THe violēce of this age dothe not suffer me / my most louinge brethren / to come (as I wolde do) vnto you / and by talke & brotherly cōferringe / to putte you in mynde of the Gospel of Iesus Christe / which amongeste woothers farre more worthie / euen I by Gods grace preached amōg you. I therfore haue thought nedeful by these letters / now to do thesame / nowe I saye / when thoughe the peruerse frowardnes of men / the trew preaching of Christes Gospel is bannished and mans doctrine is taughte with lyes & fables: And thoughe some perchaunce will thinke that thys longeth not to me / but too hym that is youre Pastore to doo / yet for as muche as once I was your pastore / I cā [Page] not but testefye / that some pece of pastorall cure dothe yet reste in my harte towardes you. The whiche in dede dothe muche per­swade me / as the presente necessitie also se­meth no les to require / to make a longe & a large treatise / by whiche ye mighte haue an whole armour againste all the assaultes off false Prophetes. But whē I consider / how truly / and that with much diligēce ye haue ben taughte / and therewith thinkinge / that ye are not forgetfull hearers of the worde / I thinke that amonge you it shall suffice / if I do but name those greatest euelles / whiche nowe are poured forthe out of pulpittes a­monge you / and therewith put you in mynd of the truthe / contrary to these lyes / which once you both herde and recyeued / desiring you to abide in the same. This will I do shortly / as I haue but littell / and thesame vnapte tyme to do it / yet truly I trust to do it / as let Gods worde therein trye it. If first ye will suffer me to tell you / that throughe these fals Prophetes / the castell of youre healthe / the saluacion of your soules is as­salted / whome if ye suffer too be with you if ye yelde vp your selfes to the beleuinge & folowing of their doctrine / then knowe ye that as by blynde lears ye be ledde / so you wyth them then beynge blynded / Math. 15. shal wyth them fall in to the pitte of pardiciō / which [Page] is prepared aswell for the falsely seduced / as for the false seducer. Of thys I coulde be content to speake the lesse / but that I se that whylest of to many / and that Londy­ners / these beastes befolowed. Ye haue euen drawen and pulled vpon your heades those abhominacions / whiche if but reason had ruled / shoulde not haue bene admitted be­fore that by lawes they had ben thrust vnto you / that I speake not / what trew Christia­nitie shoulde haue moued you too haue done.

Oh London / London / An excla­mation vpō London. is this the Gospel­ling fruicte / to be the firste / that withoute a lawe shouldest bannish trew preaching out of the / too be the fyrste that againste lawes shalt admitte that massinge Idolatrie / to be the firste that shall geue the example of stō ­bling to all Englande / whych shouldest yet haue bene the fyrst in constancy / in humble / sayeng for the continuinge of the truthe in the / in quiet and paciente suffringe for the truths sake euen deathe / if by the rulers it had bene offered the. That grounde arte thou / whyche not in persecucion / but before persecuciō commeth dost go backe / a groūd thou arte reserued for the Lordes wofull cures / to whose iudgement London I leue the.

Seing in Lōdō these euels are receiued / as [Page] it is nowe meete for vigilante Pastors too watche ouer their flocke / to chase the wolf awaye / les at the Lordes hande they doo heare the name of hierlinges / Ioan. 10 so nowe is it hygh tyme for you my louinge brethrē / and all them that he the chyldrē of God / to take heede whose voyce ye do heare / too beware of the leauen of papisticall Phariseis / and to kepe your selfes vndefiled from all their abhominacions.The errour of transsub­stantiation. The greatest of whiche now I will resite amonges all their abho­minacions / one of the principall is their do­ctrine of transsubstanciatiō / the very pryde of papistrie / and the horrible offence / euen of the Turckes and Heathen. That a po­pish priest / by his hussing and bussinge / and mumblinge vp of the woordes of Christe / more lyke a Coniuror then a Christian / shoulde worke that miraculous alteracion and chaunginge of the substaunce of breade and wyne / into the substaunce of the bodye and bloude of Christe / whiche then is to be taken / as Christ hym selfe God and man / & so to be adored. But you knowe my dere brethren / that there is no suche miracle too be beleued without the certayne doctrine of Gods worde to warant thesame / which the papistes can neuer showe / & therfore their miracle is not to be beleued / Christ in Instituting the Supper / mēt not to leaue there [Page] hys body and bloud really and substancially as the papistes do teache: For Christe in the substaunce of hys body / was then to be cru­cified / he was to dye / he was to ryse agayn / he was to ascende / and he was / and in the­same yet now is / to appeare before the glo­rious God / our Bishop / aduocate / & me­diator / there so to remayne vntill the laste daye / as the schriptures do teache. In the Supper he instituted a commemoration of the breaking of hys body / and sheddinge of hys bloud / to be done and made of them that do eate that breade / and drynke of that cuppe / accordinge to hys institution: which he called his body and bloude / for that it is to the receauers a seale and confirmacion of Christes body brokē / and Christes bloud shedde for them / that the profite and com­moditie thereof is theirs / whiche there do partake by fayth. And so these woordes: This is my body, and this is my bloud, are to be vnderstand / and not as the transsubstā ciators / literally enforce them. For their vnderstanding / them is bothe cōtrary to Chri­stus meaninge / and also to the office of hys body / besydes that it is agaynst the nature of hys very body. And that thesame phrase of speakinge is thus to be vnderstanded / as I haue sayde: The like phrases in like mat­ters in the scriptures dothe sufficiētly teche [Page] vs. As whereof circumcision / the LORD dothe saye: This is my couenaunt, where it was but the seale of the couenaūt / as Paul calleth it. In the same sorte it is sayde: This is the pasouer. This cuppe is the new Te­stament in my bloud. Christ is the rocke. And in lyke maner are these to be vnderstā ­ded. So that if the aduersaries will geue the / geue the holy Ghoste leaue to expound hym self / then these woordes. Thys is my body? Thys is my bloud? are figuratiuely to be vnderstanded. As the leke Phariseis are / and so serue they not all for their mon­struus transsubstanciation.The sacrifi­ce of the masse. The second ab­hominacion is their sacrifice of the masse. In whiche (too let many thinges passe / as the straungenes of the tounge / the Iewesh apparel / the fonde noddes / crosses / beckes & duckes.) Thre euels moste notable and to a Christian conscience intollerable are there. Firste their wicked sacrifice / Thre abho­minable e­uels in the sacrifice off the popishe masse. whiche their masseboke testefieth / to be Propiciatorie / to take awaye the synnes of all those / be they dead or liuing / for whom thei do say masse: Yea / profitable and availeable for warres / peace / wether / sickenes / for murrain of bea­stes / and for whatsoeuer ye lust to bye their appliecacion. Oh shameful blasphemie. As concerninge the sacrifice Propiciatorie for synne / ye must hold the anker of your faith [Page] that this sacrifice Christ him self once offe­red for all in his own bloudy death. He was the priest & the sacrifice / the offerer and the thing offered / & by his own bloudy offering purified he in the shedding of his bloude all hys frō synne. By it purchased he eternall sanctificacion & saluacion for thē that shalbe saued: & by it finished he for euer / the ful propiciacion for synnes:Math. 27 for sayeng these wor­des it is fynished or consummate / he yelded vp the ghoste. Detestable therfore is the pa­pisticall sacrifice & ingerous to the bloudy death of Christ.

Christ instituted this supper to be a sacrament to vs / and not that of it a priest should make a propiciatory sacrifice for synne: In the eating & drinking of it / that we should declare the Lordes death / offeringe the sacri­fice of thankes therefore (and therefore is it called of the fathers a sacrifice of thankes) and not leauinge any more sacrifice propy­ciatorie for synne too anye prieste too offer:Eucharistia That we eatynge and drinkynge / according too hys institucion / shoulde by fayth applie vnto oure consciences / the benefite of hys deathe and passion / and not geuinge power too any prieste by messing too applie the be­nefite of hys death / to whome and to what he lysteth.

[Page] The Lords supper ser­ue not for one dead.Christ ordeined hys Supper neither for the dead / whiche haue no vse of eating and drinking with vs in the congregacion: nor yet for beastes / wether / nor war / for which Christ did not dre: but for hys church liuīg vpon thys earth / that nedeth hys worde / & nedeth hys Sacramēts / for the cōfirminge of their fayth.

☞ Thus plainly / ye se one mischeuous misuse in this masse. The seconde euell is / that the bread and cuppe (which the Lorde instituted too be receaued of the faythefull with thankes geuinge) In their masse they do abuse / and make of it an Idol / holding it vp for the people / not onely to gaze vppon / but to geue vnto it that honor / whiche is dewe vnto God alone: And so bothe make of it an Idol / and of the people grosse Idolators / and transgressers of Gods commaundement. The fylthines of which Idolatrie / I know you do se so plaine / that I nede not with many woordes to impugum it / for a Christian conscience can not but abhorre it. The thirde euel is that in their masse / that that is eaten and drounken is done & deuoured of the priest all alone / with quartering and soppinge / with lickinge and suppinge / with wasshing and wyping / and such prety trickes of their owne inuenting. Christe in hys institucion apoynteth thys supper too [Page] he selebrate of the whole cōgregaciō.Math. 26 Mar. 14. Luc. 22. Take ye, and drynk ye all of this sayeth he: This do ye in remembraunce of me. For so oft as ye eate this bread / and drinke of this cup ye shew the Lordes death tyll he commeth. Christ and Paule speaketh not to the priest alone / but too the whole congregacion / too obserue thys ordinaunce of eating and drinkinge at the Lordes supper: Whereby ye maye playnely se how contrary thys doyng of our popishe massers is in this also to the Institucion of Christe.The masse of all Idoles moste abhorminable. And too be shorte in thys their whole masse is nought / els but an horrible prophanaciō of the Lordes sup­per: Wherefore as a moste iniurius blasphemye / too the bloude of Christe / as a moste grosse Idolatrie / as a moste wicked prophanacion of Christes institucion / of all Chri­stians is this masse to be eschewed and ab­horred.

Out of his mischeuous Idol the masse / form they vnto the people / a new founde sacrament of their owne inuentinge: deliue­ring to the people (as they saye) through the miracle of their transsubstanciatiō a body / in which body / because also there is bloude therefore / they do not minister their conse­crated cup accordingly / for feare of spilling and yet they geue drinke too their houseled to washe doune the cromes withall. Oh [Page] theues where learne ye too minister suche a sacrament. Where haue ye your ground in the scripture for this / your vnholsome housell. Who can with a good consciīce receyue suche a new found Popish sacramente at a papistes hande / seynge also it is thereto off them vsed / to put Christes true institucion out of hys trew vse. Whose appointed ordi­naunce is that the bread of thankesgeuing / and the cuppe of thankesgeuing shoulde be eaten and droncken of the congregacion / as before I sayd.

Thys their newe founde Sacrament they hange vppe in the pix / they carrye a­brode in processiōs to be adored / with many such mischiefs of their owne inuentinge / whiche to reken vp / all were an endles la­bour.The papi­stes defende their doctrine vvith manacinge vvordes, vvith em­presonemēt vvith fyre and faggot, vvith axe and halter. The doctri­ne of iustifi­cation cor­rupted of the papistes I leaue them therfore euer listeninge when I may heare them defende these their abhominacions by the written woorde off God / but this as they neuer yet coulde do / so shall they neuer be able to do it / and ther­fore of all Christians are they wish their euasyons to be forsaken.

In the doctrine of Iustificacion they wander enwrapped in laberin these inex­tricable. They erre in extenuating synne bothe originall and actuall / in not vnderstā ­dinge the lawe / the force of it (I meane) nor [Page] the ende of it / in makynge a Iustification / partly of Christes grace / partelye of mans free wil / good mocyons and good worckes / and herein they so enwrappe theym selfes with their termes of the fyrst grace / Toyes for an ape too play vvith all. the se­conde grace / grace presidente / grace conco­mitatinge / grace folowinge / with merite of congruence / and merite of condignitie / that neither vnderstande thee trewe iustifica­cion / neither canne other men vnderstande what they do meane by their Iustificatiō: But their doctrine is too bringe men into a continuall doubtynge of saluacion / and leadeth them cleane from that free Iusti­ficacion / whiche we haue in Iesus Christe. But you my brethren haue out of the scriptures receyued / and I truste by the practy­ses of youre owne conscyences haue ta­sted.

☞ That by nature ye are the chyl­dren of wrath of your selfs: as of your selfs that ye are but suche a lompe of synne / that in you dwelleth no good thynge. For whyche the lawe iustely condempneth you as gilty of Goddes curse and wrathe / and so dryueth you too Christe. By whose grace ye be frely iustified.

By whose bloudde sheddynge / onely and alone / the attonemente is nowe made [Page] made betwene God and you / whiche you beleuing are made the heires of blessinge / of whiche your consciences by fayth beinge assured by the worke of Gods spirite / Rom. 5. ye be at peace with God / because ye do feale euen in your hartes by liuelye perswasion off fayth / that Christ hath loued you / and ge­uen hym self for you / Ephe. 5. for whose onely sake ye are iustefied and saued: Which you thus felinge / are ledde by thesame spirite that worketh thys in you too render vnto God the sacrifice of your body / in liuing & doing those workes / which in hys sight are accep­table / and that in a fredom and libertie off the spirite / I meane no fleshely libertie / but that libertie of the spiritie / by whiche we darre drawe nye vnto the seate of Goddes grace / calling hym: Abba father / that liber­tie that subdueth the libertie of the fleshe / and maketh it captiue & bonde too serue the spirite. In which you also walkinge / when ye haue done all that ye can do / yf ye coulde do all that is commaunded you too do / yet seinge all mans righteousnes is but as a de­fyled clothe / ye seke not thereby the perim­plishment of your Iustificacion. Which is all redy fully geuen you in Christes Iesus / ye loke not to the merite of your good wor­kes: but on your part knowing your owne want and imperfection / Luc. 17. yea / and synne euē [Page] in the best ye do / ye saye: we are vnprofita­ble seruauntes commending all your doin­ges to the grace of God thorowe Christe / that by hym they maye be made pure: on Godes parte considering / that the good ye do / is the worke of his spirite in you / which worketh in all men / bothe to will & to do / ye do geue vnto hym the glory / seyng by his grace onely / ye are that good that ye are. Neuertheles / yet this also ye knowe that the Lord / Good vvorkes. whiche through Christe hath ac­cepted you vnto his grace / doth of the same grace in Christe / accept these youre workes into hys fauour / as iust perfect and good. Whiche though they be the woorkes of hys spirite in you / yet is he content to haue thē called and estemed as yours / and as youres dothe he of hys owne fre grace reward thē bothe in this lyfe / and in the lyfe to come. In this that I haue thus spoken / you se the force of synne originall and actuall / the force and ende of the lawe / the power of mans free will / the trew iustification / mās regeneracion / and the life / fruictes & perfection of Gods regenerate chylde: By which ye may the more easely perceaue how farre the papistes wander from the truthe of iu­stification / by which they drawe men into a desperate doubting of saluacion / whyche who so liketh / let them taste therof. Here is [Page] occasion also geuen me to warne you of all those meanes that they haue taught too be meritorius to deserue Gods grace / as wor­kes of superrogaciō / workes done of a good entent / fish fastes / vowes / pylgrimages / pardons / Conterfa [...]ts good vvor­kes. and suche like Popish trashe / which though as yet perchaūce they dare not tea­the / yet haue they taught / and will hereaf­ter teache it. But against all such / I accōpt you sufficiently armed / if ye holde fast thys that our onely merite a valiable before god / is the merite of Christ / whiche he frely ge­ueth / and God for his onely sake frelye im­puteth to all trew beleuers / which is vnto them full perfyt / and sufficient merit / righteousnes / sanctification / & saluacion.The inter­cession of sainctes. They teache also inuocacion of sainctes / to make them mediators / if not too God for vs / yet vnto Christe to speake the better for vs.

1. Tim. 2.The scripture teacheth playn / that betwen God and man / there is but one mediator / the man Iesus Christ / who therfore became man / that for men he alone should make in­tercessiō / as for mans redēpcion he alone did dye.Ioan. 15 Wherefore euen he also teacheth mē to call vpō the father in hys name / promising to suche that they shall be harde.Prayer abused amonge the papistes 1. Cor. 14

Prayer abuse they not onely in a straūge tonge / contrary to the doctrine of Paule / whiche will haue all thinges done in the cō gregacion [Page] / to the edifyeng thereof: in super­sticious numbring of a certayne number of Psalmes / or Pater nosters / of whiche be­cause the people shalbe sure / Math. 6 they teache thē the vse of beades / contrarye vnto whiche Christ our Sauiour taught / condemninge it as a phariseicall supersticion / when for their much clatering sake / they thinke them selfes to be hard:Prayenge for the dead But also they teache and defend prayeng for the dead / to be charitable and propiciatory.Apoc. 14

Where as yet the scripture teacheth / that they that dye in the Lorde / are insolace and blessednes. As then they nede not our pray­ers / so our prayers can adde noughte vnto their blessednes:Avvaie vvith ioure purgatorij rakers, and four masses of Requsē. And on the contrary parte they that dye wickedlye / haue no remedye euerlastingly: So that on all partes / thys kynde of prayer is in vayne. The wother being in moste blessed saftie / and with these the tyme of health & grace beinge past / theyr curious charitie therfore / and their peuishe propiciatorye prayer hath no ground in the scriptures. But through this they haue pic­ked the purse of many a poore man / for on thys vnhappye grounde buylde they chan­tries / trentalles vniuersaries / diriges / pur­gatory / pardons for soules departed / and a pece of their expiatory sacrifice / with many suche proper deuises.

[Page] Auriculer confession.Auriculer confessiō they teache / in which they enforce a numbring of synnes / whiche is nought / els but the tyrāny of their king­dome / and as they vse it a killing of Christiā consciences / and hath no groūde of the scriptures. In an anguishe and dute of consciēce it is both good / necessary / and comfortable / for a man to counsail with sum suche lear­ned elder / in whose lippes dothe lye the law of truthe. Agayne / if the trew ecclesiasticall discipline were vsed / a pece of it oughte too be / that the man restored / shoulde of hys faulie make an open confession before the congregacion / to declare publicquely hys re­pentaunce. Yea / and a minister may vppon iust groūde examine any / of whom he hath cure / of such a faute / as he seeth him worth to be reproued for: But this is so farre frō their eareshrifte / that a man moste blynde / maye easely iudge thereof.Popisshe in­uencions. But the rable of their errors are to many now to recite / as of the authoritie of the churche / of the not erring of the churche / of discipline / of theyr fyue new enuented sacrament / of voues / of ckoyse of meates / of images / and such lyke. Against all / whiche that ye maye be armed my deare brethren / I require you not onely to call to minde the doctrine of the truthe receyued. But also that for the triall of thē ye do abyde in the worde of the truthe / Go­des [Page] worde I meane. And because / here they haue also an error / I will but recite it / and so make an ende.Tradicions

Their error is / that Gods writtē worde is not a sufficiente doctrine vnto saluacion / but (say they) the voyce of the church / tradi­cions / and counsayles are to be harde of ne­cessitie. As for tradicions / there is no tradi­cion of any matter of faithe to be receyued / other then is in the scriptures expressed. Likewise doctors and counsailles / Doctors. Counsails. Customes. Note. with the consent and custome of the churche / are so farre to be harde in matters of faithe / as they do agre with the writen scripture: for it is the touche stone to trye them all by / & that in suche sorte / that if they saye not / ac­cording to this woorde / then as there is no light in them / so are they not to be folowed.Esa. 8. As for tradicions / customes / Ceremonies and by and for the order of the churche ceremonies recey­ued and vsed / which be no matters of faith / they may be admitted and altered at the dis­crecion of theym that haue the rule of the church vnder Christ / according to the necessite of the tyme / and the disposition of the people / so that in them be nothinge elles but trew edifying to vnfayned Godlynes. And suche are of the people with humblines too be receyued. But for the ful triall of suche / [...]ea / and for the full and perfect institucion [Page] of all men / in suche thinges as concerning saluacion / God hath lefte vnto his church and people hys written worde.The holy scripture is a sufficient doctrine for oure salua­cion, vvith­out the Po­pishe vn­vvrittē ve­rites. Ioan. 20. In whiche though all thinges that God mighte haue caused to be written / be not writtē. Yet in it so much is written / as sufficeth to teache vs that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God / and also that we beleuing / might haue lyfe euer­lastinge / as Ihon dothe witnes / by whiche we learne / that the written worde of God. is a sufficiēt doctrine to instruct vs in that fayth / whiche bringeth to lyfe euerlastinge. It is that sufficient doctrine that can alone make men learned vnto saluacion / by the fayth which is in Christ Iesus / it alone suf­ficeth to make the mā of God perfectly en­structed too all that is good / as witnesseth Paule.2. Tim. 3 Ioan. 5. Luc. 16. 2. Pet. 1. Therefore vnto the scriptures do Christe sende the Phariseis / Abraham too Moyses and the Prophetes / Peter also to thesame worde of the Prophetes / as to the doctrine that sufficeth to enstructe vs too saluacion. The knowledge of whiche worde whosoeuer goeth aboute to take from the people by putting it into a straunge langage to the ende that the more safely / our popish marchaūtes maye kepe their marte of fals­head and Popery / he robbeth the people of their meane to saluacion / he openith a dore for theues and murtherers / to deuoure the [Page] flocke of Christ / and if at the worldes hāde / he sustayneth not the iudgemente of a thefe / yet at Godes hande shall he be sure to haue the iudgement of a soule murtherer.

☞ Thus briefly I haue put you in mynd my deare brethren of the principall errors of the aduersaries / and of the truthe contrary to them / not so copiously as the matter de­serueth / but shortly measuring the neade of your knowledge / for I haue not to do now with the ignorant / but with you / of whom by the tyme and kynde of your teachinge / I iudge that ye be able not onely too iudge off the truthe / but too be brotherly enstruetors of other in thesame. And thus I haue done furst to exorte you constantly to abide in the truthe receyued.Continuan̄e in the truth Call to youre mynde that God of his great mercy and goodnes hathe long ben in planting / sowing / and watering of you / as it were to make you a garden off pleasure vnto hym selfe. These sedes of lyfe the deuel by hys doctors will now go about to picke out of your hartes. But if in thys Gospelling adge / ye haue bene worthy hea­rers of the Gospel / if with the worde herde with youre eares / the Lordes sprite hathe touched your hartes to beleue the worde of truthe preached / as he hath done to so many as haue vnfaynedly desired it / Ioan. 10 if ye be the shepe / which haue rightely herde the shepe­herdes [Page] voyce / then surely the straungers supplanting voice shall ye not heare / but ye shall flee frome suche hurelinges / as frome theues / robbers and murtherers. Hereby verely shall ye be knowen what ground ye are / fruteful / or vnfruteful constant / or ser­uers of the tyme:The propertie of good gospelers. Good Gospel hearers be not suche as will be tost aboute with euery wynde / they be no suche grounde as wil be dried vp with euery blast of bourning heate / but they abide in Godes truthe / serchinge and learninge thesame in hys holy scriptu­res / and that with suche faithfull diligence and constante obedience / that if an aungell from heauen shal preache an other Gospel / they holde hym accursed:Galat. 1. Yea / and thoughe there be many counterfaicie Christians / that fall awaye frome the Lordes truthe / yet abide they with Christe and saye:Ioan. 6. Heare and kepe the vvorde off god. Thou hafte the wordes of euerlasting lyfe: Con­sider my deare brethren / that not too heare alone / but to kepe Christes woorde maketh a man happie. And in kepinge the principall parte is too perseuer in the doctrine off truthe / thys maketh Christes disciples / this maketh you free / yea / thys is it / that ma­keth a man safe / for he that perseuereth too the ende / shalbe saued.

Matth. 10Thys also haue I written too exorte you / to kepe your selfes vndefiled frome all [Page] Popishe leauen / Note and bevvare. yf ye do fall from the Gospell / and embrace Poperie / ye fall frome truthe to lyes / frome the woorde of lighte and lyfe / to darkenes and death / frome sal­uacion to dampnacion / from God too the deuell.Luce. 11. Ye are then they / into whome the euell sprete reentreth with seuē worse then hym selfe / ye are then the folishe buylders whiche suffer the vnrecouerable ruin. And as then with that filth that is in Popery / ye be defyled with it: so of the dampnacion whiche is due to suche abhominacion / ye shall be partakers of it.Christes death & the Popish Masse can not agre toge­ther. But if ye thinke that ye can bothe embrace Popery and the Gospel / ye do disceaue your selfes / for you can not bothe holde the taste off Christes deathe in your consciences / and alowe also that masse / whiche is the defacer of Chri­stes deathe / you can not embrace the righte vse of the Lordes supper / and also vse and partake the horrible prophanacion of the­same: Ye can not by faythe apprehende free iustificacion / and yet seke by your righ­teousnes and merites too be saued: you can not accepte Godes written woorde / as the sufficient doctrine of saluacion: and alsoo take mans doctrine and tradicions / as ne­cessarie to thesame / and so forthe of the rest. This can ye not do bothe / they are so con­trarie.

[Page] Serue God accordinge to his vvorde.But if ye coulde do it / yet may ye not do it / for God will none of your māgeled seruice / for as there is no cōueniēce betwene Christe and Beliall / so men must not halte on both sydes in Godes seruice / but eyther say that God is God / or els that Baal is god.2. Cor. 6. 3. Reg. 18 God neuer allowed that seruice of the Samari­taines / whiche both serued their Idols / and worshipped the lyuing God. But if ye be turned to the Lord / then all straunge Gods muste ye cleane forsake. The Lorde is God alone / alone therfore according to hys worde will he be serued.Exod. 20 God is ouer mā a gelious God / wherefore he will haue whole man wholy to be hys alone / as our fyrst commā ­dement teacheth vs. Agayne / if you thinke that in your hartes ye will serue the Lord / but yet ye will be and may be present in par­son at their Idolatrie.Fleshlij pol­lecie. For your hart shalbe in heauē. This is but a fleshly policie / which fayleth as many as trust vnto it.The masse is an vvho­rish thefe. How can you / too whome Christes deathe is deere: abyde to se that whorish thefe / that stealeth from Christe the glory of his death. Howe can ye / which haue ben and are ready to re­ceaue with thankefulnes the Lordes supper according to Christes institucion / abide to se the horrible prophanacion thereof?Harte and mouth must go together in matters of God. And so forth of the rest. But if your consciēce were suche that ye coulde thus do / yet knowe ye [Page] thys / that it is againste your Christian pro­fession.Rom. 10. For we are taughte / that too beleue with the hart / & to confesse with the mouth maketh a man safe. Bothe hartes belefe / & mouthes confessiō must go together / whiche dothe not so in you / when inwardly ye are Gospelers / & outwardly dessemblers with papistes. Ye are bought with a pryce (sayeth Paule) glorify now God in your body and in your sprite / whiche are Gods.1. Cor. 6. Seinge both body an sprite are Goddes / not onelye by creacion / but bought also by redempciō / euen in the price of Christes bloude / ye can not with a dissembling pretēce / couple your bodies with papistes / for then ye do not glo­rifie God in your bodies. We rede not that any chylde of God / vsed euer iustlye anye suche dissimulacion.Examples of constanci in goddes vvorde. dan. 6.14 Dan. 3. Daniel vsed none such and therfore was he sone accused of not adoring the kyng / Bel and the Dragon. The thre chyldren / whether they came by cōpul­sion / or came of their owne mynde / where the Idol was / dissembled not / for forth with they were accused as transgressors of the kynges commaundement. Eleazarus wold not dissemble / eating euen of lawful fleshe.2. mach. 6 These men glorified God in body & sprite / these men beleued in hart / & confessed with the mouth / & so must you do / without any other muysinge / yf ye will do the office off [Page] Christians.Of offence geuinge. Note vvel. And this to do not onely the profession of Christianitie enforceth / but Christian cheritie also. Our doinges must be without offence geuinge: But by thys dissembling a double stomble blocke is geuē whiche euen in thinges indifferent is to be auoyded. For what though a Christian may eate frely of meates offered vnto Idols / yet if thereby an Idolater / whose conscience in hys supersticion / shoulde be confirmed therby / it were better neuer to eate fleshe. And what though al thinges be clean to the clean to be eaten on all dayes with thankes ge­uing / yet better it is not to eate flesh / nor to drinke wyne:Rom. 14 1. Cor. 8 then too offende thereby thy weake brother:Note ye dissemblinge gospelers. If this be to be obserued in thinges indifferente / howe muche more in thinges which are absolutely euell / must ye take heede that neither ye geue occasion off concerninge the conscience of an Idolatrie / nor yet of offending the weke to draw them to the leeke euell with you: bothe whiche ye do / when bothe a papist and a weke brother seeth you as mingrels myngling your selfs with the Papistes in their Idolatrie. As muche might I speake / howe that all thyn­ges that ye do in the congregacion muste be done to edifyeng.1. Cor. 14 But of this to haue full instruccion.Caluine. I referre you to the mynde off mayster Caluine / lately trāslated & printed [Page] in English. Thus now I ende wishing you all well in the Lorde.Godly ex­hortations. Abide in hys truthe / kepe your selfes vndefiled. Offer youre selfes hūbly to suffer all violence of bloud­dye lawes for the truthes sake / kepe safe your consciēces / thoughe the sworde taketh your lyues from you / suffer & beare withal humblenes and quiet obedience. Humble your selfes in vnfayned repentaunce be­fore the Lorde / in the horrible plague of Popery / that of hys mercy he maye be moued to ende these dayes of delusion / and let your prayers alwayes ascend vp before the Lord / begginge of hym suche thynges as ye nede. In which I besech you to praye also for me.

The grace of our LORD Iesus Christ be with you all. AMEN.