Of the erronious, hippocriticall, and false Church of Roome.

HEther vnto, I haue in­treated of the Popes v­surped supremacie: nowe I meane to speak a word or two of the Churche. I wyll first beginne with the definition of this worde, Church, and then I wyll procéede farther, to intreate thereof, [...], signifieth a Congregation, or company of faithfull men, assembled together. This Church is two man­ner of wayes construed, that is, the Church or company, onely of those, whome God hath chosen to euerlasting lyfe, in all tymes and places. Which is to man inuisible, who can not enter so farre, as to knowe GOD his wyll, neyther the heart of man him selfe, but is onelye visyble to GOD, [Page]who knoweth those that are his (as the Apostle sayth) and hath sealed them with his owne seale. And there is a Church of wicked and reprobate, of Pa­pistes and Turks: yea, the wicked to the ende of the world, are mingled with the good. Papists, contrarie to their owne lawes, frequent the Churches or assemblies of Christians: the Goates kéepe company with the Shéepe, the chaffe with the graine, and the Tares are found among the good Corne. Into the bosom of the true Church, God will haue his chyldren to be gathered toge­ther, not onely that they should by her helpe and Ministery be nourished, while they are Infantes and young chyldren: but also be ruled by her motherlie care, tyll they growe to ryper age, and at length come to the marke of faith: for it is not lawfull that those thinges be seuered, which God hath conioyned.

That to whome hee is a Father, the Church be also theyr Mother: and that not only vnder the Lawe, but also since the comming of Chrisie. As Paule. Galat. 8.26. witnesseth, which teacheth, That we are the chyldren, of the newe [Page]and heauenlie Jerusalem. In the Créede where we professe that we beléeue, In the holie Catholique Church: Wee meane not Roome to be that holie Ca­tholique Church, for if no Church ought to be reputed for Christian or Catho­lique, but that which is of Rome: Then were the auncient Fathers much to blame, who in setting downe the Ar­ticles of our Creede: dyd neglect and lightly passe ouer this vpstart Article of the Romish sea: that where we be com­maunded to beléeue one Catholique and Apostolique Church, they dyd not in manner commaund vs to beléeue the Romaine Church withall. Héereby you perceyue well enough (my fréendes) in­to what combersome straights, and ab­surdities, the Papistes haue hurled them selues, by their blinde and vnad­uised rashnesse. For first, if no certain­tie of saluation be to be hoped for out of the Church, which Church must be without all question, that same verie Church of Roome, as they frame theyr argumentes, and that the Church of Roome be none other, but the same which is strained and straighted to the [Page]vniuersall commaundementes, and de­crées of the Bishoppe of Roome. Nowe then they doo exempt out of the priui­ledge of the Church, not onely this our English nation: but together with them also, they doo exclude out of the number of the Catholique Church, infinite other famous learned Clarks, of the auncient and pure age of the Church, as Doctors, Patriarches, and Bishoppes, yea, a­mongst these also, all the Bishoppes of Roome, as many as were Gregories predecessors. But what néede many proofes in a matter of it selfe so mani­fest and well knowne? Vndoubtedlie, sithens Christe would vouchsafe to lay the first foundation, yea, and to build vp that beautifull and euerlasting buil­ding of his owne house, vpon none o­ther ground worke, then vpon that cor­ner stone of Christian faith, and Chri­stian confession. And if Paule doubted nothing to recoumpt the same faith to be the only and infallible shoote-Ancker of saluation: By what Lawe then will the Pope adiudge them as out-castes, wor­thy to be banished from the Catholique and Apostolique Church, which professe [Page]the selfe same faith of Christe, that the Apostles and other Catholique Chur­ches dyd professe? Why should the Pa­pistes thus cruelly deale with the Chri­stians, for following Christe and his A­postles? Why should they thus furi­ously persecute the godlie, burne them, or consume them in prison, for denying the Romaine Church, to be the holie Catholique Church? Séeing that no mention thereof is made to be such a Church (as the Papistes would haue it to be) throughout all the Scriptures.

But we gather by the Scriptures, that the Church of Roome is the Church of the deuill: for if the Church of Roome were the true Church of Christe, Chri­stes sheepe heare his voice, But the Church of Roome heareth not his voyce, but heareth rather the voyce of Courtezanes: therefore it is not the true Church, but the Sinagogue of Sathan.

Shee wryteth in her coyne, That Kingdome and people, that doo not o­bey mee, shall be rooted out, contra­rie to that: the Kinges of Nations beare rule ouer them, but ye shall not [Page]so doo: therefore shée is not the true Church. Ambrose sayth, That the true Church, is the Mother of the liuing: But those that be in this Church are dead, for they haue no faith, because they haue no knowledge, therfore this Church is not the true Church. Shée committeth idolatrie, and spirituall ad­ulterie many wayes: therefore shée is not the holie Catholique Church. The Church of Roome numbers her multi­tudes, as Dauid nūbred his Souldiors: and therfore shée is not the holie Catho­lique Church. These Papistes are like Cockles, they carry theyr house about with them, & so doo they theyr Church. Aspalathus will not growe but in Boe­tia, ye kill these men, if ye take away the couerture of y^e Church of Roome: This Church is the ritch Arras, that couereth all her faultes & follies. But admit (good people) that we were wunderfull hūble & obediēt to this Church, and most wil­ling to come againe, as foolishe Béetles to the shirt of this Church, and to aske of her questions and demaundes: I pro­test before heauen and earth, and the founder of them bothe, that I thinke it [Page]not good, we should be holde in asking, for the great & imminent daunger in her aunswering. For if we aske, Whether Iesus be Christe, or no, This Romishe Church giueth out her aunswere: That the Bishop of Roome is the high Preest, and that the sayde Bishoppe hath the strength of the kingdome of Christe, and the infallible veritie of a Prophete. And therefore, they allowe to ouer rule Christe, by adding and taking too and fro his woorde. If we aske, If Christe were the onely oblation offered once vp for all, for the sinnes of the world: Her aunswere is verie daungerous, That the Masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead. And shee falleth into com­mendation of her wheaten God, and dooth attribute the health of the world, to that abhominable bread and Idoll. If we aske her, If Christe be her inter­cessour to God: Shée aunswereth vs most wickedlie, Iure Matris imperat: That Christe forsoothe, shall commaund his Father, by the right of his Mother.

If we aske her, Of the state and condi­tion of man, since the fall of Adam: Shée aunswereth, That hee may ouertake [Page]heauen of him selfe, and well enough by him selfe, worke out his owne saluation. Aske her, What faith is: And shee wyll tell of an implicite thing, and of a ge­nerall faith, and to be holden fast by that hand: there shée kéepeth silence, and is as spéechlesse as a Fishe. If we aske her, What the Lawe is: Shée la­deth our shoulders with the heauy Ce­remonies of Judaisme, and Paganis­me. If we aske her, What the Gos­pell is: Shée maketh voide Gods pro­mise, with her owne Iustice. If we aske her, Of good workes: Shee aun­swereth iust, lyke Saint Lukes Phara­sie. Then againe, shée deuiseth good workes to be thus: to hyre certayne men for money, to pray, and to mumble vp much quantitie of Psalmes in a co­uert tongue, to kéepe huge troughes of Ling and Saltfishe, many yéeres, to waxe spéechlesse with seldome speaking, to waxe lame with much sitting, to vse many knottes in theyr gyrdles, and many windowes in theyr showes, to be buried in Monkishe wéedes, and Nunnishe Cowles, &c.

If we aske her, Of the number of Christes Sacramentes: Shee aunswe­reth, That there be seuen: Without Scripture, shée hath added fiue to Gods two, as though God hath let her his two Sacramentes to vsurie. If we aske her, Whether we goe after this life: Shée telleth vs of Virgils, Platoes, and Mahomets Purgatorie. If we should say vnto her, Fayre Church of Roome, whether is thy belooued gone: Shée would say, He went in his body to har­rowe hell. And then I wyll aske her, Howe she can aunswere to Signum Ionae, et signum Lazari: The signe of Ionas, and the signe of Lazarus, that Christe should be three dayes in his graue. If we would say, Fayre Church of Roome, whether is thy belooued gone: Shée wyll say, To heauen.

But then shée dreameth grosely of heauen, as Mahomet, and besides that in euerie hyll Alter, and grone Alter: shée wyll saye, Here is Christe, and there is Christe. The more shée aun­swereth, the more shée aunswereth of lesinges.

Vneath hath shée nowe, these many long yéeres aunswered any thing true­lie, of the goinges of the beloued, or of the dooinges of the beloued.

Beléeue me truely (O world) it is daunger to aske her: it is next to deaths doore, to heare her: it is dampnable death and hell, to beléeue her. Better it is to dye in body (for him that may) then to beléeue her to be the holy Catho­lique Church, and therefore, to perishe in body and soule. Happy were they, and are, and shall be, who patiently suf­fered, doo suffer, and shall suffer, the ty­ranny and persecution of Antichriste, Hope of Roome, for the deniall of his whoorishe, and Babilonicall Church. By theyr patience it appeared, that they had the cognisance, or badge of the true Church. August. De tempore. Ser. 130. Crux regni insigne est, The Crosse (sayth Saint Augustine) is the cognisance, or badge of the Church. Athanasius, Ad solitariam vitam agentes, sayth: Caedi Christianorum proprium est: Caedere aus tem Christianos Pilati, et Caiphae officia sunt. To be persecuted, belongeth to Christians: but to persecute the Christi­ans, [Page]belongeth to the office of Pilate and Caiphas. But the Papistes say, that they punishe the Protestants, onely for a desire to haue them reconciled to their Sinagogue, and for entyre looue: A gentle kinde of looue, lyke the looue of one Philippides (of whome Aristopha­nes in Vespis writeth) who tooke a cud­gell, A prettie example alluded to the Papists. and dyd beate his Father, and all for looue. But we may say with Ter­tullian, Crudelitas vestra nostra gloria est: Your crueltie, is our glorie. For Gods Religion, the more it is pressed, the more it encreaseth.

This persecution of the Papistes a­gainst the Christians, is an euident to­ken, that the Church of Roome is the Sinagogue of Sathan. Caine, persecu­ted Abell: the Giants, Noah: the Sodo­mites, Loth: Ismaell, Isaack: Esau, Iacob: the Egiptians, the Israelites: Pharaoh, Moses: Saule, Dauid: and yet Dauid would not hurt againe, of whome we learned, that Gods Church dooth suffer rather then hurt: & pardon, rather then persecute. The false Church of the Pro­phetes, persecuted the true propheticall Church: the Sinagogue of the Iewes, [Page]persecuted Christe and his Apostles. The Churche of Roome persecuteth Christes lyttle flocke, and congregati­on: So Hillarius, and Nicephorus, in many places discourse. Lactantius sayth excellently to this matter: Diuin. Institut. Lib. 5. Cap. 19. Defendenda reli­gio est, non occidendo, sed monendo: non sae­uitia, sed patientia: non scelere sed fide. Nam si sanguine et tormentis, si malo reli­gionem defendere velis, iam non defendetur illa, sed polluetur atque violabitur. Reli­gion is to be defended, not with murthe­ring, but with monishing: not with crueltie, but with patience: not with furie, but with faithfulnesse. For if ye defend Religion with bloodshedde, and tormenting, or with working of mis­cheefe: it is not defended, but defiled and deceyued.

The Church of Roome persecuteth all Christians, The Orna­mentes and deckings of the Anti­christian Church of Roome. her sentence is, burne, burne, burne: her hadge, let vs laye wayte for blood: her head, blasphemie: her shéelde, tyrannie: her breast, iniu­rie: her eyes, fyre: her gyrdle, forni­cation: her breath, poyson: her tongue, the stinge of death: her féete, ready [Page]to shedde innocent blood: her sworde, violence: her Crosse, persecution: her pardons, iniquitie: her tryple crowne, presumption: her Keies, am­bition, and all her dooinges abhomina­tion. Héere doo follow, great swarmes of Cainites, Giantes, Sodomites, Egipti­ans, Scribes, Pharasies, Herodians, Monks, The Cham­pions and vpholders of this Ba­bilonicall Sea. Friers, Cardinalles, Adulterers, Idola­ters, Parasites, Poysoners, Pardoners, Bawdes, Flatterers, Traytours, Rebels, Murderers, Theeues: with all the Ro­mishe rabble. These are the right Canniballes, lyke to the barbarous people of Armenica, that eate one an other.

My countrey men, wyll you builde your faith vppon this Church, which receyueth such Varlettes, which hath such gracelesse personnes, such persecu­tours, and such bloodie butchers? The Church of Christe hath none such, there were neuer in the Church of Christe, nor are not, nor neuer shall be, persecu­tors. The Church of Christe is styll per­secuted, and neuer persecuteth. Did the Matriarches persecute? did Christe per­secute? did y^e Apostles persecute? When [Page]the Samaritanes would not receyue Christe. Iames and Iohn béeing as yet Nouices in Christes schoole, called for fyre from heauen, and would haue bur­ned and consumed the Samaritanes: but Christe rebuked them, saying: You wot not of what manner of spirite you are, for the sonne of man is not come to de­stroye mens liues, but to saue them.

If the Church of Roome were the ho­lie Catholique Church: it would then féede the soule of man (béeing a spirite) with spirituall foode, moone her by spi­rituall instrumentes, drawe her by the worde, leade her by the spirite, and per­suade her by the Scriptures, which are the onely meanes which God appoyn­teth. If an Heretique holde an opini­on, he holdeth it eyther of ignoraunce, or of wylfulnesse: If of ignoraunce, he is to be conuerted by doctrine, to be conuinced by Scripture, reformed by exhortation, reduced by reason, persua­ded by the trueth: If of wylfulnesse, he is to be menaced by the Lawe, and corrected by excommunication. The Church of Rome vseth no such meanes: wherefore the Church of Roome is of [Page]the deuill, and not of Christe. And as the Lord hath done to Ierusalem, in Ti­tus Vespasianus tyme, (as Iosephus in his hystorie of the Iewes maketh men­tion:) and to the ruines thereof, that the place should not boast of the Oracles of God: So God hath done to Roome, A notable forewar­ning to the Church of Roome. to the Idolles thereof, that theyr boa­sting should be in vaine of the Church of God. For what was Roome euen from her byrth, but a Citie built in Parricide? then strengthened with rob­beries, and made a Sanctuarie for mur­derers of all Nations, The petti­gree of Roome. as you may read in theyr owne Romaine Hystories. And what was it afterwardes (in the time of the Emperour Iulianus Aposta­ta, Dioclesian, Nero, and diuers others) but a slaughter house of the Martyrs of God? and what is it in ours, and our fathers dayes, but the Queene of pride, the nurse of Idolatries, the mother of whordomes, the sincke of iniquities? out of which, sorceries, withcrafts, poi­soninges, adulteries, rebellions, and bloodie warres, haue ouerflowed the whole earth. Who wyll beléeue in this Church? are we commaunded to be­léeue [Page]léeue in this Church, when as it is sayd in our Créede, Credo sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam: I beleeue (that there hath béene, is, and shall be) a holie Catho­lique Church? My sence can not shew it, and therefore I beléeue it: for if I sée it, beléefe is in vaine, for where sence faileth, and can goe no farther: there be­léefe beginneth. For is it necessarie that we should frō time to time beleeue, that Roome is the holie Catholique Church: but we should from tyme to tyme be­leeue, there is a holy Catholique church. But in déede, the Papists and such like open persecutours, haue of so long tyme kept vnder the Church, that we are driuen to beléefe, for they haue left scarse any sence, or memorie of the true members of Christes Church. If we beléeue the Romaine Church to be, The holie Catholique Church: The Scrip­tures are against vs, theyr owne Doc­tours are against vs: and the definiti­on of the word, Church, is against vs. Shall we beléeue the building of Saint Peters Church, to be our holie Mother the Church? Beléeue it who that will, and I assure him that he hath not the [Page]true Church on his side: nor the Gos­pell to excuse him.

Séeke for this Church, whereof Christe is head, and not the Pope: in this Church haue we lybertie, not to doo euyll, but to doo good. The Churth of Roome bringeth to our lyfe, myse­rable bondage. Whyles we are in the Church of Christe, wée hope for the promises of lyfe euerlasting: but whyles wée stande in the Churche of Roome, wée stande in feare and ter­rour of eternall condempnation, to come vppon vs for our sinnes, in the day of death. Through Christe (who is the head of this true Churche) wée sée our sinnes purged, the Deuill van­quished, death and condempnation a­bolished, and our selues in the ly­bertie of the chyldren of God, to crie Abba Father. Thus much touching the Church.

¶ Of the infallible, perfect ground, and sufficiencie of the Scriptures, to the eternall comfort and consolation of all true Christians, and vtter confusion of the Pope, and all his adherentes.

BEcause the Papistes af­firme and boldly say, that the Scriptures are not sufficient, for a man ther­by to knowe the trueth, by the which he may be saued: it is er­pedient and néedefull at this present tyme, to heare what the Scriptures and Doctors doo say therevnto. First I will beginne with the Scriptures, as with the veritie it selfe: and then with the Doctors, who ground theyr argu­mentes and reasons vpon the worde of God, which is the holy Scripture. Al­though it behooueth man, earnestly to bende his eyes to consider, the workes of God. For as much as he is set (as it were) in this gorgeous stage, to be a be­holder of them: yet principallie ought be to bend his eares to the Scriptures, [Page]that he may better profite thereby, and sooner learne the trueth, by the which he may be saued. And therefore it is no meruayle, that they which are borne in darknesse: doo more and more waxe harde in theyr amazed dulnesse, because verie fewe of them doo giue them selues pliable to learne of the worde of God, whereby to kéepe them within the boundes: but they rather reioyce in theyr owne vanitie. Thus then ought we to holde, that to the ende true Reli­gion may shine amongst vs, we must take our begynning at the heauenlie doctrine, and that no man can haue a­ny taste, be it neuer so little, of true and sounde doctrine: vnlesse he haue béene Scholler to the Scriptures. And from hence groweth the originall of true vn­derstanding, that we reuerentlie em­brace, whatsoeuer it pleaseth GOD, therein to testifie of him selfe: for not [...]nely the perfect and (in all poynts) ab­solute faith: but also all right know­ledge of God, springeth from obedience, and truely in this behalfe, God of his singuler prouidence, hath prouided for men, in all ages.

For if we consider, howe slippery an inclination mans minde hath to slide into, by forgetfulnes of God, how great a readinesse to fall into all kinde of er­rours, howe great a lust to forge often­times new and counterfeyt Religions: The onely fall of man into so ma­ny and sun­drie euyls, is the for­getfulnesse of God. We may thereby perceyue, how neces­sarie it was to haue the heauenly doc­trine, so put in writing, that it should not eyther perishe by forgetfulnesse, or growe vaine by errour, or be corrup­ted by boldnesse of men. Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway v­sed the helpe of his worde, towardes all those whome it pleased him at any tyme fruitfully to instruct, because he foresawe, that his Image imprinted in that most beautifull forme of the world, was not sufficiently effectuall: therfore it behooueth vs to trauaile this straight waye, if we earnestlie couette to at­tayne to the true beholding of God, we must I saye, come to his worde, wher­in God is well and liuelie set out by his workes, when his workes be weyed, not after the peruersenesse of our owne iudgement, but according to the rule of the eternall trueth. If we swerue [Page]from that worde (as I sayd euen nowe) although we runne neuer so faste: yet we shall neuer attayne to the marke, because the course of our running is out of the way. For thus we must thinke, that the brightnesse of the face of God, which the Apostle calleth (Rom. 16.) such, as can not be attained vnto, is vnto vs lyke a Maze, out of which we can not vnwrappe our selues, vnlesse we be by the line of the worde, guided into it. And therfore (Dauid. Psalm. 9. et. 96.97.99. &c.) oftentimes when he teacheth that superstitions are to be ta­ken away out of the world, that pure Religion may florishe: bringeth in God reigning, meaning by this worde, reigning, not the power that he hath: but the doctrine, wherby he challengeth to him selfe, a lawfull gouernment: be­cause errors can neuer be rooted out of the hearts of men, tyll the true know­ledge of God be planted.

Therefore the same Prophete, after that he hath recited. Psalm. 19.21. That the heauens declare the glorie of God, that the fyrmament sheweth foorth the workes of his handes:

That the orderlie succéeding course of dayes and nightes, preacheth his Ma­iestie: then he descendeth to make men­tion of his worde: [...]. (sayth he,) [...]. The lawe of the Lorde is vndefiled, conuer­ting soules, (sayth Dauid) the witnesse of the Lorde is faithfull, giuing wisdome to lyttle ones: The rightfulnesse of the Lord is vpright, making hearts cheere­full: the commaundement of the Lord is bright, giuing light to the eyes. For although he comprehendeth the other vses of the Lawe, yet in generallitie, he meaneth: that for as much as God dooth in vaine, call vnto him all Nati­ons, by the beholding of the heauen and earth: therefore this is the peculiar schoole of the children of God. The same meaning hath the .xix. Psalme, where the Prophet hauing preached, Of the voice of God, which in thunder, winds, showers, whirle-winds and stormes, sha­keth [Page]the earth, maketh the mountaines to tremble, and breaketh the Ceder trees: In the ende, at last he goeth farther, and sayth. That his prayses are sung in the Sanctuarie, because the vnbeleeuers are deafe, and heare not all the voices of God that resound in the ayre. And in lyke manner, in an other Psalme. 93.5. after that he had described, the terrible waues of the sea: He thus concludeth, Thy testimonies are verified, the beautie of thy Temple is holinesse for euer.

And out of this meaning also proceeded, that which Christe sayde to the woman of Samaria. Iohn. 4.22. That her Nation and the rest, did honour that which they knewe not, and that onely the Iewes did worshippe the true God. For whereas the witte of man (by reason of the féeble­nesse thereof) can by no meanes attaine vnto God, but béeing holpen and lyfted vp by his holie worde: It followed of necessitie that all men, except the Iewes, did wander in vanitie & errour, because they sought God without his worde.

Should the Papistes committe such ab­surdities in theyr writinges of mat­ters of Religion, if they reiected not the [Page]scriptures? Should they holde such erronious opinions (as they doo) if they would content them-selues, with the sufficiencie of the Scriptures? no truelie, if they followed the doctrine, preceptes, and councell of the Scrip­tures, and not Traditions, the inuen­tions of ambitious and worldly minded men.

S. Iohn teacheth in the. 20. Chap. That all things needfull to saluation, are onely contained in the word of God. These are his wordes. Multa quidem et alia signa fecit Iesus in conspectu discipulorum suorū, quae non sunt scripta in libro hoc: haec autem scripta sunt, vt credatis quod Iesus est Christus ille filius Dei, et vt credentes vi [...] tam habeatis per nomen eius. And many other signes dyd Iesus in the presence of his Disciples, which are not written in this booke: but these thinges are written that ye might beleeue, that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God, and that in beleeuing, ye might haue life through his name.

The which wordes Cyrill expoundeth thus. Non omnia qua Dominus fecit, con­scripta sunt, sed quae scribentes putarunt sufficere tam ad mores quam ad dogmata. [Page]All is not written that Christe dyd, but so much as the writers thought suffici­ent, as well to manners as to doctrine.

Saint Augustine, De doctrina Christia­na. Lib. 2. Cap. 9. Sayth: In his quae aperte in Scripturis posita sunt, inueniuntur ea omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi. All thinges contayning faith and manners, are manifestly set downe in the Scriptures.

Basilius, De fidei Confessione. Sayth, Manifesta est elapsio à fide, et superbiae cri­men, aut reprobare quid ex ijs quae scripta sunt, aut superinducere quid ex non scrip­tis. It is a manifest slyding from the faith, and a great pride: eyther to reiect any thing that is written in the worde of GOD, or to bring in any thing vn­written. For, Christes sheepe (sayth Saint Iohn. Chap. 10.4.) heare his voice, and will not heare the voyce of an o­ther. And in his Moralles he sayth: That if whatsoeuer is not of faith, is sinne, if faith come by hearing, hearing by the worde of God: whatsoeuer is brought in beside the worde of God, is not of faith, and therefore sinne.

What haue we to doo good Christian people, with Romish Traditions, with Decrées, Canons, Constitutions, Coū ­cels, and Papisticall writings? are their inuentions comparable with the scrip­tures? or haue the Papists the lyke vt­teraunce, the lyke gifte of spéeche, as Christe had? Saint Iohn speaking of Christe. Chap. 7.46. Sayth, Nunquam sic loquutus est homo: Neuer man spake as this man dooth. Not all the hypocritical illusions of the Papists, can once preuayle a­gainst Chri­stes Church. Not Cicero, the fa­ther of eloquence: not Demosthenes, out of whose mouth, flowed flooddes of eloquence: not eloquent Pericles, of whome it is written, that he dyd thun­der out his wordes: not the golden tongued Chrisostome. But Christes argumentes were so mightie, and his wordes so swéete: that a certaine wo­man, hauing great admonition thereof: lyfted vp her voice, and sayde vnto him. Happie is the wombe that bare thee, and the pappes which thou hast sucked.

This worde differeth in perfection: in his wordes all thinges endure, take a­way this worde: what is man? a brute beast: Take away the sunne out of the world, what remaineth? horrible dark­nesse. [Page] Lactantius. De ira Dei. Cap. 1. Sayth, Lumen mentis humanae Deus est: remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia er­roribus plena sunt: God is the light of mans soule, if you set a side, or put away from you God his heauenlie worde: all thinges are full of errours. Take away this worde, what is man? a captiue of Sathan, a praye of death, a slaue of sinne, a fire-brande of hell. Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est. Sayth Hierome, in Prologo Esaiae. Ignoraunce of the scriptures, is ignoraunce of Christ. As farre as heauen is distaunt from earth, so farre ought heauenlie thinges, alwayes be preferred before humaine thinges, yea, incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred.

Hierome in Epistola, Ad Demetriadem Virginem, vtere lectione diuina: Sayth hée: Vtere speculo, vide speculum, foeda corrigenda: pulchra conseruanda, et pul­chra facienda. Scriptura enim speculum est, foeda ostendens, et corrige dicens. Vse to reade the holie Scripture, vse the glasse, see the glasse: that deformitie may be amended, fayrenesse preserued, and fayre thinges performed: For the scrip­ture [Page]is a glasse, shewing deformitie, and saying amend. Gregoris, in Moral, sayth: Sacra scriptura tanquam specu­lum quoddam mentis. The holy Scriptures is as a certaine glasse of the minde. S. Au­gustin, in Psalm. 48. Scriptura sancta sit tibi tanquam speculum, speculum hoc habet splendorem non mendacem, non adulantem, nullius personam amantem: formosus es? formosum te ibi vides. Sed cum foedus ac­cesseries, et foedum te ibi videris, noli accusa­re speculum, ad te redi, non te fallit specu­lum, tu te noli fallere. Let the holie Scripture be to thee as a glasse, this glasse hath no deceytfull or flattering bright­nesse, it is not in looue with any mans person. Arte thou beautifull? thou seest thy selfe there beautifull: but when thou commest deformed, accuse not the glasse, aduise thy selfe, the glasse de­ceyueth thee not, deceyue not thou thy selfe.

Saint Augustine sayth, Tom. 2. Epist. 166. In Scripturis didicimus Christum, in Scripturis didicimus Ecclesiā. In the Scrip­tures we haue learned Christe, in the Scriptures we haue learned the Church. Saint Ambrose sayth, in Homil. Lib. 4. [Page]Cap. 1. Christus oritur in lectione sol iustitiae: In reading the Scriptures, Christ the sonne of righteousnesse ryseth.

Saint Augustine sayth, Verbo Dei do­cemur in omnibus: By the worde of God, we are instructed in all thinges. Saint Basill, in Concione: Quod Deus non causa malorum: verbum Dei ex quo solo noscitur Deus, regiam viam monstrat, et est lucerna pedum nostrorum. The worde of GOD, by the which onely GOD is knowen: sheweth the kinges high way, and is the lyght of our feete. We learne faith in the Scriptures, and not in Popishe Traditions. Saint Hillarie sayth, Ad imperatorem Constantinum: to the Emperour Constantinus. Fidem imperator quaeris? audi eam, non de nouis Chartulis, sed de Dei libris. Dooth your Maiestie seeke the faith? Heare it then, not out of any new scroll, but out of the booke of God. Saint Iohn sayth, Chap. 14. Qui non diligit me, ser­mones meos non seruat: et sermo quem audi­tis, non est meus, sed eius qui misit me Pa­tris. He that looueth me not, keepeth not my words: and the word which ye heare is not mine, but the fathers which sēt me. [Page]If we wyll be contented with the scrip­tures onely, and goe no farther: we shall receyue great benefite thereby. The blinde shall see, the deafe shall heare, the dumbe shall speake, the lame shall walke, fooles shall be wise, the sicke shall be whole, the dead shall reuine. The embracing of the worde of GOD, hath made many Papistes, The inesti­mable be­nefite that proceedeth by the word of God. good Chri­stians: many persecutours, holy Mar­tyrs: many proude men, humble: many couetous mysers, lyberall: many cruell tyrantes, mercifull fauourers: many faithlesse, faithfull: many filthy forni­catours, chaste: many furious, and wrathfull, méeke and milde: many slaunderers, speakers of the trueth: many backbiters, penitent: many slouthfull and drousie, vigilant & watch­full: many fearefull, bolde, yea, and contempners of Phalaris Bull: many Saules, many Paules: many chyldren of darknesse, the chyldren of lyght.

God by his worde, offereth to vs his mercifull hande: by faith, we giue to God our hand, and the Sacramentes are as a thirde hand, which confirme and establish, the ioyning of the other [Page]two together. If you feare the iudge­ment of sinne, this most precious word offereth you, righteousnesse in Christe: if you feare death, it offereth lyfe: if you feare the fire of hell, it offereth the ioyes of heauen. And bréeflie, you haue in this word, whence you may take, bothe in lyfe recreation: and in death preser­uation, bothe of body and soule euerla­stinglie. The word of God is water to refreshe vs, and wine to chéere vs: The vvorde of God, is the vvhole direction of a mans life. it is bread to strengthen vs, and Manna to nourishe vs: it is a treasure to enritch vs, and a pearle to adorne vs: it is a leauen to heate vs, and salte to powder vs: it is a sword to defend vs, and a fire to purge vs: it is a salue to heale vs, and a lantorne to guide vs: it it is a Trum­pet to call vs, and wisedome to instruct vs: a way to dyrect vs, and lyfe to re­uiue vs. But alas, we are so farre from labouring for this worde of God, that wheras lyke good husband men, we should labour and digge in the féeld, and sell all that we haue to buie that féelde: whereas, lyke wise merchant men, we should labour and séeke for good pearles, and sell all that we haue, to buie that [Page]pearle of great prise: We (sayth Saint Mathew. 7.) lyke dogs refuse holy things offered, we turne about, and teare them that doo offer them: We, lyke swine, treade pearles vnder our feete, and doo account this pearle, this holy thing, the worde of lyfe, to be vnto vs a ring of golde in a swines snowte. For doo the Papistes delight to heare Gods worde? beholde, yet they are lyke the deafe Ad­der, which stoppeth her eares, at the voice of the Charmer, charme he neuer so wisclie. Doo they looue the bringers of this word? beholde, yet there is in Eng­land an Adders broode, a generation of Vipers. If we haue more regard in the sayinges of the Papistes, and put more confidence in theyr wordes, then in the Scriptures: howe can we without spée­die repentance, but looke for the terrible stroke of vengeaunce? God (sayth Vale­rius Maximus) hath feete of wooll, hee commeth slowlie to punish, but he hath handes of yron, when he commeth, he striketh sore. Phillip king of Macedonia, hearing of one in his kingdome, which refused most vnthankfully, to receaue a straunger, of whome before he had béene [Page]succoured in shyp-wracke in extréeme néede: For a woorthy punishment, cau­sed to be printed in his forehead, with an whotte yron, these wordes: Ingratus Hospes, An vnthankfull Guest. So we, by refusing his worde, may we not thinke our selues woor­thy of many whot yrons, to print our vnthankful­nes to our shame? Thus much for this part.

¶ Of auricular Confession.

THus much you haue heard (déerely belooued) tou­ching the sufficiencie of the worde of God: I haue prooued the sufficiencie thereof, bothe by the testimonies of the Scriptures, as also with the aucthority of the Doctors. Nowe I meane (God wylling) to confute auricular Confessi­on: bothe by Scriptures, Doctors, and Reasons.

The Papistes are not ashamed to say and write, that it is needefull for all [Page]men and women, and that it is necessa­rie for all that are come to the yéeres of discretion, to confesse to theyr ghostlie Father (maister popishe Préest) what­soeuer sinnes they haue committed. If they refuse so to doo, our holie Father the Pope, wyll hang them in a Rope, or send them to hell, in ringing Papa Io­annas Bell. If they could prooue by the Scriptures, auricular Confession to be lawfull and necessarie, to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes: then is it tolle­rable, yea, and commendable (in res­pect of obedience to the worde of God) to vse auricular Confession. But if Scriptures thereof, make no mention at all, but rather disprooue such whispe­ring of sinnes, in the eares of doltishe Préestes: I take such auricular Con­fession to be fonde, foolishe, and daunge­rous: Doost thou reade, O Christian man, that euer the Patriarches were woont to confesse their perticular sinnes to Préestes, as the Papistes doo at this tyme? dyd the Prophetes vse such au­ricular Confession? or did the Apostles, or dyd the Disciples, or dyd any of the Saintes of the primatiue Church, re­ueale [Page]in secreate wise theyr particular faultes to any Confessour, or to any Préest? I reade of none. If then the Patriarches, the Prophetes, In the Pri­matiue Church no confession euer heard of. the A­postles, the Disciples of Christe, the holy Saintes of the Primatiue Church, neuer vsed any auricular Confession: why then should wée? what example haue we to followe? what commaun­dement is there giuen vnto vs, to con­fesse our sinnes before the Préest? what lawe dooth charge vs, to recken vp all our sinnes? Is not sinne forgiuen, but vpon condition, that there be an intent conceyued to confesse it? where they bable that there remayneth no entrie into Paradise, if occasion of confession be neglected. Must all sinnes be rec­kened vp? but Dauid (as it is written Psalm. 19.13.) who as I thinke, had well studied vpon the confession of his sinnes, yet cryed out? Who shall vn­derstand my errors: Lord cleanse mee from my secrete sinnes. And in an o­ther place. Psalm. 28.15. My iniquities haue passed abooue my head, and lyke a weightie burden haue waxed heauy, a­booue my strength. Truely, he vnder­stoode, [Page]howe great was the bottomlesse depth of our sinnes: howe many were the sortes, of our mischéeuous dooinges: howe many heads, this monster Hydra dyd beare: and howe long a tayle shée drewe after her. Therefore he went not about to recken vp a register of them, but out of the depth of euyls, he cryed vnto the Lord: I am ouerwhelmed, I am buried and choaked: the gates of hell haue compassed me, let thy hand drawe me out, which am drowned in the great pitte, and am faynting and ready to die. Who now may thinke vpon the num­bring of his sinnes, when he séeeth that Dauid can make no nūber of his? After this rule of Dauid we sée, that the Pub­licans confession was made, whereof mention is made in the. 18. of Luke, and in the. 38. verse. [...]. Iesu, O sonne of Dauid, haue mercy vpon mee. Domine miserere mei peccato­ris. Lord be mercifull to me a sinner. As if he should say: All that euer I am, I am altogether a sinner: and I cannot attayne with witte, or expresse with tongue, the greatnesse of my sinnes to be confessed? let the bottomlesse depth of thy mercy, [Page]swallowe vp the bottomlesse depth of my sinne. But then the Papists wil say, what? are not all our sinnes to be cōfes­sed? is no cōfession acceptable to God, but y^e which is knit vp in these two words, (I am a sinner?) No, but rather we must endeuor our selues as much as in vs ly­eth, to powre out our heart before the Lord, & not onely in one word, confesse our selues sinners: but also truely & har­tely acknowledge our selues to be such, & with all our thought, record how great & diuers is our filth of sinnes, not onely that we be vnclene: but with how great, & in how many parts is our vncleānes: not only y^t we be debters, but with how great debts we be loden, & how many wayes charged: not only y^t we be woū ­ded, but also with howe many & deadly strokes we be wounded. With this re­knowledging, whē y^t sinner hath wholy powred out him self before God, let him earnestly & sincerely thinke, y^t yet there remaine mo sins, & that y^t secret corners of their euils are so déepe, y^t they can not throughly be disclosed, & he cryeth out w^t Dauid. Psa. 19.31. Who vnderstādeth my errors? Lord clēase me frō my hiddē sins.

Howe where the Papistes affyrme, that sinnes are not forgiuen, but with an intent of confessing, firmelie concey­ued, and that the gate of Paradise is shut against him that neglecteth occasi­on offered, when he may be consessed: God forhid that we should graunt them that, for there is no other forginenesse of sinnes, then alway hath héene. It is not read, that all they who haue confessed theyr sinnes, in the eare of some Préest, that they haue onely therefore obtained forgiuenesse of sinnes at Christes hand: And truely they could not cōfesse, where there were neyther Préestes, con­fessours, nor any confessing at all. And in many ages after, this confession was vnheard of, at which time, sinnes were forgiuen without this condition. But that we may not néede to dispute longer about this, as about a doubtfull matter: the word of God is plaine, which aby­deth for euer: Whensoeuer the sinner re­penteth (sayth Christ, by the Prophete Ezechiel. Chap. 18.21.) I will no more re­member all his iniquities. He that dare adde any thing to this word, bindeth not sinnes, but the mercie of God: for wher­as [Page]they say, that iudgement can not be giuen, but when the cause is heard, we haue a solution in readinesse, that they do presumptuously take that vpon them selues, which haue made them selues Iudges. And it is a meruaile that they doo so boldlie frame to them selues such principles, as no man in his right witte wyll graunt. They boast that the office of binding and loosing, is committed to them, as though it were a certaine iu­risdiction ioyned with Inquisition.

Moreouer, theyr whole doctrine cryeth out: that this aucthority was vnknown to the Apostles: Neither dooth it belong to the Préest, but to him which desireth absolution, to knowe certainly whether the sinner be loosed or not. For as much as he that heareth, can neuer knowe whether the reckoning be iust and per­fect: so should there be no absolution, but such as is restrained to his words, that is, to be iudged. The Lord crieth out by Esai. Chap. 43.15. It is I, It is I, that doo put away iniquities, for mine owne sake, and will not be mindfull of thy sinnes.

Dooth he not openly declare, that he fet­cheth the cause & foundation of forgiue­nesse [Page]onely from his owne goodnesse? Moreouer, whereas the whole Scrip­ture beareth witnesse of Christe: That forgiuenesse of sinnes, is to be receyued by the name of Iesus Christe, as it is written in the Actes of the Apostles, Chap. 10.43. Dooth it not therby exclude all other names? howe then doo they teach, that it is receyued by the name of satisfactions? For whereas the Scrip­ture sayth, By the name of Christe: it meaneth that we bring nothing, we al­leadge nothing of our owne: but rest vpon the foundation of Christe. As Paul 2. Corin. 5.19. where as he affyrmeth: That God is reconciling the worlde to him selfe in Christe, for his sake, not im­puting to men their sinnes. He immedi­atly she weth the meane & manner how: Because he that was without sinne, was made sinne for vs. S. Iohn sayth, 1. Epi. 2. Cha. [...]. My babes, these thinges write I vnto you, that yee sinne not: and if any man sinne, we haue an aduocate with the father, Iesus Christ [Page]the iuste. And he is the reconciliation for our sinnes, and not for ours onely, but al­so for the sinnes of the whole world.

And in the. 12. verse: Lyttle chyldren, I write vnto you, because your sinnes are forgiuen you for his names sake. In the first Chapter of S. Iohn: the same-E­nangelist there writeth. I [...]. Beholde the Lambe of God, that taketh away the sinnes of the world. He taketh them away (sayth he) him selfe, and none other: That is so say, For as much as he alone is the Lambe of God, he alone is the oblation for sinnes. He alone the propitiation and sacrifice, he alone the satisfaction.

Nowe let vs sée what the Doctours write, and speake against auricular Cō ­fession. Chrisostome, which was also Bishoppe of Constantinople. Homil. a. in Psalm. 50. dooth in so many places eui­dently testifie, that it is meruayle, that the Papists dare mutter so the cōtrary. Tell (saith he) thy sinnes, that thou maist doo them away: if thou be ashamed to tell any man the sinnes that thou hast done, tell them dayly in thy soule.

I doo not say, confesse them to thy fel­lowe seruaunt, that may reproch thee: but tell them to God that taketh care of them Confesse thy sinnes vpon thy bed, that there thy conscience may daily re­cognise her euyls. Againe: Serm. De pe­nitentia. Et confessi. Hom. 5. But it is not necessarie to confesse, when witnesses be present: let the examination of thy sins be done within thy thought. Let this iudgement be without witnesse: let one­ly God, see thee confessing. Againe: De incomprehen Dei, nam contra anomaeos. I doo not leade thee (sayth Chrisostome) in­to a stage of thy fellowe seruaunts: I doo not compell thee to disclose thy sinnes to men, rehearse and vtter thy conscience before God. Shewe thy woundes to the Lord, the best surgion, and aske salue of him: shewe to him that will reproche thee with nothing, but will most gentlie heale thee. Againe: Hom. 4. De Lazaro. Tell not man, least he reproch thee, for neither is it to be confessed to thy fellow seruant, that may vtter it abroade: but to the Lord. To the Lord shew thy woūds, which hath care of thee: that is bothe a gentle, and sweet Phisition. After warde [Page]he bringeth in God, speaking thus. I compell thee not to come into the mids of a stage, and call many witnesses: tell thy sin alone to me priuately, that I may heale thy sore. Shall we say, that Chri­sostome dyd so rashlie (when he wrote this & other lyke thinges) that he would delyuer mens consciences from these bondes, wherwith they be bound by the lawe of God? Not so, but he dare not require that, as of necessitie, which he dooth not vnderstand to be commaūded by the worde of God. If auricular Con­fession were the lawe of God how durst Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople re­pell and destroye the same? Wyll they accuse for an heretique and scismatique, Nectarius a holy man of God, allowed by the consenting voyces of all the olde Fathers? but by the same sentence they must condempne the Church of Con­stantinople, in which Sozomenus affyr­meth, That the manner of confessing was not only let slip for a tyme, but al­so discontinewed, euentyll within time of his remembraunce. Yea, let them condempne of apostasie, not onely the Church of Constantinople: but also all [Page]the East Churches, which haue neglec­ted that Lawe, which (if they say true) is inuiolable, & commaūded to all Chri­stians. I could alleadge many places out of Ambrose, Augustine, Hierom, and Chrisostome, if the tyme would permyt: Wherfore the aucthority of Chrisostom against auricular Confession, the hea­ring of the godlie may satisfie. I will procéede nowe farther, to disprooue auri­cular Confession, by reason. First, I de­maund, howe can the Préest or Confes­sour, absolue me of my sinnes, who hath néede of absolution him selfe? can he par­don my sinnes, that can not pardon his owne? Moreouer, if he that confesseth be a naughly man, and hath cōmitted some notorious fact, he will be affrayd to con­fesse the same in the eare of the Préest, least he be so lewde, as to reueale his confession: & so by that meanes the party that confesseth, may dispayre of his sal­uation, onely for y^t he made his cōfession vnperfect, not discouering all the faults which he had cōmitted: besides that, the Préest may ioyne him such a penaunce, that the partie confessed to accomplishe may refuse: and so may forsake all hope [Page]of saluation. But that I may speake a word merely, and peraduenture say no more then y^e truth is: I take the cause of confession to be this, that Préests béeing vnmaried (and were sworne to doo as y^e Fore dyd, to fast when he got no meate, and so they to be chaste, The craftie deuise of Preestes, to coullor their kna­uerie. when they got no Concubines,) might in hearing the confession of many, knowe who were most inclined and prone to carnall de­lectation. And shée that were found such a one, should heare in stéede of, Absoluo te nomine patris, &c. These wordes, Absoluo te nomine Papae, Concubinae, et nothi. I ab­solue thee, in the name of the Pope, his Concubine, and bastard, that thou com­mest to my bed this night. I will prooue this to be the cause of auricular Confes­sion by an example. In the tyme of king Henrie the. 8, A prettie tale of a Preest and his Lem­man. as I vnderstoode by many y^e tolde me the same exāple which nowe I vtter vnto you: There was a Préest héere in England, that got a very fayre Gentlewomā, in hearing her cōtession, & in stéede of absolution, to be his waigh­ting-maid: This préest fearing lest that this Gentlewomās husband should (not finding his wife at home) serch for her in [Page]his Parsonage or Vicarage (I can not tell which:) he tooke him a goodlie and a lustie Gelding, and rode foorth, hauing his woman behinde him the most parte of the night, vntyll he had found a shéep­heards lodge, where he rested himselfe a whyle. But when they were merie at supper: the Kings Trumpetter hauing repayred thither, bothe for that he was gone out of the way, and knew not how farre be had to any lodging, and also for that it rayned apace: reposed him selfe vpon a hey mowe, which was in the same lodge, in a corner distant from the Preést and his woman. The blacke Moorian Trumpetter, spying some in the shéepheardes lodge, and making ioy­fully good chéere, sounded out his Trum­pette: the Préest and his woman loo­king on him, and séeing his face so black, thought him to be the Deuill, they ran away on foote, & left all things behinde: the Trumpetter loste nothing by that shifte. Behold the fruites of confession. The Préest beguiled the woman belike, in telling her that shee could not be saued, vnlesse shée would consent vn­to his vnhonest request: Wherefore, in lyke manner he was deceiued, in taking [Page]the Moorian to be the Deuill.

What great inconueniences haue growen out of auricular Confession, Confession the cause of whoredom. daylie experience taught the same. The Préest hath the burning heate of fleshly luste extinguished, the Daughter is de­filed, and the Matrone is at the Préests berke & commaundement. Mens sinnes oftentymes by the Préestes, haue béene discouered, great enmitie, discentions, and bloody Combates, procéeded there­of. To auoide these occasions of euils, (whereof auricular Confession is the cause) good it were and profitable, no more to reueale our sinnes to the Prée­stes.

Thus haue I bréeflie disprooued au­ricular Confession, both by Scriptures, Doctours, and Reasons. Nowe I pur­pose (God willing) to procéede farther, to other principall pointes of Religion: which be in controuersie betwéene vs and the Papistes. Let this suffice for auricular Confession, more at large could I haue spoken thereof▪ But as the common prouerbe is, Quod satis est suffi­cit, Enough is as good as a feast: Suffi­ciencie suffiseth.

¶ Of Faith.

TO speake of Faith, for as much as it importeth not onely y^e confidence which we haue in God: but in as much as it includeth also with that cōfidence, the very know­ledge of God, wheron dependeth, Faith, Hope, and Charitie, according to the iudgement of Saint Paule. Hebr. 11. [...]. Faith is the ground of thinges which are hoped for, and the euidence of things which are not seene. Therefore Faith is not (as many doo thinke) a certayne obscure lyght of God, and a certayne trifling and friuolous opinion: but it is an euident lyght, a certayntie and assu­raunce of the minde, and a cléere shy­ning, which béeing our guide, we sée that God is so mightie, wise and good, that he can, that he knoweth howe, and that he wyll saue vs. Therefore, with a sure and stedfast confidence, we put our trust in him, repose and cast our [Page]selues whollie vpon him. Faith is the sheeld, wherewith we quench all the fie­rie dartes of the wicked. Ephe. 6.16. And againe: Faith is the mouth, bellie and stomacke, by the which we feede on the body and blood of Christe, beeing at the right hand of his Father in heauen. Iohn. 6.56.57. And againe: Faith is the ladder that reacheth vp to heauen, and by which euen nowe, we remayne and sitte in the heauenly places with Christ. Ephe. 2.6. Faith is the hand by which we take holde of Christe, in whome is performed all the promises of God to his elect. 2. Cor. 1.20: Faith is that weapō, by which we ouercome the world, the end wherof is the saluatiō of our soules. Faith is a cleare and effectual persuasion, wrought, not in the bodily eares, but in the eares of the heart, not by men, but by the holy ghost, wherby we are made cer­taine and sure to be the sonnes of God. Faith (as it is written in the. 8. Cha. to y^e Rom.) is a firme, cōstant, and perseuering trust, in the boūtifulnes of God. Faith is a lyght, which lyfteth vp, & rauisheth a­boue all sensible things, and beyond that any man is not able to make discourse. [Page]to comprehende the breadth, length, height, and depth of those things which are to vs incomprehensible with natu­rall eyes. Faith is a cleere eye of the mind, wherewith, pearcing through the hea­uens, we doo see the diuine secretes of God. Faith is a quickening, cleere and fiery lyght, which purgeth our heartes and delyuereth vs from the darke and inextricable Laborinthes of the vaine shadowes of this worlde: by which we guide our blinde reason, and are lyfted vp to an high estate: so that by the taste of heauenly thinges, we despise humane thinges. Roma. 4. Faith maketh vs to conceiue Christe spirituallie, and by force of the spirite to be borne againe, with lyfting vs vp vnto God: it maketh vs put of the olde Adam and his concupis­cences, and to put on Christe with his vertues, and to become of vngodlie, iust temples of God, and his chyldren, bro­thers, and members of Christe. Faith iustifieth, pacifieth the minde and con­science, maketh merie, causeth to re­ioyce, and in such sort, that we glory euen in shame. This faith is such, that it reneweth vs, regenerateth vs, quic­keneth, [Page]maketh noble, enritcheth, sa­ueth, sanctifieth, preserueth, defendeth, and obteyneth that which it demaun­deth. Faith knitteth vs to God, ma­keth vs his heyres and Children, the brothers of Christe, and his members, yea, it maketh vs diuine and happy.

Faith is that which in Abell made him offer Sacrifices, acceptable to God: In Noe, caused him to frame the Arke, for the sauegarde of the worlde: Made Sara to conceyue, and that Abra­ham offred his owne sonne to God: Cau­sed Moses to worke so many woonders in Egipt, and in the wyldernesse. Faith made the Prophets to speake, loosed the tongue of Zacharias, and saued men in daunger: made Simeon, not to feare death: also, made Paule to wishe for it. This in the Saintes caused them (o­uercomming the world) that they haue wrought woonderfull thinges, through looue.

But what néede I speake any more? Faith is a vertue, so noble, excellent, and woorthy, that howe much the more a man considereth of it: so much the more wyll it discouer the perfection. [Page]Therefore, he which hath tasted it, wyll neuer be satisfied, with speaking in prayse thereof. Whereas those which neuer haue felt, nor tried it in them selues, can as much speake thereof, as one that is blinde can discerne of coul­lours, yea, if those speake of it, as those which be carnall and brutishe: they doo not vnderstand it, nor knowe the excel­lencie thereof.

He that hath this liuely Faith, wherof the scripture, in sundry places speaketh, and so highlie commendeth, with so ma­ny tytles, before specified: he is sure to be iustified, he is sure to be saued. This faith made Abraham righteous. Gen. 15.6. By this faith, the iust lyueth. Haba. 2.4. This faith made the woman whole, to whome Iesus sayde: Confide filia, fides tua saluam te fecit. Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. [...], Be not afrayde, (Saith Luke, in the [...]. Chapt. 48. verse) Beleeue onely. And he sayde to the woman: H [...]. [Page] Thy Fayth hath saued thee, goe in peace.

To him giue all the Prophetes wit­nesse: That through his name, all that beleeue in him, shall receyue re­mission of sinnes. Actes. 10.43. And put no difference betwéene vs, and them, after that by fayth, hee had purified theyr heartes.

There is no dyfference: For all haue sinned, (Sayth Saint Paule. Roma. 3.23.) and are depriued of the glorie of GOD: and are iustified freelie, by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christe Iesus.

Therefore wée conclude, that a man is iustified by Faith, without the workes of the Lawe: but to him that worketh not, but beléeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodlye, his Faith is coumpted for ryghteous­nesse, wée béeing iustified by Faith, wée haue peace towards God, through Iesus Christe.

Knowe that a man is not iusti­fyed, by the workes of the Lawe, but by the Fayth of Iesus Christe: [Page]Euen as I saye, we haue beleeued in Ie­sus Christe, that we might be iustified by the faith of Iesus Christe, and not by the workes of the Lawe: Because that by the workes of the Lawe, no flesh shall be iustified. Gala. 2.16.

Againe, if righteousnesse be by the law, then Christe dyed without a cause: And that no man is iustified by the lawe, in the sight of God, it is euident: For the iust shall liue by faith. Gala. 3. By grace are ye saued through faith, Sayth Paule to the Ephe. 2.8. and that not of your selues, it is the gifte of God. The scripture hath included all vnder sinne, that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christe, should be giuen to them that beléeue.

Origene writeth, in his thirde Booke, and third Chapter, to the Romaines, that Saint Paule by these wordes: A rbi­tramur enim iustificari hominem absque o­peribus legis: We suppose therfore, that man is iustified by faith, without the workes of the lawe. Affyrmeth that the iustification, Solae fidei, Of faith onely: is sufficient, so that any man beléeuing onely, can be iustified: although no man­ner [Page]of worke hath béene fulfilled, or done by him. And if we require an ex­ample, who was iustified (Sola fide) By faith onely, without workes: I suppose that the same Théefe dooth suffise, who when he was crucified with Christe, did crye vnto him frō the Crosse: Lord Iesu, remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome. Neither any good worke of his is described, or set foorth vnto vs in the Gospels: but for (Hāc solā fidē) This faith onely. Iesus sayde vnto him: Verelie, I saye vnto thee: this daye shalt thou be with mee in. Paradise. This Théefe then was iustified by faith, with out the workes of the lawe. For the Lord dyd not vpon this requyre, what he had wrought before, neyther dyd he looke what worke he should doo after he did beléeue: but béeing ready to enter in­to Paradise, he tooke him for his waigh­ting-man, béeing iustified by that con­fession onely.

Hesichius, in his fowrth Booke, and first Chapter vpon Leuiticus, saith: That the grace of God, is giuen onely of mer­cie and fauour: and is embraced and receyued (Sola fide) by onely fayth.

Hierome, vpon the tenth Chapter to the Romaines. They not knowing that God iustifieth (Sola fide) by Faith one­ly,) and suppose them selues to be iust, by the workes of the lawe, which they neuer obserued, they would not submit them selues vnto the remission of sinnes, least they should seeme to haue beene sinners. Hillarie, in the ninth Canon vpon the. 8. of Mathewe. It mooueth the Scribes, that sinne was forgiuen by man, for they dyd onely beholde man in Christe Iesu, and that to be forgiuen of him, which the lawe could not release, (Fides enim sola iustificat) For faith only iustifieth. Basill, in his Homilie of Hu­mility. That at length is a perfect and sound reioycing in God, when a man dooth not bragge and boast of his owne righteousnesse, he is iustified (Sola fide) By faith onely in Christe. Thus haue I recited, bothe Scriptures and Doc­tours, for proofe that a man is iustified onely by Faith: more places out of the Scriptures and Doctours, might be gathered: But these may suffise for this matter.

¶ Of Free wyll.

I Wyll prooue bothe by Scriptures and Doc­tours, that frée wyll was giuen vnto man euen before his fall, & after his fall. That man had frée wyll be­fore his fall, these testimonies of the Scriptures alleadged, doo testifie the same. In Genesis the first Chapter, and 26. verse, there it is written. Et ait De­us, faciamus hominem ad imaginem et simi­litudinem nostram, et praesit piscibus maris, et volatilibus caeli, et bestijs vniuersae (que) terrae, omnique reptili quòd mouetur in ter­ra. God sayd: let vs make man in our owne Image, according to our likenesse, and let him rule ouer the Fishes of the sea, and ouer the Fowles of the heauen, and ouer the Beastes, and ouer all the earth, and ouer euerie thing that cree­peth, and mooueth on the earth.

If hee had rule ouer the Beastes of the féelde, of the Fowles of the ayre, and of the Fishes of the Sea: [Page]he had then frée wyll. And whereas it is written, That God made man to his own image: It is not meant of the body, nor yet of the soule, but of principallitie & dominion. In the. 2. Chap. of Gen it is written. Tulit ergo Domnus Deus homi­nem, et posuit eum in Paradisum voluptatis, vt operaretur, et custodiret illum, praecepit­que ei dicens: ex omni ligno Paradisicom­edes. Then the Lord God tooke the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, that he might dresse it, and keepe it: and the Lord God commaunded the man, saying: thou shalt eat freely of eue­rie Tree of the garden. By these words I gather, that séeing it was graunted by God to man, to eate of euerie Trée of the garden: then had he frée wyll to doo as he would, to eate or not to eate.

Againe, Ecclesi. 15.14. Deus ab initio cōstituit hominem, et reliquit illum in manu consilij sui, adiecit mandata, et praecepta sua: si volueris mandata seruare, conserua­bunt te. &c. He made man from the be­ginning, and left him in the hand of his counsell, and gaue him his commaunde­mentes and preceptes: if thou wilt, thou shalt obserue the commaundementes, [Page]and testifie thy good wyll. You sée that frée wyll was graunted vnto man, be­fore his fall. God created him, and left him in the hand of his counsell, to doo what he would, he had his owne choise, eyther to the eating of euerie Trée of the garden, and so to lyue eternallie in pleasures, delightes, ioye, rest, and qui­etnesse: or to eate of the Trée of know­ledge, of good and bad, and so to become mortall, to léese his former state, to be­come myserable, wretched, a caitife, sub­iect to death, hell, and dampnation.

Againe, in the same Chap. of Eccle. 15.17. Apposuit tibi aquam et ignem, ad quod volueris porrige manum tuam. And in the 18. verse. Ante hominem vita et mors, bo­num et malum, quod placuerit ci dabitur illi. He hath set water, and fire before thee, stretch out thy hand vnto which thou wilt: Before man is life and death, good and euyll: what it lyketh him, it shall be giuen him. Héere we sée moste manifestly, that man had frée wyll be­fore his fall. For if the first man Adam could haue chosen, eyther lyfe or death, good or euyll: who can with reason de­nie, but that he had frée wyll? For frée [Page]wyll is nothing else, but a frée and loose lybertie of the minde, to doo as he lyst. Our Parentes, An euident signe of free wyll, Adam and Eue, might haue lyued▪ but they would not. Adam and Eue had theyr choyse, eyther to lyue, or to dye, to lyue and to doo good, obseruing his commaundement, and to dye if they would doo euyll, neglec­ting his precept. They followed the counsell of the Serpent, in eating the fruite forbidden, and so offended Gods Maiestie.

Wherefore, it appeareth by these wordes, that they had frée wyll to doo as they were commaunded, and so to lyue in Paradise: or to breake the commaū ­dement of God, and so to dye, bannished out of Paradise. Eccle. 17.1. Deus crea­uit de terra hominem, et iterum conuertit illum in ipsam. The Lord hath created man of the earth, and turned him to it againe. Numerum dierum, et tempus dedit illi, &c. He gaue him the number of dayes, and certaine tymes, and gaue him power of the thinges that are vpon earth. He cloathed him with strength, as he had néede: and made him accor­ding to his Image. He made all fleshe [Page]to feare him, so that he had dominion ouer the Beastes and Fowles. He created vnto him a helper, lyke vnto him selfe, and gaue him discretion, and tongue, and eyes, cares, and an heart to vnderstand: and sixtlie, he gaue him a spirite: and seuenthly, he gaue him spéeche to declare his workes: and he filled him with knowledge, of good and euyll. And he sayde vnto him, Be­ware of all vnrighteous thinges.

Wisd. 23. Deus creauit hominem inex­terminabilem, et adimaginem similitudinis sue fecitillum. God created man with­out corruption, and made him after the Image of his owne lykenesse.

Coloss. 3.9. Lye not one to an other, seeing that yee haue put off the olde man, with his workes, and haue put on the newe, which is renewed in knowledge, after the Image of him that created him. Ephesi. 4.23. Be yee renewed in the spirite of your minde. 24. And put on the newe man, which after GOD is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse.

Omnes homines, (Sayth Ambrose in his first Booke, and third Chapter, of the calling of the Gentiles) in primo homine creati sunt sine vicio et culpa, et tota natura nostra integra et valida erat, et peccato istius hominis, totius nostrae naturae integritatem et salutem amisimus. All men in the first man were created, without vice or faulte, and all our nature was sounde and in health: and by the sinne of the same man, we haue lost it. Augustine in the booke of the new Song, the. 8. Chapter. Free will before the fall, was an vpright free will: before which, fire and water was layde of God, and the first man dyd reach his hand to which he would, he dyd chuse fire, and forsooke water. Sée the righ­teous Iudge, the same which man bée­ing frée, he dyd chuse, he dyd receyue: he would haue euyll, and the same dyd fol­lowe him. Againe, in his second dispu­tation, against Fortunatus: Dico liberam in eo primo homine fuisse voluntatem, sic e­nim creatus erat primus homo, vt volun [...] tati suae nihil resistere potuit, si Dei man [...] data obsernasset: Sed quando sua sponte deliquisset, omnes nos ex sua stirpe prog­natos in necessitatem duxit. I saye, [Page]that free wyll was in that man, which was created first, for he was so made, that nothing could withstand his will, if hee would haue kepte Gods com­maundementes: but after that he had sinned through free wyll, he dyd cast vs (all that came out of his stocke) into ne­cessitie. In his second Sermon vpon the wordes of the Apostle. It is true, that man, when he was made, did receiue great strength of free wyll, but he dyd loose it by sinne againe. In the same Booke, and. 11. Chapter. The first man was created in nature, without blame in nature, without fault, he was created vp­right: he dyd not make him selfe vp­right, it is knowen what he made him selfe, falling out of the hand of the pot­ter, he was broken, for he that made him, dyd gouerne him, but he was wyl­ling to forsake him that had made him, and God suffered him so to do, as it were saying thus. Let him forsake mee, that he may finde him selfe, and that he may by his myserie prooue, that without me he can doo nothing. By this meane therefore, would God shewe vnto man, what frée wyll is able to doo without [Page]God. Certò scias, (Sayth S. August.) et ne ambigas, quòd primi nostri parentes A­dam et Eua creati erant boni, iusti, et sine peccato, cum libera voluntate, qua potuerūt si voluissent, seruire, et obedire humilitate et libera voluntate, et cum illa libera volun­tate poterant, si voluissent, propria sua na­tura peccare. Hold this for certainty, and doubt of it by no meanes: that our first Parentes, Adam and Eue, were created good, iust, and without sinne, with free wyll, by the which they might, if they would serue and obey, with humilitie, and good wyll: and by the same free wyll, also might if they would, sinne by their owne proper wyll. Againe, in his booke of Nature and Grace, against the Pellagians. Chap. 45. Who knoweth not, that man was made sounde, and blamelesse, and with free wyll to lyue godlie, and was ordayned with a free power, and choyse to lyue righteously.

Againe, in his booke against the Iewes, Pagans, and Arrians. Chapter. 2. The first man was made of the slyme of the earth, to the Image of GOD: he was decked with shamefastnesse: he was prepared with temperaunce: he was [Page]compassed about with looue: he was cloathed with immortalitie. In his 22. Booke. and thirtie Chapter, of the Cittie of God. Free wyll was giuen to man, when he was first created, by the which he might haue chosen, eyther to sinne, or not to sinne.

Thus much you haue heard out of Scriptures and Doctours, teaching frée wyll, before the fall of Adam and Eue.

Nowe wyll I speake a little of mans free wyll after his fall. Videns autent Dominus, quòd multa malitia hominum es­set in terra, et cuncta cogitatio cordis in­tenta esset ad malum omni tempore. The Lord sawe, that the wickednesse of man was great in earth, and all the imagi­nations of the thoughtes of his heart, were onely euyll continually. Gene. 6.5. Nequaquam vltrà maledicam terrae prop­ter homines, sensus enim et cogitatio huma­ni cordis in malum prona sunt, ab adolescen­tia sua. And the Lord sayde in his heart, I wyll hencefoorth curse the ground no more for mans cause, for the imaginations of mans heart is euyll, euen from his youth. Gene. 8.21.

And moreouer, it is writtē in the Ps. 14.3 Hachol sariachdau, geelachu en garu­echad: [...]. Vnusquisque declinauit, vnanimiter deteriores facti sunt, non est qui faciat bonum: ne vnus quidem. All are gone out of the way, they are all cor­rupt: there is none that dooth good, no not one. And in the. 49. Psalm. Adam bicharvelo, iafin gimshal, chabeche­mods gidmu: [...]. Homo in honore, et sine intellectu: comparatus est iumentis, quae intereūt. Man is in honour, and vnderstandeth not: he is lyke to beastes, that perishe. Ambrose in his Booke of the calling of the Gen­tiles, the thyrd Chapter. All men in the first man, were created without fault or vice, and all our natures were in health, but by the transgression of the same man, we haue lost it. There hence is drawen mortalitie: there hence are so many corruptions of the minde: there [Page]hence is ignoraunce, and difficultie, vnprofitable and vnlawfull concupis­cence, &c. These therefore and other euyls, breake into our nature by lost faith, forsaken hope, blinde wisedome, bound wyll, no man dooth finde in him selfe, wherewith he may be repayred or amended. That nature was good, was made euyll by qualitie, man may not therefore trust in his owne strength, for when it was whole and sound, it could not stand, but must séeke victorie by him which can not be ouercome, but dooth o­uercome all thinges. Saint Augustine vpon the Psalm. 118. When I was igno­rant, God did teach me: when I did erre, Note: PLACE="marg" A notable instruction for all men to remem­ber. God did reduce me: when I did sinne, God did correct me: when I did fall, God did rayse me: when I did stand, God did holde me: when I did goe, God did leade me: when I came to him, he did receyue me. The Soule (sayth Guilielmus Parisiensis, in his booke of the sum of Vices and Vertues) is in such manner let downe into the body, as if a man should fall into a mierie deepe, and stony place, and so should bothe be drowned, arayed with myre, and also be [Page]hurt. So by originall sinne, we are drowned in the darknesse of ignorance, wée are defiled with lustes and concu­pisense: and we are wounded, as tou­ching the powers and faculties of the minde. At this tyme, touching this matter of frée wyll, before the fall of our first Parents, Adam and Eue, and after theyr fall, wyll I speake no more, but héere make an ende. I wyll prosecute the other poyntes of Religion, in order as I purposed to handle them.

¶ Against Purgatorie, and pray­ing for the dead.

THe Papistes (déerely be­looued) are verie busie, kéepe much babling, and vse many cyrcumstaun­ces of talke, to defend theyr fayned Purgatorie, theyr paper walles, and paynted fires. They prate verie much, but prooue lyttle, yea, no­thing that is to the trueth they alledge. [Page]They are not afrayde (so impudent and shamelesse they are) to say that Pur­gatorie standeth with the Scriptures, The great impudencie of the Pa­pistes, in al­leadging their Pur­gatorie. and also was allowed by the olde wry­ters, of the anncient and Catholique Church. This they can not verifie, by all the Canonicall Scriptures, neyther that it was allowed in the primatiue Church, that we ought to beléeue that there is a Purgatorie. Therefore bothe King Henrie the eight, and also King Edward the sixt: with all the learned and godly Clergie of England: in ta­king away the vaine and erronious do­ctrine of popishe Purgatorie, and in a­bolishing or putting downe the Massing Sacrifices for the dead, forbydding dir­ges, and other lyke trumperie, to be v­sed any more, dyd most Catholiquely, and Christianlike. If theyr sayinges in this matter, touching Purgatorie, and praying for the dead, doo agrée with the Scriptures, and be grounded vpon Gods worde, we wyll take them for an vndoubted, and infallible trueth: If not, we wyll followe the counsell of the blessed Apostle Saint Paule, who writeth on this manner:

If an Angell from heauen should preach vnto you any other Gospel besides that, that ye haue receyued, let him be accur­sed. Yea, we wyll followe the coun­sell of the olde auncient writers them­selues, of whome Ireneus, writing a­gainst Valentinus, and other lyke here­tiques, sayth plainely thus: Scripturis diuinis niti, quaecerta et indubitata veritas est, in firma et valida petra est domum suam edificare: hac verò derelicta, alys niti quibusi dam doctrinis, effusae arenae (vnde facilis e­uersio est) do mum suam inaedificare. That is to say: To leane vpon the holy Scrip­tures, which are the sure and vndoubted trueth, is to builde his house vpon a sure and strong rocke: but if leauing it (I meane the trueth of the Scriptures,) any man dooth sticke to some other Doctors, the same is to builde his house vpon the vnstedfast sande, where it shall easily fall.

Séeing then that the canonicall scrip­tures, make no mention at all of Pur­gatorie, or of praying for the dead: if we should followe the doctrine of men in this poynt, leauing the infallible worde of God, wherein all thinges that per­tayne to the saluation, of all soules and [Page]bodies, be most sufficently set foorth and comprehended: were it not I pray you, according to Ireneus saying: To builde vpon the vnstedfast sande? Saint Am­brose cryeth out, saying: Nos noua omnia, quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus, quia fidelibus via Christus est: si igitur Chri­stus non docuit, quod docemus, etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus: We doo by right condemne all newe thinges, that Christe hath not taught, for Christe vnto the faithfull is the way: if therefore Christe hath not taught this that we teach, we doo also iudge it detestable.

Except then, they can prooue, that Christe, who is the way vnto the faith­full, dyd teach vs in his Gospell & word, to beléeue that there is Purgatorie, and that it is requisite to pray for them, that be departed out of this lamētable maze of myserie: We wyll be so bolde with Saint Ambrose, to iudge, coumpt, and recken, that doctrine which teacheth vs to beléeue that there is Purgatorie, and exhorteth vs to pray for the dead, to be most detestable and deuillishe, who so­euer be Author of it, though it were an Angell from heauen. Let vs doo what [Page]we can héere in this world to gaine e­ternall lyfe: for doubtlesse after this life departed, Prayer or Masse may say, Re­quiescat in pace: Not all the Papisticall incātations, or exorsisms can help vs after we be dead. but may nothing helpe vs in glory, to beholde Gods face, héere during life, perpetuall ioy is wonne, or euerlasting sorrowe is gotten. Fasting, nor almose déedes, repentance, nor righ­teousnesse, good nor euyll can neyther profite or hurt after our death. Lazarus cōmeth not vnto the ritch, nor the ritch vnto Lazarus: the ritch receyueth not the thing that he dooth aske, though he dooth aske it with earnest praiers of the mercifull Abraham. For the Garners & Sellers he made faste, the time is accō ­plished & past, the battaile foughten, and the place thereof emptie and voide, the Crownes are giuen: they y^t haue fough­ten, are at rest, they that haue not pre­uented or come before, are gone: they that haue not foughtē, he no more there, & they that haue beene ouercommed, are driuen out. For all thinges are plainlie consumated and ended, by and by after the departing out of this world: but whyles they be yet all in the conflict or battaile: there is yet hope, there is a [Page]medicine and confession. And although these things be not in all men most per­fect, yet the saluation of other is not without hope. And vnto this Saint Hierome dooth agrée, writing on this manner, in his. 13, question. 2. Chapter. In praesenti seculo scimus, siue orationibus, siue consilijs, inuicem nos inuari posse: cum autem ante tribunal Christi venerimus, nec Iob, nec Daniel, nec Noah rogare posse pro quoquam, sed vnum quemque por­tare onus suum. We knowe, that in this worlde, we can be helped, one of an other, either with prayers, or with coun­sayle: but after we be come once before the iudgement seate of Christe, neyther Iob, nor Daniel, nor Noah, be able to pray for any body, but euerie man shall beare his owne burden.

And vppon the ninth Chapter of Ec­clesiastes, these be his wordes. Pec­cator viuens, iusto mortuo, si voluerit in eius virtutes transire, melior esse po­test. Quare? quia viuentes metu mortis possunt bona opera perpetrare: mortui verò nihil valent ad id adijcere, quod secum tulere de vita. A sinner yet ly­uing, may be better, then a righteous [Page]man that is dead, if he wil follow his ver­tues. And wherfore? for that they that be alyue, may for feare of death, doo yet good deedes: but they that be dead, are able to doo nothing vnto that, which they haue once borne away out of this lyfe with them.

Therfore, it is wisedome to make our selues ready afore, and to prepare oyle for our Lampes, that is to say, to gette vnto vs a liuely faith, working through charitie, dooing good déedes whyle we haue tyme, for when we be once gone, there is no more tyme of well dooing, of repentaunce, or of amendment of lyfe: the gate of mercie is shut, we can adde nothing vnto that, that we haue once caried away with vs out of this world. Oh that this would sinke into mennes hearts, I would to God this would be remembred of all men. oh that they would remember this, then we would not trust and haue affiaunce in the good workes of other men: we would not be to séeke, and buie oyle, when it is more tyme to goe in with the Bridegroome, least it should be sayde vnto vs: Verelie I say vnto you, I knowe you not. Watch ye therefore, for ye knowe not the howre, when the [Page]sonne of man shall come. Put not your trust in the prayers, and dirges of po­pish Préestes: the crowne of glorie, is héere eyther lost or wonne: Euerlasting saluation is héere prouided for, by the due worshipping of God, and the fruits of Faith. Nowe grace is graunted, craue and haue, be bolde and feare not: nowe is the tyme, of obtayning eternall blessednesse: nowe is the day of Iubylie: nowe is the gate open vnto pardon and forgiuenesse, and they that séeke the trueth, shall haue an easie accesse vnto it. Nowe pray while you haue tyme vnto God for your sinnes, God graunt vs to vse this time, to his glorie, & our soules health. who is the true and onely God, call vpon him with a faithfull confession, & acknowledging both of your offences, and of your state cōsidering: Thus confessing & beléeuing, we haue frée pardon and forgiuenesse giuen and graūted vnto vs, of the méere goodnesse and mercy of God. While we haue tyme, let vs therefore doo good, for béeing once departed out of this lyfe, re­pentance is too late. Ciprianus, Trac­tatu primo contra Demetrianum, Sayth: Quando hinc excessum fuerit, nullus iam locus poenitentiae est, nullus satisfacti­onis [Page]effectus. Hic vita aut amittitur aut te­netur, hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei, et fructu fidei prouidetur, &c. That is to say: Af­ter we be once departed out of this lyfe, there is no more place of repentaunce, there is no more effect or working of sa­tisfaction, it is but in vaine, that your freendes should pray for you. It is but follie, that Préestes should sing a Requi­em for your soules, seeing that theyr prayers and dirges profit nothing at all. There is in sundrie places of the Scrip­tures of heauen and hell expresse menti­on: but of Purgatorie, no spéeche at all. Purgatorie for lucre sake, of late yéeres was inuented. How often is it written in the Scriptures, that they which be­léeue in Christe shall be saued, and they that beléeue not, shall be condempned: they that doo good, shall goe to lyfe euer­lasting, but they which doo euyll, to paine eternall. Héere is mention you sée of saluation and condempnation, of ioye and of sorrowe, of perpetuall life & death for euer: of heauen, and of hell. But the scriptures wrote nothing of Purgato­rie: and if there had béen such a place, no [Page]doubt, but there had béene mentiō made therof. Chrisost. in. 22. Mathew, Hom. 41. Quidquid quaeritur ad salutem, totum iam impletum est in scripturis. Whatsoeuer is sought vnto saluation, all the same is set foorth, and fully taught in the scrip­tures. If then praying for the dead, were necessary vnto saluation: expresse men­tion thereof, should be made in the scrip­tures, and worde of God, but we can finde no such thing there. Againe, in an other place. 1. Homilie, in Epist. Ad Titum. Omnia Euangelium continet prae­sentia et futura, honorem, pietatem, fidem, simul omnia praedicationis verbo conclusit. The Gospell (sayth he) dooth contayne all thinges, bothe present and to come, honour, godlinesse, fayth: to be short, he hath comprehended all thinges with the worde of preaching. Dooth not holie Chrisostome, by these words, manifest­ly declare, that the Gospell of our saui­our Iesus Christe, dooth containe all maner of things, bothe presēt, that is to say, how we ought to behaue our selues héere in this present life, towards God & our neighbour: and also things to come? wherby he dooth vnderstand, the estate [Page]that we shall be in, after our departing out of this lyfe. In the scrip­tures, no mention made of praying for the dead. But where dooth the Gospell speake one iote onely, of pray­ers and oblations for the dead? there we doo learne, that they that beléeue and are baptized, shall be saued, and they that beleeue not, shall be condempned. There we reade in the. 7. Chapter of Saint Mathevv: Of the straight and narrowe way, that leadeth vnto saluation: and of the wide gate and broade way, that lea­deth vnto damnation. Not one onely sillable can be found there of any thyrde way, or of any other estate that we shall be in, besides saluation and dampnati­on, after that we be come to our wayes ende. Which thing Chrisostome him selfe, in his second Sermon, De Lazaro, dooth teach most plainly, saying: Para ad exitum opera tua, et appara te ad viam, si quid cui rapuisti, redde, et dicito iuxta Za­chaeum, do quadruplum si quid rapui. Si cui factus es inimicus, reconciliare priusquam veniatur ad iudicem. Omnia hic dissolue, vt citra molestiam illud videas tribunal. Do­nec hic fueris, spes habeas praeclaras, sed simulac discesserimus, non est postea in no­bis situm poenitere, neque commissa diluere. [Page]That is to say: Prepare thy workes a­gainst the ende, make thy selfe ready to the way: if thou hast taken away any thing from any man, restore it againe, and say with Zachaeus, if I haue taken a­way any thing from any man, I doo giue it him againe fourefolde. If thou be made an enimie to any man, be recon­ciled vnto him againe, afore ye come be­fore the Iudge. Paie all thy debtes heere, that thou mayst without any feare, or trouble of conscience, see that dreadfull iudgement seate. Whiles we be yet here, we haue a goodly hope, but as soone as we be once departed hence, it lyeth no more in vs, for to repent, nor for to wash away our sinnes. This holy Father then, wyll not that we should tarie to make restitution, or to be reconciled vnto those, whome we haue offended, tyll we be dead. For then sayth he: I meane after we be once departed out of this world, there is no way at all to wash away sinnes. In so much that he sayth in an other place. Neque qui in praesenti vita peccata non abluerit, postea consolatio­nem aliquam inuenturus est in inferno, enim ait, quis confitebitur tibi? et meritò [Page]hoc enim est cauearum tempus, et cōflictuum, et certaminū: illud verò coronarum, retribu­tionum et praemiorum. Neyther he that dooth not washe away his sinnes in this present lyfe, shall finde any comfort af­terwardes. For sayth he, who shall praise thee in hell, and for a good cause, for this is the tyme of scaffoldes, conflictes, wrastlinges, and battayles: but after this lyfe, is the tyme of recompences, crownes, and rewardes. Howe can it after this lyfe, be the tyme of crownes, and rewardes: if we be cast into a bur­ning fire, which is nothing differing from the fire of hell? (saue onely that this euerlasting, and the other lasteth but for a tyme,) there to abide intolle­rable torments, tyll we be holpen out, by the prayers & oblations of the liuing, A good and kinde deuo­tion of po­pish preests. & especially of the Préestes, which must be hyred with good ready money to doo it, else they will suffer vs to abide there, broyling & rosting vnto the worlds end: For, that ye may be sure, no peny, no Pater noster, of them. So that I lust héere to make an exclamation with the Poet, Quid non mortalia pectora cogit au­ri sacra fames? Which we may englishe [Page]after this sort: Oh of money, looue most execrable, that mans heart doost so sore enflame. Oh gréedy desire of minde, so myserable, y^e woonders doost vndertake to thy great shame. Put away offering then, take away Purgatory: For when the Préests can get no money, then can they not defend Purgatorie, giue them pence, then wyll they finde some shifte or other, to prooue that there is Purga­torie: yea, and that proofe they will fetch out from the example of S. Augustine, who prayed for his mother, yea, and left in his writing y^e there was Purgatory. But when S. August. séeketh to prooue y^e same, he dooth not bring one iote or syl­lable of the holy scriptures, for to prooue his sayings by: but groundeth him selfe only vpon the Forefathers. I will be so bolde to follow his owne coūsell, which he giueth in the Prologue of his thirde booke, De Trinitate. Saying: Noli meis scriptis, quasi canonicis inseruire, sed in illis quod non credebas, si forte inueneris, incun­ctāter crede: in istis autem, quod certum non habebas nisi certum intellexeris, noli firmi­ter credere. I wyll not haue thee to be obedient vnto my writinges, as vnto [Page]the Canonicall scriptures: But if thou doost by chaunce finde in them (mea­ning the Canonicall Scriptures) the thing that thou diddest not beleeue, be­leeue it immediatly, and without any delay: But in these (vnderstanding thereby his owne workes,) excepte thou doost vnderstand, that thing to be most certayne, which thou diddest not recken to be certaine: I wyll not haue thee to beleeue it stedfastly.

What a goodly counsaile is this? héere all men may sée, that this holy Father, wyll not haue his writinges to be belee­ued, except they be grounded vpon the scriptures and word of God. Shall then any man blame vs, if we doo as he him selfe dooth bid and counsayle vs to doo? Dooth not all the world knowe, that this auncient Doctour, and most holie Father, dyd as a man, writte many thinges, which he was fayne to reuoke and call backe afterwards in his booke of Retractions? If he wrote any thing in defence of Purgatorie, he disprooued the same afterwardes, as by his owne wordes it dyd appeare, in the. 18. Ser­mon, De verbis Domini: These be his [Page]very words. Duae quippe habitationes sunt vna in igne aeterno, altera in regno aeterno. There be two habitations, or dwelling places, the one in the fire euerlasting, and the other in the kingdome, that neuer shall haue ende. Dooth not this agrée wel with the doctrine of our sauiour Ie­sus Christ, that dooth onely appoint vn­to vs the bosome of Abraham, that is to say, the societie and fellowshippe of all them that died in the faith of Abraham, into the which, the poore Lazarus was caried by the handes of the Angels: and hell fire, where the ritch glutton was buried unmediatly after his death? But ye shall heare him yet speak more plain­ly. Primum enim (sayth he) sides Catholi­corum diuina autoritate regnum credit esse coelorum: secundum gehennam, vbi omnis apostata, vel à Christi fide alienus suppli­cia experitur: tertium prorsus ignoramus, imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis reperimus. The faith of the Catholiques, dooth first and formost beleeue by the aucthoritie of the Scriptures, that there is the king­dome of heauen: Secondly, that there is hell fire, where all Apostataes, and all that be straungers from the faith of Christe, [Page]doo suffer punishment: We are altogea­ther ignorant of the thirde place, yea, we finde not in all the holy Scriptures, that there is any. Againe, in an other place he sayth: It should be best, that they should affyrme nothing, in a matter that is vncertaine, of that which the Scrip­tures doo not onely holde their peace: but also doo speake the contrarie. Yet the Papists (for lucres sake) are not a­shamed to defend the opinion of Pur­gatorie, by the fansies and dreames of theyr owne heads. They that die in the faith of Christe, in true confession, and acknowledging theyr sinnes, and with a true repentant heart, haue no néede af­ter they be once dead, & gone out of this vale of miserie, of the deuotion and good déedes of theyr fréendes and kinsfolkes. If we should but follow the aucthoritie and saying of the blessed Martyr Saint Cyprian. Contra Demetr. Tracta. primo. Who béeing a good whyle afore Saint Augustin, dooth write after this maner. Tu sub ipso licèt exitu, et vitae temporalis oc­casu pro delictis roges Deum, qui verus et v­nus est, confessionem, et fidem eius agnitionis implores, venia confitenti datur, et cre­denti [Page]indulgentia salutaris de diuína pie­tate conceditur, et ad immortalitatem, sub ipsa morte transitur: That is to saye. Although thou doost at thy ve­rie departing out of this worlde, and going downe of this temporall lyfe, praye vnto GOD for thy sinnes, who is the true and onely GOD, calling vppon him, with a faithfull confessi­on, and acknowledging bothe of thine offences, and of his trueth: Thus con­fessing and beleeuing, thou hast free pardon and forgiuenesse, giuen and graunted vnto thee, of the meere good­nesse and mercie of God: And in the verie death (euen as soone as thou hast giuen vp the ghost) thou passest vnto immortalitie.

Héere doo ye sée, that by this holy Mar­tyrs saying: if we do vnfainedly confesse & acknowledge our sinnes, and repent from the bottome of our hearts, we doo not onely obtaine a frée pardon and for­giuenesse of our trespasses and offences, at the bounteous and mercifull hand of God: but also in the verie death it selfe, we passe vnto immortalitie, that is to say, vnto a lyfe that neuer shall ende.

What shall then the deuotion, and good déedes of our fréends and kinsfolkes pro­fite vs? can they better our estate? But then we shall haue the fruition of the Godhead, and sée God as he is: we shall be with Iesus Christ in glory, and haue the fellowship of all the blessed spi­rits, and soules of the righteous. What could be added to this felicitie, I beseech you? the Scriptures doo in all pointes agrée with this holy Martyr. First E­zechiel, Cha▪ 18. dooth crie out, saying.At what tyme soeuer a sinner dooth repent him of his sinnes, from the bottom of his heart: I wyll put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance, sayth the Lorde.

Dooth not the holy Ghost heere, by the mouth of Ezechiel certifie vs, The Scrip­tures are sufficient testimonies for the faith of Christi­ans. that if we wyll with a true repentaunt heart, flie vnto the mercie of God, and take holde therevpon (through faith in our sauiour Iesu Christe) our sinnes shall not onely be forgiuen vs, but also cleane put out of remembrance, & vtterly forgotten? And wherefore I pray you? because of our owne merites and deseruings? because of the deuotion, and good deedes of our fréends, & kinsfolkes, when we be dead▪ [Page]Heare what the Lord him selfe sayth, by his Prophet Esai. Chapt. 43. I am euen he onely, that for mine owne sake, doo put away thine offences, and forget thy sinnes, so that I wyll neuer thinke vpon them. This verely ought to suffise vs: for, heere we haue a promise that God will doo away our sinnes, so that he will neuer thinke vpon them. Not because of our owne merites and deseruings, nor yet because of the deuotion & good déedes of our fréends and kinsfolkes, but onely for his owne sake, that is to say, of his méere goodnesse and mercie: Thus farre of this matter.

¶ Of the Supper of the Lord.

HEthervnto (good Christi­an people) of Purgatory haue I spoken, I haue dis­prooued and confuted the opinion of our aduersa­ries, touching these paper walles, and painted fyres, by Scriptures and Doc­tours. Wherfore, if there be any héere that thinketh there is such a place, let him examine the places which I haue [Page]brought foorth in cōfutation of the same, and then I hope he shall be conuerted to the confession of the trueth, in saying there is no Purgatorie. Nowe I pur­pose, by the almightie power of Iehoua, to speake somewhat of the supper of the Lord. The Papistes kéepe much sturre and great iangling, about this Sacra­ment: they say, that Christe is really, transubstantially, and bodily present, in the Sacrament of the Aulter. They can shewe vs but one place out of scrip­tures, The Papists haue but one argu­ment to al­leadge, and the same is against themselues. to make an argument therby, for proofe of transubstantiation: but the same place alleaged, maketh nothing for them, it is no demonstration. We will bring out of Scriptures, and out of Do­ctours, sundrie places that make for our purpose, in deniall of the reall pre­sence of our Lord in the Sacrament.

First, I will declare the name of this Sacrament, which hath béene a great matter of burning and contention, a­mongst the Papistes, it is called Missa, the Masse, but of this worde, in all the Scriptures, I doo not finde one iote or sillable. For new thinges, new names are inuēted, by the nouelty of the name. [Page] Missam rem esse minimè vetustam tutò li­cet conijcere: We may safelie cōiecture the Masse, to be a thing not of many yeeres inuented. We Christians call this Sa­crament, as S. Paul called it, in his first Epist. Timo. 2. 1. Cor. 10. et. 11. Mensam Domini, coenam Domini, corporis et sangui­nis communicationem, aut certè panis fra­ctionem, eucharistian, [...], aut cum Latinis sa­crum conuiuium, sacrificium laudis, aut de­nique Dominici corporis et sanguinis sacra­mentum. The Table of the Lord, the Supper of the Lord, the communica­ting of the body and blood, or the brea­king of the bread, or thanksgiuing, or a holie feast, or the Sacrifice of prayse, or the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ. August. Ad Infantes, Is cyted by Beda. 1. Cor. 10. Quod videtis, panis et vinū est, et quod oculi vestri declarant ma­nifestè. That which you see, is bread and wine, which also your eies declare mani­festly. Origen. 7. Hom. vpon Leuit. Si li­teraliter sequimini verba scripta: (nisicome­deritis carnem filij hominis, non habetis vitam in vobis) haec litera occidit.

If lyterallie, yee followe the wordes [Page]that be spoken: (except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, ye haue no lyfe in you) this letter kylleth. Who is so voide of reason, that wresting these spee­ches vnto the carnall sence, the mea­ning whereef is to be construed figura­tiuely: wyll imagine that we ought to be borne in our bodies a new, as Nico­demus dyd? or to be fedde with Christes fleshe carnally, as the Caphernaites did? What better imagination doo the vn­learned multytude conceaue in these dayes, of the doctrine of theyr transub­stantiatiō, deliuered vnto them by their great Doctours: The mon­strous dishonour doone vnto God by these wicked shauelings. For on this wise doo these famous Christ-makers, enstruct theyr auditorie: that the bread which was bread, before the Consecration, al­tering the verie substaunce of bread, is no more bread nowe, but turned into fleshe: and that this also must belée­ued without all question, that it is made the euerlasting soone of God. What can be more absurde? and howe comes this chaunge to passe? I pray you for­soothe, because Christe sayd: Hoc est cor­pus meum, This is my body. For this whole huge Chaos of confused transub­stantiation [Page]is accomplished with these fowre wordes, by these Christ-makers. What? and dyd the Lord pronounce no more words, but these foure only? what if he spake in the Hebrew tōgue, and ex­pressed the whole action in two wordes onely, after the manner of that Nation (Zoth guphi) because y^e phrase of the lan­guage, dooth not for y^e most part expresse the verbe (Est) but to admitte he spake fowre or fiue wordes: what? dyd he adde therevnto no more besides: or dyd he speake nothing else, before or after, to make the verie meaning and purpose of his spéeches, more euident and mani­fest? And why doo these fellowes omit the cyrcumstances, and not delyuer the whole scriptures withall? why doo they chop of the one halfe of Christes propo­sition, and suppresse in silence the chéefe part, whereby the meaning of Christe might appeare more forcibly? For when Christe made mention of his body, that it might be eaten: he but giueth com­maundement, to take bread first, and to eate, Take yee (sayth Christe) and eate yee. And foorthwith making mention of his body, dyd say: This is my body, [Page]yet not simplie neuerthelesse, but an­nexed immediatlie, That is giuen and broken for you: To wit, to signifie vn­to them, nto the verie substaunce of his natural body simplie, but that the cruci­fying of his body, & the shedding of his blood, should become our foode. From hence bubleth out all the well-spring of error, that where our Lord and Saui­our had relation to the efficacie & power of his Passion: the same the Papists doo apply to the onely substance of the flesh, as though we were to be fedde with the Passion of his fleshe. Note heere. But you will aske how the Passiō of Christ feedeth, which is not eaten? forsooth, in the same man­ner, as the death of Christ dooth nourish vs, so dooth his Passion féede vs, not af­ter a fleshlie, but after a spirituall man­ner: not as it is chawed with the téeth, but as it is receyued into the heart. For then dooth the death of Christe feede vs, when it refresheth vs: then is he eaten, when he is receyued by faith, and appli­ed to our infirmities.

Pascasius. 43. Chapter. Therefore we must thus thinke with our selues, not [Page]howe much is chawed with the teeth: but howe much is receyued by faith and looue, &c. Ciprian De coena Domini. Our abyding, and incorporation in him, is our eating and drinking, wher­by we be vnited vnto Christe, and made his body, not by any corporall, but by a spirituall manner, passing into vs, &c. Christe sayde to his Disciples: Take yee, and eate yee, this is my body, which is giuen for you: doo this as often as yee shall doo it, in remembraunce of me. What can be more euident, then the interpretation of this Supper, if the cyrcumstances of the wordes, be scan­ned accordingly? For who is so blinde that can not discerne the fruites of the Lordes death and Passion, to be plain­lie signified héere? For as much as in the verie eating, him selfe sayth: This is my body, that is giuen to be slaine for you. Otherwise, why should he haue added with all, Giuen to be slaine: But that hée woulde set downe a plaine testimonie of the death of his body, rather then of any substaunce thereof, to the viewe of the Disciples? [Page]As if he should say: The tyme is nowe at hand, A comfor­table con­solation, woorthy to be had in remēbrance of all men. wherein my body must be giuen to be slaine for you, not for any of mine offence at all, but for your sakes, which death of mine shall procure euerlasting lyfe for you. After lyke sort and manner as this bread, which I giue thus broken vnto you to eate, dooth passe into your bodies, and giue nourishment thereto: Take ye therefore this bread, this bread which I giue to euerie of you, and eate, and withall consider heerein, not the na­turall bread which feedeth your bodies outwardly: But my body which beeing giuen to be slaine and crucified for you, shall inwardly, and much more effectu­ally, refresh you to eternall lyfe. For my fleshe, which I will giue to be slaine for the lyfe of the worlde, is meate in deede, and my blood is drinke in deede. Iohn. 6. For your bodies doo not so much lyue, by the nourishment of meate and drink, as your soules be fedde within, with the crucifying of my flesh, and the shedding of my blood: without which you can haue no remission of sinnes, no ioyfull resurrection of your fleshe, no parte or portion of eternall lyfe. Therefore, let [Page]this which is giuen you in this Supper, remaine for a perpetuall Sacrament, and remembraunce vnto you, of the body which I will heereafter giue for you. For I shall giue my body for you into the handes of enimies, the Sacrament wher­of I doo heere giue into your handes.

Whereby you may perceyue (déerely belooued) that héere be two things giuen by Christe, one vnto vs, the other for vs: the first to be eaten, the last to be crucified: that one in the Supper, this other vpon the Crosse, Now, if you de­sire to know the substance of that which was giuen in the Supper, it was bread, and the Sacrament of his body: That which was giuen vpon the Crosse, was his body, and not a Sacrament. What then wyll you say? was not his body giuen at Supper? yes in déede, Christes body was giuen there to the Disciples, neither after a bodily and corporall ma­ner, for that corporall body was giuen to the Iewes, not in the Supper, but on the Crosse, wherevpon he gaue his body corporally, not to the Disciples, but for the Disciples. Therefore that which he gaue for his Disciples, was his body: [Page]that which he gaue to his disciples, was the mistery of his body, yet was it one & the selfe same body, bothe y^t of the supper giuen to y^e Disciples: and y^t of the crosse giuē for his Disciples, but yet not after the same sort, nor yet at the same tyme. For vpon the Crosse it was giuen to be slaine corporally: in the supper it was giuē, not to be slaine, but to be eaten, not corporally, to be grawne w^c theyr téeth, but to féede vpō it in the bowels of their soules: namely, after a sacramētal kinde of receyuing, not corporall. Therefore, it is not denied that the Lordes body was bothe giuen & eaten in the Supper? but not the body only, but together with the body, the sacramēt annexed also withal: wherof the one apperteyneth to the fée­ding of the bodies, the other, to the sée­ding of the soules. That which is recey­ued within in the soule, is the very body, not the Sacrament of his body. For as much therfore as these two doo necessari­ly concurre together in the holy supper, that the one can not be seuered from the other: let vs so ioyne the one with the o­ther, that we neyther seperate the body of Christe from the Sacrament, as the [Page]Papists doo (which be so throughly wed­ded to the only substance of the body, as that they leaue therin no substāce at all of a Sacrament, but superficial and im­materiall shadowes: I know not what, hanging in the ayre, which serue to no purpose:) Neyther let vs so segregate the Sacrament againe from the body, as that wée leaue nothing in the holy Supper but bare signes. Cyrill, Ana­the. 11. Doost thou pronouce (sayth he) this our sacrament to be mans foode, and vrgest the mindes of the faithfull irreli­giouslie, to grosse and carnall thoughts? and doost thou practise to discusse by mans sensuall reason, the thinges which are conceiued, by onely and most exqui­site faith? Heare what Christe sayth in the interpretation of his owne spéeche. Caro (sayth he) non prodest quicquam, ver­ba mea spiritus et vita sunt: Fleshe dooth not profit at all, my wordes be spirit and life. And doost thou cruell Canniball, conceiue & eate nought else, but the flesh of Christe? nor wylt thou permitte one crumme so much of breade to re­maine, because it is called the body of Christe? But how many things doo we [Page]heare dayly, called by this or that name: when as in very deede they be not made the things wherof they beare y^e names. When the Disciple whome Jesus loo­ued, was by Christes owne mouth, cal­led the sonne of Marie: yet wyll no man be so wytlesse, as to confesse him to be the naturall sonne of the Virgin Marie. So also the Prophet dooth call fleshe, a flowre of the feelde: In the Gospel, Iohn Baptist, is called Elias: Peter is named a Rocke, so is he also called Sathan. To conclude, throughout all the discourse of the Scriptures, what is more frequen­ted, then this vsuall phrase of spéec he? and that things be called by this or that name: wherein notwithstanding is no alteration of nature, but the properties of things onely noted. Theoderet. Christ did signifie the signes which be seene, by calling them his body and blood, not chaunging the nature, but adding there­vnto grace. Gelasius, Contra Eutichetem. Substantia panis et vini non mutatur: et sine dubio imago et similitudo corporis et san [...] guinis celibratur in actionem mysteriorum The substaunce of the bread and wine dooth not cease: and without doubt the [Page]image and similitude of the body and blood, is celebrated to the action of the mysteries. Ambrosius De mysterijs. Christus est in Sacramento, quia est corpus Christi: ideo nonest corporalis, sed spirituas lis cibus, &c. Christe is in that Sacrament, because it is the body of Christe: There­fore it is not corporal foode, but spiritu­all. Wherevpon the Apostle, speaking of the figure therof: Because our fathers did eate the same spirituall foode For y^e body of Christ is spirituall: the body of Christ is the body of a diuine spirit. De con. Dis. Ambros. De sacra. Lib. 4. cap. 4. Euen as thou hast receiued the likenesse of death: so doost thou drinke the symilitude of blood. Hesychius in Leui. Lib. 1. Chap. 2. Hunc comedimus cibum in recordationem passionis Christi. We doo eate this meate, receyuing the memorie of his passion. Esai the. 25. Chap. And in this mountaine shall the Lord of Hoastes, make vnto all people a feast of fatlinges, euen as a feast of meate and fined wines, and of fatte thinges full of marrowe, of wines fined and purified, &c. Wéereby it appeareth that his suffering, should be bread and foode for all people in the world, and as [Page]it were an euerlasting banquet, accor­ding to that propheticall promise. Esay the Prophet, the. 25. Chapter. And for that cause, least the remembrance of his passion should waxe out of minde: he cōmaunded it to be done in the remem­brance of him, and by the same memori­all to shewe the Lordes death, vntyll he come againe. Whereby may appeare without any difficulty, that the natural body is not eaten héere, but the death of his body signified, and the remembrance thereof celebrated: Not the bread and wine turned into fleshe and blood, but a Sacrament of our redemption, to be in­stituted in bread and wine. August. De consecrat. Dist. 2. This is it, that the hea­uenly bread, which the flesh of Christe is called after his maner, the body of Christ when as in deede it is the Sacrament of Christes body. Rabanus Maurius. Lib. 1. Cap 31. Sacramentum vna res est, efficacia sacramenti alia res est: Sacramentum con­uertitur in nutrimentum corporis: virtute sacraments honor aeternae vitae obtinetur. The Sacrament is one thing, the efficacie of the sacrament is an other thing: the Sacrament is turned into the nourish­ment [Page]of the body, by the efficacie of the sacrament, the honour of euerlasting lyfe is obtayned. Origen vpon Mathew writeth after this manner. Panis (sayth hée) qui verbo Dei sanctificatur, quantum ad materiam et substantiam, in ventrem descendit, et in latrinam eucitur. The bread which is sanctified by the worde of God, touching the matter and sub­stance thereof, goeth downe into the belly, and is throwne out into the draught, &c. If that be bread which after sanctification goeth downe into the belly, according to the testimony of Origen: with what face wyll the Pa­pistes, deny it to be bread? Againe, on the other side, if according to the Pa­pistes opinion, there remayne no crum of substance at all: Whereof then shall that be a substance, which Origen dooth ascribe to the bread? To the same ef­fect may Augustine, De consecra. Disti. 2. be produced a witnesse of antiquitie, not to be reiected. The heauenly bread (sayth he) which is the fleshe of Christ, is after this manner called the body of Christe, beeing in verie deede the Sa­crament of Christes body, &c.

If it be a sacrament of the body, how is it the verie body? againe, if because it is called the body of Christe, it be therfore Christes fleshe: what should let, but that by the same argumēt, Peter should be Sathan, because he is called Sathan? Moreouer, if the nature of Sacramēts be such as to be called by the name of the thinges which they signifie: Let the Papistes take away the substaunce of bread, what shall be left in the Acciden­tarie fourmes, that may eyther sup­plie the name of a body, or represent the lykenesse of a body in any respect?

You haue heard (good Christiā people) bothe by the Scriptures and Doctours, that there is no transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper. Who is therefore of so peruerse minde, that wyll not persuade him selfe, that these wordes, Take ye, eate ye: This is my body, to be a Sacramentall spéech, and mysticall: and ought to be expoun­ded simbolically, and according to the meaning? For the bread is a Sacramēt, signe, or pledge of the body of Christe. I haue giuen you to vnderstand, by many euident reasons, that these words of our [Page]Lord, This is my body: ought not to be taken according to the grosse lytterall sence: but to be expounded mystically or sacramentally, for the bread remaineth in his substance, & is not chaunged into the substance of the body of Christe. In lyke manner the naturall body of Jesus Christe (the which being giuen once for vs, & raysed from death, is ascended into heauen,) is not hyd nor inclosed vnder the kinde or forme of bread. For the An­gels of God speaking of this body, beare witnesse thereof, and saye. Acts. 1.11. Hic Iesus, qui assumptus est à vobis in coelum, sic veniet quemadmodū vidistis euntem in coe­lum. This same lesus which is taken vp from you into heauen, shal so come, euen as you haue seene him goe into heauen. In like manner S. Peter sayth. Act. 3.21. Quem oportet quidem coelum accipere vsque in tempora restitutionis omnium, quae loquus [...]us est Deus per os omnium sanctorum suo­ [...]um, à seculo Prophetarum. The heauen must receyue Iesus Christe, vntyll the [...]yme that all thinges be restored, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy ones, from the tyme of the Pro­phetes. Saint Paule sayth also: Iesus [Page]Christe after he hath offered one sacri­fice for sinnes, is set downe for euer on the right hande of God, from hence. foorth, tarying tyll his foes be made his footestoole. Wherfore, we reade that Saint Augustine, writing to Darda­nus, sayde ryghtlie, and according to the Scriptures: Christe as he is God, is all whollie present in euerie place, but, according to the measure and proper­tie of a true body, he hath his place, in some one place of heauen, hee hath giuen immortallitie to his body (in the glorification thereof.) After this forme he is not to be thought to be diffused, and spread abroade euerie where.

Wherefore we must take good héede, that we doo not so affyrme the diuinitie of the man (Christe) that we take away the trueth of (His) body. For our personne, is God and man, and out Christe Jesus, is bothe two, béeing eue­rie where, in that he is God: but bée­ing in heauen, in that he is man. Yea and this aucthor hath left in his bookes these thinges and many other lyke bothe Catholique, and according to the true sence of the Scripture, agréeable [Page]to this matter. Moreouer, the Ca­tholique veritie suffereth vs not to faine, that Christe hath two bodies. But if you take the wordes of the let­ter, This is my body: without the blessed body of the Lord, béeing set at the Table with his Disciples, gaue vnto them also, I knowe not what o­ther body: for he could not giue him selfe with his owne handes, vnto his Disciples. Therefore with his true body, and with his handes, he delyue­red vnto his Disciples, the Sacrament of his onely body. Héereupon it fol­loweth, that the faithfull, acknowled­ging the Sacrament & mysterie, receiue with theyr mouth, y^e sacramentall bread of his body: But with the mouth of the spirite, they eate the very body of the Lord. He is eaten in such sort, as he may be eaten, that is to say, spiritually by faith: As the Lord himselfe expoun­deth this mysterie vnto vs at large in Saint Iohn the. 6. Chapter. Neyther haue the purest Doctours of the aunci­ent Church, taught any otherwise: yea, and this place may well be applied to the wordes of the Lord.

For séeing our Lord hath but one true body, the which he gaue vp to death for vs, and that in these two places, he spea­keth of this selfe same body: it séemeth vnto me, that this place of S. Mathewe, ought to be expoūded by that of S. Iohn. Séeing that Saint Augustin, also in his third booke of the agréement of the Euā ­gelists, supposeth that S. Iohn speaketh not of the institution of the Supper of the Lord: because in an other place he had set foorth this matter at large. All the auncient Doctors of y^e Church, Neither the sufficiencie of the scrip­tures, nor aucthoritie of the Doc­tours can satisfie the Papists. spea­king of the Supper, alleageth the Sup­per of the Lord. Yet for all that, the Pa­pistes euer haue in theyr mouthes tran­substantiation, transubstantiation.

Though bothe Scriptures & Doctours writte against them, yet so voyde they are, of reason and common sence, and so blockish, that they will embrace signes, for things them selues: they turne that to worshipping & knéeling, which was delyuered for a thankfull remembrance by most agréeable application. The De­uill hath so bewitched their sences and vnderstanding, that they thinke, they make God euery day, as oft as they list, [Page]hauing none aucthority of the most holy Scriptures, but as they wrest it, and wring it, for theyr owne purposes. For Iesus Christ at his last supper, took bread and gaue thankes, and brake it, and gaue it to his Disciples, and sayde: Take, eate, this is my body: and he lykewise tooke the cuppe, and gaue thankes, and gaue it them, saying: drinke ye all hereof, this is my blood in the new Testament, which shall be shed for many, for the remission of sinnes. Nowe, to come to our pur­pose, where as these heretiques doo take aucthoritie vpon these wordes. Hoc est corpus meum: that is to say, This is my body. The hor­rible blas­phemie of the Papists vsed in their Masse. Dooth it followe by the holy scrip­ture, that they, when they haue sayde these wordes ouer the bread: should cre­ate a materiall fleshe, blood and raynes, yea, the selfe same body, that the blessed Virgin Marie dyd beare, as these Anti­christes say they doo? I doo aunswer no, for when Christe brake the bread, and blessed it: dooth it follow, that it was his body in déede, and there remayned no more bread? if they say no, I aunswere, no more doo we: if they say yea, then if the bread was not crucified, he gaue it [Page]to his Disciples, and they dyd eate: dyd they eate Christes body, or no? I meane the verie selfe same body, that was borne of the Virgin Marie, if they say, no: I aunswer, no more doo we: if they say yea, then dyed he not for vs: For could he dye for vs, when they had ea­ten him vp afore?

But this worde, [...], This is my body, was the swéetest worde that they could finde out in all the whole Testament, The poore people much de­ceyued by the Papists. to bleare mennes eyes with a false God, compel­ling the people to knéele on theyr knées, and holde vp theyr handes, which is abhominable, and detestable Idolatrie. But heere is a question to be demaun­ded of these holy Gentlemen, the God­makers: When they make God, whe­ther doo they make him at once or twise? for they say, Note heere that there remaineth no materiall bread after the Consecration, but the very naturall body, that Marie bare, flesh, blood, & bone: Then dooth it follow, that wée worshippe a false God in the Challice: Then wyll they saye, as shameles Iuglers, that they Conse­crate the verie selfe same substāce in the [Page]wine, that they doo in the bread, wher­by it dooth appeare manifestly, that they are false Sacrilegers, robbers, and théeues of the laye people. For at Easter they giue them a drie body, without blood, for they giue them Wine vnconsecrated, this is once true and manifest: But what wyll these Iuglers saye? forsoothe, euen as they haue all sayde, Heretique, He­retique, blearing mennes eyes with such blinde examples, saying: euen as there is a glasse, and many faces séene in the glasse, so lykewise maye a multytude of people receyue the sub­stance at one worde. Ah false fay­ning Iuglers. As there be many faces, (sayth hee) in the glasse, Note heere and but one glasse: I aunswere, if I sée my selfe in the glasse, dooth it followe that I haue a face styll in the glasse, & an other in my head? Or when a great number of fa­ces, is séene in one glasse, it is not to note that there are faces in déede, but the similytude of faces: no more is it to be beléeued, that this bread is Chri­stes body that Marie bare, for that it dooth but represent the body.

I would demaund this question, that I speaking the worde with reuerence, might not make Christes body, as well as they? they will say no: wherfore? be­cause we are not elect & chosen: let them aunswere to this question. Dooth the word giue vertue to election, Note heere for an espe­ciall enstru­ction. or election to the word? If y^e they say, that election giueth vertue to the word, then I prooue the worde of no vertue, & then how can they make God with it? If they say, that the worde giueth vertue to the ele­ction: then I prooue that all men, spea­king the worde, may doo as much in it, as they: For the worde taketh effect in the spirite, and not in the fleshe: this ar­gument can not be denied, except they make God parciall. If a man should de­maund by what aucthoritie they make God? they wyll say by the worde.

Oh crafty Iuglers, God made the world in sire dayes, and rested the se­uenth day: he made Sunne, Moone and starres: he made byrds, beasts, fowles, and fishes, woormes, serpentes, stones, hearbes, grasse, and euerie thing of the same worde: and the same words wher­with he made all these thinges, doo re­mayne [Page]mayne styll in the Bible, and yet can it not make any of these thinges, neyther bread, nor beast, nor nothing else, yet wyll they make the maker of all these things, and say, they doo it by the word, & the worde that made all these things, remaineth still in the Bible, and yet can they not doo it.

Nowe to come to the word that they make God of, that is, Hoc est corpus me­um, which is to say: This is my body. Behold the blinde per­uersenes of the Papists. In the. 10. of Iohn, Christe sayth, I am the doore: dooth it followe that hée is a doore in déede? no forsooth, I thinke but that a doore is to harde for any man to eate, they would haue takē that place of scripture to make God: Though Christ sayd, I am the doore, it followeth not, Note heere that he was a materiall doore: no more dooth it followe, that this word, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body: to be the same body, that Marie the Virgin bare, it is plaine errour, and they are fowly deceyued. For when Christe sayd, This is my body, that shall be giuen for you: the worde that he spake was him selfe, & him selfe was the worde, or else must the bread haue béene crucified, as is a­fore [Page]which I will prooue by the manifest scriptures. Christ sayth in the 6. of Iohn. I am the liuing bread that came from heauen, your fathers did eate Man­na in the desert and are dead, but I am the bread of lyfe. So it demonstrateth that Christe was the bread, Note heere which was giuen for vs: but these Gentlemen say, that the bread is he. Nowe héere is all y^e cōtrouersie betwéene the Christiās and the Papists. Christ fayth, that he is the bread that was giuen for vs, or broken for vs: the Papists say that the bread is Christ, now, how can we agree? for we say, as Christ saith, that he is the bread, & these Gētlemen say, that the bread is he: marke well y^e scriptures. Paul sayth: That which I receyued of God, I gaue vnto you. Let them answer me to this, dyd Paul receiue any thing of the Lord, but his word? for Paul was not with the Lord at the supper, to receiue any other thing. Oblinde creatures, they wot not what they doo, will they haue the blood of wytnesse of Iesus Christe required at their hāds still? O good christian brethrē, for the tender mercy of our Lord & saui­our Iesus Christ, beléeue not this erro­nious doctrine of the Papistes, worship [Page]not a wheaten God. In the. 6. Chap. of Iohn, Christ sayth: The bread which I will giue you, is my fleshe, which I will giue for the life of the world. Héere you may perceyue that the bread that Christ gaue vs, was his fleshe, Ergo, his fleshe was y^e bread that he brake, which was him selfe, & him selfe was the word, and his word was his body, which was giuē for the life of the world. Then stroue the Iewes among them selues, & sayd: How can this fellow giue vs his flesh to eate? for they tooke it carnally, as our cleane fingred Gētlemen, doo now a daies, thin­king y^e they should haue eaten him vp, flesh blood & bones? Iesus sayd vnto thē, Iohn. 6. Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man, ye haue no life in you, for whosoeuer eateth my flesh, & drinketh my blood, hath euerlasting lyfe. And I shall raise him vp at the last day, for my flesh is very meat, and my blood hath e­uerlasting life, and I shall raise him vp at the last day, for my flesh is very meat, and my blood is very drinke: and whosoeuer eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abydeth in me, and I in him.

Nowe I tolde you afore, that Christe [Page]was the bread that was giuen for vs: and euen as the materiall bread féedeth the body, so this liuely bread féedeth the soule. And Christe speaketh heere of his fleshe and blood, which was offered in sacrifice, for our saluation, and our re­demption, as Iohn sayth, Chap. 1.8. The worde became fleshe, and we see the glo­rie of it, as the onely begotten sonne of the Father: and who so dooth beleeue this, dooth eate Christes fleshe, and drin­keth his blood: But not as these Pa­pists do, for they say that they crash him with their teeth carnally, Oh abho­minable blasphemy. the same body that Mary bare, but they which receiue him in a Christian Cōmunion, receiue him by faith. For Christe sayd (Hoc fa­cite in meam cōmemorationem) Doo this in remembraunce of me. And whosoeuer beléeueth, that this body was done vpon the Crosse for his saluation, and that the shedding of his blood, is for the remissiō of his sinnes, taken in the remembrance of Christes death: eateth Christes body, and drinketh his blood spiritually. God graūt we may doo so, for our own soules health. Amen. Thus much bréefly, tou­ching the supper of the Lord.

Against mennes Merites and righteousnesse.

GReate controuersie and disputation there is be­tweene the Papists and vs Christians, touching mennes merites & righ­teousnesse. The Papists say that they are iustified by good woorkes and not by faith. We say that Sola fides iustificat omnes: Faith alone iustifieth all men. It is marueilous (dearely beloued) to see with what rashnes and bold­nesse iustification of woorkes is commonly debated: yea, and it is to be seene, how none doe more boldly or with fuller mouthes (as the saying is) prate of the righteousnesse of workes, then they that are monstrously sicke of open outward diseases, or be redy to burst with inward vices: That commeth to passe, because they thinke not vpon the righteous­nes of God, wherof (if they had neuer so lit­tle feeling) they would neuer make so great a mockerie of it. And truely it is out of mea­sure lightly regarded, whē it is not acknow­ledged to be such and so perfect, that nothing be imputed vnto it, but euery way whole & [Page]absolute, and defiled with no vncleannesse, such as neuer was and neuer shal be able to be found in man.

It is in deede easie and readie for euery man in schooles to talke vainlie vpon the worthinesse of woorkes to iustifie men, but when they come into the sight of God, such dalliances must auoyd, because there is ear­nest doing vsed, and no trifling strife aboute wordes. To this, to this I say, we must ap­plie our minde, if we will profitably enquire of true righteousnesse, how we may answere the heauenly Iudge when he calleth vs to account. Let vs thinke him to be a Iudge, not such a one as our own vnderstandinges do of themselues imagine: but such a one as he is paynted out in the Scripture, with whose brightnes y^e stars shalbe darckned, by whose strength the hils doe melt away, by whose wrath the earth is shaken, by whose wisdome the wise are takē in their suttletie, by whose purenesse all thinges are prooued vnpure, whose righteousnes the angels are not able to beare, which maketh the innocent not in­nocent, whose vengeance when it is once kindled, pearceth to the bottome of hell. If he, I say, sit to examine mens doinges, who [...] [Page]peare assured before his throane? Who shal dwell with a deuouring fire, saith the prophet Esaie 3.34. Who shall abide with continu­all burninges? he that walketh in righteousnes and speaketh trueth, &c. But let such a one come foorth whatsoeuer he be, but that aun­swere maketh that none commeth foorth, for this terrible saying soūdeth to the contrary: Lord if thou marke our iniquities, Lord, who shall abide it? Truely all must needes immedi­ately perish, as it is written in another place: Shal mā be iustified if he be cōpared with god? or shall he be purer then his maker? Beholde, they that serue him are not faithful, & he hath found peruersenes in his Angels. How much more shall they that dwell in houses of clay, & that haue an earthly foundation, be consumed with mothes? They shalbe cut down from the morning to the euening. Behold, among his Saintes there is none faithfull, and the heauēs are not cleane in his sight. Iob. 15.15. Howe much more is man abhominable and vnprofi­table, which drinketh iniquitie as water?

I graunt in deed that in the book of Job, is mention made of a righteousnesse that is higher then the keeping of the Law, and it is good to vnderstand this distinctiō, because although a man did satisfie the Law: yet hee [Page]could not so stand to the triall of that righ­teousnesse that passeth all senses. Therfore although Iob bee cleane in his owne con­science, yet hee is amazed and not able to speake, because he seeth that the very An­gelike holinesse cannot appease GOD, if hee exactly way their woorkes. But I therefore will at this time ouerpasse that righteousnesse which I haue spoken of, be­cause it is incomprehensible: but onely this I say, that if our life bee examined by the rule of the written law, wee are more then sencelesse, if so many curses wherewith the Lord hath willed vs to be awaked do not torment vs with horrible feare, and among o­ther this general curse, Cursed is euerie one that doth not abide in all the thinges that are written in the booke. Finally all this dis­course shalbe but vnsauery and colde, vnlesse euery man yeeld himselfe guiltie before the heauenly Iudge, and willingly throwe downe and abace himselfe, beeing care­full howe hee may bee acquited to this, to this I say, we shoulde haue lifted up our eyes to learne rather to tremble for feare, then vainely to reioyce. Indeed, easie it is, so long as the comparison extendeth no fur­ther then men, for euery man to thinke him­selfe [Page]to haue somewhat, which other oughte not to despise, but whē we rise vp to haue re­spect vnto God: then suddenly that confidēce falleth to the ground & cōmeth to naught, & in the same case altogether is our soule in re­spect of God: as mans bodie is in respect of the heauen. For the sight of the eye, so long as it continueth in viewing thinges that bee neere vnto it, doeth shewe of what pearcing force it is, but if it be once directed vp to the sunne, thē being daseled and dulled with the too great brightnesse thereof, it feeleth no lesse feeblenes of it selfe in beholding of the same, then it receiued strength in beholding inferior things. Therfore let vs not deceiue our selues with vayne cōfidēce, although we coūt our selues either equal or superior to o­ther men: but y^e is nothing to God, by whose wil this knowledge is to be tried. But if our wildnes cānot be tamed with these admoni­tions, he will answeare to vs as hee saide to the Pharisies in Luke 16.15. You bee they that iustifie your selues before men: but that which is high to men is abhominable to God. Now goe thy way and proudly boast of thy righteousnes amōg men, while God frō hea­uen abhorreth it, but what say the seruāts of of God y^t are truely instructed w^e his spirit? [Page] Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt, because euery liuing man shall not be iustified in thy sight. Another saith, Although in some­what diuers meaning, man cannot be righte­ous with God, if he wil contende with him, hee shall not bee able to aunsweare one for a thousande. Here we now plainly perceiue what is the righteousnes of God, euen such as can be satisfied with no workes of men, to whom when bee examineth vs of a thou­sand offences, we cannot purge our selues of one. Such a righteousnesse had the same in­strument of God Paule conceiued, when he professed that he knew himselfe giltie in no­thing, but that he was not therby iustified, And not only such examples are in the holie Scriptures, but also all godly wryters doe shew that they were alway of this mind. So Augustine ad Bonifacium Lib. 3. Cap. 5. say­eth: Al the godly that grone vnder this burthē of corruptible flesh, and in this weakenesse of life, haue this only hope, that we haue one Me­diatour, Iesus Christ the righteous, and hee is the appeasement of our sinnes, Why, saith he, if this be their onely hope: where is the confi­dence of woorkes? For when he calleth it on­ly, he leaueth none other.

And Bernard super Cant. 6. And in deed [Page]where is safe and stedfast rest and assurednes for the weake: but in the woundes of the sauiour? And so much the surer I dwell therein, as he is mightier to saue. The world rageth, the body burdeneth, the deuill lyeth in wayte: I fall not, because I am buylded vpon the sure rock, I haue sinned a greeuous sinne, my conscience is troubled, but it shall not bee ouer troubled, because I shall remember the woundes of the Lord. And hereupon afterwardes he con­cludeth: Therefore my merite, is the Lords ta­king of mercie, I am not vtterly without me­rit, so long as he is not vtterly without mercy. But if the mercies of the Lord be many, then I also haue as many merites. Shal I sing mine owne righteousnes? for that is also my righte­ousnes, for he is made vnto me righteousnesse of God.

Againe in another place, S. Augustine in Psal. Quihabitat. Ser. 15. This is the whole merite of man, if he put his whole hope in him that saueth whole man. Likewise wher retaining Peace to him selfe he leaueth the glo­rie to God. To thee (sayth he) let glorie remain vndiminished: it shal be wel with me if I haue peace. I forsweare glorie altogether, least if I wrongfully take vpon me that which is not mine owne: I lose also that which is offred me. [Page]And more plainly in another place he saith, in Cant. ser. 13. Why should the Church be careful of merits, which hath a surer and safer way to glory vpon the purpose of God? So there is no cause why thou shouldest aske by what merits we hope for good things, speci­ally whē thou hearest in the prophet, I wil do it, not for your sakes, but for mine owne sake, saith the Lord. It suffiseth for merites, to know that merites suffice not. But as it suf­fiseth of merite not to presume of merite, so to be without merits, suffiseth to iudgement. Whereas he frely vseth this word merites for goood works, we must therein bear with the custome, but in the end his purpose was to make hipocrits afrayd, that wildly range with licentiousnesse of sinning againste the grace of God, as afterward hee expoundeth himselfe saying, Happie is the Church that neither wanteth merites without presumptiō, nor presumption without merites. It hath whereupon to presume, but not merites. It hath merites, but to deserue, not to presume, therfore it presumeth so much the more boldly, because it presumeth not, hauing large matter to glorie vpō, euen the many mercies of the Lord.

This is the trueth, the exercysed consci­ences [Page]perceiued this to be the onely sanctu­arie of safety, wherein they may safelye rest themselues when they haue to doe with the iudgement of God. For if the starres that seemed most bright in the night season, doe loose their brightnes with light of the Sun, what, thinke we, shal become euen of the ra­rest innocencie of man, when it shal be com­pared with the purenesse of God? For that shalbe a most seuere examination, that shall pearce into the most hidden thoughtes of the heart. And (as Paule sayth) Shall reueale the secrets of darcknes, & disclose the hidden things of the heart, which shall com­pell the lurking and vnwilling conscience to vtter all thinges that now are fallen out of re­membrance.

The Deuill our accuser, will presse vs, which is priuie to all the wicked deedes that he hath moued vs to doe. There, the outwarde pompous shewes of good works, (which now only are esteemed) shal nothing profite vs. Onely the purenesse of will shall be requyred. Wherefore the hipo­crisie (not onely whereby euery man know­ing him selfe giltie beefore God, desi­reth to boaste him selfe before men) but [Page]also wherewith euery man deceiueth him­selfe before God (as we bee all inclined to flatter our selues) shal fal down confounded, howsoeuer it now be proud with more than dronken boldnesse, they that bende not their wit to such a sight, may in deede for a shorte time, sweetly and pleasantly frame a righte­ousnes to themselues, but it is such a righte­ousnes as shalbe by and by shaken away frō them at the iudgement of God: Like as great riches heaped vp in a dreame, vanish away from men when they wake. But they that shall earnestly, as it were in the sight of God, enquire of the true rule of righteousnes certainly finde that al the woorkes of men, if they be iudged by their own worthines, are nothing but defilinges and filthines: That which among the common people is accoū ­ted righteousnes, is before God meere wic­kednes: that which is iudged puritie, is vn­cleannesse: that which is reckoned glory, is but shame.

From this beholding of the perfection of God, let it not greue vs to descend to look vpon our selues, without flatterie or blinde affection of loue, for it is no maruell if wee be all so blinde in this behalfe, forsomuch as none doth beware of the pestilent tendernes [Page]towardes him selfe, which (as the scripture cryeth out) Naturally sticketh fast in vs all. To euery man (saith Solomon, Prouerb. chap. 21. vers. 2. & 16. His own way is right in his owne eyes. Againe, All the wayes of man seeme cleane in his own eyes. But what? is he acquited by his blindnesse? no: But (as hee further saieth in the same place) the Lorde wayeth the hearts, that is to say, while man flattereth him selfe by reason of the outwarde visor of righteousnesse that hee beareth in re­semblance: In the meane time the Lord with his ballance examineth the hidden vncleannes of the heart.

Therefore seeing we see nothing profite with such flatterers, let vs not wilfully mock our selues to our own destruction. But that we may traine our selues rightly, wee must necessarily call backe our conscience to the iudgement seate of God. For we doe alto­gether neede his light to disclose the secrete foldinges of our peruersnesse, which other­wise lie too deeply hidden. For then, and neuer till then, wee shall cleerelye perceiue what is meant hereby, that man being rot­tennesse, and a worme, abhominable & vaine, which drinketh wickednes as water, is far from being iustified before God. For who [Page]should make that cleane that is conceiued of vncleane seede? not one man. Then shall we also finde that by experience, which Iob sayd of him selfe, chapter 19. St iustificare me vo­luero, os meum condemnabit me: si innocen­tem ostendero, prauum me comprobabit. If I will goe about to shew my selfe innocent, my own mouth shall condemne me: If I wil shew my selfe righteous, it wil prooue me wicked. For that is not meant of one age onely, but of all ages, which the Prophet in old time, of Israel, that all went astray like sheepe, that euery one turned aside to his owne way. For he there comprehendeth all them, to whom the grace of redemption should come, and the rigorousnesse of this examination ought to proceede so far, till it subdue vs, so that we be fully throwen downe with all, and by that meane, prepare vs to receiue the grace of Christ. For he is deceiued that thinketh himselfe able to receiue the enioying of this grace, vntill he haue first throwen downe all hautinesse of minde.

This is a knowen saying, that God con­foundeth the proud, and geueth grace to the humble. O, I would to God that mē would no longer trust to their owne righteousnesse, but geue place to the mercie of God, that [Page]they doe not presumptuously aduaunce them selues, nor reprochfullye triumphe ouer o­thers, but vnfaynedly submitting thēselues before God, acknowledging their own mi­serie and needinesse, at last yealde to the trueth, and say with vs, and with S. Paule, [...]. Non est iustus, ne v­nus quidē: there is none righteous, no not one. [...]: There is none that doth good, no not one. Ex operibus Legis non iustificabitur omnis caro in conspectu eius. By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight.

Againe to the Rom. 4.2. [...]. If Abraham were iustified by workes, hee hath wherein to reioyce, but not with God.

Agayne. [...]. The wayes of sinne is death: but the gifte of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Againe, to the Rom. 10.3. [...]. They beeinge ignoraunte of the Righteousnesse of God, [Page]and going about to stablish their own righte­ousnes, haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God. Againe in the 11. chap. 5. ver. [...].

Euen then, so at this present time is there a remnant through the election of grace, and if it be of grace, it is now no more of woorkes, or els were grace no more grace. But if it be of works, it is no more grace, or els were workes no more woorkes. [...], who hath geuē to him first, & he shalbe recompenced, for of him, and through him, & for him, are all thinges, To him be glorie for euer. Amen.

Againe to the Cor. 1. Epist. and 4. chap. 4. ver. Nullius omnino rei mihi conscius sum, sed non per hoc iuctificatus sum, caeterum qui me iudicat Dominus est. I know nothing by my selfe, yet I am not therby iustified, but he that iudgeth me is the Lord. S. Paule in his 2. Chapter to the Ephesians 8. verse, Gratia enim estis saluati perfidem, idque non ex vobis, Dei donum est, By grace are ye sa­ued [Page]through faith, and that not of your selues, it is the gifte of God, not workes, least any mā should boast him selfe. 2. Tim. 1.9. Qui saluos fecit nos, & vocauit vocatione sancta, non secundum opera nostra, sed secundum su­um propositum, & gratiam, quae dat a quidem est per Christum Iesum ante tempora aeterna. Who hath saued vs, and called vs with an holy calling, not according to our workes, but ac­cording to his own purpose and grace, which was geuen to vs through Iesus Christ, before the world was. Titus. 3.5. Non ex operi­bus quae sunt in iustitia, quae faciebamus nos, sed secundum suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit per lauacrum regenerationis, ac reno­uationis Spiritus sancti. That is, Not by the workes of righteousnes which wee had done, but according to his mercie, he saued vs, by the washing of the new birth, and the re­newing of the holy Ghost, that we being iusti­fied by his grace, should be made heires accor­ding to the hope of eternal life. 1. Iohn. 4.10. [...].

Herein is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to bee a [Page]recōciliation for our sins. In y^e 9. ver. We loue him because he loued vs first. To the Reue. 21.6. [...]. I will geeue to him that is a thirst, of the wel of the water of life, freely,

Many other places of Scripture could I alleadge against mennes merites & righ­teousnesse: but these already alleadged, may suffise any Christian man. Now briefly will I see what the Doctors speake against this matter of Iustification by good works. Origene in his 4. booke, and 4. Chap. I doe scarcely beleeue that there can be any woorke that may of duetie require a reward.

Basill vpon the Psalme 32. Hee that trusteth not in his owne good deedes, nor ho­peth to be iustified by his woorkes, hath the onely hope of his saluation in the mercies of God.

Hilarie vpon the 118. Psalme. If wee faste once, we thinke we haue satisfied. If out of the barnes of our houshold stoare, we geue somewhat to the poore, we beleeue that wee haue fulfilled the measure of righteousnesse: But the Prophet hopeth all of God, and tru­steth all of his mercie.

Hierome vpon the 64. Chapter of Esay, [Page] If we beholde our owne merites, we must be driuen to desperation. Vpon the. 3. Cha. to the Ephesians. In Christe Iesu our Lord, in whome we haue boldnesse and lyberty, to come and trust, and affiance by the faith of him, not through our righteousnes, but through him, in whose name our sinnes be forgiuen. In his first booke against the Pellagians. Our ryghteousnesse dooth not confist of our merites, but of the grace and mercy of God. Augustin in his, 50. Booke of Homyles. 14 Hom. Dyd not he giue, that thou mightest fight a good fight? if he him selfe dyd not giue, what was it that thou sayst? In an other place, I laboured more then all they: yet not I, but the grace of God within me, behold thou sayst, I haue ended my course, dyd he not also giue vnto thee that thou shouldest finish thy course? If he gaue not vnto thee, that thou shoul­dest finish thy course: what is it, that thou sayst? In an other place, It lyeth not in the willer, nor in the runner, but in God that sheweth mercy. I haue kept the faith: I ac­knowledge and allowe it. I confesse and grant, that thou hast kept the faith: but ex­cept the Lord dooth keepe the Citty: he watcheth in vaine, that dooth keepe it. Pardon me O Apostle, I know nothing of [Page]thine owne, but euyll. Pardon vs O A­postle, we say so, because thou hast taught vs. Therefore when he crowneth thy me­rites, he crowneth nothing, but his owne gyfts. Thus you haue heard (déerely be­loued) what both scriptures and Doctors write against mens merites, and righte­ousnesse: Wherefore I pray you, in the name of Christe, to embrace the trueth.

THus was y^e Sermon ended at Roome in the yéere of our Lord. 1578. in the moneth of May: which Sermō is registred only for this cause, y^e if I should reuolt frō Papistry, mine own writing which is re­gistred should cōdemne me to the fire, for pardō there were none. Otherwise, if they had not registred this Sermon, I might haue forsaken Papistrie, & without any feare of burning, I might haue repayred vnto them, & be reconciled to the Romishe Church againe. But nowe, if I were so wicked & lewde, by meanes of my Sermō registred at Roome, the Pope him selfe, could graunt me no pardon, according to theyr owne lawes: But without any faile I should be burnt as an Heretique, for thus tearme they Christians. But God defend me from theyr clawes, & strengthē [Page]me in his faith, & graunt me patience vnto the ende, and in the ende. God graunt me an heart to looue him, and obey my Soue­raigne, Quéene Elizabeth: During her life, I hope y^e Papists shall not burne me, God graunt her Grace many yéeres, to raigne with much felicitie, encrease of ho­nour, and ioy of health, bothe of body and soule. Pray well, O England, for her Ma­iestie, for truely thou hast much néed, thou knowest the cause as well as I, wherfore the same I doo omit to write. This booke is ended, Momus holde thy peace, for there was neuer Momus that euer thriued, vn­lesse he became a mome for his labor. Men wyll say (as they haue done before this tyme,) that this Booke was the labour of other men, as they say the other was: It is well knowne of twēty, and not so few, that I had the helpe of none, in this book, neyther in the first booke, which was cal­led my Recantation. All the helpe I had, was of God and my bookes, as for other helpe had I none: not so much as one sen­tence or clawse had I, by other mens in­dustrie, to be written in my booke. This haue I spoken, not to win prayse, or that I should séeme to be coumpted learned, be­fore I be: But I thought it good so much [Page]to write, to certifie the Readers, howe falsely I am accused, and slaundered, and what vntruethes y^e Papists report of me. I crane no more of them, then they would of me, in the lyke case, to speake no more then trueth is: And let them not spare, to report that which is trueth: so shall they (as I thinke) neyther displease God, nor molest their owne conscience. And before y^e any man ought to beléeue them, in mis­reporting ought of me, let them first trie & examine theyr wordes, whether they be true or false, and as they haue prooued theyr wordes, so let them beléeue. Thus I haue ended to write any farther, to God be prayse, & vnto me to accomplishe, what to a Christian belongeth. If you like this simple worke of mine, expect for a better, which I hope to God ere it be long, shalbe brought to lyght, to the misliking of the Papists, and to the discredite of theyr hy­pocriticall Religion, and to the profite of the Christians, and aduancement of the vndoubted trueth of the Gospell.