and retaine the same sincerelie and soundlie without addyng any thyng therevnto or myngâ—ng any false and erroneous doctrine therwith And therefore S. Peter now afterward addresseth hym self to write against humaine doctrines and newfangled deuises of mannes Idle and fonde imagination But for what cause dooeth he saie Wee haue a moste sure Woorde of the Prophetes Truely I am thus fullie perswaded that wee shall neuer hencefoorthe haue any suche Prophetes as in the old Testamente the Iewes had A Prophete properlie is hee that bringeth the glad tidynges of Iesus Christ and although many of the Prophetes in the old Testament prophecied also of other matters to come yet thei came and were sent of God peculiarly to this ende and purpose to preache and foretell of Christe All thei that beleeue in Christe are Prophetes For thei haue the chief head of that thing whiche Prophetes ought to haue although al of them haue not the gift of Propheciyng For euen as through the Faithe of one Iesus Christ wee are all Brothers Kynges and Priestes so also through Christe wee are Prophetes For wee can all vtter and declare those thinges that appertaine to the glorie of GOD and Christian life wee also so farre as is needefull and expedient for vs can foretell of thynges to come as that there shall bee a daie of generall Iudgement and that wee shall all rise againe from the dead and finally wee vnderstande the whole Scripture This witnesseth S. Paule saiyng You maie all Prophecie one by one j. Cor. xiiij Therefore saieth S. Peter thus We haue suche a worde of the Prophetes as is sure inough of it self Onely see ye that it bee firme and sure to you And ye dooe well if ye take heede vnto it As though he should saie It is verie necessarie and expedient for you to stande sure in it For it fareth with vs in this case of the Gospell muche like as it dooeth with a man that is taken and enclosed in a darke house at Midnight who had neede to haue Candlelighte till it bee daie light that hee maie see whiche waie to goe Euen so the Gospell is as a Candle at Midnight and in the darcke whereas all humaine reason and wisedome is nothyng but mere errour and blindnesse The Worlde is nothyng els but a Kyngdome of darkenesse In this darkenesse God lighteneth vs with his Candle to wit his glorious Gospell whiche directeth our steppes aright that wee maie see whiche waie to goe and walke in this Worlde till suche tyme as the Mornyng appeare and the daie dawne This place doeth also mainly oppugne and beate doune all the foolishe tromperies of humaine doctrines For seyng that the Woorde of God is the Candle and Lanterne that giueth light in darke corners and obscure places wee must necessarily therevpon conclude that al other thinges be mere darknesse For if there had been any other Light beside the Woorde S. Peter would not haue vsed these speeches Neuer consider and waigh therefore how skilfull and wise those menne bee that teache any other doctrine beside the Woorde of God neither let it any whit mooue thee how gloriouslie and galantly so euer thei couche their smothed reasons For where thou feelest and seest the Worde of God to bee absent doubt not but all which thou hearest is mere blindnes and erroneous darkenes Neither lette it any thyng mooue thee in that thei bâ—agge and saie that thei haue the holie Ghost For how can thei haue the Spirite of God which haue not the Word of God And therefore thei doe nothyng els but call Light darkenesse and darkenesse light as it is saied Esaie v. This Woorde of God is the Gospell whereby wee are through Christ redeemed from Sinne Death and Hell he that harkeneth and giueth eare therevnto hath a Linke or a Lampe lighted and kindled in his harte By the which we may see and are enlightened and taught what to our duties is appertainyng But where soeuer this Lampe is absent there wee fall into our owne rotten waies and seeke by Works Merites and deuises of our own Forge to bespeake forsooth make to our selues a nerer waie to Heauen Here now and in suche like cases thou maiest with the helpe of this Lampe iudge and plainly perceiue all these doatyng Inuentions and dreames to bee nothyng but mere darkenesse The aucthours whereof haue not the Light neither can thei abide the Light and therefore thei must needes remaine in darkenesse and continue in blindnesse For this is the Light that teacheth vs what we ought to doe and what thinges be needefull and necessarie to our Saluation whiche be poinctes farre differyng from the wisedome and skill of the Worlde Wee daiely stande in greate neede of this Light and we must giue heede vnto it euen till the laste daie Afterwardes we shall not neede the Worde any longer as a Candle is wont to be quenched and put out when the broad daie light is once appeared So that ye first knowe this that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation For the prophesie came not in olde tyme by the will of man but holie men of GOD spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost HErein S. Peter beginneth to oppugne false and erroneous doctrines and of his words this is the meanyng Forasmuch as ye knowe that wee haue the Worde of God cleaue fast vnto it and suffer not your selues to bee seduced by false Teachers although thei come and saie that thei haue the holy Ghoste For know ye this first that no prophesie in the Scripture is of any priuate interpretation Note this saiyng therefore well and thinke not that ye shall euer bee able of your owne reason and industrie to expounde and explane the Scriptures Hereby are throwne doune to the grounde all the proper and priuate interpretations of all the Fathers and strait charge here giuen to the contrarie that no man should relye or leane to any suche explanations If either Hierome or Augustine or any other of the Fathers interprete and expounde any place of the Scripture of themselues or by any of their owne deuised gloses we are if the same be dissonant to the doctrine contained in other textes of the sacred Scriptures vtterly to refuse those their interpretations For S. Peter doth here forbidd any man to interprete and expound the Scripture by his own spirit The true explanation thereof is the woorke of the holie Ghost and he it is that must interprete and expounde the same or els it must be left without interpretation Therefore if any of the auncieÌ„t Fathers can auerre and iustifie his interpretation and exposition by the Scripture and can thereby prooue that the place whiche he expoundeth is so to bee taken and vnderstoode we are reuerently to accept and embrace his saiynges if no we are not bounden to beleeue hym Within the compasse of this Censure also wee maie see how S. Peter noteth and nippeth the spirites of those greate Rabbines Doctors that
golde neither rideth he pompouslie abroade with any glitteryng traine and gallaunt horses But yet neuerthelesse he is the Kyng of all Kynges and hath all Kynges vnder his power and iurisdiction and to speake all at once all thynges must be subiect vnder his feete Behold euen so greate and suche a Lorde art thou if thou beleeue on hym for what soeuer he hath the same is also thyne Here might some peraduenture obiecte thus vnto me and saie Saincte Peter by this thy assertion called Christians Kynges and yet all the worlde well knoweth that we are not all Kynges and therefore saie thei this place is not to bee vnderstoode as spoken of all sortes of Christians For he that is a Christian is not therevppon straightwaies the Kyng of Fraunce or that Prieste of Rome But here now will I demaunde this question of theim whether the Kyng of Fraunce be a Kyng in the sight of God or no Whiche thyng no man dare vpon warrant affirme For GOD will not Iudge accordyng to the dignitie of a Croune In Earth in deede and before the worlde he is a Kyng but when Death hath once seized vpon hym then shall his Kyngdome ceasse and haue an ende and then shall he vnlesse he beleeue aright be subiecte vnder the feete of them that truely beleeue Wee in this place speake of an eternall Kyngdome and Priesthoode of the whiche sorte is euery one before God whiche beleeueth and is bothe a true Prieste and a true Kyng Now who is so ignoraunte that knoweth not that all the table of the greasie Shauelynges bee nothyng lesse then Priestes And as these aforesaied Polleshorne Shauelynges are not therefore to be reputed Priestes afore GOD because of their crounes so neither before God are Kynges accoumpted as Kynges because thei weare Crounes Crouned Kynges and anointed Priestes are of this worlde and are established and constituted by Men. The Pope may at his holie pleasure make as many suche prollyng Priestes as hym listeth to serue his turne but let him not presume to constitute and make a Priest that boldlie maie bee accoumpted for a Prieste before God for suche doeth God himself make and appoinct Therefore in that Sainct Peter here in this place saieth You bee a royall Priesthood it is as muche as if he should saie You are Christians If thou wouldest knowe what title what power prerogatiue and glorie true Christians haue thou seest that thei bee Kynges Priestes and a chosen people Now what this Priesthood is doeth here straightwaies ensue That you should shewe forth the vertues of hym that hath called you out of darknesse into his merueilous light THis office especially appertaineth vnto the Priest that hee should bee the Ambassadour or messenger of God and according to that Commission which he hath from God sincerely preach and declare his Worde The vertues saieth sainct Peter that is to wit those wonders whiche God hath doen for you in bringyng you out of darkenesse into light your partes and office is to preache and tel forth for therein chiefly consisteth the office of a Priest Thus therefore and to this ende ought your preachyng to tende that one Brother should declare and shewe forthe vnto an other that greate and wonderfull worke of Gods admirable vertue how Christ hath deliuered vs from Sinne Death and Hell and all other miseries and hath called vs vnto eternall life Hereof you ought to admonishe others also that thei in like sort maie attaine and come vnto this Light For vnto this ende ought all your driftes to be directed first to acknowledge and knowe what God hath doen for you and next with all diligent care and studie to notifie preache and openly make knowen this benefite of God towarde you and this wonderfull worke of his in you and also to drawe and call all men indifferentlie into this Light Where you see any men that are as yet ignoraunt hereof those ought you to instruct and to teache these thinges in whiche you your selues haue been enstructed and taught to wit that by the vertue and power of God thei must obteine saluation and attaine this merueilous Light Here thou seest how sainct Peter plainly saieth that there is but one onely Light wherein he maketh it most apparaunt that all our Reason seeme it neuer so sharpely to vnderstande and perceiue is nothyng els then mere darkenesse For albeit that Reason be able and hath the skill to coumpt one two three c. and likewise to see discerne and knowe blacke from white and greate from small and so of other externall and outwarde thinges yet is it not able to see what Faithe is Here is it altogether blinde insomuche that if all the wisedome of al men in the worlde were gathered and incorporated into one yet were it not able to comprehende or reache so muche as vnto one letter of the wisedome of God Wherefore S. Peter here speaketh of an other Light and that a merueilous Light and flatlie also telleth euery one of us that we grope in darknesse and vtter blindnesse if God dooe not call vs into his true Light Experience also teacheth vs the same thing For when we heare it preached that by our workes we can not obteine any thyng at Gods handes and therefore that wee haue neede of a Mediator to make intercession vnto God for vs and to reconcile vs vnto hym heere doubtlesse must reason needes confesse that of it self it was neuer able to vnderstande and know these thinges and therefore had neede of an other Light and an other knowledge to teache it to vnderstande the same Therefore whatsoeuer is not the Worde of God and Faithe the same is nothyng els then blinde darkenesse For without these two the Worde of God I meane and Faithe Reason iumbleth at randon and groapeth after his waie like a blinde man in the darke catchyng holde first of one thyng and then of an other and neuer knoweth what it should dooe But when these thinges are tolde to the greate learned and wise men of this world thei can not abide to heare it thei stamp and stare thei fret fume and merueilously rage at it And therefore S. Peter sheweth himself here an Apostle of a singuler vndaunted boldnesse in that he dared to call that Darknesse whiche the whole worlde in a maner doeth euen generallie almoste adore and reuerence as Light Now therefore wee see that the chiefest and especiallest office of all others appertainyng vnto vs Christians is that wee should shewe forthe and declare the vertues and wonderful workes of our God These Vertues and notable workes by God for vs doen are those which somewhat afore we haue spoken of namely how that Christ by the vertue of God hath swallowed vp Death deuoured Hell consumed Sinne and placed vs into an eternal life These Vertues are so great and wonderfull that no man is able to comprehende the same muche lesse to perfourme them And therefore it is to little purpose that some in this poynt
are in countenaunce and credite accoumpted and reputed for the best and the grauest Clerkes Therfore this must be holden as a firme generall rule that no man whosoeuer he be interpretyng y e Scripture after his owne humour is to bee credited no although he alledge and bryng Scripture for hymself because the true Sense thereof can not by any meanes bee attained and founde by the priuate enarration of Man In this poynct haue stumbled and foulie failed our Graund maisters and teachers whiche haue heretofore taken vppon them to expounde and interprete the Scripture As when thei expound and stretch that saiyng of Christ Matth. xvj Thou art Peter c. to be meant of the Pope which addle interpretatioÌ„ is of mans owne deuise and forged by the Expositours themselues to drawe it to the pitch of their own conceit and to serue their owne turnes and therefore not to be credited for that thei be not able to prooue by Scripture that this name Peter any where signifieth the Pope but wee are well able to proue that Christ is the Rock as S. Paule saith j. Cor. x. This interpretatioÌ„ is true and sound for we are sure thereof and knowe that it is not deuised and inuented by man but grounded and drawen out of the very Word of God For those thinges that are written mentioned in the Prophetes were not inuented and deuised by men but holy meÌ„ spake as thei were inspired and mooued by the holie Ghost And thus endeth this firste Chapter wherein Sainct Peter hath first taught vs the right and true good Woorkes in deede whiche wee ought to practise and walke in thereby to notifie and declare our Faithe And next that in the Church of Christe there ought nothyng to bee preached but onely the Worde of God which remaineth and continueth for euer and by the whiche our Soules are saued and made to liue eternallie Now next here followeth a fruictfull admonition wherein bothe Christ and his Apostles warne vs diligently to beware of false Preachers And this also must wee with all diligent care looke vnto that wee suffer not our selues to bee bereaued and cozened of this right and power of examining iudging and proouyng doctrines neither to be so pent in and curbed that we should staie and expect till we see what the Councelles define and decree what wee shall beleue and what not keepyng our heades so vnder their girdles that thei would not willingly suffer vs to beleeue and embrace any thyng but what they list to set downe ratifie and determine ¶ The second Chapter BVT there were false Prophetes also among the people euen as there shalbee false teachers among you which priuily shall bryng in daÌ„nable heresies euen denying the Lorde that hath bought them and bryng vpon themselues swift damnation And many shall followe their damnable waies by whoÌ„ the waie of truth shalbe euill spoken of And through couetousnesse shall they with fained wordes make marchandise of you whose iudgement loÌ„g agone is not farre of and their damnation sleepeth not For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darknesse to be kept vnto damnation Neither hath spared the olde world but saued Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousnesse and brought in the flood vpon the worlde of the vngodly And turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes condemned them and ouerthrewe them and made them an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly And deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked For he being righteous and dwellyng among them in seeyng and hearyng vexed his righteous soule from daie to daie with their vnlawfull deedes The Lorde kâ—oweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement to be punished And chiefely them that walke after the fleshe in the lust of vncleannes and despise the Gouernement which are presumptuous and stande in their owne conceit and feare not to speake euill of them that are in dignitie Whereas the Angels which are greater both in power and might giue not railyng iudgement against them before the Lorde But these as brute beasts led with sensualitie and made to bee taken and destroyed speake euill of those thinges whiche they know not and shall perish through their owne corruption And shall receiue the wages of vnrighteousnes as they which count it pleasure to liue deliciously for a season Spots thei are and blottes delyting themselues in their deceiuings in feastyng with you Hauyng eyes full of adulterie and that can not cease to sinne be guilyng vnstable soules they haue hartes exercised with couetousnesse thei are cursed children Whiche forsakyng the right waie haue gone astraye following the waie of Balaam the sonne of Bosor which loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse But he was rebuked for his iniquitie for the dumme Asse speakyng with mans voyce forbade the foolishnesse of the Prophete These are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about wiâ—h a tempest to whom the blacke darknesse is reserued for euer For in speakyng swelling wordes of vanitie they beguile with wantonnes through the lustes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour Promising vnto them libertie and are themselues the seruauntes of corruption for of whom soeuer a man is ouercome euen vnto the same is he in bondage For if they after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the worlde through the knowledge of the Lorde and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ are yet tangled againe therein and ouercome the latter ende is worse with them then the beginnyng For it had been better for them not to haue knowen the waye of righteousnesse then after they haue knowen it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them But it is come vnto them accordyng to the true prouerbe The dogge is returned to his owne vomit and The sowe that was washed to the wallowyng in the myer But there were false Prophetes also amoÌ„g the people euen as there shalbe false teachers among you ALL true Prophecie hath his proceedyng from the holie Ghost and so hath had froÌ„ the beginnyng of the worlde and shall haue till the ende of the same so that nothyng is to be preached but the sound and sincere Worde of God Howbeit it hath alwaies béen seen that as there haue been true Prophetes sincerely vtteryng the pure Woorde of the Lorde so haue there still been false Teachers and malicious Seducers And shall so hencefoorthe continue till the ende of the Worlde When ye therfore haue the true Worde of God thinke none otherwise but y t ye also shall haue false Teachers This admonition maie stand for a generall and infallibe rule that wheresoeuer the Worde of GOD is sincerely preached and taught there also by and by arise false Teacher's and dissemblyng Hypocrites The reason is because although the Worde bee preached to all yet doe not all embrace
the Sacrament of the blessed bodie and bloud of Christe what other thyng practized they but a shamelesse marchandyzing for they vsed the same in a maner to none other purpose but as a baite to catche men and to wryng money from them Iudge and consider now good Reader whether sainct Peter many hundreth yeeres agoe hath not notably and liuely set forthe and described our holie Romishe Clergie with their vsuall properties Whose iudgement long agone is not farre of and their damnation sleepeth not THeir iugglyng paltrie for that is S. Peters meaning shal not alwayes cōtinue in such iolitie neither shal thei choppe and chaunge and vse marchandize of you euer when thei are come to their highest ruffe and statelinesse then shall they haue a sodaine downefall and a heauie iudgement and destruction shall quicklie light vpon them It is euen now at hande they shall not escape As S. Paule also saieth ij Tim. iij. Their madnesse shalbee euident to all men that thei maie be confounded God open their eyes and graunt thē grace to turne vnto hym by true and earnest repentaunce and to forsake and detest these their wicked and fruictlesse Sectes sith they here maie learne that they are nothyng els then Sectes of perdition and condemnation For albeit there bee some not altogether peruerted and desperatelie seduced in these Sectes yet are the Sectes themselues nothyng els then vndoubted and certein Sects of damnable perdition After this sorte therefore hath S. Peter here described the filthie and wicked life of these Popish Monsters which he sawe would come to passe after the syncere Doctrine of the Gospel preached by y t Apostles Now laieth he before our eyes three straunge and terrible examples of them whom God hath condemned and in his iustice punished to wit the Aungelles the whole Worlde and the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrhe For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them into chaines of darknes to be kept vnto dānation IN these words S. Peter terrifieth thē that liue in securitie and wilfully wallowe in their wickednesse as we see in thē whiche bee the Popes sworne Suppliantes and are deepely drowned in the dregges of his filthy Traditions for thei looke so bigge and vaunt thēselues so impudentlie as though thei would treade whom thei liste vnder their feete S. Peter therefore in this place speaketh to this purpose as if hee should say Is it not a meruailous malapert saucinesse and presumptuous boldnesse in them thus impudently to seeke to establishe and maintaine by force and violence their Heilishe impietie as though thei thought that GOD were in awe to theim and that he would spare and winke at theim who spared not the Aungelles As if he should saie The verie Sainctes and holie ones are wonderfullie afraied to see so seuere a Iudgemente namely in that GOD spared not his excellent Spirites and moste noble Creatures which were farre perfecter and wiser then wee but bindyng theim in Chaines of darkenesse caste them into Hell This is that seuere Iudgement and dreadfull damnation wherein the prisoners appoincted to the same are kept in Chaines and can not by any meanes escape out of the handes of God but are kept in holde to bee throwne into vtter darkenesse whereof Christ speaketh in the Gospell Math. viij xxij and xxv Here also doeth S. Peter shewe that the deuilles haue not yet that punishement laied vpon them wherevnto thei are condemned but remaine and continue in obstinacie and desperation lookyng euery minute and momente for their Iudgement euen as a Felon or other malefactour that is condemned to die and despairyng of any releasse hardeneth hymself in obstinacie and groweth still worse and worse The punishement wherevnto thei are iudged is not yet laied vpon them but thei are kept for it in chaines of darkenesse that is in their malicious obstinacie of mischief and desperation Neither hath spared the olde Worlde but saued Noah the eight person a Preacher of righteousnes and brought in the floud vpon the worlde of the vngodlie THis example also is so terrible and so full of horror as none in the whole Scripture more beeyng able to appall and shake the conscience euen of him that is right strong in Faithe For when this and suche like places of Scripture and suche sharpe Iudgemētes of God come into a mannes minde that is diyng who in his harte deepely considereth theim how can hee but tremble and shake and be brought to the verie brinke of desperation vnlesse his Faithe be moste strong and constant For what man is he in all the worlde that would not be merueilously daunted and dismaied to consider how that emong so many thousandes of men as were then in the worlde no mo should be saued aliue but eight persones And what had thei committed thinke ye why God should so in his seuere iudgemente at once destroye the whole worlde in the floud drounyng bothe Men and Women Maisters and Seruauntes Yong and Old Beastes of the field and Birdes of the Aire Forsoothe the cause of so generall a destruction was their wicked and abhominable life Noah was a iuste manne and a preacher of righteousnesse he liued fiue hundreth yeres before the floud what tyme GOD commaunded hym to builde the Arke whiche he made within the space of an hundred yeres after and liued alwaies an holie and godlie life Wherein wee are to note and consider what a Crosse this good man bare in what perilles daūgers and extremities he was lapped when as he must in worde and deede openly professe hymself a Christian that it one that truely and vnfeinedly trusted in God For it is not possible that Faithe should be Idle or lye hidde without shewyng it self openly to the Worlde before menne aswell in preachyng as in sinceritie and integritie of life It is therefore verie like that long before he was commaunded to builde the Arke hee executed the office of Preachyng and francklie vttered the Worde of God and that not in one place and Region onely but doubtlesse in many other and sundrie Countries And therefore it could not be chosen but that he suffred many and the same verie greuous persecutions In so muche that S. Peter here saieth it had neede to be a speciall priuiledged protection and a peculiar and Spirituall assistaunce from aboue that should in suche a desperate and forlorne tyme relieue and helpe hym els had he been quickly dispatched and no waie could hee haue escaped death For he that sincerely and zelously preacheth the Worde of GOD can not escape the enuious onsettes and bitter battries of many and that of them whiche cary the countenaunce of wisedome modest life and sanctimonie But when this holy manne had so long tyme in vaine continued his preachyng to the men of that Age and thei neuer a whit repentyng their lewde life but still contemnyng the Word of God and growyng worse and worse GOD saied at length after that hee
sawe their obstinate perseueraunce in Sinne My Spirite shall not alwaies striue with Manne because he is but fleshe his daies shalbe an hundreth and twentie yeres Genes vj. And a little after in the same Chapter I will destroye from the Earth the Man whom I haue created from Man to Beast to the creepyng thyng and to the Foule of the Heauen c. These wordes did Noah in his daiely Sermons preache and beate into their heades withall also buildyng the Arke accordyng as God had commaunded hym and that in the full space of an hundreth yeres But thei were so senselesse of their estate and so frozen in the dregges of their accustomed Synnes that thei laughed him to skorne and grewe still more and more obstinate and rebellious The Sinnes wherefore God brought the Floud vppon the Worlde as it appeareth in the same sixte Chapter of Genesis were that the Soonnes of God that is the Children of the holie Fathers degenerated from the Faith and knowledge wherein thei had been trained taught For seing the daughters of MeÌ„ that thei were faire thei tooke them wiues of all that thei liked Of whom were borne mightie Gyantes and lawlesse Tyrantes whiche did all thynges accordyng to their owne lustes and as beste liked themselues This was the cause why God punishing their sinnes drouned the whole Worlde And tourned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes condemned them and ouerthrewe theÌ„ and made theim an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly THis third example is of the fiue Cities whiche God destroied as we read Genes xix Ezechiel also in his xvj Chapter speakyng hereof in the persone of God and appliyng his woordes by waie of vpbraidyng to Hierusalem saieth This was the iniquitio of thy Sister Sodom Pride fulnesse of Bread abundauÌ„ce of Idlenesse both in her and in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hande of the poore and needie but thei were hautie and committed abhomination before me therefore I tooke theim awaie as pleased me Sodome and Gomorrha and the Territories thereof till the Lorde destroyed them were as Moses witnesseth Genes xiij as the Paradise or gardein of the Lorde aboundyng and flowyng with plentie of Wine and Oile in theim all thynges that to the life of man were either necessarie delightfull or commodious were in moste aboundaunce to bee had in so muche that the common sorte beleeued that God hymself had chosen it for his owne peculier habitation and dwellyng And therefore as Moses in the same Chapter saith the people thereof were wicked and exceeding sinners against the Lorde leadyng their liues accordyng to the leuell of their owne leude lustes Whiche inordinate beastly and wicked lustes their owne vaine curiositie and the greate plentifull aboundaunce and Idlenesse whiche thei enioyed procured and brought vnto them As wee at this daie by experience doe set that the wealthier aâ—y Cities be the wantoner and dissoluter life the people therein lead but where Famine Penurie or other extremities pinche there the Citezeins are nothyng so muche giuen to loosenesse and Sinne. And therefore God vseth to exercise and enure those that be his and whom he loueth with hard cheere and slender pittaunces because they maie the better walke in integritie of life These therefore are the three dreadfull Examples wherewith S. Peter threateneth the vngodlie whiche he here aptly alledgeth and bringeth in as fitlie hittyng the persones of whoÌ„ he here speaketh who he saieth liued euen as these Sodomites and Gomorrheans did whose greeuous punishement is heere laied before them for their greater terrour And therefore these thynges agree in eche respect and verie fittly are to be applied namely and specially vnto the Pope with his Cardinalles Bisshoppes Munkes Friers Nunnes and all the rest of his filthie Spiritualtie and rumpwood retinue For thei beyng appoincted to be as it were Angels in the places of Apostles truely to preache and expounde the Woorde of God in steade of beyng suche Angelles for the name Angell is a worde of Office and not of Nature signifiyng a Messenger or an Embassadour wherevppon all Preachers of the Truthe who are the Messengers of GOD are called in the Scriptures Mala. ij j. Cor. xj by y e name of Angels thei do cary vs headlong with themselues into the dungeon of error and quite reuolte from their loyall allegiaunce to GOD by mere Pride and Apostacie like these of whom S. Peter here speaketh aduauncyng theimselues aboue God and will haue no Lorde ouer them but bee Lordes themselues and of them selues And yet will thei bee called Apostolicall hauyng nothyng in theim but onely a vaine braggyng shewe of the bare name and title as heere afore in this Chapter thei are named by the name Angelles who properly are not so This blasphemous route therefore of Pope and Popelynges for that thei haue conspired with the Deuill against God and denied hym that is their Creatour are kepte faste fettered in Chaines of darkenesse vnto damnation whose Iudgement as he saied afore ceasseth not neither dooeth their damnation sleepe although as yet it bee not fullie and completly come vpon them Againe thei bee herein also like vnto the old Worlde who although thei haue the Prophetes and the Woorde of GOD preached vnto them yet did thei blaspheme and as it were defy hym and as Moses writeth of them tooke to theim selues Wiues accordyng to their owne lustes and likynges and became mightie Tyrauntes and Gyantes in the earth Gen. vj. Now a little let vs see whether all the properties and dealynges reported by Moses to be in those men of the old World bee not nowe moste manifestly resiaunte and inuested in our Popishe Clergie For thei now be greate mightie and dreadfull Tyrauntes thei liue of all menne moste delicately moste riotouslie and euen as thei liste theimselues thei haue moste aboundaunt store and plentie of all thynges thei oppresse the Worlde and with their tyrannous exactions and bloodie cruelties ouercrowe all Christendome and yet maie no manne speake one woorde or once open his mouthe against them no not Kynges and Princes Againe if thei bee disposed to take a waie a mannes Wife or his daughter from hym thei maie with suche impunitie dooe it that no man maie dare so muche as complaine of their violence and if any doe complaine yet are thei themselues the iudges of the matter and so it shall be euen as good to saie nothyng at all for amendes hee shall haue none at all Finallie by all the shiftes and driftes by all the waies and meanes that thei can possibly deuise to pill and poll robbe and spoile rake and scrape by cosonage pillage exaction tribute commaundementes licenses depredations and al other suttle trickes whatsoeuer thei hale and pull thei catche and snatche vnto theim without hoe without measure without conscience without shame And if any manne in any sorte laye his lawfull claime or touche any thyng whiche thei pretende to be theirs and whiche thei haue in theirs
and gouerned by others For suche bee the menne that are begotten of Fleshe the Spirite beegetteth other maner of persones Thus hath God in his Scriptures very properly and aptly tearmed and sette them out in liuely colours namely thereby to giue vs to vnderstande and knowe what is to bee thought of them The Asse beeyng a dumme beaste and daiely accustomed to the yoke and burdeÌ„s signifieth the People whiche must bee content bothe to bee snaffled brideled sadled ridden vpon and to goe whiche waie thei are bidden And as this Asse was violently dealt withall and greeuously beaten when she went out of the waie and was forced to goe still forwarde till she came into suche a straite Lane where shee could not any waie either starte aside for the narownesse of the place nor goe on for the Angell that withstoode and stopped her so that she was driuen to fall doune So the poore people so often as thei feele theim selues to be hardly dealt withall and to be caried into vnsuffeâ—able errours and faine would goe aside out of that wicked waie straighwaies these seducyng Balaamites were readie with rigour and violence to bryng them into their erring waie againe and therein compelled and enforced them to goe till it pleased God to open our mouthes and to putte his Woordes therein so that now his name be praised euen young children doe talke of it Whereby their brainsicke madnesse is so notoriously detected that though thei be moste shamelesse and impudent yet can thei not choose but blushe thereat And here out of this place our Balaamites maie very fitly bee answered when as thei bragge and crie out accordyng to their wonted order that it is not meete for the Laie people as thei call theÌ„ to read the Scriptures nor to talke and conferre of the same one with an other but rather to giue eare and hearken what the Generall Councelles doe decree and what soeuer thei agree vpon that onely to bee beleeued and embraced Maie we not thus answere them That GOD speaking by a poore Asse reprooued the Prophete whiche satte on her backe of madnesse Thei now therefore beeyng infatuated and their harte whollie possessed with couetousnesse what marueile is it though God stirre vp the poore common people to declare and shewe foorthe his truthe whom thei hitherto haue surcharged with heauie burdeins and driuen whiche waie thei lifte none otherwise then a dumme seelie Asse seruyng onely to carie burdens This is therefore the similitude that sainct Peter sheweth betweene Balaam and our blinde Popishe Guides These are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest SOlomon in the xxv of his Prouerbes vseth a similitude saiyng A manne that boasteth of false liberalitie is like Cloudes and Winde without Raine So saieth sainct Peter here in this place Thei are Welles without water and Cloudes caried about with a tempest that is they boaste of great things but thei performe nothyng thei are like Welles that are stopped and dried vp hauyng in them no water at all and yet thei beare theimselues highly vppon that title and boste themselues to bee the true Welles But the Scripture calleth theim Welles whiche teache and from whom doeth flowe and issue good and wholesome doctrine wherewith the Soules of men maie be refreshed This is the office that thei ought to doe and for this are thei appointed But alas sauyng onely the name there is no suche thyng in theim as likewise thei call theimselues Shepeheardes whereas in verie deede thei be rather rauenyng Wolues Againe thei be as Cloudes caried hither and thither with the winde Not as the thicke and blacke Cloudes that destill and droppe doune Raine vpon the earth but as the thinne and light fleetyng Cloudes in the Aire whiche are tossed and caried about hither and thither out of whom there commeth no Raine at all Euen so likewise doe these Pompous Prelates vaunt and bragge and carie loftie and high countenaunces in the Churche seducyng the worlde with their owne vaint guegawes and Traditions beyng like to light windetossed Cloudes and are contented to swaie whiche waie soeuer Sathan lifteth to carie them and to preache what soeuer maie be to his likyng but not so much as one Worde of the pure and sincere Gospell of God Which Gospell Word because none preacheth but thei that be true Preachers and Teachers therefore are thei in the v. of Esaie and other places of the Scriptures tearmed Cloudes because thei doe destill and lette fall into the hartes of their Auditorie the sweete and comfortable Water of Gods truthe and mercie To whom the blacke darknesse is reserued for euer THey liue now euen at their own pleasures euery thing accordyng to their owne hartes desires prospereth and hath good successe but there is a glommie daie toward them there shall come vpon them euerlastyng darkenesse although now thei neither beleeue it nor feele it For in speakyng swelling wordes of vanitie they beguile with wantonnes through the lustes of the fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour IF ye aske how they can bee called Welles without water and Cloudes without raine sith thei preache very much euery where S. Peter maketh you this answere thei preach in deede and rayne enough and enough but their preachynges are nothyng els then swellyng and proude woordes wherewith they accloye and fill the eares of the poore seelie people whom thei make to beleeue that what thei speake is right good and Catholike whereas indeede there is nothyng more vaine fonde and childishe Thus are our lubberly Monkes wont with braue and plausible words to boaste and vaunt their Obedience Pouertie and Chastitie and all because thei would be thought of the common people to be of all menne the holiest whereas all their doings and preachinges are nothyng but mere iugglynges deceites and collusions not hauyng in theim either Faithe or Charitie And so is also this loftie vaine bragge of theirs that the state and office of a Bishoppe is an estate of perfection whereas thei that bee in that mitred state dooe nothyng but Pompously ieste the streates awaited vppon with a greate retinue of Suiters and Seruauntes as though their were great Lordes and fare like Princes riding vpon braue horses like gallant Caualieres Without any regard had to their Pastorall charge sauyng that now and then thei hallowe a Churche or consecrate an Altar or Baptize Belles for with these and suche like swellyng and vaine wordes their whole Pontificiall Law is full thwackte pestred Thei beguile with wantonnesse through the lustes of the Fleshe them that were cleane escaped from them whiche are wrapped in errour THE drifte of these Welles and these Teachers is none other but to entangle and catche in their snares the selie Soules that had scarcely afore escaped As namelie children lately Baptized and newly receiued into the Church and washed from their synnes deliuered from Adam and engraffed into Christ them I saie waxyng somwhat bigge