TO enter into a discourse concer­ning the title of this Psalme [A Song of Degrees] common to the foure Psalmes immediately going before this, and to the ten ensuing after; were (as I suppose) more ea­sie to obserue the varietie of opi­nions old and new, then to come to a knowledge of the truth therein.

The Iewish Rabbins Caluin. & Jacob. de Valent. (whose manner is, when matters are obscure, like Painters and Poets, to come and faine any thing) obserue, that there were fifteene steps or degrees, in a part of the Temple, appointed for men; when women had their place below: to which fifteene steps, these fif­teene Psalmes of degrees had a reference.Luther. Others thinke they were so called, because they were wont to be sung by the Priests and Leuites, vpon certaine steps and degrees in the Temple, as on a higher place, that they might be the better heard by the people. Of such steps and degrees, there is mention made, in the like case, Nehem. 9. verse 4.Basil. Beza. [...] Some expound them historically, by way of Ascensions, (as the word signifieth) namely, of the children of Israel, ascending vp to Ierusalem, in returning from their capti­uitie; to the memorie of which benefit, they were princi­pally consecrated.Basil. Arnobius. Hierome. Augustine. Cassiodorus. Some mystically, of Gods children, profiting in this world of their peregrination, rising from sinne to grace, and ascending by degrees from vertue to vertue, vntill they appeare before God, in the heauenly Ierusalem. In which current, the ancient Fathers run, for the most part.Caluin. Some of an higher tune or note, whereun­to they rose, in lifting vp their voices, when they sung them.F [...]emel & Junius. Last of all, some in regard of the excellencie of that dittie, expounding the word, of excellencies. A song of excellencies, that is, an excellent song, like that Song of Songs, that excellent Song of Salomons.

Howsoeuer, I take it, the matter is not great, nor wor­thy any curious enquirie after the name, so long as wee a­gree in the substance and matter of the Psalme: that it is indeed an excellent Psalme, describing in liuely colours the state of Gods Church vpon the earth, so exposed to e­nemies, as that sometime, like a generall deluge, they are ready to drowne it, vers. 4.5. sometimes like sauage beasts, to teare it in peeces, vers. 6. yea not making any bones of it, to deuoure and swallow it vp quicke at once, vers. 3. sometimes like craftie fowlers, with ginnes and snares to [Page 3] entrap it. vers. 7. So malitiously are they bent, so fu­riouslie are they incensed against it. vers. 3. But that God, who by his power made heauen and earth, and by the same his power, ruleth it still, as best pleaseth him, vers. 8. was euermore at hand, thereby vpholding it; and at one side thereof; and then no matter who is a­gainst it. vers. 1.2. Maugre their wrath and malice, they could not preuaile, for they lost their prey, vers. 6. The godly escaped as a bird out of the snare, and were deliue­red, vers. 7. What remaineth then, but that the Lord be praised for this their deliuerance. vers. 6. For he was their onely helpe then; and in his holy name they will set vp their rest. vers. 8.

I haue, after my Country manner, briefly analized, and paraphrastically, in few words, deliuered you the sense and meaning of the Prophet in this Psalme: which howsoeuer it spread it selfe like a most fruitfull tree, into many bran­ches; my purpose is, omitting others, to make choice of these points, to insist vpon: 1. The subtiltie of the aduer­saries of the Church, in laying snares to entrap it, as fow­lers doe to catch birds, out of the 7. verse. 2. Their crueltie, in seeking to teare it in peeces, yea to swallow it vp quicke, as some cruell beasts doe their prey; or, as mighty inundations, ouerflow whatsoeuer commeth in their way, out of the 3.4.5. and 6. verses. 3. The cause producing these effects of subtiltie and crueltie in these aduersaries; namely, their wrath; out of the 3. verse. 4. The deliuerance of the Church from her enemies, not­withstanding their craft and crueltie, by the omnipotent power of almighty God; out of the 1.2.6. and 7. verses. Last of all, the dutie performed for this deliuerance; praise and thanksgiuing to the Lord, verse 6.

1. First therefore of the subtiltie of the enemies of the Church; wherein the holy Prophet likeneth them to fow­lers, laying their snares so couertly, shadowed ouer with en­tising baits, that they draw and allure the silly bird, the [Page 4] Church, vntill she be brought within compasse of the net, and so become the fowlers prey.

A wile as ancient as the world is old, and plotted by the father of wiles the Diuell, against the Church, when shee was in her infancie, in Adam and Eue, our first parents in Paradise: whose happinesse in that state of innocencie, and felicitie in a garden of all delightfull pleasures, the enemie of mankinde subuerted, by a trap of more surpas­sing happinesse in shew; deliuering to the woman the for­bidden fruit,Gen 3.5. so canded with the entising hope of Eritis si­cut dii, Ye shall be as Gods, that she forgat Lord and Loare, God and his Commandements, taking and eating it, and giuing it to her husband; wrapping him in the same snare with her selfe; whereby, both of them, with all their succee­ding posteritie, were made their enemies pray. Whil'st they would be as Gods, they cease to be as men, compa­red now to the beasts that perish;Psal. 49.12. not continuing in ho­nour, wherein they were created; but inthralled to death, by transgressing the Commandement. Such now is the end of one and all of vs.

The Nimrods and Fowlers of the world (to make good the old prouerbe,Esa. 24 2. Ezek. 16.44. Like Master, like Seruant; and, As the mother is so is the daughter) do heerein resemble the nature of their father the diuell; transforming themselues into all shapes, and laying their ginnes to catch the simple and in­nocent. Witnesse Ioab, who taking Abner aside, vnder pretence to speake with him peaceably, smote him vnder the fift rib, that he died, 2. Sam. 3.27. And incouraging himselfe in this mischiefe, not long after, hee greeted A­masa with the like salutation, enquiring after his welfare, Art thou in health, my brother? and taking him by the beard with his right hand to kisse him, but with the other, shea­thing his sword in his bowels, 2. Sam. 20. vers. 9.10. Iudas his Aue Rabbi, God saue thee, Master, was much like this treacherie; and his kisse, whereby he betraied his Lord in­to the hands of them that sought his blood, Luc. 22.47. [Page 5] So cunningly and as commonly, are the sugred names of friend and Brother, Lord and Maister, made snares for mischiefe, Cum venena Latent circumlita melle verborum, Lib. 3. de sum. bono. ca. 26. whilst the poison (saith Isidore) lyeth hid, spred ouer with the hunnie of sweet words, the imposter making a shew of vertue and honestie, vntil hee get within a man, and fetch him ouer.

For this they learne by experience, as Chrysostome ob­serueth in a treatise against the Gentiles; that hee which wil deceiue, must set a good face vpon it; and make the matter seeme, at least wise probable; else were they not their crafts-master: for as the commicall Poet saith, doli, Plautus. doli non sunt, in aestu colas, guiles are no guiles, if deceite cloake them not:Chrys. contra gentil. and malum maximum si id palam proue­niat; no greater mischiefe then if they bee seene. For ther­by the pray is lost, and they goe home emptie-handed; as fowlers doe, when the birds espie the net.

But there lyeth the skill, to spread the net, that it ap­peare not; that the baite hide the hooke: wherin, how wel the aduersaries of our Church haue profited, let the Iesu­ites of our times testifie for all the rest, whose verie name serueth for nothing else, (as by their practise is euident;) but as Hierom writeth in the like case, fraudem facere, Ad Rusticum. to cir­cumuent vs. So farre are they from that Dooue-like sim­plicitie; to which, the Lord Iesus (and from whome they would deriue their name,) exhorteth his Disciples, Math. 10. verse 16.

There are that haue branded them with this marke.Iesuits Catac. li. 3. fol. 156. There is not in the world any beast more subtill then is the Ie­suite; not the Fox, which Chrysostome in his 19, Sermon de­scribeth thus: Vulpis calliditate Potens, inuentrix doli, frau­dis artifex, simulationis magistra, simplicitatis vacua, Mutato nomi­ne, de te fabu­la narratur. ple­nastrophis. Change the name & you may render it thus: the Iesuite is a beast, powerfull in craft, an inuentor of guile, the artizen of deceite; maister of fauning, deuoid of sim­plicitie, and full of wily subtiltie.

For whereunto tendeth it, that one Iesuite must bee cal­led by so many names?Proceedins against he late Traitors. as Garnet that moste treacherous Prouinciall Wallye, alias Darcie, alias Roberts, alias Farmer, alias Philips? Is it not, that going masked vnder so may names, as vnder so many visards hee may the more securely lay his snares to entrap vs? what is their drift in transforming thēselues into as many shapes as they meete with obiects? now a Courtiour, then a Cittizen; heere a countrie Gentleman; there a coūtrie Swaine: sometimes a Seruingmā; a swaggerer, Pot-companion; another while a Priest; in a word euerie man for euerie bodie, a quilibit for a quolibet, a Polipus for all orders and degrees? Is it not, that by this meanes, they may come within men of all sorts; insi­nuate themselues into their companies; creepe into their bosoms; prie into their hearts; that so they may more easi­ly beguile them vnawares.

But of all their Wiles, I commend vnto you, the Aequi­uocating Sibboleth, Iudg. 1.2.6. the verie forge of lying and deceit; which bewraieth them by their speech, to bee no other then false faining Ephraemites. By this they affirme and deny, sweare and forsweare, and all with a breath: they are Priests, and they are no Priests, that is to tell you, they say Masse, and they say not Masse, that is, in Pauls Quier or in Westminster Quier. When they talke with our Magistrates, they speake as to the Walles; for men with them are no men, and all by vertue of this mixt proposition: their Gorgons head, (a point in Logicke which Aristotle neuer taught, and the ancient schooles knew it not) wherby they goe beyond the course of nature, making things meerely contradictorie to subsist.

Let mee trouble your patience with one instance, which shall bee worthy your obseruation. When a Recu­sant shall sweare; for example, in taking the Oath of Alle­geance, according to the expresse words of the Oath, and accor­ding to the plaine and common sense and vnderstanding of the same words, without any Aequiuocation, or mentall euasi­on [Page 7] or secret reseruation whatsoeuer. Could it be imagined that any shifting or cauelling wit should bee able to finde a starting hole in the same, to winde himselfe out of it? yet beholde an English Catholike (as hee nameth himselfe) but indeede the verie fierie match of this state and king­dome) in a letter written to a friend of his; hath (as hee would beare others in hand) found a meanes to auoid the force of this Oath, by Aequiuocating: as namely where it is said That the Pope hath no Authoritie to depose our King, Pet. 18.19. nor to dispose of his Kingdomes, & so forward what concerneth the Pope: true saith he, Without iust cause; or directly hee cannot; or in some such like sense. When as the deponent, sweareth directly against all, and euerie such mentall eua­sion and secret reseruation whatsoeuer; and that hartily, and wittingly, and truely; or else, let him refuse the Oath, and not sweare at all.

Heere is the verie quintessence of this cogging Artt: he recusant taketh the Oth according to the expresse words; not so saith our English Catholike, but hee must Aequiuo­cate: the Recusant followeth the plaine and ordinarie sense and meaning of the words; our English Catholike teacheth him to keepe somewhat in his minde, by secret reseruation: the Recusant abiureth and sweareth against all mentall euasion; our English Catholike instructeth him to make escape, by his mixt proposition; expressing a part of his minde by word of mouth, and reseruing an other part in his heart. Whether this bee to make ship­wracke of Faith and a good conscience, malitiously and of set purpose; by open and manifest periurie, let any man iudge, which doth not wilfully shut his eyes against the noone-light? and being past feeling, is by Gods iustice giuen ouer to a reprobate sense.

Ye see the foulers of our times; their nets, their sleights, their wiles; wherein they goe beyond the Foxes in subtil­tie in hunting after their prey. What remaineth, but that wee humbly desire our vigilant Magistrates, (to whome [Page 8] the charge of the Lords vineyard is committed) to take these Foxes both great and small: for what doe they else, but spoile and destroy our vines, which God hath placed amongst vs, in this fruitfull soile? And that wee our selues setting their snares before our eyes, carefully shunne and auoide them, which else will bring vs to perdition both of body and soule. And this of the subtiltie of the aduer­saries of our Church.

2 The second circumstance and propertie, whereby the Prophet describeth them, is their crueltie; in renting and tearing Christ his flocke, and swallowing them vp quicke, as cruell beasts doe their prey.

It is not a new face of the Church; or proper to those daies and seasons, onely, which our Sauiour setteth foorth to our view.Stel. in Luc. Mat. 10.16. Behold I send you as sheepe in the middest of Wolues, For in that, our Sauiour speaketh in a time, neither past nor yet future to come, but in the pre­sent (I send you) he thereby giueth vs to vnderstand, that the dangers which are imminēt to his sheepe, conuer­sing amongst wolues, are alwaies present with them; there beeing no season wherin they are free from their rage and crueltie: whether wee call to mind the times past, or con­sider what now is or heereafter shall ensue. In hoc seculo, in his diebus malis, in this world of wickednesse (saith the Godly Father Saint Augustine) in these euill daies,De Ciuit. dei. li. 18. cap. 18 wherin sinne hath got the vpper hand; the Church, as a stranger and Pilgrime, holdeth on her course, sustained by Gods holy spirit; not onely, euer since Christ and his Apostles conuersed heere vpon the earth; but euen from the time of Abell the righteous, whose blood, his cruell brother Caine spilt vpon the earth. So ancient is the crueltie of these Wolues and rauenous beasts, preying vpon Christ his Flocke; and so continuing from time to time as their rage and rauenous appetite hath edged them for­ward.

By the furie of these Wolues, the holy Prophets were [Page 9] consumed, from Abel vnto Zacharias; Matth. 23.35. yea our Sauiour himselfe was made a pray vnto them; whose example ser­ued to instruct his flocke, in all ages, what they were to expect, and trust vnto. For the disciple is not aboue his ma­ster, nor the seruant aboue his Lord, Matth. 10. vers. 24. And if they haue done these things to the greenetree, what shall be done vnto the drie? Luke 23. verse 31. The Apostles of our Sauiour, the rammes and bell-weathers of the flocke, haue all, in a manner, verified the words of their master: and what the condition of the Saints was in the Primitiue Church, the Author to the Hebrewes reporteth vnto vs: Some were racked, some tried with mockings, bonds, scourgings, C. 11. v. 35. &c imprisonment; some stoned, some hewen asunder some slaine with the sword. With which exquisite torments, and many moe of like sort, the crueltie of these Wolues could not be sa­tisfied; but as Tacitus in his Annales recordeth,Li. 15. Pereunti­bus addita ludibria, The Saints of God suffering martyr­dome after this cruell manner, were further made laugh­ing stockes to the world; in being clad with skinnes of wilde beasts, and so exposed to the tearing and renting a­sunder by dogges. And this not in some few, to the terror of the rest, but as the same Author addeth, when the day was not long enough to make them away in, they serued in vsum nocturni luminis, for men to see by in the night, by the flames, wherein their bodies were consumed. Eusebi­us goeth yet further, that the numbers in some places grew to be so great, that the executioners fainted with wea­rinesse, in their making hauocke, though one succeeded after another; and that the edges of their swords and ax­es, were dulled and made blunt with the multitude of the slaine bodies of the Saints; which he taketh not vp by way of credit, vpon other mens report; himselfe was an eie witnesse of it, in Thebais of Egypt. Eccles. histor. lib. 8. ca. 9. So cruell was the rage of these rauenous beasts, in these ten persecutions, vnder the Romane Emperors.

From which, if we suppose that the ages following were [Page 10] free,Iob 40.10. we erre and are greatly deceiued. Dilatat Behemoth caudam suam in fine mundi nequius. Behemoth (saith S. Gre­gorie) enlargeth his taile (wherein lieth his strength) more wickedly now in the end of the world;Moral. 3 [...]. c. 12 The Diuels wrath waxing greater in these Wolues his instruments, by how much shorter he knoweth his time is to wreake his malice vpon the Saints. So that, as Berna [...]d distinguisheth, serm. 33. in Cantica, Pax est, & non est pax; there is peace, and there is no peace. Pax a Paganis. &c. The Church being in peace and rest from Pagans and Infidels, sed non profectò à filiis, Micah 7.6. but in sooth not secured of her owne children, nor of them of her owne house, yea most infested by them: For who are they, that for these many yeeres haue made hauocke and spoile of the Church, but such as would be tearmed,Gal. 2.9. I say, not only Pillars, as were Iames, and Cephas, and Iohn; but the very heads of the Church, Christ his Vi­cars vpon earth (as they stile themselues) the Popes of Rome, that very Antichrist, and scarlet coloured Whore, drunké with the blood of Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus,C. 17. v. 6. as the Spirit testifieth in the Reuelations. Witnesse, amongst many others, the Albigenses, against whom Innocent the third so proceeded by his censures, that in one Towne of theirs, 17. thousand of them were put to the sword, without any respect had, of age, sex, or degree: and in another Towne, one hundred and foure­score consumed together in one fire, because they would not abiure the faith of Christ,Histor. part. 3. tit. 19. c. 1. §. 3. & 4. Li. 4. pa. 1132. as Antoninus reporteth: wit­nesse the Protestants in Germanie, against whom, Paul the third excited Charles the Emperor, instigante Paulo, saith Genebrard their Chronologer; who, for the better managing of that warre, assisted the Emperor with an Army out of Italie, of ten thousand foot, and fiue hundred horse, vn­der the conduct of his Nephew Octauius Farnesius, who was so confident in his forces, that departing out of Italy, he boasted before hand, that he would make such a slaugh­ter in Germanie, that his horse should swimme in the blood [Page 11] of the Lutherans, as Iohn Sleidan is Author. Last of all,Commentar. li. 17. pa. 534. not to stand vpon examples, which in this kinde are infi­nite; witnesse the slaughters and butcheries Factionis Hu­goniticae, of the Hugonites in France, Histor. li. 23. as Natalis wronglie tearmeth them; of whom, to the number of sixtie thou­sand, perished at Paris, and in other Cities of France, what time the Admirall was murdered: and in the ciuill warres, not so few as twelue hundred thousand, naturall French, are numbred to haue beene slaine: in which combustions, the Popes of Rome were the very Alastores and Apollyons, Brutum ful­men. p. 108. the fire-brands of these mischiefes.

With whose flames, if this our natiue Countrie haue not in like manner burnt within these late yeeres, it was Gods watchfull eie ouer our Princes and vs, which extinguished the sparkes whil'st they were enkindling; and not want of malitious crueltie in them, who were alwaies ready prest to minister fewell to these flames. The Buls of Pius 5. Gregorie the 13. Sixtus the 5. testifie as much, breathing out fire and sword against our late Souereigne (whose me­morie shall be blessed in all posteritie) and by their loud lowing, calling in forraine powers against our Land, and exciting disloyall subiects; as were Tichborne, Parry, Squier, Walpoole, and such like, to treacherous conspiracies at home: some of which conspiracies, howsoeuer our En­glish Catholike (hauing made his forehead as the Adamant) in his letter before mentioned,Pa. 34. & 89. tearme Ridiculous falfe de­uises, and monstrous fictions, made against some Priests, to make their whole companie and cause odious: yet our Tribu­nals, and benches of Iustice and Iudgement, haue con­uinced euidently this shamelesse vntruth; and the Secular Priests haue likewise published as much,Import. Con sid. p. 16. & p. 23, 33, 40. concerning these treacheries, to all mens view. So that now it necessarily ensueth, ex ore proprio, from the confession of our Aduer­sarie, that the companie of these Iesuites, and their whole cause, is iustly odious both to God and man, for their treacherous and bloody designements.

From which aspersions, in like manner, the two Breues of Clement the 8. will not be purged, although this Impo­stor wash them with niter (to vse the words of the Prophet) and take much sope to him.Ier. 2.22.

For most euident it is, that Catesby that Arch-Traitor, laid vpon them the foundations of the Powder-treason, in his conference with Garnet; Proceedings, R. 4. arguing from their authority rightly and strongly, that if it were lawfull not to receiue his Maiestie, that now is, or to repell him, as the said Breues did import; then it was also lawfull to expell or cast him out. Which was endeuoured with no lesse labour, then it was appre­hended by hope to bee effected by powder, from the vault: by which most barbarous stratagemme, like raue­nous beasts, they would haue swallowed vs vp quicke, and ouer-whelmed vs with a flood, but not of water: thunder­claps of powder, and streames of fire, should haue beene the swelling waters, which should haue gone ouer our soules.

[...]ueton. in vita C. Caligula, that monster of mankinde, for his cruelty more then sauage, is famous for a wish, that in his blood­thirstinesse he conceiued against his subiects the people of Rome, which was, that they all had but one head, that so at one blow he might chop it off. But in this powder-treason, consider cruelty more brutish then was euer that of Caligula: For heere not the Prince (with whom, vnder God, is stored vp all power of life and death) is plotting against the subiect, but the subiects against the Prince: and that not in heart only wishing, but by their practises labouring, yea in a manner effecting, not the ruine of a famous Citie, but of a flourishing Kingdome; and not of the Kingdome, the Common-wealth alone; but of the Church also: in both Church and Common-wealth, ai­ming, not at the members without the head, but iointlie at both together, members and head also: not with the stroke of a sword directed by mans hand, in whom still resideth mercie, but by the mercilesse element of fire: and [Page 13] that not ordinarie, consuming by degrees, but the extra­ordinarie inuention of the diuell, ministring that kinde of fewell to mans rage, which swalloweth vp at one breath, and as it were at one mouth-full, whatsoeuer standeth in the way.

The holy oile, wherewith his sacred Maiestie was in­thronized into this royall Kingdome, should haue beene no protection to defend him from the rage of this fire; though the Prophet, in Gods person, had before expresly charged, Touch not mine anointed; the Law prouided,Psal. 105.15. Deut. 22.6. that men should not take the damme with the yoong. Doth God take care of birds,Cor. as the Apostle reasoneth in the like argument? or was it written for our sakes? And yet in this share, the mother must haue perished with the sonne; root and branch together had beene consumed in this combu­stion. Gods iustice would haue spared Sodome, had there beene found in it but ten righteous:Gen. [...]8.32. but rauenous furie had so possessed these beasts, that whom themselues dee­med iust, must haue perished with the rest. The height of Maiestie adorned with so many peerelesse vertues, of lear­ning, wisdome, godlinesse, temperance, iustice, clemency; the matchlesse Vine, with her tender plant, the future hope of our succeeding age; the noble Peeres, the most reue­rend Bishops, the wise Counsellors, the graue Sages of the Land, the Knights and Burgises, and Officers of all sorts; all together, at one instant,Lutheranum inuentum ad ignem rapi [...]nt, vt sic anima e­ius in curru ignco, [...]t loqui­tur Jesaita Hoffaeus, ad inseros feratur. Hassemmil histor. Iesuitic. ca. 6. pa. 224. P. 6. 7. 41. &c. Pa. 26. 42. & 125. must haue mounted vp into this firie Chariot (as Hoffaeus that bloody Iesuite was wont to say) that so their soules might haue beene harrowed into hell, if these Gunpowder-powder-inginers had been their Iudges.

In this treacherieso cruell and barbarous, as Impudency it selfe would be ashamed, I say not, to excuse, but, once to extenuate the hainousnesse of the attempt; see how our English Catholike plaieth the part of a diligent Aduocate, alleging the tribulation of Catholikes in our state and go­uernment, meerely for conscience and Religion (of [Page 14] which he greeuously complaineth in sundry parts of his Letter) for the cause of this wofull attempt (to vse his owne words) in these vnfortunate gentlemen.

Wherein, to passe ouer the ingratitude of this vnwor­thy person towards his gratious Maiestie (of whose cle­mencie, not only the Recusants in generall, but many of the Popish Priests haue been, and still are partakers in great measure) I say only this, and that in a word, and I speake it in the sight and hearing of Almighty God, that if to bee a Rebell and a Traitor, be all one with a Catholike; and if due execution of iustice, be pressure and tribulation; then I willingly acknowledge, that some Catholikes in England haue perished vnder this pressure and tribulation. As for others, which suffer pecuniarie mulct in goods, or bodily restraint, or losse of Countrie by banishment; let him bee pleased to call to minde the fires and gibbets in Queene Maries daies, by which more innocents perished in some one or two yeeres, onely for profession of the Gospell, without the least imputation of treason, then Popish Trai­tors of all sorts, suffered in 45. yeeres of our late Soue­reigne, and in the six ensuing of his Maiestie that now is; when as our holy Martyrs would haue reckoned it for great fauour, to haue gone away with life and limme, whatsoeuer became of their goods and natiue Country.

Away then, euen for shame, with these foule blots and staines of crueltie and persecution: the milde and gentle aspect of our mercifull King admitteth them not; neither are they found in our State: they are the vnseparable markes and badges of the Romish Synagogue, as you haue heard; and of these holy Fathers, who rather succeed Ro­mulus in murders and slaughters,The saying of Pope Adrian, Illine Catalog. testium verit. tom. 2. p. 483. then S. Peter in feeding Christ his flocke. And this be spoken of the cruelty of the Aduersaries of the Church.

3 I come now in the third place, to discusse the cause which produceth these effects of subtiltie and crueltie in the aduersaries of the Church: wherby they seeke and [Page 15] indeuour the subuersion and ruine thereof.

The Prophet layeth it downe in the third verse. They had swallowed vs vp quick when their wrath is kindled against vs. Wrath then was it that quickned the wits, and sharp­ned the rauening appetites of these enemies; making thē so wily in theirsnares; so powerfull in their forces; and all to the perdition of the silly and weake Lambes of Christ his flocke? An affection by nature incident in a man, but as Bernard well noteth, Sermon. 13. vpon the 91. Psalme. abutentibus bono naturae, grauis perditio est, & mi­seranda pernicies: men abusing natures good, it becom­meth a miserable ruine, and heauie perdition; not to men onely, but to things also without reason, yea without sense too.

Aspice nobilissimarum ciuitatum fundamenta vix notabilia, Lib. [...]de ira. Cap. 2. Behold saith Seneca the foundations of most noble Ci­ties, hardly to bee discerned, such is their desolation, has i­ra deiecit, it was wrath that cast them downe, and made them leuell with the ground. Consider countries and re­gions made desolate places, for many miles together; has ira exhausit, it was wrath, that in this manner drew them drie, and made them void without an inhabitant. It was wrath that put the instruments of crueltie into the hands of Simeon and Leui those Brethren in euill,Gen, 49, 5 whereby they put Hamar and Shechem with their people to the sword; and sacked their Citie after they had receiued circumci­sion, breaking thereby the bonds of promise, and the very seale of their faith. And therefore most true is that verdit which the wise King hath giuen of this vnbridled affecti­on; Prouerb. 27.4. Anger is cruell, & wrath is raging. And Saint Chrysostome in his 29. Hom. to the people of Antioch, as if he had foreseene the powder-Treason, ira ignis vehe­mens omnia deuorans, anger is like a mightie fire cōsuming all things. And Saint Augustine Ser. 1. De tempore, Iracun­dia bestia crudelissima, wrath saith hee, is a moste cruell Beast, renting and tearing with her teeth: consonant with [Page 16] our Prophet in this place. With whome accordeth Saint Basil in a Sermon of this argument, comparing it to the swelling Waters, of which our Psalmist speaketh. The vi­olent forces of men inraged with furie, carrie (saith hee) all things before them▪ like floods and inundations. Such a fire, such a Beast, such a swelling water is wrath in a man, posses­sed therewith: it consumeth, it deuoureth, it ouer-whel­meth al things, and therefore no meruaile, when the foun­taine is so bitter, if the streames issuing from thence, bee so vnpleasant as hath beene declared.

Yet because as Saint Ambrose obserueth vpō the fourth to the Ephesians; Ira motus est naturalis conceptus ex causis, anger is a naturall motion, or commotion rather, concei­ued vpon some cause: Let vs consider the cause, that ex­asperated the aduersaries of the people of Israel in such sort, as the Prophet in this Psal. cōplaineth. A learned mo­dern expositer,Wolf. Muscul. rendreth this reasō of it: that Israel hauing obtained a king of the Lord, that went in and out before them; they would no longer put their necks and shoul­ders, vnder the yoake of their enemies; who before that time had dominion ouer them: vpon this defection, they make out after them with their forces, pursuing them in hostile manner to reduce them to their wonted serui­tude, as Pharaoh had dealt with them in former times.

A liuely Type of the aduersaries of Gods Church in all ages, wherein wee may plainly see, what hath caused them from time to time to pursue Christ his members, with such deadly wrath and hatred. It is, because vpon the admoni­tion of the Angell,Reuel. 17.4. 2. Cor. 6.14 they are gone out of Babilon; or to speake with the Apostle, because they will not, iugumduce­re cum infidelibus, bee yoaked with Infidels and Heretikes in their errors and superstitions, hauing obtained a Dauid a King of God his Sonne Christ, that holy one, the Lords annointed.

For if there bee any thing in the world that dooth pro­uoke a man and kindle his affections, it is Religion which [Page 17] maketh him not only defend to the vttermost of his pow­er, and with his best endeuours, what he conceiueth to be pure, but also to prosecute with all might and furie, the contrarie sect, to the vtter extinguishing and rooting vp of it, supposing that in so dooing, they fight Gods bat­tailes. Hence proceeded that deadly fewd betweene the Hebrewes and the Egiptians;Gen 43.32 they might not eate toge­ther, for that was an abomination vnto them: between the Iewes and the Samaritans, Ioh. 4.9. they medled not one with the other. The Poet obserued as much among the Gen­tiles.

Hatred without end, and a breach which neuer could bee cured.

Because euerie nation beleeued those onely to bee Gods whome they worshipped. And Iulian noted it amongst the christians, as Amnianus Marcellinus reporteth: who found, he said, no beasts so deadly one to another, as Christians were to Christians: which beeing spoken by so great an e­nemie, as was that Apostate, would carrie little credit with it, were it not that the histories of the Church recorded as much of the Nouatians, the Arrians, L. 22. the Donatists and such like Heretikes against the Catholikes; whome impa­tience as S. Cyprian noteth, ad hostili a & furiosa odia com­pulit, prouoked and forced to furious out-rage and deadly hatred.

Heere was that Sword, of which our Sauiour fore-war­ned. Mat. 10.34. Thinke not that I come to send peace into the earth, I came not to send peace, but the sword: whose part, Christ his Vicar thinketh hee plaieth not well, if hee bee not euer now & then sending abroad his sword into pro­testant kingdomes, because both Prince and people, are in his censure no better then forlorne Heretikes, past all hope of recouerie and amendment.

To which greeuous imputation wee answer with Saint Paul, that after this way which his holinesse is pleased to call Heresie, wee so worship the God of our Fathers, beleeuing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets; Act. 24.14. yea moreouer in the Euangelists & Apostles, to whose iudge­ment if hee will stand, wee will easily lay this crime vppon himselfe; in departing from the truth of that Gospell, which not only Moses and the Prophets, but our Sauiour and his Apostles preached.

I will not now anotomize, and rip vp the whole body of popish superstition; wherein nature is opposed to grace; Saints merits to Christs his blood; their mediation to his intercession; vnwritten vanities, to the written truth, works to faith, with many such like will-worships, which are after the doctrines of men: let the tryal be made in one point; the misunderstāding wherof so much troub­leth the Christian world: I meane the natural & ciuil obe­dience of dutiful subiects towards their lawful princes.

A duetie enioyned by our Sauiour. Mat. 22.22. Giue vn­to Caesar the things that are Caesars: and seconded by that chosen vessell, the Apostle of the Gentles, Rom. 13.7. Giue to all men their duetie, tribute to whome you owe tribute, custome to whome custome, feare to whome feare, honour to whome you owe honour. Whence are those graue and Reli­gious exhortations of the holy Apostle Saint Peter. 1.2.13. Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of men for the Lords sake, whether it bee to the King as vnto the Superior, &c and of S. Paul, Let euerie Soule be Subiect vnto the higher powers, Rom. 13.1. The reason of both, is worthy to bee in­grauen in the heart of the subiect with the point of a Dia­mond: for the Lords sake saith Saint Peter; for there is no power but of God, saith Saint Paul, with whome concurre the Law and the Prophets; the ancient Fathers of the Church, both in their writings, and in their meetings in generall counsell: which might as easily bee alleged if neede required.

But our Aduersarie acknowledgeth as much, as he doth vs to wit in his letter; namely,Pa. 16.50. that Subiects are bound to obey their Temporall Princes in all things lawfull; and those not only good Princes, but had also; and that not only of feare and flatterie, but of conscience, as the Apostle teacheth, Propter conscientiam, for conscience sake.

Why then ioine we not, as in tongue, so in hand and heart also, and admit the triall of our obedience by the touch-stone of true fidelitie, in taking the Oath of Alle­geance? Pa. 14.15.16. & 50. Because (saith our English Catholike) besides the exaction of naturall obedience which is lawfull, the Oath con­taineth diuers other points also, concerning matters of Catholike Religion, which are vnlawfull. For whereas the Oath is diui­ded into 14. seuerall parts, 12. of them at the least (as hee a­uoucheth) touch the Popes supremacie one way or other. As where it is said in the Oath, that the Pope hath no authoritie to depose our King, 2. to dispose of his Kingdomes, 3. to au­thorize any forraine Prince to inuade or anoy him or his Coun­tries, 4. or to discharge his subiects of their Allegeance, 5. to giue licence to any of them to beare armes against him, 6. or to offer violence to his person, or gouernment, or Subiects, The assertion of all which points, and other such like specified in the Oath, are (saith he) matters of Catholike Religion.

But who seeth not (whose eies God hath opened to be­hold the light of his Gospell) that this Religion falsly ter­med Catholike, vtterly peruerteth the lawfull subiection of people to their Souereignes; and that Hell is not more opposite to Heauen, then the bearing of armes by the sub­iect against his Prince, raising tumults in his dominions, offering violence to his person, state, or gouernment, is contrarie to his allegeance and fidelitie? Christ (saith S. Chrysostome in his Commentaries vpon the 13. to the Ro­manes) made nor Lawes, to ouerthrow the state of com­mon-weales, but that he might the better order and esta­blish them: but to depose Kings, to dispose of their domi­nions, to take the Crowne from one, and giue it to ano­ther, [Page 20] as men tosse a tenice ball in the Court, from Henrie to Rodulph, and so along; to assoile subiects of their fide­litie; these and such like, which are after the decrees of latter Popes, ouerthrow the very foundations of King­domes and Common-weales: which transcendent autho­ritie, whil'st they assume vnto themselues, by vertue of the Churches censure, they goe farre beyond the bounds and limits of their commission.

For excommunication, being a punishment meerely spirituall, depriueth a man onely of such spirituall com­forts, as otherwise he should receiue at the hands of the Church: but no way impeacheth his estate in his goods and possessions;De Iure & iusti. li. 1. c. 6. Conclus. 2. as their owne Soto teacheth. And much lesse hath it any force to depose Princes from their thrones, to absolue subiects from their obedience, to war­rant them to rebell, to say violent-hands vpon their So­uereignes, or any way to conspire, or worke their death.

Wherefore, let this bee the obedience of such Popish Recusants as refuse to professe their fidelitie by taking the Oath;Bulla Pij 5. & Gregorij 13. outwardly to make a shew of it, ad redimendam ve­xationem, to keepe themselues from troubles and mulcts; yet with these circumstances: 1. Rebus sic stantibus, the State standing so firme, as (God haue the glorie and praise for it) it doth: such an vnion and consent in Prince, Peeres, and all good Subiects, as need not dread the face of all their enemies: and 2. Donec publica Bullae executio fieri possit, that is, vntill they haue got strength enough to make head against their Souereigne: and then downe with him, by open hostilitie, or secret conspiracie, it maketh no matter which, so they haue their watch-word from Rome by the Popes excommunication and deposing of him. But for vs, beloued, which haue otherwise learned Christ, let these seeds of disloyaltie and treason bee farre from our hearts: Let vs giue to our Caesar his feare, his honour, his seruice, his protection, by our bodies, goods, and liues; which are his, were he as wicked as was euer Nero: how [Page 21] much more, being so good and gratious, so zealous of Gods honour and of his subiects good: Neque enim pieta­tem subuertic ista subiectio; this subiection (saith S. Chryso­stome) subuerteth not pietie; nay it confirmeth it more. Neither is this spirituall, but ciuill obedience, due to the Prince ordained by God; not depending vpon the Pope, who exalteth his owne selfe.

Were he placed in his due ranke, Siue Apostolus, saith S. Chrysostome, were he an Apostle, that is, as good as S. Pe­ter himself, or were he an Euangelist, or were he a Prophet; he were but a Subiect: or if all this serue not, the next words immediately ensuing will order him; Siue quis quis fuerit, or be he what he will be or may be, saith S. Chryso­stome, if he consist of a soule and body, Rom. 13.1. he must be subiect to the higher Poxers, that is, to the King, or to the Emperour, Gods viue images vpon earth; and acknowledge them for his Lords,Epist. 32. as Pope Gregorie the great did Mauritius the Emperor.

Or if these bee matters which concerne Religion, and such as touch the Popes Supremacie spirituall, why doth not our English Catholike bring foorth his proofes, espe­cially hauing made promise so to doe, in the fore-front of his Pamphlet? But open it, and peruse it from the first page to the last, you shall finde nothing therein, but his owne assertion; the Popes supposition, or at the most,Pa. 13. 14. 15. 50. 62. 74. 85. his determi­nation; the authoritie of Cardinall Bellarmine; and the chiefest learned men of their Church, as he tearmeth them: that is, Herod and Pilate, the high Priests and Elders, the Scribes and Phariseis, with the nation of the Iewes, conspiring against our Sauiour, and seeking false witnesses against him, but finding none. For no better with vs is the credit of the Pope and his Consistorie, his College of Cardinals, and the whole swarmes of his Priests and Friars, in matters concer­ning their owne authoritie, contrary to the expresse words of holy Scripture.

Yea,Pa. 14.19.85. but if the Pope haue not this authoritie to proceed [Page 22] against Princes, by dethroning and deposing of them, for their restraint and amendment, Gods prouidence should be defectuous (saith our English Catholike) for the preser­uation of his Church. I answer; Nothing lesse. For if S. Peter and his successors were able to gouerne the Church in the middest of al the stormes of persecutions vnder the Pagan Emperors (who laboured by all cruell meanes to root out the very name of Christianitie) without the vse of any such authoritie; how much more easie must it bee for them who claime succession from S. Peter, to gouerne the ship of the Church, when by the commandement of our Sauiour, the windes are ceased, and the stormes are laied? Vnlesse wee shall say, that the Church had not her due gouernment, but was tossed vp and downe with euery waue and puffe of winde, for the space of 1000. yeeres and vpward after Christ, vntill such time as Hildebrand, sur­named Gregorie the seuenth, lifted vp his Priestly launce (as they say) against Caesars sword, and vsurped the autho­ritie of decrowning Princes. Which were absurd, once to enter into any mans conceit of common sense or lear­ning. Yet more then this our English Catholike saith not.

But perchance Matthew Tort, Cardinall Bellarmines Chaplaine, prooueth the point more substantially. True, if the wresting of a place or two in holy Scripture make any thing to the purpose. He allegeth out of Iohn 21.15.16. our Sauiour his charge to S. Peter, Feed my Lambes, Feed my sheepe: And out of S. Matthew, c. 16. v. 19. the like saying to S. Peter, I will giue vnto thee the Keies of the Kingdome of Heauen: and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth, shall be bound in heauen; and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon earth, shall be loosed in heauen. From whence (saith he) omnes Catholici colligunt, all Catholikes doe gather, that it appertaineth to the authoritie of the high Bishop (hee meaneth the Pope of Rome) not onely to haue power to loose from sinnes, sed etiam à poenis, censuris, legibus, votis, at (que) iuramentis, but from punishments, Censures, Lawes, [Page 23] vowes and Othes, When it shall make for Gods glorie and the Saluation of soules.

But when, may this [when] euer bee; that God shall bee glorified, by ouerthrowing all lawes, both diuine and hu­mane? or is any thing more impossible, then that truth should receiue honour from lying & periuries? Is not this to make a lie for God, which holy Iob so much detesteth c. 13. ve. 9. Or in the best sense to do euill, that good may come therby? which whosoeuer shal attēpt, the Apostle pro­nounceth of them, that their damnation is iust. Ro. 3.8.

Againe, where the Chaplaine auoucheth his exposition of loosing to bee ment, not onely of remission of sinnes, (which wee willingly acknowledge with his Lord and ma­ster the Cardinal) but also of relaxation, from lawes,de Rom. pontifi lib. 1. C. 12. vows and oathes, from the authoritie of all Catholikes (omnes Catholici colligunt:) either the ancient Fathers of the Church,In Mathae. Origen, In Psal. 38. Ambrose, Aduersus. Io­uiu. l. 1. Hierome, In I [...]ha. tract 118. & de A­gon. Christi. Ca. 30. Angustine De Trinit. l. 6 Hi­lary, andChrysost. de sacerdot. lib. 2 Theophilact in Mat. cap. 16 Cypriā de vnit Ecclesiaeseu de simplicitat. praelatorem. Ansel. in Mat c. 16. ver. 19. Beda ibid. &c. such like are no Catholikes; or else hee fathe­reth that vpon them, which neuer came within compasse of their thoughts.

Who moreouer ioyntly teach and professe, that the au­thoritie of binding and loosing, and feeding Christ his Sheepe, was by our Sauiour giuen as well to the rest of the Disci­ples as vnto Peter; that they all receiued the Keyes as well as Peter; what was said to Peter was said to all, the promise to Peter was common to all: they are the expresse words of these Fathers. So that as yet neither our English Catho­like, nor the Cardinals Chaplaine haue said any thing to prooue, that the authoritie of binding & loosing, and feeding Christ his Sheepe, belongeth more to Saint Peter and his Successors, then to the other Apostles and their Suc­cessors; or that the Deposing of princes is a point of Doctrine belonging to the Popes supremacie, more then to the Supremacie of other Patriarkes; and much lesse that it is a matter of Catholike, that is, Apostolike or Chri­stian Religion, for Subiects in any case at his command [Page 24] to beare armes against their Soueraigne, or to attempt any thing against his state and person.

By this which hath beene deliuered, I hope it is mani­fest, not only how repugnant the voice of that Antichrist of Rome is to the voice of christ & his Apostles, in the du­tifull obedience of Subiects towards their Soueraigne: but also how pernicious Popish Doctrine is to States and Kingdomes, deposing Princes from their Throanes, and arming their Subiects against them.

And therefore howsoeuer the English Catholike in his Letter auerreth,Psal. 31. that libertie of Conscience (hee meaneth in Popish Religion) ought to bee as free in this Kingdome, as breathing, and the vse of the aire is common to all: yet the wisdome of our Solomon dooth see, that as one Temple could not containe Gods Ark and Dagon;1. Sam. 5.3.4. 2. Cor. 6.14.15 as light hath no communion with darkenes; Christ no concord with Beli­al; so neither can the puritie of the Gospell haue any agreement with Popish Superstition.

Our Sauiour himselfe hath deliuered his iudgement in this case. Mat. 12.25. Euerie kingdome deuided against it self shall bee brought to naught; and euerie Cittie or house deuided against it self shall not stand. And what greater diuision then this can be thought in a state & kingdom, then where Po­tētate is opposed to Potentate? the Pope against the king: Subiect against Subiect: Seruant against Seruant: both walking diuers waies, after diuers Masters. Such diuisions of hearts & affections, cannot but prooue deadly in the end to the body, wherein they shall bee found, bee it ciuill or Ecclesiastical, Church or Common-wealth.

From hence proceed wrath, enuyings, seditions, con­tentions,Dion. Cass. murthers; as Mecaenas long since tolde Augustus the Emperor. You may take it from a latter writer; whose testimonie is beyond all exception, as beeing an enemie; and therefore likely to aduise vs no more for our good, then what the force of truth wresteth from him. It is West­on the Diuinitie professor in the English Colledge at Do­waie [Page 25] lib. 3. de triplici hominis Officio. ca. 14. If, saith he, the peo­ple conceiue an opinion of their King to bee an enemie to their Religion, or to contemne it; what is there that they will not attempt against his life, to the effusion of his blood, iubente religione, & impellēte cos de super numine, vti omnino apud se a­nimis firmabunt. Religion commanding them, and the God, whom they worship, forcing them therunto, as they are perswaded in their consciences.

Could hee more liuely haue described our Iesuited Ro­manists, Whose Religion is rebellion, and murthering of Prin­ces, especially whē their Lord God the Pope,Glos. in cap. Cum inter. Ex­trauag. Ioā. 22 dominus Deus noster Papa (yee know whose saying it is) shall en­courage and exhort them thereunto? And againe, in the conclusion of the Chapter. Whosoeuer (saith hee) shall consider the infinite hatred, which from time to time, hath passed betweene Heretikes and Catholikes, shall ea­sily perceiue that it cannot stand with ciuill Policie, that secta­ries of such contrarie opinions in Religion, should bee fitly con­ioyned in the same ciuill societie; and that the safetie of the Prince cannot suffer such promiscuous conuenticles, and confu­sed manners of worship in Religion.

Our English Catholike acknowledgeth as much in his Letter: adding further, that besides internall dangers, Pag. 124. which (saith he) are euer consequent vpon such inward diuisions of Religion; if forreine occasions should be offered vs againe (as in former times they haue beene, by forraine warres) wee should not know how to trust the one the other.

Heere is plaine dealing indeede, you heare him now speake plainely, laying aside his vsuall manner of cogging and Aequiuocating: and is there not, iudge ye, great cause, that libertie of their conscience & Religion, which threat­neth such dangers both to Prince and Countrie, should be as common amongst vs in this Kingdome, as the vse of the aire & breathing is common to all? or rather is there not great neede that the Statutes concerning obstinate Recu­sants, were put more duely in execution, and not lie shea­thed [Page 26] so much as they doe in the scabbard? & that all loyall subiects were sealed like the Seruants of God in their fore­heads: making open profession by their Oath of their du­tifull allegeance towards their Soueraigne,Reuel. 7.3. which in a cause so conformable to Gods will and command; so behooufull to church and common-wealth; so neerely touching Gods glorie, the peace, safetie and honour both of Prince and People: whosoeuer should refuse, I wish his legs so fettered, though not with giues of yron, and his armes so weakned, though not by drawing one drop of blood; that these Serpents might not bee able to sting, when they most desired; nor these Wolues to prey vpon vs when they most longed.

Thus yee haue the roote from whence spring these bit­ter fruits of subtiltie and crueltie in the Aduersaries of the church; their wrath kindled not vpon a light & friuolous occasion, but burning with the zeale of Religion, though a zeale not according to knowledge, and religion without due feare of God, and reuerence of man.

There remaine yet two points vnhandled: the one, of the deliuerance of the Church from her enemies: the o­ther, of the duetie of praise, & thanks-giuing to be perfor­med for this deliuerance: which (the time beeing so ready to preuent me, and my voice failing) I will fould vp in a word, by way of application to our selues: whome as God hath made examples of his mightie power, no nation vn­der heauen more, in deliuering vs out of the hands of all our enemies, both from the Snares of secret treacheries, and from the open violence of their intended cruelties: so there is no people in the world more obliged to the due­tie of praise and thankes-giuing to the Lord.

I will not now stand to repeate vnto you our former de­liuerance; that mirabilis Annus the yere 88. so long before spoken of, for the wondrous effects which it was expected it should produce: it suffiseth, that it was wonderful to vs, when standing, as it were still, wee saw the saluation of the [Page 27] Lord, fighting his and our battailes, against these, his and our enemies; and chasing them, vntill he had made almost a finall end of them, whom the Pope had blessed, with the name of inuincible.

Neither will I call to your mindes the manifold dangers and treacheries, so oft plotted against our late gratious Souereigne, and in her life, against ours: with which our most noble King that now raigneth, hath beene as freshly assaulted, sithence his entrance into his Throane and Kingdome: of all which, we may say with the blessed A­postle, From them all the Lord hath deliuered vs. 2. Tim. 3.11.

Consider but this day, the birth-day, as I may tearme it, of our Country; in which both Prince and people came as it were anew into the world, deliuered from the dreadfull Powder-vault, the very belly of hell and confusion,C. 2.10. as Io­nah sometime did from the belly of the Whale.

How desperate and bloody was the attempt? How se­cretly was the snare laid to entrap vs vnawares? When euery man sung to his neighbor, nothing but Peace, Peace, how neere were we brought to the pits brinke? I say not as Ionah did, Yet 40. daies; but yet, not so much as one day,C. 3.4. and we should haue beene destroied: when being ready to sinke, God stretched forth his hand vnto vs, as sometimes he did to Peter, and tooke vs as a brand out of the fire. Matth. 14.31. Zechar. 3.2.

Surely heere was neither want of malice, will, or subtil­tie in the Aduersarie, in spreading the net, that it preuailed not; nor force of wisdome or deepe insight in any that preuented it: the heart of our most wise and prudent King, how large soeuer it bee, as the waters which couer the sea, yet was it at this time extraordinarily inspired from aboue, when out of a cloud of darke speeches, by the finger of God, he noted and pointed at the treacherie.

And therefore more properly may we take vp this sai­ing then euer did Israel, Tremel. & Iun. who spake it but in a trope and fi­gure: If the Lord had not beene on our side, may we of England say; if the Lord had not beene on our side, when men rose vp a­gainst [Page 28] vs; they had then swallowed vs vp quicke, when their wrath was kindled against vs. But praised be the Lord, who gaue vs not ouer for a prey vnto their teeth. Our soule is esca­ped as a bird out of the snare of the Fowlers; when our enemies fell into the pit of destruction, which they had digged for vs.

Wherefore, let the praises of God bee alwaies sounding in our mouths, both of Prince and people, old and yong, men and maidens, women and children: let vs all in our places and callings, age and sexes, praise the name of the Lord, which is only to be exalted; not wisdome, strength, or worthinesse in our selues. And let others put their trust in horses and Chariots, in the multitude of their hosts, in the strength of their ships, in the Popes cursings and bles­sings; but let vs alwaies thinke and say, with our Prophet in the conclusion of this Psalme, Our helpe is in the name of the Lord.

To which most glorious name be rendred all praise, honour and glory, might and Maiestie, this day, and for euer. Amen.

AMong the manifold dangers, amidst which the Arke of Gods Church is tos­sed vp and downe by the slie impo­stures of her enemies, as by so many stormes and surges; the perils by false Prophets and seducing Teachers are such, as if with diligent heed and atten­tion they be not auoided, as the Syrtes and Rockes of the Sea, we are in danger euery houre to make shipwracke, be­fore we can so much as see the hauen, wherein our soules long so earnestly to be at rest.

The greater is the vigilancie of Gods watchfull eie ouer his sillie flocke; neuer slumbering nor sleeping;Psal. 121.4. but as a carefull father warning vs before hand of them, Beware of false Prophets; and as a painfull master diligently instruct­ing vs how we may know and auoid them: Yee shall know them by their fruits, saith our Sauiour: masked otherwise so with sheepes-cloathing, as that by their outward shew and habit, they are able to deceiue, if it were possible, the very elect.

For this sheepes-cloathing is that external habit, which [Page 30] naturally and properly belonging to the sheepe, maketh vs take them to be so, which come so clad vnto vs. It is, saithDe praescript. Haeretic. Caluin. Jansen. Tertullian, nominis Christiani extrinsecus superficies the superficiall outside of a Christian; that is, holinesse, but feined; pietie and Religion, but in shew: it isAuthor ope­ris imperfecti, in Matt. hom. 19. Lucas Burgen­sis, &c. vestimentum ouile, the sheepes skinne indeed, his wooll, his fleese, his out­ward apparance and resemblance: but it is not Opus ouile, the true sheepes deed, his naturall worke; the Religion is not pure, the holinesse not sincere and vpright: which yet notwithstanding dazleth our eies, and peruerteth our iudgement, if we be not very wary and circumspect.

Therefore our Sauiour willeth vs, not to stand at gaze, and to looke vpon them; but [...], saith he, heed them, marke them, eie them well; which is, as S. Iohn expoun­deth his Masters meaning, Beleeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God, 1.4.1. A point of skill, beyond the reach of Babes, who being inexpert in the word, vse milke (such as they were, whom the Author to the He­brewes therefore reprooueth for it, c. 5. v. 12.13. and as the Lay people are in the Romish Church, whose faith lieth foulded vp in the faith of the Church,Fides impli­cita. without any fur­ther search and enquirie:) it is the part of stronger men; yet not of the Pastor and Doctor alone, asPromptuar. Cathol. Domi­nic 7. post Pentecost. Stapleton would haue it; but of the flocke too, which through long custome haue their wits exercised, to discerne both good & euill, Heb 5. v. 14.

Author operis imperfecti, in Mat. hom. 19. Magna virtus boni, malum cognoscere: Heere is a speciall vertue and propertie peculiar to goodnesse it selfe, to discerne that which is euill: and, firma tutela salutis, scire quem fugi­as; a sure defense preseruatiue of our welfare, to know him whom thou must eschew and auoid: which that wee may bee able to performe, our Sauiour addethLucas Bur­gens. Maldo­nat. Symbolum, a badge or cognizance, though not a Priore (for God onely isAct. c. 1. v. 24. [...], the searcher of the hearts and reines) yet a Posteriore, a signe better suting with our vnderstanding, from the effect; By their fruits ye shall know them. Per hoc [Page 31] quod foris agitur, quicquid intus lat et aperitur, that which lieth hid within the heart, is made manifest (saithM [...]ral. l. 15 c. 34. Gregorie) by that which a man dooth without: as in the Water a face answereth to the face (saith Solomon) Prouerb. 27. verse 19.

And what are these fruits? TheHom. 19. author of the imper­fect worke vpon Saint Mathew his Gospell, resolueth the doubt verie fitly in two words. Fructus hominis (saith he) confessio fidei eius, & opera conuersationis ipsius: the fruits wherby a man is knowne, the true Prophet is discerned from the false, the sheepe from the Wolfe; are the confession of his Faith, and his life and conuersation. For if a man hide the Wolfe vnder the sheepes-cloathing, how canst thou know him, saith the same author,Ioh. 1.47. nisi aut per vo­cem, aut per actionem: but by his voice or by his deedes? Si con­fessio eius conueniat cum scripturis, if his confession be con­sonāt with the Scriptures, if his life answerable to his pro­fession, verus Christianus est, this man indeede is an Israelite, in whome is no guile: if otherwise, falsus Propheta est, it is the Wolfe vnder the sheepes-cloathing, shunne him, and be­ware of him.

So thē ye haue in the word [...] read vnto you, first a Caueat like a Pharos, set at the entrie of my text,Diuision. to giue light vn­to vs, beware. Secondly the Rockes and Syrtes▪ which wee are to shunne, false Prophets. Thirdly, a reason of the dan­ger, their disguised masking of themselues, because they come to you in sheepes-cloathing, but inwardly are rauening Wolues. Lastly, the markes and tokens whereby yee may discrie and discerne them, yee shall know them by their fruits. Which being the verie foundation of all the rest, my la­bour and time shall bee spent, (by Gods gracious assistan­ce and your wonted patience) in laying open of them: which being disclosed, the rest of it selfe will fall to the ground, it beeing an easie matter to beware of the Wolfe, when hee is stripped of his sheepes-cloathing.

Yet the case so standing, asHomil. de a­uaritia. tom. 5. Chrysostome doth truely re­port it: multa ouium vellera, innumeri vbi (que) lupi sub his oc­cultati; [Page 32] that there are many Sheepe-skins, & as many Wolues that lie hid vnder them: and that many false Prophets, vnder colour of the true, haue in all ages crept into Christ his flocke: wee must heerein also vse a moderation: and out of many sortes, make choice of some, by which you may iudge of the rest.

And because euerie one as he is iealous of his reputati­tion: laboureth to remooue this imputation from him­selfe; theHuiusmodi sunt Coluinistae Maldonat. Stapleto. Rubenus de falsis propheti [...]. Papists falselie charging vs with it; and wee lay­ing it, as the truth is, & where it is to be found, vpon them: wee will heerein follow the aduise ofIn Mar. c 7. vers. 15.16. Ferus one of their Friars: laying aside our owne asseuerations, wee will name an Arbitrator betweene vs, to decide this controuersie; Scriptura iudex sit, let the Scripture saith hee, be the iudge, quem illa falsum Prophetam nominat, is procul dubio talis sit; whome the Scripture shall say to bee the false Prophet, let him bee so reputed and accounted.

Now the instance to make tryall by (to limit my selfe within some bounds) I will put infoure points. The first, concerning traditions. The second in worshipping of I­mages. The third in Miracles; all matters of Doctrine as yee know, and controuerted betweene vs and our aduer­saries the Papists, and belonging to the voice of the Pro­phet: the first principall fruite, by which hee is knowne: the fourth and last, concerning manners and life; which are his deedes and actions, the other principall fruite, of which our Sauiour hath pronounced, by their fruites yee shall know them. By these ye may make an estimate of the rest, and accordingly iudge of the true & false Prophets.

First then to beginne with that, which is the foundation of many others. Our Sauiour (saith Ferus) calleth them false Prophets, Mat. 15.3. which transgresse the commande­ments of God by their traditions. Lib. in c. 7. Mat. For these. Mat. cap. 23.16. hee calleth for the same cause, Blinde Guides, which are all one with false Prophets, and denounceth a vae against them, Woe be vnto you blinde guides.

Now this is an essentiall propertie of the Guides and doctors of the Romish Synagog; who not contenting them­selues with the fountaines of liuing waters, the holy Scriptures and word of God, as not containing all things sufficient for man­ners in this life, and Saluation in that which is to come, dig to themselue pits, euen broken pits of diuers and sundrie tra­ditions, which in truth can holde no water.

For thusBellarmine de verbo dei. l. 4. c. 2. they teach and professe, that besides the writ­ten word of God, there is an other part thereof not writ­ten (their meaning is in the Scriptures) and by the first Au­thors therof, the Apostles of our Sauiour, though otherwise it be extāt, almost in the anciēt Fathers, (Bellarmine. as they say) which they tearme & call traditions, of which they make many sorts; agreeing in this, that they concerne both faith & maners.

What reckoning and account they make of these tradi­tions, shall come from their owne mouthes: for other­wise it would seeme, I suppose, incredible, what they ascri­be vnto them.

ThePari pieta­tis affectu et reuerentia ses. 4. decret. 1 Councel of Trent decreeth, that they are to bee re­ceiued with the like affection of Godlinesse and reuerence, wher­by wee admit and reuerence the bookes of the old and new Testa­ment. Eandē vim habent. de ver­bo dei. li. 4. c. 2 Cardinall Bellarmine saith, that they haue all one Force and strength. Perinde in­fallibilē auct­oritatem ha­bent. Analis. fidei Cathol. li. 8. cap. 6. sec. 2: Gregorie of Valentia; the authoritie of each is alike infallible, and cannot deceiue. Cardinall Hossius Multo max­ima pars euan­gelij, peruenit ad nos traditio­ne per ex igua literis est mandata. confess. Catholica. c. 92. not content with this paritie, addeth further, that far the greatest part of the Gospel came to vs by traditiō, when but ve­rie little thereof was committed to writing. AndEx traditione noui testamenti scripta omnia authoritatem acceperunt. Annal. 46.1. Ann. 53. num. 11. Cardinal Baronius, as if this were not enough, auoucheth, that all the bookes of the new Testament, receiue their authoritie from traditions. In regard whereof hee preferreth them before the Scriptures; because Scriptures, saith he, vnlesse they be established by traditions, haue no beeing: when as traditions without the Scripture, are firme and stable in themselues. SoScripturae nisi traditione firmen­tur, non subsistunt, traditiones vero sine scriptis, suam obtinent firmitatem. [Page 34] likewise ^t Petrus a Soto before him,Fundamentū & explicatio defens. Cathol. confes. l. 2. c. 68 calleth them the foun­dation and exposition of the Scriptures: AndLydius lapi­dus Panopl. li. 1. cap. 9. Lindane, the touchstone of true and false doctrine. Finally, Andradius saith, That many points and heads of Faith, would reele and totter, were they not supported by the assistance and authority of tradi­tions, Multa sidei nostrae capita reperies nutare iam et vacilla­re, si tollas tra­ditionum subsi­dium et aucto­ritatē. Ortho­dox. Explicat. l. 2. p. 80. yea not onely reele and totter, but a great part of Reli­gion would also perish (saithSine quibus magna pars re­ligionis perit, et ad inane no­men Euangeli­um redit. de. sens. Cathol. l. 2 cap. 68. Soto) were it not for those partes of Doctrine, which are maintained by tradition; and the Gospell would come to a vaine name, without substance; which I easily grant and acknowledge, in their Po­pish Faith and Religion, which can no more stand without traditions, then a huge building without a foun­dation.

For it is the confession proceeding from their owne mouthes, that the Primacie of the Pope, and Sea-Aposto­like is from tradition; their fiue Sacraments of Confirma­tion, Order and Matrimonie, Penance, extreame vnction, with their elements, words, fruites, and effects; the conse­cration of water and oile in the sacrament of Baptisme; The Doctrine of Transubstantiation, and receiuing in one kinde; of auricular cōfession, satisfaction, choise of meats, Fastes purgatorie, monastical profession, single life, praier for the dead,Petrus a So­to vt supra. Peresius de traditionibus parte. 3. Lindanus pa­nop. li. 4. c. 100. Canus locor. Theologic. li. 3. ca. 3. 4. 5. with the rest. inuocation and worshipping of Saints, wor­shipping their Relikes and images; in a word, scantlie any matter in controuersie betweene vs, which they acknow­ledge not to bee grounded on tradition; howsoeuer with consciences more then seared, in their disputes they al­leage Scriptures for proofe of them; and In his Rock. Sanders proclai­meth that they haue moste plaine Scriptures, in all points, for the Catholike Faith (falsely so called) and none at all against the same.

The case then standing thus with the Popish Religion, it is no maruell if so highly they extoll their traditions, and on the other side thinke and speake so baselie of the holy Scriptures, tearming themTilmannus. H [...]shusius sex­cent. errores. Tit. de Scrip­tura. Sac. a nose of Wax readie to receiue any impression, expound it how a man list, a lea­den [Page 35] rule, flexible and easie to bee wrested, whither a man will; a dumbe teacher, which can neither answer nor expresse his owne meaning; a dead Scripture; the matter and subiect of strife and contention: which without the Churches authoritie, is of no more credit then Aesop his fables; yea a very bable, asD^r. Fulcke his confutati­on of Saunders treatise of the worshipping of images, pag. 575. Doctor Cole the Papist, being Visitor in Cambridge, when a Bible was brought vnto him to be defaced, called it Bible Bable.

These blasphemies against Gods sacred word, whichRom. 1.16. 1. Cor. 1.24. S. Paul calleth, the wisdome of God, and the power of God vnto saluation, to euery one that beleeueth; demonstrate these Popish Doctors (if I should adde nothing more) to be those false Prophets of which our Sauiour heere speaketh. For right so did their fore-fathers, the ancient Heretikes, vilifie the holy Scriptures, and magnifie their Traditions, asLib. 3. cap. 2. Irenaeus a mostancient Father testifieth. Cùm ex Scripturis argu­untur, When (saith he) men argue against them, and they are reprooued out of the Scriptures, they turne themselues to accuse the Scriptures, quasi non rectè habeant, as if they were not right, ne (que) sint ex authoritate, nor haue authoritie in them, & quia sint variè dictae, and because they are diuersly spoken, and haue diuers senses, & quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas, ab his qui nesciant Traditionem, and because the truth cannot bee found nor gathered out of them by such as know not the Traditi­ons: Non enim per literas traditam illam, sed per viuam vocem. For (say they) the truth was not deliuered by writing, in the ho­lie Scriptures; but by word of mouth, from man to man. Neuer Non tam o­uum ouo simile Cicer. Acadē. quaes. l. 2. was one egge so like another, as these old Heretikes and our Popish Doctors, Soto, Lindane, Pighius, and such like of the Popish crew.

So likewise are many of their reasons and arguments, the dull and blunted weapons of the old Heretikes, retur­ned vpon them so often by the ancient Fathers.

De verbo Dei, l. 4. c. 5. Bellarmine allegeth, for proofe of his Traditions, that of our Sauiours, Iohn 16. v. 12. I haue yet many things to say vnto you, but yee cannot beare them now. With which saying [Page 36] of Christs, all Heretikes, euen the most absurd and foolish, which notwithstanding would be called Christians, did endeuour to colour (saithOmnes insipi­entiss haeretici, qui se Christia­nos vocari vo­lunt, audacias figmentorum suorum, quas maximè exhorret sensus humanus, hac occasione Euangelicae sententiae colo­ra [...]e conantur. Jn Euang. Jo­hann tract. 97. S. Augustine) the audacious fictions of their idle braines, which the sense of man did most of all feare and abhorre. But as that godly Father answereth, so say I; If our Sau [...]our concealed those things, quis nostrum dicat, ista velilla sunt? who is he amongst vs, that may say, they are this, or they are that. YetHaec multa non erant di­uersa ab his, quae hactenus Dominus prae­sens docuerat, sed planior & clarior eorum explicatio. Concordant. fol 964. Iansenius, one of their owne, well ob­serueth, that these many things were not diuers and contrarie to those which our Sauiour taught his Disciples whil'st hee was present amongst them; but only a more full and cleerer explica­tion of them.

SoLoc. theol. l. 3. c. 3. funda­mento 4. Canus allegeth that of the Apostles; We speake wis­dome amongst them that are perfect, 1. Cor. 2.6. whereby he would prooue, that certaine holy mysteries were communica­ted by the Apostle, apart from the ignorant, to the perfect: per­fectis & maioribus. Euen as the old Heretikes (saithHanc sapien­tiā vnusquis (que) eorum esse di­cit, quam à se­metipso ad [...]n­uenit, fictionē videlicet. Irenae­us) by occasion of these words of S Paul, Did euery one of them call the fiction of their owne b [...]aine, this selfe same wisdome of which the Apostle spake? ButSi quaedam inter domesticos disserebant, non tamen ea fuisse credendum est, quae aliam regulam fidei superducerent, &c. De praescript. haeretic. Iansenius rightly noteth,Sed quod suae prae [...]otionis & fidei mysteria perfectius aperiret perfectioribus, sermonemque suum aptaret audientium capacitati. Concordant. f. 965. as did Tertullian before him, that the Apostle did not sig­nifie by those words, that he taught the perfect one thing, the vnperfect and ignorant another thing; cum vtris (que) eandem fi­dem praedicaret, when as he preached the same faith to them both: Sed quod suae prae [...]otionis & fidei mysteria perfectius aperiret perfectioribus, sermonemque suum aptaret audientium capacitati. Concordant. f. 965. but that his preaching was not all after one manner, which he applied to his hearers, to some more perfectly and pro­foundly, to others after a plainer fashion, according to the ca­pacitie of each of them.

Againe, what the Apostle writeth to Timothie, O Timotheus, keepe that which is committed vnto thee, depositum cu­stodi, 1.6.20. isCanus. Bellarmine. &c. generally alleged of them, for proofe of their Traditions. And so was it by the old Heretikes, as [Page 37] De praescrip­ion. hae [...]eticor. Tertullian witnesseth; who from thence taught, that the Apostles Apostolos non omnia omnibus tradidisse, ibid And non om­nia omnibus reuelasse: quae­dam palam & vniuersis, quae­dam secretò & paucis deman­dasse: quia & hoc verbo vsus est Paulus ad Timotheum, O Timothee, de­positum custo­di ib. deliuered not all things to all sorts of men, but com­mitted some things openly and to all men; other matters secret­lie, and to few. But depositum, or the thing committed, sig­nifieth the whole charge which the Apostle committed to Timothie, Quod praecep­tum supra & infra ex scrip­tis intelligerat, non nescio quid ostendi hoc dicto de remo­tiore doctrina, &c. ib. and particularly the true forme of sound doctrine, deliuered vnto him in that Epistle by S. Paul, and not hid elsewhere, or farre fetched, as Tertullian expoundeth the Apostle.

But of all authorities of Scripture alleged by our ad­uersaries, that which S. Paul writeth to the Thessalonians, 2.2.15. is in shew most cleere for them, Stand fast, and keepe the traditions which yee haue beene taught, either by word, or by our Epistle. In which words the Apostle maketh mention of doctrine not only written, but also taught by expresse word of mouth. Which as we ingenuously acknow­ledge, it being a truth; so we say withall, that it maketh nothing for our aduersaries. For although at that time, when the Apostle wrote those Epistles to the Thessalonians (Baron. An­nal. tom. 1. an. 53. num. 11. which are more ancient then diuers of the writings of the Euangelists, and the Epistles of the Apostles) some, yea many points of doctrine were deliuered in the Church by word of mouth; yet this is not against vs, which haue those wri­tings of the Euangelists and the Apostles, which the Thessa­lonians had not then: In all which now written, we affirme to be comprehended all things which concerne faith and good manners, and whatsoeuer is needfull to be beleeued: so, as that it is either expresly written, or by necessarie consequence may soundly be deduced and concluded out of the Scriptures.

For concerning the old Law, Moses giueth this charge in the person of God: You shall put nothing thereto, neither take ought therefrom, Deut. 4 2. And of the Gospell, S. Paul saith, that though himselfe, or an Angell from heauen preach otherwise then that which he had preached to the Galatians, let him be accursed, 1.8.9. The like is S. Iohns testimonie of the things recorded in his Gospell: These things are written [Page 38] that yee might beleeue, that Iesus is the Christ, the sonne of God, and that in beleeuing, yee might haue life through his name, c. 20. v. 31. Vpon which words, Hugo the Cardinall hath this remarkable note: Specialiter intentio huius libri, generaliter verò totius Scripturae finis, his verbis declaratur: By these words, the scope of this Gospell in speciall is shewed; but in a generalitie, the end of the whole Scripture is declared. Ac­cording heerein with S. Paul, 2. Tim. 3.16.17. The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to improoue, to correct, and to instruct in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect vnto all good workes. So the Prophet Dauid witnesseth of the te­stimonie of the Lord, that it giueth wisdome to the simple. Psal. 19. v. 7. Euen that wisdome which is able to make vs wise vn­to saluation, through the faith which is in Christ Iesus, 2. Tim. c. 3. v. 15. Therefore when one demanded of our Saui­our, what he might doe to inherit eternall life; hee referred him to the Scripture for his direction, Luc. 10.25.26. As Abraham sent the rich Gluttons brethren to schoole to Mos [...]s and the Prophets, that he might auoid the torment of hell fire, Luc. 16. v. 28.29.

If then the Scriptures are so perfect, that wee must adde nothing to them, nor take ought from them; if no other Gospell must bee preached, vnder paine of Gods curse; if by the writings of the Prophets, the Euangelists and Apostles, we beleeue that Iesus is the Christ, the sonne of God, and by faith in his name, obtaine eternall life; if they make the man of God absolute, and giue wisdome to the simple, that wisdome which maketh wise vnto saluati­on; if they direct vs to eternall life, and keepe vs from the torments of hell fire; it is as cleere as the Sunne-light at noone day, that they containe all things necessarie for sal­uation: and therefore the Papists, not contenting them­selues with their sufficiencie, doe the very same, for which our Sauiour rebuked the Scribes and Phariseis, Mat. 15. v. 3. transgresse the Commandements of God by their Traditions.

Now if beside the voice of God speaking in his holy word, any heere present, require further the witnesse of man, and desire to know the minde and opinion of the ancient Fathers; although where God speaketh, it may well become man to be silent, yet that it may appeare, that we teach the same doctrine with the old Greeke and Latine Church, it shall not be amisse, the rather for the stopping of the mouthes of our aduersaries, who are alwaies brag­ging of the Fathers (of whom they are the degenerate children) to obserue their iudgement in this point.

First therefore,Quod per Dei voluntatē in Scripturis nobis tradide­runt, fundamē ­tū & columnā fidei nostrae futurum. lib. 3. cap. 1. Irenaeus saith, that the Gospell which the Apostles and Euangelists deliuered in the Scriptures, is the foundation and pillar of our faith. Ad puteos Scripturarum, ad aquas Spi­ritus sancti & haurire sēper, ac ple [...]um vas ref [...]rre domū, &c. hom. 10. in Genes. Origen instructeth vs to haue daily recourse to the Wels of the holy Scripture, the waters of Gods holy Spirit; and to draw from thence, and to carry home our vessels full, like holy Rebecca. [...]. Theodo­ret. li. 1. histor. Eccles. ca. 7. Constantine the great, in his speech to the Bishops assembled in the Councell of Nice, hath this worthy saying: The bookes of the Euange­lists and Apostles, together with the Oracles of the old Pro­phets, doe plainly teach vs the things which we are to know con­cerning God. Athanasius in his Oration against Idols, thePiae Religionis & veritatis de vniuerso ratio cognitioque, per Christi doctrinam, sole cla­rius sese demonstrat. very first words thereof, The reason and knowledge of godly Religion and truth, doth demonstrate it selfe, more cleerely then the Sunne, by the doctrine of Christ. And immediately after,Sufficiunt quidem per se, tum sacrae & diuinitus inspiratae Scripturae, ad veritatis indicationem. The holy and inspired Scriptures from aboue, suffice by them­selues, for the finding out of the truth. [...]. pag. 394. Basil saith, that it is a manifest falling from the faith, and crime of arrogancie, ei­ther to reiect any thing which is written, or to adde any thing which is not written. Omnia clara sunt & plana ex Scripturu diuinu: quaecunque necessaria sunt, manifesta sunt, homil. 3. in 2. Thessal. Chrysostome yet more directly to the point: All things are cleere and plaine out of the holy Scrip­tures; [Page 40] whatsoeuer things are necessarie, are manifest. Non omnia quae D [...]minus fecit, cōscripta sunt: sed quae scribentes, tam ad mores quam ad dogmata putarunt suffi­cere: vt recta fide, & oper [...] ­bus, & virtule ru [...]lantes, ad regnum, &c. l. 12. in Iob. c. 68 So like­wise S. Cyril: All things are not written, which our Lord did; but tho [...]e things which the Euangelists the Writers did thinke to suffice, both for manners of life, and precepts of faith: that shining with a right faith, and good workes, and vertue, wee might come to the kingdome of heauen. [...]. De Ortho­doxa fide, li. 1. ca. 1. Damascene confes­seth, that he receiueth, and acknowledgeth, and reuerenceth, all things which are deliuered in the Law and the Prophets, the Apostles and the Euangelists, seeking after nothing beyond these.

Yee haue heard by these, what the opinion is of the Greeke Fathers, concerning the sufficiencie of the Scriptures, without the supplie of traditions: With whom in like sort con­curre the Fathers of the Latine Church.Scripturae plenitudinem adoro. aduers. Hermoginem. I adore (saith Tertullian) the fulnesse of the Scriptures. And immediately after:Scriptum esse doceat Hermogenis officina, aut t [...]meat Vae illud, adijcien­tibus aut detrahentibus destinatum. ib. Let Hermogines his shop teach, that it is written; or let him feare that Woe appointed for them which adde or de­tract any thing from the Scriptures. Vnde est ista traditio? vtrumne de dominica & Euangelica authoritate descendens; an de Apostolorum mandatis atque Epistolis veniens? Ea enim facienda esse, quae scripta sunt, Deus testatur, &c. ad Pompeium contra Epistolam Stephani. Cyprian distinguishing of Traditions, maketh this demand: Whence is it? (saith he) Doth it descend from the authoritie of our Lord, or his E­uangelists; or commeth it from the commandement of the Apo­stles and their Epistles? For God witnesseth, that those things are to be done, which are written. And immediately after, he inferreth this conclusion:Si ergo aut in Euangelio praecipitur, aut in Apostolorum epistolis aut actibus continetur, &c. obseruetur etiam & haec sancta traditio. ib. If therefore it be commanded in the Gospell, or comprehended in the Epistles or Acts of the A­postles, &c. let this holy tradition bee kept and obserued also. But on the other side, it hath no ground in the word of God. Then marke whatAlia quae absque authori­tate, & testimonijs Scripturarum, quasi traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt, atque con­tingunt haeretici; percutis gladius Des. Jn ca. 1. Aggei. S. Hierome saith: Other things, which Heretikes doe finde of their owne accord, without the au­thoritie and witnesse of the Scriptures, as though they were de­liuered [Page 41] by Apostolical tradition, the sword of God (which is his holy word. Ephes. 6.17.) cutteth off. But of all the ancient Fathers, the iudgement of Saint Augustine is wor­thy your obseruation, as being most sound, and directly to the purpose, who writing againstSiue de Chri­sto siue de eius ecclesia, siue de quacun (que) a­lia re, quae per­tinet ad fidem vitā (que) nostram non dicam nos nequa quā com parandi ei, qui dixit, licet si nos, sed omnino quod se [...]utus adiecit, si an­gelus de caela vobis annuncia uerit preterquā quod in scrip­turus legalibus et euangelic is accepistis, ana­thema sit, cōtra literas Petilia­ni li. 3. c. 6. Petilian the D [...]natist, denounceth this sentence, as it were with the spirit of the Apostle. Whether of Christ, or of his church, or of any o­ther thing which appertaineth to faith, and to our life and conuersation, I say not wee, who are by no meanes to bee cōpared with him, who said, but though that we &c. Gal. c 1. v. 8. but that which the Apostle added, if an Angell frō heauen preach vnto you otherwise besides that which yee haue receiued in the Scriptures of the law and the Gospel, let him be accursed. And in his Booke de Doctrina Christiana li. 2. c. 9. InIn jis quae a­perte in scripturis posita sunt inueniuntur illa omnia, quae continēt fidē mores (que) vinēdi spem scilicet at (que) charitatem. Act. 26.28. those things which are set down plainely in the scrip­tures, all those things are to bee found, which concerne Faith, and the manners of a mans life, namely hope and charitie.

These testimonies of the ancient Fathers, are plaine and euident, and taken out of such their writings, as are on all parts confessed to bee their owne, and not counterfeited, such as our aduersaries vsu­ally presse vs with in their daily disputes; and they are so forcible euen with them, that with Agrippa they be­come almost Christians: and subscribe to as much in ef­fect, as we teach of the sufficiencie of the holy Scriptures.

Quae fidei veritates absolute et simpliciter ab omnibus ho­minibus neces­sario cognoscē ­dae et credendae sunt, vt et fide, et spe, et chari­tate ad beatitu dinem con [...]ē ­dere valeant. eas non diffite­mur, pers [...]icue fere, in scriptu­ris ipsis doceri vt August­inus etiam no­lauit Analy. fidei cathol. l 5 c. 2. Gregorie of Valentia, a Iesuite of great note amongst thē, acknowledgeth, that what verities of faith are absolut­ly and simplie necessarie to bee knowne and beleeued of all men, that they may bee able to come to euerlasting blisse by faith, hope, and charitie, those (saith he) wee de­nie not to be taught in the Scriptures themselues, perspi­cuè ferè, almost and in a manner plainly, as Saint August­ine hath also noted. But this fere almost, which the Iesuite inserteth, is like to that wicked glosse, which corrupteth S. Augustine his text. Of the two, Cardinall Bellarmine dea­leth [Page 42] more ingenuouslie, acknowledgingDico illa om­nia scripta esse quae sunt omni­bus necessaria de verb. dei. l. 4 ca 11. that all those things (without any fere almoste) are written of the A­postles, which are necessarie and needefull for all mens knowledge. AndNon infici­amur precipua illa fidei capi­ta, quae omnibus chr [...]stianis cognitu [...]ut ad salutem ne­cessaria, perspi­c [...]è satis esse Apostolicis scriptis comprehensa. c. de scriptura. 5. Coster the Iesuite in his Enchiridion: we deny not (saith he) that those chief heads of faith which are needefull to bee knowne of all Christians for their sal­uation, are contained plainely enough in the writings of the Apostles. To whome I might adde a cloud of witnes­ses of their own writers, both moderne and more ancient, iustifying against themselues, what wee teach of the suffi­ciencie of the holy Scriptures: but I must omit them for breuities sake.

What then meane those reproachfull speeches of the Papists, concerning the insufficiencie, obscuritie, vncer­taintie, and inualiditie of the Scriptures, as I haue obser­ued? Wherefore is it, that they seale them vp in an vn­knowne tongue, that the vnlearned may not vnderstand them?Jndex libror. prohibitorum regul. 4. WhyNauar Enchi rid. c. 11. nū. 26 prohibit they the common people from reading them? why is it accounted a mortall sin amongst them for a lay person to dispute of matters of Faith?De expresso dei verbo. why doth Hossius auouch, that it is fitter for women to meddle with their distaffe then with Gods word? why dothDe verbo dei l. 2. [...]5. Bel­larmine so greeuouslie complain, that the translated bibles are in the hands of all artificers, not onely men but Wo­men? but that by these woluish voices of theirs, you shold know them to bee the generation of those false Prophets and ancient Heretikes, whomeDe resurrec. carnis. Tertullian, for contempt and shunning of the Scriptures, calleth Lucifugas Scriptu­rarum such as flie the cleere light of the holy Scriptures, and the wicked broode ofMelius esta scripturarum lectione homi­nines arcere quam ab Jdolothytorum cibis. Ciril. contra. Iul. l. 7. Iulian that Apostata, who ob­iected this as a crime and imputation to the Christians, be­cause they kept not men from reading of the Scriptures: as the Papists at their pleasures now adaies, tearme vsChambers in his epist to the Reader. Scripturists, andJdem in his epist. to the King. worthy Scripturians.

The voice of the shepheard and Bishop of our soules, is [Page 43] after another note, willing vs to search the Scriptures, 1. Pet. 2.25. Iohn 5.39. And so saith the Prophet Esay, to the Law, and to the testimonie, 8.20. And S. Peter commendeth such as take heed to the words of the Prophets, as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place, 2. c. 1. v. 19. By which the noble Iewes of Berea, made triall of S. Pauls doctrine, searching the Scrip­tures daily, whether those things were so, Act. 17.11. And in Theodorets time,He flourished about the yeere 433. Genebrard. it was so farre from being a sinne or re­proach, to be conuersant and skilfull in the Scriptures, or that any were forbid the reading of them, that contrari­wise,Sutores, sabri ferrarij, lanifi­ces, foeminae omnes, agrico­lae, fossores, bubulci, &c. de curandis Graecorum aff [...]ctibus, l. 5. Artificers, and those of the meaner sort, as Smiths, Weauers, Deechers, Heards-men, Coblers, with women of all sorts, Mistresses and maid-seruants, did know and vnderstand them, andDe diuina trinitate, re­rumque omniū creatione de­certantes, ib. dispute of high points and myste­ries of their saluation.

And therfore to conclude this point withHom. 9. in Collossen. Chrysostome his exhortation, Audite obsecro seculares omnes, &c. Heare (I beseech you) ye of the Laitie of all sorts; Comparate vobis Biblia animae pharmaca, &c. If as yet ye haue not, then get you the Bible, which is the very physicke of your soules, in which you may finde a cure for euery disease. As you are Christ his sheepe, so heare ye the voice of Christ, speaking vnto you in the holy Scriptures; thereforeAugust. de doctrina Chri­stiana. li. 2. c. 5. vt scriptura pervarias Jn­terprcium lin­guas lon [...]e la­téque diffusa innotesoeret Gentibus ad salutem, &c. translated into diuers tongues and languages, that they might be read and made knowen to men, for their saluation. Suffer not your selues to be robbed of these waters of comfort; neither digge vnto your selues the broken pits of vnwritten verities, which can hold no waters: and take this ofHom. 9. in Col. S. Chrysostome as a most grounded truth, that the cause of all euill and mis­chiefe is, quia Scripturae ignorantur; because men are ignorant in the Scriptures.

Thus much of the first instance, of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures, without traditions; whereby the Popish Doctors are conuinced to be the false Prophets, of which our Saui­our forewarned vs, in these words: Beware of false Pro­phets.

The second instance which I proposed, as the touch­stone to trie the false Prophets by, is the worshipping of other gods in stead of the true and liuing God, which is God almighty, blessed for euermore.

For so Moses (saith Ferus) describeth to vs the false Pro­phet, Deuteronom. c. 13. v. 1.2.3. &c. If there arise amongst you a Prophet, or a dreamer of dreames (and giue thee a signe or a wonder, and the signe or wonder, which he hath told thee, come to passe) saying, Let vs goe after other gods, which thou hast not knowen, and let vs serue them; thou shalt not hearken to the words of the Prophet, or vnto the dreamer of dreames, &c. From which testimonie of Moses, Ferus gathereth this true proposition, thatIn cap. 7. Mat [...]h. whosoeuer with-draweth vs from God the Creator, to the creature, falsus Propheta est, he doubtlesse is a false Prophet, and one of these Wolues cloathed vnder the sheepes weed.

Now by this note, the Popish Doctors are so manifestly descried, as nothing can be more plaine and euident.

For these haue made vnto themselues, their god-saints, and their god-saints reliques, their breaden-god, their Crucifix-god, their Image-gods, of gold, siluer, brasse, wood, stone, and I know not what all. They haue made the Saints not only their Mediators and Intercessors vnto God, but also ioine them with God, as their protectors and defenders. So (saithIn his Epi­stle to the king, prefixed before the miracles of our Lady of Mont-aigne. Chambers) our English in their battles call vpon S. George, the Scottish nation and the Burgun­dians, vpon S. Andrew, the French vpon S. Denice, the Spani­ards vpon S. Iames. Chambers, ibid. They flie vnto them in their maladies and diseases, for their particular helpes; as to S. Sebastian and S. Roch, to be preserued from the plague; to S. Hubert for the bi­ting of madde dogs, to S. Blasius for the paine and swelling of the throat, &c.Dicat vtrū Deus aliquan­do infir [...]ior fuerit, quam v [...] potuerit prae [...]sse eis, &c verum non dignatus est, inquit, hoc facere: at hoc esset crimen superbiae. Cyril. contra Julian. li. 4. As though God were not all-sufficient and able of himselfe, or at least wise not willing to defend and succour vs. They build and dedicate Temples and Altars in their honour, appoint their festiuall daies, and set formes of seruice; they burne incense before their Reliques and Images, [Page 45] light Tapers before them, goe on pilgrimage vnto them; they garni [...]h them with all manner offerings, of gold, siluer, iewels, and whatsoeuer else may serue to make them seeme glorious in the eies of foolish and superstitious men; they reuerence them with cap and knee, fall downe prostrate before them, make their praiers vnto them before their Images, yea to the Images them­selues. Thus, although their foreheads are not yet growen so whorish and impudent, as to call them in plaine termes, gods; yet in giuing to them thatSacra, sacer­dotia, templū, altaria, sacri­ficia, ceremo­niae, dies festi, & quicquid aliud ad eam seruitutem pertinet, quae Deo debetur, & Graecè pro­priè latria di­citur. Aug. de ciuit. Dei. li. 7. ca. 32. diuine and religious seruice and worship, which is proper to God only, they make them Gods, setting them vp in their Churches to bee adored and wor­shipped.

Time will not permit, neither is it my intent, to prose­cute all these seuerall sorts of Idolatrie, but to insist onely vpon that which of al others is the most blockish and foo­lish; namely, the worshipping of Images: of which, when I shall make it apparant that the Papists stand conuicted, ye may the more easily iudge of the rest of their idolatry.

First therefore, this is euinced by the second Comman­dement, Exod. 20. v. 4.5. Thou shalt make thee no grauen image, neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the water vnder the earth. Thou shalt not bow downe to them, neither serue them. In which Commandement, by the first clause, the making of an Image to represent God by, is forbidden; by the second, all manner kinde of religious worship, whereby superstitious men goe about to adore God, at, in, or before an image, any manner of way whatsoeuer. ThusLib. 7. Origen writing against Celsus, giueth the true sense of the Commandement, saying that Religion keepeth Iewes and Christians from worshipping of God, in Temples, Altars, Images; because the Law saith, There shall be no other gods vnto thee before my face; and, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, &c. Thou shalt not bow downe to them, nor worship them.

To this CommandementProhi [...]eri imaginem Dei factam ad ex­primendam perfectam similitudinem formae & na­turae ipsius. Si quis hac ratio­ne Deum pin­gere tentaret, is verum ido­lum constitu e­ret. De ima. Sanctor. l. 2 c. 8 Bellarmine saith, It might bee [Page 46] answered in a word, that it forbiddeth the making of Gods I­mage, thereby to expresse his nature; which whosoeuer should attempt; should erect a true idol, and so be guilty of the breach of this Commandement.

But this the Gentiles knew, especially the wiser sort a­mongst them, Hermes, Zenophon, Euripides, Plato, as the ancient Fathers of the Church,In protrepti­ad Gentes. Clemens Alexandrinus, Li. 8. Arnobius andLi. 1. contra Iulian. Cyril record; namely, that God in his na­ture was incomprehensible, and that it was impossible, incorpo­reum corpore significare, to signifie and represent him in a body, who himselfe had none. And therefore they made not their Images, by them to expresse their diuine nature; but only some effects of it; to which they suted their images, wor­shipping God and his vertues respectiuely in them, and not the images themselues; asIn 3. Aquin. quaes. 25. ar. 3. Caietane, andIn c. 17. Actor. Ferus, with others of their owne, obserue. So that if by this answer, the Papists can salue themselues from breach of the Comman­dement, the Gentiles in like manner may doe as much; who yet by the iudgement of S. Paul, are condemned of Idolatrie, because they turned the glory of the incorruptible God, to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of foure-footed beasts, and of creeping things. Rom. 1. verse 23.

This the Cardinall happily vnderstanding very well, leaueth his first answer, and flieth to a second; vnderstan­ding the Commandement to forbid the making and wor­shipping ofDe quibus­cunque simula­cris, quae ha­bentur pro dijs. Bell. de imag. Sanct. li. 2. c 8. such Images, which are reputed and taken for gods.

But this was already forbidden in the first Commande­ment; so that this answer of theirs confoundeth the Com­mandements, makingOporte [...] dice­re, illud non esse preceptum distinctum à primo, vt reuera dicunt Catechismi omnes Latini. Bell. de imag. Sanct. li. 2. c. 7. one of two, as the Papists doe in their Primars and Catechismes, that so men may not take notice of their idolatrie, when the Commandement is af­ter this manner as it were razed out.

But the Commandements are distinct: the first con­demning all false gods, Thou shalt haue no other Gods before [Page 47] me Exod. 20.3. The second all false worship, either in ma­king of Idols, by them to represent God, or in worshipping them with any maner of Religious seruice. Thou shalt make theen grauen Image, &c. thou shalt not bow down to them, nor Wor­ship th [...]m. Exod. 20. v. 4.5. For as God and his Worship are two distinct thinges, so the commandement concerning them, are two different precepts.

Thus the Iewes (who were most accurate in calculating the lawe, and euerie member and part thereof, vnderstood them to bee distinct, as appeareth out ofAntiquita. l. 3. c. 4. Iosephus andDecalogo. Philo: as also doeIn Synopsi. Athanasius andJn Exod. hō. 8. haec omnia simul nonnulli putant vnum esse mandatum quod si ita pu­tetur, non complebitur decem nume rus man­datorum, et vbi iam erit decalogi verita [...]? ib. Exod. 32.4. Origen; Origen ac­knowledging, that some tooke them but for one, but (saith he) if we doe so, the number of the ten commandements will not bee complete, and what then shall become of the truth of the decalog?

Furthermore it is worthy the enquiry, who these were, so sottish, that tooke images made by the worke of mans hands, for Gods, as Bellarmine saith? Surely they were not the Iewes, who worshipping the Golden Calfe, did not so­much as once imagin, that it was God, but by it, did repre­sent, & in it worship the true God Iehouah, which brought them out of the Land of Aegipt. Nor the Gentiles: for they asOrat. 12. Dion, Chrysostome, andSermon. 38 Tirius Maximus declare, pro­fessed, that in their Images made of Golde, siluer, brasse, Iuorie, &c. They did worship summum, primum, maximum deum, the cheefest, first, and greatest God; the Creator and pre­seruer of all things. As for the Christians, Origen acqui­teth them, as you haue alreadie heard. The Papists onely remaine; who heerein, especially the ignorant sort, are more blockish then the Gentiles; reputing the verie ima­ges of wood and stone (whome they adore) for God and his Saints

ThusDe Jnuentor rerum. l. 6. ca. 13. Polydore Virgill one of their owne, and therefore more like to couer their nakednes, then to lay open their shame, more then truth, vrged, reporteth of them, that they wereEo insanie deuentum est. &c. Ib. come to that height of madnes, that they wor­shipped [Page 48] Images made of wood, stone, brasse, or painted vppon the walles, and set foorth in diuers culloms;Non vi figu­ras, sed perin­de quasi ipsae sensum aliquē habeant, et iis magis fident quam Christo. ib. non vt figuras, not as figures or shapes, but as if they had some sense in them; yea (saith he) they put more trust and con­fidence in them, then in Christ himselfe.

Hee taxeth other their follies in their offerings and pil­grimages vnto them: but beeing too lauish of his tongue, the PopishIndex expur­gator. Belgic. in Polydor. censors haue taught him to bee more silent heereafter, and not to publish so vnnaturallie the spiritu­all fornications of his Mother the holy Church, razing & expunging out of him what I haue obserued, and much more.

Thus notwithstanding, whatsoeuer hath beene hitherto answered to the contrarie, the worship of Images, vsed in the Church of Rome, is Idolatrie, and condemned by the second commandement,2. King. 18.4 5 and therefore by no meanes, nor in any consideration whatsoeuer, lawfull.

Heereunto may bee added the example of that godly King Hezekiah, who when the people of Iudah worship­ped the Brazen Serpent,Numb. 21.8. and burnt incense vnto it, brake it in peeces, though before time it had beene erected at the commandement of God himselfe: leauing therby an example to Christian magistrates, what is to bee done with Images, erected onely by the will-worship and curiositie of superstitious men, when religious seruice is done vnto them.

Reuel 19.10.For if the Angell, when Saint Iohn fel downe to worship before his feete, corrected him, and forbad him, saying, See thou doe it not; adding not onely a reason thereof, for I am thy fellow Seruant; but also instructing him in the true seruice,Act. 10. ve. 25.26. worship thou God. And if Saint Peter when Cornelius fell down at his feete, and worshipped him, tooke him vp, saying: stand vp, for euen my selfe am a man: what may wee imagin they would haue saide, if they had found any so blockishlie and superstitiously addicted, as to haue wor­shipped their Images, which the Papists will not, (I sup­pose) [Page 49] make fellow Seruants with Gods Saints,Esa. 44.10, 19 as not bee­ing so good as mortal men; but such as the holy Prophets describe them, abhominations and profitable for nothing: Ier. 10.8. Habac. 2.18. The doctrine of vanitie, and teachers of lies: then which, the Frog and Mouse, the Moule and the Batre, and euerie creeping thing is better, because asJn protreptic. Clemens Alexādrinus saith, these haue life and sense; but images haue none; as the Psalmist describeth them, they haue eyes and see not, 115. v. 5.6. eares and heare not.

Last of all, will the Papists haue vs worship Images? let them produce some example out of holy Scripture for this practise; and wee will follow it: let them alleage some precept of God, some exhortation of the holy A­postles or Prophets, for our warrant, and we obey: which if they cannot doe (as hitherto they haue not, neither can doe, themselues with one voice confessing that this point of Doctrine is grounded vppon tradition wherein what force there is hath beene declared:) then wee saie with Saint Augustine in his Treatise De bono viduitatis, c. 1 or who soeuer he were that compiled that worke, Sancta scriptura doctrinae nostrae regulum figit, ne audeamus sapere plus quam oportet, Rom. 12.3. the holy Scripture pitcheth the rule of our Doctrine in such sort, that wee presume not to vnder­stand aboue that which is meete to vnderstand, as the A­postle teacheth, not daring in matters of Religion and Gods seruice, to turne aside from the holy Scripture so much as one step, either to the right hand or to the left.

How much lesse then to the worshipping of Images, for­bid by God himself, & condemned by all the ancient Fa­thers or the Church, when she was moste pure and in her prime?l. [...] cont. Cel­sum. impossibi­le est vt quideū norit, supplex fiat statuis. Origen saith that it cannot be, that a man should know God, and worship Images. AndNon est dubi­um quin reli­gio nulla sit, v­bicun (que) simula­chrum est. l. 2 cap. 18. Lactantius putteth it out of al doubt, that there is no Religion where an Image is erected to bee worshipped. ThereforeNobis nullū est simula­chrū in mundo quoniam in re­bus genitis, nihil potest dei re­ferre imaginē lib 6. Strōma 1. Clemens Alexandrinus teacheth, that men are to learne from the Apostle, that they haue no Image in the world, because amongst the Creatures [Page 50] there is nothing that can resemble the image of God. S. Regem ado­rauit non lig [...]u vt (que) quia hic g [...] [...] est er [...]ur, et [...]an [...]t [...] impio [...]um, sed [...]d [...]raun illum qu [...] pepe [...]dum in igno. De [...]bi [...]u T [...]eodosii. Ambro e yet more directly to the purpose, speaking of Helen, who by the title found out the Crosse wheron our Sauiour was crucified: she worshipped (saith he) the King not the wood at all, b [...]cause this is the error of the Gentiles, and the vanitie of wicked men; but shee worshipped him, who hung on the Tree, that is Christ the Lord: WhereofCultores d [...]i imaginem ado rare nō dehēt, In [...]a. 3. Dani­el. Hierom giueth the reason, be­cause such as are worshippers of God, ought not to Wor­shippe an Image. So likewise SaintNoui multos esse sepulchro­rum et pictu­carum adorato res, quos Eccle­sia condemna­uit, et quos quotidie tāquā malos filios cor rigere studet, de moribus ecclesiae cathol. c. 34. Augustine, I knowe (saith he) that there are many Worshippers of Sepulchers and pictures, &c. whose maners the Church condemneth, and which she indeuoureth to correct and amend daily, as being euill Sonnes; which was the labour and diligence of Church of Rome, in the time ofQuia eas a­dorari ve [...]uisses ō [...]ino laudaui mus. Ep. l 9. Ep. 9 et l. 7. ep. 109. Gregory the great, as appeareth by his Epistle to Serenus, in which hee teacheth expreslie, that Images are not to bee worshipped. And this was the current Doctrine of the Church, for the space of 600. yeares after Christ.

The greater is the vntruth which CardinallImagines su­um honorem in ecclesia semper habuerunt, de imag. li. 2 c. 12 Bellarmine setteth abroach, affirming that Im [...]ges haue alwaies had due honor in the Church. For vntill the secondwhich was in the yeare 788. Center. Magdebur. Cent. 8. c. 9. pa. 589. Nicene councel a [...]sembled by the superstitious Empresse Eirene, the ho­nouring and worshipping of images was neuer publikelie established: and then beeing authorized, it was eft-soones disanulled by a councell held atAnno. 794. cent. Magd. ib. pa. 626. Frāk-ford, vnder Charles the Great, which defined out of Gods word, that the Wor­shipping of images was vnlawful; pronoūcing against that of Neece, that it was Pseudo synodus a false Synod or Coun­cell, and therefore no credit to bee giuen to it. Since which time, many haue risen amongst themselues, in the verie height of Poperie, which haue gainesaid it.

Spiritus. S. aggredi­tur reprobare idololatras, qui colunt imagines & artificiales figuras. lectio. 158 Holcot in his Lectures vpon the book of Wisdome saith, that the spirit of God reprooueth Idolaters, that worship images and artificiall figures: condemning the determination [Page 51] of Thomas 3. sentent. distinct. Idem honor debetur ima­gini, & illi cuius est imago. ib. 4 that the same honour is due to the image, which is due to him whose image it is. And soImagines non adoramus nec deos appel­lamus, necsoem salu [...]is ineis porimus, quia hoc ess t idolo­latr [...]ae Rational li. 1 c. 3. Durādus, We do not, saith hee, adore images, nor call them Gods nor put our hope in them, because this were to commit Ido­latrie. Ad adoran­dum et colen­dum prohiben­tur imagines, fieri. in Exposit 1. precepti Gerson in like manner, Images are forbidden to bee made to be adored and worshipped either inwardly by the affecti­on of the minde, or outwardly in the body, by bowing before them, or bending the knee vnto them. Who further aduisethIudicate si tantae imaginū & picturarum in ecclesiis varietas expediat & an populos simplices non­nunquam ad idololatriam peruertat De clara [...] defectu­um [...]iror Ecclesiastic. dec 67. the Clergie of his times, to consider whether such varietie of I­mages & pictures in the church, be profitable or not, & whether they do not sometime peruert the simple people to Idolatry. That which Gerson proposeth by way of questiō.Vt fac [...]lius, ita tutius quo­que est, omnes imagines ê templis summouere, quam impetrare, vt nec modus praetereatur, nec admisceatur superstitio Jn symbolo. Eras. a man of exquisite learning, after diligent enquirie made, deliuereth in plain words after this maner: that as it is more easiy, so it is also more saf, to remoue al images out of churches, thē to obtain, that either a mean be kept in their worship, or that superstatiō be not mingled with al. To these J might ad, their bishopsHaec non proprie dícuntur, neque secundum verita [...]em, iuxta com­munē acceptionē vocabulorum, scil cet quod imago, vt imago, avt vt excreas officiū imaginis, quod est representare Christum aut deum, sit adoranda adoratione l [...]tríae. De tultu imaginum Cat­harinis, &Nos nihil numinu tribuimus imagini, neque ei diuinos honores domus. De traditionibus pa. 3. fol. 222 de cul [...]u imag li. 2. c. 23. Peresius, both of them denying that Images are to be worshipped with diuine worship: ye, Bellarmine him­selfe, howsoeuer he maintaine the Doctrine which now is moste current in the Church of Rome, that ^c the images of Christ and the Crucifix, are to be worshipped with Latria, that is, Diuine Worship; by his distinction of improprie & per acci­dens, improperly: (by which distinction,Quaelibetres posset a dorari per accidens vbi supra. euerie thing might be worshipped with latria and diuine Worship, saith Ca­therine, so foolish is this distinction in his iudgement) yet as though his conscience checked him, heQuantumad modum loq [...]endi, [...]raesertim in concione ad populum, non est dicendum imagi­nes vllas adorari deberelatria, sed é cōtrario, nō debere sic adorari Deculto, &c. imag. l. 2. c. 2. thinketh it no sound kinde of speech, for the preacher to vse in the pul­pit; and rather the contrarie: that no images are to bee [Page 52] worshipped with diuine worship. A wholesome peece of Doctrine ye may suppose, which dareth not abide the light; yet heerein hee said not so much, as Durandus did before him, who acknowledging the position of the Pa­pists to bee false, that the same reuerence is to bee giuen to the image, that is giuen to the thing signified thereby: yet saith he,Apud Chem­nicium in examin. concil. Tridentin par. 4. pag. 46. loquendum vt vulgus, we must speake and say as the manie doe.

Thus yee see the Popish Doctors, likeIudg. c. 7. v. 22. the Midia­nites, sheathing their swords euerie man in his neighbours bowels.

Onely Gregorie of Valentia more audacious, that I say not, more impudent then the rest, not being able to purge himselfe and his Church, from this sinne of Idolatrie, in­deuoureth to prooue thatIllud co [...]ten­donon om dem imaginum ve­nerationem esse prohibitam de idol. l. 2. c. 7 all Worshipping of images is not forbidden, that is, that some Idolatrie is lawfull, because Saint Peter writeth. 1.4.3. It is sufficient for vs, that we h [...]ue spent the time past of the life, after the lust of the Gentiles, wal­king in wātonnes lusts drūkennes in glutronie, drinkings, et illi­citis Idolorū cultibus, & in vnlawfull worshipping of Images, as he readeth after the vulgar, for that whichErasmus, Ar­rias Monta others of his own verie learned, translate, nefarijs Idolorum cultibus: ab­hominable worshipping of images. Frō which words this great IesuiteNeque absur­de profecto putaueris. b. Petruminsiau­asse cul [...]um ali­quem simula­crorum nempe sacrarum ima­ginum rectum esse, cum fideles no­minatim, ab illi [...]tis idolo­rum cultibus, deterrere vo­luit. Quid enim at­tineba [...], i [...]a de­terminatè cul­tus s [...]mulachro­rum illicitos notare, si omni­no null [...]s simu lachrorum cul­tus licitos esse censuisset. de idol. l. c. 7. maketh this collection: that a man may thinke without absurditie, that Saint Peter gaue vs to vnderstand that some worship of Idols, namely of holy Images, was right, when he wold deterr the faithfull by name, from the vnlawfull worshipping of Images; for else what needed he to haue noted so distinctly, the vnlawfull worshipping of Images and Idols; if hee had thought that no kinde of worship had beene lawfull? which manner of reasoning if it bee sound, then may some sinnes be said to bee godly, (which is, to speake good of euill, for which there is a woe stored vp. Esa. 5.20.) because Saint Iude calleth sinners wicked. v. 15. which he needed not to haue done so distinctly; if some sinners were not godly. And Shechem, or any wātō fornicator, or adulterer, may as wel maintain [Page 53] his filthie lust; because it is said of the defiling of Dinah, Gen. 34.7. that it was, res illicita, an vnlawfull thing, which the spirit of God needed not to haue noted so distinctly, if hee had thought, that no deflowring of virgins had been lawfull. And in thatFox Acts & Monum. pag. 957. & 1024. great controuersie which busied the heads of all the learned, in the famous Vniuersities of Europe, I meane the cause of diuorce betweene Henrie the 8. of fa­mous memorie, and the Lady Catherin Princesse Dowagar, sometimes wife to his brother Prince Arthur; the Aduo­cates on the Ladies part might haue argued strongly out of the Scriptures (after Valentia his manner) for the law­fulnesse of the marriage, because it is said, Leuitic. c. 20. v. 21. The man that taketh his brothers wife, committeth an vnlawfull thing, rem facit illicitam. For if some marriage of a man with his brothers wife were not lawfull, what needed Moses at the Commandement of God to haue noted so distinctly, the vnlawfull marriage of the brothers wife?

Ignorant man, shall I say, or malitiously blinde, that ei­ther knoweth not, or dissembleth that which boies in the Schooles learne in their first rudiments, that Epithets are vsed, not so much for distinction sake, as by way of am­plification and exaggeration: and yet, as though the for­mer of distinction were only in vse. So the Iesuite peruer­teth the place of S. Peter, who vsed the Epithet of abomina­ble or vnlawfull, when he said, abominable idolatrie, exag­gerating the heinousnesse of the offense, because idolatrie is the greatest and most heinous of all sinnes, as himselfeDe Idololat. li. 1. ca. 2. elswhere truly prooueth out of the holy Scriptures.

Thus by the verdit of Gods word, and testimonies of the ancient Fathers, the Papists stand conuicted of idolatrie; thereby shewing themselues to be the off-spring of these old Heretikes, theEuseb. histor. Eccl. l 2. c. 13. Simonians, theJ [...]nae. li. 1. ca. 24. Gnostiques, theEpiphan hae­res. 27. & 79. Colli­ridians; and to be those false Prophets, and rauening Wolues, clad in sheepes-cloathing, of which our Sauiour heere gi­ueth warning, Beware of false Prophets. And so I come to the third instance, which is their Miracles, alleged com­monly [Page 54] as an argument; as for other points of their do­ctrine, so for the worshipping of Images. The confuta­tion of the one will be the ouerthrow of the other.

Now concerning these false Prophets, wee haue our Sa­uiours prediction, Matth. 24.24. There shall arise false Christ, and false Prophets, and shall shew great signes and won­ders, so that if it were possible, they should deceiue the very elect.

As then our Sauiour teacheth vs by the parable of the figge-tree,Matth. 24.32. when her bough is tender, and it bringeth foorth leaues, wee know that Summer is neere; so likewise when wee see and heare the signes and wonders whereby the Church of Rome laboureth to commend vnto vs many her nouell and superstitious doctrines, and amongst them the wor­shipping of Images, wee may by them take perfect notice of the comming of Antichrist, which the holy Apostle fore­told should be,2. Thess. 2.9.10. by the working of Satan, with all powers, and signes, and lying wonders, and in all deceiueablenesse of vn­righteousnesse: which in these latter ages of the doting world we haue seene accomplished in the false Prophets of the Ro­mish Synagogue.

For amongst them, their images, for example sake, haue beene seene,Concil. Ni­cen. secund. [...]ction. 4. to sweat, to weepe, to laugh, to distill drops of dew, with which, diseases haue beene cured, to shift them­selues from place to place, yeaPreuiarium Rom. in festo S. Thom A­quin. to speake also; thereby to conuince the Prophet Dauid of falshood, who saith of them, They haue mouthes, and speake not, Psalme. 115. verse 5.

TheAction. 4. Fathers of the second Nicene Councell are fre­quent in this argument, reporting that a woman sicke of the palsie, praving before the image of S. Anastasius, rose vp whole and sound. Another possessed with a foule spi­rit, brought before the same Saints image at Rome, was so cured. And that a man molested with the diuell, was by him told, that if he would not haue him struggle and wre­stle with him, he must beware that he worshipped no more the image of the Virgin, bearing Christ in her armes, as [Page 55] she is vsually painted. WhereuponCarol. mag­nus de imagi­nibus. l. 3. c. 31. Abbot Theodorus in­ferred, that a man were better frequent all brodell houses, then to omit the worship of that image.

Examples of this sort are infinite, it being an endlesse tra­uell to recite the only bare names (asIn his Epi­stle to the king, prefixed before the miracles of our Lady of Mont-aigue. Robert Chambers a fugitiue Priest saith) of those who haue laudably, as he suppo­seth, imploted their labours heerein. And therefore, omit­ting others, I commend only to your consideration that pamphlet translated our of French, by him, into our mo­ther tongue, of the Miracles lately wrought before the I­mage of our Lady of Mont-aigue, in the Low Countries, and dedicated not long since to the Kings Maiesty. These in his Epistle dedicatorie, he auoucheth to be semblable to those diuine operations whereby the Sauiour of the world did manifest his godhead to the world. For (saith he, turning his speech to the King) heere your Grace may behold, how the blinde see, the deafe h [...]are, the lame walke, the Diuels are ex­pelled, the Leapers are cleansed, and many other painfull, de­formed, and desperate maladies are cured.

Indeed our Sauiour said little more, when hee would shew to Iohn Baptist, his two Disciples, that hee was that Christ, foretold by the Prophets, to come into the world, for the redemption of mankinde.Matt. 11.45.6 Goe (saith he) and shew Iohn what things yee haue heard and seene; the blinde receiue sight, and the halt goe▪ the leapers are cleansed, and the deafe heare the dead are raised vp, and the poore receiue the Gospell. And blessed is he that shall not be offended in me.

The greater is the blasphemie of this Popish Priest, to ascribe that to a wodden image, which was the handy worke of Christ, God and man, the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world: yet what he briefly repeateth in his Epistle, is to be read at large in the historie of these miracles; in which hee is so confident, that he saith, It cannot be imagined that his royall wisdome would passe them ouer, as though his Grace had no apprehension of them. Yet to make his imagination the more sure and strong, hee gathereth together the reasons [Page 56] and arguments which his great Masters allege for proofe of the miracles wrought in the Romish Church.

Epistle dedic.And first (saith he) where miracles are seene to fauour the persons or things that appertaine to their congregation; who can denie, but that God is well pleased with them, and well al­loweth of their rites, faith, and profession?

Will he know who can denie this? I will not now answer him with the authoritie of the ancient Fathers, of whom I shall speake heereafter; neither of all the reformed Chur­ches in Christendome, which happily in his eies are but deformed. His fellow Priest,In his an­swer to Sutt­l [...]ffe his appē ­dix, fol. 179. Matthew Kellison, in effect denieth it, acknowledging that Simon Magus, Montanus, Maximilla, and the Gnostique Heretikes, deceiued many by their illusions, and that Antichrist at his comming shall seduce many moe. As much doth Cardinall Bellarmine, reciting out of Valerius Maximus, and M. Ciero, miracles wrought by the Pagans, as that a Vestale Virgin drew water in a siue; that a Southsaier cut a whetstone with a rasor. Which ifDe notis Ec­cles. 4. c. 14. Bel­larmine set light by, as though they were, as hee calleth them, leuia, light, and of small account, yet those which are recounted by the same Valerius, Tit. de mira­culis. li. 1. ca. 8. may not bee so answered.

As namely, where the image of fortune is reported to haue said to the Matrons and Ladies of Rome, Ritè me Ma­tronae vidistis, ritéque coluistis: Ladies and Matrons, yee did rightly see mee, and as well consecrate me. For as vnlikely a Miracle as this is chronicled in their reformed Roman Bre­uiarie, of theInfesto S. Thom. Aquin. Image of the Crucifix; before which, Thomas of Aquine praying, he heard a voice (theAntonin. his. par. 3. [...]it. 23. c. 7. Crucifix spake it) Be [...]e scripfistide me, Thoma: Thomas, thou hast written well of me. Which is true, if that bee true which hee wrote, that theTom 3. quaes. 25. artic. 3.0. image of the Crucifix was to be worshipped with latria, such worship as wee giue to God: for thereby hee maketh the Crucifix a God; which is well, I trow, for the Crucifix.

Will any man thinke, that hath eies in his head, that [Page 57] both these miracles came not out of one shop, from one and the selfe same forge?

The same Valerius reporteth, that the Chapell of the Salij being burned, nothing was found in itPraeter lituum Romuli. ib. besides Romulus his deuming staffe. The like is recorded amongst the miracles wrought by our Lady of Mont-aigue, thatPa. 278. cer­taine Heretikes ransacking her Chapell, and burning the foormes and seats, and other things of wood within it, yet the Chapell tooke no fire, although they laboured to burn it also.

Besides these reported by Valerius Maximus, what shall be said of that whichJn his life. Suetonius writeth of Vespasian, that he restored sight to a blinde man by spitting into his eies, and healed another of a lame leg or thigh, by touching of him with his heele? as also of that which Aelias Ib. Spartia­nus recordeth of Adrian, that hee restored one to sight, that was borne blinde: of that which Iulius Jb. Capitolinus reporteth of Antoninus, surnamed the Phi­losopher, who by his praiers procured lightning from heauen, to set his enemies engines on fire, and rain for his armie, when they fainted with thirst? of that whichLib. 4. c. 12. Philo­stratus hath cōmitted to writing of Hercules & Apollonius Tyanaeus, that they raised vp the dead to life. These and such like, Bellarmine must not blow away with his breath, terming them light; for greater miracles then these, are not recorded in the moste lying and fabulous legends of Saint Francisco, Saint Dominick, Saint Antonie of Padua, of Franciscus Xauerius out of the Indies; or out of the Low-countries of the Image of our Lady of Mount-aigue.

If Chambers his reason bee good, it followeth, that God was well pleased with these Pagans, and allowed of their rites, faith and profession, because miracles fauoured their persons, and then let the Papistes see what will become of their Church, whichBellar. de notis Ecclesiae. l. 4. c. 14. they say, is knowne by her Miracles; when the Pagans miracles are as glorious as theirs, what distincti­ons can the working of miracles make? TheyArte daemonis opera diaboli. Bel. vbi supra. And Chamb­in his Epist. will say, [Page 58] that these miracles and cures wrought by the Pagans, were no true miracles, but were done by the aide and assistance of the Deuill; bee it so, and what hindreth, why wee may not answer in like maner, (as Bellarmine doth) of the cures wrought at the image of our Lady of Mount-aigu, if any were wrought, and such like? thatDiabolus in­fi [...]ens, in ocu­ [...] vnius, et al [...]e [...]s tibia, imped [...]chal vsum e­orum membro, rum, id (que) eo fi­ne, [...]t videre­tursanare, cū de sineret noce­re. Bel. ib, the Deuill being in the eye of one, in the leg of an other, and so in the rest, which are re­ported to haue beene cured, hindred the vse of those mem­bers to the end that our Ladie (to speake with the Papists) might seeme to cure them, when the Deuill did desist and leaue off to hurt and hinder them.

But miracles (saith Chambers) are works that surpasse the power of any creature, and therefore where God vouchsafeth to worke any miracle in the defence or honour of any person or any point belonging to any religion or beleefe, In his Epist. such a miracle is, as it were, his verie word.

I answer, if we take miracles in a strict sense, for such works as are done against nature, as to stay the course of the sun in the firmament, to ra [...]e downe Manna from heauen, &c. So, the holy Angels themselues, as by themselues, can worke no mira­cles; much lesse the Deuill or any his instruments, Anti­christ or false Prophets whatsoeuer; neither are they such that are wrought before the Image of Mont-aigu: but if we will speake as Saint Augustine doth, and call that a miracle,miraculum voco, quicquid a [...]d [...] aut in­solit [...]m supra spem aut facultatem miran­tis apparet. de vtil. credendi c. 16. which beeing hard or not vsual, appeareth to be doone be­yond the hope and abilitie of men that wonder at it; as it is commonly taken, sueh miracles the deuils can work, and false Prophets and sorcerers by his assistances, and not onelye the holy Angels. But these are no way to bee compared with the authoritie of Gods word, in as much as true mira­cles themselues, without their dependence & congruitie with the Scriptures, cannot now adaies giue any credit or authority to any point of Doctrine or Religion. And therefore S.Ecclesiam suam d [...]mostr­ent si possint, nō in sermonibus &c. no in signis et pr [...]dig [...]s fal l [...]cibus &c. sed in prescripto legis, in Pro­phaetarum pre­dictis &c. hoc est in omnibus canonicis san­ctorum librorū authoritatibus. de vnitat. Eccles, c. 16. Augustine hauing to deale with the Donatists, in the que­stion of the Church, prouoketh and calleth them from their signes and wonders, to the praescript of Gods word; [Page 59] which is the touch-stone of all miracles, asIn c. 24. Mat. fol. 542. as Ferus rightly obserueth from the testimonie of Moses and our Saui­our: vpon which, hee groundeth this true conclusion: Doctrina non ex miraculis, sed miracula ex doctrina probanda sunt; that doctrine must not haue his proofe from miracles, but miracles from the truth of doctrine: howsoeuerIn his epistle dedicat. Chambers most vntruly, if not blasphemously, auerreth, that miracles are more euident proofes of a true Religion, then are the Scrip­tures.

Jbid. But God (saith hee) being truth it selfe, cannot by his om­nipotencie giue his testimonie to any error or falshood: aend be­ing very goodnesse it selfe, it is impossible that hee will permit vs to be seduced by any his extraordinarie supernaturall operations, &c. Which as I willingly acknowledge to be true, in the elect; so I further adde, that God permitteth Satan and his members sometime to worke miracles, not to the end that he would thereby giue credit and authoritie to their false doctrine and haeresies: but asIn c. 24. Matht. Ferus andPromp. nor. pars aestiual. dominica 24. post Pentecost. Stapleton his Doctors obserue, and that truly, ad probationem bono­rum, excaecationem vero malorum; for the proofe and triall of the good his chosen, and excaecation of the wicked and repro­bate: According heerein with Moses, Deut. 13.1.2.3. The Lord your God prooueth you, to know whether yee loue the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soule.

But miracles haue beene alwaies in the Church, from her first infancie, and so haue continued from age to age, euen to our times, as Li. 4. de Ec­cles. c. 14. Bellarmine obserueth, which toIn his Epist. dedicatorie. Chambers seemeth an argument vnanswerable.

We answer, not as he vainly conceiueth, that all such hi­stories are fictions; neither, by bare and incredulous denials, as he would make vs, but we distinguish the times, acknow­ledging that in the primatiue Church, miracles were truly wrought; the exigence of the times so requiring, when the doctrine of the Gospell was strange, new, and incredi­ble to the naturall man; and, as S. Paul saith,1. Cor. 1.23. to the Iewes a stumbling blocke, and to the Graecians foolishnesse: which gift [Page 60] continued in the Church vntill both Iewes and Gentiles were generally gathered to Christ his flocke. And yet, what small force there was in miracles, euen in those times of them­selues, to bring men to the truth, when God with-held the inward operation of his holy Spirit, by the efficacie of the word preached, is manifest by some vnbeleeuing Iewes, who ascribed the miracles wrought by our Sauiour him­selfe,Matth. c. 9. v. 34. &c. 12. v. 24. to the power of Beelzebub the prince of the Diuels.

As for the miracles of the latter ages, wee answer withDe vnitate Eccles. c. 16. S. Augustine, Aut non sunt vera either they are not true, such as are many the Legendarie Fables, and the miracles wrought amongst the Indians, by Franciscus Xauerius, and others of that crew, as theBellar. de no­tis Eccles. li. 4. c. 14. Iesuites report: Aut si haeretico­rum aliqua mira facta sunt, or some of them are true, as Haere­tikes and Impostors in all ages haue wrought some, and still doe by the assistance of Satan; and then we are to be the more wary of them, asDe vnitat. Eccles c. 16. S. Augustine teacheth vs, as beeing wrought by the permission of God, for the triall of his children, and further obdurance of the wicked.

And that we make no more reckoning of their miracles, they must not take it amisse at our hands: the wiser and better learned amongst them haue taught vs to doe so, if wee knew it not before.Aliquando fit in Ecclesia maxima de­ceptio populi, in miraculis fictis à sacer­dotibus, &c. Gloss. in c. 14. Daniel. Lyranus acknowledgeth, that the people are sometimes much deceiued in the Church by mira­cles made by Priests and their consorts, for worldly gaine. And for the Writers of the Legends of their Saints, which are full fraught with them,De vanitate scientiarum, ca. 97. Pietatis loco ducunt, men dacia pro reli­gi ne fingere De traden disciplinis, li 5. Cornelius Agrippa giueth this te­stimonie of them, that they doe miracala fabricare, and confingere terribiles fabulas, make miracles after their owne deuices, and faine terrible fables. Ludouicus Viues saith, that they hold it for a point of godlinesse, to coine lies in defense and maintenance of Religion. And2. Tim. 4. d [...]gress. 21. Claudius Espencaeus, that no stable is so full of dung, as the Legends are of fables; and that very fictions are contained in their Portesses. SoApparat. sac. tit. Apochry. Posseuine the Iesuite, the Criticke of our age, confesseth, that many histories of the Saints liues are so written, vt haereticis subsan­nandi, [Page 61] cordatis dubitandi, pijs lachrymandi occasionem praebe­ant; that they giue occasion to Heretikes (it is the liuery which the Iesuite bestoweth vpon vs) to laugh in their sleeues; to men of courage and iudgement, to suspect them; to deuout and godly men, occasion to weepe and lament them. But of all o­thers, their Bishop Canus setteth them foorth in their colours. First he saith that the Historiographers amongst the Gentiles, Laertius, Suetonius, and such like, Longè incor­ruptius & in­tegrius, &c. Loc. Theolog. l. 11. c. 6. fol 333 wrote the liues of their Philosophers and Emperors, with much more in­tegritie and sinceritie then their Catholikes had wrote the liues of their Martyrs, Virgins, and Confessors: whichDolenter hoc dico, potius quàm contu­meliosè, ib. hee vtte­red not by way of reproach, but from the very griefe of his heart. He saith further, that whil'st they follow their fond affections too much, they make vs Tales diuos quandoque nobis exhibent, quales diui ipsi et si possent, esse tamen noluis­sent, ib. such Saints sometimes, as the Saints themselues, if they might, would by no meanes bee such in very deed. Of which sort, the examples are so many, that they cannot be numbred for multitude. He addeth further thatOlent aut quaestuosorum hominum im­posturam, aut quod Gelasius ipse ait, haere­ticorum foetū. ib. they sauour eith [...]r of the imposture and deceit of couetous men; or, as Pope Gelasius saith, of the vntimely fruit of Here­tikes, res diuorum praeclare gestas non se putant egregiè exposi­turos, nisi eas fictis & reue­lationibus & miraculis ad­ornarint, ib. who thinke they cannot declare the noble deeds of Saints excellently well, vnlesse they garnish them with fained, both re­uelations and miracles. His censure of the golden Legend is this, that a man may oftner read in it miraculorum monstra, monstrous miracles, rather then true: branding the Compiler of it with that marke whichSueton in vi­ta Neronis. Licinius Crassus set first vpon Domitius, thatHanc homo scripsit ferreioris, plumbei cordis, animiceriè parum seueri & prudentis, Canus [...]b. he was a man of an iron face, and a leaden heart, and a minde neither seuere nor wise. To Diuines hee giueth this holesome admonition; that they doe not forth­with perswade themselues, that all things are absolutely perfect, Quae magni authores scripserint. nam & labuntur aliquando, & indulgent ingeni­orum suorum voluptati, vulgoque, ib. which great Authors haue written, because they slide some­times, and follow their owne wits will, and yeeld too much to the common people. In this ranke he placeth his Pope Gre­gorie, and our Venerable Bede; the one in his dialogue, the [Page 62] other in his English historie, inserting such miracles, as were vsually inMiracula scribunt vulgo iactata & cre­dita, quae huius praesertim se­culi Aristarchi incerta esse censebunt. Ib. euery mans mouth, and commonly be­leeued: which the rigid Censors of this age, would iudge and repute for no better then vncertaine. And speaking of Vincentius and Antonine, he saith thatƲterque non tam dedit ope­ram, vt res veras certas (que) describeret, quam ne nihil omnino praete­riret, quod scriptum in schedulis qui­buslibet repe­riretur. Jb. they both ende­uoured, not so much to describe matters true and certaine, as that they might not omit ought that they found written in euery scrole and cast peece of paper.

Now if the case thus standeth, as the learned Papists themselues deliuer, not onely with the Legendaries, with Vincentius, and Antonine; but also with S. Bede and Pope Gregorie, yea with holy men and very great; that they haue after this manner stuffed the historie of their Saints, with such prodigious and monstrous false miracles; is it not a wonder to behold this punie Priest Chambers, after the iudgement and censure of so many learned reputed amongst them, so boldly to insult, and beare himselfe vpon the miracles, collected out of their Chronicles and Legends,In his epist. dedic. as though no men were able reasonably to make an­swer to this historicall demonstration, gathered before to his hand, by his greatBell. de notis Eccl. l. 4. c. 14. Master Bellarmine?

Yet will not this true answer of S. Augustines giue him satisfaction, vnlesse we be able, by some ancient and In his epist. dedic. authen­ticall Chronicles, Records, Doctors, or learned Writers, to note the time when God with-drew his powerable hand from these kindes of supernaturall workes, or that euer they should end so long as his Church should last.

Heere then let Chambers heare the record of S. Augu­stine, whom hee calleth (and that worthily) the renowned and famous Champion of Gods Church; who to some deman­ding of curiositie, why those miracles were not wrought now a­daies, which were done in the times of our Sauiour and his Apo­stles? I might (saith he) answer Possem dicere necessaria fu­isse priusquam crederet mun­dus, ad hoc vt crederet mun­dus. De ciuit. Dei, li. 22 c. 8. that miracles were needfull before the world beleeued, that so by them, the world might be­leeue. But hee that still requireth miracles, to make him be­leeue, magnum est ipse prodigium, qui mundo credente, non cre­dit; [Page 63] himselfe is a great wonder and miracle, who beleeueth not now that the world is brought to faith and beleefe. Of which assertion of his, concerning the ceasing of miracles, after that the world was brought to the faith of Christ,Nunc signo­rum petitio tentatio est. hom. 23. in Euangel. Iohan hee gi­ueth many reasons in other his Treatises. As in his booke de vera Religione, c. 25. this amongst others, ne animus semper visibilia quaereret, that the minde of man should not still seeke after things visible, Et eorū consu­etudine riges­ceret genus hu­manu, quorū nouitate flagrauit and mankinde wax cold through the daily vse of miracles, with the noueltie whereof it burned with zeale at the first. And de vtilitate credendi, c. 16. quia non mouerent nisi mira essent, at si solita essent, miranon essent: be­cause miracles would not mooue men, vnlesse they were wonder­full, and wonderfull they would not be, if they were vsuall.

With Saint Augustine accordeth Chrysostome, affirming that the asking of Miracles now adaies, is a tempting of God. And to the question that some then made, as the Papists do now, why are not miracles wrought as in former ages? hee returneth this answer,Si fidelis es vt oportet, si Christum dili­gis vt diligédus est, non indiges signis, signa e­nim incredulis dantur. ib If thou bee faithfull as thou oughtest to be, if thou loue Christ as thou oughtest to doe, thou needest not signes and miracles; for these saith he, are for vnbe­leeuers.

So theNunc signorū operatio ōnino laeuata est, ma­gis autē et apud eos inuenitur, qui falsi sunt Christiani, fie­ri facta. ho. 49. author of the vnperfect worke vpon Saint Ma­thew his Gospel, the working of signes and miracles is now cea­sed and at an end, and it is found to be done rather amongst them qui falsi Christiani sunt, who are false Christians: let the Pa­pists if there be any heere present, mark the euidence that this author giueth.

In these steps of S. August. & Chrysostome, treadeth their Pope Greg. Miracles (saith he)Signa neces­ria in exordi [...] Ecclesiae fue­runt. Vt enim ad fidem cres­ceret multitudo credentium, miraculis fuerat nutriēda, &c. hom. 29. in E­uangel. were needful in the church in the beginning thereof, when faith was to bee nourished by them; as men doe water plants which are newly set vntill they haue taken roote; which being done, the watering ceaseth; and so say I doe miracles in the Church. So likewise our EnglishNumquid quia ista signa non facimus, minime credi­mus? sed haec necessaria in exordio Eccle­siae fuerunt. l. 4 in Mar. c. 16. Bede, what saith he? Doe we not beleeue, because wee worke not these signes and miracles? but these were needeful in the beginning of the Church. And ^b Isidor Hispalensis: The [Page 64] reason why the Church worketh not the same miracles which were done in the times of the Apostles is, Quod nunc Ecclesia non ea miracula faciat, quae sub Apostolis faci­ebat, ca causa est, quia tunc oportebat mundam miraculis credere, nunc vero iam cre­dentem, oportet bonis operibus coruscare, de summo bono. l. 1, cap. 27. because the world was then to be brought to faith by miracles; but now beleeuing, it must shine with good workes. And againe,Iam in fide miracula qui­cun (que) requirit, vanam gloriā vt laudetur, quaerit. ib He that now requi­reth miracles when faith is planted, seeketh after vaine glorie, that hee may be praised: he proceedeth further, & auouch­eth in plaine tearmes, thatAntequam Antichristus appareat, vir­tutes ab eccle­sia et signa cessabunt, vt per hoc sanctorum clareat patien­tia, et reprobo­rum qui scan­dalizabuntur leuitas ostente­tur, et persequē tíum audacia ferocior effici­atur, ib. miracles shall cease in the Church before the comming of Antichrist, whereof he al­leageth these reasons; that by this the patience of Saints may bee famous; and the leuitie of the reprobat, which are offended, may bee shewed; and the boldnes of persecu­tors may bee made the more fierce.

To this graue testimony of the ancient Fathers, I will add the witnes of some of his owne writers, that the negligēt stupiditie of this Popish Priest may be seene of all men more apparantly. Amongst them, Catharinus in his dis­course of the worshipping of Images, hath this saying in the end of his treatise,Non dico vt inde (a cultu imaginū) expectent oracula & signa, quae rara sunt, neque curio­sis conceduntur, nec expediret imperfectus ea dari, perfectis autem minime necesse est. &c. Men should not looke for Oracles and Miracles from the worship of images, which (saith hee) are rare, and not granted to curious persons; neither is it expedient that they should bee giuen to men that are imperfect; and as for such as are perfect they neede them not. Stella saith, that Miracula potius nūc dānum nobis offerrent, quā commoda. Puer enim quando ambulare incipit, adiunatur vehiculo, at si homo adultus &c. in Luc. c. 11. miracles now a daies, would rather hurt then profit vs: as props which are needefull for Children to learne to goe by, are a hindrance vnto them, when they are growne to mans e­state; so (saith hee) if Miracles were wrought now adaies, men would be offended by them, and say that our Faith were not as yet wel grounded: beware therefore, lest it be­fall them to demand a signe at Gods hand▪ satis sint tibi sig­na vetera, let the old signes & miracles suffice, and do not now seeke after new. As much saithPromisit Christus vt discipuli daemonia [...]ijcerent quam promissionem, nullū his diebus effectum sortiri dilucide cernimus, &c nec tamē inanis illa promissio fuit, quam nolùit efficaciam habere perpetuam, sed pro tempore nascentis et adolescentis Ecclesiae. De captiuit. Babilonica adu. Luther. c. 10. par. 4. Fisher, sometimes [Page 65] bishop of Rochester. Christ promised that his disciples shold cast out deuils, which promise we see to take no effect now adaies; because no man now doth cast out Diuels bodily, nor cure diseases, yet was not that promise of our sauiours vaine, which hee would not haue to be alwaies effectuall, but for the time wherein the Church was borne and grew vp. With whom accordeth also our vnnaturall Countri­man Thomas Stapleton. Ʋt opera mi­raculosa tunc necessaria e­rant ad fidem hominum ani­mis ingeneran­dam, sic postea bona opera Praedicatorum necessaria sunt ad fidei opera producenda. Prompt. mo­ral. dominic. 2. aduentus. As (s [...]th he) miracles were need­full in the times of our Sauiour, that faith might bee bred in mens hearts; so afterwards the good workes of Preachers are necessarie, to bring foorth the workes of faith. Which he con­firmeth with the testimonies of S. Augustine and Gregorie, which ye haue already heard.

Now then, if S. Augustine, Chrysostome, Gregorie, Bede, Isidore, be ancient and authenticall Doctors; if Catharine, Stella, Roffensis, Stapleton, be learned Writers, as I assure my selfe Chambers dareth not gainsay; then we haue from them an answer to his demand, and prooued out of them, which he saithIn his epist. dedic. can neuer be done, not only that true mi­racles and wrought by the finger of almighty God, are ceased in the Church, and the time when, (namely, when the world was generally brought to the faith of Christ:) but further, that such as in the cleere Sun-shine light of the Gospell, yet require miracles still, as the Papists doe, doe tempt God in so doing, that they are infidels, without faith and beleefe, that they loue not Christ as they ought to doe, that they are false Christians, and hunters after vaine glorie. All which conuince Chambers of much ig­norance, both in the ancient Fathers, and his owne mo­derne Writers; and argue much folly in him, to conceiue, not only of his Maiestie (whose wisdome and learning all that know, admire) but of any of vs, that we should be so simple and credulous, as to beleeue those miracles, which the most learned amongst them reiect as fabulous and foolish, as hath beene shewed.

It irketh me to follow the pursuit of this ignorant Priest, who from his blunt arguments commeth in the end to the [Page 66] vsuall Popish rhetorike of railing and reuiling, tearming vs Heretikes, and spending his iests vpon vs;Ib. who therfore thinke miracles superfluous, because we can worke none, as the fox will eat no grapes, because he cannot get them.

But laying aside all bitternesse and scurrill iesting in matters so weighty and serious, and to speake the words of truth and sobernesse; we therefore thinke miracles su­perfluous vnto vs, not because we can worke none, which we acknowledge, and therefore we attempt none; but be­cause we professe the same doctrine which our Sauiour and his Apostles, and such Apostolike men as succeeded in the Primitiue Church, haue confirmed to our hands, by so many true signes, and diuine miracles, which all be­long to vs and our Church, who professe the same faith which our Sauiour and his Apostles preached.

As for the faith of the Church of Rome, as it is new and strangely degenerating from the ancient Catholike faith, so it is no maruell if it bee confirmed by new miracles, which are of the same nature with their new faith; false, both the one and the other.

And yet to stop the mouths of our insolent aduersaries, which are alwaies craking of their miracles; if with a sin­gle eie they will looke vpon our Church, they may in it, and amongst vs, behold such miracles as make greatly for Gods glory, our priuate comfort, and the true honor of our Church.

For both the restoring of the puritie of religion, in these late times, from the drosse and corruptions of Antichrist, was not without the extraordinary and powerful working of almighty God; and the preseruation thereof vnto this day, mauger all the conspiracies and forces of our enemies against our Princes and our people, are such as euince suf­ficiently, that it is the Lords doing, and it is wonderfull in our eies.

Againe, if they will obserue the fruit and efficacie of Gods word sincerely preached amongst vs, they may from thence beholdDe verbis domini secun­dum Matth. serm. 18. See Chrysost. hom. 6. in c. 2.1 ad Cor. And Greg hom. 39. in Euangel. And Bernard. ser. 1. in ascen­sione Domini. And Raban. in Psal. 9. Maius fuit Paulum paersecutorem conuertere, quam Lazarū de monumento suscitare, ib. Quae miracula tanto maiora [...]unt, quanto per haec non corpora, sed animae susci­tantur. Gre­gor. supra. maiores sanitates, as S. Augustine speaketh, [Page 67] those greater cures and greater wonders wrought amongst vs in our Church, euen those cures and wonders for which our Sauiour and his Apostles did vouchsafe to worke mi­nores illas, those lesser cures vpon mens bodies.

For although now adaies coeca caro non aperit oculos mi­raculo Domini, the blinde man is not restored to his sight by our Lords miracles; yet cor coecum [...] oculos sermone Domini, the blinde heart of man openeth the eies of his vnderstanding, by the efficacie of his word preached amongst vs. The carcase that lieth dead in the graue, is not raised vp; but the soule that lieth dead, euen in the liuing body, by reason of sinnes and trespasses, is quickned amongst vs, by the preaching of the Gospell: the eares which were deafe before, and stopped at the crying of the poore; the hands which were fast bound and shut from their releefe, are open to heare their groanes and requests, and loosed liberally for their comfort.

Witnesse your owne eies and eares this very day, heere at home amongst your selues, which may heare and see the multitudes of Christ his poore and distressed mem­bers; most charitably and carefully releeued in yourSee the number of these poore, affixed to the Psalme of thanksgiuing, sung by the children of the Hospitall, vpon Munday in Easter weeke. 1609. Hospitals, to the great glory of God, the comfort of the poore and afflicted, and the eternall memorie of the wor­thy founders and benefactors of the same.

Witnesse abroad the planting intended, or rather alrea­dy happily begun of our English Colonie in Virginia, whi­ther the charitie of our late Souereigne of all blessed me­morie Lady Elizabeth, and of his most excellent Maiesty now reigning, assisted with the godly indeuours of many chiefe and of principall note in this noble Citie, hath ex­tended, to their great costs, labours, and perils, for the gaining and winning to Christ his fold, and the reducing vnto a ciuill societie (as hope may iustly conceiue) of so many thousands of those sillie, brutish, and ignorant soules, now fast bound with the chaines of error and igno­rance, vnder the bondage and slauery of the Diuell.

Which being the principall scope of this businesse, wee [Page 68] may with Gods blessing assuredly expect the fruits which vsually accompany such godly enterprises; as are the ho­nour of his Maiestie, whose name shall by this meanes be glorious vnto the ends of the world, the enlarging and further strengthning of his Realmes and Dominions, the easing of this Land, which euen groaneth vnder the bur­den and numbers of her i [...]bitants, the plentifull enrich­ing of our selues and our Country with such commodities as she now laboureth with the penury of them: all which, and many other of this sort, I wittingly passe-ouer, as ha­uing beene at sundry times and places, by diuers of mor [...] abilitie and leisure, commended to your godly considera­tions: nothing remaining to be said by mee in this kinde, but that with all thankfulnesse we acknowledge, and with most hearty praiers wee commend to almighty God the happy preseruation and continuance amongst vs, of that noble instrument of his glory, our most gratious Soue­reigne Lord King Iames, by whom he effecteth so power­fully his miraculous workes now adaies in our Church, to the wonder and astonishment of the world, not wilfully malignant.

Thus if need were, we could speake, and that without vanitie, of the true miracles of our Church: as for those false & fabulous sorts which I haue touched, I leaue them to those Mirabiliarij, asTractat. 13. in Euangel. Johannis. S. Augustine calleth them, our Popish miracle-mongers, by which they are descried to be the very limmes of Antichrist, and naturall brethren of these old Heretikes, theAug. de haeres. c. 24. Seuerians, and theId. de vnitat. Eccles. c. 16. & tractat. 13, in Johan. Donatists, and therefore those false Prophets of which our Sauiour forewarned vs, when he said, Beware of false Prophets.

The fourth instance which I proposed as a note to di­stinguish the true and false Prophets, is their life and con­uersation; which answering to true faith and doctrine, is a note of the true Prophet, it being sincere and holy, as o­therwise if corrupt, a signe of the false. ForChrysost. ex varijs in Mat. locis, hom. 11. Indicium mē ­tis operata hominis, a mans work is the manifestation of his heart and minde, and thereforeQui ouium indumento cō ­tecti, quod profitentur, in­famant, qui aliud docent, quam faciunt, &c, ib. though hee bee cloathed with [Page 69] the Sheepes weede, if he teach one thing and doe another, if hee be a shame and obloquie to his profession, he is a false Prophet, Ibid. as Chrysostome rightly obserueth from the words of our Saui­our, ye shall know them by their fruites.

Heere then if I should goe about to rip vp the liues of the Romish Praelates: as there would be no end of it, so the sauour therof would be most vnpleasant and offensiue to your chast senses; which I could make euident, not as they do from the slanderous reports of Bolseck, Coclaeus, Staphi­lus and such companions, against our reuerend Pastors, Luther, Caluin, Beza, to whome they were professed ene­mies: but out of their own writers, and some of them so neere, as that they were eye-witnesses of the things which they report.

Tacitus said long since of Rome heathenish,Quò cuncta vndiqueatrocia ac pudēda cōflu unt celebrātur­ (que) Annal. l. 15. That all shamelesse and heinous enormities ran into it, as into a com­mon sewer, which Theodoricus ofCū Nilo portē ­ta paris, nutris crocodilos, &c. de scisma l. 3.6 41. Niem one attending sometime on the Pope, maketh good vpon Rome popish applying certaine verses vnto it, wherein it is compared with Nilus which bred monsters, and nourished Croco­diles. And there Saint Bridget affirmed, that she heard the blessed Virgin saying to her Sonne, that Romā esse feracē agrū: re­spondisse vero christū, est, sed zizaniae cata­log. test verit. tō. 2. pag. 800. Rome was a fruitful field, to whome Christ should answer, it was so indeede, but the fruitfulnesse thereof consisted in tares. Epistol. 20. Petrarch calleth it the mother of al Idolatrie, the refuge and Sanctuarie of all errors. Ministri chri­sti sunt, et serui­unt Anti­christo. ser. 33. in Cantica. Bernards complaints are not so many, as iust; he saith of the whole Clergie, that in name they are the Ministers of Christ, but in very deede the Seruants of Antichrist, whose sins were growne to that height, asVitia nostra eo creuere, vt vix apud deū misericordiae locum nobis re­liquerînt, in vita Marcel. 1 Platina one of the Popes Se­cretaries reporteth, that they scarcely left any roome with God for his mercie. Now all these, and many of this sort put to­gether, say no more then what PopeNos scimus quod in hac sā ­cta sede, iā an­nis aliquot multa fuerunt ab­hominabilia &c Nec mirū est, quod infirmitas a capite in mē ­bra, a Papis in minores prela­tos deriuarit, &c. paralipomē ad Chro. Abatis vsperg. Adrian the sixt gaue his Legate in charge to confesse before the States of Ger­many at a meeting of theirs, that Rome had for many yeares together offended, and that many waies, and that all Plurimis. nunc annis grauiter mul­tis (que) modis p [...]c­catum esse Ro­mae, et inde a Pontificio cul­mine malu [...] hoc at (que) luem ad inferiores omnes ecclesia­rum Praesectus defluxisse. Slei dan Commen­tar. l. 4. this cor­ruption, and infection, flowed from the Pope, as from the head vn­to the inferior and lower Praelates; according with the Pro­phet [Page 70] Ieremy, c. 23. vers. 15. From the Prophets of Ierusalem, is wickednesse gone foorth into all the Land.

Habetis confitentem reum, ye heare the Pope answer guil­ty to the crimes obiected, what neede then haue wee of a­ny more witnesses? IfDecima no­ta est sanctitas vitae Auctorum siue primorum patrum nostra religionis. De notis Eccles. li. 4 cap. 13. sanctitie of life, especially of chiefe Pastors, be a note of the church, as Bellarmine saith, then a contrario, the wicked and abhominable life of our Romish Praelates, argue sufficiētly that they are the false Prophets of which our Sauiour gaue vs this watch-word, beware of false Prophets. Whereby it appeareth what may bee infer­red vpon that Antecedent, whichIn his pre­face to his Detection of Master Iewels errors & lies. Thomas Harding him­selfe maketh and acknowledgeth. What if Popes haue suffe­red great Princes and Monarkes to kisse their feete, to hold their Stirrops, to leade their Horses by the Bridle? What if a Pope shewed himselfe cruel and without pittie, in suffering Fran­cis Dandalus the Venetians Ambassador to lie vnder his table like a Dog, whiles he was at dinner? What if Pope Alexander vsed Fredericke the Emperor more proudly, then became a man of his calling? What if the Popes at certaine times cared not, or, for the wretchednesse of Mans ill inclination could not, or for greate considerations would not vtterly purge the Citie of Rome, of Curtesans and Brodel-houses? What if the life of many Priests, Bishops, Cardinalls yea of some Popes also, hath iustly deserued to bee reprooued? must this now bee made a good ar­gument; some of their liues were sinfull, ergo their Doctrine was false? Not so M. Harding, wee conclude not so, but wee in­fer out of Hom. 11. ex variis in Mat. locis. Chrysostom and De notis Ec­cles. l. 4. ca. 13. Bellarmine: the liues of many your Popes and chief praelats, were moste sinful, flagitious and heinos: therfore they were no sound members of the true Church; but such false Prophets, as beeing cloathed with Sheepe skins, are not-withstanding inwardly no better then rauening Wolues.

How then commeth it to passe (belooued in the Lord) that this famous and ancient City of London, the Mother Citie of the Kingdome, the beautie and glorie of the land, is become a cage of these vncleane and filthie Birds, and a Den for such rauening wolues, as thirst after nothing more then your blood, and that not of the bodie alone, [Page 71] but much more of your soules?Gal. 3.1. haue yee beene deliuered from the bondage and darkenes of Aegipt, into the glori­ous libertie of the Sonnes of God, and sun-shine light of the Gospell, to returne againe in your hearts, into bon­dage and darkenes, more then Aegyptiacal? Shal I demand with the Apostle, Who hath bewitched you that yee should not obey the truth? Are they these popish Syrens, with their al­luring songs of hope, and expectation of a golden day, so long expected, and so hopefullie conceiued in the de­clining age of that most renowned Q. Lady Elizabeth, our late Soueraigne? But the tune of that Song is altered, (God haue the glorie for it) & they lament anotherwhile (and so may they euer) with O spes fallaces, O our deceit­full hopes, our vaine dreames, our idle imaginations:D. Bishop in his Epist. to the King. the state is now setled (they say) and so let it be, O Lord, euen for euer and euer) and a continuall posteritie is like to en­sue of one nature and condition, Amen Lord Iesu. Is it the splendor of their miracles, which so long haue dazeled the eies of the World? but these are conuinced to be false and fabulous; or no better, then the workings of Satan, and illusions of Antichrist. Is it the sinceritie of their doctrine? but that is no better then the Beggars cloake, patched together of olde haeresies, long since condemned by the Catholike Church, as in part hath been shewed, and may as easily be proued in the rest.See Faxa sacrae paniten­tiariae. They rob God of his honor, and giue it to stockes and stones: they take Christ his of­fice from him, and ioyne Saints with him in his Mediator­ship, Gods sacred word is but a bable with them; and of no worth, in regard of their traditions, and vnwritten verities: their religion is the high way to Atheisme, and al impiety; there beeing no sinne so heinous, so enormous which they dispense not with by their indulgencies: and pardon by their absolutions, incest, rapes, murders, vowes, periuries, all veniall, so money be not wanting.

Their profession is knowne to be the dethroning and murthering of princes: and for their practise it is the vt­ter ouerthrow of ciuil states, and societies, by swearing and [Page 72] forswearing, by Aequiuocating and dissembling, taking a­away all truth and sincere dealing from amongst men. As for their life and maners; no puddle is more impure then this sinck:Rom. 1.26.28. et v. 21. and that by the iust iudgement of Almightie God, God giuing them vp to vile affections, and to [...] reprobate minde because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankeful, as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles, and is as truely verified in the Romanists.

So that if any man heere present, will still bee misled & seduced by the false Prophets, notwithstanding the war­ning that hath beene giuen, I must pronounce of him, (though with much greefe of heart) that hee is guiltie of his owne blood,Eccles. 33.4. his blood bee vppon his owne head; for my part, I say, as [...] is in the Prophet, for the integritie of my conscience, & discharge of this duetie, liberaui animam meam, I haue deliuered my owne soule, now look ye to it.

But for you (belooued in the Lord, of whome we haue perswaded our selues better things, & such as accompanie saluation) stand fast, I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, in the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, which yee haue receiued, grounded vpon Christ the Corner­stone, and sealed vnto you with his blood, and with the blood of his holy Martyrs in all ages; and beware of false Prophets, beware of these Sheep-skin'd wolues: trie their spirits, examine their faith, looke into their manners: by these fruits you may know them; and knowing them, a­uoid their steps which leade to hel and destructiō. Which that yee may bee able to doe, that God of mercies, and fa­ther of all goodnes, which commanded the light to shine out of darkenes, illightē the eyes of your vnderstandings, confirme you with his grace, and guide you with his ho­ly spirit amidst the stormes of these last & perilous times, that so in the end yee may ariue at the hauen of all blisse and happinesse. Amen.