian faith This foundation Papistry defaces by laying a new by casting downe the old In these cases addition destroyes he that obtrudes a new worde no lesse ouerthrowes the Scripture then hee that denÌ„yes the olde yea this very obtrusion denies he that sets vp a newe Christ reiects Christ Two foundations cannot stand at once The Arke and Dagon Now Papistry layes a double how foundation The one a new rule of faith that is a new word The other a new Author or guide of Faith that is a newe head besides Christ God neuer layde other foundation then in the Prophets and Apostles vpon their Diuine writing he meant to build his Church which hee therefore inspired that they might be like himselfe perfect and eternall Popery buildes vppon an vn-written word the voyce of old but doubtful Traditions The voyce of the present Church that is as they interpret it theyrs with no lesse confidence and presumption of certainety then any thing euer Written by the finger of God If this be not a new foundation the old was none God neuer taught this holy Spouse to knowe any other husband theÌ„ Christ to acknowledge any other head to followe any other Shepheard to obey any other King he alone may be inioyed without iealousie submitted to without danger without errour beleeued serued without scruple Popery offers to impose on Gods Church a King shepheard head husband besides her owne A man a man of sin He must know all things can erre in nothing direct inform animate coÌ„mand both in earth and Purgatory expounde Scriptures cannonize Saints forgiue Sins create new Articles of Faith and in all these is absolute and infallible as his Maker who sees not that if to attribute these things to the son of God bee to make him the foundation of the Church Then to ascribe them to another is to contradict him that sayde Other foundation can no man lay then that which is layde which is Iesus Christ. To lay a new foundation doth necessarily subuert the old yet see this further actually done in particulars wherein yet this distinction may cleare the way The foundation is ouerthrowne two wayes either in flat tearmes when a mayne principle of faith is absolutely denyed as the deity and consubstantiality of the sonne by Arrius the Trinity of persons by Sabellius and Seruetus the resurrection of the bodye by Himeneus and Philetus the last Iudgement by Saint Peters Mockers Or secondly by consequent when anie opinion is maintained which by iust sequell ouer turneth the trueth of that principle which the defendant professes to holde yet so as hee will not graunt the necessity of that deduction so the Ancient Mâ—nâ—i of whom Ierom speaketh while they vrged Circumcision by consequent according to Paules rule reiected Christ so the Pelagians while they defended a full perfection of our righteoushes in our selues ouerthrew Christes iustification and in effect sayde I beleeue in Christ and in myselfe so some Vbiauitaries while they hold the possibility of the conuersion and saluation of reprobates ouerthrow the Doctrine of Gods eternall decree and immutability Popery comes in this latter rank and may iustly be tearmed heresie by direct consequent Though not in their graunt yet in necessarie proofe and inference Thus it ouerthrowes the truth of Christs humanity while it holds his whole humaine body locally circumscribed in heauen at once the same instant wholy present in ten thousand places on earth without circumscription That whole Christ is in the formes of bread with all his dimensions euery part hauing his own place and figure and yet so as that he is wholly in euery part of the breade Our iustification while it ascribes it to our owne workes The Al-sufficiency of Christs owne Sacrifice whiles they reiterate it daily by the handes of a Priest Of his satisfaction while they holde a payment of our vtmost farthings in a deuised Purgatory Of his mediation while they implore others to ayde them not only by their intercession but their merites suing not onely for their Prayes but their gifts The value of the Scriptures whiles they hold them insufficient obscure in points essentiall to saluation bind them to an vncertaine dependance vpon the Church Besides hundreds of this kind there are heresies in actions contrary to those fundamentall practises which God requires of his As prohibitions of Scriptures to the Laity Prescriptions of deuotion in vnknowne tongues Tying the effect of Sacraments and Prayers to the externall worke Adoration of Angels Saints Bread Reliques Crosses Jmages All which are as so many reall vnderminings of the sacred foundation which is no lesse actiue then vocall By this the simplest may see what we must holde of Papists neyther as no Heretiques nor yet so palpable as the worst If any man aske for theyr conuiction In the simpler sort I grant this excuse fayre and tollerable Poore soules they cannot bee any otherwise informed much lesse perswaded Whiles in trueth of heart they hold the maine principles which they know doubtlesse the mercie of God may passe ouer their ignorant weakenesse in what they cannot know For the other I feare not to say that many of their errours are wilfull The light of truth hath shined out of heauen to them and they loue darkenesse more then light Jn this state of the Church hee shall speake and hope idly that shall call for a publique and vniuersall euiction How can that be when they pretend to bee Iudges in their owne cause Vnlesse they wil not be aduersaries to themselues or iudge of vs this course is but impossible As the Diuell so Antichrist will not yeelde both shall bee subdued neyther will treat of peace what remains but that the Lorde shall consume that wicked man which is now clearely reuealed with the breath of his mouth abolish him with the brightnes of his coÌ„ming Euen so Lord Iesus come quickly This briefly is my conceit of Popery which I willingly refer to your clear deepe iudgement being
shall finde the memory of it noted with a blacke coale wip't out in that infamous bill of Expurgations Had the ancient Church held this desperate sequele what strange and yet wilful cruelty had it bene in them to deferre baptisme a whole yearelong till Easter or that Sunday which hath his name I thinke from the white robes of the baptised Yea what an aduenture was it in some to adiourne it till their age with Constantine if being vnsure of their life they had beene sure the preuention of death wold haue inferred damnation Looke vnto that legall Sacrament of circumcision which contrary to the fancies of our Anabaptists directly answeres this Euangelicall Before the eight day they could not bee circumcised before the eight day they might die If dying the seuenth day they were necessarily condemned eyther the want of a day is a sinne or God sometimes condemneth not for sin Neither of them possible neither according with the iustice of the Law-giuer Or if from this parallell you please to looke either to reason or example the case is cleare Reason No man that hath faith can bee condemned for Christ dwels in our harts by faith and he in whom Christ dwels cannot bee a reprobate Now it is possible a man may haue a sauing saith before baptisme Abraham first beleeued to iustification then after receiued the signe of circumcision as a seale of the righteousnes of that faith which he had when he was vncircumcised Therefore some dying before their baptisme may yea must be saued Neither was Abrahams case singular he was the Father of all them also which beleeue not being circumcised these as they are his Sons in faith so in righteousnesse so in saluation vncircumcision cannot hinder where faith admitteth These following his steps of beleefe before the sacrament shal doubtlesse rest in his bosome without the sacrament without it as fataly absent not as willingly neglected It is not the water but the faith not the putting away the filth of the flesh saith Saint Peter but the stipulation of a good conscience for who takes Baptisme without a ful faith saith Hierome takes the water takes not the spirit VVhence is this so great vertue of the water that it should touch the body and cleanse the heart saith Austen vnlesse by the power of the word not spoken but beleeued Thou seest water saith Ambrose euery water heales not that water onely heals which hath the grace of God annexed And if there bee any grace in the water saith Basill it is not of the nature of the water but of the presence of the spirit Baptisme is indeed as S. Ambrose stiles it the paune and image of our resurrection yea as Basil the power of God to resurrectiō but as Ignatius expoundes this phrase aright beleeuing in his death wee are by baptisme made partakers of his resurrection Baptisme therefore without faith cannot saue a man and by faith doth saue him and faith without baptisme where it cannot be had not where it may be had and is contemned may saue him That Spirit which workes by meanes will not bee tyed to meanes Examples Cast your eyes vpon that good theefe good in his death though in his life abhominable hee was neuer washed in lordan yet is receiued into Paradise his soble was foule with rapines and iniustice yea bloody with murders and yet being scouted onely with the blood of his Sauiour not with water of baptisme it is presented glorious to God I say nothing of the soules of Traian and Falconella meere heathens liuing and dying without Christ without baptisme which yet their honest Legend reports deliuered from hell transported to heauen not so much as scorched in Purgatorie The one by the prayers of Gregory the other of Tecla VVhat partiality is this to deny that to the children of Christians which they grant to knowne infidels The promise is made to vs and our seed not to those that are without the pale of the Church Those Innocents which were massacred for Christ are by them canonized for Saints and make one day in their Calendar each yeare both holy and dismall whereof yet scarce any liued to know water none to know baptisme Yea all Martyrs are here priuiledged who are Christened in their owne blood instead of water but where hath God saide All that die without baptisme shall die for euer except Martyrs why not except beleeuers It is faith that giues life to Martyrs which if they should want their first death could not auoyde the second Ambrose doubted not to say his Valentinian was baptised because hee desired it not because he had it he knew the minde of God who accounts vs to haue what we vnfaynedly wish Children cannot liue to desire baptisme if their parents desire it for them why may not the desire of others be theirs as well as according to Austins opinion the faith of othērs beleeuing and the mouth of others confessing In these cases therefore of any soules but our owne it is safe to suspend and dangerous to passe iudgement Secret things to God Hee that made all soulesv knowes what to doe with them neither will make vs of counsaile But if we define either way the errors of charity are inoffensiue wee must honour good meanes and vse them and in their necessarie want depend vpon him who can worke beyond without against meanes Thus haue I endeauoured your Ladiships satisfaction in what you heard not without some scruple If any man shall blame my choice in troubling you with a thorny and scholasticall discourse let him know that I haue learned this fashion of St. Hierome the Oracle of Antiquitie who was wont to entertaine his Paula and Eustochium Marcella Principia Hedibia and other deuout Ladies with learned canuases of the deep pointes of Diuinity This is not so perplexed that it need to offend nor so vnnecessary that it may bee vnknowne To Sir Richard Lea since deceassed EP. V. Discoursing of the comfortable remedies of all afflictions WIse men seeke remedies before their disease sensible patients when they beginne to complaine fooles too late Afflictions are the common maladies of Christians These you feele and vpon the first grones seeke for ease VVherefore serues the tongue of the learned but to speake wordes in season I am a scholer of those that can comfort you If you shall with mee take out my lessons neither of vs shall repent it You smart and complaine take heed least too much There is no affliction not grieuous the bone that was disioynted cannot bee set right without paine No potion can cure vs if it worke not it workes not except it make vs sicke wee are contented with that sickenesse which is the way to health There is a vexation without hurt such is this We are afflicted not ouer-pressed needy not desperate persecuted not forsaken cast downe but perish not How should we when all the euil in a Citie comes from the prouidence of a good God which
death and expect it Take heede least you so fasten your eyes vppon the first death of the body that you should not look beyond it to the second which alone is worthy of trēbling worthy of teares For this though terrible to Nature yet is common to vs with you You must dye What doe wee else And what differs our end from yours but in hast and violence And vvho knowes whether in that It may bee a sickenesse as sharpe as suddaine shal fetch vs hence It may bee the same death or a worse for a better cause Or if not so There is much more miserie in lingering Hee dies easily that dyes soone But the other is the vtmost vengeaunce that GOD hath reserued for his enemies This is a matter of long feare and short payne A few panges lets the soule out of prison but the Torment of that other is euerlasting after tenne thousand yeares scorching in that flame the payne is neuer the neerer to his ending No time giues it hope of abating yea time hath nothing to do with this eternity You that shall feele the paine of one minutes dying thinke what paine it is to be dying for euer and euer This although it bee attended with a sharpe paine yet is such as some strong spirits haue indured without shew of yeildance I haue herd of an Irish Traitor that when he lay pining vppon the wheele with his bones broke asked his friend if hee changed his countenance at all caring lesse for the paine then the shew of feare Few men haue dyed of greater paines then others haue sustained and liue But that other ouer-whelms both body and soule and leaues no roome for any comfort in the possibility of mitigation Heere men are executioners or diseases there fiends Those diuels that were ready to tempt the gracelesse vnto sinne are as ready to follow the damned with tortures Whatsoeuer becom of your carcasse saue your soule from these flames and so mannage this short time you haue to liue that you may die but once This is not your first sinne yea God hath now punnished your former sins with this A fearefull punishment in it selfe if it deserued no more your cōscience which now beginnes to tell trueth cannot but assure you that there is no sinne more worthy of hell then murder yea more proper to it Turne ouer those holy leaues which you haue too much neglected now smart for neglecting you shall finde Murderers among those that are shut out from the presence of God you shall finde the Prince of that darknes in the highest stile of his mischief termed a Man-slayer Alas how fearefull a case is this that you haue heerein-resembled him for whome Topheth was prepared of old and imitating him in his action haue endangered your self to partake of his tormēts Oh that you coulde but see what you haue done what you haue deserued That your heart could bleed enough within you for the bloud your handes haue shed That as you haue followed Satan our common enemy in sinning so you could defye him in repenting That your teares could disapoint his hopes of your damnation What an happy vnhappinesse shall this be to your sad friendes that your better part yet liueth That frō an ignominious place your soule is receyued to glory Nothing can effect this but your Repentance and that can do it Feare not to looke into that horrour which should attend your sinne and bee now as seuere to your selfe as you haue beene cruell to another Thinke not to extenuate your offence with the vain Titles of man-hood what praise is this that you were a valiaunt Murderer Strike your owne breast as Moses did his Rooke and bring down Riuers of tears to wash away your bloud-shed Do not so much feare your iudgment as abhorre your sinne yea your selfe for it And with strong cries lift vppe your guilty hands to that God whom you offended and say Deliuer mee from blood-guiltines O Lord. Let me tell you as without repentance there is no hope so with it ther is no condemnation True penitence is strong can grapple with the greatest sin yea with all the powers of hell What if your hands be red with blood Behold the blood of your Sauiour shall wash away yours If you can bath your selfe in that your Scarlet soule shall be as white as Snow This course alone shal make your Crosse the way to the Paradice of God This plaister can heale all the sores of the foul if neuer so desperate Onely take heede that your heart bee deepe enough pierced ere you lay it on else vnder a seeming skinne of dissimulation your soule shall fester to death Yet ioy vs vvith your true sorrowe whome you haue grieued with your offence at once comfort your friends and saue your soule EPIST. IX To Mr. Iohn Mole of a long time nowe prisoner vnder the Inquisition at Rome ¶ Exciting him to his wonted Constancie and incouraging him to Martyrdome WHat passage can these lines hope to finde into that your straight and curious thraldome Yet who would not aduenture the losse of this paines for him which is ready to loose himself for Christ what do we not ow to you which haue thus giuen your self for the cōmon faith blessed be the name of that God who hath singled you out for his Champion made you inuincible how famous are your bonds How glorious your constancy Oh that out of your close obscurity you could but see the honour of your suffring the affections of Gods Saints in som an holy enuy at your distressed hapines Those wals cannot hide you No man is attended with so many eyes from earth heauen The Church your Mother beholdes you not with more compassion then ioy Neither can it bee sayde how shee at once pitties your misery and reioyces in your patience The blessed Angels looke vpon you with gratulation and applause The aduersaries with an angry sorrowe to see themselues ouercome by their captiue their obstinate cruelty ouer-matched with humble resolution and faithfull perseuerance Your Sauiour sees you from aboue not as a meer spectator but as a patient with you in you for you yea as an agent in your indurance victory giuing new courage with the one hād and holding out a Crowne with the other Whom would not these sights incorage who now can pitty your solitarinesse The harts of all good men are with you Neither can that place be but full of angels which is the continuall obiect of so many Prayers yea the God of heauen was neuer so near you as now ye are remooued from men Let me speake a bold but true worde Jt is as possible for him to bee absent from his Heauen as from the prisons of his Saints The glorified spirits aboue sing to him the persecuted soules below suffer for him and crie to him he is magnified in both present with both the faith of the one is as pleasing to him as the triumph of
the other Nothing obligeth vs men so much as smarting for vs words of defence are woorthy of thankes but pain is esteemed aboue recompence How do we kisse the woundes which are taken for our sakes and professe that we would hate our selues if wee did not loue those that dare bleed for vs How much more shal the God of mercies be sensible of your sorrowes and crowne your patience To whom you may truely sing that ditty of the Diuine Psalmist Surely for thy sake am I slaine continually and am counted as a Sheepe for the slaughter What neede I to stir vp your constancy which hath already amazed and wearied your persecutors No suspition shall driue me heereto but rather the thirst of your praise He that exhorts to persist in well-doing whiles he perswades commendeth Whether shoulde I rather send you then to the sight of your own Christian fortitude which neither Prayers nor threats haue bin able to shake Heere stands on the one hand Liberty Promotion Pleasure life and which easily exceeds al these the deare respect of wife and children whome your onely resolution shall make Widdow and Orphanes these with smiles and vowes and teares seeme to importune you On the other hand bondage solitude horror death and the most lingering of all miseries ruine of posterity these with frowns and menaces labour to afright you Betwixt both you haue stoode vnmooued fixing your eyes either right forward vpon the cause of your suffering or vpwards vppon the Crowne of your reward It is an happy thing when our owne actions may be either examples or arguments of good These blessed proceedings call you on to your perfection The reward of good beginnings prosecuted is doubled neglected is lost How vaine are those temptations vvhich would make you a looser of all this praise this recompence Go on therfore happily keepe your eies where they are and your heart cannot bee but where it is and where it ought Looke still for what you suffer for whom For the truth or Christ what can be so precious as truth Not life it selfe All earthly things are not so vile to life as life to truth Life is momentary Truth eternall Life is ours the Truth Gods Oh happy purchase to giue our life for the Truth What can we suffer too much for Christ He hath giuen our life to vs he hath giuen his own life for vs. What great thing is it if he require what he hath giuen vs if ours for his Yea rather if he cal for what he hath lent vs yet not to bereue but to chaunge it giuing vs Gold for our clay glory for our corruption Behold that Sauiour of yours weeping bleeding dying for your alas our soules are too strait for his sorrowes we can be made but paine for him He was made sin for vs we sustain for him but the impotent anger of men hee strugled with the infinite wrath of his Father for vs. Oh who can endure enough for him that hath passed thorough Death and hell for his Soule Thinke this and you shall resolue with Dauid I will bee yet more vile for the Lord. The woorst of the despight of men is but Death and that if they inflict not a disease wil or if not that Age. Heere is no imposition of that which would not be but an hastening of that which will bee An hastening to your gaine For behold their violence shall turne your necessity into Vertue and profit Nature hath made you mortall none but an enemie can make you a Martyr you must die though they will not you cannot die for Christ but by them How coulde they else deuise to make you happie Since the giuer of both liues hath said Hee that shall loose his life for my sake shall saue it Loe this alone is lost with keeping and gained by losse Say you were freed vppon the safest conditions and returning As how welcome should that newes be more to yours then to your selfe Perhappes death may meete you in the way perhaps ouer-take you at home neither place nor time can promise immunitie from the common destinie of men Those that may abridge your houres cannot lengthen them and while they last cannot secure them from vexation yea themselues shall followe you into their dust and cannot auoide what they can inflicte death shal equalie tirannize by them and ouer them so their fauors are but fruitlesse their malice gainefull For it shall change your prison into heauen your Fetters into a Crown your Iailours to Angels your misery into glory Looke vppe to your future estate and reioyce in the present Beholde the Tree of Life the hidden Manna the Scepter of Power the Morning-Starre the white garment the newe name the Crowne and Throne of Heauen are adressed for you Ouercome and enioy them oh glorious condition of Martyrs whom conformity in death hath made like their Sauiour in blessednesse whose honour is to attend him for euer whō they haue ioyed to imitate VVhat are these which are arayd in long white robes and whence came they These are saies that Heauenly Elder they which came out of great Tribulation and vvashed their long Robes and haue made their long Robes white in the bloude of the Lambe Therefore they are in the presence of the Throne of GOD and serue him day and night in the Temple and hee that sitteth on the Throne will dwel among them and Gouerne them and leade them vnto the liuelie Fountaines of waters and GOD shall wipe all teares from their eyes All the elect haue Seales in theyr fore-heades But Martyrs haue Palme in theyr handes All the elect haue White Robes Martyrs both white and long White for their Glorie long for the largenesse of their Glorie Once redde with theyr owne bloude now white with the bloude of the Lambe There is nothing in our bloude but weake obedience nothing but merrit in the Lambes-bloud Behold his merite makes our obedience Glorious You doo but sprinckle his feet with your bloude Loe hee washes your long white Robes with his Euerie droppe of your bloude is answered with a streame of his and euerie droppe of his is woorth Riuers of ours Precious in the sight of the Lorde is the Death of his Saintes Precious in preuention Precious in acceptation precious in remuneration Oh giue willingly that which you cannot keepe that you may receyue what you cannot leese The way is steepe but now you breath towardes the top Let not the want of some few steps loose you an eternall rest Put too the strength of your owne Fayth The Prayers of Gods Saints shall further your pace that gracious hand that sustaines heauen and earth shall vphold and sweetly draw you vp to your glory Go on to credite the gospell with your perseuerance and shew the false-hearted Clients of that Romayne-Court that the Trueth yeildes reall and heartie professours such as dare no lesse smart then speake for her Without the wals of your restraint where can