that one article of the sacrament with Zuinglius Oecolampadius and others of that miserable and fanatical sect so he speaketh if Philip Melancthon * that peerles man be of the same iudgement and geve the same counseil if Osiander do the like and infinite others how much more ought vve folowing herein not only Luther not only Melancthon not only Osiander not only such a number of gospelling Doctors congregatioÌ„s but vvhich is a thousand tymes more folowing the true sense of the holy scripture the Apostolike and Catholike Church folowing the direction of Gods holy spirite infallibly resident therein and ever leading in to al truth contemne life and preferre death â—ather then to coÌ„municate vvith those Zuinglians Caluinists vvhereas besides that one heretical article obiected by Luther vve can as truly charge them vvith a number of other ech one as heretical as execrable Satanical as that of Luthers is ¶ And this my deare countrymen is one thing which doubtles as it vvil much encrease our eternal damnation before God so presently it much sheweth forth our miserie our infelicitie and turpitude to the vvorld that the Zuinglian or Calvinian gospel vvhich vve folow hath so smale shew of truth of religion of coherence in itself of learning vvisedome or honestie in the first preachers Apostles that except men did vvillingly shut theyr eyes and stop their eares from seeing or hearing that vvhich is most sensible and evident or God for plague of sinne beâ—est them of common intelligence they could not but streight vvaies see the fowlenes and deformitie thereof Our Saviour vvilleth vs to beware of wolves that come in sheepes clothing because they resemble sheepe to beware of false prophetes vvhich come adorned with the signes marks of ChristiaÌ„ religioÌ„ of holynes of pietie because they nighly represent counterfeit true Christians And such vvere many of the old heretikes as the Manichees the Apostolikes the Tatians or Encratitae the Messalians or Euchitae the Novatians some other vvho for rare severitie vvhich appeared in their living for their long prayer for their maruelous fasting great abstinence and chastitie seemed to excell Besides vvhich as many of the Archheretikes erred not in many articles of their faith so their preaching had much shew of holynes of coÌ„sent vvith religion in general and Christs gospel in special vvhich every vvhere commendeth such holy actions as they though vvith false meaning exercised So that needful it vvas men to be specially vvarned against such craftie deceivers And much it vvas not to be vvondered if false Apostles covered vvith such sheepes clothing adorned vvith such coÌ„mendable vertues good in them selves and right fruits of Christian faith only faulty in this that they vvere not applied to a right end and practised vvith a right intention and meaning it vvas I say no marueil if such false maisters vvere folowed and honored by many vnstable Christians especially of the simpler sort vvho are vsually moved vvith such rare vvorkes and can not easely distinguish betwene pure colours and counterfeit sincere pietie and dissembled hipocrisie betwene puritie of faith in right religion and that which hath the external shape face resemblance countenance thereof vvhereas it vvanteth the internal substance and vertue But vvhat one such probable or affected marke vvhat figure or imitation of such sheepes clothing findest thow in this Calvinisme If thow looke in it for articles of faith thow findest in effect none If thow looke for vvorkes of charitie and pietie their solifidian iustification taketh away al colour thereof If thow respect external monuments built in the honor of Christ in memorie of his Apostles of the first planteâ—s of Christian faith and to the relief of Christians vvherewith in the tyme of our graund-fathers the ChristiaÌ„ vvorld did abound as partly thow maist see by vew and experience of our Iland at home so more evidently â—brode in those partes of Fraunce of Savoy of Flandres and Germanie vvhere Calvinists have vsurped rule and the Zuinglian Gospel hath for any tyme gotte footing there hath bene made much more vvast and desolation of al such Christian monuments I speake of certain knowlege then in Hungarie in Greece in Iurie in Constantinople it self vvhere the great Turke vvith his Alcoran vvith his Bassaâ—s and Ianissaires commaundeth If thow consider the first Apostles of it Carolostadius Zuinglius Calvin they vvere men notoriously knowen for so filthy and abominable livers as the earth never sustayned vvorse set a vvorke by the devil instructed by the devil very familiar vvith the devil in their life and altogether possessed of him in life and death If thow respect their maner of preaching it is so vnioynted so thwart and contradictorie to it self that one thing they preach to thee for the gospel out of the pulpit an other thing they vvrite for the gospel in their studies not only that but one thing they tel thee in their sermons of Sunday the cleane contrarie they teach in the sermon vvhich they make the next munday nor only that but in the beginning of one and the self same sermon they vvil assure thee of this point to be right Euangelical and in the same sermon before the middle and againe before the end they vvil as assuredly tel thee the contrarie For demonstration vvhereof I referre thee to that vvhich hath bene declared out of Calvin and M. B. in some places of this treatise And can that man have any pretence of excuse before God or the vvorld vvho departeth from the Catholike church of Christ and vniforme consent of al fathers tymes and ages to these scattered sects and Apostataes And not content therewith beleeveth them in such heretical impieties as them selves disprove and condemne If vve beleeve that Luther vvas a man of God indued vvith his holy spirite sent to so great a vvorke as to illuminate the whole world vvhich is to make him an other not Elias or Iohn Baptist as the Germanes cal him but an other Christ an other Messias vvhy beleeve vve not the same Elias vvhen he preacheth that it vvere better for vs to susteyne any torment many deathâ— then to communicate vvith the Calvinists and Zuinglians or to be of their opinion If Calvin be such a prophet of God as Beza and the Calvinists vvil make vs suppose vvhy beleeve vve not Calvin so many vvayes and so effectually persuading vs Christs real presence in the Sacrament If M. B. be a true preacher of the vvord if as he telleth vs he be an elect have the right faith and be sure of Gods holy spirite vvhy credite vve not M. B. vvhen as folowing so precisely the steps of Calvin he vvith so many good vvords apt similitudes avovveth in like maner the real presence vvhen against their solisidian iustice he teacheth that love charitie applieth Christ to vs that is to say iustifieth vs as vvel yea better then faith that our saluation
can not comprehend vet let our faith beleeue For true it is though most miraculous in these sacramental earings of the Ievves who so perceiueâ—h not many miracles to be coÌ„teyned is more then a doâ—t vvere he not if not in vvit a very dolt asse yet surely in diuinitie a very simple one vvho vvould attribute such miraculous excellencie to the ceremonies of Moses lavv vvhich them selues notvvithstanding al their hyperbol cal lâ—ing florishes meane not to be true no not in the gospel And vvhat so euer they meane the vniuersal scope and drift of scripture denieth refuteth it in the old lavv most effectually For although the good men vnder the law which vnderstood their ceremonies and sacraments to be shadowes and darke presignifications of a Messias and by vsing them were kept in an obedience and orderly subiection and expectation of a Sauiour to come by such obedience faith pleased god and were therefore rewarded at his hands yet that those ceremonies and sacraments velded them any such grace as is here declared much lesse the participation of Christs true flesh blud which is the supreme soueraine grace of al that euer was or euer shal be in this world the old testameÌ„t it self and also the new in many places denyeth especially the Apostle S. Paule in whole chapirers of his epistle to the Hebrewes where he most expresly treateth discourseth of their sacraments and state of the old testament in comparison of ours and state of the gospel For to omit sundry textes apperteyning to this purpose in the Prophets Euangelists to rest only vpon S. Paule when he saith that circumcision the principal sacrament of the law was nothing of no effect to conferre grace and that Abraham him self vnto whom singularly circumcision was a sâ—â—â—e of the iustice of faith was not yet iustified in circumcision nor by circumcision but otherwise when he disputeth that no worke no ceremonie no sacrament of the lâ—â— was 〈◊〉 to iustification but only the faith and grace exhibited in the new testament when he calleth al those Iudaical sacraments infirma et egena elementa weake and poore elements or as the English bibles translate it weake and beggerly ordinances when he teacheth the vvhole lavv and al the ceremonies sacraments thereof to haue bene reiected and altered because of their weakenes and vnprofitablenes that those sacrifices baptismes and meates drinkes blud of oxen and goates were only iustices of the flesh sanctified those that vsed them no otherwise then in taking away legal pollutions and so purified men only according to the flesh and therefore were instituted by god not to remayne for euer but only vntil the time of correction or new testament and then other maner sacrifice and Sacrament should succede in their place briefly when he teacheth the law to haue had a shadow of good things to come not the very image of them much lesse the body which is geuen by Christ in the nevv testament that it vvas impossible for the blud of those sacrifices to take away sinne and purifie the comscience for vvhich cause also god foretold by his prophets that he vvold reiect those hostes and oblations sacrifices and that they pleased him not vvhen the Apostle thus vvriteth thus teacheth thus disputeth against those legal sacraments vvhat Christian man vvil say that vvith them vvas exhibited and conioyned the true flesh and diuine blud of our god and Sauiour as before according to Caluins first preaching the same is conioyned vvith the sacraments of the nevv lavv If vnder those elements of bread and wine as novv in the supper the body and blud of Christ were not only figured but also truly deliuered if vvhen they vvere eaten of the Ievves by the omnipotencie of god and miraculous operation of his holy spirite Christ Iesus I meane as Calvin teacheth me the flesh blud of Christ yea the very substance thereof as Beza also with the consent of a whole Caluinian Synode speaketh were receiued vvithal then truly S. Paul in calling such a Sacrament a weake and beggerly ordinance had bene a very vveake Apostle an vnfit instrument to publish Christs name before nations and Princes of the vvorld vvho of Christs diuine person of his pretious flesh and blud the price raâ—â—â—om of the world reconciliation of al things in heauen and earth had had so meane and beggerly aâ— opinion But because most sure it is that b. Paule was â—â—â—nom any such beggerly or rather beastly ethnical â—og 〈◊〉 the Calumâ—â— who in this deteâ—â—able â— aâ— pâ—â—mous conâ—cite â—oloweth Calâ—in know that tâ— hâ—m S. Paule speaketh and he shal once to his eterna payne vnlesse â—e in time repent â—â—ele true that which S. Paule threatneth in eueÌ„ for this particular blasphe â—â—â—s heresie of matching the base Iewish ceremonies with Christs most heauenly and diuine Sacraments A man making frustrate the law of Moyses is adiudged to death therefore by the verdite of 2 or â— witnesseâ— How much more deserueth he more extreme punishmentâ— which thus treadeth the sonne of god vnder foote and esteemeth the blud of the new testament polluted by making it nothing superior to the blud of beasts and so hath done contumelâ—e to the sp rite of grace beyond al measure abased most vily and contemptuously the diuine state and maiestie of the new testament Let the discreete reader know that against this Iudaisme the Christians euer from the begâ—nning of Christianitie haue had touching their sacraments a more excellent faith and diuine perswasion as who vpon warrant of Christs words haue euer beleeued that in the one sacrament was deliuered the body and blud of Christ the same in veritie and truth of substance that was sacrificed on the crosâ—e as before more largely hath bene deduced And for the other sacrament for I mention no more because thâ—se men acknowledge no more the holy scriptures and writings of the Apostles and the church ensuing haue yelded vnto it as to an instrumental cause higher grace vertue then to any sacrament of the Iewes law or al their sacraments and sacrifices ioyned in one For proofe whereof when Christ was baptized the heauens opened and the holy ghost descended to signifie that by baptisme the way to heauen shut before is made open to is the holy ghost powred in to vs as Christ him self by word and deed taught most manifestly except a man be borne of water the spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of god And to testifie that aâ—â—uâ—â—dly and that in baptisme Christians are made partakers of the holy ghost in the begin â—â—â—g of the church the holy ghost â—â—sibly deseended rested on them that were baptized by the Apostles and first preachers of our faith And the gospel Apostolical writings euery where teach that â—â—bert the baptisme of Iohn
eating the bread or seeing the bread broken then by hearing the vvord preached Yow confesse that by the vvord we get possession of the sonne of god yow coÌ„fesse we possesse him by the vvord fully and perfitly This possession is the vvorke of faith and the body of Christ is not othervvise gripped possessed or eaten in the supper but by faith when as we beleeue that Christ died for out redemption and rose again for our iustification VVhich being al your ovvne doctrine hovv can yovv explicate to the intelligence of any man that vve better grip possesse and eate Christ in bread and vvine then in the vvord It a true honest man vvhose vvords I trust before vvitnesses geue me a booke and I take it of him and being possessed of it vse it as myne ovvne neuer a vvhit doubting of my right if the same person after come to me and vvil persvvade me by an external signe and say Sir see here is a peece of bread as truly as I breake and eate this bread I geue yow that booke haue I by this external act any better possession right interest or grip in the booke then I had before certainly not In like sort Christ dwelleth in our harts by faith his vvord assureth vs after these mens doctrine that so often as vve trust to be saued by his passion vve eate his flesh and drinke his blud and that fully truly verily really and substantially VVhereas then vve make no doubt of present possession vvhich we already fully and perfitely enioy hovv can this possession be better any vvaies because vve see bread broken before our eyes Again let him remember the resolution of his principal Doctors vvho haue taught vs the cleane contrarie to that he preacheth here vz that Christ is receiued â— possessed as fully by the vvord as by their sacramental bread Let him remember his ovvne preaching in this same Sermon where he hath so diligently told vs that Christ is delivered and receiued in the bread no othervvise then in the vvord Let him remember that P. Mattyr goeth one step farther assuring vs that Christ is better received and possessed by the word then by their signes oâ— bread and vvine vvhich assertion doth plainly folovv is rightly deduced out of the very principles of their doctrine in this point For vvhereas the possession of Christ vvhich vve have ether by the signe or by the vvord dependeth only of faith so the possessing of Christ more or lesse better or worse in greater degree or smaler is to be measured by our faith only if he vvil say that vve possesse Christ better by their signe of bread then by the word he must consequently say that such bread more then the vvord stirreth vp our faith tovvards Christ by which faith only vve possesse and take hold of him And vvhat man of common reason and vnderstanding vvil not be asnamed to say that he is more moved to beleeue Christs death resurrection by seeing a peece of bread broken vvhich is a dumb and dead ceremonie of it self signifieth nothing but is a like indiffereÌ„t to signifie a number of things as vvel Christs life as his death his ascension as his resurrection his incarnation and circâ—â—neisioÌ„ as wel as any of the former which bread therefore M. B. calleth truly a corruptible earthly dead element voyd of life and sowle what reasonable man I say vvil graunt that by such a dumb ceremonic he is more stirred vp to beleeue Christs passion then vvhen he heareth the same plainly and cleerly preached out of the holy Euangelists out of the vvord of god vvhich as S. Paule calleth it is the power of god working saluation to al that beleeue vvhich vvord is lively and forcible and more persing then a two-edged sword able to diuide euen the sowle and the spirite the ioynts and the marow and to discerne the intrinsecal cogitations and intents of the hart Is that blunt bread able to stirre vp our faith comparably to this tvvo-edged sword that dul earthly dead element more then this diuine creature so lively and forcible and persing as here by S. Paule it is described If to folovv M. B. ovvne reason comparison the bread vvithout the vvord be nothing but a common peece of bread and the word serues as it â—ere a sowle to quicken the whole action without vvhich the bread is nothing els but a dead element hovv can a common peece of bread broken by the minister though neuer so artificially geue vs a better holdfast a better grip a more ample possession of Christ theÌ„ the vvord of Christ vvhich is omnipotent and able to vvorke al and vvhich without diminution of his ovvne life imparteth to the bread al the life vvhich it hath Is bread the dead elemeÌ„t more effectual then the vvord vvhich is the sovvle that putteth life in to that dead element Can the body separated from the sovvle or opposed to the sovvle be said to haue more life and spirite then the sovvle vvhich is the only founteyne of life and spirite to the body and vvithout vvhich the body remayneth as voyd of al life and spirite as doth any stocke or stone Novv surely this is aâ—â—ry dead imagination not to be conceiued of a man that hath life and sense and a litle vvit in him I omit that Caluin P. Martyr and Zuinglius commonly vvrite that never vvas there nor is there any sacrament which exhibited or deliuered to vs Christ but al sacraments serve â—ther to signifie and figure Christ absent as Zuinglius wil haue it or to seale the communication of Christ and his promises receiued before as is the more vsual opinion of Caluin Beza Martir and those that be right Caluinists And therefore vvhat speaketh M. B. of better gripping Christ by the sacrament then by the word of possessing him more fully and largely by the sacrameÌ„ts then by the word vvhereas they teach that by the sacraments vve posseâ—â—â— him not nor grip him at alâ—as out of Calvin Musculus Bullinger Zuinglius hath bene sâ—evved VVherefore M. B. perceiuing belike of him self that tâ—â—â— his riddle or oracle of possessing Christ better by 〈◊〉 signe of bread drinke by vvhich vve possesse him 〈◊〉 thing at alâ—then by the word which vvorketh some possessioÌ„ of Christ vvithin vs could very hardly sinke in â—â— the minds of his auditorie he therefore from this 〈◊〉 â—â—th to the first old auncient grace of his sacramenâ— bread lest it should seeme altogether friuolous and â—â—â— profitable For the sacraments serue also saith he â—◠〈◊〉 vp and confirme the truth that is in the word For â—â—â—â— office of the seale hung to the euidence is not to confirme any other truth but that which is in the euidence suppose ye beleeved the euidence before yet by the seales ye beleeue it the better euen so the sacrament assures me of
vnto him in the supper yea out of the supper also â—â— vvel as M. B. him self doth in the supper Every Chastian I say of vvhat condition faith or qualitie so ever not only Catholike but also heretike or Protestant of any sect Lutheran Zuinglian Calvinist Anabaptist Arrian Trinitarian and vvhom ye vvil besides For al and every one of these beleeve that Christ shed his blud for him and that Christ hath purchased remission of sinnes for him And is not these mens religion and Theologie a verie profession of deceite and mockerie of the vvorld vvho keepe such a do make such a sturre about the application and coniunction vvhich they have vvith CHRIST in their supper and tel vs that it so far surmounteth the vvitte and capacitie of man that except the spirite of God reveile it except the spirit of God illuminate our minds and be bissie in our harts it can not be conceiued and therefore the poole Papists can not get this vnderstoode It so far surpasseth the coniunction and possession vvhich vve have of Christ by his vvord that vvhereas in the word we get but a litle grip of Christ as it were betwixt my finger and my thumb here in the supper I get him in my whole hand and more to who extolle this eating and drinking as a vvorke so divine supernatural and supercelestial that no evil man may eate Christ as they eate him spiritually in their supper and yet in fine vvhen they come to the issue of their apisâ— doctrine and are driven to expresse plainly vvhat they meane by this their spiritual eating they can make no other thing of it but that vvhich not only evil Christians may have but also the vvorst Christians actually have and must have and vvithout having vvhich and in that maner eating Christ they are no Christians at al And vvhich eating is so far of from being peculiar to the supper that perpetually in al suppers and dinners al Christians do thus eate Christ for every Christian ever at al 〈…〉 beleeveth that Christ died for him for remission of his sinnes or els he is a Ievv or a Turke and no Christian and can not be vvithout this spiritual coniunction and application Is not I say these mens preaching and teaching a mere iest a very scorning and deluding of their folovvers Let the reader vvaigh vvel this point and he shal be iustly moved to abhorre and execrate these coosening companions these vvicked ministers as the very Angels of Satan vvho vnder pretence and colour of a fevv high lofty affected vvords as S. Peter long ago prophecied of them superba vanitatis loquentes by speaking proud vaine words vvithout pith or substance leade their miserable disciples to hel euen like beasts to the slaughter ¶ And thus much may serve for a ful ansvvere to M. B. in this place and here vvould I end this argument vvere it not that yet there remayneth one farther shift vvhich albeit M. B. touch but obscurely here yet he at large layeth it forth aftervvard and therefore I vvil not altogether omit it The matter is this that albeit they in vvords make their spiritual eating of Christ by faith to be such as vve haue heard such as every child learneth in his Catechisme such as Catholikes professe professed before ever the Gospel of Calvin or Luther or any sentence or sillable thereof vvas coyned in the vvorld yet they after their fashion have an other meaning in the vvord faith and consequently in eating by faith then haue the Catholikes and vvhereby in deed they exclude the Catholikes from their eating and make it proper to them selues VVhat mysterie is this or vvhat can they vnderstand by their faith more then other men more then hath bene said alredy M. Fox declaring the very first original of their Gospel in Martin Luther expresseth it thus Though Laurentiâ—â— Valla and Erasmus had somwhat broken the vvay before Martin Luther came c. yet Luther gave the stroke and pluckâ— dovvne the foundation of errour and al by opening one veine long hid before wherein â—eth the â—â—â—â—stone of al truth and doctrine as the only principal origin of our salvation which is our free iustification by 〈…〉 in Christ VVhy vvas that doctrine so straunge and never heard of before No not in Luthers sense For the meaning of it is not that we must generally beleeve only thâ—â— sinnes are or have bene remitted to some but that Gods expresse commaundement is that every man should beleeve particularly his sinnes are forgeuen This is the testimonie that the holy ghost geveth thee in thy hart saying Thy sinnes are forgeven thee and this is the faith by which we are iustified and the same is the right faith by vvhich the Protestants peculiarly above al other Christians old or new eate the flesh of Christ For albe it Catholikes have the sacrameÌ„ts of Christ more in number and more effectual for grace and spiritual operation then have the Protestants and they are learned by the evident vvord of God that the sacraments as instruments ordeyned by Christ infallibly bring vvith them remission of sinnes or other iustifying grace yet because they know vvithal that the hait of man is inscrutable and every maÌ„ knoweth not his owne vvayes many seeme repentant for their life past who yet have not a ful purpose to amend the same and so by reason of our owne imperfection and indisposition the sacraments some times vvorke not in vs that good vvhich otherwise by Christs institution they could and assuredly vvould for these causes as on the one side vve haue occasion of confidence so on the other side vve may vvel feare and in feare and trembling vvorke out owne salvation although vve have great and certaine hope yet have vve not sure and certain faith of our iustification or favour vvith God nor make vve but privat peculiar iustification an article of our faith as do the Protestants vvho be they never so great sinners and blasphemers yet by vertue of their faith are ever so sure as possibly may be that their sinnes are not imputed to them but they are most cleane pure and sanctified and so continually feed on Christ by this apprehensiue faith And this as the Protestant writers define is the essential difference betwene a Catholike and a Protestant For saith Calvin the very definition of the Protestant faith it a sure and certaine knowledge of Gods benevolence towards vs. And he is not to be accompted a faithful Protestant except he be thoroughly persuaded that God is to him a loving and merciful father whereof he must have fixed in his mynd such an assurance as we have of things which we know and find true by experience And as Bucer vvhom for honors sake Calvin vsed to terme his Master our first Apostle of this new Gospel in Cambridge in the disputation of Ratisbon after published by him self expresseth it Nostra confessio
this to good life by necessarie sequele faith decaieth vvith good life and conscience But how matcheth this vvith his former preaching that the best and most sincere Christians fal every day seuen tymes yea seuenty times seueÌ„ tymes and that in to grosse sinnes Is not this as much as if he said that the best Christians every howre of the day become infidels can not haue faith in the mercy of god to vvhom their coÌ„science vvitnesseth that daily hovvrely Gods wrath is kindled against them for that their conscience shewes then to be giltie of many offences against God and al those offences grosse deadly and damnable after the Calvinists Theologie Much more this doctrine repugneth to that vvhich Calvin Beza the vvhole church of Geneva and M. B. him self preacheth aftervvards in this self same sermon in these vvords It is sure certain that faith is never wholy extinguished in the children of God Be it never so weake yet shal it never vtterly decay and perish out of the hart where once it makes residence A weake faith is a faith and where that faith is there man ever be mercy Again Faith once geven by God can not be revoked again Faith when it is geven by God is constantly geven neuer to be chaâ—nged nor vtterly tane from them Again This gift of faith where ever it be and in what hart so ever it be it is never idle but perpetually working and working wel by love charitie VVhere ever it be it is not dead but lively How oppoâ—ite and most evidently repugnant is this to the former preaching If saith vvhere ever it be be never idle but perpetually working wel by love and charitie how saith he that they haue faith vvhich oppresse the poore keep deadly feid and so forth vvhich are no vvorkes of Christian charitie how soever they be esteemed among the Calvinists as vvorkes perhaps of their sole iustifying faith and hote love If vvhen â—aith is once geven it can never be lost never revoked by God never vtterly tane from them vvho are once possessed of it how saith he that it is lost by evil life and that God spoiles them of faith hope of mercy vvhich commit such mortal sinnes But a most vvicked barbarous sensibly false paradox it is to say that faith once had can not be lost the contrary vvhereof vve see by lamentable experience of thowsands vvho depart daily not only from Catholike faith to heretike in heresie from one to an other from Lutheran to Zuinglian or Calvinian from Caluinian to Anabaptistical from that to Triuitarian Antitrinitarian c. but also from the general name and pretence of Christian faith to plain Apostasie to Iudaisine to Mahoâ—â—ctisine to Atheisme VVith professors of vvhich gospel as by vvitnesse of my Lâ— of Canterburie the English church is vvel replenished so M. B. him self signifieth the like of his Scottish congregation of vvhich he vvriteth thus Alas we are come to sic a loath disdain ofâ—asting of this heavenly food he meaneth Gods vvord in this country that where men in the beginning would have gane some 20. myles some 40. myles to the hearing of this word they wil searcely now come fra their howse to the kirk and remayne one howre to heare the word but bâ—des at home This being true if as he in this same place teacheth faith formed in our harts by the holy spirit vvil decay except it be nurrished and if to the nâ—â—risâ—ing of this faith it be requisite that we heare the word of God preached and preached not by every man but preached by a lawful pastor by him that is sent vvhich point he doth inculcate diligently without which preaching it is not possible saith he that a man continue in the â—aith how can it be avoyded but vvhere this vvord is not thus preached as it is not in a number of places of England nor perhaps of Scotland there the faith among the bretheâ—â—e not only may but also must of necessitie decay vvhich vvithout this kind of preaching can not possibly continue And if there be no such preaching preaching I meane by pastors lawfully sent as in truth there is noâ—e nether in England nor yet in Scotland amongest al the ministers as of the English ministerie is best proved by the Puritanes by Caâ—twight by Calvin by Beza by Knox by the Scottish communion booke and election of ministers appointed there and for the Scottish ministerie to let passe my L. of Canterbury and the English Pontifical it is very clearly proved by Buchanâ—â— in his storie and the first original and foundation of this new Scottish kirk in our age layd by that seditions and infamous man Iohn Knox his comparteners in despite and against the vvil of both magistrates as vvel temporal as spiritual that I mention not Catholike vvriters vvho have made demonstration of this against both Scottish and English in sundry writings how can there be remayning any faith among them vvhere is no orderly preaching of the vvord by any such lawful pastor orderly sent vvho is so necesiarie to preserve this faith And how plentifully is this most barbarous fansie refelled in the holy scripture by a nuÌ„ber of examples facts and sentences vvhere vve find that Simon Magus beleeved Christs gospel as other Christians did vvho yet after became an Arch-heretike or Apostata as likewise did Hymeneê° Alexander vvhere the Apostle forewarneth that in the later dayes many Christians shal depart from the faith vvhereof vve see daily experience vvhere he reproveth the Galathians for that they receiving the spirite and for a vvhile continuing in the spirite afterwards gave over the spirite and ended in the flesh vvhere is declared that some vvho vvere sanctified by the blud of the new testament afterwards despised trode vnder their feete the sonne of God the same blud by which they had bene sanctified being washed from their sinne afterwards as vncleane swine returned and wallowed in their former filth vvhere the Evangelist vvriteth plainly and our Saviour him self teacheth vs that some there are vvho gladly receiue the word of God and beleeue for a tyme but vvhen trial and persecution cometh then they depart and geve ouer their faith And to vvhat purpose is it that the Apostles exhort Christians to stand fast in their faith that S. Paule threatningly vvarneth some Christians to become humble and thinke lowly of them selves and to feare lest God who spared not the natural branches the Iewes spare not them but cut them of also reiect theÌ„ as he reiected the Iewes If it vvere then an article of faith that faith once had can never be lost that God vvil never take faith from them on vvhom he hath once bestowed it vvhat vvit or vvisdom vvere there in these ether exhortations or threats As much as if M. B. should exhort his ministers