The repentance of Iohn Haren priest and his returne to the Church of God; publickly by him recited in the French Church at Wezell, in the presence of the senate, conposed of the ministers and the people assembled togeather vpon the 7. day of March, Anno. 1610. Likewise, the recantation of Martine Bartox, at Rochell, sometimes Doctor of Diuinitie in Spaine, vicar prouinciall and visitor of the order of the holy Trinitie for the redemption of prisoners in the Kingdomes and Crowne of Arragon. Translated out of the Latine and French, into English. Haren, Jean. 1610 Approx. 130 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 31 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A02641 STC 12769 ESTC S120641 99855836 99855836 21341

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A02641) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 21341) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 727:11) The repentance of Iohn Haren priest and his returne to the Church of God; publickly by him recited in the French Church at Wezell, in the presence of the senate, conposed of the ministers and the people assembled togeather vpon the 7. day of March, Anno. 1610. Likewise, the recantation of Martine Bartox, at Rochell, sometimes Doctor of Diuinitie in Spaine, vicar prouinciall and visitor of the order of the holy Trinitie for the redemption of prisoners in the Kingdomes and Crowne of Arragon. Translated out of the Latine and French, into English. Haren, Jean. Bartox, Martin. aut [62] p. [By W. White] for H. Rockit at S Mildreds Church in the Poultrie, and N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange, Imprinted at London : 1610. Printer's name from STC. "The conuersion of a Doctor in Spaine" has caption title on D3r. Another issue of the edition without N. Bourne's name in imprint. Title is a different setting from STC 12770 and may be a cancel. Signatures: A-H⁴ (-H4, blank?). Imperfect; leaf A4 lacking. Reproduction of the original in the British Library.

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.

eng Repentance -- Early works to 1800. Converts, Protestants -- France -- Early works to 1800. 2006-04 Assigned for keying and markup 2006-05 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-07 Sampled and proofread 2006-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

THE Repentance of Iohn HAREN Prieſt, and his returne to the Church of God; publickly by him recited in the French Church at Wezell, in the preſence of the Senate, compoſed of the Miniſters and the people aſsembled togeather vpon the 7. day of March, Anno. 1610.

Likewiſe, The Recantation of MARTINE BARTOX, at Rochell, ſometimes Doctor of Diuinitie in Spaine, Vicar Prouinciall and Viſitor of the order of the holy Trinitie for the redemption of Priſoners in the Kingdomes and Crowne of Arragon.

Ezeckiel Chapt. 33. Verſ. 11.

J am liuing, ſaith the eternall God, and I take no pleaſure in the death of a Sinner, but rather that he should returne from his vvickedneſſe and liue.

Apocalips Chap. 18.

Come foorth of Babilon my people, leaſt you be partakers of her ſinnes, and ſo be punished vvith her: for her ſinnes hath mounted vp vnto Heauen, and God hath determined to punish her iniquities.

Tranſlated out of Latine and French, into Engliſh.

LONDON, Printed for H. Rockit at S Mildreds Church in the Poultrie, and N. Bourne at the Royal Exchange. 1610.

The Repentance of Iohn Haren, and his returne to the Church of God, publickely by him recited in the French Church at Wezell, in the preſence of the Senate, compoſed of the Miniſters and the people aſſembled togeather vpon the 7. day of March, Anno. 1610. To the faythfull Chriſtians of the Netherlandes, that haue abandoned the abuſes of the Church of Rome, to liue in puritie & ſinceritie of conſcience, IOHN HAREN wiſheth health and proſperitie.

DEarely beloued Breathren in the Lord, This Treatiſe which I imbolden my ſelfe to preſent you withall, belongeeh truely and directly vnto you, in regard of the ſubiect and matter therein contained: for although that by my fall, & beaſtly Apoſtacie, I haue offended all the world, neuertheleſſe I know and am aſſured, that the Churches, in the middle whereof I haue been nouriſhed from my youth vpwards, and whom I ſerued many yeares in the worke of the Lord, haue been moſt afflicted: if you will vouchſafe to read it, you ſhall therein ſee, and manifeſtly behold moſt great effectes of the prouidence of God towards his elect, who for a certaine time being ſeduced by the malice & practiſe of the Diuell, fell not onely into great tempeſtes and ſhipwrackes, but into horrible and ſcandalous laborinthes of troubles: but yet not ſo low, but that falling into the armes of their nourſe, (which is the Church of God,) they haue been relieued and comforted againe: For the fall of theMich. 7. 8. Elect, is not eternall.

You ſhall alſo therein perceiue how that in thinges which ſeeme moſt doubtfull and wholly deſperate; and when in outward appearance wee are as it were at the poynt of death and vtter deſtruction, our Lord hath vſed, and is alwayes ready to put foorth his hand to defend andExod. 2. preſerue thoſe that are his. Who would euer haue thought, that Moſes, being abandoned by his Mother, and put into the Water in a Basket, ſhould haue been the Deliuerer ofGene. 39. the people of God? And that Ioſeph, ſold, by his breathren mourned for by his father for dead, & caſt into a miſerable Priſon, ſhould ſaue his Father and Breathren from moſt great Famine, & place them in the beſt part of Egipt? WhoIonas. 2. would haue thought that Jonas, caſt into the Sea, and ſwallowed; yea & as it were buried in the belly of the Whale, ſhould haue been the ſauer of the great citie of Niniue, and a figure of the Meſsias? And that I, being caſt into a ſorrowfull and miſerable Priſon, wherein I remained for the ſpace of 8. yeares and more, wholly without hope of deliuerance from thence; wherein Antechriſt of Rome, had cauſed me to be throwne at the inſtance and motion of his Legate Coriolanus (the Plague of all Germinie,) for hauing bindred his cruel purpoſes & deſſeignes againſt the Churches on this ſide. God moſtſtrong, powerfull, & good, by his moſt mighty arme, & contrary to all humane expectation, hauing broken my Bandes, and deliuered my ſoule out of the danger of death, yea of eternall death, ſhould charitably deliuer me into the handes of his Church; to the end I ſhould ſerue him the reſt of my dayes, iuſtly and holily: For the which, while I liue, I will neuer ceaſe to yeeld prayſe and thankes-giuing vnto God.

You ſhall likewiſe know by this Diſcourſe, the great virtue, force, & efficacie of Prayer made in Fayth, whereby we obtaine of God much more good, then we dare aſke or demande at his hands. What could the Mother of Moſes deſire more, when her Child was put into the Water, butExod. 2. onely that God would preſerue it from death? But by her Praier ſhe obtained much more; for he being found by Pharaos Daughter, he was not onely deliuered out of danger, and committed to his owne Mother to be nourſed, but waxing great, he was adopted for the Sonne of the Kings daughter. What could the people of God (cruellyExod. 12. afflicted by the Egiptians) deſire more, but that God haueing toucht the heart of Pharao, he ſhould permit and ſuffer them to depart out of Egipt, to ſerue him in the land of their Fathers? But he did more for them; for, deliuering them out of the miſerable ſeruitude & tirannie of Pharao, he inriched them with the ſpoyles and riches of the Egiptians; whom afterward he drowned and vtterly ouerwhelmed in the Sea; thereby declaring his Iuſtice in puniſhing of thoſe that afflict his people. What could lacob likewiſeGen. 33. when he left the houſe of Laban his Father in law, haue deſired more, when he prayed vnto God to deliuer him from the feare which he had of his brother Eſau, but that he might paſſe freely & ſafely on his way? but God not onely graunted him that, but much more: for when his brother met him, he not onely receiued and entertained him courteouſly, but offered to beare him company on the way. And what could Joſeph (being a Priſoner) more deſireGen. 41. of God, but onely his enlargement and deliuerance from thence? which at laſt he obtained, and much more; for he was made Lieutenant and Gouernour of all Egipt. But I for my part, haue receiued more grace and fauour, then all they; for the billowes of the tempeſtes of the ſoueraigne God, had not onely ſubiected my life to a miſerable temporall captiuitie, wherein not onely the Pope and his ſupports, determined to deſtroy me, and to make me vnprofitable vnto the world during the reſt of my dayes: but Sathan, enimie to my Soule, had made and ſeduced me to become one of the moſt filthy Apoſtates that euer was heard of: and for that cauſe my heart was continually vexed with moſt cruell troubles: mine owne corruption made warre againſt me, and my torments put me in feare and doubt, that God had wholly reiected and barred me out of the Kingdome of Heauen. I found my ſelfe to be in continuall feare (for want of Fayth & repentance,) thinking in that abuſiue of troubles, that by incredulitie, I ſhould vtterly be cut off from the loue and fauour of God. Yet I was not deſtitute of the Spirit of Prayer: for in my greateſt troubles and aflictions, lifting vp mine eyes vnto Heauen, I often times ſayd, Hath the Lord caſt me off for euer? Is his louing kindneſſe withdrawne for euermore? Hath the moſt mercifull God forgotten to be pittifull; hath he (by reaſon of his anger) ſhut vp his compaſsion? And often times ſighing and ſpeaking vnto my ſoule, I ſaid: Oh my ſoule! Why art thou abaſhed, & why doeſt thou tremble within me? Repoſe thy truſt in God, and hope in him, he ſhall yet be prayſed and magnified in thee, when with a benigne countenance onely, he eaſeth thy torment. The Father of mercie, the God of all conſolation, did not reiect my prayer: he receiued my requeſt, and heard me in Heauen: He brake my bandes, and of a Captiue, ſet me free and at libertie: He dealt not with me as I deſerued, nor rewarded me according to my iniquities: For that as farre as the Heauens are diſtant from the Earth, ſo much hath his mercie been aboundant vnto me. With the ſame affection that a Father is mooued towardes his Child, with the ſame hath the Lord been mooued towardes me. Let my Soule bleſſe him, and all the partes and members of my body prayſe his holy name: He hath ſaued me out of the Pitte, and withdrawne my life from death: Hee hath pardoned all my Iniquities, and healed my Inf •••• ties. The Lord doth right and iuſtice vnto all thoſe 〈…〉 iniuries and perſecutions. I will not therefore doe 〈…〉 who ſayling in the middle of the Seas, and after a th •• ſand dangers ſafely arriueth at his deſired Hauen, without conſidering or marking the hand of the Pilote that ſtirred the Shippe; I will diligently acknowledge in this my deliueraunce, the hand of God, the prouidence of the Lord, and 〈2 pages missing〉

THE Repentaunce of IOHN HAREN, and his Conuerſion from the Church of Rome to the true Church of God, openly publiſhed and made by him in the French Church, remayning in Wezell, in the preſence of the wiſe and diſcreete Senat of the ſame place, the 7. day of March. Anno. 1610.

MY Lordes, and louing Breathren in the Lord, at my comming out of my ſorrowfull Priſon, wherein I haue been violently holden for the ſpace of eight yeares & vpwardes, for ſuckering your Churches: paſſing by this towne of Wezell, to goe 〈…〉 friendes, I haue imboldned my ſelfe to ſalute you, and to giue you to vnderſtand many thinges which concerne the honour and glory of God, the edification of his Church, and the ſaluation of my ſoule.

Truely, if it were not for the aſſurance that I haue of your pietie towards God, and Chriſtian charitie towards your Neighbours, I durſt not haue been ſo bold, as I am at this preſent, to certifie you of the miſerable eſtate, whereinto my ſinnes haue brought mee; but aſſuring my ſelfe, that you will be imitators of the Mercie of God, and of the Grace of his Sonne, our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; who deſireth not the death of a Sinner, but that he ſhould conuert and be ſaued; it maketh me doe that vnto you, which the diſeaſed perſon doth vnto the Phiſition; which is, to diſcouer the Griefes of my heart, and the Wounds of my ſoule.

Beloued breathren, in mee you ſee and behold the paterne and ſpectacle of the iuſt Iudgement of God vpon man, who hauing acknowledged Ieſus Chriſt for my Sauiour, trode his Word vnder my feete, and made no account of his holy Ordinaunces; and therefore God as a iuſt Iudge, ſet me vpon the ſcaffold of his Wrath and Indignation; becauſe I would ſeeme to be Wiſe in my ſelfe, forgetting the indignitie and miſerie of my eſtate, I haue grieued the holy Ghoſt, which had regiſtred mee in the Cathalogue of the bleſſed; certainely I had been moſt happie, if at the iſſuing foorth of my Mothers Wombe, I had been buried, without euer ſeeing the light of this World, ſeeing that by my ſinnes, I haue ſubiected my vncertaine dayes, vnto ſo many outrages and griefes: For is there any man that hath receiued more benefites at the holy and liberall handes of God our Father, then I? Who from my youth vpwardes, was brought vp and nouriſhed in the moſt excellent Schooles that are in Chriſtendome; hauing had a Father, that ſpared no thing to bring me vp in Learning, Vertue, and Pietie, and that ſhewed me an example of Conſtancie and Fidelitie; hauing ſuffered death for profeſsing the name of the Lord. But, as if God had done me wrong, to continue his graces and great mercies vnto me, I became the moſt filthy & beaſtly Apoſtate that euer was in the World; I ſay the moſt filthy: for, conſider I pray you, the Apoſtacies which were in times paſt in the auncient Church, ſpecially during the tenne great Perſecutions from Nero to Conſtantine the great; and the eleuenth, which was vnder Iuhan that wicked Apoſtate, which cauſed ſo many Reuoltes in the Church, and when ſo many great perſons made ſhipwracke of the Fayth.

Conſider alſo the Apoſtacies that haue been committed in our dayes, and you ſhall ſee, if you can ſinde the like to mine? That a Seruant of God, nouriſhed and brought vp at the feete of true Doctors, the Sonne of a Martire, one that preached the Ghoſpell 17. or 18. yeares, and that with edification in the time of Perſecution, when the Swordes of Tirantes made all publike places in the Netherlandes redde with humaine blood, I reputed my ſelfe not onely happy to beleeue and anounce Ieſus Chriſt; but with the loſſe of my goodes to indure all ſortes of oprobyes and ſlaunders for his name; in, and by whom I beleeued and ſpake. And yet neuertheleſſe afterward, with ſo great ſcandale, hauing made my ſelfe a Diſciple of Antechriſt, Who would not be abaſhed, and abhorre ſuch an offence?

And therefore it is, that I openly cry out and confeſſe, that my Sinne is not like vnto other mens ſinnes; for if any man ſinneth by ignoraunce or infirmitie, hee ſhall finde a Mediatour which will pray for him, and it ſhall be pardoned: but who ſhall be my Mediatour? I haue offended God and all his Seruantes; I haue ſcandalized his people, and haue made my ſelfe vnworthy of the commiſeration of honeſt men: Therefore the dolors of death eternall haue compaſſed me about, and the tempeſtes of my iniquitie haue abaſhed me; for the Arrowes of Almightie God haue wounded my ſoule in ſuch maner, that no part of my Fleſh, nor any of my Vaines are whole, ſo much my miſchiefe increaſeth: my Heart panteth and beateth in my breaſt with griefe, my Bones are weakened by reaſon of the great diſtreſſe, which I indure by meanes of my wicked action.

Behold how thoſe that abandonate them-ſelues vnto Vanities, are forſaken of God, and of their owne grauitie. It is a horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God, and to abiure his Trueth, once knowne.

What ſhall I doe? ſhall I deſpaire? Muſt I at my departure out of this life, attend and expect the reward of Cain and ludas, and ſay with thoſe miſerable Apoſtates; My Sinnes are greater then the Mercie of God? No, I will not deſpaire; for I know, the eternall God is good; that his Mercie ſurmounteth all the Heauens, that he deſireth not the death of a Sinner but rather that he ſhould repent and be ſaued; and that inceſſantly he pardoneth and forgiueth his elect.

He pittieth true repentant ſinners, be they neuer ſo miſerable and great offenders: and where Sinne aboundeth, his Grace ſuper-aboundeth.

I haue met with my Mediatour the Sonne of God, my ſoueraine Sacrificator, who can and will haue compaſsion of my infirmities: but more then that, his voyce and his example ſommon, induce; yea and lead me to approchMath 11 28. neere vnto him. Come vnto mee (ſayth hee) all you that are heauie laden and wearie, and I will refreſh you. AndEſa. 1. 18. againe, Come now (ſaith the Eternall,) if your Sinnes were as redde as Scarlet, I will make them as white as Snow: and if they were as redde as Vermilion, I will make them white like Wooll.

When a man of credite ſpeaketh, wee beleeue him: how much more then ought we to beleeue the mouth of him that can not lie? It is hee that ſanctifieth my afflictions, to the ende that they ſhould not bee the entry vnto eternall paine.

I haue likewiſe ſet before mine eyes, an infinite number of examples of his pietie towardes Sinners. The poore Publican caſting downe his eyes to the ground, crauingIoh 12. 3. mercie of Ieſus Chriſt, returned home iuſtified. The ſinfull woman waſhed our Sauiours feete with her teares; and hauing wipt them with her haire, obtayned pardon of her finnes. The poore Theefe being hanged vpon the Croſſe, deſiring to be ſaued, and calling vpon Ieſus Chriſt, aſſended from the Croſſe into Paradiſe. S. Peter hauing threeLuk. 22. times denied his good Maiſter, after he had bewayled his ſinnes with humilitie and repentance, loſt not the grace of an Apoſtle, but was reeſtabliſhed in his eſtate and vocation Gal. 2. 11.

I call to minde great and inorare ſinnes, cruelties, and wicked Apoſtaſies committed againſt God, and his Prophets by King Manaſſes, who neuer the leſſe being Priſoner in Babilon, and finding his Conſcience to be much preſſed with the feeling of his wickednes, after he had confeſſed his faultes vnto God, he was receiued into mercie. Jonas flying away frō the face of God & from his preſence in Tarſis, becauſe he would not follow his vocation, was caſt into the Sea; and after being miraculouſly deliuered out of the Whales belly, went to Ninine to declare his Commiſsion.

All theſe examples haue made me know, that God is exceeding good to thoſe that ſeeke him; who pardoneth all our infirmities: hee is ſo good, that hee will neuer reward vs according to our ſinnes, for he is prompt to Mercie, and ſlow to Anger; and hee is the perfection of all goodneſſe.

Vp then my ſoule, and prayſe God: and thou Sathan my aduerſarie, preſent no more vnto mee the inormitie of my apoſtacie, thinking to aſtoniſh my conſcience, for the mercifull God of my continuall complaintes, hath heard my voyce, he hath receaued my requeſt, and hath graunted me more then I aſked him: All my enemies ſhall be aſhamed and confounded, neither could Sathan beLuk. 15. both my Iudge and my Accuſer, for it was God whom I had offended, who onely is my Iudge: If therefore he is my Iudge, who dares take vpon him to condeme me? If he be with me, who can be againſt me? and if my Iudge will be my Aduocate and my Interceſſor, why ſhould I feare the power and force of the Diuell, & Tirants, although they ſought to aſſayle me?

And therefore being in this ſortreſolued, I determine to doe two thinges: The one following the example ofLuk. 15. the Prodigall Childe, to returne to my Countrie, and my Fathers houſe againe, I know he is mercifull, and that although by my ſinnes I haue loſt his fauour, yet he will neuer leaue nor looſe his bountie. I will willingly forſake the company and fellowſhip of thoſe filthy Beaſtes with whom I haue ſo long time conuerſed, which is the Kingdome of the Romane Antechriſt the Sonne of perdition, that lifteth and oppoſeth himſelfe againſt the Kingdome of the ſonne of God; and that vnder a falſe title of Pietie, at this day tiraniſeth ouer all the world, deſiring to ſatisfie his couetous humour with crueltie and ambition. I will willingly abandon that ſorrowfull habitation, ſo odious and infamous, and will put on the Roabe of Humilitie, to preſent my Father with a true and ſinceere contrition and confeſſion of my faultes and offences. My contrition ſhall be a diſliking and deteſtation of my ſinnes committed, a trouble of Conſcience, apprehending and feeling in my Soule, the wrath and anger of God, which I haue incurred and deſerued by my offences, which would cauſe me to deſpaire, if I were not ſtrengthned an other way; which is by a true and liuely faith in the mercie of God; by the which after I haue truly & duely confeſſed my ſinnes, I depoſe my ſelfe by faith to mount vp vnto the throane of grace, to obtaine one drop of the Blood of our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt.

Secondly, I haue ſayd within my ſelfe, I will ſeeke the face of God: But where ſhall I find it, but there where his Word is faythfully preached, and the Sacramentes truely adminiſtred? This Church ſo well marked, was once my Mother; ſhe conceaued and brought me foorth to Chriſt my Sauiour: ſhe had giuen me many faire & great prerogatiues; for ſhe had committed vnto me the keeping of her Spouſes Flocke; but I was one of thoſe fooliſh Shepheardes, (of whom the Prophet Ezecheel in his 13. Chapter of his Reuelations ſpeaketh,) which follow their owne fantaſies, and haue no care to execute their Offices and Vocations; and therefore God, the iuſt Iudge, was angrie with me; he diſpoyled me of his fauours, which were the ſinguler giftes & graces wherwith he had indowed me in my youth; and hath made me eate with Beaſtes, as he did the Prodigall Child: Yet I can not forget the loue which once ſhe bore me; and therefore I haue aproched vnto her againe, hoping that ſhe will be a follower of the bountie of God to wardes me aſking two things of her: The one, that ſhe will vouchſafe to pray vnto God for me; for as iſſue of all enterpriſes dependeth vpon the fauour of God, (without the which we can doe nothing,) it is reaſon and very fitte to begin ſo holy a worke, with the inuocation of his holy name: The other, that in this great perturbation of Spirit whereunto my intemperaunce hath brought me, ſhe will vouchſafe to giue me counſell and aduiſe, for that from hence-foorth I will no more be wiſe in mine owne conceite, but onely in God; in whom conſiſteth the ſpring of Life and Wiſedome.

I was then in an obſcure and blacke Priſon, wherein Antechriſt of Rome had cauſed me to be caſt without any hope euer to come out againe. My Accuſations were; That beeing Seruant to the Dutcheſſe of Cleaue, I had been a Fauteur & Mediator for the Churches which our Lord had aſſembled in the Dukedomes of Inlyers, Cleaue, and Bergh, hindring diuers ſiniſter enterpriſes pretended againſt them. The rigor which they vſed againſt me was great, and my life was in danger, if the hatred of the Eccleſiaſticall perſons, which were the cauſe of my miſchief, had had as much place and force, as the benignitie and prudence of the noble Princeſſe of Lorraine had power to defend and preſerue me from their cruelties.

Being in my ſorrowfull Priſon, abandoned of all the World, when it ſeemed that I was at the poynt of death; and that Heauen and Earth had conſpired togeather, and agreed to worke my ouerthrow and deſtruction, I deſired my God, to let me know the cauſe of his wrath and anger conceaued againſt me; who ſufficiently made me vnderſtand by his holy Spirit, that my apoſtacie was the only cauſe thereof. I lamented my euill; I fainted vnder the burthen of my anguiſh; I waſhed my Bedde with teares, and watered my Couch with weeping; and without longer delay, I made a Vow agreeable and pleaſing vnto God: which was, that if he would vouchſafe to deliuer me out of Priſon, and to reſtore me to my friendes againe, that in the firſt reformed Church, according to the word of God, which I ſhould come vnto, I would certifie vnto it my affliction, & my deſire; which was, to cry God mercie, & to extirpe the Scandale proceeded of my Apoſtacie, by the way of humilitie & repentance. The Lord which doth all things iuſtly, heard my Prayer, he receaued my requeſt, he graunted my deſire, he brake my bands, and of a Priſoner, made me free. It is reaſon therefore that I performe my Vowes: I haue not done like Ionas, who in ſtead of going to Niniue the great Citie, tooke the way to Tarſis: norLuk. 19: like the wife of Lot, who looking backe whē ſhe went out of Sodoma & Gomora, was turned into a Piller of Salt. Our Lord alſo ſaith, That hee which putteth his hand to the Plough, & looketh backe, is not good for the kingome of heauen: therfore I eſteemed the things of this world, hurtfull and a hinderaunce vnto the couers of my vacation: & taking my way ſtraight to this Church which had ingendred me in Chriſt, with teares in my eyes, and griefe of heart, not ſo much with the feeling of my temporall afflictions, as for that I haue offended: I aſked two things of her; the one, if that the way of Repentance ſhould yet be open vnto me? and the other, what penaunce I deſerued, or ſhould ſubmit my ſelfe vnto, to deface the euill which I had committed? Shee made me anſwere; that God neuer ſhutteth the Gate of his Church againſt any man, truely repenting: and hauing conſidered my teares and complaintes, and the effectes of my contrition, ſhe did charitably comfort and inſtruct me.

I am with ioy and gladneſſe of ſpirit come out of Babilon, Mother of Confuſion, which had lifted me vp in pride againſt God and his Church; which foſtered in my foule, not onely a perpetuall dolour and anguiſh, but an executioner which neuer let me reſt in peace night nor day. For the which, infinitely I thanke my God, that in my old age, and before I goe downe into the Sepulchre, after hee had fatherly puniſhed mee with ſo long and horrible Impriſonment; he hath this day reſtored me to my Mother his Church, to be a Temple and Habitation of his Spirit: in the vertue whereof, I beſeech him to bleſſe and ſanctifie my ſteppes to his glorie, and to make me capiable to be, and continue his moſt humble and obedient ſeruant.

Oh happie Priſon, which hath deliuered my ſoule from deſtruction! and taking me by the hand, to lead and conduct me by the pathes of Iuſtice, to the Peace of the Elect: Who would not admire the great effectes of the prouidence of God, who in moſt deſperate thinges, can withdraw the ſhadow of darkneſſe, to illuminate and direct our vncertaine ſteppes, to follow his will? Behold how it happeneth many times, that that which we thinke would be moſt hurtfull vnto vs, turneth vnto our great profit.

For the Priſon, out of the which I am deliuered, without any blot of mine honour, hath done that in me, which the Priſon in Babilon ſometimes wrought in King Manaſſes: So that I will not ceaſe euery day to giue thankes vnto our good God, who euen in the multitude and greateſt force of my afflictions, did alwayes ſupport and vpholde my Soule in ſuch libertie, that it ſeemeth that how ſtrong and great ſoeuer my troubles were, they had power onely to ouercome and maſter my particular Paſsions, and to eleuate my Spirit to Heauen; to make me ſo much the more capiable to obtaine of God the aſſuraunce of his mercie, by diſpoyling me of the tranſitorie & corruptible thinges of this world, to the end to eleuate and ſtirre mee vp to thinges glorious and eternall. For as much trouble and diſquietneſſe as my impriſonment procured vnto my bodie, ſo much and more force and reſolution it added vnto my ſoule. It is true that Pietie is weakened, by too great Felicitie: but the Croſſe and Perſecution accompanied with a good Conſcience, maketh it become an aſſured Bulwarke againſt all the effortes and forces of the Diuell. And in trueth we ſee, that thoſe whom God puniſheth grieuouſly in this world, for the moſt part are they, whom he inſtructeth moſt fauourably; in ſuch maner, that to ſpeake properly, the euils which God ſent me, and which I indured patiently, were no euils vnto me, but ſharpned and ſtirred vp my ſpirit to ſoueraigne good.

Certainely that which Plato ſayth, is very true; That thoſe that are in griefes and anguiſhes, haue the functions and faculties of the Soule more excellent, then in time of proſperitie. But that which maketh me moſt to woonder, is, that as much as my afflictions ſeparated me from the Houſe of God, and the companie of the Faithfull; ſo much it ſeemeth, that they augmented and increaſed the former affection which I had, to reunite my ſelfe thereunto, and to leaue Papiſtrie.

A good man, can not ſhunne aduerſities; but hee may well ſurmount and vanquiſh them: and Although he ſeemeth vnto men, to be wholly abandoned and reiected; ſo it is, that in the middle of his troubles, he alwayes enioyeth a perfect felicitie, the which hath ſworne to be ſo loyall vnto him, that whatſoeuer hapneth vnto him, ſhee is alwayes with him, ſhee is alwayes within him, and maintayneth his Soule in ſuch an eſtate, that in what condition ſoeuer ſhee findeth her ſelfe to be, ſhee is alwayes like vnto her ſelfe, being ſo highly eleuated aboue the accidentes of humaine thinges, that ſhee can not receiue any hurt or diſgrace.

Seing then that the word of God teacheth vs, that hee which hath publikely offended the Church, ought to confeſſe and acknowledge his fault openly; and for that the Order of Eccleſiaſticall diſcipline in the Church of God practiſeth the ſame: I haue deſired that my returne into the Houſe of God, ſhould be publikely made, and in the middle of this notable congregation of the Children of God, in this Towne of Wezel ; and that not onely becauſe of the knowledge which I haue of ſo many Prerogatiues which our Lord hath giuen it, as being the auncient receptacle of poore afflicted Chriſtians; hauing purged it from the darkeneſſe of errours & ignorances of the Romiſh Wolfe, for the ſpace of 70. yeares and more; and miraculouſly defended and preſerued it from a thouſand and a thouſand outrages, ambuſcadoes, and ſiniſter enterpriſes of Tirantes; whereof I am partly an eye-witneſſe. And thus much more, for that I know that at this preſent, and in this notable companie, there are yet many of you that know, that the ſubiect and ground of the anger of thoſe that perſecuted mee, proceedeth from this; that duering the time of my continuance in the ſeruice of the noble Houſe of Cleaue, I did charitably ſuccour the afflicted Churches, which Antechriſt and his ſupporters ſought and inforced them ſelues to ruinate and ouerthrow. Knowing then, that with the cauſe of my afflictions, the cauſe of fauouring of your Churches (and particularly of that which our Lord hath aſſembled in this Towne,) was ioyned: I aſſure my ſelfe, that you will haue compaſsion of the griefes which I feele at my heart, for hauing offended God, that in reſpect of me, you will doe as God preſently doth; who hauing opened the eyes of my vnderſtanding, hath taken my ſinnes and caſt them behind his backe: hee hath throwne them into the deepe Sea, that he might not lay them any more to my charge: whereof not onely the holy Ghoſt beareth me witneſſe, but by the ordinarie miniſterie which it hath pleaſed him to eſtabliſh in his Church, giueth me euident and manifeſt aſſurances, beſeeching you to haue pittie on mee; and caſting from before your eyes the ſcandale which I haue committed: reſtore me to that alacritie of ſpirite which in times paſt my heart enioyed, when holding each other by the hands, we aſcended with ioy to the Mountaine of the Lord, ſeeking the God of lacob, with Songes and Thankes-giuing, becauſe he had made vs members of his Sonne Chriſt Ieſus; whereby in this temporall life you ſhall do that which God doth in the ſpirituall life, in comforting the afflicted, and ſuch as are truely ſtricken with vnfeigned ſorrow & remorſe of their ſinnes: for as by his goodneſſe and bountie he relieueth and ſtrengthneth them; ſo he that loueth clemencie and mercie, maketh himſelfe worthy and capiable both of the Joue of God, and the world.

Let your hearts then be mooued with my ſigthes, & by bereauing your ſelues of the remembrance of my faultes; therein ſhew your ſelues as ſtrong as my wickedneſſe is great: my bruſed bones ſhall reioyce, my tongue ſhall openly ſing the prayſe of the Lord; my cloſed lippes ſhall open againe, highly to thunder foorth his Iuſtice: I will teach his wayes to thoſe that tranſgreſſe, to the end that ſuch as haue done, as I haue done againſt the Lord, may willingly conuert.

I am aſſured that you will graunt my requeſt, for I perceiue your bowels to be mooued and proane to mercie; your countenaunces are witneſſes vnto me of your charitic; and your teares, of the griefe you haue in your hearts. I likewiſe will neuer beleeue that there is any man in this holy aſſemblie, that will be an Imitator of the rudenes and inhumanitie of the brother of the Prodigall child, thatLuk. 15. murmured at the liberalitie vſed by his father, when he receiued his brother home againe. The Houſe of God is great and wide and his Tablemoſt rich, to receiue & nouriſh vs all. Our Lord ſaith, that the Shepheard reioyced to haue found his loſt Sheepe. The Woman that had loſt her Groat, reioyced with her friendes for the finding of it againe: and the good Father for his Sonne, which had offended him ſo many and ſo often times. And will not you reioyce with the holy Angels, for the honour which God hath done vnto me, this day to haue receiued me into his Church; from the which Sathan, enimie to Iuſtice and truth, had ſeparated me, & almoſt deſtroied me, if God had not bin merciful vnto me? But he hath loſt his prey, he hath ſpent his time in vaine, he remembred not that God is my Father, that his Chriſt is my Mediator; he knew not that the holy Ghoſt had regiſtred me in the booke of Life, and in the cathalogue of the Elect; whoſe fall is not eternall.

Therefore that I may no more fall into thoſe ſnares and nettes, I haue withdrawne my ſelfe into the houſe of God, into the fort of the Lord, to be made his houſehold Seruant, and a member of his Sonne, willingly forſaking the raigne of the Pope; whoſe doctrine & religion, to ſay truth, is no other thing but auncient paganiſme, mixed with Iudiſme, and couered with the cloake of Chriſtianitie; which treadeth vnder foete the knowledge of the ſoueraigne God, and the mercies of his ſonne Chriſt Ieſus.

For when men make the ſimple people beleeue, that the Sonne of God (in whom conſiſteth the wel-ſpring of life) hath not fully ſatisfied the Iuſtice of God his Father, but hath onely obtayned the firſt grace for vs; that is to ſay, the occaſion or cauſe of Merite; and that it reſteth now in vs to be carefull not to loſe the occaſion, to obtaine the reſt. Is it not a moſt impudent boldneſſe, to diſpoyle Ieſus Chriſt of his vertue, ſeeing the Scripture witneſſeth for him; that all thoſe that beleeue in him, are iuſtified? And thoſe hel-houndes teach, that there proceedeth no other benefite vnto vs from him, but onely that hee hath made vs an ouerture and way to be iuſtified; contrarie to theIohn. 5. 12. Iohn. 5. 24. Rom. 3. 24. Iohn. 3. 13. Ephe. 2. 6. Col 1. 13. expreſſe word of God, which teacheth vs; That whoſoeuer hath the Sonne of God, hath life alſo: Whoſoeuer beleeueth, hath paſt from death to life; is placed in Heauen with him; is already tranſported into the kingdame of God, and hath obtained ſaluation. And theſe miſerable abuſed Papiſtes, not contenting themſelues therewith, bereaue God of a great part of his Prayſes, to transferre them vnto men.

But tell me I pray you, What thing is more agreeable to the Chriſtian fayth, then to acknowledge and confeſſe our ſelues to be deſtitute of all vertue, to be clothed therewith by God: voyde of all goodneſſe, to be filled therewith by him: ſlaues to ſinne, to be deliuered by him: blind, to be illuminated by him: weake, to be ſuſtained by him: to bereaue our ſelues of all maner of glory, that he onely may be glorified, and we in him? Further, what is more proper vnto Faith, then to aſſure our ſelues that God is our benigne and louing Father; when Chriſt is acknowledged to be our Brother and Mediatour, then to expect all good and proſperitie from him, whoſe loue and fauour is ſo much ſhewed & extended vnto vs, that he ſpared not his Sonne, but expoſed him vnto death for vs: then to reſt in a certaine aſſurance and hope of ſaluation, and of life eternall, when we know that Chriſt hath been giuen vs by the Father; in whom ſuch treaſures are hidden? But theſe thinges are repugned by the Papiſtes, who ſay, that ſuch certaintie of aſſurance, cannot be without arrogancie & preſumption: But as we muſt not preſume of any thing to be in our ſelues; yet we muſt preſume of all thinges in God, for in trueth we are not for any other cauſe bereaued of all vaine glorie, but onely to the end that we ſhould be glorified in him. On the other ſide, behold and ſee with what affection thoſe miſerable and ignorant perſons (I ſpeake ſpecially of Eccleſiaſticall perſons) are mooued and ledde: they eaſily permit both them ſelues and others, to be ignorant, negligent, and careleſſe of the true Religion, which is taught vs by the holy Scriptures, and which ought to be reſolutely and firmely held among all men; and thinke that it is no great matter what Fayth euery man holdeth; nor whether he holdeth with God or Chriſt: ſo that with an inueloped or impoſed Fayth (as they tearme it) they ſubmit their cenſures to the iudgement of the Church, and care not though the glory of God be poluted by euident Blaſphemies, ſo that no man ſpeaketh a word againſt the authoritie of our Mother the holy Church; that is, (according to their meaning,) the Sea of Rome: And therefore they fight and contend with ſuch rigour and boldneſſe for the Maſſe, Purgatorie, Pilgrimage, and ſuch trifles, in ſuch maner that they denie, that true pietie can be obſerued, if all thoſe thinges be not beleeued and holden for infallible rules of our ſaluation; although they prooue nothing by the word of God: Wherefore I pray you, but onely becauſe their Belly is their God, the Kitchin their Religion, and the World their Paradiſe; which being taken away, they are not onely perſwaded that they can be Chriſtians, but which is more, no men: and although ſome of them liue delicately and in great aboundance, and others liue barely and votarely in pouertie gnawing of Cruſtes, neuertheleſſe they liue all by one Pot: which without ſuch aydes, would not onely waxe cold, but wholly be frozen vp: And therefore he which among them, hath moſt care of his Belly, is the moſt zealous in their Fayth. To conclude, they haue all one ſelfe-ſame purpoſe and intent, either to maintaine their Kingdome, or their Bellies: and there is none of thē that ſheweth the leaſt apearance in the world of true zeale, and yet they ceaſe not to Slaunder, and with Fire, Sword, Water, and all other miſchiefes, to purſue and perſecute the doctrine of Trueth; either to make it odious, or ſuſpected. But if we were permitted to ſpeake as boldly and as well as they, I am perfwaded that their hotneſſe, wherewith they boyle ſo terribly againſt vs, would be ſomewhat cooled: for to ſay trueth, that which the blind world at this day honoureth in thoſe idle Bellies, is onely a faigned vizard of Hipocrifie, which vnder the ſhadow of the Church, would hide their couetouſneſſe, to beare rule; ſeeking for the Church of God, in the beautifulneſſe of Houſes, and other exteriour ornamentes; thinking that the vnion of the Faythfull, conſiſteth and is contayned in thoſe exteriour thinges, which are tranſitorie and corruptible; and not rather in righteouſneſſe and trueth. Wherefore according to the word of God, we hold the Sea of Rome to be the Seate of Antechriſt, which eleuateth and oppoſeth it ſelfe againſt that of the Sonne of God, which vnder a falſe title of Religion, at this day tiranniſeth ouer all the world, liuely repreſentingDan. 9. that Seate of Impietie whereof the Prophet Daniel, 2. Theſ. 2. and the Apoſtle S. Paul haue ſpoken; whereof we ſay, the Pope is the Captaine, which hath prophaned the Holy Temple of God by horrible abhominations, in ſuch ſort, that therein there rather appeareth an Image of Babilon, then any ſhew of the holy Citie of God.

But ſome men will obiect, and aſke mee; Did not you before your reuolt, know theſe great impieties and miſchiefes, viz. that all the Romane ſect is but a King dome of Vntruethes, where the name of the eternall God is villanouſly prophaned, and the Lordes honour impudently giuen vnto Idoles?

I anſwere, that I knew it, hauing a hundred and a hundred times publiſhed and preached it vnto the World but in trueth I confeſſe, that I neuer did ſo pertinently vnderſtand, nor marke ſo well the horrible Sacrileges of Antechriſt, as I did while I conuerſed familiarly with them in Rome, where euery man attendeth his owne profite and pleaſures, and not the ſeruice of Ieſus Chriſt.

We muſt not then feare that by leauing the Church of Rome we diuorce our ſelues from the Church of God; for the communion of the Church was not ordained to that end, that it ſhould be a place for to draw vs to idolatry, impietie, ignorance of the true God, and other wickednes: but rather to retaine vs in the feare of God and in the obedience of the truth. We do truly withdraw our ſelues from Poperie, and not from the Church; we ſhun and flie from idols, but not from the true Church; we will withdraw our ſelues from the tyrannie of the Pope, and not from the true Chriſtian common wealth; from the plague, and not from life: ready to reunite our ſelues with them, when Antichriſt, and the miſchiefe which he hath brought into it, ſhall be driuen away. In the meane time the houſe of God ſhall be my habitation, the Lord my portion, and his Sonne my Paſtor: he will cauſe me to reſt in his parkes of aſſurance, he will reſtore my afflicted ſoule, and will preſerue me, if it pleaſeth him, from the bloudy hands of thoſe that ſeeke my vtter ruine and ouerthrow.

All you that haue done as I haue done, and haue ſuffered your ſelues to runne headlong into miſchiefe, and which as yet liue in the kingdome of Antichriſt, with a contaminated and defiled conſcience, and vnquietneſſe of ſpirit (for I thinke and beleeue certainly that it is impoſſible for a man that hath knowne the impieties of Papiſtrie, where the bloud of Chriſt is bought and ſold, where his onely propitiatorie ſacrifice offered for our ſinnes, is eſteemed to be inſufficient to deface them; where the merits of men are equalized with the merits of Ieſus Chriſt: I beleeue that his ſoule is alwayes in paine, and that if he ſtayeth long there, in the end he will feele an executioner in his conſcience, which will neuer ſuffer him to liue in peace night nor day:) I beſeech you moſt humbly in the name and fauour of Ieſus Chriſt, to abandon and leaue the ſynagogue of Sathan, and to reunite and ioyne your ſelues to this Church of God, vnited and conioyned in faith with the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apoſtles, in the word of God; which is faithfully preached, and the Sacraments duly and purely adminiſtred. It is into his lap that I yeeld my ſelfe, it is vnto the guard of his pietie that I haue recourſe: beſeeching him with all humilitie to receiue and admit me into the communion of his children, hauing determined to liue with them (by the power of my God) all the dayes of my life. I likewiſe deſire thoſe, on whom God hath powred his grace (hauing miraculouſly preſerued them in his Church, with conſtancy and perſeuerance, without hauing diuorced themſelues, or committed apoſtacie as I haue done:) to praiſe God with all their hearts, and continually to giue him thanks; for it is a moſt great miracle, which proceedeth not from their owne force and vertue, but from the holy and liberall hand of God our Father. Wherefore let them perſeuere in louing of God, and flie from finne and vices; and being of a good courage, the kingdome of Antichriſt will fall, and that of Ieſus Chriſt ſhall be eſtabliſhed: but before that hapneth, the diuell will enforce himſelfe more then euer he did, to make warre againſt the Church.

Behold wherefore, if euer the children of God haue had need of prudence and wiſedome ſurely to direct their vncertaine paths according to the word of God, it is now in this pitifull and ſorrowfull time, wherein Satan, enimy vnto all righteouſneſſe and godlineſſe, ſeemeth to haue ſo much authoritie euen ouer the elect, that if they were not miraculouſly aided and defended by the holy and liberall hand of God our Father, they ſhould not onely be vtterly caſt downe, but the earth would ſoone be reduced vnto the ſame ſtate that Sodome and Gomorra was in times paſt. Let prayer therefore, accompanied with true repentance, be our refuge vnto him, who will neuer forſake his inheritance, and that will cauſe the aſſaults of Antichriſt to periſh, as he once drowned Pharaoh in the ſea.

To make an end, I beſeech you pray vnto God for me; and if any one among you haue any bookes, which in times paſt haue beene printed in my name, in diuerſe languages, bookes full of ieſts, lies, and falſe ſuppoſitions; I deſire they may be burnt and conſumed to aſhes. I will not likewiſe paſſe ouer in ſilence, that in the confutation of thoſe bookes, and in ſome hiſtories, wherein mention is made of my fall, there are ſome clauſes ignorantly ſet downe; which I impute not ſo much to the inconſiderate zeale of the Authors, as to mine owne fault, which God would iuſtly puniſh and correct, hauing placed me vpon the ſcaffold of his wrath and indignation, as I had moſt iuſtly deſerued.

If you aide me with your prayers vnto God, and if you be imitators of that great mercy which he hath ſhewed this day vnto me, which I beſeech you beare in minde; I will praiſe God for your pietie, and pray vnto him to continue his mercy towards you and yours, with long life and happy dayes.

The prayer of king Manaſſes when he was priſoner in Babylon.

O Lord Almightie, God of our fathers Abraham, Iſaac and Iacob, and of all the righteous ſeed of thine elect; which haſt made heauen & earth with all their ornaments, which haſt bound the ſea by the word of thy commandement, which haſt ſhut vp the deep, and ſealed it by thy terrible and glorious name, whom all doe feare, and tremble before thy power: for the Maieſtie of thy glory cannot be borne, and thine angry threatning towards ſinners is importable, but thy mercy is vnmeaſurable and vnſearchable; for thou art the moſt high Lord, of great compaſſion, long ſuffering, and moſt mercifull, and repenteſt for mans miſeries. Thou, O Lord, haſt promiſed of thy great mercy, to giue grace of repentance and mercy vnto thoſe that haue ſinned againſt thee, and haſt appointed repentance vnto thoſe that are ſinners, that thou mighteſt ſaue them by the greatneſſe of thy compaſſions. Thou therefore, O Lord which art the God of the iuſt, haſt not appointed repentance vnto the iuſt, as to Abraham, Iſaac and Iacob; nor for thoſe that haue not ſinned againſt thee; but for me that am a ſinner, for I haue ſinned aboue the number of the ſaud of the ſea; my tranſgreſſions are exceeding many, and I am not worthy to behold and ſee the height of the heauens. For the multitude of mine vnrighteouſnes, I am bowed downe with many and great ſinnes, and cannot lift vp my head, neither haue any releaſe, but onely in thy free mercy: for I haue prouoked thy wrath, and done euill before thee, I haue not done thy will, neither kept thy commaundements, but haue moſt wickedly committed ſinne and iniquitie in thy preſence, and wilfully multiplied ſinne vpon ſinne. Now therefore, O Lord, I bowe the knees of my heart, beſeeching thee of grace and mercie. I haue ſinned, O Lord, I haue ſinned & done euill before thee; but I humbly beſeech thee forgiue me, O Lord, forgiue me, and deſtroy me not in the multitude of mine vnrighteouſneſſe, be not angry with me for euer by reſeruing euill for me, neither caſt me into the bottomleſſe pit of hel: for thou art the God, euen the God of them that repent. And in me, I beſeech thee, ſhew foorth thy goodneſſe, in ſauing me that am vnworthy, in the multitude of thy great mercie: and I will praiſe thee all my life long for euer; for all the powers of heauen praiſe thee, and thine is all glory for euer and euer. Amen.

The Conuerſion of a Doctor in Spaine.

SEeing Almighty God, who is the chiefeſt goodneſſe and felicity, and maketh his grace and goodneſſe communicable to other things, hath participated himſelfe in things we ſee not and touching the Diuinity, to the Son by generation (contrary Atha. in Symb. Pſal. 2. 7. Hebr. 1. 3. to the opinion of Arrius, and Samoſatenus,) and to the holy Ghoſt by proceeding (contrary alſo to Macedonius, and Eunomius, arch-heretiques) euen according to his infinite Eſſence, without any diſtinction or deuiding of the ſame, and to be equall with him in deity ſtance.

Ioh. 1. 15. Therefore the Sonne, begotten of the Father, and not made, and the holy Ghoſt which proceedeth from the Father, and the Sonne, (as from one beginning) haue the ſame eſſence in number, and inſeparable nature with the Father, (contrary to the opinion of the Valentines, which faine more then one:) yet his Perſons (viz.) of the Father, of theAtha. in Symb. Sonne, and of the holy Ghoſt, are in number diſtinguiſhed and deuided, (contrary to the Sabellians, who dreameIdem. in Symb. they are all but one Perſon.) For the Perſon of the Father is one, of the Son another, and of the holy Ghoſt another: But of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy God, there is but one Diuinity, one equall glory, and one coeternall Maieſty. Num. 23. 19.

Malac. 2. 6. Gen 1. 1. Hebr. 1. 2. & 11 3. Ioh. 1. 3 God himſelfe is immutable in his counſels, neither can he be any way hindered or deceiued in the ſame. By reaſon whereof it comes to paſſe, that whaſoeuer happeneth, the ſame he hath determined from eternity: who in things that we ſee, by his word (as he ſaw good) hath created all things of nothing, and made and diſpoſed in order, the heauens, the earth, the ſea, and whatſoeuer is therein contained, by his euer-liuing Sonne, working with the Father: who alſo by his infinite and conſubſtantiall power and vertue, viz. by the holy Ghoſt, adminiſters all things in his diuine Prouidence. In this participatiō God remaines in himſelfe, imparting his Eſſence to other Perſons, but not his Perſon; that he cannot communicate: for if it were to be communicated, theLuk 18. 19 Tho 1. q6 Ar. 2. 2. in Aug. vt ſupra. Hebr. 2. 16. Mat. 1. 16. Luke 2. 1. Dio de. di no. Ioh. 1. 14. diſtinction of perſons would be takē away. But God (who is only good) did participate himſelfe vnto men, when he cō municated his word full of grace & truth. He took not vpon him the nature of Angels (as Paul ſaith) but humane nature. In this firſt communication God is in himſelfe, but in his ſecond (after a ſort) without himſelfe. Such a one did Dionyſius Areopagita regard him to be, when he ſaid. This we dare ſpeake for truth, that almighty God ſuffered on earth by the power and force of charity, viz. he was not in himſelfe. Of this participation S. Iohn writes, and the other Euangeliſts.

Math 1. 16. Luke 2. 1. Ari. 1 de coel. text 32 & 2. text. 17 tom 2. Gal 4. 5. Gen. 3. 6. 1. Cor. 15 22. And ſeeing God made nothing in vaine, this communication alſo was made for ſome purpoſe. For it was to take away the ſinne committed by our firſt parents, and by propagation (Chriſt accepted) paſt ouer and tranſmitted vnto mankind. By reaſon whereof (as Paul ſaith) we are all borne the ſonnes of wrath, becauſe we all ſinned in Adam.

Wherefore the right which we had to the inheritance of eternall life before the fall of Adam, we afterwards loſt; as the Lawyers teach. But God, that (as a father) loueth vs theRom. 5. 12. Quiſquis P. filij ver P. ad l. i . Gal. 4. 5. Ioh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 9. Luke 19. 10. Math 18. 12. ſonnes of adoption, decreed in his vnchangeable counſell, to ſend forth his Sonne, made of a woman, and made vnder the law (for what loue exceeds the loue of a father?) that we might receiue the adoption of the ſonnes. And (as Iohn witneſſeth) God ſo loued the world, that he gaue his onely begotten Son, &c. by whoſe coming, and participation Saint Paul ſaith, We are ſaued from wrath, and redeemed.

The Sonne of God is alſo communicated vnto vs, that he might inſtruct vs in his holy wiſedome and vnderſtanding;Col. 2. 3. becauſe in him are had all the treaſure of wiſedome and knowledge. For he was the chiefe Maiſter, and teacher, when he was appointed by God the Father, that all ſhould receiue & vnderſtand from him the doctrine of truth: for thus God ſpake of him: This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I am well Math. 17. 5. pleaſed, heare him.

Beſides; Let a man examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eate of this bread, &c. By which it manifeſtly appeares, that it continues to be bread. And the very Prieſts of Rome themſelues after conſecratiō of the Sacramēts (which according to their opinion is euē the body of Chriſt, & not bread) vſe the ſignes of the croſſe vpon the ſame Sacrament, calling it an holy Sacrament, a pure Sacrament, an vndefiled Sacrament, the ſanctified bread of eternall life, and the cup of euerlaſting ſaluation. So that they name it bread, and yet are contrary to themſelues. The ſame truth teacheth that holy father Irenaeus: ſaying. Now it is no common bread, but the Eucharist, Irenaeus cap. 34 lib. 4. aduerſ. hereſ. conſiſting of two things: that is, earthly, and heauenly. In which words he expreſly teacheth, the bread to remaine there ſtill. Moreouer the forme of the body of Chriſt is the ſoule; for Aristotle ſaith, that Anima eſt actus corporis Lib. 2. anim text. 4. & 6. 10. 2. phyſici potentiâ vitam habentis. But it cannot be ſaid that the ſubſtantiall forme of bread is conuerted into the ſoule. Therefore the ſame ſubſtance of the bread remaineth. Further, if the ſubſtantiall forme of bread be conuerted into the body of Chriſt, it would then follow, the body of Chriſt to conſiſt of two formes, which is moſt falſe. Alſo the Accident without the ſubſtance cannot be miniſtred or giuen; but there the Accidents are ſeene, taſted, ſmelt &c. Therefore the ſubſtance is giuen. The refuge of the Papiſts is to make it a miracle, by which the whiteneſſe of the bread continues, and other accidents thereunto belonging. But it is a falſe reply; for it is not found in the holy Scriptures, neither was it needfull that Chriſt ſhould worke ſuch a miracle. Saint Auguſtine ſaith: Theſe things may be honoured, as religious but Aug. de Trini. lib. 3. cap. 10. to worke wonder or aſtoniſhment they cannot, as miraculous. Alſo the accidents are alwaies deſtroyed by the corruption of the ſubſtance. But (as I will make manifeſt hereafter) the very accidents of bread are deſtroyed in time, therefore tranſubſtantiation of the bread is not giuen.

By reaſon whereof the Papiſts at their times renew ſuch ſacrifices, reſerued in their Veſtries, or other places appointed to keepe their holy things, and reliques: that is, euery weeke in Sommer time: but in the Winter time at 15 daies. And this is done to take away the ſcandall of their corruption: Therefore Tranſubſtantiation is not giuen.

In a matter ſo plaine, and euident, I neither deſire to ſpend much time, nor to be too tedious, or troubleſome to the readers.Chr. P ze. P. 8. in diſp. coen Domini Ioh. Cal. lib. 4. cap, 17 Sect 12. & 13. vſ que ad 20. Ft in eodem lib & ca. Sect. 18. But if any ſhall be deſirous to reade more concerning this point, let them looke vpon Chriſtophorus Pezeline, and Iohn Caluin, who very manifeſtly and learnedly teach the truth, and make it cleare and apparant to the eyes and vnderſtanding of ſuch as are blind and ignorant.

Of the Corporall abſence of Chriſt in the Sacrament.

The 4. cauſe of his ſeperation. BEcauſe it is the ground and foundation of the tyrannicall monarchy of the Papiſts, to blind the eyes of the faithfull, which (according to their enchaunting ſpeeches) beleeue the body and bloud of Chriſt to be really in the conſecration of many ſacrifices, and (as they ſay) in euery one of them, and in the cup, and chalices; I will ſpeake ſomewhat by the way againſt their falſe opinions, not to the ſatisfaction of them that reade, (for of this matter, they may peruſe the Inſtitutions of Doctour Caluin,) &c. but to expreſſeCal. lib. 4. cap. 17. a Sect. 14. vſ. ad 50. mine owne minde I ſay firſt: The Papiſts do adde and detractmany times from the words of the true text to confirme and eſtabliſh their owne inuentions; as it is to be ſeene by the Inquiſitors, who adde to the Goſpell of Chriſt what mayſerue their owne purpoſe.

For Chriſt doth thus admoniſh vs by Math. Chap. 18. Math. 18. (before cited:) If thy brother treſpaſſe againſt thee, go and tell him his fault betweene thee, and him alone: &c. If he heare thee not, t ke yet with thee one or two witneſſes: If he will not vouchſafe to heare them, tell it vnto the Church.

The Church of Rome to theſe words of Chriſt, addeth (praeter cauſam fidei, but for faith or religions ſake:) ſo that they take away and cut off the meaning of the Goſpell, and contradict Chriſt himſelfe, ſo charitably admoniſhing, and exhorting. So do they contradict Saint Hierome, Saint Ambroſe, and many other holy Fathers, and many times adde and detract from the very words of the holy Scripture: as manifeſtly appears in that vnchriſtianlike booke intituled, the Index expurgatorius.

But now to returne to our purpoſe: The Church of Rome to the words of Chriſt: ſaying, This is my body, addeth (for) which Chriſt neuer pronounced, nor Saint Peter, whatſoeuer Tho. 3. p. q. 8 Ar. 2. 5. Thomas affirmeth. And if the Prieſt pronounce not (for) among the Papiſts he ſinnes hainouſly. Alſo the Church of Rome addeth, that the bread of conſecration ought to be vnleauened: which precept was neither deliuered by Chriſt nor his Apoſtles. The Greeke Prieſts do vſe leauened bread. Therefore it may be ſaid, that if they be various in the matter, there can be no truth found in the forme. For the determinate matter, hath her determinate forme; and the determinate forme alſo her determinate matter. But they adde and diminiſh at their pleaſures, contrary to the rules and commandements of God: who ſaith, You ſhall not adde to Deut 1. 9. & 12. 32. the word that I ſpeake vnto you, nor take from the ſame. And moreouer, What I command thee that onely doe, neither adde thou any thing, nor diminiſh. God reprehends ſuch as are bold and audacious in this behalfe: ſaying, I proteſt vnto every Rcu 22. 18 man, that heareth the words, &c. If any man ſhall adde, &c. See how God reproues the biſhop of Rome & all his Popiſh Prieſts & complices that walk againſt Gods cōmandemērs; for the word of the Lord endureth: and he himſelfe ſaith,Luke. 21. 33. Heauen & earth ſhall paſſe away, but my words ſhall not paſſe aaway. Therefore that God, that true and euerlaſting God, will ſend vnto them ſodaine ruine and deſtruction.

Amongſt other ceremonies which the Papiſts do vſe, one is after conſecration of the bread, to bleſſe the ſame bread with the ſigne of the croſſe, and certaine words, &c.

Now I demand of them, if it be lawfull for the creature to bleſſe the Creator? For benediction (as Saint Paul ſaith) is alwaies from the greater to the leſſer, The leſſer is bleſſed of Hebr. 7. 7. the greater, as he affirmeth in expreſſe words. Hebr. 7. 7 For the father giues his bleſſing to the ſons, as Iſaac did to Iacob, Gen. 27. 27. 40. 48. 15. and Eſau, and Iacob to the ſonnes of Ioſeph his ſonne. And it is commonly obſerued, that the father at the very point of death giues his bleſſing to his ſonnes: but the ſons (which are the leſſer) although they reuerence and honour the father, do not yet giue him benediction. By which I conclude, that the Papiſt Prieſts (as inferiour) ought not to bleſſe Chriſt their ſuperiour: and if they do it in their Maſſe (as they terme it,) they bleſſe not Chriſt the Creator, but the bread the creature; and ſo they worſhip the creature, not theRom. 1. 25. Creator: as Saint Paul ſaith, They haue turned the truth of God into a lye, and worſhipped and ſerued the creature much more then the Creator.

Neither ought we to beleeue that Chriſt is in their hands, when the words are pronounced by them. For many are conſecrating the Sacrament at once, and the body of Chriſt being but one in number, is not in many ſacrifices. For the body of Chriſt is natural, and keepeth a place, and is not giuen in many places at one time. But the Papiſts reply to this, ſaying; that the body of Chriſt is there ſacramently, not Tho. 3. P. q. 6. 5 5. totally. But this is a very idle diſtinction, and a ſlanderous boldneſſe: to ſay they haue Chriſt (in that manner) in their hands at the Sacrament. For if (as they confeſſe) Chriſt haue a chiefe place in heauen, and yet is in the Sacrament with the ſame really as he is heauen, it would follow.

God in times paſt who was figuratiuely in the Arke, wasExod. 25. 10. Vſ que ad 25. couered with a Table of gold, and ſo the Arke was honored and had in admiration, that the Prieſts might with feare come vnto it. For when Vzzah, as the Arke of God was carried out of the houſe of Abinadab, with a godly zeale2. Sam. 6. 6. vſ que ad 11. put his hand to the Arke, The Lord was very wroth, and ſmote him in the ſame place for his fault, and there he died by the Arke. Therefore Dauid that day feared the Lord, and ſaid, How ſhall the Arke of the Lord come to me? and durſt not bring the Arke of the Lord to himſelfe.

If this be ſo, how dare the Romiſh Prieſtes pronounce Chriſt himſelfe with his Diuinity and Humanity to deſcend into their hands? Or if the true body of Chriſt were in the ſacrifice, or the ſacrifice it ſelfe were the true body of Chriſt, how comes it that brute beaſts haue place there? For many times the flies goes vpon it, and other inſenſible creatures, as is daily ſeene and made manifeſt. And I my ſelfe often celebrating the Maſſe, haue ſeene flies vpon the Sacrament conſecrated, and made holy. Therefore we may not beleeue the true body of Chriſt to be there. Sometimes alſo by negligence of the Prieſts, part of the ſacrifices haue fallen vpon the ground, and bene troden vnder foote. And I am a faithfull and true eye witneſſe, that in the yeare of our Lord 1595 in a Church, which the Order of the moſt holy Trinity hath at Turol, whereof I was chiefe, a certaine religious man (as they call him) celebrating the Sacrament, turned the chalice vpſide downe, and the conſecrated wine (as they ſay) was part ſprinckled on the earth, and part ſhed vpon the Altar. And for theſe miſchaunces there are certaine rules ſet downe in the Miſſall of Rome, ordaining puniſhments to ſuch Prieſts by whom they happen or befall. Alſo in the Emperours Cathedrall Church of S. Paul, in the yeare of our Lord 1580. the theeues ſtole away a ſiluer Caſket, where the conſecrated Sacrifices were vſually kept, and threw the ſacrifices themſelues vpon the ground and vpon the Altar. In the yeare of our Lord 1586, in the Monaſtery of S. Sauiour at Fraga, theeues a ſo tooke away the cheſt where the Sacrifices were kept, and they were throwne vp and downe. Therefore we may not beleeue the body of Chriſt to be there. For if (as they grant) the body and bloud remaine vnder thoſe formes, ſo long as they continue vncorrupt; and if alſo laid vpon the ground (as is aforeſaid) they be vncorrupt, and ſo are troden vnder foote; then Chriſt muſt likewiſe be troden vnder foote, which is a moſt groſſe abſurdity. Sometimes alſo as I haue ſeene) wormes haue bred in thoſe their ſacrifices. If then we hold their opinion, it muſt needs be that they beingendred out of the body of Chriſt, not out of the bread, becauſe there (as they ſay) the bread is not. Haec de Accidentibus. Becauſe if by miracle (as they hold) they continue and abide of themſelues, then they ought to be kept by miracle without any corruption; for there is no greater reaſon for the one, then for the other: nor of the body of Chriſt. Otherwiſe the body of Chriſt ſhould change the forme, and the very wormes ſhould partake of the body & bloud of Chriſt, and from thence haue originall beginning; which is moſt falſe and vnworthy. Therefore it is to be ſaid, that nothing is there more then the bread it ſelfe.

Moreouer, let there be two ſacrifices of bread put together, ſod, and made at one time, of one meale, fire, and water; and let the one be conſecrated and made holy, and the other vnconſecrated, and we ſhall ſee their corruption to be alike. It therefore followes, that the one hath no more in it then the other, neither is the body of Chriſt more in the conſecrated forme of bread then in that which is vnhallowed. Sometimes alſo poyſon (as they ſay) is put into that Sacrament, that ſo men may be bereaft of their liues; as it is read of the Emperour Henry the 7, and of Pope Victor the third, whereof the firſt loſſe his life by the Sacrament of bread poyſoned by his Conſeſſour: the laſt, by wine tranſſubſtantiate. Therefore we muſt conclude, that the body of Chriſt is not there, or otherwiſe the body of Chriſt to be the inſtrument of ſin, and the meanes of euill; which is blaſphemy.

This corporall abſence, Chriſt hath manifeſtly ſhewne,Ioh 12. 3 Iſa 66. 1. Act. 1. 11. ſaying, The poore you ſhall haue alwaies with you, Me you ſhall not haue alwaies. Chriſt alſo ſpeaketh of the abſence of his humanity, (for his Diuinity fils both heauen and earth:) in which humanity he ſhall not come vnto vs till the day of iudgement. Moreouer the Papiſts affirme, that the matter of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, ought to be determinate.

They are alſo poſſeſſed with many mad imaginations, ſaying, this is a true Propoſition, Out of bread becomes the The. 3. 75. 8. body of Chriſt. And this alſo is falſe: Of bread becomes, or is made, the body of Chriſt. Theſe are words of exceeding folly and dotage, and are differing and repugnant to themſelues, although Thomas expound them ſupernaturally. In conuerſions alſo, that which is conuerted is corrupted, and that into which the conuerſion is had, is begotten and ingendred: Thus after their opinion we muſt ſay that Chriſt is ſo begotten and ingendred; which is an hereſie.

The Diuell getteth much, and enlargeth his power and number by the idolatry of the Church of Rome, which he ſtill perſwades them to maintaine; and ſo they will, vntill it ſhall pleaſe God of his infinite goodneſſe and mercy to open their eyes, and make their vnderſtanding perfect, that they may truly ſee and reade the booke of God, for they yet liue in error and darkneſſe. But if they would looke vpon, and heare the booke which Hilkiah the high Prieſt found in the houſe of the Lord, they would do as that godly king Ioſiah did in the 18. yeare of his Monarchy: who as2. Kin. 22. 10. 11. 12. ſoone as Shaphan the Chancellor had ſhewed it, and read it to the king, and that he had heard the words of the booke of the Law, he was ſo moued therewith, that he rent his clothes, and wept before God; and crauing pardon at Gods hands, humbled himſelfe, deſtroyed the idols, and walked according to the will, and word of the Lord.

The fifth cauſe of his ſeparation. Luk. 1. 36. 1. Pet. 2. 22. I was alſo much troubled in minde about the power of the Pope, when he doth thoſe things which almighty God neither doth, or can do. For although God be omnipotent, and nothing is vnpoſſible with him, he yet worketh no ſinne or euill, neither is there any guile found in his mouth; neither can he do that which is wrapt or encombred with controuerſies and contradictions.

But the Pope takes vpon him to do this; for if any come vnto him, and deſire the reliques of ſome Saint, as of Hermolaus, or any other, he will anſwer that he hath none, becauſe his bones are diſperſed: But he takes the bones perhaps of ſome reprobate and wicked perſon, and bleſſeth them, and baptiſed in the name of Hermolaus, he deliuereth them to him that makes ſuite for the ſame; and then the bones of him are worſhipped, whoſe ſoule in hell is cruciated. And thus it begets ſcandall and contradiction, that the bones of any wicked or idle perſons, are the bones of ſome Saints or others, at his pleaſure.

I obſerued the power, couetouſneſſe and tyranny of the ſame Pope: I beheld his exceeding pompe and pride, and with theſe things, and many more of this nature, my minde was much tormented. For ſeeing Chriſt is the fulneſſe of all grace, in that he endues the Church with ſpirituall grace and vnderſtanding; we ordaine him to be the head thereof,Ioh. 1. 15. Epheſ. 1. 22. Coloſ. 1. 18. with S. Paul, ſaying: He hath made all things ſubject vnder his feete, and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head of the Church. And ſeeing both Men and Angels are ordained toColoſ. 2. 10. enioy Gods glory; euen as of men, ſo alſo of the Angels he may rightly be called the head. For the myſticall body of the Church doth not onely conſiſt of men but of Angels. But of all this multitude and number Chriſt is the head, for that his ſeat is neere vnto God, and doth partake of his gifts not onely more abſolutely then men, but more perfectlyEpheſ. 1. 21. alſo then the very Angels: ſo that from his influencePſal. 8. 8. both men and Angels receiue their benefits. As Saint Paul witneſſeth, ſaying: He hath ſet him at his right hand in the heauenly places, farre aboue all principality, and power, and Ephe. 1. 21. might and domination, and euery name that is named not in this Math. 4. 11. world onely, but alſo in that that is to come, and hath put all things vnder his feete. And ſo S. Matthew ſaith, Behold the Angels came and miniſtred vnto him. And albeit the Angels themſelues lacke faith (Quia non per fidem ſed per ſpeciem ambulant) and the Church is the congregation of the faithfull, neuertheleſſe Chriſt is their head.

There fore beſides that diuine wiſedome which Chriſt had from the beginning, he had alſo a humane knowledgeSexta Synod. (notwithſtanding the poſition ofſuch as deny, that there be two ſorts of wiſdomes in Chriſt, which in the ſixth Synode Ambr. l. de incar. Dom. ap. 7. is held a thing damnable:) for as S. Ambroſe ſaith, God did aſſume the perfection of humane nature in the fleſh, tooke vppon him the ſence of man, but not the pride of carnall ſenſualitie. But to the ſence of man appertaineth an humane knowledge created. Therefore in Chriſt is giuen that experimentallLuk 2. knowledge of which S. Luke ſpeaketh. So did loel prophetically ſee him taught, ſaying to the people, Reioyce Ioel. 2. in the Lord your God, for he hath giuen you the raine of righteouſneſſe, &c. And the ſpouſe ſaith, I will leade thee and bring Cant. 8. 2. thee into my mothers houſe, and there thou ſhalt inſtruct me. And Iſaias, I haue giuen him for a Prince, and a maiſter vnto Iſa. 55. 4. the people, comprehending theſe two things, namely, that he was a Redeemer and a Maiſter: for whereas he termes him a Prince, he meanes him to be a Redeemer; but calling him Maiſter, he ſignifies him an inſtructer or teacher. Chriſt therfore is endued with all theſe ſciences, by which mē were inſtructed by him; as out of Mathew, opening his mouth, he taught his Diſciples, and out of Iohn, Ieſus aſcended intoMath. 5. Iohn 7. the Temple and taught the people, and as it is written in Luke, They found him ſitting in the Temple, &c. By two wayes then he taught the people, that is, by example, andLuk. 2. Act. 1. words. For Ieſus began to do, and afterwards to teach, the true and ſimple doctrine without any kind of commixtion.

Seeing therefore Chriſt came to teach mankind, and to1. Cor 6. The firſt cauſe of his ſeparation from the Romiſh Church. redeeme them with his moſt pretious blod, my ſelfe being one among the reſt to be redeemed and taught through his vniuerſe and exceeding goodneſſe, was at the length called to the true knowledge of his diuine will and pleaſure, and by his aſſiſtance I began to open the eyes of my vnderſtanding, and to purge and ſeclude my ſelfe from thoſe miſts and errors of the Romiſh Church, by which my minde before was too much caried away and obſcured. I obſerued againe that from time to time there was a continuall mutabilitie and various changing of opinions among the Prelats: for what was one day receiued and allowed by authoritie, was the next day prohibited, and vtterly diſanulled: as it is plainely to be ſeene in Indice expurgatorio. For whatſoeuer ſeemed to taxe the errors of the Prieſthood, the ſame by commandement of the Inquiſitors, and of the Church of Rome, was forthwith razed out and extinguiſhed.

The ſecond cauſe of his ſeparation. Secondly, becauſe if the Biſhops at any time gaue power and authority to any for the preaching of the word of God they did not graunt him free libertie of ſpeech, but preſcribed him a forme of preaching; as my ſelfe can witneſſe by their Commiſſions granted to me in that behalfe: which is manifeſtly knowne to be a thing repugnant to the truth. For as Paul ſaith, The word of God is not tied or limited: but2. Tim. 2. they limit the ſame, ſaying, We giue you authoritie for the preaching of the word of God, ſo farre forth, as you do it according to the opinions of the holy Fathers, and to the decrees of the moſt holy Councell of Trent. When as notwithſtanding neither the opinions of the Fathers or of the Councels agree amongſt them, neither are they alwayes true. But if they do agree, and are true, they are (as is aforeſaid) euery where altered by them and changed. And if according to their iudgements the word of God ſhould be expreſſed, the truth would ſometimes be made more manifeſt and apparent. But in this they are contrary to them ſelues, as that moſt learned man Iohn Caluine hath rightlyIo. Caluin in ini. tio Inſtitut. Ep. ad Regem. Fran. and learnedly ſet downe. I am an eye witneſſe (ſaith he) of the tyranny of the Biſhops, and Inquiſitors; for I haue often heard very learned men preach amongſt them: but becauſe thoſe things that haue bin preached, were diſpleaſing to the tyrannous Inquiſitors and Biſhops, the ſame preachers and learned men haue bene compelled euen in the ſame Church (and that againſt their owne conſciences) by their commandements and authoritie to ſpeake againſt themſelues, and to preach another doctrine, contrary to the truth. For inſtance whereof, Father Lobo, a famous preacher, whoſe name is well knowne in Spaine and Italy, at Rome in the beginning of Pope Gregory the 13, in his Sermon was heard to vtter theſe words: It is of more weight and efficacie, and of greater profit and vtility with God, to heare his word, then the Maſſe. But the ſame preacher forthwith by the commandement of that great beaſt (the Pope) was compelled to make his publicke recantation; and yet for all this, he was depriued of his authoritie of preaching, and enioyned to other penances. Let God ariſe, and iudge his cauſe, who ſaith, Ʋiuus eſt ſermo meus, My word is a liuing word; and Dauid (leſt he ſhould fall) did place the word of God, A Lanterne vnto his feete: by which alſo the heauens wereHeb. 2. Pſal. 118. 105. Pſal. 32. Pſal. 108. Luke 15. Idem. Wild 9. Eccleſ 1. 5. 16. 14. 37. Luke 1117. framed, and which endureth for euer. To heare the ſame word by which all things were made, and is the fountaine of wiſedome, the publicans and ſinners aſſembled themſelues together, and the people preaſſed vpon Chriſt to heare the word of God, of which all things were made; for it is the fountaine of wiſedome. Ezekiel admoniſhed the ſonnes of Ammon, the mountaines of Iſrael, and the dry bones, to heare the word of the Lord God: by mediation whereof the bones came together, bone to his bone, and behold the ſynewes and the fleſh grew vpon them, and the skinne couered them.

Chriſt alſo calleth them happy and bleſſed, that heare the word of God. What the word of God makes looſe and free, that theſe tyrants do bind and tye to limits and compaſſe. When Iohn Baptiſt was in priſon, he preached theMath 1. 1. Eccleſ 4. 30. ſame word, which (as the Lord ſaith) we ought not any way to oppugne or reſiſt.

In the yeare of our Lord 1597. Ʋalentine Cortazer being Inquiſitor, the twentieth day of Iune comming to viſit the city of Liria, entred the ſame in his accuſtomed pompe and vanitie, and did impoſe vpon me the charge and duty of preaching a Sermon of Faith. And vpon Sonday the 22 day of the ſame moneth and yeare, Aderat Inquiſitor Eccleſiae pro Tribunali, ſitting in great maieſtie, and (as the manner is) Lecto mandato praeceptorum de accuſatione, I aſcended the place of preaching, and hauing ſaluted the Inquiſitor began my Sermon. After I had paſt ouer many things in praiſe and commendation of the Inquiſitors and Inquiſition, I ſpake thus to the Auditorie. Remember (deare brethren) and be mindfull of thoſe words which I ſpake vnto you in Lent time, in a Sermon touching brotherly correction (for two Lents I was their Preacher.) You are bound (as I then told you) euery one of you to correct, and admoniſh your brother ſecretly betweene you and him. But if afterLuk. 17. 3. Math 18. 15. 16. 17. Leuit 19. 7. admoniſhment he continue ſtill in his wickedneſſe, then tel and acquaint the Church therewith. Yet before brotherly correction you are not tied to denounce him. Marke this well. This I ſpeake vnto you, in the name, and behalfe of the liuing God.

Hauing made an end of my Sermon, I was inuited by the Inquiſitor with all kindneſſe and courteſie to take my dinner with him; which being ended, he began to fall into commendation of my Sermon, but vtterly to condemne that brotherly admonition, ſaying, That it is not admitted in matters of faith, with which the Inquiſition hath to do, and takes notice of. I replied with the very words of Chriſt in defence thereof, but was compelled to hold my peace, and the Sonday following conſtrained to preach of him that they hold and terme accurſed, in the preſence of the Inquiſitor, and lay open his mind and pleaſure againſt Gods word, and to ſay that brotherly correction had no part or place in ſuch matters, as were contained in the Edict. Do but ſee, and behold how the word of God is tied, and bound by theſe people of Antichriſt. And this whileſt I was one of their number, and company, drew my mind into diuerſe and ſundry diſtractions.

Of Tranſubſtantiation.

MY ſoule alſo was grieuouſly troubled about TranſubſtantiationThe third cauſe of his ſeparation. 1. Cor. 11. 26. & per totum cap. of bread and wine into the body and bloud of Chriſt: for this among other things alwayes ſeemed vnto me a matter of much difficultie. And Saint Paul teacheth the contrary, ſpeaking of the Lords ſupper, he alwayes nameth bread, ſaying, As aften as you ſhall eate of this bread, and drinke of this drinke, &c. Againe, Whoſoeuer ſhall eate of this bread, &c. Alſo by this it followes, that the Pope doth falſly intrude himſelfe to be the head of the Church, as is proued by this reaſon. The Primitiue Church, and that which flouriſhed for many yeares, knew no other head but Chriſt, nor had any vniuerſall Biſhop. But the Primitiue Church (euen according to the opinion of the Papiſts) was the true Church: Therefore the true Church ought to knowe or acknowledge no head but Chriſt, nor any vniuerſall Biſhop. It is alſo thus proued by authority.

Gregory Biſhop of Rome wrote againſt Iohn Patriarch of Conſtantinople, ſaying: He that ſhall name himſelfe the vniuerſall Biſhop, may be called the forerunner of Antichriſt. And the Councell of Carthage forbiddeth the Biſhop of Rome to be called the vniuerſall Biſhop (as Gratianus witneſſeth) in theſe words: But now, no not the Biſhop of Rome may be called vniuerſall. What ſhould I ſpeake of the Synode of Chalcedon? whoſe arguments are ſo many and ſo euident againſt the Sea of Rome, that the ſame muſt either needs fal from her high pride and dignity, or the whole authority of her Councell be vtterly ſuppreſſed; as here manifeſtly appeares, in that the ſame Synode is held and celebrated, onely by the Emperors command, without either the preſence, or authoritie of the Biſhop of Rome: as in thoſe times euen vnto the yeare of our Lord 900 (as Cuſanus witneſſeth) their Councels were not vſuall to be aſſembled but by the direction of Caeſar. And Pope Leo (as Thomas affirmeth) following the ſame cuſtome, The. 3. 2. 67. ar. 1. ad. 1. ſubmitted himſelfe to the opinion and iudgement of the Emperour.

Chriſt the true Biſhop, as in this world he took vpon himMath. 18. 4. Idem 20. 26. Marke 10. 43. Luke 22. 25. no perſon of ſtate, ſo he appointed no dominion or Empire among his Apoſtles, but with graue words pacified them (muttering ſomewhat among themſelues of principality) ſo that he drew their thoughts and cogitations vnto another forme of life farre differing from the Princes of this world; and openly affirmed, that ſuch as would be the firſt, and greateſt in the kingdome of heauen, muſt humbleIohn 13. 15. Luke 22. 26. themſelues amongſt men. And whoſoeuer will be great among you, let him be your ſeruant. Chriſt euer taught and exerciſed humility, ſaying, I haue left you an example, euen as I do, ſo alſo do you.

Chriſt had not where to lay his head, and will not one Pallace ſuffice the Biſhop of Rome? Chriſt refuſed the condition of Regall dignity, being offered, and will not one Crowne content the Biſhop of Rome? Is it not enough that he poſſeſſeth Italy, vnleſſe with his triple Crowne he command the world? Chriſt departed away into a mountaine himſelfe alone, that they ſhould not make him a king, declaringIohn 6. 15. 18. 46. his kingdome not to be of this world. And ſhall this glorious Vicar, in the name of Chriſt, with ſuch honor and ſuperfluity poſſeſſe his kingdome in this world? Or ſhall he thinke men will continue ſo beſotted, and miſcaried in this difference, and vnlikelineſſe of things, as to be perſwaded that he beares the place and office of Chriſt here vpon earth, or rather not of Antichriſt?

Boniface the third was the firſt that tooke vpon him the name of vniuerſall Biſhop, about the yeare 600; which name was neither giuen him by Chriſt, nor from heauen, but by that tyrant and parricide Phocas the Emperour. From that troubleſome fountaine did ariſe the great floud of Papiſtrie, and that proud name had firſt beginning. And yet in thoſe dayes the Popes did not, as now they do, preſently aſcend to the top and height of dignity, but by degrees did ſteale into rule and dominion. For Boniface the 8Plat. in his Pon after he had by cunning and ſedition crept into the Papall place, made Emperours and Kings to feare him, going about to depoſe, and raiſe vp to authoritie, whom he pleaſed. So he thought himſelfe both King and Emperour: in ſo much as when the Iubilee was firſt granted, he ſhewed himſelfe openly the firſt day to the people, attired in his Pontificall veſtments; and the day following in his armor, and coate of male; and in the preſence of all the people with a loude voyce he commanded himſelfe to be proclaimed Caeſar. Which vanity Baldus Antoninus Arch-biſhop of Florence, Salo, and many others, doe maintaine by their falſe doctrine, ſaying that Emperours and Kings are but the Popes ſubſtitutes, and that the Biſhops of Rome had both the power of ſpirituall and temporall gouernement.

They ground their falſe opiniō vpon the power of Chriſt, which power they pretend to haue as his Vicars: for Chriſt ſaith, All power is giuen vnto me, both in heauen and in earth: Math. 28. 18. Ioh. 17. 2. Hebr. 2 8. Ezec. 37 22. Ioh. 18. 33. Math. 2. 2. Mar. 15. 26. and ſo by conſequence, both the ſwords: for he is named King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and in diuers places of the Scripture is called King and Emperour. Ezechiel giues him both names, and the Magicians and Pilate call him King.

But I demand this of theſe Antichriſts; that if they imitate Chriſt in this, why they do not follow him in humility? For although Chriſt had the power of rule and command, yet he in reſpect of his humility vſed them not, but rather affirmed his kingdome not to be of this world. But if the Pope do not imitate Chriſt, he is not his Miniſter, his Vicar, nor ſucceſſour. As the lewes boaſted before Chriſt, that they were of the ſeed of Abraham, ſo the Pope glories in the ſucceſſion of Chriſt, and of Peter. But the ſame anſwere that Chriſt giues vnto the Iewes, he giues alſo to the Pope as you may read in Iohn 8. Chap. the 37 verſe, to the very endIoh. 8. 37. of the ſame Chapter.

But the Pope ſaith, they are called the Seruants of ſeruants, and ſo named for their humility. So that may ſuffice. To this I anſwere, that vnder a faire ſhew lye hid foule intēts. He carries the name of humility, but his deedes are cleane contrary. Is he the ſeruant of ſeruants, that holdeth his foote forth for Kings and Emperous to kiſſe, and do reuerence to? Is he the ſeruant of ſeruants, that is carried vpon mens ſhoulders? Is he the ſeruant of ſeruants that makes ſuch daily boaſt of his kingdome and authority? Is he the ſeruant . Decret. Greg. tit. 7. can. Lib. 1. decret Greg. tit. 33. of ſeruants, that ſaith he hath authority from heauen, and the fulneſſe of power to make iuſtice of iniuſtice? Is he the ſeruant of ſeruants, that ſaith he is like vnto the Sun, and the Emperour like the Moone? No, but he is rather to be called an Harpy crowned, or a deuouring Hiena, that vnder a faigned ſhew of humility, worketh death and cruelty.

Sedition and controuerſy oftentimes troubles the minds of ſuch as aſpire vnto that vaine dignity, and contend for the Papall ſeat and authority and the place in which ſtands much ſcandall, when ſchiſmes, and deuiſions ariſe in the Church, in the very act of election.

Many times this fals out, for proofe whereof reade Plato Plat. & Illeſcas in vitis Pa r. and Illeſcas in the Hiſtory of the Biſhops.

If then the election of this preſent Pope, Clement the 8. be diligently examined, it was in like manner very irregular, & the people did much murmure at it. By reaſon whereof (vnleſſe I be deceiued) the Diuines are very doubtfull concerning his election, For at Vall-Solet. a (place where the king of Spaines Court is) in the yeare of our Lord 1602. Theſes Theologicae apparuerunt, teaching Pope Clement the 8. not to be held a true Biſhop, which doctrine (amongſt many other) father Bazquez maintained, being one of the ſociety of the Ieſuits: which comming ſtraight way to the eares of the Biſhop, he cauſed both him and them to be preſently called beforehim.

And becauſe amongſt many other reaſons that haue moued me to this ſeparation from the Church of Rome, this of the vſurped power of the Pope hath of long time bene the chiefeſt, I thought it my part to ſay ſomething of his tyranny, & of his name and hypocriſy.

But for that this little labour hath bene onely vndertaken by me to ſatisfie mine owne minde, and to make ſome declaration thereof vnto others; leſt I ſhould be tedious and troubleſome to the Readers, I will for this time pretermit the further handling of theſe things, yet (God willing) in their place and time ſhall they be particularly expreſſed more at large; imitating the doctrine of Saint Paul, who after his owne conuerſion did conuert his brethren; which Chriſt alſo our heauenly Schoolmaiſter doth teach vs: ſaying to Peter: Now thou art at length conuerted, ſtrengthen thy brethren. And I my ſelfe conuerted, am bound in duty to do the ſame, yet in the meane time reade Doctour Caluin, li. 4. Institut. Cap. 6 7. & 11. Cal. cap. 6. 7. 11.

Of Purgatory, and the Sacraments.

INſomuch as I am now determined to imbrace the truth of the reformed Church, I do with ſtedfaſt reſolution,The 6. cauſe of his ſeparation looke into the ſentences thereof, being conſonant and agreeable vnto the Goſpell of Chriſt; leſt the words of the Lawyers may be inferred againſt me, who hold this opinion, That it is a foule & diſhonorable thing for any that liues in the common-wealth, to be ignorant of that law, in which he is conuerſant. And ſo there is no other Church allowed of more then the Church militant and triumphant: But amongſt the Papiſts Purgatory is ordained, the third Church, which I vtterly deny and abiure. For (as Saint Paul ſaith) Chriſt is the purger of our ſinnes, and ſitteth at the right hand of the Maieſtie in the higheſt Hebr. 1. 3. places.

Beſides hell and heauen, there is no middle place found in the holy Scriptures, where our ſoules ſhould reſt, or be detained. The opinion which the Papiſts hold of Veniall ſinnes, and the ceremonies, by which the ſame is abſolued, I wholly diſalow, as vile, and excreable; nor is there any other then mortall ſinne, which is onely waſhed away Heb. 9. 14. Ephe. 1. 7. by true contrition of heart, by the mercy of God, and the ſhedding of the bloud of Chriſt; as Saint Paul ſaith. The Sacrament alſo of extreme vnction, by mediation of which (as the Papiſts dreame) the reliques of ſinnes mortall are taken away, is a very idle, and ridiculous matter, and no Sacrament. For if it were a Sacramēt, the redemptiō of Chriſt were imperfect, and in vaine; which is againſt the truth ofPſal. 116. 5. 6. Gods word, which ſaith The Lord is mercifull, and righteous: and our God is full of compaſſion. The Lord preſerueth the ſimple: I was in miſery and he ſauedme. I reiect alſo the Sacrament of Confirmation, and the reſt which the Pope hath ordained, and onely reuerence and embrace the Sacraments of Baptiſme, and the Lords Supper, inſtituted by our Sauiour. By this I am inſtructed in the rules of Chriſt, and by this I am more and more ſtrengthened, and confirmed in him.

Of Auricular confeſſion.

AVricular confeſſion, (which the Papiſts call the Sacrament of Penitence) is very fooliſh. For this tyrannicall confeſſion, is neither found in the law of nature, nor in the Law of God: but in the diuell and the Popes kitchin, to increaſe their fare, and delicacies. Neither did the ApoſtlesCal. lib. 3. Cap. 4. Chryſoft. teach the ſame, or Saint Iohn Baptiſt: as Caluin directly proueth. And Chryſoſtome alſo maintaineth: whoſe words (Con. 3. t. 2. Pag. 1371.) are theſe: Why doſt thou bluſh and art aſhamed to tell thy ſinnes? Take heed thou reueale them not to any man, leſt he vpbraid thee; nether confeſſe them to thy fellow ſeruant, lest he publiſh them: but vnto him which is the Lord, who hath care and charge ouer thee. And againe, Tell thy faults only vnto me priuately, (God here ſpeaketh,) that I may heale thy diſeaſe, and deliuer thee from ſorrow. Which words (becauſe they are repugnant and contrary to that great beaſt) are by the commandement of the Inquiſitors taken away and blotted out in the booke, called Index expurgatorius.

Many in the ſame manner of confeſſion haue reuealed their ſins willingly to their Confeſſours, and the Confeſſour to the Iudges, and others.

A certaine Biſhop of Girona in the time of Iames the ſecond king of Arragon (being his Confeſſour) reuealed his confeſſion to the Pope, and the king forthwith cut out his tongue. I my ſelfe can faithfully witneſſe, that being many times preſent at the talke & communication of Confeſſours, they haue ſo fooliſhly behaued themſelues, and ſo openly in their talke reuealed the ſinnes that haue bene confeſt vnto them priuately by the penitents; that their names and perſons haue eaſily become knowne to me, and perhaps to many others, that haue heard the conference. And although there be diuers lawes ordained by the Pope to puniſh Confeſſours thus offending; they yet commit this crime of reuelation, and (which is worſe) without a ſumme of money, the Penitents haue no grant of abſolution, as appeares in the bookes of Taxes, &c. By which feare, many euen in the very act of confeſſion do conceale the truth, till they be compelled to confeſſe the ſame. I could ſpeake much of this matter, and point it out with my very fingar, but I will obſerue my oath, and with good aduice forbeare to relate it.

In this matter of auricular confeſſion, the Confeſſours are wont to ſeduce, and auert the minds and affections of women from God, and to turne and conuert them to their owne luſts and filthineſſe. To proue this true, I preſent (as witneſſes) thoſe Confeſſours that haue bene puniſhed by iudgement of the Inquiſition, for ſuch abhorred and abhominable wickedneſſe; and ſuch as haue bene adiuged to puniſhment, and by ſentence of the Prelats and others, for being found guilty of the like miſdemeanours. For by auricular confeſſion, many monſtrous enormities ariſe, and are begotten.

To auoid the imputation of tedioulneſſe, I will not continue to make any longer diſcourſe, or diſcouery of the errours of the Church of Rome. But with all my heart, with all my minde, and with all my ſoule, I reuerence and confeſſe all things whatſoeuer our new reformed Church doth allow and embrace. And if any of the Church of Rome, ſhall vpbraide me that I haue falſely and perfidiouſly fallenAmb Ca 9. in Lucan, lib. 6. from the ſame.; I anſwere with Saint Ambroſe, In leauing it I forſake not Chriſt: Him onely no man ought to forſake, or change: to whom it is worthily ſaid, Lord to whom ſhall we flie? Thou haſt the words of euerlaſting life. For the faith of the Church is commanded chiefly to be ſought for, in which if Chriſt haue habitatiō, it may vndoubtedly be choſen and followed: But if the people be perfidious, and the maiſter an heretique, and deforme and diſſigure the dwelling place; the fellowſhip and communion of ſuch heretiques is to be abandoned, and ſuch a Synagogue to be auoided. We muſt ſhake off the duſt from our feete, leſt the drought of our barren vnfaithfulneſſe prepare and make the way ſandy, and hard to the true progreſſe and paſſage of our mindes and vnderſtandings. So if there be any Church (as he ſaith afterward) that renounceth the true faith, and doth not keepe and obſerue the foundation, and ground of the Apoſtles preaching, it is to be left and forſaken that it beget not the corruption of vntruth.

Seeing then I haue found Chriſt onely, and his doctrine dwelling in the reformed Church, and haue ſeene that erronious teachers do deforme & diſgrace the habitation of the Church of Rome; I haue deſeruedly left the one, that I may cleaue to & embrace the other: & that according to the commandementEph. 5. 10. &. 1 ca. 5. 11. & 10. of the Apoſtle: ſaying, Do not company together with idolaters. And againe: Haue no fellowſhip with the vnfruitfull workes of darkeneſſe, but euen reproue the rather. And what more vnfruitfull worke is there, then to embrace falſe doctrine, and hereſie? In another place: We command you a. Theſ. 5. 6. brethren, in the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that ye withdraw your ſelues from euery brother that walketh inordinately, and notTit. 2. 10. 11. after the instruction which he receiued from vs. And to Titus, Reiect him that is an heretique, after once or twice admonition. And the Apoſtle moreouer ſaith thus. If any preach the Goſpell vnto you otherwiſe then you haue heard and receiued it, let Gal. 1 8. him be accurſed. And a little before that: Although any, yea an Angell from heauen ſhould teach you any other doctrine then that we haue preached vnto you, let him be accurſed. But I will no longer ſtay vpon thoſe places of the Prophets, wherein the people is oftentimes exhorted to leaue, and go out of Babylon, which I know the Church of Rome both imitates and followes.

Let it not be obiected vnto me by any aduerſary, that I haue denyed my baptiſme by which I am conſecrated to almighty God: for I onely renonunce the vaine ceremonies vſed therein by the Biſhops, without authority of holy Scriptures. The vertue whereof I know to depend on God, & not in man that adminiſters the ſame vnto me. Seeing thē it is the part of a louing mother, not onely to bring vp her children in the obedience and feare of God, but to inſtruct them alſo, and nurſe them vp with the food of his heauenly word and ſo vnite them to Chriſt: as I haue bene conſecrated to God by baptiſme in the Church of Rome, ſo in the ſame I haue bene ſeduced from Chriſt by humane inuentions. I haue therefore worthily, and of right, made choice of that Church, in which the true baptiſme is ſincerely adminiſtred, and the ſound doctrine thereof is faithfully deliuered to ſuch as are baptiſed, through the whole courſe of their liues. Beſides I perſwade my ſelfe (and that truely) that I am more deepely bound to God the Father, God the Son, and God the holy Ghoſt, (being three Perſons yet onely God) then the Church of Rome, which hath forſaken and rebelled againſt that faith which the Apoſtles in times paſt ſo highly commended in her, and againſt whom that imputation of reproach may worthily be had, which was once laid vpon the Church of the Iewes in theſe words: And their Ezech. 23. 31. ſonnes whom they beare vnto me, they haue offered to Idols, to be deuoured. And againe in the ſame Prophet: They haue played the whores, and bloud is in their handes, and with their idols haue they committed adultery And what is it elſe to commēd the inuocation of ſoules? the adoration of images? the obſeruation of Purgatory? and of Pardons? They glorie of the workes of Supererogation, the rules and examples of men that are ſinners: as Francis, Dominicke, Bruno, Celeſtine, Ignatius, Loyola, and others, and eſpecially to thurſt yong men and women againſt their wils into a monaſtery? What is this elſe (as I ſay) but to be conſecrated to idols, and to ſuperſtitious Idem 16. 20. 2. Cor. 6. 17. Apoc. 18. 4. Iſa. 52. 11. worſhipping, and in the end to the deuill himſelfe, and damnation?

And becauſe (as it is well knowne vnto me) the Papiſts thinke we walke not after the right decrees and determinations of the true Church, neither beleeue thoſe things, which are to be beleeued: I will therefore, ſeeing (as God hath commanded) I am ſeparated and come from among them, relate thoſe things, which we faithfully hold andRom. 1. 16. imbrace: For as Paul ſaith, I am not aſhamed of the Goſpell of Chriſt, for it is the power of God vnto ſaluation to euery one that beleeueth. Before all things we beleeue in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heauen and earth, and in his Word, begotten of the Father; and in the holy Ghoſt, proceeding from them both, to whom their due and diſtinct properties are to be attributed: in which (according to Eſſence) we neither ſeparate the Sonne, nor the holy Ghoſt from the Father: nor (contrary to the opinion of the Manicheys) diuide the Father from the Sonne, or from the holyAug. in Manich. Ghoſt: but we beleeue that they haue one vnity of Eſſence, and Trinitie of Perſons, without any confuſion.

Which vnitie and trinitie (as Hilary, Ambroſe, and manyHil. 1. lib. Trin. P. 5. à principio. Amb. lib. 1. ad Grat ca. 5. 7. antemedium. others teach) cannot perfectly be comprehended by naturall reaſon; but is apprehēded by faith, as many other hiddē myſteries of God, of which S. Paul ſpeaketh: Oh the deepneſſe of the riches both of the wiſedome and knowledge of God. How vnſearchable are his iudgements, and his wayes paſt finding out? All honor be giuen to the bleſſed Trinity, being one God, and to whom is equall glory in three Perſons, contrary to the opinion of Arrius, that blaſphemouſly takes away theLeg. diſput. Atha. & Artij in con. Ni •• . equality of Perſons, holding the Sonne to be inferior, and the holy Ghoſt to be ſeruant to God the Father.

Of Chriſt the Sonne.

Ioh. 3. 17. & 4. 25 Act. 3. 19. Hebr. 2. 19. Gen. 1. 1. Ioh. 1. 3. 1. Col. 16. Pro. 8. 22. Apoe. 3. 14. Pſal. 32. 9. Ioh. 3. 4. Luk. 2. 11. Idem. in eod. Mat. 3. 5. Luke 3 Acts 10. Ioh. 11. 1. S. Hierome lib. contra. Helui. de perpe. virgi. Mar. Amb. ſup. Luc. li. 2. ca. 1. S. Aug. in Serm. 14. de nat. Do. S. Tho. 3. p. q. 28. ar. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. Tim. 6. Acts 3. 13. Rom. 4. Phil. 2. Ephe. 4. Acts 2. Apoc. 1. Acts 13. Ioh. 10. 18. Rom. 8. 11. Acts 2. 24. Mar. 16. 19. Luke 24. 51. Pſal. 109. 1. Ephe. 4. 9. Luke 21. 21. Ma.. 25. 31. Rom. 2. 6. Apoc. 22. 12. VVE beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, his onely begotten Sonne, the Redeemer and Mediator of mankind: through whom in the holy Ghoſt he created all things in the beginning; not that he redeemed mankind without the Father, which ſent his Sonne to be the Redeemer of the world; or without the holy Ghoſt, by whom man is conceiued and annointed: but becauſe the only perſon of the Sonne tooke vpon him humane nature, and by his death and paſſion payd the price of our redemption; and is but one perſon (contrary to the opinion of Neſtorius, that maintained two.) We beleeue alſo that Chriſt was borne of the virgine Mary, according to humane nature it ſelfe, by the inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt; and we beleeue (with the Catholicke Church) that ſhe was a virgin before the birth, in the birth, and after the birth, againſt Heluidius, whom S. Hierome vtterly diſallowes, ſo doth S. Ambroſe, S. Augustine and S. Thomas.

We beleeue alſo that Chriſt our Lord, ſuffered vnder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, and deſcended into hell, and the third day roſe againe: not by anothers meanes, as Lazarus, and others, but by his owne proper power and vertue; becauſe he was God, which according to Diuinitie was cauſe of his reſurrection, as Iohn ſaith: No man taketh it from me, but I lay it downe of my ſelfe. I haue power to lay it downe, and haue power to take it againe.

We confeſſe alſo that he aſcended into heauen, & ſate at the right hand of his Almighty Father, which aſcenſion Chriſt made not according to his diuine nature (which was neuer out of heauen) but as he was man, for ſo he entred into heauen, and by his owne power aſcended.

We confeſſe further, that with great Maieſtie and glory he ſhall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead: and to reward euery man according to his workes: which are all matters of faith, and to be beleeued, and are taught in the reformed Church. With true faith we imbrace the Apoſtolicke Creed, the Creed of Nice, and Athanaſius: And ſo to that Church, whoſe confeſſion I find to be agreeing and conformable to the holy Scriptures, I wholly yeeld and ſubſcribe vnto.

But leſt any man ſhould thinke, that either for want, and neceſſitie, or for any horrible offence committed, and ſo for feare of puniſhment, I haue left, and ſeparated my ſelfe from the Church of Rome, I will make ſhort repetition of what hath befallen vnto me, through the whole courſe of my life, euen from my infancie: not led by oſtentation, or vaine glory, but that in remembring thē, I may be the more drawne to giue humble and hearty thankes vnto almightie God, who hath had ſuch pity and compaſſion on me.

I was borne at Caeſar Auguſta (which is the chiefeſt place of the kingdome of Arragon.) The day before the Calends of February, at two of the clocke in the afternoone, and in the yeare of our Lord 1567. of honorable parentage both by father and mother, as is well knowne in my countrey, and by Gods prouidence without any impediments or defects of nature: I was baptized in the pariſh Church of Saint Giles, and confirmed by that excellent Prince Ferdinand Viceroy of Arragon, and Arch-biſhop of Caeſar Auguſta. From my infancy with my parents great care and induſtry I was trained vp in the doctrine and religion of the Church of Rome, and with my yeares my knowledge thereof was much increaſed, and I did reuerence the ſame with ſuch honour and ardency, as no other religion appeared vnto me ſo profitable or pleaſing.

My father departed out of this life when I was but 16 yeares of age; but my mother as ſhe was carefull I ſhould be brought vp and inſtructed after the cuſtomes of the Romiſh Church (for ſhe was full of zeale and deuotion,) ſo was I taught Muſicke and Military diſcipline, and other exerciſes of body, to my age beſt fitting and agreeable. I was ſtill ſollicitous to reade bookes of Chriſtian Religion, and to take counſell and be conuerſant with ſuch men as ſeemed to me to be honeſt, and learned: So that deſire of further knowledge daily increaſed in me. The reſpect therefore of all temporall goods being laid aſide, I wholly applied my ſelfe to be in the number and ſocietie of them, whom they of Rome call and account Religious: and contrary to my mothers minde, or the good will of my brethren and kinsfolkes, I followed the Religion of S. Francis, and with all alacrity and willingneſſe of heart, I entred the Monaſtery of Ieſus. Which when my mother heard of, ſhe was moued with much ſorrow, and both by her words and deeds ſhewed that I had greatly diſpleaſed her. Yet ſhe loued me dearly, & alwaies hoped of me to be a refuge & ſuccour to her age. Hauing therefore takē coūſell, accompanied with a Noble woman (her ſiſters daughter) ſhe came to the Couēt, with an intent to alter my purpoſe, & both of themAd conuentumm laboured byall that prayers or intreaties, or faire promiſes, might effect, to draw me frō that vndertakē reſolution. But I was ſo conſtant in my deuotion of that Monaſticke life, as neither my mothers lamentations, or large gifts proffered vnto me, could work alteration of my mind. So for that time ſhe departed, but vpon further counſell and aduice taken, ſhe came thither againe with a great troupe attending her, with purpoſe in deed to haue taken me away by force and violence. Which when I and the religious men of the Monaſtery perceiued, we hindred their determinations, ſo as my mother by no meanes could obtaine her purpoſe. But ſhe tooke it ſo grieuouſly, that for the ſpace of many dayes ſhe fell into an extreme phrenſie.

Hauing recouered her health and ſenſes againe, ſhe ſtill continued her meanes and deuices to change my mind, and vſed the ſame almoſt a whole yeare, ſo that at length ſhe compelled me to forſake the Monaſterie. Neuertheleſſe I promiſed ſuch as I left behind me, to returne againe with what ſpeed I might poſſibly. But I became ſomewhat forgetfull of my promiſe, by reaſon that at that time, my countrey preſented vnto me many obiects of pleaſure and delectation. For there were great triumphs and ſolemnities for the celebration of the mariage of Katherine daughter to king Philip the ſecond, with Charles Duke of Sabaud: with which my mind was much caried away and diſtracted.

But my former purpoſe and my continued deuotion vrging me, I performed my promiſe, and with great ioy of thoſe Religious men that expected me, I returned backe to the Monaſtery, where I liued a while in much gladneſſe and contentment. But after a certaine time I left the Monaſtery againe, by ſome occaſion of buſineſſe, and retaining my firſt religious purpoſe, I be tooke my ſelfe to the Religion of the holy Trinity, and was receiued in the Conuent of Caeſar Auguſta in the yeare of our Lord 1585. I made choice of this Order, for the ſingular deuotion thereof. The Prelate and other religious men of the ſame Monaſterie for many cauſes were deſirous of my continuance amongſt them. I therefore began to apply my ſtudies to humanity, till at Valence by the diligence of my Tutor, and my owne great labour, I attained to ſome perfection of Logicke and Philoſophy. Afterwards I was ſent to that famous vniuerſitie of Illerd: where I wholly dedicated my ſelfe to Diuinitie, and hauing paſſed the ſeuerall termes and courſes of Diſputations, Exerciſes, and Lectures, I was commended to be one of the beſt in Theologie. For which I gaue God hearty thankes: for theſe beginnings broughtme in the end to know thoſe things which my ſoule euer thirſted after.

Theſe foundations layd, I was ſo well eſteemed of, that I was called to the Miniſtery, contrary to their owne orders and inſtitutions, which forbid any man that dignity vnder the age of 33 yeares. But the Prouinciall did willingly diſpence with me, and ſo I was made Miniſter of the Monaſtery of Liria: About three yeares after, I was made Miniſter of another monaſtery of higher dignitie, called Nueſtra ſenora de las ſogas, in which time by occaſion of ſome contrary occurrents that befell concerning our Order, by certaine learned Prelats, and very great men, I was choſen Embaſſadour to the Reuerend Generall of our Order, abiding then at Paris: which I diſcharged, by Gods aſſiſtance, though with great danger of my life. After I had obtained the preſence of our Generall, he lent ſuch attention to the complaints deliuered by me, that he diſpatcht me with expedition and order for ſuch as were troubleſome and ignorant of obedience: and gaue me full power, and orders, for the reading of Diuinity.

Graced with all theſe titles, and additions of dignity, and preferment, I returned againe into Spaine: But I had not long ſtayed there, when vpon inſtance of other weighty occaſions that concerned our Order, I was ſent againe to the Generall, with two other graue Miniſters in my company. Him I found ſo kind, and louing, and ſo reſpectiue of me, that whatſoeuer belonged to the gouernment of the Prouince, I obtained at his hands. He created me at that time both Maiſter and Doctor (which with vs is a matter of much honour and commodity.) But after my returne into the Prouince (which containes vnder it the kingdomes of Arragon, Valence, Catalonia, and Mallorica) by commandement which I had receiued from the Generall, there was a Conuocation had for the election of the Prouinciall; and the choice fell to M. Stephen Bertiz, a Noble man, of verie great learning, and my eſpeciall good friend. He for the loue he bare me, made me chiefe Secretary of the Prouince. A little while after the religious men of our Monaſtery of Dertaſa, made me Miniſter (which in the Order of the holy Trinitie, is as high a place as theirs is, who in the orders of other monaſteries are called Priors, Wardens, Abbots, Prelates, &c.) and created me alſo the chiefe of the houſe. That I might not ſeeme vnthankfull, I tooke vpon me that charge, and in the Colledge of the ſame City I was made Doctor. Afterwards (vnknowne to me) both by the Church and Citizens of Vernauen, farre enough diſtant from my houſe, I had the charge giuen me of their Church, and of the preaching of the Lent ſermons. And that I might wholly conſecrate my ſelfe to preaching and reading, and not be hindered by any other care of rule or gouernment, (which is much contrary to the profeſſion of learning) I left the monaſtery of Dert, and reſigned my office of miniſtery.

In the monaſtery alſo of Valence, which is the chiefeſt monaſtery of all the Prouince, where are reſident to the number of 50 Preachers, Doctors of Diuinity, and others moſt approued men for learning, there was an aſſembly had for the election of one that ſhould be Miniſter & Head of that monaſterie; and the 26 day of April, in the yeare 1601, that lot fell to my ſhare. So conſequently all the goods & riches of the monaſtery were put into my hands and poſſeſſion, as well of ſiluer and gold-plate, as of other precious ornaments, treaſure, and ſums of money, with which the ſame monaſtery is richly furniſhed: For it hath yearely to be laid forth and diſtributed by the Miniſter 4000 crownes a yeare. In the time that I was Miniſter of Valence, I was often created viſitor of the houſes, and with the fulneſſe of power made Vicar Prouincial of all the foure kingdomes. And laſtly, the 8 day of Nouember in the yeare 1602, with generall and Apoſtolique power was conſtituted viſitor of certaine monaſteries within the limits of the Prouince. I was greatly beloued of the Generall, and other Prelats and Religious men of that Order which in times paſt I profeſſed, and was well accepted with Eccleſiaſtical gouernors.

Gal. 6 14. But as S. Paul ſaith, God forbid that I ſhould reioyce but in the croſſe of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, whereby the world is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the world. In the knowledge wherof, & in the glory of the croſſe of Chriſt, I would not delay, but pay my firſt fruits vnto the Lord, who ſaith, Thou ſhalt not be Exod. 22. 29. ſlacke to pay thy firſt fruits. Which is nothing elſe, but to auert and turne from the way of wickedneſſe, and to follow and imbrace the way of the Lord.

If for this alteratiō of my eſtate, I ſhould make any reckoning of this world: alas, how many ſhold I ſee to riſe againſt me my friends are become my enimies, my kinsfolks ſtrangers, all leaue and forſake me, all diſpiſe me, and call me heretique: but I will anſwer with the Prophet Dauid, My Pſal 26. 10. father and mother haue for ſaken me, but the Lord hath taken me vp. I will not ſtriue to pleaſe them, as Paul ſaith, If I ſhould Gal. 1. 10. yet pleaſe men, I were not the ſeruant of Chriſt. I had rather diſpleaſe men, then follow lies and vntruths with them, ſeeing the Prophet Dauid doth encourage vs, ſaying: O yee Pſal. 4. 3 ſonnes of men, how long will ye turne my glory into ſhame, louing vanitie, and ſeeking lies? I now deſire to continue in this truth, that the curſe of God may not be laid vpon me, who ſaith, Curſed is euery man, that continueth not in all things, which are Gal. 3. 10. written in the booke of the Law, to do them: And ſo with the Prophet, I rather chuſe to be an abiect in the houſe of my God, where his Goſpell is ſincerely taught, then to dwell in the tabennacle of ſinners, where the Goſpell is obſcured, and madePſal 83. 11. darke with fables, and falſe interpretations.

For euen as the ſundry and various expoſitions of the law make the law doubtfull and obſcure; ſo the Goſpell is darke, and made intricate by many intepretations. I now therefore loue, and imbrace the truth. Now God hath made me partaker of his goodneſſe, and his paſſion was not in vaine for me. Now hath his goodnes extended it ſelfe to cō municate thoſe things vnto me, as were determined for me in the beginning. In times paſt I was Saul, a perſecutor ofAct. 11. 2. the true Church; & as he went about to deſtroy the true doctrine of Chriſt, ſo did I likewiſe both in my priuate & publick Sermons & Exerciſes endeuor to put downe & annihilate that ſound doctrine of the true reformed Church. But now through the infinite mercy of God, I haue (as Saul did) fallen to the earth; and as he at Damaſcus, ſo haue I at Rupell found Ananias, who hath taught me what to do, and remoued the ſcales from mine eyes that hindred my ſight and vnderſtanding.

I looke to be perſecuted, and expect falſe cenſures and iudgements to be paſſed vpon me: but what do I reſpect them? Did not Aaron ſpeake againſt his brother Moſes? Num. 21. 1. And did not God himſelfe admoniſh Hieremiah to take heed of his kinsfolkes, ſaying: For euen thy brethren, and the Hierem 12. 6. Acts 11. 3. houſe of thy father ſhall deate vnfaithfully with thee? Did not Peters friends alſo contend againſt him, becauſe he went in to men vncircumciſed, and did eate with them? So (me thinkes) I ſee how they contend and cry out againſt me. 〈◊〉 God, who (as Dauid ſaith) is the father and helper of orphanes and fatherleſſe, will not reſt to defend and protect me. Oh my Lord God, of whom the Prophet hath ſaid, that thou wilt ſaue, & preſerue them, that put their truſt in thee, My whole hope and confidence is in thee, & I ſtand in need of thy aid and defence. Be vnto me (oh Lord) as a ſhield, and buckler againſt thoſe roaring Lyons that go about toExod. 14 30. & 15. 4. Dan. 13. 63. & 14. 39. deuoure me. And as thou didſt deliuer Moſes out of the hand of Pharaoh, Suſanna from falſe iudgement, and Daniel from the Lyons denne: ſo deliuer me from their hands. Giue vnto my ſoule the grace and gift of perſeuerance; and grant that they who are yet blind may haue their eyes opened, and at length attaine to the knowledge and wiſedome of the truth, made knowne in thy Goſpell. In reſpect of thee (oh my God) I make account of nothing: I leaue and forſake all things and hope not for any thing but thy glory. The honours which I had in mine owne countrey, I vtterly deſpiſe; the dignity which I haue hitherto poſſeſſed, I am quite forgetfull of; and forgo my quondam Prouinciall, who ordained me to be his ſucceſſour. My friends and all my kindred for thee I contemne, and willingly reiect for euer.

Phi. 3. 7. For thoſe things that were aduantage vnto me, the ſame I account loſſe for Chriſts ſake, and do iudge them to be dung: that I might win Chriſt, and be found in him, with S Paul. And I will follow the true doctrine of Chriſt: ſaying, If any manLuke 41. 26. Math 10. 37. come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and ſiſters, yea and his owne life alſo, hee cannot be my Diſciple.

I confeſſe vnto thee my Lord and my King, and I giue praiſe vnto thee my God, and Sauiour for that thou haſt deliuered me from perdition, and from the tongues of them that ſpeake lyes. Be a ſuccour vnto me, and a tower of defence in the face of mine enimies, that I may conſtantly abide the ſlaunders and backbitings, wherewith I know they ſwarme and are full. Wherefore oh moſt merciful God and louing Father, who in the multitude of thy mercies doſt put out of thy remembrance the ſins and iniquities of ſuch as confeſſe vnto thee by the grant of thy pardō make void the imputation of all former offences. Looke fauourably vpon thy ſeruant, and giue vnto me that with true confeſſion, and contrition of heart, begge remiſſion of my ſins. Refreſh and renew in me (oh Father) whatſoeuer the diueliſh fraud and deceipt of the Church of Rome hath diſtained and corrupted; and win a member of thy redemption, to the body and vnity of the true reformed Church.

We the Paſtours, Seniours, and Deacons of the Church of Rochel, whoſe names are here vnderwritten, do witneſſe and make it knowne, that Martin Bartox hath made a ſummary confeſſion of our faith, and publickely diſcouered & vtterly renounced the errours of the Romiſh Church, before a great company of Gods faithfull ſeruants, being then preſent, reioycing and congratulating his conuerſion: we witneſſe further, that we haue ſeene and heard to be performed, whatſoeuer is herein made mention of, or ſet forth. From this Citty of Rochel:

Paſtors I. Merlnius H. Colomozius S. Loumaeus L. Cerclerus Seniors. Chalmotius Cl. Heralts I. Farnoulius I Bodierus I. Dournes Durantius. Deacons. I. Agreſtsns. A. Maquinus

FINIS.