1 The Lord Christ.

HEARKEN YEE FALSE Embassadors and messengers of the Romane harlot. Yee runne, but I send you not: yee speake, but I haue not spoken vnto you: your dissembling Catholiques I doe not iustifie, either in their opinions, or in their dissimulations. Their opinions are haereticall, their dissimulation is damnable: [Page 2] yet their suting and sorting with my Protes­tants in England is both justifiable in it selfe, and acceptable vnto me. Their estate there­fore is not herein dangerous: never trouble them with such account. But yours, who are Recusants, is. For in your own words to an­swere you. Ye are the erring soules who will not enter the Arke: nor refuse to leaue Sodome: who forsake not the Tabernacles of Korah: who neg­lect to flye from Babylon: yee are the lost sheepe who have worne out My marke, and enter an other folde: yee runne with the theefe, and par­take with iniquity: yee broken braunches igno­rant of your owne decay: yee rent my vnseamed coate: yee teare my bodie: yee breake the vni­tie of my Church without scruple of Schisme. Could you possibly have deuised fitter words wherein to describe your own Hereticall and Schismaticall qualities? Therefore stand vp and plead for your selues if you bee able be­fore me your Iudge, and Creator of all: your wickednesse shall testifie vnto your owne fa­ces, and let all my Creatures testifie against you for notorious Impostors; Men and Angels; Pro­testants and Romanists; Christians and Infidels; and your owne Consciences, if yee haue any.

2 The Lord Christ.

YOu I haue tryed and found, indeed, a faithles and disloyall generation: yee haue set at naught my wisedome and bountie, and contemned the treasures of my kingdome. Oh yee seed of Samaria, your idolatrous blindnes and frowardnes, as that of vntamed Ephraim, I detest, ab­horr, and cannot digest. The purchase of the kingdome of Heaven by my glori­ous and aeternall merits, how so ever I seeme to proffer vnto all, yet I have provided for none but my true beleevers. As for them, who only for the feare of a Temporall losse, will not make publique and open profession of the truth, how can I choose but hate their so dastardlie dissimulation? Yet I am no [Page 4] Counsellor, as thou wouldest make me here, Oh thou false tongue, to any vnresolved or vnsetled soules, to turne Traytors to their King and Countrey, to the hazard of th [...]ir liues and goods.

3 The Lord Christ.

TVrne your eyes and looke vppon your selves yee Runnagates, and yee shall see that yee are the men of vnthankefulnes here described. I will and do challenge you in your owne words, that you with-hold your owne soules from me my right and in­terest [Page 5] by Purchase of redemption: that you are stubborne servants and disobedient Chil­dren: that I haue sent my labourers vnto you: who haue travailed much with him: that I haue by many occasions sollicited you:Recusant Papists ma­ny wayes sollicited to [...]ome to the truth of the Ghospell prof [...]ted in England. as by the great prosperitie and long peace of this Land, by miraculous defence of the late Queene, and the present King thereof, and strange deliverances of all the states there­in, both from forraine invasions, and do­mesticall treasons, secret, and open practises: by encreasing both the multitude and lear­ning of my true Pastors according to my mind, as I promised of old vnto my Church, Ierem. 3.15 and many other vnspeakeable blessings besides: yet have you like barraine soules brought foorth no sweet and kindly fruites of truth and Godlines, but vnprofitable and bitter weeds of Poperie and Impietie. Stiff and in­tractable as yee are; wicked and perverse peo­ple: why doe yee wrong my patience? and dailie vexe me to drawe my people from me? yea those among yourselves that are com­ming towards me? why doe yee your selues thus forsake me, and deny me? despize and disobey me? oppugne and assault me?

4 The Lord Christ.

HEre you lay vpon your friends a three­fold accusation in my name: but I haue not accused them of Deniall, Contempt, and Resistance of God in yeelding to the Pro­fession of a Protestant. Your service is not my seruice, your Coate my liuerie, your Syna­gogue my familie, your pitcht field my Campe and Colours; or the Protestants pavilions mine Aduersaries Tents: yee are my Adver­saries, and your Tents are the tents of vn­godlines, your Campe and Colours are op­posite vnto mine. To enter your familie, to weare your liverie, to doe service in your as­semblies is to forsake and denie mine. But they doe well that doe the contrarie. Againe, I haue Commanded all my professors to loue mee [Page 7] aboue all, to confesse my Name, my faith, and Church, and to striue for the truth even vn­to bloud. But your Religion is not the Truth, your Faith, and Church, are none of mine: so that they cannot despise and disobaye mee that depart frō you. For your 5.5. Sacramēts thrust in by papists, which Christ never ordained, see Sect. 13. Sacraments added vnto my Baptisme and holie Supper I never ordained as necessarie to Salvation, or signi­ficant symboles of my death & Passion. Your infernall Sacrifice of the Masse, He. 10.10. &c. as not onlie an jdle and odious repeticion of my pretious death: But a most jmpious and blasphe­mous derogation from the All-sufficient and eternall merite thereof, I hate and abhorr as an Antichristian Idoll. They haue doon well that haue with-drawen themselues from it, and entred into the Congregations of my faithfull Protestants; despizing and refrai­ning your tedious Multiplicitie of Ceremo­nies, & altogether ridiculouslie both Supersti­tious and Profane obseruances: for herein they haue honoured and obayed me. Lastlie then; let other Romanized English bee discomfor­ted: let their courage faile: and the number de­crease on your part: let the false-Catholicke cause be weakened: and the enemie thereof [Page 8] be fortified: they doe well who are a meanes of this; and please mee best of all that come from among you: so farr it is that they op­pugne and assault me.

5 The Lord Christ.

NAy: never perswade them vnto that. For having builded vpon a false foun­dation, how can you choose but inferr a false and presumptuous conclusion? Your foundation was; that they areSect. 1. erring Soules, departing from my Church: joyning with Heretickes: Sect. 4. denying, despizing, and oppug­ning mee: which they will never graunt you: which I will never yeeld you: yet thereof you would haue them to be perswaded. And to that end forsooth would rouze vp their Consciences, and sound the bottome of their hearts to search and see their dissimulation. That they are Romanists in heart and dissem­ble their faith; I cannot approue it: that they [Page 9] vnite themselues vnto the Protestants; I will not blame it: that they doe so onlie in a colour to saue their Lands and goods; I doe not justifie it: that they therfore must be con­cluded for deniers, despizers, & oppugners of me, The Popish Priest t keth vpon him to judge his bre­thren, contra­ry to the com­mandement of Christ. Mat 7.1. and my faith of truth, in conversing with the Protestants, and comming to their Seruice, and Churches; how should I jnferr it? yet you take vppon you to prooue it.

6 The Lord Christ.

NO sir: they doe not.Doubtfull Catholicks may come to Protestant Churches to [...] thē ­selues, Recu­sant Papists perseuere in erroneous Contumacie. For yee Recusant Papists are none of my companie, my fol­lowers, my inheritance, my [...]ooke, the house­hold of faith, my Children, and the like: (as you stile your selues.) To denie your com­panie, your Religion, and false Catholicke [Page 10] Church; is not to renounce mee their God, Redeemer, and Saviour; and to denie my holie Name, and Maiestie. Therefore let this whole comparison betwixt Peters deniall of me, and theirs (as yee suppose;) goe for naught and cancelled. Onlie I would haue you remem­ber;The Pope is onlie the pre­sumed succes­sor of Peter. that your holie Father, the presumed Successor of this Apostle, and all his follow­ers haue learned well his Apostasie; but can­not find the waie to returne, repent, goe out with him, & weepe bitterlie. My blessedMat. 16.17. A­postle, had hee not slipped from mee in the high Priests Hall,Mat. 26.58. his continuance in the profession of my name had beene true Chri­stian constancie. But your perseverance in your erroneous, hereticall, and jdolatrous course, can be no lesse thē profane contuma­cie, and wicked desperation. Happie then are they who eschew the exercise of your Ca­tholicke faith, and participation in profession of Conscience with such mis-beleeuers as yee are: Happie who frequent the Rites of my true friends the Protestants, and partake with them in the sacred profession of their Religion. Be it known vnto you,Protestants onlie are true Catholicks. and to all men, They onlie are accepted of me for true Catholicks, [Page 11] and remaine firmelie vnited to the Church my Spouse: and all the rest whatsoever they professe commit the Acts of heresie; Nay, are absolutelie either mis-beleevers, or vnbe­leevers: Hereticks of Christendome, or Panim Infidels.

7 The Lord Christ.

NAy: dare yee saie they are? I say, they are the heard of Antichrist,Recusant Pa­pists Foxes & Wolues. the wilieCanti 2.15. Foxes, & the wild Bores that destroye my vine: yea, theMatt 7.15. ravening Wolues that prey vpon the soules of men. If your con­ceaved Schismaticks be not of their band, nor members, of their Church and brother-hoode, it is the better for them. For no companie is, or can be mine, which imbraceth their errone­ous and false Catholicke Faith; which pur­sueth their traiterous, murderous, and vnna­turall course of life.

8 The Lord Christ.

NO can indeed? Ah yee spirits of pre­sumption: stand they vpon the assured ground of my Apostles doctrine in my word?Popish foun­dations, tradi­tions, and shew of Anti­quitie. No: they are weakelie builded vp­pon the sand of humane traditions. There­fore I, even I, doe call their saluation in questi­on. They cleaue not stedfastlie, but stubborn­lie, to the superstitious Novelties of their late fore-fathers faith, who haue departed from the rule of my Religion, whereinto their first christened Ancestors were converted by mine Apostles and their Coadjutors: And wherein all their godly Predecessors both vertu­ously liued, and happilie died, before the patche­ries of your Poperie came in. They haue a shadow and shew of some late praecedent ge­nerations: but the soundnes of Antiquitie [Page 13] from the purer times and truly Apostolicall, who so ever sifteth their Moderne faith shal find they haue not, for all their great cracks and brags.Tertullian [...] de praescript. aduersus haere­ses. See Iude. Vers. 3. And so Tertullian the anciēt spake well in that: Dominicum & verum, quod pri­us traditum: extraneum & falsum, quod poste­rius immissum. The truth of the Lord was first deliuered to the Saints: but forraine falshood crept in afterwards.

9 The Lord Christ.

THey are not praise-worthie that praise themselues,2. Cor. 10.18. but they whome I the Lord doe praise. Now, I doe not allow your proude vaunting of your selues: I know your workes, and your waies, that they are full of wickednes and hypocrisie. Are you the men that nourish the fire which I came [Page 14] downe to cause to burne on Earth? Luc. 12.49. No: no: yee know not of what spirit you are. Luc. 9.55. For with the furious fire of a blind zeale which burneth in your breasts, haue ye not invēted & kindled a subterraneal & sulphureous fire to quench the light of Israell in this Realme? and all the goodlie shining lampes thereof, to the everlasting memorie of your perpetu­all all shame? Then, at that time, did you shew how you doe maintaine and vphold that my Law:Exod. 20.13. (Thou shalt doe no murder.) How so ever you presume of the rest: when you in­tended & attempted the most barbarous,The Gun­powder trea­son. ty­ranicall, vnheard-of, and Satanicall destructi­on of King, Queene, Prince, and all the States, the beautie and honour of this King­dome, in an hower. Oh yee sonnes of Bala­am, and of Balack: yee bastard generation, and yee monsters of Moab! Let my people sing: Faux of Moab is destroyed and brought to silence in a night. Piercie, Catesbie, and the rest of Moab are destroyed,Ier. 48.10. and brought to si­lence in an jnstant. And cursed shall hee bee that doth the worke of the Lord negligentlie, or vnfaithfullie; and with-holdeth his sword from the bloud of all the brood of Moab; [Page 15] when her time and judgement shall be come. For, doe you glorifie my name that glorie in such workes? being sorie for nothing more,Papists sorie that the Gun­powder trea­son tooke no better effect. Luk. 5. [...]2. Ioh. 2.25. then that it hath not taken your wished and prayed for effect? Dissemble it no longer, for I know you hearts. Therefore shall you be dishonoured for ever: and the jndeleble blot of your noted infamie shall never be put out: you shall be known for a spotted and pesti­lent generation so long as the world endu­reth. Goe to now yee stars in the night: yee greene Bayes in the winter: yee fresh fountaines in the Deserts: No: no: yee know your ti­tles in mine Apostle,Iude ve. 12.13 & in the Gospell well e­nough. Cloudes without water, carried about with euery wind, & whiff of vaine jmaginati­ons: Wells and pits dryed in the deserts: barraine fig-trees, if yee be greene in the midst of Som­mer; when the Winter cometh, corrupt trees, twice dead, and plucked vp by the rootes: wan­dring Starres, fallen out of the jnferior hea­ven: for whome is reserued the blacknes of dark­nes for euer. For, to be short; ye walke in dark­nes and know not whither yee goe: flatter not your selues: your own sectaries doe not beleeue, much lesse do they confesse that ye do [Page 16] well: and your vowed enemies, my true and faithfull servants and friends, the English Protestants, long agoe haue learned of me to repute and range you in the rancke of those who stand assuredlie in the state of condem­nation.

10 The Lord Christ.

IF they haue no part with you how happie are they? If they consort in conscience, and partake in profession of a false beleefe with you, they haue no part in me, no part in Hea­ven; but they most justly and aboundantlie deserue vnto themselues the vengeance of e­ternall fire. [...]ome out frō Recusants yee staggering Papists. If they will come from among you wholie both in conversation, and in Re­ligion, and follow mee faithfullie with my true professors, serving me, nor in the oldnes [Page 17] of the Letter with a servile feare,Rom. 7.6. but in the newnes of the Spirit out of thankefulnes in loue, from a pure heart, a good conscience, 1. Tim. 1 5. and Faith vnfained; comming out from the Babel of your Superstitions, Atheisines, and A­postasies: let them never care for your defec­tiue and infected merites. For the kingdome of Heaven belongeth vnto mee by a double right, Enheritance, and Purchase: In the one, Bernard I was borne vnto it; in the other, I haue per­fectlie deserved it through obedience and sprinckling of my precious and meritorious bloud: 1. Pet. 1.2. and I will giue it them if they can ap­prehend it by a true and liuelie faith,Rom. 4.4. &c Ephe. 2.8.9. 2. Cor. 7.1. without regard of any other merite: provided alwaies if they doe their best without hypocrisie, to walke before mee in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of their life.Ephe. 4. [...]4. Luk. 1.75. But ye per­verted Runnagates, because ye are become perverse Recusants, and the shameles Apo­states of my Church of England: returne, I advise you, returne into my fold: els I must saie vnto you as I spake vnto the Pharisees of old: how can yee escape the damnation of Hell. Mat. 23. [...].

11 The Lord Christ.

YOur meaning is: your miscalled Schisma­ticks, are not Romane Catholicks. What if that be granted? are they aught the worse? But let me heare the proofe. Aske the Recusants; aske the persecutors, you meane the Protestants, aske the Saints and Angels: and you adde of me: (I neuer yet tooke them for ser­uants of mine). What opinion Recusants carrie of them neither doe they greatlie, nei­ther will I that they should at all, regard. The Protestants finding thē in their pauilions, yet not acquainted with their secret purposes, haue no reason but in charitie to hope the best; that in time they will become good Christians: Yet in wisedome to suspect, that, being as it were [...], neither fish nor flesh, [Page 19] Romane Catholicks in opinion, in outward Acts of conversation Statists; they will prooue no better in the end then Obnoxious, that I may not say, pernicious, vnto the state. What talke you fondlie of my Saints and An­gels? as though you knew what the spirits and soules of just and perfect men in heaven, and those Caelestiall and Sempiternall Thrones,Ephes. 1 21. Dominions, Principalities, and Powers doe judge. If they abhorr them, it is because they are false-hearted Catholicks like your selues, not because they conforme themselues vnto my Protestants. As for me: I will answere you as I did sometime the Pharises:Ioh. 8.15. (yee iudge after the flesh: I iudge no man: and if I iudge, 16. this my iudgement is true). This I say then: yee reconciled Romanists, ye haue cast away my Cognizance, ye are not of my familie, yee are my foes, yee are the Church Malignant, yee are little better then Infidels, your flocke, your fold is another, and not mine; your pa­stures, your sheepheards are none of mine: and if I returne your owne woords vppon your selues, which you presse vppon your poore Schismaticall soules, I am able to make it good. (Haue no confidence in vaine lying words, [Page 20] say not in your harts we be catholicks: ye are none: ye are become like black a Moores brats, & like E­gyptian elues.) Sentence your selues ye naugh­ty seruāts: For I must tell you plaine: the Pro­testants doe weare my badge and liverie, they are of my familie, the true Church and fellow­ship of the faithfull: how dare you call them persecutors, who haue been so grieuouslie and tyrannously persecuted by your Church; As that, in those bloudie times of Queene Ma­rie, See, Foxij Act. & Cla­num. within the space of 4. or 5. yeares about 400. Martyres, even for that monstrous Ar­ticle of Transubstantiation, haue felt the furie of your fire, and sword? And I must laie it to your charge. On the other side; they never haue done you any harme, but onlie haue ca­stigated by necessary justice, & the same tem­pered with exceeding great mildnes and mo­deration, the audacious and horrible Trea­sons and Rebellions of your popish Secta­ries: of whome not one, all the daies and Raigne of the late Queene, or of the present King, for his conscience and Religion onlie, hath been put to endure any Capital punish­ment. But contrary: yours haue most tender­ly & carefully byn dealt withall; by writing, [Page 21] by preaching, by other good meanes and v­sage recalled, if not reclaymed, as wandring and straying sheepe, into my pastures, flocke, and fold; and vnto my sheepheards among the Protestants. Surely they are the Church which I haue purchased with my own bloud: They are my beautifull and beloued Spouse: Apoc. 14.4. They are the Virgins vndefiled with jdola­try: white and glorious are their garments; because they are the Robes of myne own jn­nocency: and they are the Israell of God which I haue deliuered from your Aegyptian bondage. Then, those that joyne in heart with them are true Catholicks, though not Romane Catholicks. Happy are they that are syncerely cōming from among you vn­to them. And for the rest who onely make a shew of separation from you for feare of the world, hauing euill in their jmaginations; when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclo­sed, I the Lord will iudge both them and you,2. Cor. 5.10. at the last day. In the meane time speake no more, I charge you, of the supposed punnish­ments and calamities of the English Church: and the yoke whervnder your obstinate and wilfull Catholicks are sayd to groane; neither [Page 22] slaunder my Church of England any more with cruelty; least I jncrease my justice vpon you, and reward you double according to your deserts.

12 The Lord Christ.

WHat doe you rayling vpon my peo­ple in my name? yet the time is not come that I will say to them, or you, or any:Mat. 7.23. (out of my sight:) the day of doome and Iudgement is the day of: Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity. In the meane time I jnvite in mercy all that will come vnto me; while they are lyving here they may repent, and come:2. Cor. 7.3. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of Saluation: he that now refuseth it in this world, shall never find it in the next. Yet [Page 23] a little while,Iam. 2.13. and there shalbe Iudgement mer­ciles to them that despize mercie. But the day and time of this mortality must first be past before I shut vp all compassion from them: for I may call offenders,Matt. 20.6. and giue them grace to come to me, at whatsoeuer hower I will. True:Abac. 1.13. I am a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquitie. In which regard let no man trust to much vpon my mercy: and let these take heed how they joyne praesumption to infir­mity, and grieue my holy spirit, Ephe. 4.30. wherby I seale vp all my chosen vnto the day of redēption. And so I counsaile you, and all men. Yea, remem­ber you withall especially, that as I did to Chorah and his confederates, Num. 16.32. and all that remai­ned within the compasse of their tabernacle; as I haue done not only to Samaria and her Idols, Ezech. 16. but to Ierusalem and her abhominations.2. Thes. 2.16. As I will plague not only the known Hereticke and Infidell, but the secret Hypocrite and dissembler also, who for feare or friendshippe of any man, departeth from me, and mine, with the like scourges of Scorpions as the rest, and the vengeance of eternall fire: so ex­cept ye also come out from the Sodome, Ae­gypt, and Babylon of your Adulterous Romish [Page 24] Synagogue; because you loue to be partners with her in her vnrighteousnes; you shall ere long assuredly be partakers with her of her Plagues: for her judgement is not farr off. In the meane time, from henceforth I commaund you, call not the blynd any lon­ger out of the right way wherin they are a­bout to walke: challenge not your poore vnsetled Catholicks any more, thus jdly and ridiculously as ye do, of Apostasie from my ho­lie seruice, of impugnation of my Faith, of ad­hearing to faction, of yealding to furie, of par­taking in iniquitie, of exhibiting reuerence to an vngodly sect, and performing personall obser­uance to an Adulterous Synagogue, for ioyning with my friends the Protestants of England: for, as all these your slanderous raylings, and odious blasphemies, I vtterly abhorr: so be ye certified, that these are with me in farr bet­ter estimation and accompt: yea, whatsoe­uer ye backe-byte and bable to the contrary: I say; they, they the Protestants, are my on­ly faithfull seruants, and the lot of mine en­heritance; and I am the lot of theirs.

13 The Lord Christ.

YOur Generall is true:Mat. 6.24. No man can serue two cōtrary Masters; No subiect two ad­uersarie Princes: but your applicatiō most vnjust & vngodly. For, how can this be iust which I will neuer justifie? nay, which I must condemne for the greatest, and most intole­rable blasphemy that can be vttered: not onely that you compare my seruāts the Pro­testants to Idolaters & Deuils, and their most holy and Christian seruices to Idolatrous and Heathnish sacrifices: but my selfe also their God and Sauiour, to the Idolls of Bethel, and Gilgal; and the mountaine of Samaria; to Ie­roboams Calues; to Malcham, and Baal: nay, to Beelzebub himselfe. Oh desperate and hellish blasphemy: what are ye now jnferiour (yee Serpents, yee Vipers, ye wicked Generation;Mat. 23.33.) vnto those Cast-awaies of mine own Natiō, who so reuiled me in the daies of my flesh while I [Page 26] liued with them? nay, how are ye not superi­our vnto them in wickednes & most dānable praesumptiō? for they spake of me in the time of my humility, when I appeared vnto them onely as a man: but ye in this my day of Glo­rie, now I am sitting at the right hand of my Fathers Maiesty;Ephes. 1.21. farr aboue all principalities and powers, and euery name that is named in this world and in the next. Therefore ye are cursed with a curse: and looke ye well vnto it, that this be not the vnpardonable sinne, & Blas­phemy against the holy Ghost, Marc. 3.29. Luc. 12.10. Heb. 6.4. &c. so that it be vn­possible for you to be renewed vnto Repentance. As for those your Catholicks at whome ye rayle vnder the names of Schismaticall Israe­lites, of Samaritans, of libertine Corinthians, of Laodiceans, of swearers by God and Mal­cham, and of wicked Ahab; if they loue my Temple, (that is none of yours); because they are comming on vnto it, and haue ioyned with my seruants in profession, then are they no dissemblers: But if they are still enamo­red with your Temple, (which ye say is mine but falsely;) by my selfe (but not by your Embassage, ye shall not speake for me:) I ad­uize them better minds. Yf they be my seruants [Page 27] and my Children; let them loue me with all their hearts syncerely; not in words and colour onely: but in workes & truth al­so; and serue me, as they doe, among the Pro­testants in the faith of truth. That they can­not doe; if they haue accesse to your Priests; frequent your Sacraments; haue in reuerence your rites and Ceremonies, honour your seruice; prostrate themselues before your defiled Al­tar, adore at the houre of your direfull sacrifice: All which you call mine, but I disclame them all; as I doe also your Confession and penance. For will you neuer learne,Popish priests none of Christs ordi­nation. that your characte­red sacrifizing Priests neuer sprāg from my diuine ordinatiō? neither can be numbred a­mong any of those whom I,Ephe. 4.8. when I ascended vp to Heauen and led captiuitie Captiue, gaue as gifts to men: some Apostles, some &c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Mi­nisterie, &c. Two Sacramēts I haue ordained in my Church to confirme and seale vp the faith of my Chosen which they haue in me. Baptisme and my Holy Supper: as few as may be; & most significāt of my death & passion, & price of my redēption. The other 5. (Cōfir­mation, Confessiō & Penance, Matrimonie, Ex­treme [Page 28] Vnction, and holy Ordination) Let the most of them be sacred actions: but as sym­bolicall signes, and seales of this great myste­ry of my Redēption; that is, properly as Sa­craments, I neuer did appoint thē. They are added so of humane,1. Confirma­tion. & of your own jnuēti­on, and jnstitution. Confirmation after Baptis­me, as it was in vse in the Primitiue Church, and in the Apostolical times, is good & pro­fitable.2. Confession and Penance. Confession and penance are by you abu­sed as a snare to entangle the reputation, and to slay the soules of my people. For yee en­force the same as a necessary Sacrament; ye call for a particular enumeratiō of sinnes, if it be possible; the Act, with all the circūstan­ces thereof:Ʋincent. Bru­no tract. de Paenit. when, where, in what manner, and how often it hath been committed: not only wicked & vngodly, but euen foolish, j­dle, and vnfruitfull words: yea the very secret thoughts and intents of the hart must be re­mēbred and layd open to the Priest. And ye ap­poynt a most ridiculous Penance as a satisfa­ction for sinne;3. Matrimony Heb. 13.4. Ephe. 5.32. for which no man can satisfie but my selfe alone. Mariage is honourable in all: and it signifieth the mysticall vniō betwixt me and my Church: yea, & to be solemnized in the [Page 29] open view of a congregation it is an ancient and most wholsome Custome,Gen. 29.21. Iudic. 14.10. Tertull. lib. de pudicitia pe­nes noc occul­tae coniunctio­nes, &c. Conc. Carth. 4. & Ecclesiasti­call Constitution; for the avoyding of Pla­giaries, of Clandestine adulteries, fornicati­ons, jncests, and such like jmpieties. But I ne­uer required it to be held for a Sacrament of the Church; it being also lawfull and com­mendable among the very Infidels, who are not within the Church.4. Extreme Vnction. Vnction of the sicke with oyle was a Ceremonie bothMarc. 6.13. in, and immediatly after the daies of my habitation here on Earth, which I allowed to mine Apo­stles & Primitiue Elders of the Church, because by the meanes of that and prayer I was plea­sed to giue vnto thē a gift of healing for the recouery of the sicke & weake.Iam. 5.14. But now since the gift hath been withdrawn, with many o­ther of like qualitie, Marc. 16.17.18. granted for tokens & eui­dences of beleeuers on me in those dayes: therfore it shall be but humane idlenes, va­nity, & presūption, to continue the Ceremo­ny without a grace. Much more is it audaci­ous, if not extreme, impiety to deuize a new Ceremony, & a new name of Extreme Vnctiō: and therunto to forge a grace. As for any o­ther smeering or anoyling vsed in your Sy­nagogue, [Page 30] at Baptisme, or other where, I disclame,5. Orders. and renounce it, as the scumme, and filth of your owne braines. Ordination of bishops, Priests, and Deacons, as it is in vse amongst my English Protestants, is both ancient and Authentick; beeing, euen from the prime and purer Churches,Socr. li. 1. c. 11 Sozom. lib 1. cap. 22. reputed Apostoli­call: but by you it is Mudded and polluted with a sacrifizing Priest-hood; to the most shamefull, and slaunderous derogation, and impeachment of That mine euerlasting Of­fering,Popish Cere­monies apish & ridiculous. and Office after the order of Melchi­sedech. Your multiplicity, and absurdity of most apish, and toyish Ceremonies: as ducking, crossing, closing, & opening of hands, Host-eleuating, loud-bawling, secret Mumbling, and the like: are fitter for a Theater, then for the Church. What reuerence can yee re­quire to such jrreuerend, childish, and pro­fane Administrations? To be short: your dishonorable seruice; your detestable Altar; your hypocriricall creeping, and casting downe your bodyes; your no lesse odious lifting vp jmpure harts and hands; your i­dolatrous adoratiō; your contumacious en­deauour of blynd zeale; your dreadfull, nay [Page 31] direfull, & abhominable, sacrifice; The abhomi­nation of the popish Masse. & therfore abhominable because an offring not only of my passion, but of my body; a spirituall, & a Carnall; a bloudy, and vnbloudy Sacrifice; indeed, a Sacrifice, and no Sacrifice: because not only a memory of me the Redeemer of my Chosen is solemnly celebrated, and liue­ly represented; but a propitiation also for the liuing and the dead is pretended to be of­fered; directly crossing, and contrary to that one Oblation of my selfe once offred, not without bloud:Heb. 10.14. whereby for euer I haue conse­crated and perfected them that are sanctified: wherein by the Eternall spirit I offered vp my selfe vnto God, Heb. 9.12.13.14. and found eternall redemption for them. All these are not the workes of my Children, and seruants; and therfore I com­mand you once againe, vnder the penalty of my great and Eternall curse, that yee cease a­ny further to lead the blynd out of the way, whome you haue peruerted too farr already, and will not suffer them so much as to enter a deliberation to returne vnto the flocks of my Sheapheards againe.

14 The Lord Christ.

IS not this an ouer-Rigorous austerity and most apparent in you? First, to inhibite them the Churches of the Protestants; and after to exclude them from your own myste­ries & Oratories also. You say nay. For first, you would haue them to Confesse themselues guilty for ioyning with the Protestants, and to purpose amendment of that fault, to re­ceaue your absolution, and to doe penaunce, and so to be purged, and so be prooued worthy to come vnto your Altar. But I say vnto you still, your Altar is not my Altar, my great Maie­stie is not there resident, but onely the pettie Maiestie of your profane bread, neither is your penaunce, your pardon, your Confession, my ordination. Therefore they who refuse [Page 33] these things from you are guiltles before me: and (as yee saye) in this one thing happie, that they are suspended and reiected of you. And I denounce a woe against you that Cal good e­uill, and euill good; sweet sower, & sower sweet; Esay. 5.20. put light for darknes, and darknes for light.

15 The Lord Christ.

WHat? and will you still make me the Patrone of your lyes? surely, I doe not hold them among my true Ca­tholicks, no more then I doe your selues: nei­ther yet doe I conclude;The Lord al­loweth not dissembling Catholicks. that cleauing to the Protestants they cleaue to sectaries: neither doe I pronounce them Protestants: neither do I allow their reproofe, either in priuate talke, or in priuate opinion, of the Protestant pro­ceedings: neither are those proceedings de­parture from the faith: nor yet their Tem­ples [Page 34] houses of Idolatry, as ye blaspheme: So that albeit by their presence with them, in ap­pearance they honour, by obaying they allow, by example they further, by deeds they cōfirme, by dissembling they establish those procee­dings: albe-it they goe to those houses as one of them; they sit there as one of them, they be­haue themselues reuerēdly as one of them; yet in all this, or in any of these they cannot be defined eyther Schismaticks or Haereticks. In a word, howsoeuer they are reputed Proselyts of the Caluinist (as you terme the true Christi­an): and howsoeuer your poore Catholicks, poore indeed and voyde of true Catholicke faith,Dissembling Catholicks no Schisma­ticks. are scandalized of them; though they may be lost sheepe (for the time) and dissem­blers, yet are they no Schismaticks; being not diuided from the true Church; much lesse at the brinck of bottomles haeresie in that respect.

16 The Lord Christ.

Schisme is a separation from the faith of truth; and the true Cōmunion of Saints.What is Schisme. And therefore all those Christians vpon whatsoeuer intent & purpose of heart, whe­ther for Feare of the Aduersity and Crosses, or for loue of the prosperity, ease, and sensu­ality of this present euill world, who do con­sort themselues (though but for a time) with the Iewish, Turkish, or any other Heathnish profession, let them be censured for schisma­ticall Reuolters, till they returne into the Church againe. But herevpon how can you charge your cunning Catholicks of schisme, for associating in their actions with the Pro­testants? First you are to proue the one to be Haereticks, their Assemblies also, and rites hae­reticall; which you can neuer do: and then forewarne the other vnder the penalty of Schismaticall reproch to adhaere vnto them. Be it that some of them, (for all, I know, who know the hearts, doe not) repute and take the Protestants for Haereticks; for that is the poynt you press vppon them; and yet like Ambidexters, Machiauels, and Temporizers, [Page 36] only for feare, or for loue of the earth and earthly things, against their consciences, will make a shew to be on their side: yet I say, ne­uer shal their own false opiniōs, no more thē yours, conclude them to be Schismaticks in joyning with my Church: howsoeuer they may be convicted of themselues for notori­ous hypocrites and dissemblers; and so be vn­excusable in my sight. For I cannot like it that they, or you, or any should dissemble with me,Iosue 9.9. or my people. The Gibeonites in that they sought the friendship of my ser­uant Iosua and his host, did not offend me; in that they sought it by dissimulation, they did not please me:vers. 21. Therfore for the one, I spa­red their liues; and for the other, I adjudged them to perpetuall seruitude. The remnant of those Iewes who dwell now among the Nations, who are baptized, and professe Christianity, therein are no offenders; but being true, as it is reported of many of them, that they still are judaicall in opinion, and that the vayle of Moyses is layd ouer their hearts; in that I disclame and detest them as forlorne mis-beleeuers, and my sworne Ene­mies. So, let euery one of yours, either be as [Page 37] they professe, vnfayned Christians;Perfect schis­maticks. Schisma facere ab vnitate Christi, aut in Schismate esse profecto malū est, & magnū malū: nec om­ninò fieri po­test vt Christus det Schismati­co non fidem sed sacrilegum errorem, aut in Christo radi­cem Schisma­ticus fixerit, aut Schisma­tico Christus sit origo & ca­put. Aug. lib. 4. contra Cres­con. Gramm. or pro­fesse as they are, false-hearted and false opini­onated Catholicks: Schismaticks they can­not be that professe the truth in the Church; They only are such who being runnagates and hereticks maintaine falshoods, with per­sonall separation from the Church. Neither yet doe I allow them for good and faithfull Christians, who would be so reputed, and are not: for they only are such whose opinion and profession agree togither in the truth; that is, who professe the truth in syncerity.

17 The Lord Christ.

OH ye wretched and wicked Priests of Antichrist; I know well, I know, that my Church, my Spouse, my body mysticall, my chast Turtle, my Citie, my Kingdome, my Fa­milie, 1 Cor. 11.19. Mat. 18.7. the piller of Truth, is but one. For albeit in my visible Church there must bee Haere­sies, 2. Tim. 2.20. Mat. 13 24. &c. Mat. 3.12. and Scandals, for the triall of my chosen: for that in my house there are vessels of honour & dishonour: in my field there is Corne & Tares: in my garner there is Wheat & Chaff: Mat. 13.47. Gen. 7.8. in my Net there is good and bad Fish: in my Arke there are cleane and vncleane beasts: Phil. 3.2. Rom. 6.17. and there will be alwaies some of whome it may be sayd; Beware of Dogs. Mat. 7.15. Act. 20.29. Marke them that make diui­sions among you, and auoyde them. Beware of false Prophets. Grieuous Wolues shall enter in a­mong you. Yet as vnto my chosen there is but one way, Ioh. 14.1. One truth, one life: so they are all baptized by one spirit into one body. 1. Cor. 12.13. Ephesi. 4.4. &c. For there is one bodie and one spirit, euen as they are called in one hope of their vocation; one Lord, one faith, one Baptizme, one God and father of all, which [Page 39] is aboue all, and through all, and in them all: One sheepheard and one fold. My Doue is alone, Ioh. 10. Cantic. 6. The company of my chosen is but one Commu­nion of Saints, partly triumphant in Hea­uen, and partly militant on Earth: But must ye therefore be that one? Do ye take it for graunted that I will not yeeld you? No­thing but begging of the Question? How dare ye say in my name that they are blind and impious who imagine holines in the Prote­stants prayers, or saluation to bee found in their Faith? For I, euen I, pronounce vnto you: their prayers are holie;A true sauing faith. and their faith is a sauing faith; which ascribeth and acknow­ledgeth the sole and whole worke and me­rite of redēption, and the purchase of Hea­uen vnto me alone. And to say, that by a­ny other profession a man may be saued, is indeed, to make an other God, and Summum bonum, besides me, and to make me none, or euil, or jnsufficient at the least, which in truth ye prowde Papists doe,Papists ioyne their own merits with the Death of Christ in the purchase of saluation. in vaunting the merits of your owne defectiue and jnfected works, as coadjutors to the purchase of Eternall glory, with the obedience and sprinckling of my precious bloud: as though I had not [Page 40] made a full and perfect satisfaction without your ayde or helpe. But thus ye boldly and presumptuously diminish & dishonour me, and my all-sufficiently meritorious Sacri­fice; and yet ye malapertlie charge my true beleeuers of that fault whereof your selues are guilty. Shall I not punnish you for this thing?

18 The Lord Christ.

THis generall opposition betwixt you Papists, and my true professors the Pro­testants I doe allow: prouided alwaies that yee are the Wolues, the Lyons, the Gos­hawkes; and they the Lambes, the Harts, the Partridges; and that your Religion is the sur­mized, theirs the sure; yours vnpossible, theirs [Page 41] infallible; yours newly reared by mans imagina­tions, cherished for pollicie, &c: Theirs founded by my selfe from the beginning, vppon my selfe the Rocke. What other Haereticks doe, or how they injuriously reuile, vpbraide as an Idoll, teare, spit at, and treade vnder foote my dreadfull Eucharist: What is that to these true Christians, whome opprobriously yee call Hugonots? Sure it is, they for their parts most constantly and deuoutly beleeue my true body, (jmpute no jdle Manichean phantasie vnto them) and the personall presence of my Deity in the Eucharist: (I know their faith;Popish adora­tion of bread.) & me they adore with due veneration; though not the Element that representeth my true body: Neither doe they commit such a mysticall and spirituall kind of murder and mangling of my body asye do, who professe,Papists feed corporallie, they say, vpon Christ when they feed on him in the Sa­crament. See Ferus in Iohn cap. 6. The number of Popish Sa­craments. howsoeuer in termes ye disclame it, not only a spiritual, but a corporall feeding thervpon: brutish Cannibals as yee are. As touching the other maine differences between them and you in the particulars; Know yee; that I neuer ordained the number of 7. Sacraments, but onely Baptisme, and my holy Supper: your vse of Images I scorne, and abhorr,Images. [Page 42] being directly contrary to the second Com­maundement of my morall Law: Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image &c. Act. & monū. Foxe pag 130. though your Pope Adrian commaunded thē to be taken for Laymens Kalenders:Inuocation of Saints. your In­vocation of Saints is a derogation from my glory which I will not giue to any other: Esay. 42.8. I neuer commanded you by any praecept; I neuer in­vited you by any godly example; I neuer in­couraged you by any promise in my holy word; to any such deuotion. Your forgiue­nes of sinnes by your Popes indulgences,Indulgences. and your selling of pardons is paltry trifling and prophane Marchandizing in my holy Tem­ple.Heavenly glorie. What heauenly glorie do you dreame of, that my faithfull Protestants beleeue not much better then yee are able;Popish diffe­rence of jn­fernall paines. your difference of infernall paines I am not acquainted with­all: I know none but eternall fire prepared for the diuell and his adhaerents; your tem­porall purgatorie flames are but poëticall fables; Purgatorie a poëtical fable. Iustification. your Iustification of the liuing by faith and works together, is partly coyned in your owne forge, and partly raked vp out of the Pharisaicall pride.Praier for the dead. Your praying for the dead is bootles, they hauing now their Iudgemēt [Page 43] passed on them: as the day of death hath left them, so the day of finall Iudgement shall finde them, either blessed or cursed for euer. No prayers now shall preuaile, or hurt them any whit at all.Popish faith, hope, & cha­ritie. Moreouer your faith is a con­fused Confidence; nay rather an jmplicite and vnknowne assent, you know not vnto what; full of distrust and diffidence: your hope builded thereuppon must needs be hopeles, and voyd of sound and heauenly comfort: your Charitie to me is very slender and luke­warme like theirs once of Laodicea: Apoc. 3.15. for yee loue your selues as well as me; your owne merits you joyne with mine, vngratefully diminishing my meritorious sacrifice and the price of my bloud. Oh sinfull Nation; supply yee my pure and perfect obedience with your owne foule and filthie righteous­nes? Is this your loue to me to pretend the purchase of heauen together with me? thus to be ouer-enamoured of your selues? Fie, Fie; I cannot endure a Co-partner with me in this great worke of Redemption and sal­uation. Therefore your jmagined freewill to good: your merits of congruence, and of worthines, where are they? your fastings and [Page 44] prayers, conceited, and practised, not onely as means but as meritorious workes of eternall life, I hate; and will surely punish as the fumes and fomes of the pride of your old A­dam. As for sinnc yee knowe not the power thereof that suppose any one to be veniall in it selfe, being committed against so eternall and jnfinit a Maiestie, as I am. And what haue you to doe with my counsell and de­cree of predestination? Predestinatiō Will you or can you infringe the infallible Certainty therof that ye teach men to doubt of my loue? why doe yee not tell them rather, that though they cannot choose but doubt, by reason of their many,1. Cor. 15.58. and mighty sinnes, which is humane jnfirmitie; yet they ought to be stedfast and vnmoouable in their faith, being builded on me,Mal. 3.6. Pro. 19.21. Heb. 13.5. who am God; and am not changed; whose Counsell is immutable; who will not faile neither yet forsake them that put their trust in me: yea though they beleeue not without great weaknes,2. Tim 2.13. yet I am God, faithfull and true, and cannot deny myselfe. Finally, what meane you to adde vnto my canonicall scriptures the Apocryphall writings of Iudith, Tobias, Maccabees, and others: which I neuer yet [Page 45] allowed to be put into the canon. Nay, to thrust in your owne vnwritten Traditions and Papall constitutions to make them of e­quall authoritie with the same:Nesanda se­creta. These your nefarious hidden doctrines I will haue can­celled and abolished: I cannot abide that yee should goe a whoring after your owne ima­ginations. Goe and learne what that mea­neth: In vaine they worship me, Mat. 15.9. reaching for doctrines mens precepts. And that:vers. 13. Euery plant which mine heauenly Father hath not planted, shalbe rooted vp. Thus haue you, in deed, al­most in the whole summe of Religion tossed ouer euerie stone, reuersed the whole frame of faith, and turned all vpside downe. And there­fore take you heed, yee obstinate Recusants, least your departure and diuision from my true Church be a more then sufficient war­rant of your heauy Iudgement with Arrius, Nestorius, Eutyches, I adde, with Manichees, Marcionits, Pelagians; and other old Haereticks, in the bottomles pit. for that you haue not in one point, but in many, varied from the chri­stian faith.

19 The Lord Christ.

SVrely, the Scriptures, praiers, and Churches of Haereticks are not well pleasing vnto me: They are abhominable Papisme, therefore being the verie doctrine of deuils; your popish Scripture as being none of my word,Popish Scrip­ture. The La­tine vulgar e­dition authē ­ticke among the Papists, very errone­ous. but the word of the deuill, so false and adulterated, so poysoned, and full of corrup­tions, as it is in your latine vulgar edition au­thorized by your Trent Councell, oppugning vndermyning, and overthwarting my true faith, and Catholike Church I disclame as a counterfait coppie, and renounce altogether, as no writ of myne.Popish pray­ers. Your praiers also are no better in mine eares then the howling of Wolues that prey vppon the soules of men; the low­ing of Oxen, and the roaring of Bulls, screeching of Owles, and Night-Rauens, yelling and bel­lowing [Page 47] Infernall blasphemies against my sa­cred Maiestie, in vnknowne and vnconcei­ued, in loud bawling, in discording from my heart, both tongues and tunes.Popish Priests. Your priests are perfect Chemarims, and Priests of Baal; of­ficers of the very Antichrist; his heralds, and proctors, his Apostles, and Angels of his King­dome of darknes.Popish Com­munion. Goe yee and suck the adders Eggs, lesse poysonable out of doubt then your Communion bread and cup. Popish Cere­monies. Your Ceremonies are not few, but most fantasticall; offensiue both in their nomber, and in their nature, a­pish, and plainly ridiculous jmitations part­ly of the Heathnish superstitions, and partlie of those Rites which my heauenly Father sometimes ordayned to his people Israell. Your fastes are fish delicates: wine,Popish fasts. and other dainty fare; farr more jncentiue of filthie Lust in pampering of the body then any o­ther foode: and your abstinence sometimes a feasting, sometimes a most Pharisaicall and Hypocriticall sowring of your faces, and other ostentation of will-worship in neglecting the body: Coloss. 2.22.23. not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh (as myne Apostle paints it out in his E­pistle to the Colossians.) Your holy dayes, so [Page 48] your Churches and your Temples, Churches de­dicated amōg the Papists. are dedicated not onely to the holy Trinitye, and to other true and worthy saynts & Martyrs, many of them,Dunstan. but some to vile & jmpious Traytors, and Coniurers, and such like abhominable sin­ners: besids to the exercise of your Idolatrous and superstitious deuotious, which I cannot abyde. Therefore they are not more holy, no more my howses, no more the places of my sanctuary, which you frequent: nay, all your meetings, synagogues, and assēblies I vtter­ly abhorr? what talke yee of Bethel? of Geri­zim? of Sichem? of the Christian Churches? For yee goe up to Beth-auen; and stand vpon mount Eball: and commit jdolatrie in the hill of Samaria. The Turkish Temples are An­tichristian,The Pope. and so are yours. Your High Priest of the Romane sea is now deemed fitly of my Christian Churches the very Apostati­call Iudas of the world,Apoc. 17.5. and the Ecclesiasti­call Apocalypticall Beast: so is euery one, that receiueth his marke and jmbraceth his doctrine, a Reuolter from my faith of truth. Therefore all your prayers and seruice offe­red vnto me I haue in Execration.

20 The Lord Christ.

It is so: it must be so (yee Papists:) betweene your Altar, your Priests, your Sacraments, your seruice, your faith: and the Altar, the Preachers, the sacraments, the seruice, the faith of the protestants there is, and euer wilbe an opposition: neither possibly can be any vnitie, concord, or conformitie. The Papists Altar & Idol. For your Al­tar of jmagined Sacrifice propitiatory who hath required at your hands? your abho­minable host which I neuer acknowledged to be my blessed Body I know and condēne for a detestable Idol.The Prote­stants Com­munion. But their plaine Commu­nion Table, is both necessarie, and seemely, to set my holy and heauenly bread vppon; not [Page 50] a base and vnprofitable peece of Bread, as yee blaspheme, but bread honoured, and conse­crated by mine owne ordinance, for an euer­lasting memoriall of my death and Passion: To the end that all beleeuing soules which feed thereon with a true and liuely Faith, might be confirmed and nourished vnto E­ternall life. Dare yee call this an Idoll, (yee wicked jmpes,) of a contemptible supper? yee are also the ministers of darknes, yee stamped Priests of Antichrist, they are myne only true & faithfull Embassadours who faithfully re­quire & intreat my people in my name to be reconciled vnto god. For theirs is the Reue­rend, worthy, sound, vndoubted faith of truth: yours (to returne your owne words because they fit you well, as swords and arrowes into your owne hartes) a Basterd, Counterfait, vncertaine, and fained miscreance. But finally what is this your blame in the seruice of my Saints, and publique praier, of the Protestants? what positiue Corruption finde you therin that you will haue it abhominable in my sight? Onely you alledge: (it is a forme of prayer, a shadow of diuine seruice wholy tending to the mainte­naunce of heresie, not onely &c. but directly sub­stituted [Page 51] in defiance of me, & my mysteries, and of the faith Catholicke, which is put into English to Insinuate that my Church erreth in not vsing the vulgar) A forme of prayer it is indeed,The Prote­stants forme of prayer. and an excellent forme; not a shadow, but a sub­stantiall forme of diuine seruice; wholy ten­ding to the maintenance of the pure faith, and the ouerthrowe of the popish Heresies,Rites and Ce­remonies. superstitions, & jdolatries. In regard where­of, Ancient and approued Rites, and what­soeuer ceremonies are fitting and significant for edification, it neither disanulleth, nor suppresseth: not stumbling at euery straw, to be scandalized with things indifferent, what­soeuer other opposites say or write to the contrarie: but it retaineth and ordaineth prudently and deuoutly, Rites and Ceremo­nies of such nature and qualitie as these pro­phane and dissolute times do much require.Vestiments and orna­ments. As touching the ornaments or vestments v­sed in their Church yee speake vnlearnedly and spitefully to saye they were stollen from your Church; and the protestants Iet vp and downe in your Robes. They know, the stollen attire of the Strumpet of Babylon will ill be­come the virgin, the daughter of God. [Page 52] Therefore in defiance, not of me; but of you, and your mysteries, and your now Romaine Catholick faith,The refor­med seruice of the Prote­stants hath a­bolished Mass. Latine Liturgie. In­vocation of Saints. Praier for the dead. Consecration of Bels, Books Candels, &c. Elevation of host. Super­stitious cros­sing, and pro­fane Crosses. They haue well and wisely, and according to my will abolished your ab­hominable Masse and Mattens with the Mū ­meries thereof; your ridiculous liturgie, and seruice in a strange and vnknowne tongue, and therefore vnedifying; your superstitious Inuocation of Saints: your jrreligious prayer for the dead: your foolish and sottish conse­cration, or coniuration rather of Bells, Books, Candells, and such like trifles and toyes; your thrise jmpious and odious eleuation of a wa­fer-god; iustlie offensiue to euery good Christian eye: Your ten-times jdolatrous profanation of Crossing, and Crosses; (at the sight whereof (say you) the furies quake; Ah yee fooles: [...]. Homer. [...]. what furies meane you? those fictions of the poets? nay: be they rather the raging furies of your owne distempered braines, and tormented Consciences; as they may well enough; yee haue it in such an ex­ecrable vse.Images. And so haue the pictures, and I­mages of saints, in your Temples, and how­ses, and high waies: for which cause, how­soeuer they may be to some, historicall mo­numents, [Page 53] and memorials of those wor­thy personages, and lessons of instruction to the Ignorant, to jmitate their vertues: yet other­wise,quod legenti­bus Scriptura hoc Idiotis praestat P [...]ctu­ra [...]cruētibus. Greg. Rom. Epistolarū. lib. 9. cap. 9. seeing they can stirre vp nothing but a blind and buzzardly deuotion; and those lay-mens bookes (as your Gregorie stiles thē) can be no better then a doctrine of vanitie; though they be demolished, broken, and burnt vpp, As Idolls; it is no matter: no more then that the signe of the Crosse is vtterly abolish­ed and cast away as it is in vse,Signe of the Crosse not Popish hath a tolerable vse. It is generally graunted euen by most learned dis­plinaricis. in immortalian la [...]ac [...]o. Tertullian. Origen. Cyprian. See conferēce at Hampton Court an. 16 [...]4. Pag. 69. Ta [...]ers. Mat. 5. Psal. 116. Prou. 6. [...] Vestiments, and vessels. or abuse ra­ther among you; howsoeuer they retayne it, as they finde it hath bin vsed in the prime & purer Churches: yea at the sacred Font. Now also; away with your smoky tapers, & grea­sie candels, to giue you light at noone day; they are not able to enlighten you in your spirituall Darkenes. I Commaund: let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes &c. and to that purpose, let my word be a lanthorne vnto your feet and a light vnto yours pathes my Commaundement is a lanthorne, and Instruction a light. Let these other lights alone. Your Idle vestments, and gay clothes, your vessels also of your profa­nation, put of: leaue of: and appeare no [Page 54] more like heathnish, or jewish priests in my presence. And in a word: seeing this is all (as I perceiue) that you can except against the seruice of the Protestants: namely: because they doe not communicate with your po­pish paltry trash and Traditions, whereafter yee goe a whooring as after your owne jn­uentions; let them alone to pray jncessantly for propagation of their reformed and pure profession (no Sect I-wisse:) against the Turke and Pope together; who are both, my professed aduersaries:2. Thess. 2.4. the one raigning with­out, the other raging within my holy Tem­ple. No: your Pope is not Peters true and lawfull Successiour, The Pope hath forsaken the doctrine of Christ. His personall succession could neuer yet be proo­ued. either by doctrinall, or personall Succession; much lesse the Rocke of Faith. Finally; let their wals and pillers be still more and more witnesses of their jntegritie, and just departure from your, more then su­perstious, apparently Idolatrous, abhomi­nations. And seeing their ministerie is the more sacred vnto mee, the Lesse agreement and conformitie it hath, and holdeth with your old, our rather new, vpstart paltrie and patcherie; and their seruice I doe and will ac­knowledge for mine owne: let your poore [Page 55] Schismaticall soules (as yee terme them) joyne themselues to my holy Sanctuaries. And I would not onely they, but all the rest vnre­solued, that are mine, would speedily make hast, & come out of your spirituall Sodome, Egypt, & Babylon; Leaue your dissimulation, or feare, or whatsoueer hindereth; and be­come, not onely in part, but altogether such, as are my faithfull Protestants. I say, Trou­ble them not to call them backe that are En­tring into the old, and good way; but let my people goe, that they may serue me. Ierim. 6.16. Exod. 7.16.

The Lord Christ.

BY this time you should haue ended your pretended Message: but I see, false Em­bassadors as yee are, what you cannot en­force by Arguments, yee will attempt to perswade by wordes. But haue you neuer read? [...]. Cor. 2.4. not in the perswasiue words of mans wise­dome but in plaine euidence of the spirit and Po­wer. Yf your Demy-Catholicks held an euill course, no reason they should build vppon examples, either of parish Priests, or learned Bishops, or any great presidents, or any wise fellowes, Nullum car­n [...] exemplo nesas. Seneca. or whatsoeuer Pastors Doctors, Coun­sellors, or holy men. For which of them con­fesseth not that no mans example is to be followed in sin? But if Priests, and great pre­sidents, and wise fellowes, Pastors, and Doctors; yea but puny students haue gon before them in a right way; to follow them it can be no fault, but a praise rather. Therefore vainely and Idly doe you make your comparison betweene the parish Priests, and other presi­dents, and puny students on the one side as Corruptest soules, Carcases, Carions, & the like; and the Bishops whome you meane, great [Page 57] (as you say) for learning, Popish Bi­shops neither ouer learned: neither vnkindly vsed by Q Elizab. and superiour functi­on on the other. Especially seeing those bi­shops had no greater measure of learning, and sanctity, then their great places; nor so much neither as their waightie functions re­quired. But as for that jmpudent and shame­les lye which you are bold to vtter in my name of their Imprisonment & death: I know­ing the truth to stand otherwise; jt is jntole­rable and hatefull in mine eares. For some of them were not jmprisonned at all;See Tortura Torti. pag. 146. some cō ­mitted to the custody of their honorable and louing friends: some after an easie jmprison­ment for their stubbernnes to the Prince and States exiled themselues: and onely Bishop Bonner, that bloudy persecutor of my Saints, died in the prisō.A notable Popishlie and slaunder. So vntrue it is that they died vniuersally after long & lingring imprisonment. Though had it bin so as you haue declared; yet their stubborn standing out against the Truth had bin no good president for those whome you blame, or any other, to refraine the companie or Communion of my Saints the Protestants.

22 The Lord Christ.

Examples yee bring, I see, of three sortes' The first of your owne false Catholicks:

The second of Certaine holy and good men, mencioned, some in the Apocryphall, & some in my Canonicall scriptures: The third of the auncient Martyrs of the Church. To what end? forsooth, to perswade further your Schismaticks, as yee call them, to with­drawe themselues from the protestants ser­vice and prayers. But neither is this any mes­sage of mine vnto them. For first, the exam­ples of the first ranke which you take and al­leadge to bee the Martyrs and Confessors of your owne Church; you mistake, and misa­ply. You mistake, For they were and are Traytors to their King and Country,Traytors are Martyrs and Confessors, with Papists disloy­all & disobedient Subiects to his Iust lawes; & for their Treasonable practises, manifest, [Page 59] and obstinate breach of the Law; and not for the conscience of their superstition, haue bin, and are according to iustice, yet with great mercy, both put to death, and impri­sonned. Yet are they not many; much lesse mul­titudes, in comparisō of those valiant Christ­ians whome the persecuting Tyrants on your side haue murdered, jmprisonned, and many waies afflicted,In the raigne of Queene Mary Popish Tiranny. in the space of foure or fiue yeares Therefore these examples ought to haue bin spared in this place; as being mis­applyed. For would you haue your Ambigu­ous, or Ambidexter priests, to follow them in open profession of their disloyall practises against their naturall Prince and natyue Country? But the other of the second order: viz. Tobias, the Israelits, the seauen Brethren, Eleazar, Maccabeus: also Peter, Paul, & Saint Iohn; are indeed, in themselues the more re­markeable, and worthiof all jmitarion: But yet of them, who are sure they maintayne the truth of god, as those were, and did: not of your Pope-lings though yee bee stout, much lesse when yee be stammering in your opinions. For what, say yee, what would Tobias? what would the Israelites? what the 7. [Page 60] Brethren? what would Eleazar? what Mac­cabeus? what would Peter? what Paul? or my beloued Iohn haue done in these times? would they not haue joyned with my pro­fessors the Protestāts? I say, yes; they would: and I am sure, You they would haue despised, abhorred, reiected; and all your Babylonish jmpieties, and Profanations; no lesse then they did the heathen persecutors, Blud-suc­kers & jdolaters of their time; and then they did those named Hereticks Simon Magus, Ely­mas, and Cerinthus, and all the like, with their heathnish jdolatries and detestable he­resies. But here I haue somewhat against you. Will you neuer clense your filthy tongues? neuer cease to reuile, and rayle at my faithfull seruants, and worthy Champi­ons of my truth?Luther. What? is Luther like to Si­mon Magus? no. But I must tell you: That man of sinne who brags and vaunts him selfe to be an vniuersall Bishop in Simon Peters place, and is not; to be the Vicar generall of the vniuersall Church on earth, and by me was neuer appointed to that office, is a very subtill Simon, and a Magicall enchaunter of my people. For I neuer gaue to my beloued [Page 61] Apostle Simon Peter him selfe any such place or power as this your Peter Pope by many crafty sleights and deuilish practices hath aduanced himselfe vnto. Luther? foun­der and Grandfather of many falsehoods? No: No: but ordained of old, and borne, by my great prouidence and mercy, to be the dis­couerer of your falsehoods, and recouerer, & finder out of that holy truth which long had bin lost in the ground, and dung of your Canonisticall and Sophisticall diuinitie; and many other of your meet machiauellianly politicall and practicall corruptions. Ther­fore you hate him the more deadly; and I loue him the more dearely; and will loue & honour him in my heauenly Kingdome e­ternally. Dare you say of Iohn Caluin? Caluin. (An Arch-Haeretick and corrupter of whole Prouin­ces) whome though I know to haue knowne the truth in part, and to haue prophecied in part, 1. Cor. 13.9. as all my Seruants do: yet I haue well ap­proued for a choyce Teacher and Instructor of the truth, by his laborious writings & god­ly jnstitutions through all the parts of Chri­stendome? I say therefore once more: touch not mine Annoynted, & do my prophets no harme: Psal. 105.5. [Page 62] make not the Ministers of my gospell the seducers of soules;1. Tim. 4.16. for they shall saue them­selues and them that heare them. Els I will come against you shortly and not onely consume you with the breath of my mouth, 2. Thes. 2.8. but vtterly a­bolish you by the brightnesse of my cōming. Then shall you see and know the third sort of your examples, myne Ancient true Martyrs, wor­thy jndeed, of all jmitation for their con­stant labouring, and striuing in defence of my gospell vnto the death, to be none of your defiled and corrupted Church: yea you shall see them, I say, Crowned with jmmor­tall happines and glory, but your selues with a number of false Martyrs whome yee haue thrust into your yerely Kalender, with all haereticks and jdolaters, to be cast out into vtter Darknes: Mat. [...]4.51. there shalbe weeping and gna­shing of teeth.

23. &. 24. The Lord Christ.

WHether Haeresie be worse then Ido­latry or no, I do not reasō with you; neither is it to the purpose here. They are both Abhominable in my sight: and damnable it is to communicate with ei­ther. But this is your perpetuall error, to take the Protestants for Haereticks: reforme that, and this declaration is altogether jmperti­nent. Let Haeresie be worse then Infidelitie and Idolatry; yet if the professed Protestants of England be not Haereticks, and their seruice not haereticall, you haue no Reason by that reason to call those your adhaerents in some opinions from those their Congregations, where they may learne to reforme them. but yee say: if yee be so simple as to thinke that to cast 2. or 3. graines of frankincense vppon an heathen Altar or to lay &c. (that is) to offer, and doe homage to the Idols of the heathen. (Bacchus, Ceres, Iupiter, and the like:) to be greater sa­criledge [Page 64] then the curtesie of Cap and knee and re­uerentiall presence at their thrice Idolatrous Communion; or then the seruice to maintenaunce thereof erected, Euery iot of whose rituall Cus­tomes and publique prayers was inuented, Com­maunded, practised, and is still continewed, on­ly in detestation, defiance, extirpation, and de­niall of my faith Catholick: Then, oh then, how are yee deceaued? First; why say you thrise I­dolatrous Communion, and not rather thrise haereticall in this place? being now about to Call your fellowes from the Haeresie of the Church of England: by presuming the same to be worse then Infidelitie & idolatry? But this Crazines in your braine I forgiue you; only I would haue you shew but one poynt of Idolatry in that Communion. [...]. There is no worship of bread, as in yours: no venera­tion, no adoration of a crosse or Crucifixe. They onely kneele, and do reuerence to me the honourable sonne of God, represented vnto their faith, when they receaue the bread and wine in remembraunce of my death and passion.§. 20. pag. 36. lin. 11. Againe haue yee so short and shitlie a memorie as to forget what you lately char­ged the Protestant Church withall (viz.) [Page 65] That their ministerie hath stolen away your Churches ornaments; and let vp and downe clad in her robes? that now you say (euery lot of their rituall Customes, and publique prayers was inuented, Commaunded, practised, and is still continewed onely in detestation, defiance, ex­tirpation, and deniall of your faith Catholick?) for myne you call it falsely.) for if euery Iot of their rituall customes and publique pray­ers were inuented onely in deniall of your faith; then haue they stolen away none of your or­naments, nor let vp and downe in her robes &c.: And if they haue stolen any, then eue­ry Iot of their rituall Customes, was not inven­ted as yee say. Thus jnconsequently and gid­dily to speake, is this to bring a message from Heauen jn my name? Now Fie vppon such folly.Idolatrie and Haeresy are both alike ab­hominable. It is Idle to ar­gue which is the worse. Yf I should examine your doughty Arguments, whereby yee would make jdo­latry a lesse sinne then haeresie; then, oh then, how should you be confounded? for what a wordy Difference is this? that Haeresie for­saks me; Idolatry neuer followed me: that deni­eth me; this not confesseth me: that abiureth me; this not knoweth mee: that blasphemeth me; this not honoureth me? A Distinction with­out [Page 66] a difference. Who knoweth not but that jdolatry forsaketh, denieth, abiureth, and blasphemeth me Also? sayd I not of old vn­to [...] of Israell, they haue forsaken me the fountayne of Living Water &c. Ier. 2.13.) that fell into jdolatry not onely haeresie:Do yee not confesse pag. 50. that I spake of all. spake I not of I­dolators as well as of Haeretiks whosoeuer de­nieth me before men &c. Do not all Apostates from my truth,) whether into Haeresie or j­dolatry, both abiure me, and blaspheme me? Againe, doe not both sorts fall away, some of jgnorance and simplicitie, some of Malice and contumacie? & so both are bea­ten accordingly; sometimes with few, some­tymes with many stripes? And what a word is this? that to offer vnto Bacchus, and Ceres, and to moue the bonnet before Iupiter, is no greater sacrilege then reuerendly to worship in my holy Temple? But yee bring a mayne rea­son.Sect. 24. Euery falshood the more it hath of truth, is the more apt to beguile: the more apt to beguile the more pernicious to the Destruction of soules, and more abhominable. Therefore Haeresie, is worse then Idolatry. Now I will make ano­ther. Euery falshoode the lesse it hath of truth: specially if it haue none at all, the far­ther [Page 67] it is from me, (The way, the truth, Ioh 14.6. and the life): the farther it is from me; the neerer to the destruction of soules; and so Idolatry is worse then Haeresie. Thus: be it that haeresie is in one respect; yet jdolatry is worse in ano­ther: so that the comparison between them must needes be altogether fruitles and friuo­lous in this place. Specially in respect of Pro­testants, who are no Haereticks, and who are Charged by you throughout this whole false Message for Haereticks, jnfidels, and jdola­tors. Your idle jllustrations, and Impertinent examples in this place, doe they proue Hae­resie to be worse than jdolatry, as they are in­tended? Your first Illustration is: False pro­phets which crye (the Lord, the Lord;) when I the Lord haue not spoken vnto them, are worse ten-fold then the prophets of Baal) no, they are both alike Abhominable vnto me.Luc. 19.14. But out of thine owne mouth will I Iudge thee, thou euill seruant: For I the Lord haue not spoken vn­to thee this Embassage, yet hast thou cryed in my name. Your second: (Sooner shall the Publican be iustified then the Hypocriticall Pha­rise) sure the one shalbe justified by his Faith and repentance; and the other Condemned [Page 68] for his pride and Hypocrisie. But what is that to this purpose? Your Third: (The Ma­tron-like adultres is more vile and hatefull before me the Lord, and men, then the open strumpet) Truth: the Matron is a more Cunning Hy­pocrit, but the strumpet the more impudent whoore. They are both odious in my sight: but the strumpet is much more scandalous & offensiue, howsoeuer hatefull vnto men. Now, if she be: the more intolerable shal it be for your Pope and Romane Church to an­swere vnto me at the day of Iudgement for the maintenance of opē Stews. Your Fourth: A plaine Fable is laughed at, but not hated, because it is not made to deceaue). Lib. Conformi­catum. B. Franc. yes the Fable of Saint Francis and the wolfe of Eugubium: and how the Freer rubbed out of his shinne a great spider which he had drunke in the cha­lice, without hauing any hurt: The fable of Saint Dennis that carried his own head in his hand two miles: The fable of your Lady of Hales how she cured many sicknesses; and raised 7. persons from the dead; & did more Miracles thē I the Sauiour my selfe, so justi­fied by Iustus Lipsius in the vneuē ballāce of his vniust & foolish Iudgement;Iusti Lipsij Diua. and many [Page 69] the like in your leaden Legend, that Fardel:Legend. of Fables, are both laughed at, hated, and made to deceaue; and if they were not, yet are apt to deceit whether the Author will or no. To be short:Georg. Fabri­cius. approbat. Legend. Lipsij. jt is a generall tale in pope­ry, that God giues power, not onely to Saints, but to their jmages and Pictures to worke wonders, both derided, hated, and in­uented to deceaue. You adde: (But a lye forged and obtruded for a truth is intolerable.) so it is. and therefore so is this your lying Message in my name, which here you deliuer vnto your Catholiks whoe hold conformitie with the Protestants. Finally; what speake yee of the Christians in Greece and Africa against the Arrians? your Schismaticks are farr vnlike the one, both in practise and in opinions: and yee your selues too to much resemble the other. Your jdle nominatiō of Martyrs and Confessors serueth not your turne at this time. In a word; in that you remēber, & commend againe your Traiterous crew to the jmitation of your Conformitans; it is a token of a short memory, hauing done it so lately; and of much lesse Grace, in doing it still so lewdly.

25 The Lord Christ.

ANd what needeth this? seeing Pro­testants are no Haereticks jn my sight howsoeuer yee papists account them so, yea, as worse then heathens and Infidels. Therefore you manifestly wrong these your fellow Papists that go to their Chur­ches to challenge them in my name, for the breach of that great and maine com­maundemēt, the abridgement of the whole lawe:Deut. 6.5. viz. That a man loue me with all his hart, with all his strength, with all his soule.) or of that particular charge in the ghospell (to be) leeue in heart & also professe beleefe before men- and also (he which denieth me before men shal­be denyed of me in the presence of Angels. Mat. 10.32, 33. Luk. 12.9. More­ouer [Page 71] I meāt it of haereticks as well as of jewes & heathēs. What then? do they therfore of your Popish opinions who goe to Protes­tant Churches deny me before Haereticks? that is your owne conclusion and not mine. In a word: I haue said,Esay. 24.8. (I will not giue my glo­rie to another. Deut. 7.5.) I did seuerally forbid my people Israell to entermedle in Heathnish rites: Exo. 23.31.32. I did interdict them all societie and conuersation with Infidels: I did denounce by myne Apostles pen,Rom. 10.9. That as in heart men are to beleeue to Iusti­fication, so with mouth they are to confesse to Sal­uation. But they giue not my glory to ano­ther that goe to Protestant Churches: yee doo; that adore and worship jmages, Cros­ses, and crucifixes. The rites of Protestants are not heathnish, but few, and easie, and significāt; yours of the Romane Synagogue, are borrowed both from Iewes, and Hea­thens; (as I haue told you before); and a mightie multitude, both Idle and cumber­some, for nomber and for nature. Their Conuersation that haue society with Eng­lish Protestants, js with faithfull Christians: yours that are Romaine Catholicks, is with Antichrist and his adhaerents. Now then I [Page 72] commaund and Charge you all the sort of you,Christ Iesus calleth not the wauering Romaine ca­tholicks from the Protestāt Churches & Companies. to speake no more to your fellow Ca­tholicks after this fashion in my name. For I the Lord the omnipotent Creator haue not thus called them from among the pro­testants. But I exhort and warne them ra­ther, to follow their faith: because it is the faith of truth: that faith also to beleeue in heart, that they may be justified: and that Faith to Confesse with mouth, that they may be saued. As for you, you proud flesh and bloud, neuer cast vpp an jdle and pre­sumptuous accompt of merit added vnto me­rits; yours, or theirs, or any mans to mine: which will neuer, verely I say vnto you, a­mount to any sume of Felicitie: mine owne beeing onely, and altogether al-sufficient to that purpose.

The Lord Christ.26

NO it doth not teach your Catholicks who are with Protestants any such thing: viz. to cleaue firmly to their Po­pish faith and Religion; for that is stubbernly to persist in error, and to embrace in deed a strange and false faith, and irreligious procee­dings. But what one argument bring you to proue that the lawe of Nature herein is vio­lated? Are you so jmpudent to alleage Pro­positions in my name and bring no proofe at all? or do you goe about to prooue it thus? (He which breaketh one Commaundement is guil­tye of all, and a violater of Charitie: ergo hee which faileth or faulteth in one point of Faith is fully guilty of Infidelitie: and so by consequent violateth the lawe of nature. The first assersion I graunt is mine owne in myne Apostle;Iam. 2.10. if you vnderstand it aright. But this latter, thus inferred, is your paradox. For if (he which faileth or faulteth in one point of faith be fullie guilty of jnfidelity, that is, must needs be charged and taken for a meer jnfi­del: then not onely all haereticks and you Papists; who faile in many poynts of Faith; [Page 74] but euen all true Christians, and good Ca­tholicks must be condemned so to:Cor. 13 9. seeing they all know but in part; and prophesie in part: and so must needs faile in one point of Faith at least, euen that which is hidden from their knowledge whereto they cannot for that cause yeld any manner of assent: no man consenting vnto that which in his knowledge he doth not apprehend at all. And thus ye Condemne by this Paradox all the world; and namely, all Christendome; and your owne Romane Church, for jnfi­dels: nay; fully guiltye of jnfidelitie: and so there are no beleeuers at all by your doc­trine: There is no Church, no Faith, No Truth, no Gospell, no Christ, no God a­mong men. Heere I must tell you also. Though in some sence hee that is fully guil­tye of jnfidelitie, that is, that beleeueth no one poynt at all of god or godlines, as he ought;Tit. 1.15. his very minde and Conscience is defiled: and so the light of reason, and the law of na­ture is violated in him: Yet those famous and Renowned Paragons, among the hea­thens. Trismegistus; Pythagoras; Socrates; &c. Cato, Aristides, Scipio, and many others of [Page 75] that ranck, for their great and Admirable learning, profound politick wisedome, and worthy morall vertues, were neuer-thelesse verie great lights; and had the light of Na­turall reason shining in them gloriously, concerning many secular and ciuill affaires, and liued in many things agreeable to the lawe of Nature. How be it, concerning Spi­rituall and heauenly things, yea, the true knowledge of God they became vaine in their Imaginations, Rom. 1.21. and their foolish hearts where full of Darknes, and in that might they be sayd to be fully guilty of jnfidelity; because they knew not God the Father in me his only be­gotten Sonne Iesus Christ. So that,Iohn. 3.18. &. 26.8.9.10. &. 17.3. some may be fully guilty of jnfidelitye; and yet not vi­olate the law of Nature. Wherfore be not so rash hereafter, I aduise you, to proiect your Paradoxes in my name: do not challenge them for partaking with haereticks that goe to protestants: neither say any more that your Church, your Faith, your Sacraments, are myne, as ye doe. For I will not acknow­ledge them: yee doe me jniurie.

27 The Lord Christ.

True it is, I foretold of Haeresies for the try­all of my Saints. But are ye Romanists therefore the vniuersall Church? No. yee know and allow my seruant Austen an­swering the Donatists of his time:Augustine. Africa non est orbis. Therefore I say also vnto you: The Synagogue of Rome is not the vni­uersall Church. And do Protestants and their followers preferre their owne Imaginations be­fore it? I tell you, nay; but yee Papists doe; and run a madding after your owne jnuenti­ons and Apostaticall Traditions, closed and clasped vp in the bosome of your Pope.Luc. 12.51. What though I forwarned; that I came not to send peace but separation; (meaning) not that I doe loue, or bring diuision and strife a­mong men; but that many, whose hearts my selfe haue not reformed, are, and wilbe euer so bad and obstinate in their euill opinions and wicked wayes, wilfully disobeying my [Page 77] Ghospell, that they will gaine say and op­pose their owne parents, Children, Princes, Subiects, Maisters, Seruants, wiues, Husbands, Brethren, Kinsfolks, and Friends that professe my name; yea and will raise vp bitter perse­cution against them. But I had no meaning to teach Children, or seruants or Wiues, or Brethren, or friends, disobedience and dis­loyalty against their Parents, theyr Maisters, their Husbands, their Brethren, their frinds; much lesse to foster treasons in a state, to raise vp mutinies and rebellions, to arme naturall subiects against their naturall Prin­ces, and to practise the ouerthrowe of their Coūtries, for the pretended catholick cause. These are diabolicall suggestions, and acti­ons of Sathan my sworne Enemie, where­with yee Romanists are too too much ac­quainted.

28 The Lord Christ.

DIssimulation and double dealing I hate in euery thing: and in acts of Religion I vtterly abhorre you need not proue it by the Prohibitions in the law;Deut. 22 10.11. of wearing a garment of linsey woolsey, ploughing with an Oxe & an Asse, sowing a field with diuers kind of seeds; Prou. 10.9. or by the parable of Salomon. He that walketh vprightly walketh safely, or boldly. But will yee then remember how I cannot but detest your popish aequiuocation, and men­tall reseruation? which is nothing else but flat lying & hypocrisie. As for those of your popish opinions which conforme them­selues vnto the Protestants, herein they must needs offend me, in that they beleeue with you, and professe with them: for I would haue them not only professe as they doe, but also change their Faith: as long as they be­leeue the doctrine of your Antichristian Sy­nagogue, me they cannot please. For as they are Christians and know full well that my Commaundement,Deut. 13.1. (not to hearken vnto a De­ceauer,) belongeth vnto all: so my wil is fur­ther, that they should take knowledge, how [Page 79] that you Papists are the false-prophets of these times, who compasse sea and land to make one proselyte, and to draw as many as you can vnto that new, strange, and false do­ctrine of your romish faith; vsing all dili­gence and diabolicall crafts you can, in imi­tation of the diuell himselfe the great com­passer of the earth, either to perswade,Iob. 1.7. or else to enforce them to fall downe and worship the whoore, the beast, and the false prophet,Apoc. 19.20. and him only to serue; I say, euen that new, and strange abhominable Idoll,An [...]e. Eudae­mō etiā apo­log. pro Hen. Garnet. pag. 137. & 138. the Lord your God the Pope, of which Title and Blasphemy some of you are now ashamed. As touching the doctrine of the Protestants: shew in what one point it is not ancient, and Apostolicall that you call it new. They tell you, and haue prooued it oft vnto you;Popish new doctrines that your Canon & Idoll of the Masse, your Carnall presence, and transubstantiation in the holy Supper: your interdiction of the Cup to the Laitie: your adding of salt, and spittle, oyle, and creame in the Ceremonie of Baptisme; and many other points of your beleefe, where neuer heard of in myne Apostles times, or in many yeares after. But ye exclame and cry [Page 80] out vppon them, new Doctrine; new Faith; new Ghospell: yet are yee not able to say and prooue it of any point thereof: This is new. How is it then that you are so malapert with my Ghospell, and the truth of christianitye which they professe, to begin the originall thereof both foolishly and falsely, slaunde­rously,Luther. Caluin. and blasphemously from Mart. Lu­ther, and Iohn Caluin? Remowned and wor­thy Instruments of my glory they were in their time; and valiant oppugners and ex­pugnators of your Antichristian haeraesies: But no first founders, or Authors, of my aeter­nall truth and ghospell. Moreouer, Caluins Idoll? who? or what is that I pray you? (The Popes Idoll is the Masse:) And which are the Calamities of this present tyme whereof yee prate. The hand of Iustice is to remisse and ouerslack vppon you, as appeareth, in that you are so bold to speake, and write, and print your paltry Pamphlets, and seditious Libels at your pleasure. Wherfore neuer tel your supposed Schismaticks, that, They are reuealed to their owne shame and to my griefe:) neither Call vppon them any more to con­fesse your Faith by a conuersation pleasing you: [Page 81] but learne your selues at length, to profes Syncerely the true faith by a godly life; or I will make it shortly knowne to all the world to your owne perpetuall shame and horror, that yee are the men who haue greiued and vexed me with your calumnious exclamati­ons against my Saints, and jdolatrous ab­hominations against my selfe.

29 The Lord Christ.

WHat a doe is here? will ye neuer giue ouer railing, and slaunder? how long shall I suffer you? Oh yee dis­obedient and jmpudent Generation? I tell you againe: your Church, your Priests, your Vicar, your Councell at Trent, are none of mine: I renounce you all: your Church, for [Page 82] the Synagogue of Sathan: your priests, for the ministers of Beliall: your Vicar, for a deceaver, an jdolater, a grand false Prophet, as Balaam: your councell at Trent, for a pri­vate Conventicle of Popish Prelats and Priests of your owne faction. Foolishly then and ridiculously doe you charge your Schis­maticks of contempt of my Church, my Spouses voyce and admonition; Madly doe you censure them for worse then Heathens and In­fidels; and divelishly do you accurse them all. It is jndeed as sacrilegious as Idolatry to obay your Church; to enter your haereticall Con­uenticles; to giue external consent to your de­testable rites. But to frequent the service of the Protestant Churches, the Ecclesiasticall assemblies of my true Saints, is so well plea­sing vnto me; that had these harkned vnto your Priests who called them there-from, I should haue held it grieuous sacriledge by consent betweene them both; had they re­frayned, and refused the pardon of life vpon so godly a condition; (viz:) to communi­cate with my Church of England: I should haue found them guilty of their own bloud; as now I doe these Priests. I had a godly [Page 83] Bishop that gaue them a godly rule,Augus. Dulci­tio. ep. 61. Jdem. ad. Fes­tum. ep 167. if they had had the grace to haue kept it. Causa non paenafacit Martyrem, the cause not the punish­ment maketh the Martyr: And my selfe haue pronounced them blessed that suffer, But,Mat. 5.10. Addidit mag­nam differen­tiam quae vera Sacrilegio pie­tas Sec [...]rna­tur. Aug. cont. ep. Permeniani. lib. 1. 1. Reg. 18.28. Santons. Hagies. propter Iustitiam, in a righteous cause, or for righteousnes sake. But tell mee now: how farr vnlike herein were these your Papists to the Priests of Baall, that cut and launced their bodies? and those phantasticall Santons or Hagies, (as they call them) among the Turks and Moores, that disoculate, and wound, and even kill themselues in the madnes of their Superstition? Also, I know, I know: your Pope (not my Vicar) is after a fashion so solicitous for soules that hee spareth neither care nor cost; yet not to saue them, but to de­stroy and murther them: so that hee most aptly resembleth even Sathan himselfe, the great compasser of the Earth: as his jesuiti­cal vasals also doe those their famous Prae­decessors, the Pharisees;Mat. 23.15. that compassed both Sea and Land to make one Proselyte, and having made him, transforme him two-fold more the child of Hell then they themselues are. What doe I? or what should any of my ser­vants [Page 84] respect, what your Tridentine assem­bly decreed against them? They were blin­ded Haereticks themselues; and they had all and every one the marke of the beast in their foreheads.Prov. 26.2. As for their Anathema: The curse that is causeles shall not come; for of my faith­full Protestants I still pronounce: Blessed is he that blesseth them, and cursed be he that cur­seth them.

30 The Lord Christ.

WHat an jdle Expostulatiō is this? for it shall bee graunted vnto you that Haereticks should be vtterly auoyded, as such and such whom you haue alleadged and [Page 85] described truely out of the scriptures. But that the Protestants are the Haereticks, and you the true Catholicks shall not be graun­ted. So that yee haue impertinently abused the scriptures. Wherefore speake no more presumptuously, let not arrogancy proceed out of your mouth. Not they that come to Protestants, but rather yee, that hold and hang with Papists, participate with Infidels; haue fellowship with Beliall, and the cup of De­uils; are in darkenes; Ioyne with Lucifer; come to the solemnitie of Babylon; make a bargaine with hell, and with accursed Death; and that not so much for feare of any worldly losse or crosse; as for affection to your sinne. There­fore I counsell you, repent and turne you, from your abhominations: else I will come against you shortly, and giue you your por­tion with the whore, the beast, the false-prophet, and the Dragon, whome you serue: in the lake that burneth with fier and Brim­stone: the same is the second death. Schisma­ticks are in­fected with hae [...]esy and not with pure schisme on­ly.

31 The Lord Christ.

NOw the Schismaticks are infected with Haeresie: and of this you haue chalenged them long agoe. But thus you seeth and boyle your coleworts ouer, and againe, thus for lack of matter you fill an Idle and vngodly message full of vaine and wicked words, charging, and challen­ging, thundring and thretning, and draw­ing, as much as in you lieth, poore and dis­tracted seely soules into desperation of my mercie for entring into the rightway. Thus did your father the Deuill deale with my ser­vant M. Luther when I began to call him first from your Pauilions. For hee would needs perswade him that he shoud bee dam­ned in the Protestant profession,Luther de Missa priuata because he had byn once a popish Priest, had sayd Mass, had turned the Eucharisticall bread into my body, and done such other like feats of your superstition; and now was revolted from it. How absurdly and how jmpudently do you compare my true beleeuers in England to the Canaanitish jnfidels? but that you haue a Cu­stome to abuse my word, and to misapply [Page 87] the scriptures. I will surely punish you for this thing. What fire, or flame, or Sea-surges, or pitch is this you prate of? do not I know, yee erre, not knowing what you say? But let me see how learnedly and diuinely you prooue your supposed Schismaticks to bee Haereticks. Your learning is to say, and not to prooue. Your diuinitie was neuer foun­ded on my word, but fashioned and framed in your owne forge. For what are the Haere­sies wherewith they are infected? forsooth (euery one almost (rarer is he then a white Crowe who doth it not) either cancelleth fasting daies by his owne Authoritie, or dispenseth with meats prohibited as often as he list; or doubteth of some Article of Faith, if not of all. What? do they cancell fasting daies? and which I pray you? I say, those onely of your popish institution. And how? jn that they fast not after your popish fashion. I wisse, a very great offence. I but of their owne Authoritie they doe it. No: They haue the Authoritie of the Lawfull Magistrate to beare thē out. They dispence with meats prohibited as often as they list) By the law of my eternall Ghospell ther are no meats prohibited. For doth not my Apostle [Page 88] tell you?1. Tim. 4.4.5. that euery Creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be refused if it be receaued with thanksgiuing; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If then, (not as often as they list, that is your calumny:) but as often as ne­cessity requireth, and as they may without publique scandal or offence, they make no difference of meats; but vse them all without scruple of Conscience put betweene this and that: Oh sure, it is a greeuous crime. It is jndeed, amōg your superstitious orders: but not among my holy Saints; who haue lear­ned, that this your prohibition of meats pro­ceedeth from the spirit of Error;1. Tim. 4.1. and is a doctrine of Deuils. Are these your Haeresies? to cancell Popish fasting dais, & eat of meats prohibited by the Church of Rome? But I say: these are actions crossing the Haereti­call doctrine of your Antichristian Canons: they are no haeresies. Besides, to doubt of this or that Article of faith, yea, of all the Articles of your faith; call you this jnfection of Haeresies? But I say: to dissent from the moderne faith and doctrine of the Romane Church, and stoutly to maintaine the contrary, is not Hae­resie in my sight: much lesse onely to doubt [Page 89] of any, or of all the articles thereof. For first, as many of thē as are different from the Protestant profession, they are the erroneous articles of a false Church, a synagogue and conventicle jnfected with many haeresies. A­gaine, if they were all granted to be true; yet seejng all Haeresie is a confirmed and setled error:Haeresis error confirmatus. See Aug. cont. Crescō. Gram. and whosoever doubteth is ever stam­mering as yet, vnsetled, and vnresolved, be­cause he doubteth: therefore hee that doub­teth of whatsoever poynts, cannot bee sayd fitly & properly, either to be well affected to the truth, or to be jnfected with haeresie. why? because hee standeth jndifferent, and jrreso­lute; though declining from the one; yet not as yet embracing, or jndeed, jnfected with the other. Neverthelesse, let it now be yeilded vnto you: that they who are not perfect Haereticks; yet may be jnfected with haeresies, or haereticall opinions: tell mee, what, and which they be, whereof you chal­lenge these your Schismaticks? You say: One improoueth Confession; another Purgatory; this man inuocation of Saints, or vse of Images; that man prayers for the dead; or the office in La­tine; doubtles, a very greevous accusation; [Page 90] and miraculous poynts of Haeresie. But will you neuer learne? that, your Auricular con­fession in a Corner: your Pagan purgatory in an vnknowne world: your praesumtuous jnvo­catiō of Saints, vnder colour of humility: your Idolatrous vse of jmages: your idle prayers for the dead at rest: your Latine office, and seruice in an vnknowne tongue: I, even I my selfe, haue ever jmprooued, repooued, and condemned? So haue I also them, that sup­pose Antichrist shall be one singular person, and not a succession of many; because they di­rectly oppose my holy Revelation therein. Yet to suppose and belieue as I haue reuealed it to my servant Iohn, Apoc. 17.18. alibi (que). you will needs jmpute it for an infection of haeresie. Moreouer, you are not content with me, the true and onely head of the Church which is my body; Ephe 4.15. and the presence of my grace and power,Mat. 28.20. whereof I spake when I sayd, Behold I am with you to the end of the world: But except there be acknow­ledged one visible, and ministeriall Head; that your Pope (forsooth) may be the man: and tirannize ouer the consciences of my people; the very Antichrist sitting in the Tem­ple of God; 2. Thes. 2.4. and aduancing himselfe aboue all that [Page 91] is called God: it must bee haeresie with you. But, come yee now, and reason with me of these poynts, if ye be able, if it bee possible that ye can bring any other Arguments then haue byn brought, and answered already by my servants: or else because ye are not able, I jmpose you silence, and charge you hence­forth to set a broche no more lyes, and for­geries in my name. For if yee doe; I will call you to accompt at my dreadfull day of Iudgement when ye shall not escape. The Councels of my primitiue Church are of good and great authority in their kind;Your Gregor. was too bold so to compare them. but not of the greatest; not any of thē aequall to my 4. Euangelists: your decrees Ecclesiasticall of farr less; as contayning in them many Cannons both erroneous, ridiculous, and blasphe­mous. The gates of Hell cannot prevaile against my Church; for I haue grounded it vppon a Rock, that is, my selfe. 1. Cor. 10.4. But your Church is not my Rock; as well appeareth: for the gates of hell haue already preuailed against it; and it hath lost the spirit of truth, Iohn. 14. ver. 16.26. the promise of my Father; yea, the faithfull Citie,Rom. 1.8. whose faith was famous sometimes in all the world: is become an harlot, like Samaria, [Page 92] and Ierusalem long agoe: and she hath playd the harlot with all her neighbour Princes, whom shee could jntice. Therefore they doe well, and follow the truth in righteous­nes, that call in question the authority of many Councels and assemblies of men; that detract from your Ecclesiastical decrees and decretals: that, not onely feare, but beleeue, and find; and report abroad; not, that I haue not fulfilled my promise,Act. 2.1. &c. for I haue; and ha [...]e sent my spirit of truth the Comforter vnto my chosen, which shall lead them into all truth: but, that the same my spirit hath beene by you, your Praelats, and your false-teachers di­uersly abused, and despited; so that it hath byn pressed, and as it were compelled to for­sake you, and depart from you many yeares agoe. Cease ye then to cast your filthie haere­sies vppon my Saints: or to call them backe into your stewes; whome I haue caused to come, and joyne, and dwell with them in my holie house. Els: thou Babylonish harlot; woe, wo, vnto thee? Ah, how shall I punish thee in the end? how shall I be avenged of thee? seeing thou dost all these things of an jmpudent whoorish woman.

32 The Lord Christ.

HEre againe, as els where, and almost e­very where in this false Embassage, you diue into the Consciences of your brethren: and you can tell them, without me, yet very boldly in my name, that they begin to loth your religion, for checking of their humor. For you challenge them that feare of aduersity; loue of the world; neuer tal­king with your Priests; nor conferring of mat­ters touching the spirit; and the load of secret sins; haue jnduced them to depart from among you. Thus you raile vpon them; exclaime; expostulate; advize; and commaund them in my name; restles as you are. You rayle vpon them as possessed of sensuall, carnall, and [Page 94] worldly affections. lying open to the enemy, desti­tute of my grace and protection, made a prey to the roaring Lyon, conuersing among haereticks, becom­ming like them in conditions, quickly delighting in their sutable doctrine. To which they can ea­sily answere if they bee wise, that thus haue you deciphered your own selues, ye Runna­gates: who have forsaken a good and plea­sant land, to converse among your Romane Haereticks: and so are made like vnto them in evill and vngodly conditions: disloyall to your Prince and country; having first con­formed your selues to their damnable doc­trine. Therefore you are, as you say of them sensual, carnal, & worldly affectionated, lying opē to the Enemy, destitute of the Sauiours grace and protection, and made a prey to the roaring Lyon. You exclame: poyson, poyson lurketh in their company; meaning the Protestants, you should haue ment your selues, as in domesti­call Adders, and in their familiaritie as in Cocka­trices or Basilisks eyes. Thus doe you plainly shew that Adders poyson is in your lips; and vnder your tongue lurketh vngodlines and vanity. You expostulate: What though they be not conquered at the first? what though the Argu­ments [Page 95] of Protestants be but weake & foolish? yet that they may in time be perswaded & ouercōe by them. So they may jndeed; for those Argu­ments, as weake and foolish as they are, yet you do find them Gordian knots, and like the Trumpets of the Priests of the Lord of Hoastes,Iosue. 6.20. at the blast whereof the wals of Ieri­co fell downe: yea, like stones in dauids bag; 1. Sam. 17.49. whereof some one, or other, when the mea­sure of your wickednes is filled vp, shall stick so fast in the forehead of your Pope, the great Goliah, that he shall fall groueling to the ground, and neuer be able to rise againe. Then shall you find those Arguments, which now are but drops of Raine, to fall v­pon you as a storme; as hailestones, and Coles of fier. For sure it is,Esay. 55.10. as my word is like the snow and rayne which commeth downe from heauen, and watereth the Earth, that it may bud and bring forth, seed vnto the sower, and bread vnto him that eateth; Heb. 6.7.8. so the earth that drinketh in the rayne which falleth oft vppon it, & brin­geth forth nothing but bryers and thornes, is neer vnto Cursing, whose end is to be burned. Your vnsavoury comparisons of the smale worme, and contemptible Iuye, are more agreeable [Page 96] vnto your selues; Such eating vermins are your Iesuits, that neble at my goodly vyne: such clasping Iuye, sucking out the sap of this my noble Plant, and Tree; which in my Pa­radise of England myne owne right hand hath Planted, hedged, and defenced. There­fore; as you counsell and commaund them in my name, so do I: with this onely diffe­rence: that not the Protestants, but you and your Church are in mine accompt the Haere­ticks; the Babylon; the Korahs companie; and the Sodome:) And I would haue both them and you to know; that as I am the mightie God, and Sauiour of the world: so that all my counsels are commaunds. Among your selues, the sonnes of men, yee haue a Rule; and men of wisedome haue great regard vn­to it. Potentiores cum rogant, iubent. And can you then jmagine, that whatsoeuer I aduize, must not carrie with it the force of a Com­maund? This then I say, and commaund vnto your Schismaticks; dissembling papists; false-hearted catholicks, Hypocrits, weaklings, Newters, (terme them what yee will; be they as they are,Phil. 3.1.) to whome you haue directed this Embassage. Beware of Dogs: beware of [Page 97] euill workers. beware of the Concision. Flee the felowship of Romane Haereticks; be not jnfected with the leuen of their Doctrine; goe out of Babell; come out from amōg them; be yee separated, and touch no vncleane thing: no Idols; no shrines, no reliques, no wafer-gods: or the like: & I will receaue you. Yf ye will not perish in the error of Balaam; and the gaine-saying of Korah; if yee will come from Antichrist, and his Adhaerents, myne Aduersaries camp, and dwell among my Chosen, if yee will loue me, embrace and learne my true religion, which they profes,2. Cor. 6.17.18. I wilbe a Father vnto you, and yee shalbe my Sonnes and Daughters. I am the Lord Al­mighty.