I Was very glad (deere bre­thren) when I vnderstood how God of his goodnes & mercie, had visited you to y^e grace of the holy Gospell, and to the knowledge of his truth: and thereby to the cō ­munion of his sonne Iesus Christ, who is the treasure of all ages, for this is a treasure con­teyning immortall riches, wherein lyeth all our blessednes and felicitie: this is an inesti­mable benefite, and the greatest wée coulde re­ceiue of God. Wherefore we haue good cause to giue him thankes for the same continually, to the intent, that by our ingratitude, wee may not prouoke him to anger against vs, nor stirre him vp, or moue him to take from vs the talent which he hath giuen vs: for we may well say of our selues, that which Dauid said of himselfe, and of all the people of God. The Lorde hath not thus done to all nations, neither hath hee manifested to them his iudgements. When a king taketh some one into his seruice, and gi­ueth [Page] him some honorable office in his Court, we thinke it a greate honour vnto him which is called to such a promotion, and esteeme him greately beholding and bounde to the King. Let vs then thinke what cause we haue to glorifie and magnifie GOD our fa­ther, seeyng that wee see hee is come to e­lect and choose vs from amongest all other, not onelye to be his seruantes, but also to bee his children, and to bee kinges and heyres of his kingdome: and that he leaueth a greate number of others that bee wyser, richer, and that beare a greater shewe then wee, to put the treasures of his grace into so poore vessels of earth as we be; so vyle, so base, so weake, so frayle and brittle.

And therefore wee ought greatly to feare Sect. to abuse this greate goodnes of GOD tow­ardes vs, and the giftes which wee haue recea­ued of him: we must take good heede wee hyde them not in the earth, as the slouthfull and vn­faithfull seruant did hide his talent, but as the other good and faithfull seruauntes did, we must put them to some vse, to the intent they maye bring foorth fruite to their Mai­ster and Lorde, who to this ende hath pu [...] them into our handes: for why doth GOD call vs into his seruice, but to serue him: [Page] why doth GOD communicate his graces vnto vs, but that wee shoulde employe them to his honour and glorie, and to the edifiyng of his Churche: howe can wee bee Gods ser­uantes and remayne idle in his house and doe nothing: but (which is worse) how will he suf­fer vs there, if in steede of seruing Christ Ie­sus; we serue Antichrist and the Deuill his ad­uersaries: Let vs therefore remember y^t which the Lorde sayth: To him that hath, it shalbee giuen, and to him that hath nothing, it shalbe taken from him euen that he hath.

Wee see this by experience before our eyes euerye day to come to passe: wee see Sect. howe GOD encreaseth his graces towards them which vse them as they ought, and how on the contrary he depriueth them thereof which abuse them: and howe hee giueth them vp into a reprobate sense, for when they knewe GOD, they glorified him not as God, but gaue the honour which appertey­neth to him onelie, to creatures and Idols. Wherefore we ought not to maruell if we see many to whō God hath giuē some knowledge of truth, which become (godles) & mockers of holy scriptures, & to become as dogges to eate that which they once vomited, and as swyne to wallowe themselues in the myre and filthe, [Page] out of the which God had drawen them, wee cannot doubt, but such a curse is the most horri­ble & most fearefull iudgement of God, which can come to man, it is the iudgement which he is woont to execute vpon the ingratefull, and contemners of his word, and blasphemers of his graces: therefore let vs take heede that we neither dally of him nor with him: let vs hearken how the Apostle warneth vs, let vs not abuse our selues, for God can neither be de­luded nor mocked.

And therefore let vs learne to walke with Sect. him in all feare, honour, and reuerence, let vs make our profite of his seuere iudgement, whiche hee setteth before our eyes as in a glasse, when hee punisheth so sharply those which after they had known him, haue forsakē him, and despised his worde: let vs beware we esteeme not lightly anye thing that hee hath commaunded or forbidden, but let vs feare to offende him in anye thing whatsoeuer, ey­ther in omitting that which hee hath comman­ded vs to doe, or in doyng that which he hath forbidden.

Let vs looke more to the authoritie of the Sect. Lawe maker, and to his will, then to the naked lawe: and let vs iudge thereof according to his will and not according to our owne, [Page] let vs consider with our selues, that we cannot transgresse the left commandement that euer he gaue without despising his maiestie and au­thoritie: For if we regard not his commaun­dements, we declare manifestly thereby, that wee feare him not, but that we dally with him, as though wee helde him in our sleeue to doe with him as pleaseth vs: or els we giue to vn­derstād, that we wil correct him, as not well ad­uised, and as though he had fayled eyther in cō ­maunding, or forbidding things vnworthy to be cōmaunded or forbidden. Ought this arro­gācy & presumptiō, & despising of god his authority to be esteemed a smal fault: Is it not grea­ter then high treason: seeing that the Maiesty and authority of God passeth all authoritie and excellencie of man? What lesse punishment then, can he deserue then death and eternal dā ­nation, if God wil condemne him according to the rigour of his iudgement:

And therefore my brethren, wee must take Sect. Sedu­cing of himselfe. good heede, that wee deceaue not our selues, or that we suffer not our selues to bee easilye seduced by others, which may bee among vs, for many doe boast of the knowledge of God, which notwithstanding make no great consci­ence to doe contrary to his will in all things, which are of no small importance, which not­withstāding [Page] seeme to them very smal, because they perswade themselues so, and that they iudge thereof according to their owne affectiō. But if they did iudge of them, according to the iudgemēt of y^e spirit of God, they should know y^t they are very vnpleasant & detestable before God, & of that nature, that there is nothing that he doth more abhorre & detest, nor that hee hath punished more grieuously at al times: It is not a small matter to prouoke God to anger, and we cannot more prouoke him, then by Idola­trie and superstition, which is the fountaine of all other euils, and a sinne which doth estrange and draw vs wholly from God.

Let vs not abuse our selues, for it may seeme to vs that the thinges which wee doe Sect. to keepe vs in league with the children of this worlde, are not of great importance. Let vs beware that Sathan drawe vs not from obey­ing the commandement of GOD by the de­ceaueablenes of our fleshe, as he withdrew A­dam by the meanes of Eue, after that by his Gen. 3. lye she was seduced, he thought with himselfe it was no greate faulte, to eate of the fruite of a Tree, but it was very great, sith GOD had forbidden it, as experience taught it af­terwarde: for by this transgression all the ly­nage of man was destroyed and all creatures [Page] were made subiect to Curse.

Let vs neuer suffer therfore y^e word of God Sect. To hold the word fast. to bee snatched out of our handes whatsoe­uer reason, or whatsoeuer colour or cloke fleshe can alleadge vnto vs: let vs bee as warye as wee woulde bee to fall into the fire, to drawe backe from this worde, and to abandon it, one only steppe. For wee neede not goe farre aside to misse the waye, to set vs altogether out of the way, and when one is once fallen out of the way, the further hee goeth on, the further hee wandreth and mul­tiplyeth errour vppon errour: so that after it is verye harde for him to finde his right waye, and to come thither, whether hee purposed. Wherefore to auoyde the falling into the bottome of the depth of sinne, let vs gette vs awaye out of hand from the banks, least we plunge our selues in deeper then wee thinke for, and that there come not some waue which sodenly wil set vpon vs, and in wray and plunge vs in such sort among the waues, that we can neuer get out, but remayne there all to­gether drowned.

If wee will well flie sinne, let vs keepe vs as farre from it, as wee can, and take heede Sect. not onely to touch it, but also to come neere it, [Page] for it is so infectious a plague, and so stinking and dangerous a poyson, that although one The ma­ner to flie sinne. keepe himselfe backe from it so farre as is pos­sible, yet can he not auoyde, but that he shalbee infected & corrupted therewith. A man cannot haue so small acquaintance therewith, but that Acquain­tance w^c sinne. immediatly it wilbe turned into ouer great fa­miliarity and boldnes, and then into a custome, which cannot be shakē off: as we see it by expe­rience in all sortes of sinne. And to knowe these more playnely, let vs take one exam­ple which may serue vs for all the rest, and which shalbee very agreeable to the matter, wee haue in hande; let vs consider by what way a harlot commeth to the last steppe of infamye and abhomination: shee slippeth not, nor slideth awaye like an eale as a common harlot at the first day, but first shee beginneth to wander a little out of the bondes of modesty, shamefastnes, and honesty, which ought to bee in a woman that is vertuous and full of the feare of God: she delighteth to heare & speake dishonest and infamous wordes, and to sing filthy and wicked songes: she taketh pleasure in daunces, and to bee conuersant amongst lu­sty youthes, and feedeth her eyes with their ge­sture & coūtenances, & her eares to heare their amorous and lasciuious talke: after shee hath [Page] once abandoned her eyes and eares, shee is no longer whole and chast. For we cannot thinke that woman truly chast, which is not so in heart and minde, and in all partes and members of her bodye, they that knowe what honestie and chastitie is, will iudge hereof in this sorte, for they cannot call things, but by their name: but they which take pleasure in such pastimes, as harlots, and such other worldlings, carnall folkes, and curtizans, which can disguise and change the names of things, wil not cal these lasciuious loue trickes wicked wantonnes, but ciuilitie and curtesie, notwithstanding whatso­euer name, mē giue to y^e thing, yet shal it be al­wayes, what it is, and shall not change the na­ture, for the alteratiō and change of names: see­ing then the eyes & eares are already wonne, the other partes are not very sure: after these follow other dalianees as tickings or toyings, which defile the body yet somewhat more and more enflameth to whoredome: when chastitie is once violated so farre, it will goe hard, if in short space it perish not altogether, and that whoredome follow not incontinently thervp­on, notwithstanding at the beginning there will bee some shamefastnesse, which will keepe it secret: but after by processe of time and long custome, this shamefastnesse will fall by little [Page] and little, so that the secret harlot will become altogether impudent without any shame at al, or feare of God or man. As much may we say of all other sinnes: for it is all one reason: By little steppes a man commeth to the heape and depth of sinne: But I haue willingly taken the example of whoredome, because it is most like vnto idolatrie.

There is then no lesse danger, but that as Sect. much will happen vnto vs, if wee yeelde the least thing in the worlde to idolatry and super­stition: for by the one we come to the other, if for feare of grieuing our fleshe and to depriue it of the pleasures it delighteth in, we goe a­bout to flatter it, and beginne somewhat to giue it the bridle, it is in greate hazard that it will take the bitte in the teeth, and that hauing the bridle at wil, it will take a course, wherein we can neyther stop it nor draw it from thence when we would: If we suffer it to goe to daun­sings, to enter into brothell houses, to keepe companye to daunce and passe the time with baudes, whores, and harlots, hardly shall it returne chast without some losse of the chasti­tie it ought to haue. Then to enter into idoles temples, to bee conuersant and communicate with Idolaters, and to beholde their iuglings, and to be there assistant with them, & to daunce [Page] the same daunce that they doe, what is it else, thē to enter into the brothel houses of Sathā & to be acquainted with Baudes and Harlots: whiche committe fornication with straunge Gods.

If a man desire to haue his wife chaste both in bodie and minde, and cannot loue her if shee Sect. hath giuen awaye her loue and setled her heart vpon another, or that shee hath yeelded or permitted him (I say) not her whole bodye, but onely her mouth to kisse her, or her necke, or armes to embrace her: Think we that Iesus Christ desireth not his spouse to be much more pure both in body and mind: Think, we that he can abide that we should dedicate our heart to any other than to him: Thinke we that he de­lighteth, that we should make this body a mē ­ber of an harlot, a temple of Idoles, and of the Diuell, and a brothell house of Sathan, wher­of Iesus is the head, and which he hath conse­crated & sanctified as a soueraigne bishop, to be the temple of God and dwelling house of the holy Ghost: Thinke we that he can abide that we should come euery day in his sight, and hū ­ble our selues before the strumpet of Babylon and do reuerence to Baal, & kisse strāge gods, & pollute al y^e mēbers of our body through such fornicatiōs & adulteries: We may perceiue it [Page] by that which is written in the Lawe. Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me, nor in my presence. Thou shalt doe no homage nor reuerence to Images. He doth not forbid vs onely to settle our heartes thereon, But that wee should not bowe downe or make any signe of honour or reuerence to them at al: The hus­bande, who that after hee hath reconciled his wife to him, should see her frequent the house of the adulterer that seduced her, and see her eue­ry day in his armes kissing her, imbracing her, and dallying with her, what account could bee make of her, but that she is a false, impudent, and desperate strumpet: And if shee were an honest woman should she not abhorre, euen to see him or his house, or to heare talke of him: Ought she not to feare (if she were not too im­pudent or ouer much ingratefull) to cast her eyes towards him, whether it were in presence or absence of her husband: Ought shee not to feare to prouoke him against her, and to giue occasion as well to him as to all others, to haue some euill opinion and suspition of her, which might redound to the dishonesting, and defa­ming as well of her as of her husband.

Ought we not to content our selues to haue Sect. liued so long & beue conuersant in the brothel house of Sathan, and to haue continued in our [Page] fornications and adulteries; but that wee must returne thither againe euery day and euery houre, as though of set purpose wee had determined to prouoke y^e Lord to ielousie & to anger, making our members seruantes to all filthinesse, vncleannesse, idolatrie and supersti­tion: how is it possible that we should acknow­ledge y^e great grace and mercie, y^t God hath be­stowed on vs, in withdrawing vs out of this sincke ful of blasphemies and abhominations, in steede of reiecting vs and casting vs of, as an Adulteresse which hath violated and brokē her fayth to her husband, and that we make so light account to be conuersant alwayes with our olde companions, and to serue them, with so great dishonour to our true Spouse Iesus Christ.

Wherefore I greatly maruaile that suche kinde of spirits are to be found amongest those Sect. which will haue the names to follow the gos­pell, and to be counted of the number of Disci­ples of Christ Iesus, which dare yet mainteine that the faithfull and those to whome God hath reuealed the truth of his Gospel may commu­nicate with idolaters and superstitious per­sons, in their idolatries, and superstitions, and be partaker, of the tables of Diuels, whervnto we cannot approch without ouerthrowing the [Page] table of Christ Iesus: I tremble when I heart that such speeches passe, from the mouthes of those which boast themselues of the Gospell, and so much the more, for that so boldlie, they dare giue that councell to others: for their o­pinions are so farre contrarie to truth, and so strange to any good Christian heart, that it were better such men had neuer heard speake of Christ Iesus nor his religion.

I knowe not what Gospel or Scripture Sect. they haue studied, nor howe they dare so open­ly gainsay the spirit of God: which pronoun­ceth so plainely that there is no agreement 2. 10. 6. Ephe. 6. with light and darknes, with Christ and belial, with the temple of God and the temple of I­doles. To what end exhorteth he the faythfull There is no agree­ment be­tweene Christ & Beliall. by his holy Apostle, not to cary & draw y^t yoke among Infidels, and not to communicate any kinde of way with the vnfruitfull woorkes of darkenesse: but commandeth rather to reproue and condemne them. I know wel from what schoole, this diuinitie proceedeth, not from the schoole of the spirit of God: from the schoole of the fleshe which liketh not well to come out of Egypt, and to renoūce the pleasures and de­lightes thereof: therefore it seeketh coulor in the holy scriptures to cloake and couer her in­firmitie, because it dare not openly gainesaye [Page] the word of God, whereby it is ouercome.

I haue heard and examined some reasons Sect. and arguments, whereby those (whome suche doctrine pleaseth) goe about to confirme and approue it: but they are too friuolous & weake, and sufficiently ouerthrowe themselues, if one behold them narrowly. I know well that such Delicate Christiās. reasons are forged in some mens braine, flat contrary to Moses: for they delight too muche in Pharaos court, which it grieueth them muche to forsake, to bee conuersant in the de­sert with the people of God: They haue not yet learned to preferre with Moses the appro­bries, pouerties, and miseries, nor the nayles and thornes of Iesus Christ, before the tempo­ral Iewels, treasures and delightes of Egypt; they are constrained by vertue of the trueth, to acknowledge that the superstition and ido­latrie wherein they haue liued, is damnable: wherefore they are forced and constrained in conscience to condēne it, which willingly they do, when they may without danger: but because they will suffer nothing for trueth, & yet they dare not condemne it nor reiect it, but will bee counted amongest the faithful for good men, & for fauourers and defendours therof, & not for blasphemers and persecutors: they trauaile as much as they may to finde some cloke in the woorde of GOD, to couer and hide their [Page] to great infirmitie of their fayth, and the forni­cations which the fleshe committeth euery day with strange Gods.

Such poore blinde soules should doe much Sect. better to acknowledge and confesse their mi­serie and incredulity, desiring pardon and mer­cie of God whom they offend, then to defende and flatter them selues in it: they ought to con­tent thēselues, to offēd God many other waies, & not to abuse in such sort y^e holy scriptures, nor blaspheme the holy Ghost, in corrupting them, and wresting them to make them serue their own affection, & to builde therby, entertain & e­stablish idolatrie and iniquitie: which ought by them wholy to be beaten downe and destroyed: It is easie to be perceiued, that such Christians haue neuer yet truely vnderstood the grounds, rudiments, and principles of the Christians re­ligion: for they will be the disciples of Christ Iesus, without renouncing themselues, and without carrying their crosse after him, which is impossible. For the maister hath [...] the scholer is not aboue his maister, nor [...] [...] uant Mat. 10. Iohn. 13. Luk. 14. aboue his Lord, it ought to suffice [...] [...] ­sciples and seruants to be as their ma [...]er is. And therefore he that will bee my scholer, hee muste renounce him selfe, carry his crosse eue­ry day vpon his shoulders, and followe mee, he [Page] that hateth not, (that is as he expoundeth it in another place) he that loueth his father or mo­ther, Mat. 1 [...]. 16. brethren, sisters, or wife, or children, or house and possessions more then me, he is not worthie to be with me, nor to bee my disciple. Wherfore it were much better for these Doc­tours to learne, then to teach, they ought ra­ther to pray to God that he would strengthen them to confesse and sanctifie his holy name, thē to take such boldnes vpō thē to deny him, & to endeuour to draw others into y^e like errour.

We see by expertence, the fruite that com­meth Sect. out of this pernitious doctrine, and into what pit it draweth them at length, which ther­by will paynt themselues a Christ after their owne fantasie, farre contrary vnto him that said vnto such a Disciple as they woulde bee. The foxes haue holes, and the birdes of heauen their nestes: But the Sonne of man hath not Mat. 9. whereon to lay his heade. But these men will haue castles and pallaces, and will liue in the courtes of princes. And because such thinke it too sharpe to rub and eate the eares of corne with Iesus Christ as his Disciples did, and de­sire to finde the ta [...]e layd, they make no great conscience to bow the knee to Baall, and after that once they haue accustomed themselues to that, they take no heede, but that by little and [Page] litle, the knowledge of god which they had re­ceaued, and that litle measure of fayth whiche perhaps they had, beginneth to waxe cold, and altogether to bee extinguished, and after that they fall into such despising of God and his word, that they are much worse, thē they which neuer knewe God.

Wherefore wee must take heede, of that Sect. Transfi­gurati­on of Sa­than. 2. Cor. 11. same subtill (Sathan) who can so well trans­fourme him selfe into an angell of light, to make the truth of God to serue our affections, and to change it into a lye and blasphemy: whē Sathan knoweth that there is any feare of God, and any knowledge of truth in vs, and y^t we do any thing reuerēce y^e holy scriptures, he armeth him selfe to fight against vs by thē, Mat. 4. and hee alleadgeth them to vs, as hee did to Christ Iesus when he tempted him. Luk. 4.

This Sathan is very dangerous, who ta­keth the staffe of the word of God, to beate vs withall, wherewith he ought to beaten: and therewith he giueth vs dangerous woundes. The first is, that he mooueth vs to blaspheme God. The second is, (which is made woorse) that he maketh vs to beleeue and thinke that it is not wickedly done, but that it is lawful for vs to doe so, at the least, it is a small sinne and amongst the lest that we can commit; & which [Page] is more, to the entent we should not perish a­one in our errours, hee pricketh vs forward, to entise others to doe the like. And to the end he may bee more couert and lesse knowen, to giue a better cloke to these reasons, he layeth straight before vs Naaman the Sirian, or Ni­codemus, or Saint Paule, which applyeth him selfe to all, and who made himselfe a Iewe a­mongest 1. Cor. 9. Sect. Iewes, & a gentyle amōgst gentyles.

I doubt not but these reasons seeme fayre and pleasant to the fleshe, and that it loueth such proctors and aduocates which will so excuse & Proctors and aduo­cates of the fleshe. iustifie it: but it must take heede that they vse her not as aduocates and proctors, those are without conscience and without the feare of God, and which haue no other God but Golde and siluer: and haue no regard, so they haue money: such proctors and aduocates will make thē beleeue, whose cause they defend, that their matter is good, although it be the worst & fal­sest that may be: for euery mā easily beleeueth y^t which he desireth, & that which pleaseth him, & he hath affectiō vnto: & therfore M. aduocate knowing y^e affection of man abuseth him to his profit & gaine, & to the hurt of the pore conten­der: for if he would tell him at the first, y^t he had an euil cause, hee woulde staye from pleading, if hee were wise, and woulde pursue that [Page] cause no more, but would doe that which were right and reason, and so the aduocate shoulde gain nothing: Or if he were an obstinate persō, and affectioned aboue measure to his cause & against his partie, he woulde be vexed and an­grie against his aduocate, and woulde iudge him ignorant and scant cunning in his arte for telling him trueth: And therfore would goe seeke another more to his liking; for it is the nature of man to iudge all thinges according to his affection and for his aduantage. If thou speake to his fansie thou shalt be the learnedst man in the world: but if thou bee contrarye to his opinion, thou shalt be but a beast, and haste lost immediatly all thy learning: and therefore our flesh will haue aduocates to defend their cause well, and to allowe what shee desireth: & seeing it hath such a desire, shee shall no more lacke such fellowes as shee desireth, then the same proctors which take pleasure in conten­tion, spending their money, loosing their time, and consuming their bodies and soules in strife and debate.

But what profit shall they haue to cast a­way Sect. and destroy them selues: for the sentence shall not be giuen by the aduocate and proctor, nor according to their desire, but by the iudge and such as shall please him: and when M. Ad­uocate [Page] shall see that the cause of his Client go­eth euill, whome he hath alwayes kept in good hope till the last cast, he will shake him of well enough and leaue him in the myre where­in he hath plunged him: for he hath his recko­ning, he hath fished in a troubled water, he hath plucked the bird, he hath the feathers & the fat, and careth no more for the cause: and therefore let vs take good heede, that we delight not in such defenders and aduocates: for there maye be enough found, which to please vs and bee in our fauour, and well accounted of; will flatter vs, and tell vs pleasant thinges: wee prooue it true in many bellies, whiche haue founde suche tast in the Kitchin of Egypt; that they thinke them selues vtterly lost, so soone as they haue lost the sight of the smoke. But when we shall appeare before the iudgement of God, the dis­putation shal not there be decided, nor the cause there iudged by their reasons, nor according to their sentence, but by the iust iudgment of God which is alwayes in truth.

And therefore let vs count them more deare, Sect. Let vs flee flatterers and Pa­rasites. which speake simply and roundly vnto vs ac­cording to the truth of God, then those whiche flatter and seduce vs, to please vs, and keepe themselues mor at ease; for in this diuine court and in these last appeales, sentences shall not [Page] there be weyed in the ballance of carnal sense, & humane reason, but in the ballance of Gods worde, which shall not be vnderstoode, accor­ding to our fantasie, but according to the will of the spirit of God: then both Clients and aduocates shall find them selues as much asto­nied the one as the other: and the one shall not ease then the case of the other, for they both shalbe sufficiently troubled eche one with his owne cause, the plaintife shall not there be on­ly in danger as in the courtes and iudgements of men, but if he be condemned, the proctor and aduocates shalbe subiect to the same condem­nation with him, and more greeuous; for if the hearer be condemned, because hee hath taken pleasure to heare and followe euill councel, much more grieuously shal the councellour be punished, who hath had more regard to satisfie his couetousnes, & affectiō of a poore ignorāt soule, then the word of God: for hee hath setled him, and confirmed him in errour, whome hee ought to haue w^tdrawen frō errour, & to haue led him into a better way by his good councel.

Why doe not these councellours as well alleadge other places of holy scripture, whiche Sect. be repugnant to the affectiō of man, as they al­leadge those whereby they seeke to please it: for it is not needefull nowe to trauell muche [Page] to finde cloking to our flesh, to arme it against truth, to furnish it with armour, and to put the sword into her hand to fight against it: for she is but too cunning by nature to & bold & hasty to fight against her owne saluation, and to ad­uance her owne destructiō: wherfore shee hath herein more neede of a bridle then a spurre.

This Satan, that endeuoureth himselfe so Sect. much to embolden the fleshe, to defile it selfe in Idolatrie and superstition, is not very hastye to alleadge vnto it, Abraham and all the Pa­triarkes and Prophets, who in what place so euer they be found, although they haue beene couersant oftentimes among the Pagans and Idolaters, yet were they neuer partakers of their Idolatrie, but also made publike confes­sion of their religion, and of the true GOD whom they serued. Satan and his aduocates y^t serue him, will know nothing of all that, they passe it ouer lightly without making any men­tion therof: they haue no care to rehearse the examples of the fayth and constancie of the Hebrewe children, or of Daniell: whereof the one did choose rather to be cast into the fornace of Nabuchadnazar, thē to worship his image & Dan. 3. to do honour & reuerence to his Idole of gold. The other desired rather to be cast into the den & throte of y^e lyons, then to remaine onely three Dan. 7. [Page] dayes without praying to God, and without making open confession of him. They can also Exāples of the Apo­stles and martirs. well dessemble the example of the Apostles & Martyrs, and of so many of the good faithful, whiche haue better liked to endure the moste grieuous torments that Tyrants coulde ima­gine, then onely to doe reuerence to an image, or put a little insense vpon the fire before an Idole: if they had knowne how, or would haue dessembled and halted on both feete, and haue serued God and Baal, they had neuer suffred a­ny thing for Christ Iesus, their blood had not beene shed for the testimonie of the trueth, and the Churche of Iesus Christ had had no Mar­tyrs.

I maruell what newe christianitie such men Sect. will bring vs, and to what ende they thinke Ie­sus Christ hath sayde: who so denyeth mee be­fore Mat. 10. Mar. 8. men, I will denie him before my father & his angels. Who so is ashamed of me and my wordes in this adulterous and sinfull genera­tion, I wil be ashamed of him before my father which is in heauen, and before his holy angels. He y^t is not afraid to leese his soule, y^t is to say, his life for my sake shall finde it: hee that con­fesseth me before men, I will confesse and ac­knowledge Mat. 16. Ioh. 12. him before my father which is in heauen.

Wee see plainely by these wordes, that Ie­sus Sect. The faith of a Christiā. Christ is not contented with a vayne and dead faith, that mā imagineth himself to haue, but requireth a true and liuely fayth, whiche must be so rooted in the heart that it must bring forth her boughes and fruits outward, & what are these principall fruites, but that wee make profession of Iesus Christ as well in wordes The fruits of faith. as workes: but what else requireth the Lorde of vs, but onely this sacrifice of prayse; when the Prophets do prophesie of the church of our Lord Iesus Christ, what difference set they be­tweene it and other religions, and betweene her sacrifice and those of the Sinagogue? what is the principall point whereby shee may be knowne and separated from others, but the sacrifice of prayse? whereby I vnderstand here all that the faythful sayth or doth is to y^e glorye and praise of God: for although that praier bee sometimes called especially by that name, yet the signification thereof stretcheth farther, and comprehendeth other things that apperteine to the diuine seruice: for the faythfull man doth not his workes whatsoeuer they be, to be iustified by them, or to merit by meanes of thē, the kingdome of heauen, for it is already meri­tes & purchased for him, not by his merit but by the merit of Iesus: and before he was incor­porated [Page] into the Church of Iesus Christ, hee was iustified by fayth in him: for he was made vnto vs of God, Iustice, Wisedome, Sanctifi­cation, and redemption, the principall end: thē of the workes of the faythful is to prayse God, and to giue him laud and thankes for all his be­nefites, after the example of Angels, to whom by Iesus Christ hee is associated and conioy­ned, which neuer cease to prayse God in all thinges: And yet doe they it not to merit Pa­radise therby, wherof they haue alreadie y^e fru­itiō: but because God is their soueraigne good­nesse, & also mans, and that they are created to that end, as we are: and therefore when Iesus Christ exhorteth his disciples to good works, and to make their light shyne by them before men, he sayth not to the end, that by them you may be iustified, or merit Paradise: but to the Mat. 5. end that men may see them and glorifie your father which is in heauen.

Seeing thē it is the propertie of the church Sect. The work of y^e church. to offer vncessantly to God this sacrifice of prayse, how can shee without that, be the church of Iesus Christ? Wherefore hath the Apostle sayd, if thou confesse the Lord with thy mouth, Ro. 10. Faith and confession. and beleeue in thy heart that God hath raysed him from the dead, thou shalt be saued: for man beleeueth in the heart to iustification, and con­fesseth with mouth to saluation. He requireth [Page] fayth aboue all thinges, without the which all Ro. 14. Heb. 11. is but hypocrisie, sinne, and abhomination: but he requireth also confession of the mouth, and the outwarde testimonie of this inward fayth, to serue to the glory of God, and the edification of our neighbour: we see how hee ioyneth the confession of mouth with fayth in hearte; be­cause they are thinges inseparable, as the soule and life, the fire and his brightnes, the Sonne and his light, the body and his shadowe: for if fayth be in heart, there is no doubt, but that Ie­sus Christ dwelleth there by fayth: as Saint Eph. 2. Paule witnesseth. If Iesus Christe dwelleth there, he is not then without his holy Spirit. But for this cause are wee called the temple of God, because God by his holy spirit dwelleth in vs. And therfore the Apostle sayth againe, y^t he which hath not the spirit of Christ, is not of Christ, and cannot be acounted for a Christian. 1 Cor. 6. Sect. Rom. [...].

Seeing it is thus, howe is it possible if God dwel in the heart, that the diuell should be in y^e tongue, in y^e mouth, in y^e hands, & in the other mēbers, which all take life frō the heart, & are Iam. 2. al guided & gouerned therby: S. Iames spea­king of y^e tongue sayth, y^t out of one spring can­not come sweete & bitter water, yet this will make vs beleeue the contrary, to the end that that maye bee verefied in them, whiche is sayde in the same place: out of one mouth [Page] proceedeth blessing and cursing, by the tongue we blesse God the father, and by the same wee curse men, which are made to the Image of God. But that which worst is, wee deny and blaspheme him, with the tongue and mouth, which he gaue vs to glorifie and confesse him: and we make of our members, which should be the weapons of Iustice and holynesse, the wea­pons of vnrighteousnes and iniquitie. Iesus Christ sayth that out of the abundance of the hearte, the mouth speaketh; And that the good Mat. 12. man out of the good treasure of his heart, vtte­reth good thinges, and the wicked man vtte­reth euill thinges. Wherfore by the same rea­sons Iesus Christ conuinceth the Scribes and Mat. 12. Pharisees of the malice & peruersenes of their hearts, & by their own words, saying, thou shalt be iustified, (that is to say) knowne to be suche as thou art, and be declared iust or vniust, con­demned or absolued by thy doings and sayings. For if they had had Iesus Christ in their harts, they had not had Belzebub in their mouths: for as Saint Paule witnesseth, No man can say the Lorde Iesus, but by the spirite of God, no man speaking by the holy Ghost, can call Ie­sus 1. Cor. 12. Sect. execrable, nor speake euill of him, nor blas­pheme him.

Wherefore for a full conclusion, if we will [Page] of right be counted Christians before God, & before his elect and his Church, it is necessary to lay this foundation: that as it is requisite to haue a true faith planted in heart to be incorpo­rated in him and his Churche, so must we con­fesse him, otherwise what else is our fayth, but a dreame, a fantasie, & a foolish imagination of our owne braine: but the faith of a christian, is not onely as a speculatiue knowledge with­out falling to actiō, & putting nothing to effect: for it can be in no place w^tout shewing it self, it fareth so with it; as Ieremie witnesseth, that he hath prooued it in the word of God, whiche he willingly sometimes haue kept in, seeing (as seemeth to him) that it profited not much, when he vttered it, but that it was had in scorne, and he set him selfe in displeasure and danger of death amongst the wicked, which were harde­ned more and more: therefore he said, I will make no more mention of the Lord and will The vertue of the word of God & of fayth. speake no more in his name. Then his woorde was in my hearte as a burning fire, shut vp in my bones, and I fayled, and was weery with forbearing that I could stay no more. He can not resist the spirit of God, for the zeale that he hath to the glory of God enflameth him so, that he cannot hold his peace. Seeing then that the word of God is so vehemēt a fire, wherby faith [Page] is enflamed, how is it possible, but y^e flāe, light, and heat, or at the least some little smoke will shew forth? for when as fayth is almost wholy extinguished, & yet there remaineth some little spark is it not possible, but y^t it wil cast some lit­tle smoke, as y^e flaxe & brāds w^t yet smoke, whi­lest there is yet a little fire, or hath been lately.

I say not this to fauour and stir vp more a Sect. sort of rashe and raging spirits, which without any wit or discretion will counterfeit to be ze­lous professours of the Gospel, and will speake of all matters, and crie out against Idols with­out measure, and without seeking occasions & considering circumstances, which seeme to e­dification, but serue only to trouble the weake, and to put them in danger which truely feare God: and to coulor their fury and madnes, they alleadge the zeale of y^e Prophets & Apostles, & the feruentnes of the spirit, which they cannot keepe in: wherein they declare themselues ra­ther to resemble that glorious Elihu the Bu­zite, who was one of the comforters or rather discomforters of Iob, then to Hieremy Anata­thite, for they vse the same talke, & say as hee doth. I am full of wordes, and the spirit with­in me, constraineth me. Behold my stomack is as the wine, which hath no vent, and is as newe vessels, y^e breake. I wil speake therfore & breath my selfe. They are like to newe wines, w^t haue [Page] not yet wrought, & cānot be cōteyned within y^e vessels, but it breaketh thē or els must haue vēt.

But as the spirite of God cannot be Idle in Sect. mans heart, so doth it not enforce man beyonde the bondes of Christian modestie: he aloweth not the zeale without spirituall knowledge & wisdome: therfore the Apostle saith, the spirits of the prophets are subiect to y^e prophets, as he Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 14. Act. 9. 13. 19. 21. Act. 17. himselfe hath shewed it by experience, for al­though he were excellēt in all the giftes of god aboue others, neuerthelesse he alwayes submitted him selfe to the iudgement of y^e church, and neuer despised the coūcell of his brethrē, as it appeareth in y^t which was done in y^t church of Damas, Antioche, Hierusalem, & Ephesus, & when he was in y^e town of Athēs tarying for Silas & Timotheus, his spirit was stirred vp in himself, seeing the town so much giuē to idolatry: wherfore he disputed in y^e assembly with y^e Iewes, and with those that feared God, & eue­ry day in the marked & publike places, w^t those w^t by chance came vnto him: but hee cried not out in the streetes like a mad man: he cried not against the Idols without reason, he ran not in­to the temples to breake & beate them downe: also he went not to doe reuerēce vnto them, & was wary enough to giue any signe either in deede or woorde whereby any mought iudge that hee hadde them in honoure or anye [Page] estimation: he made no conscience to enter into the temples, and to behold their Altars and I­doles; but he wēt not thither with y^e Idolaters, when they made their sacrifices to please them, and for feare of offending the Athenians: but contrariwise, he went thither to finde occasion to drawe them from their Idolatrie and super­stition, which he condemned by his publike te­stimonie, but not without great reason and christian wisdome and modestie.

So then as I cannot allowe these enuious, Sect. frantike, & offensiue persons: so wil I not con­demne all those which shewe not the like zeale as Saint Paule did: for I knowe where one may finde such: but I speake especially against those wise spirits which feare so greatly to fall into any danger, for the name of Iesus Christ, that they gouerne themselues so warily, that they suffer not to passe from thē any little sha­dow of smoke, whereby one may iudge y^t there is not one only sparke of faith in their hearts, for they feare so much, that any shoulde knowe that there is any fire of the Gospel in them, that they endeuour by al meanes to put it out, and gouerne themselues in such sort, that none of good iudgement can account them other then for enemies of Iesus Christ.

Iesus Christ taught no suche lesson to his Sect. [Page] Disciples: it is necessarie if we will followe them, to obey that the Lord commandeth vs by his Prophets. Come out of Babylon, flee from Esa. 41. the Chaldeans, depart ye, goe out from thence, touch no vncleane thing, goe out of the middest of her, be ye cleane, ye that beare the vessels of the Lord, flye out from the middest of Babylon, Ier. 51. and deliuer euery man his soule. Thinke wee that these exhortations are in vayne, and that the holy Ghost biddeth so often to goe out with out cause? Let vs consider what earnestnes he vseth, and if any thinke that such exhortations pertaine not to vs, let him hearkē to that which the holy Apostle sayth, after he hath declared to the faithfull, that there is no agreement be­tweene the faythfull and the infidell. Where­fore departe from the middest of them, and se­parate your selues from them, saith the Lord, and touch not any defiled thing, and I wil re­ceaue you, and be your father, and you shall be my sonnes and daughters. Seeing then we haue expresse commandement to goe out of Babylon, and to separate our selues from Infidels, eyther we must doe it, or confesse that we resist the will of God, and that we offende him, we cannot resist the exposition that the ho­ly Ghost proposeth so plainely. The summe is to vnderstand it well, and to knowe what ma­ner [Page] of departure and separation this ought to be, and then to put it in execution.

We may goe out from Babylon, and sepa­rate Sect. our selues from Infidels, three maner of wayes. The first is, in bodie onely, hauing the heart ioyned with them, The second is, in spirit onely, hauing the body ioyned with them. The third is, hauing the body and spirit both to­gether. This last departure and separation is the surest for it is very hard, and almost vnpos­sible to liue amōgst the Babylonians & Egyp­tians, without being defiled w^t their abominati­ons, or put our selues in danger of their sword: It is very hard to y^e flesh to put it self in dāger of the sword for confession of y^e truth, if y^e vertue of y^e spirit of God change it not, & vnlesse it doe such violēce to it self to forget & forsake it self, which cannot bee without a singular gift of God. On the other side, to participate and con­sent to the abominations of Idolaters, and to please God, are things too farre contrary, and which cannot agree together: wherefore the Lord hath not without cause withdrawen his people from Egypt & from Babylon, & forbid­den that they should make any aliance, neither by marriage, nor any other kinde of way, with Pagans & Idolaters, which were their neigh­bours, Exo. 34. Deu. 7. knowing it is very hard to touch pitch [Page] without being defiled therwith, and to be con­uersant Eccl. 13. amōg thornes w^tout being pricked.

But I know well that the flesh can replye Sect. against this councel. First that many cānot go out though they would: Then there is feare of loosing their earthly goodes, and delightes, & pleasures of the world, which must bee forsa­ken; and the loue, studie, and care of hous­holdes and families which are committed to our charge: I am not ignorant what tempta­tion this may be: And therfore I would not cō ­strain al those which haue knowledg of y^e truth, to go frō their lands & countries to cary them­selues into places, where it is lawful to serue God in libertie of the spirit, or condēne thē al­together, & cast thē off as vnworthy to be disci­ples of Iesus Christ, & to be coūted for brethrē, and christians, if they did it not: for I knowe well the departure would be very hard to ma­ny, & that it were impossible in this time to find a coūtry of libertie which were able to receiue so great a nūber of people as God hath shewed mercy to, & wherin there were earthly goods sufficiēt to nourish & entertain thē, if god of his grace would not cause māna to raine down as Exo. 16. he did in y^e desert: yet if it shal please y^e Lord to giue such strēgth to those whō he hath visited by his grace, to depart amōgst Idolaters to make [Page] their abode there, where there is no constraint to commit idolatrie, there is no countrie so strait nor so scarcely victuales nor yet so euil prouided of worldly goods, which he cannot en­large and make able to receiue all those, which wil come thither, and furnish them with what­soeuer is necessary for them.

He coulde as easily finde meanes to do this Sect. as he did to giue so commodious an habitation, and so apt a lodging, and place to Noah and al Gen. 7. Noahs ark. his familie, and to all the beasts which entered in with him into his Arke, within so weake a vessell, and which according to mans reason, was nothing able to receaue so many creaturs with victuals necessary for thē. Who made the Arke so well able to receaue, so stable, and so strong? who made the victuals which were therein, to encrease and multiply, but onely faith? If then we shut our eyes as Noah did, to follow the Lord, we shall alway finde the arke large enough, and sufficiently prouided. The Lord whom we seeke and are willing to serue, hath sufficiently declared vnto vs since the cre­ation of the world, what care he had ouer vs, e­uen to prouide for vs in all our necessities: For before he had created mā, he prepared his lodg­ing for him throughly garnished, not onely for things which were necessary for him, but for al [Page] thinges that he could desire, to the ende that nothing might be wanting to him, wherby he might take his ful pleasure vpon earth, where­in he would place him. Then if this good God hath so prepared this lodging for man before he placed him in the world, and would not cre­ate him vntill he had first created the heauen and earth, the Sea, and all thinges contayned therein, to serue him: Thinke we that he hath not now as great care ouer vs, as he had then, and that he cannot as well prepare vs dwel­ling places, wheresoeuer it pleaseth him to di­rect vs, when it pleaseth him to drawe vs out of a captiuitie, and furnish them with all thinges necessary for vs? Who prouided for the chil­dren of Israel, when they went out of Egypt? Who made them inheritors of the land of their enemies?

We cannot and the worst fall, finde a coun­trie Sect. more barrē, thē the desert of the Israelites, after they departed out of the fruitefull land of Egypt: but if many of the Israelites, being al­readie acquainted with the Babylonians, liked rather to tary in Babylon, yea, after they had leaue to returne into their owne countrey, thē to leaue their possessions and delightes y^t they had there, to returne to Hierusalem; how ma­ny Successours thinke we they may haue at [Page] this day amongest vs? And therefore I knowe I should profit nothing to exhort al to goe out. Moreouer it were to small purpose to sepa­rate our selues corporally from Idolatrie, & to withdraw our bodies from Egypt, if with­all we withdraw not the heart and minde, re­nouncing the maners & fashions of the Egyp­tians: for it is all one in what soyle soeuer we be, if we cary the leauen of Egypt with vs, for it were much better to be a true Israelite, & to worship God purely in the land of Egypt, then to be an Egyptian and Idolater in the desert, or in the land of Chanaan, and there to worship the golden calues, and to take thought for the leekes, the onions, the fleshe, the fishe, & the pottes of Egypt, it were better to call vp­on the name of God in Egypt, and patiently to abide the tyrannie of Pharaoh, then to be from thence and murmure against God, and blaspheme him, as these old Idolaters, Isra­lites by name, and Egyptians in deede, hauing the body without, and the hearte in Egypt: as at this day it falleth out in manye. We haue knowne some, that haue boldly gone out of Egypt, as the monkes goe out of the worlde, They forsake the landes, the countries, the townes and the people of the worlde and of E­gypt, but they forsake neither the worlde nor [Page] Egypt, but cary it alwayes with them. They doe in deede put off their garmentes, and put on other: But they put not off their monkery and the old man, to put on the new man. They cannot change their old Egyptian, and Egyp­tian skinne. They cannot forget Sodome and Gomorrhe, nor put the hande to the Plough, without looking backe as Lots wise did.

Manye of these are not counted to re­turne into Egypt, but doe their endeuour to Sect. draw others backe thither, and to keepe them there still, as the [...]ies, whiche were sent to spy out the land of Chanaan: we are not igno­rant of the reportes which some make of coun­tries here about, wee deny not but there are great faultes and great imperfections in ma­ny, which boast themselues of the Gospell: but we woulde also that these delicate Israelites did vnderstād, that in going out of Egypt they must passe the Sea, and through the desert, be­fore they come to the land of Chanaan: and y^t fleshe shall not finde there all that it desireth. It must first beare & suffer muche, & enter into great dangers? these delicate christiās ought to think y^t they goe from among men, to liue a­mongst other men, & not among angels: for if we will finde out angels and liue among thē, we must goe seek them in Paradise, and not in [Page] this corruptible earth.

Yet what vice or imperfection soeuer there be Sect. in them, which be gone out of Egypt, & are in a countrey of libertie, yet this good they haue moreouer and besides, which is not small: that it is lawfull for all them (to whome GOD hath giuen such grace) to be good men, which they may be without danger of their life, which is not lawfull euery where: for the greatest faulte that is at this day in the world, and the greatest danger is to be a good man, and to be desirous to liue in the feare of God: if there be Egyptians mingled among the Israelites, yea though y^e number be great, yet is it no smal be­nefit of God to haue libertie to heare his word, and to serue him according to the same with­out feare and molestation of Pharaoh.

Wherfore I iudge it most safetie for them, Sect. which are yet in Egypt, to go out frō thēce al­together both corporally and spiritually if it possible, & if they haue any good opportunity to doe so: but I aduise them not to departe thence in body; if the heart renounce not the same al­together, it were better the bodye shoulde re­maine there together with the heart, then to doe as many doe, which are come to these partes, and haue begunne to murmure, when as they haue not found (not water as [Page] the Israelites in the desert:) But Malmesey, or Ipocrys, Quailes, Partriges, & a couered table: there come many which giue vs great & horrible offences, & commit execrable villa­nies vnworthie, not only for Christians, but for Turkes and Paganes: and then they com­plaine of the hardnes and barbarousnes of the people, which they haue found here, and slan­der the land wherein God is glorified. If they haue found the people hard & stiffnecked, they haue made them worse vnto vs, and more ob­stinate by their offences; and then to excuse thē selues they lay the burden on others.

I say not this that I woulde excuse the Sect. ingratitude, and barbarousnes amongest vs, which doth greatly displease me. I wil not de­nie, but that there is little feare of God, fayth, charity, and amendment of life in many, which giueth cause of offence euen to the best sorte: that which I sayd, I say to this ende, that those which are well minded should not lightly be­leeue all euill reportes, and shoulde not refuse through them to goe out of Egypt, if GOD graunt them opportunitie: and let them not cast their eye vpon them, for they haue not re­ceiued the Gospel for their sakes, but that they should haue a regard to Iesus Christ whome they serue, who wil not offend them, if they be [Page] his disciples: for euen as the good cannot alto­gether eschewe the euill, but that they shall finde of them in euerye place, if they departe not out of the world: euen so those which haue the feare of God cannot be there where Christ is purely preached, but they shall finde their like, at the least, the wicked that be there cannot hynder them from beeing good and seruing of God, if they haue a desire thereto: which they cannot be suffered to doe there, where it is he­resie and a greater offence, then murther to confesse Iesus Christ, as it behooueth a good Christian.

Wherefore I thinke as I haue alreadie Sect. sayd, that this departure out of Babylon, which is done both in body and soule, is the most sure and happy. For it is no smal good to be cōuer­sant with the faithfull at their publike pray­ers and preaching of the worde of God, and at the partaking of the Sacraments; as wee may easily knowe by the great desire that Da­uid had, to see the arke of the Lorde, & to praise him in his holy hill, and his tabernacle, with his chosen people. Why doeth he lament so much for the tabernacles of the Lorde? Yea, why doeth he crye with so great affection, O Lord how amyable are thy tabernacles? what [Page] loue is it that I beare to them? he was a pro­phet, he was not constrained to commit Idola­trie: what griefe susteyneth he, when as he is pursued by his enemies, and is separated from the church of God bodely? although he coulde not be separated spiritually? for he was better there being in the house of Achis, then Saule and all his enemies, which were bodely in the middest of the common weale and Churche of Israel: yet howe doeth it grieue him, that hee cannot prayse God in the place that hee hath chosen with his people? although he ceased not to prayse him alwayes where he was, and sing Psalmes vnto him? But he was not ignorant what fauour and goodnesse God sheweth tow­ardes his people, when they are assembled in his name: hee had had sufficiently tryed, howe the vertue of the holy Ghost doeth shewe forth it selfe in these holy assemblies, and in this bo­dy of Iesus Christ vnited together with his members corporally and spiritually, to glori­fie him all with one heart and voyce: why doe the poore captiues of Babylon so muche la­ment Hierusalem, but because they feele what a plague it is to bee so oppressed by tyran­nie, that men cannot haue anye good fourme of a Churche, nor yet serue [Page] God according to his pollicie and ordinances, nor make publike confession and profession thereof as the faithfull desire.

But because it is hard for all men to be a­ble Sect. to come to his felicitie, to depart wholy this day out of Egypt and Babylon both cor­porally and spiritually to liue in libertie: yet at the least it is necessarie to depart thence in heart and minde, if they cannot get thence in body: and how can this departure and separa­tion be, if we keepe not our selues from the fil­thines and abominations of this worlde; for that it is the true religion, as Saint Iames witnesseth. He that liueth amongst the Idola­ters and communicateth not with their Idola­tries and sinnes, he is much better separated from them, then he that is conuersant with the Godly, and hath his heart replenished with su­perstition and hypocrisie, for this separation is made by the holy Ghost; who separateth the elect and children of God, from the wicked and reprobate, and sanctifieth and dedicateth them to serue for his honour and glory, for this cause y^• christiās are called saints, & confesse y^e holy vniuersall Church. Seeing then that the Church is holy, & that it is nothing else but the assemblie and companie of the faithful, it follo­weth necessarily that al the faithfull, which are [Page] the members whereof this body consisteth, and that this cōpany assembled and made bee holy: for this cause we call it also the communion of Saintes. And S. Paule writing to the faith­full which haue receiued the Gospell, he salu­teth them, and called them Saintes, as it ap­peareth in all his Epistles: for what cause then are they called Saintes, but because they are separated from all prophane vses, and that they are drawen away from the seruice of the Diuell, the world, & the fleshe; & that they are wholy dedicated, consecrated, and sanctified to god to serue him only? for y^e scripture calleth y^e thing holy, which is secluded from all other vse, and which is nothing but to the seruice of God, and therefore the Lord called his people Leui. 19. 1. Pet. 1. Israell, the holy people, and commanded them to sanctifie them selues, saying be yee holy, for I am holy.

For this cause he hath separated and diui­ded them from all other people, and hath giuen Sect. them lawes, ordināces, and ceremonies, cleane vnlike to all other people, to keepe them bet­ter in his seruice, to this ende y^t they might not be defiled nor polluted with the superstitions, Idolatries, and abominations of others: wher­fore he hath endeuoured by all meanes to draw them from all companie and acquaintance [Page] with Idolaters, which might any way induce them to worship some other besides him selfe, or in other sort then hee had commanded: if it were all one, & that it were no sinne to be in company with Idolaters, and to communicate with them in their sacrifices & abominations, what neede was there that God should giue a Lawe? to what purpose hath he so charged the people of Israel with ceremonies, if it were lawfull for them to vse al indifferently as they lifted? why did Moses study all that he could, (being thereto appointed of god) to ordaine thē ceremonies [...]lat dissonāt & contrary to al their neyghbours about them, & al the Pagans & I­dolaters? It was for nothing els, but that first y^e Lord would foresee by this way, y^t they should haue no acquaintance and familiaritie with them in that which concerned the seruice of God, nor any similitude, wherby they might be induced to follow them or obey them, with such an opinion of false Gods as the Pagans haue. Then to the end it should not seeme they did like vnto them, & that y^t, which they did to the honour of their God, was done to the ho­nour of strange Gods: or y^t it might not seeme, that therby they did allow their manner of dea­ling: so farre is it y^t God would permit it to be lawfull for the people of Israel to communi­cate with the blasphemies, sacriledges, & abo­minations [Page] of Idolaters; that he would not suf­fer them only to haue any agreement with thē in ceremonies, & in their maner of doings w^t thē: he would not suffer them to haue so much as in the outward thinges, euen those which o­therwise might haue beene indifferent & law­ful: why did he forbid this so sharply, but for the causes aboue sayd, & to keepe his people al­waies y^• better w^tout wādering frō his seruice.

Wherfore if we wilbe accounted Gods peo­ple, Sect. The office of Gods people. we must be holy both in body & soule, & wit­nes by our words & works, y^t we are his chil­dren, & that y^e works of y^e wicked displease vs, or at the least y^t wee allowe them not: for whē y^e Apostle forbiddeth vs to be partakers of the works of darknes, & cōmandeth vs rather to reproue thē, he doth sufficiently shew vs, y^t wee cannot be childrē of light, if we do not wholy renounce darknes, & y^t we cānot be separated frō Idolaters & Infidels, if we cōfourme our selues to their maners, their works, & cōuersa­tion. And therfore for a man to boast himself to be faithful, & outwardly to allow idolatrie, & to giue good coūtenāce to idolatries are things w^t cānot agree together in a true seruāt of god. Let vs not think our selues excused before god, Sect. nor in y^e cōsciēce of those w^t are faithful indeed in saying: I know wel enough, what my heart is, what coūtenāce soeuer I cary, or what godly [Page] shew soeuer I make, yet put I no trust neither haue I any deuotion in Idoles, but I worship y^e onely God in my heart, it is better yet to doe thus, then to persecute the truth, and for a man to shewe himselfe an open enemie vnto God. But yet it is impossible that the heart should be free from Idolatrie, when al the body is de­filed, and doth reuerence vnto strange Gods, & to the enemie of God: what good heart soeuer a subiect can beare to his prince, yet could not the prince beare it, that he should do homage to another, & that he should cary weapon against his natural prince. Men say commonly that he y^e sweareth by art, for sweareth him selfe by art; we ought not to thinke that the heart remai­neth vnsworne, if the tongue forsweare it self; for we must vnderstand the othe according to the meaning of him that giueth it, and not after the meaning of him that receiueth it. And when we are partakers of the ceremonies, sa­crifices and Sacraments, whether they be of the faithful or infidels, we bynde our selues & sweare vnto that religion, by which we com­municate with them.

We haue then trimly sayde that our mea­ning is farre other, for God alloweth no So­phistrie: he cānot cal things by but their name: fraude and deceit is somewhat more honest a­mongest [Page] men, then manifest thefte, yet is it accounted before God for theft in deede, what name so euer men giue it: wherfore let vs not thinke that by our goodlie shewes, our Idola­try is so excused, that it is not Idolatrye, and a true kinde of renouncing Christ Iesus: although it seme to vs somewhat more alowa­ble, then to deny him openly. S. Peter denyed Christ with his mouth, he said, he was none of his, and do wee make anie more of him? what speech do our works vtter els but the same of S. Peter? where vnto tendeth our Idolatries and outward hipocrysies? but to let Infidels vnderstand that wee are not the Disciples of Christ Iesus, & that we know neither him nor his Gospel.

To replie, that we do it not with the hart, but Sect. the heart is farre otherwise: So was euen the heart of S. Peter: it grieued him greatly to deny Christ Iesus, but the infirmitie of y^e flesh & feare of death ouercame the christian constan­cie, which ought to haue bene in him, yet can we not excuse him, but that he sinned greatlie, and we are lesse to bee excused then he: for he denyed not Iesus Christ for feare of loosing his worldly goodes, or for any light cause as we customablie doe, but for feare of death, he went not to present him selfe willingly to re­nounce [Page] him as we doe, he went not to the By­shops houses, nor to the high Priestes of the Lawe to please them, or other of the Iewes; or to make them beleeue he was of their com­pany, or that he had no acquaintance or famili­aritie with Iesus, as they doe, which frequent the temples of Idols; he went thither to stand faythfully vnto him, as he had promised, & for y^e loue and affection he bare to him, yet was hee caught: and seeing how his maister was hand­led amongst the murderers, and veiwing the place where he was, fearing death, which was manifestly before his face, & was ouercome by the infirmitie of his flesh: for he was so troubled y^t he knewe not what he sayd or did, for that hee saw not Iesus Christ then, but as a poore mise­rable creature, forsakē of al men, for he had not yet such knowledg of his diuinitie, nor had not receiued the holy Ghost so abundantly as he had after.

But we that confesse Iesus Christ to be set Sect. at the right hand of God his father, aboue al y^e heauens, we tary not till our aduersarie vrge vs and presse vpon vs, and y^t tyrants constraine vs to renounce him, but imediatly of our own accord, & voluntarily we go to y^e assemblies of Idolaters to the same purpose, knowing well [Page] that we must needes dishonour Iesus Christ with them: & howe much y^e more they marke & behold vs, so much y^e more we shew our selues plentifull in all kindes of blasphemies & Ido­latries. There is not so smal an Idol wherūto we do not reuerence, wherunto we do not bow the knee, fearing to be accounted true scholers of Christ Iesus.

The auncient christians did so lightly e­steem Sect. these matters as we do, but they thought it so vile, so detestable, & vnworthie a thing for a christian, that hardly they would account thē for brethren & christians, which had not beene constant in the torments, and which liked bet­ter to forsake and forsweare Christ Iesus, then to suffer death, at the least those; which accoun­ted their life more deare to them then the glo­ry of Iesus Christ, hardly could they euer bee receiued into the ministerie of the Gospel: yet was it sufficient to the Idolaters and Infi­dels, that those whom they persecuted for chri­stians, should make onely the least shewe onely in the world to allow their doings, and to ho­nour their Idols by outward tokens: they ca­red not what the heart was, so that they might onely draw one woorde from their mouthes, or cause them to shewe foorth some ge­sture, whiche they might drawe to theyr [Page] aduantage to boast that they had made them to abiure.

But the fleshe wil replie, that if it should do o­therwise, Sect. it should put it self in danger of being persecuted, & to cause others to be persecuted, & should stir vp great offences. Neere are goodly reasons of mans wisedome, and very fit for the fleshe, and the schoole from whence they pro­ceede, I am in cōpany of Adulterers, which go into a brothell house and fearing to offende them, I enter in with them to keepe them com­panie. But some will replie againe that the Brothell house, and Idoles temple is not al one, but much worse: for what is Idolatrie and superstition else, but adultery and fornication with strāge gods, & y^e tēples of Idols, what are they els but brothel houses of Sathan? wherin we violate the fayth promysed to our Lord Ie­sus Christ, and wherin we giue our selues o­uer as whooremongers and adulterers vnto strange Goddes, and to the Diuel as to our lo­vers? I knowe not howe wee maye speake this more ciuilly, if we will not correct the speech, which the spirit of GOD hath vttered by his Prophets, whiche commonly vse these Exo. 16. kinde of speeches, when they preache a­gaynst the Idolatrye of the chyldren of Is­raell.

But a man may yet reply. Although the body be there, yet we consent not in heart, and yet we auoyde offence and persecution. Dina the daughter of Iacob, whom the Sonne of the king of Sichem rauished, consented not in heart to the wickednes of the adulterer, yet was shee not altogether without faulte, she was for all that corrupted and counted for an harlot; for if she had remayned in her fathers house without wandering abrode to go see the daughters of the countrie, she might haue auoi­ded that great inconuenience, whereby she fell into great dishonour and was cause of great euill.

Which of vs all would be content, if his wife Sect. after shee had yeelded her body to an adulterer, should make him this answeare, saying: al­though he had his pleasure of me, yet was it against my will; but because I saw my selfe a­mongst adulterers, fearing to be spoiled, & that they woulde cut my Purse, or take awaye my Gowne or my Kercheife, I consented to their will, but I did it vnwillingly, to auoyde that they might doe me no displeasure, and for the feare I had to offend and anger them. Had not the husband good cause to say, what hadst thou to doe in the brothels house? why wentest thou thither? had not it been better for thee to [Page] haue lost all y^t thou haddest, all thy Iewelles, thy rayment, yea, thy lyfe, then thy chastitie & soule, and to offend God; who commandeth vs to choose rather to dye, thē to breake his cō ­mandement, & violate y^e fayth & loyaltie, which thou haddest promised to thy husband.

As for that which some alleadg also concer­ning offence. Such disputers shew wel that Sect. they vnderstād not, or wil not vnderstād what an offence signifieth. For after that maner that they would auoyde offence, they declare that they vnderstand by offence, the disfauour that one may haue of men for that he doth, and the displeasure they may haue thereby: but if wee marke well in what sence the name of offence is taken in the holy scriptures, we shall finde it signifieth nothing els, but all hinderance, that we may giue to our brother by our euill exam­ple to make him stumble and wander out of y^e right way of saluation, or that we may take of others: for if we will take all that for offence, which men wilbe displeased at, wee can neuer serue God as we ought to do. For as S. Paul saith: If we shoulde please men, we coulde not Gala. 1. be the seruāts of God. The offence then which we ought to feare, it is all let that we may put either to our saluation, or to the saluation of our brother. If thē I enter into y^e brothel house Mat. 18. with whoremongers, & fearing to offend them [Page] commit wickednes amongst them, I giue two offēces in steede of auoyding one. First, in that by my dissimulation or agreement, I allowe iniquitie, and in allowing it, yeeld my selfe per­taker therof & faultie: for those sinne not only, which commit a wicked act, but those which in any sort consent therto & allow it, and after y^e fort such a one is an offence to himselfe; where­by he sheweth not to haue well vnderstood & cōsidered that which Iesus Christ saith. If thy eye, thy hand, or thy foote offend thee: that is to Mat. 5. say. If there be any thing which hindereth thy saluatiō, seeing it ought to be as deare & as pre­cious and necessarie as thine eyes, thy hand, or thy feet, cut & pul away al that, & loose it rather then wholy to perish. Further he is offēce to y^e wicked, whom he doth more confirme in their iniquitie, for insteede of reprehending of thē to drawe thē out of y^e same, they defend thēselues by him, & by him take occasiō to approoue it. Thirdly he offendeth the faythfull, & chiefly y^e weake: for whē they see him in y^e brothel house & with Idolaters, although his heart be farre otherwise, thē he sheweth himself outwardly: yet they y^t see him & cōsider his outward works they are troubled therwith in conscience, and are led by his example, eyther to doe the like, thinking y^t to be wel done, or to accoūt him for a wicked person, and so they cannot but [Page] but to be offended eyther one way or other, for a man cannot iudge of my heart according to my fancie, but he will iudge thereof according to his owne, and according to the testimonie, I giue him by my workes: And whatsoeuer I thinke, I cannot binde my neyghboure to my thought, and cannot enforce him to iudge other­wise then he seeth. And to thinke me a sheepe when hee seeth mee clothed in a Wolfes skinne.

For this cause S. Paule admonisheth vs, Sect. 8. Thes. [...]. that we should not onely keepe our selues frō euill, but from all shew and appearance of euil. Also for that cause he reproued y^e Corinthians, who did eate flesh offred vnto Idols, although the thing were indifferent of it selfe, and of it selfe was not euill, as is Idolatrie, which in no sort can be good: for we cannot commit it, but we must deny Iesus Christ. S. Paule re­prooued not the Corinthians, for hauing sacri­ficed in the Idol temples with Idolaters, for that was to intollerable for a Christian; but he reprooueth them onely, for that they bought in the shambles, and did eate at the tables of I­dolaters the fleshe that had beene offred to I­dols; It is almost, as if now we should buy the candles of that good Saint, not to offer them vp to Idols, but to light vs, as if wee shoulde [Page] light our selues by others, or as if wee shoulde buy bread hallowed by the Priestes, or of their hallowed candles, to serue our turne in the house like others without any superstition, or as if we should go banket at a frier house, pre­pared for the honour of some Saint, with the o­ther friers, & yet not doe it for any deuotion we bare to the Saint: the Corinthians did it not for deuotion, nor for any confidence they had in the Idols, nor yet to make the Idolaters beleeue, that they did any thing honour or re­uerence them, that they might the better be a­mongst them they did not that for anye re­ligion, nor as a Diuine seruice, but they did it to serue their necessities of their bodies, and as a ciuile thing: wherefore as touching them selues, and their owne con­science, they sinned not before God, nor agaynst the first table, yf there were no other respect but to them only, but because their worke be­came offēce to their neighbours, they sinned a­gainst their neighboure, & against the second table, & by consequent against the first table: against Iesus Christ, & against God, who will that we should serue to his glorie, & to the cha­ritie of our neighboure, which is ioyned there­with.

These then offended not God in vsing their [Page] christian libertie, knowinge that that fleshe did not differ from the other, seeing they nothing esteemed the Idole. But they offended him in that they abused this libertie to the offence of the simple, the ignorant, and the weake, whom they enforced to do thinges contrarie to their conscience: for amonge the Christians, which were at Corinthus, there were some of them more ignorant then others: And therefore they were not all yet well resolued in the matter of Christian libertie; for there were, which made conscience, to eate fleshe that had bene offered to Idols: because they had learned by the Gos­pell, that Idoles, and the seruice to Idols, was forbidden of God, and it seemed vnto them, that since the seruice of Idoles was so dis­pleasing to God, then they might in no wise vse that, which was once consecrated to Idols. It was the like case, as if nowe wee shoulde make consciēce to vse the goods of the church, and other things which were dedicated by our Ancestours to Idols and their temples: for although idols displease God, it followeth not therfore that I cannot applie to better vse, that, which the ignorant and Idolaters haue abused about Idols; and therefore those whiche had more vnderstanding of christian libertie, amōg the Corinthians, made no conscience to vse those things which were offered vnto Idols: [Page] for they did it not for honour to the Idols, nor for any opinion they had in the Idols; for they knewe well that the Idole was nothing, but in the imagination of him y^t thought it somwhat: wherefore the Idole was nothing to thē which had this vnderstanding, & were deliuered from the errours and foolish opinion and imagina­tiō of Idolaters, & therfore the Idol, nor y^e foo­lish cōceit, y^t Idolaters had of their idols, could not let the faythfull frō vsing the good crea­tures of God, but the ignorant which among y^e christians vnderstood not that point so well as others. And therefore it seemed to them, they could not vse any thing that had beene dedica­ted to Idols: but they shoulde testifie they did some reuerence to the Idols, and serue them: wherefore they made conscience therof, & did eate of that flesh in doubt, by reason of their ig­norance. This doubt & ignorance is y^e infirmi­tie, which S. Paule speaketh of in this place, but whē these ignorāt saw others eate of y^e flesh they were mooued by their exāple to eate ther­of as well as they, with this doubt & scruple of cōscience, wherin they offēded God: for seeing they doubted, there was no faith, but there was contēpt of God, seeing they did it against their conscience, what ignorāce soeuer there were: And therfore S. Paule reproueth them that were the cause thereof.

Moreouer, wherefore did S. Paule re­prooue Sect. S. Peter in Antioch before all that were present, for that he dissembled to eate flesh with the Gentiles, when he saw the Iewes en­ter which came from Hierusalem: to eate flesh and not to eate is a thing indifferent: and ther­fore S. Peter made it no conscience to eate fleshe with the Gentiles, but fearing to offend the Iewes which were weake, and which vn­derstood not yet that libertie, he withdrew him selfe from the table seeming not to eate: wher­fore S. Paule reproued him openly, although S. Peter did the same to a good intent, and for feare to offend, for in thinking to auoyd the of­fending of the Iewes, he offended the Gen­tiles with an offence much more dangerous: for insteede of withdrawing the Iewes from their Iudaisme, he enduced the gentiles to play the Iewes by his example, and troubled their conscience.

Then let vs consider if the holye Apostle Sect. coulde not allowe in these things indifferent, that the faithfull should vse their libertie with good conscience, as touching them selues, if therby they haue giuen any cause of offence to the weake to confirme them in any superstiti­on, or to stirre them vp to doe any thing against their conscience, howe he would permit [Page] that those, which went them selues to be of the faithfull should offend God, and their neigh­boure in thinges which are not indifferent, but altogether contrarie to the commandement of God, and much more execrable then one would thinke as he manifestly sheweth: for he hath ra­ther forbidden in his Law Idolatrie, and the honour and reuerence, which is done to Ima­ges then he hath done murder and adulterie.

Then if Saint Paule hath reprooued and Sect. condēned the Corinthians, who by their know­ledge and example in abusing their libertie li­cenciously haue giuen occasion to the ignorāt to eate flesh sacrificed vnto Idols with scruple and doubt of conscience: what would he say of those, which giue not onely occasion to others to honour and reuerence Idols against their conscience, but doe leade them to doe so, both by their doctrine and example? For to eate fleshe then offred to Idoles, as if one shoulde eate other fleshe, without hauing other opini­on of Idols then the faythfull haue, was not sinne in it selfe, to him that vsed it in that sort, but it was sinne to the ignorant and weake christians: which vnderstood not as yet their li­bertie, who did eate thereof not to such intent as Idolaters, which did eate thereof for honour to their idols but did eat therof with scruple of [Page] of conscience fearing thereby to offende God. There was then no sin in the vsage of y^e thing, as in it selfe, but y^t themselues brought therto by their ignorance, and the doubt in conscience they did put therin; for seeing they thought that fleshe and meate vncleane and defiled, although of it selfe, it were pure and cleane to the faith­full, which accounted it so, yet to them, was it polluted and vncleane, for it was not purified to them by the word of God, without the which euerie thing is vncleane to vs: seeing they were not yet well assured thereby, that they might eate therof without offending God, see­ing that assurance did fayle them, which they could not haue, but by the word of God: it follo­weth that that they did, was not done in fayth, and cōsequently that it was sinne: for what so­euer is done without fayth is sinne, and what soeuer is done without stedfast assurance of the woorde of GOD, with doubt of con­science, is done without fayth: wherefore fol­lowing the doctrine of S. Paule, wee cannot deny, but that is sinne: for the faythfull ought to doe nothing, nor take any thing in hande, whereof he is not playnly resolued and assu­red by the word of God, otherwise he sinneth: and therefore those, whiche knowing the libertie they hadde to eate of that flesh, [Page] fleshe, were cause by their example, that the o­thers did eate thereof with that doubt they had therein, they were cause that these sinned in that: they which had the knowledge of their libertie, had not sinned, if that they had not in that point beene an offence to the others: y^t is, if they had not emboldened them to eate a­gainst their conscience of that meate, whereof they stood in doubt: but those, that doe encou­rage others to communicate with Idolaters, they doe much worse without comparison, for that Idolatrie, whiche they commit, cannot be accounted as a thing indifferent, neither to them that haue knowledg nor to the ignorant, neither do I thinke, that a man, who hath the knowledge of the gospel, how little so euer it be, can communicate there without scruple of consciēce: those thē which induce them thither, are they not offensiue to them?

And if these outward adorations and hy­pocrisies Sect. were indifferent, and lawfull for Christians to vse, the children of the hebrewes and Daniell also had bene very rashe and ob­stinate Fooles, yf to saue their lyues, they woulde not haue fayned to obeye the kinges commaundemente, as others did, to al­leadge against this, that wee are then [Page] bound to confesse Iesus Christ manifestly, when we are required, or constrained to deny him, or confesse him by some euident signe, as they were constrained, but that otherwise we may dissemble the matter, especially when we are not knowen nor marked therein: I knowe not what sure foundation these reasons may haue, If we be bound to confesse Iesus Christ being in danger of life: I cannot vnderstande how it can be lawfull for vs to deny him bee­ing farre from danger.

But how can it be lawfull for vs to offend Sect. the faythfull, and to nourish and establish the faithfull in the errour of idolatrie for feare of troubling and offending the infidels; whome we cannot in better sorte offend, then in cheri­shing and confirming them in their superstiti­ons and abuses. It seemeth to mee that this feare of offending, is like to the charitie of some Anabaptistes, which haue beene of opini­on, that it was not lawfull for a Christian Ma­gistrate, by iustice to put all those to death or any other offendour, because Iesus Christ hath forbidden vs to reuenge euill; and for that hee hath commanded all christians to suffer all in­iuries patiently, this is a strange charitie: the shepheard for pittie and compassion he taketh on the Wolfes, he dare not hunt them from [Page] his flocke, but suffereth them to deuoure his sheepe, and taketh more pitie of the poore wolues then of his sheepe; and to be charita­ble towardes the wolues, will be more cruell to the sheepe then the wolues themselues.

But when all shall bee well examined, I Sect. feare much, that the disease of our fleshe procee­deth not so much from feare that it hath of of­fence, as for feare of death: wherefore without seeking reasons any further to prooue this, I aske but the testimonie of conscience, of those which loue rather to cloke their infirmitie with his vayle of feare they haue to offende, then flatly to confesse it. I aske then in consci­ence if they were out of dāger & in such liberty that they durst boldly confesse that they vnder­stand, whether for feare of offence they durst not speake of Iesus Christ, and whether they would ioyne themselues with Idolaters and keepe them companie in all their sacrifices & ceremonies? It is most certaine they woulde not, or els were they very euill instructed in the doctrine of Christ.

I deny not, but there are some things, wher­in we might beare with the weake, and where­in Sect. wee ought to bee well aduised to take from them all iust cause of offence. If the question be, whether I should eate fleshe or not eate. I [Page] may well vse my libertie, if by eating I know I may alienate & driue any poore ignorāt man from the Gospell, and in abstayning, may draw him to the knowledge of the Gospel, surely I ought to absteyne, and to haue more regard to the edyfying of him, then to my liberty, con­sidering that the Apostle sayth, knowledge puffeth vp, and charity doeth edyfie: for God hath not forbidden me to eate fleshe, or to ab­staine some dayes, rather then others, but hath left that to my choyce on condition, that I doe all thinges to his honour and glory, and to the edyfiyng of my neighbour.

But when question ariseth of any thing, Sect. which God hath expressely commanded or for­bidden, we must no longer there deliberate, or take counsell, or dispute whether we must doe it or no? For it resteth no longer in our power nor our iudgement: for the councell, is already taken, eyther we must doe it, or determine to make warre with God, and it is most certaine that God hath expressely forbidden, and with grieuous threatnings; that we should not ho­nour nor worship images nor strange Gods, nor yet bowe to them, nor doe any homage to them, nor to be partaker of the table of Di­uels, neither by hypocrisie, nor of purpose: wherefore we ought to beware thereof, if that we feare to incur the displeasure of indignati­on [Page] of almightie God, and rather to choose the bodily death: or if we haue done otherwise, we must craue mercy and pardon of God with teares and weeping, as Peter did.

I knowe well that some wise men, which take vpon them to teach others, and confesse Sect. Iesus Christ priuately, but deny him openly, tell the faythfull that if they dissemble not, they should put themselues in great danger & others with them, & could no longer serue in the church, but should leaue it in great trouble. It seemeth that suche men will gouerne the Church by their wisedome, and not leaue it to be gouerned of God by his prouidence: doe we thinke we can finde a Iesus Christ whom we may serue without Crosse, without persecu­tion, and without thornes? Thinke we to finde a Iesus Christ so delicate & soft as Ueluet? where shall we finde that the holy Apostles & true disciples of Christ Iesus haue consented to or allowed, eyther in word or deed, the idola­try & abomination of the Pagans, to auoyde dangers & persecutions for feare to trouble the churches? in deed such were y^e Apostles of cir­cumsciō, who did greatly molest & trouble S. Gal. 5. Phi. 1. 3. Paule, for they endeuoured to please men, be­cause they were enemies to y^e crosse, which they would not beare as S. Paul did.

After the iudgement of these men S. Paul was a great troubler of the church, for through out all places where he was, hee was persecu­ted alwayes, driuen away, banished, or impri­soned, because of him and the doctrine that hee preached many good and faythfull men haue been in danger to those, both bodies and goods, and many haue been put to death, and many townes & countries moued & troubled. If S. Paule would haue dissembled, supported and approoued their errours, abuses, and super­stitions of Iewes and Gentiles, without speaking so plainely, and reproouing and condemning them so openlye, both in worde and deede: hee might well haue auoyded all those inconueniences: shall we then condemne him, as vndiscrete, rash, arrogant, and one that were mad? but if he had done otherwise, and if he had pleased men, he had not beene the ser­uant of Iesus Christ, he had been a traytour to Gal. 1. his church, if for his owne bodily ease, and to procure the same to others hee had hidden the truth of God.

This great Apostle ought in deed to haue fea­red Sect. as much y^t the church shold find lack of him, if any harme should come to him, as of any of vs, for there had beene farre greater losse, yet did not that hinder him from executing his of­fice, [Page] according to the charge giuen him: he wil not appoint rules and limites to God, but hee followeth the rules & limites y^t God hath lefte vnto him, committing him self, & al things els to his prouidence: for he knoweth, that all daies and all the heyres of our heade are counted, and that nothing shall befall vnto vs, but by the ordinance of God, who win deter­mine nothing but to his glory and our saluati­on: if he wil that we suffer & dye for his name, our boundes, our troubles, yea our death shall doe better seruice perhaps to his Church, then our life; if he call vs out of this world, hee will send others into his harnest, if men be not alto­gether vnworthie thereof? If it please him that we liue and serue longer in his church, he is mighty and wise inough to keepe vs by such means, as shal please him w^tout our dreaming & inuenting means contrary to his wil: wher­fore as we ought not to tēpt God, nor procure harme or danger to our selues, so ought wee not for feare thereof, seeke strange meanes, nor doe that he hath forbidden, and to agree with I­dolaters.

But some will replie herevpon. Why then did S. Paule write that he made him selfe the Sect. seruant to all, and that to the Iewes he was a Iewe, and to the Gentiles a Gentile: Let vs Mat. 16. [Page] take heede we iniuirie not the Apostle, & make of him a viser to couer our fleshe, and to trans­fourme our Satan into an angel of light, who goeth about to withdrawe vs from our office, as Peter would haue peruerted Iesus Christ: that which S. Paule did, he did it to winne all to Iesus Christ: & that which we doe, & would couer our selues by the example of S. Paule, serueth to leese & turne away all men from Iesus Christ. Think we that S. Paule did so accommodate himselfe to others, that he play­ed the theefe with theeues, the whoremonger with whoremongers, the drinkard with drun­kards, & the idolater with idolaters? And whē he was in Ephesus, Cyprus, & Athens went he with idolaters to do reuerēce & offer sacrifices to Diana, Uenus, & to Minerua, to Iupiter, & to Neptune, or to any other Idol? did he not re­prooue and condemne idolatrie through al pla­ces where he came? was not that the cause, why the Infidels stirred vp so great troubles & per­secutions against him?

Why then did he enter into the churche to Sect. Act. 21. Act. 18. 19. purifie himselfe? why made he a vowe and sha­ued his heade? why did he circumcise Timo­thy? there is great difference betweene that, which S. Paul did, & that we would allow by his exāple: for they with ceremonies were cō ­manded [Page] of God, & therefore was it lawfull to edyfiyng, according to the christian liberty, vn­til that Iesus Christ was fully manifested, and that the Iewes were perfectly aduertised of y^e christian libertie, & of the abrogating of theyr ceremonies: wherefore the disciples did yeelde themselues to them for a time in these outward thinges, and therefore haue they vsed the cere­monies, as thinges indifferent to them, which attributed no merit vnto them, but did it to draw the Iewes to a greater knowledge, & fi­nally to withdraw them from all such obser­uations.

With the Gentiles in like sort S. Paul did Sect. well agree, as touching their ciuile & pollitike lawes, and their other indifferent kindes of dealing, which did nothing touch the consciēce: but we read not that he yeelded himselfe to thē at any time in their false religiō & idolatrie, for he could not do it without offēding god, seeing that y^t idolatrie was forbidden & condemned of God, as y^t also which is now amōgst the Pa­pistes: for it is inuented of men against the cō ­mandement of God, it hath nothing like to the iewish ceremonies, at that time obserued of the Apostles, but it is like altogether to y^e idolatry of Pagans & to y^e iudaisme y^e now is amongst y^e Iewes, whō he cannot folow w^tout denying [Page] Iesus Christ after this great manifestation which we haue receiued of him.

And although S. Paule did beare with the Sect. Gal. 4. Gal. 2. Act. 16. Iewes for a time, yet when he vnderstood that some of them confirmed them selues in super­stition, and that they desired these ceremonies as necessarie to saluation, he cryed out agaynst them, and condemned them openly; and when he saw some false brethren come to espie out his libertie, he would not circumcise Titus, as he had done Timothie, but thought y^e circū ­sicion damnable, which notwithstanding hee had vsed before, but yet as a thing indifferent: for the occasions and circumstances did wholy differ.

Now let vs consider howe those are like to S. Paule, which will couer their Idolatry by his example, when S. Paule knoweth that y^t he doth in things lawfull for a time, confirmeth the superstitions in their errour, and that they require the thing which he accounted as new­ter, as necessary to saluation, he will no longer beare with them, but condemneth them opēly: and when of purpose anie come to espie him, of purpose he reiecteth to them, without fea­ring to offend eyther the false brethren, or the Infidels: for these are the offences of the Pha­risees, which are not giuen them, but they take [Page] them of themselues. Contrariwise our hypo­crites, and dissemblers in thinges expressely forbidden of God, ful of blasphemie and sacri­ledge, whiche the Idolaters account to be ne­cessary for saluation, they will please them in it, and fayne themselues like vnto them; and how much y^e more they are marked of them, so muche more they blaspheme: they carye so good countenance and counterfeite the papist so well, that they passe all the rest in Idolatrie, to the ende they maye bee accounted for good christians, that is, for perfect Idolaters; such as they are, which watch them, so that no man can suspect or thinke otherwise of them.

Wherefore to alleadge that in the sacrifices Sect. of Idolaters, the supper of Iesus Christ is there celebrated, it is too much to blaspheme Christ Iesus. If S. Paule haue written to those which did eate fleshe sacrificed to Idols, without worshipping the Idols, that they are partakers of the tables of Diuels in so doing: & that they cannot be partakers therof, and of 2. Cor. [...]. the table of Iesus Christ both together. What would he say of those, which wil ioyne the ta­ble and supper of Iesus Christ with the table of Diuels, and with the sacrifices wherein Ie­sus Christ is flatly denied and blasphemed? [Page] suche sacrifices are commanded or forbidden of GOD, if they bee of GOD wee ought 2. Cor. 6. to bee suche as they that followe them, if they bee against God, howe can wee ioyne Christ and beliall.

Some reply again vpon this and say, wher­fore Sect. then doth S. Paule write, I will that men pray in euery place, lifting vp pure handes without wrath or dissentiō, seeing he willeth y^t the faythfull man pray in euery place gene­rally without exception, it followeth then that it is lawfull for him to pray in the temples of Idols, so that he pray to God, and not to the I­dols. We neede not make any other answeare vpon this replye▪ but that whiche is alreadie made, if there were nothing but the offence that might arise thereof, the cause is sufficient to condemne him which should goe thither to make prayer, seeing hee hath places enough else for that purpose, without choosing or ac­counting of that place, more then another: for if hee desire to call vpon and to honour God, he may doe that in his house, and enter into his Chamber according to the councel of Iesus Christ, and pray to thy heauenly father in se­cret, who seeth him as well as if he were in an [Page] open place, and he wil rewarde him openly. If he desire to pray openly to be seene of men, & to Mat. 6. receiue prayse therefore, as the Scribes and Pharisees, he hath receiued his rewarde alre­die with them, he witnesseth thereby, that hee is not the true Disciple of Iesus Christ, but that he seeketh his owne glory, not the glorye of GOD; if hee bee desirous and willing to gloryfie GOD before men, to stirre them vp by his example to doe the like, or to confesse him, and to make protestation and profession of his fayth before all men: he must goe into the assemblies of the faythfull wherein God is sanctified, not to those of Idolaters where GOD is blasphemed, or if hee will confesse him amongest Idolaters, hee must doe it ra­ther in shewing him selfe to despise theyr assemblies, and that GOD cannot there bee honoured, but by dooing honour in the place dedicated and consecrated to the di­uell, declaring thereby, that hee thinketh that GOD maye then bee honou­red.

And if there were no more, but Sect. that whiche Saynte Paule addeth lifting vppe pure handes, hee declareth suffi­sufficiently [Page] that men cannot do that in a place, where there is any sparke of Idolatrie and su­perstition. For how can hee lift vp his handes pure vnto God, who hath polluted and defiled thē by idolatrie? for when God requireth pure handes, he sheweth plainely that hee will haue both y^e heart & the body pure & cleane, without any spot or pollution: and we cannot deny but he is subiect to such pollutions & spots, whiche doth homages to the Diuell, and dishonoureth God in that point, and killeth and murdereth Exod. 3. the soule and conscience of his brother, and be­commeth guiltie of his blood, which shalbe re­quired at his handes, the which he hath pollu­ted and defiled therewith.

And therefore this place cannot serue them, Sect. but to condemne them the more. For S. Paule pretendeth not by these woordes to induce the faythfull to frequent the assemblies of Idola­tries, and there to make their prayers and sup­plications, but rather to withdraw them from it, giuing them to vnderstand therby: that they ought not to take care where to pray, thought they haue no materiall temple, for they them­ [...] are y^e true tēple of god: wherfore in what 1. Cor. 6. Ephe, 2. [...]e soeuer they be, Iesus Christ dwelleth by fayth in their hearte, and so they are alwayes in the temple of God: wherefore God no lesse [Page] heareth their prayers, then theirs which wor­shipped him in the tēple of Hierusalem, which Ioh. 12. ought now to haue beene abolished, to the ende that Iesus Christ the true spirituall temple might onely haue place amongest the christi­ans and faithfull: and therefore after that S. Paule hath made mention of the christian as­semblies, and hath exhorted Timothie to make 1. Tim. 2. prayers for all estates, and for all kinde of men; he sayth after, that the same must be done in euery place, to the intent the faythfull may vn­derstand, they are not tyed to the obseruation of the Iewes, nor to their Temple, and there­fore are they much lesse to the temple of Ido­laters.

There is yet another place which they will haue to serue their turne, because S. Paule Sect. saith. If any brother haue an infidel to his wife and she consent to dwell with him: Let him not forsake her. And the woman that hath an 1. Cor. [...]. Infidel to her husband, & he be content to dwel with her: Let her not forsake him, for the vn­belieuing husbād is sanctified by the belieuing wife, and the vnbelieuing wife is sanctified by the belieuing husband, otherwise your childrē were polluted & vncleane, but now are they ho­ly. They wil conclude by this, y^t if it be lawfull for the faythful to dwel with his infidel wife, & [Page] to vse her, and to be serued of her, that by the same reason, they maye also vse the ceremo­nies and manners of doing, which are amongst the superstitious and Idolaters. For if they be polluted and defiled to the Infidels, yet are they not so to them, but are cleane and holye, for to the cleane, are all things cleane, but to the vncleane and Infidelles, all thinges are Tit. 1 [...]. vncleane. They saye further, that euen as the Apostle will that the partie faythfull for­sake not the Infidell, if shee consent to dwell with him, because the husbande or the wife beeing faythfull knowe not whether they can winne the partie vnfaythfull, so they knowe not whether GOD by theyr meane will winne and call backe the poore blinde and ignorant.

I am greatly ashamed when I see the Sect. Christians dallye in this sorte with the word of GOD, and drawe it so violently by the hayre, to make it serue for their blasphemie: what agreement is there betweene the par­tie infidell and the Idoles, If Saint Paule had sayde that of a Whoore or Whooremon­ger, and had allowed that the faythfull man might dwell with an Harlot, and vse her in whooredome, although she were an Infidell; [Page] if shee would cary with him, or a whooremon­ger with a Christian woman, their argument and comparison had some coulor, but the Apo­stle speaketh in this place of such as are ioyned by lawfull marriage, for marriage is of such authoritie, and so fast and indissoluble, that God will not that it should be broken or violated, nor that y^e husband or y^e wife separate thēselues one from another, although one of them should stricke obstinately in infidelitie, if that the par­tie vnfaythfull woulde not hinder the faythful to doe his duetie to God: for if the husbande would not suffer his wife with him, except she would forsake Iesus Christ, but that he would driue her away and forsake her, if she would not so doe to consent to his infidelitie & idolatry: in such a case S. Paule wil not y^• the wife be sub­iect to y^e husband, or y^e husband tied to y^e wife, he alloweth in such a case, that the faythfull for­sake rather the infidell, then God, and that he suffer her to depart from him, rather then to suffer himselfe separated from Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 7. For in such cases it is fitte to practise y^e which Christ Iesus hath said. He that leaueth not fa­ther and mother, brother, sister, wife, and chil­dren, goodes, possessions, for my sake, he is not worthy of me.

But if the infidell suffer the faythfull Sect. [Page] to liue in his libertie and religion, then the ho­ly Apostle, will that he beare with the Infidell and not to reiect her nor forsake her therefore: and that for two causes. First to shew what ho­nour we owe vnto the holy ordinances of God, and in what reputation we ought to haue the holy marriage. Secondly, because there is yet some hope of winning the infidell, for al­though the wife of the christian be yet a Pa­pist, or Infidel, and Idolater, yet if in other thinges shee doe the office of an obedient wife towardes her husband, if she bee a good hus­wife and doe gouerne his family well, and ren­dereth vnto him the duetie and reuerence shee oweth vnto him, he ought to keepe her: sith God hath giuen her vnto him, and ioyned her with him? For although she be an Infidel, yet her infidelitie cannot hurt her faythfull hus­band, if he be not partaker thereof, his faith can not be made voyde by the infidelitie and Ido­latry of his wife, whilest he perseuereth therin, and alloweth not the infidelitie and Idolatry of his wife, but reprooueth her, and endeuou­reth to correct her as much as he can: yet the Apostle will not that the faythful partie should communicate with the infidelitie and Idola­trie of the other in hope to winne her, for it were a slēder gain to loose two, in steed of win­ning [Page] one, but wil that the faithfull partie keepe it selfe pure and cleane, and separate it selfe ra­ther then to consent to that.

And therefore this place is flat contrary vn­to Sect. them that alleadge it for their defence. for if Saint Paule, doeth permit the faithfull partie to choose rather to bee separated, then to con­sent to the infidelitie and idolatrie of the other, which is, one body, one flesh and blood with her: howe can he allowe that wee shoulde consente to idolatrie, to dwel with those which haue not the thirde part of such coniunction with vs, as the husbande and the wife haue together? If God, who hath commanded that the man should leaue father & mother, & cleaue & ioyne to his wife, will y^t man forsake her rather, thē to deny his worde, how can he like we shoulde commit such Sacrileges, to keepe our selues still a­mongest those, which are nothing in compari­son to vs, or touch vs very little; for what signi­fieth these words els: If the infidel go his way 1. Cor. 7. and depart, let him go: for the brother or y^e sister are not subiect in suche matters? What els doth this meane, but that if the infidell doe her duetie in the rest, and if there bee no disagree­ment but for religion, that there can be no sepa­ration for that, for els it were doubtful. For many husbandes vnder colour of the Gospel, [Page] woulde forsake their wiues, and many wiues their husbandes, and one knoweth not whether the partie faithfull can bring the other to the knowledge of the trueth, wherein there is yet more hope that a man may profite with a Pa­pist, then with a Pagā, as they were in the time of Saint Paule. For in the action of religi­on there is more agreement betweene the faith­full and the papists, then there was at y^t time be­tweene y^e faithfull & the Pagans: but if the par­tie Infidell be so peruerse, y^t it is not possible to dwell with it without forsaking Iesus Christ, the bond wherewith we are tyed to it, ought to be stronger.

Although then that the partie Infidell dis­please Sect. God, because of her infidelitie, yet doeth it not followe thereby, that I may not vse it in that for which God hath giuen it vnto me, & ac­cording to his order that hee hath set among men as well as with any other creature of god, as with the Magistrate, the Prince, and the fa­ther being infidels: for if God haue giuen mee a Magistrate, or a Prince that is an Infidell, I may vse him as touching his office without of­fence to God, for although hee bee an Infidell and displeaseth God therein, yet his office cea­seth not to bee of God: and therefore I may [Page] vse him to the honour of God, in all things that concerne the office of a true Magistrate, so that I consent not, or agree to his Idolatrie. For although that he through his infidelitie cannot please God in his own person, yet to me which vse him according to the ordinance of God, he is holy. In this maner Saint Paul did vse the Burgesses of Rome, and did appeale before the Emperour, and vsed the Pagan Magistrates to defend his cause in that they were Ministers of God: but he did neuer therefore allowe the Idolatrie of Rome, nor consented to any thing that was against God, so the faithfull man may vse his vnfaithfull wife: if he be to marry, hee doth euill, if he take her to wife, whom hee kno­weth to be an infidel, but if he haue her alredie, before hee knowe the trueth, and shee will not receiue the trueth with him, he may vse her not withstanding as his wife, for although shee bee euill and polluted before God as touching her selfe, yet is she sanctified to the vse of the faith­full, Iob. 1. for seeing all belongeth to God, the faith­ful man may vse all y^t belongeth to God; as his owne, because hee is the childe of God, and for 1. Cor. 13. that all the treasures of God belongeth vnto him, for all is ours.

But the Infidell cannot vse any thing what­soeuer Sect. it is without sinning & offending God, there is nothing so cleane, which hee polluteth not: for seeing hee is defiled, and is not purified nor cleansed by faith in Iesus Christe; All things are vncleane to him, and he polluteth all thinges: seeing that by faith, hee is not the childe of God, hee cannot vse the goods and creatures of God, but as a theefe, vsurping that which nothing apperteineth to him: for as all thinges are cleane to the cleane, so on the con­trary, euery thing is vncleane to them that are defiled and Infidels, or that haue not a pure conscience, but are separated from all good workes. And therefore although the wife bee faithfull, if the husband be an Infidell, yet the wife, although in her selfe shee bee holy & san­ctified vnto God, yet shee is prophane and pol­luted to the husbande, as touching his vse, for seeing hee is none of the children of God, hee is not worthy to haue his creatures serue him. Wherefore hee doeth iniurie both to the Crea­tor, and creature, when hee maketh her to serue him, & he will not serue the Creator, who hath [...] her to his vse, and to whome that crea­ture serueth: contrariwise, if the wife bee faith­full, although the husband bee an Infidell, yet the husbande who in himselfe is polluted and [Page] dedicated to the Deuill; yet is he notwithstan­ding holy vnto her, and sanctified as to her vse, that is, she may vse him as her husbande in that which concerneth the estate and office of mari­age without offēce to God. The vnfaithful hus­band is as well sanctified vnto her, as the breade 1. Tim. 4. which she eateth, and as other thinges which she vseth with giuing of thankes.

Also the father that is an infidell is sanctifi­ed Sect. to the faithfull child [...], and the children of the faithfull and vnfaithfull are holy, because of the faithfull, and though the children shoulde be in­fidels, yet the party faithfull might vse them in that which is due to the childe, by the father and mother, without offence to God, as well as we may vse a horse or an asse, according to their nature, although they be not men, nor haue not fayth: for we serue our selues with them, as the good creatures of God, in that wherevnto they are created.

But wee must alwayes beware, that we a­buse not the creatures, and that we peruert not Sect. the vse of them, for although it be lawful for me to vse my wife, if shee be an infidel, as touching the state of marriage, yet is it not lawfull for me to vse an other woman in whoredome, al­though shee be a Christian: for whoredome is Exod. 20. Math. 7. not ordeined of God, as holy matrimonie is, but [Page] forbidden and condemned, and therefore as re­ligion cannot separate marriage, if marriage hinder not, nor take away the religion, so reli­gion cannot make whoredome good, but whore­dome doth breake and violate the religion.

Wee ought to thinke euen so of idolatrie: Sect. for although it be lawful for me, to vse the same corne and bread for my nourishment, which ido­laters vse for theirs, and also of the same wood that they warme them selues with, to nourishe and warme me as they doe, yet is it not lawfull for mee to vse breade and wine, that they haue consecrated in the table of deuils, and of which they haue made an Idol: nor likewise of their wood in that maner that they vse it to idolatrie, for they put it to an other vse, then it was ordei­ned of God, & they peruert the order of his cre­atures, & therefore they abuse them; And so is it no longer vse, but abuse, sinne, and a detestable fault: for the idole can in no sort be sanctified to God, seeing thereby he is dishonoured; It can please him no more, then the harlot which alto­gether resisteth his will.

And therfore those which make such allega­tions, may well consider what violence they do Sect. vnto the scriptures, & whether they speake well to y^e purpose, to compare the idols consecrated to y^e diuel, to the holy marriage, & to the lawfull [Page] vse of the good creature of God: for no man can vse the idolles to good in that maner that they are ordered amongst the idolaters. These men that make such comparisons, put me in mind of y^e whoremongers, which say, when any reproo­ueth thē of whoredom, why then did God make women but to serue mans turne? It is true that God hath made woman to serue man to his glo­ry, but he hath not created her that man shoulde abuse her, and should dishonour and blaspheme God by her: and therefore he hath limitted vnto him, the vse of her, & how he ought to serue him selfe by her, & wherin money is created of God, & likewise corne & wine, yet is there a meane in vsing of it: there is in this an order amongst men, so that I vse of mine owne authoritie mo­ney, which God hath put into the hands of ano­ther, & if I take it for my selfe, without his will and consent, and by other meanes thē God hath appoynted, I am a thiefe. Also if I vse a wo­man as my wife out of marriage, I abuse y^e cre­ature of God, & am a whoremonger, if it be so of the good creatures of God, what ought it to be of y^e ceremonies, superstitions, & inuented idols of the diuell, agaynst the commaundement of God? howe can they be holy to me? howe can I please God in corrupting his creatures and peruerting his orders?

I am not ignoraunt of the other replicati­ons Sect. and obiections that men haue accustomed to make, to peruert all the argumentes and rea­sons heretofore alleadged, to confirme our opi­nion. It seemeth to them whiche are of the con­trary opinion, y^t they haue confuted al y^e strong­est arguments, y^t we can alleadge touching this matter, and that they haue wholly wonne the fielde, in that they make them selues beleeue there is great difference betweene them and these examples, which wee vse to beate downe their opinion: they further alwayes abuse them selues, that it seemeth to them, that the sacrifi­ces of Idolaters, with whome they are conuer­sant, howe impure so euer they bee, yet are not offered, but to the honor of the true God (whom they confesse with vs) not to the honour of strange goddes: And therefore it seemeth to them, there is great difference betweene these sacrifices, and those of the pagans. Sect.

They are very ignoraunt, if they thinke there was neuer people nor nation, whiche thought to worship and honour any other then the true God, the Scripture condemneth not simply the pagans and idolaters for worship­ping any thing but God, and hauing serued the diuell in steede of him, but because that going about to serue God after their owne fancie, and not according to his worde, in steede of seruing [Page] God, they haue serued the diuell goddes that they haue forged of their owne braine, their in­tent was good to haue serued the true God, but because it was not directed according to his worde, and they imagined God after their own fancie, and measured him after their affec­tion; the holy ghost condemneth them, and cal­leth them a people without a God, and sayeth their gods are diuels.

What difference then is there betweene the Sect. Ephe. 2. Psal. 95. Israelites and the Pagans? why is that god whom the Israelites serue, taken for the true God, and those of the Gentiles, for Idols, Di­uels, and false gods? there is no other reason, but that because the Israelites serue God ac­cording to his lawe, and receiue him as he pre­senteth and manifesteth himself to them, and do not disguise him as they list, neither put they other garmentes on him then hee hath taken to himselfe: and therefore hee is to them the true God, but because the Pagans and Idolaters woulde colour and disguise him by their inuen­tions, ceremonies, and superstitions after their owne fancie, and woulde haue that to be good to him, which seemed good to them, and woulde subiect him to their lawes, where they ought to be subiect to his, they haue wholie lost him.

Seeing then that they seeke God by other Sect. [Page] meanes, then those by which he will be knowne and honoured, they cannot find him: but in steed of God, who hath made them, they find out gods that they themselues haue made, by the imagi­nation of their owne vnderstanding, for God cannot be other then he is: wherefore if we at­tribute that vnto him, which apperteyneth not to him, or take that from him, which appertay­neth to him, he ceaseth not in his essence & ma­iestie to be alwayes God, but vnto vs, he is no more God, but is changed to vs into the idole whiche our affections hath forged vnto vs, but the idole which we haue faigned to our selues, cannot be God: wherefore we haue already al­tered him into a diuell, which ought to bee God vnto vs, seeyng we would order him according to our pleasure.

Let vs now cōsider, if there be any other diffe­rence Sect. betweene those which followe the trueth of the Gospel, and the others which will serue God after mens traditions, thē this, wherof we speake: what is there that letteth vs frō being at agreement with thē, but this difference? for we confesse al one God, one Iesus Christ, one Go­spel, and like articles of the fayth, and yet is there as great difference betweene the one and the other, as betweene heauen and earth: for see­ing God is serued in vaine by the doctrines and [Page] commaundementes of men, it followeth neces­sarily, Esai. 29. Mat. 15. that those whiche serue him otherwise then hee hath commaunded, serue him not: it must needes be then, that they serue a God, who is not God in deede, but onely in imagination, for although they confesse God with the mouth, yet they denie him in woorkes. Those then Tit. 1. which are acquainted with them, and do as they do, wherein doe they differ from them, but that some are more ignorant then others? and there­fore lesse to bee excused: for it is good reason, y^t the seruant which knoweth his masters wil and doth it not, should be more grieuously punished, then he that neither knoweth it, nor doeth it.

The others, because they haue not the true Sect. knowledge of God, doe dedicate their bodies & soules to their half gods: Thou y^t hast y^e know­ledge of God, & knowest how he wil be serued, thou wilt part stakes with him, thou wilt make the parts, & distribute thē as thou list: thou saiest thou giuest y^e heart & y^e soule to God: & who shal haue the body, the diuel? God hath no parting with the diuel, he will haue the body & the soule whollie, or els he wil haue neither, if he had not promised life eternal, but to the soule, & that hee woulde onely glorifie it, and leaue the body in corruption and damnation, there were some more colour to serue God with y^e heart & soule, [Page] and his aduersarie with the body, but seeyng he will glorifie both the one and the other, and that he hath sanctified them to dwel in them, and to transforme them to his image: howe is it 1. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. possible that the soule shoulde carrie the marke and image of God, and the body the image of the diuell? howe is it possible, that a man who is but one shoulde be deuided into two, that hee may well serue two masters, without offending the one or the other? Iesus Christ hath saide it is impossible to serue well two masters. If it be not possible to serue God and riches, howe can Mat. 6. we serue God and Idols, and the diuel in them?

But least perhappes it seeme that these Sect. reasons be not sufficient, and that there is no­thing like between the papists and the pagans: let vs take a more euident exāple. What other difference was there betwixt Iuda and Israel, after y^t Ieroboam had made the golden calues, but that whiche is betweene vs and our aduer­saries, all of them did boast to bee the people of God, the sonnes of Abraham, and to haue recei­ued the lawe of the Lord by Moses: The Israe­lites did knowe their calues of gold, and their images of Baal were not goddes, but they kept them for a remembrance of GOD, and to honour him by them: they had no other opinion then the Christians haue of theyrs, [Page] they did not vnderstande, that they had forsaken God to serue an other. The prophetes haue not yet refused to accuse them to haue forsaken God, to serue strange Gods, and to threaten them with his iudgement. Did Helias alowe the doing of those which serued Baal, in time of the greate persecution which Iesabel put in practise against the faithfull? And the seuen thousand, which God hath reserued to himself, are they only praysed in that they did not honor Baal with the heart? are they not expresly prai­sed in that he bowed not the knee to him, and did him no homage, honour, nor reuerence, and that they kept their bodies without being pol­luted and defiled amongst others with the sa­crilidges and abhominations of Baal?

Wee haue no reasons which the Idolaters in this time cannot bring for their defence, they Sect. coulde alleadge that the people, which serued Baal, were not Pagans, but their owne bre­thren brought vp one religion, on lawe, and one faith with them: wee haue no colour for to set out our Images and our gods, whether they be of golde, siluer, wood, stones, bread or meate, which they had not to colour Baal, and the Io. 3. golden Calues, and especially the brasen Ser­pent. For that Image had much more rea­son and greater shewe then all ours, and so [Page] and his aduersarie with the body, but seeyng he will glorifie both the one and the other, and that he hath sanctified them to dwel in them, and to transforme them to his image: howe is it 1. Cor. 13. 2. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. possible that the soule shoulde carrie the marke and image of God, and the body the image of the diuell? howe is it possible, that a man who is but one shoulde be deuided into two, that hee may well serue two masters, without offending the one or the other? Iesus Christ hath saide it is impossible to serue well two masters. If it be not possible to serue God and riches, howe can Mat. 6. we serue God and Idols, and the diuel in them?

But least perhappes it seeme that these Sect. reasons be not sufficient, and that there is no­thing like between the papists and the pagans: let vs take a more euident exāple. What other difference was there betwixt Iuda and Israel, after y^t Ieroboam had made the golden calues, but that whiche is betweene vs and our aduer­saries, all of them did boast to bee the people of God, the sonnes of Abraham, and to haue recei­ued the lawe of the Lord by Moses: The Israe­lites did knowe their calues of gold, and their images of Baal were not goddes, but they kept them for a remembrance of GOD, and to honour him by them: they had no other opinion then the Christians haue of theyrs, [Page] they did not vnderstande, that they had forsaken God to serue an other. The prophetes haue not yet refused to accuse them to haue forsaken God, to serue strange Gods, and to threaten them with his iudgement. Did Helias alowe the doing of those which serued Baal, in time of the greate persecution which Iesabel put in practise against the faithfull? And the seuen thousand, which God hath reserued to himself, are they only praysed in that they did not honor Baal with the heart? are they not expresly prai­sed in that he bowed not the knee to him, and did him no homage, honour, nor reuerence, and that they kept their bodies without being pol­luted and defiled amongst others with the sa­crilidges and abhominations of Baal?

Wee haue no reasons which the Idolaters Sect. in this time cannot bring for their defence, they coulde alleadge that the people, which serued Baal, were not Pagans, but their owne bre­thren brought vp one religion, on lawe, and one faith with them: wee haue no colour for to set out our Images and our gods, whether they be of golde, siluer, wood, stones, bread or meate, which they had not to colour Baal, and the Io. 3. golden Calues, and especially the brasen Ser­pent. For that Image had much more rea­son and greater shewe then all ours, and so [Page] much more dangerous was it: if we may speak of the persecutiōs, and of the feare of Tyrants, I doubt not, but it was cruell, and more cruell in Helias time then in ours. Heliah saith not without cause, they haue killed thy Prophetes [...]. Reg. 19. and there is none left, but I, whome they seeke to the death.

But I maruaile at those, which will make thēselues a buckler of Abdas, Achas his stew­arde, Sect. saying, he was one of the faithfull fearing God, and yet was seruant to Achab and that peruerse Iesabell: Wherefore it is not like that hee can tarie in their seruice without ser­uing of Baal, as they did at the least in outward shewe: this reason is but a vaine thought and an imagination and presumption of mans vnder­standing: for there is not one worde in all the historie, no not one sillable, by which they can prooue this Imagination; but rather altoge­ther the contrarie: and woulde to GOD that those which will arme them selues with this example, had as good a minde and af­fection to hide the poore persecuted, and to succoure them in their necessitie, as Abdias had, and shewed in deede to the prophets and faithfull of his time: and though Abdias had done that which they presume and imagine, it followeth not therefore that he was allowed of [Page] God, no more then other sinnes of the saints.saints. Sect.

But beholde, yet an other replie, which see­meth not apparant, if it be so dangerous a thing 4. Reg. 5. & so contrary to the will of God to be partaker of y^e ceremonies & sacrifices of the papists, why did Elizeus answere Naaman the Assyrian, go thy way in peace? After that Naaman said vn­to him, when my Lord shall enter into the tem­ple of Remmon to worship, & shall leaue vpon my hand, & on my shoulder, pray the Lord that he wil pardō me thy seruant for this thing, if I worship in the temple of Remmō, when I shall worship in the same place: Elizeus maketh no difficultie to suffer him so to do, he condemmeth it not, as a damnable thing that he should enter into the temples of idols w^t the Pagans, & that he should be present at their sacrifice, so that he worship God in his heart, why shal wee then be rather forbidden, to cōmunicate in like sort w^t those y^t are Christians as we are, then Naaman w^t the pagās, who were in deed enemies to god?

This exāple shall serue vs no more then y^t of S. Paul: it might serue your turn if you were like to Naaman, & if to doe seruice vnto any, to whom you were bound in y^e sight of God, you should go w^t thē in y^t sort, y^t Naaman kept com­pany w^t his lord. For he went not thither to cō ­mit idolatry, as he did, or to allow his idolatry, [Page] but to serue him as a seruant, in his necessities? Wherefore we must vnderstand, that, to wor­ship, is often taken in scripture to bow, and do reuerence by outwarde signes and gestures, as wee doe to kinges and Princes, the Idolaters to their Idols, and the faithfull also to God, when as by outwarde gestures and signes they will declare the humilitie of their heart, and the reuerence they beare to God: but Naaman re­quireth not to bee suffered to kneele and doe re­uerence before the God Remmon: and to wor­ship notwithstanding the true God in his heart, to declare by outwarde signes, that hee beareth reuerence to the God Remmon, to please the king as they do, which by outward gestures do worship the host and Images, and yet say their heart is not there, but that by it they worshippe Iesus Christ in heauen, and the father in spirite and truth.

Naaman speaketh not of that adoration as Sect. touching himselfe; but only of the reuerence he ought to shewe in seruing the king, when hee woulde kneele or bow downe before Remmon. For seeing hee must bee in the seruice of his Prince, and stay him when he leaned vpon him, the king coulde not bowe, but that Naa­man also was enclined to bowe that the king might leaue vpon him: But Naaman did it not [Page] for Remmon as the king did, nor to make the king beleeue that he honoured Remmon, as he did, fearing to displease him, but hee did it not only to serue his Prince according to his due­tie, for before hee agreed to that hee promised, and witnessed openly that hee would doe no sa­crifice to the strange gods, but to the liuing God: seeing that hee promised so, wee must not doubt but that hee kept his promise: and it is most certaine, that in the estate & dignitie wher­in hee was, hee coulde not tarry any long tyme without sacrificing to the Idols as others did: but it would haue been perceiued; but he would that euery one should know & vnderstande, that he had in his heart: there is no doubt but that for this cause hee demanded of Elizeus, two mules charged with the earth of Israel, to take with him into the land of Syria, to beare wit­nes and make publike confession that he belee­ued not, nor worshipped any other then God of Israel, & that he had his diuine seruice aparte, & separated from that of the other Syrians, who were Idolaters.

And although he did all things, & that he had Sect. far better cause then those which woulde de­fend their Idolatrie by his example, yet doeth he not so much iustifie his works, as they doe, but he requireth the Prophete, to the ende hee [Page] should pray to God for him, that he woulde not impute that as a sinne to him: wherein he shew­eth well that there was some infirmitie in him, and that he feareth there should bee some faulte in that worke, which the Prophet rather bea­reth with all, then alloweth, yea although that before hee had done other thinges enough to confesse his faith before men: And if wee consi­der well the wordes of Naaman, hee confesseth very manifestly that he thinketh there is sinne, in y^t he saith, he must doe, seeing he willeth the Prophet to pray for him, that it may not be im­puted to him, for if there be no fault, there is no neede of prayer nor pardon, and Elizeus saieth not the contrarie to him, y^t it is not sinne at all, but he wil not presse him ouermuch in the con­fession he made of the name of God: & therfore he letteth him go, & giueth him to vnderstand, he will do y^t which Naaman requireth of him: that is, that he will pray for him, & biddeth him fare well: wherefore although it were so, that Elizeus had borne with some great faulte in Naaman, who was yet a nouice, and newely come to the religion, & was come from amōgst the Pagans, it followeth not therefore that wee which are Christians, and haue receiued a grea­ter knowledge of truth confirmed by the death [Page] of Iesus Christ, and so many martyrs, ought to draw this particular example to a general con­sequent, & to set it against so many places of ho­ly scripture: which forbid all Idolatrie and all shew of denying Iesus Christe.

If wee testifie publikelie our faith, and if we confesse we attribute nothing to the Idols, but Sect. that we goe to the assemblies of Idolaters to serue our father or some other, to whom we are bounde, not in Idolatrie, but in that which may concerne our office: the example of Naaman might giue vs some further colour for our for­mer confession, and the publike witnessing of our faith, woulde glorifie God, and condemne the Idolaters, and strengthen the faithfull, and woulde take away all cause of offending the good, and woulde leaue no matter to the Ido­laters wherin to glorifie: but the cause why we goe, it is to doe farre contrary, it is to couer vs, and not to vncouer vs.

Yet notwithstanding, if wee shoulde doe as Sect. Naaman did, yet ought we no more to iustifie our selues, then he; but wee ought to aske par­dō of God for it, as he did. And if Naamā were afraid to offend God by y^t act, although he had a goodly cloke to excuse himselfe, I ashamed of those w^t are quite cōtrary to him, y^t they dare so [Page] assuredly defend their worke as if there were no sinne in it. And to make their matter better, after they had red y^t which was written against their opinion, & seene themselues bereft of that weapon, which they tooke from the example of Naaman to defend their cause, they sought an­other starting hole, wherein there is slender foundation: they haue imagined, that when Na­aman made y^• confession to Elizeus, which was spokē of before, y^t it is very like he was alone, & that he said it not before al the cōpany which was w^t him, they proue their imaginatiō by this, that it is the custome of great Lordes to speake in a Maiestie of their affaires, & in the absence of their seruants, rather then in their presence. Wherefore they cause thē to depart, & for bet­ter confirmation hereof, they alleadge y^t when Geazi, ran after Naaman, y^t Naaman descēded out of his chariot, & that hee came before him. Wherefore they conclude, y^t he spake to him a­part, & in absence of his seruants, and that hee might well do as much to Elizeus, when hee vsed that talke with him, wherof the holy scrip­ture maketh mention.

This is the sophistrie, whereby some wil now Sect. adayes make this exāple of force to helpe an e­uill cause: but I know not to what ende it may serue them, but to shew that those which are so seene in speculation to imagine these starting [Page] holes, know wel what they haue to doe, & that it seemeth they are desirous to finde some cloke in scriptures, to couer their matter, & that they would gladly make the spirite of God, which speaketh in his holy scriptures, to thinke that he would speake & vnderstande things as they would haue it: For as for the first, all their rea­son is grounded but vpon imagination, which it is as easie to disproue as to allowe: but of thinges of so great importance, wee must not iudge vpō presumptiōs & imaginatiōs. More­ouer the scripture doth manifestly witnes, y^t he promised & cōfessed he would serue none other God, but y^e Lord, & woulde declare it by sacrifi­ces, and by outward confession, & publike testi­monie, & to giue this testimony, he desired these two mules charged w^t the earth of Israel, as his wordes do manifestly witnes. For to what purpose should y^t earth serue him, more then the earth of Syria, but to this end? then wee haue no cause to doubt, but that y^t matter is easie, as he hath purposed & demanded it: For y^t, which the prophet answered him after y^e maner which the Hebrwes vse in their salutations, whē they bid a man farewell, saying to him, goe in peace, ought not y^t only to be reserued to y^e last speech, that Naamā vsed touching his worshipping in the Temple of Remmon, but to all his former [Page] woordes wherein the Prophete consenteth to him? The matter then is plaine, that his confes­sion was not secrete, but publike, and therefore his example serueth to no ende for them, which content them selues to haue confessed Iesus Christe in secrete before a fewe, and blaspheme him publikely.

It is easie to vnderstande all these thinges: Sect. but we seeke these cloking & starting holes, be­cause we wil not be vnfurnished. And what is y^e cause, if we should discouer our selues, we shold yeeld our selues all vnto death, and shoulde bee murtherers of our selues? But those which are out of this danger may babble at their ease: our life costeth them little, I know some vse suche speech, but yet their life is dearer to vs, then they thinke for: we are no lesse afraide to put them in danger then themselues: for wee are not out of pryson without being mindefull of them, & feeling y^e afflictions of our brethren as if we were there our selues: and therefore it is more safe to followe the iudgementes of those which are out of danger, thē those which are in it, it is very hard y^t the sicke man shoulde be a good Phisitiō to himselfe: but he hath need of another, for it is doubtfull, hee would rather make the medicine serue his affections, thē rule his affections by y^e art of Phisicke, for sicknesse desireth to entertaine it selfe, & willeth alwaies [Page] that is contrarie vnto it: the sicke man also be­leeueth rather the phisitions which accord vnto his will, then they that gaine say it: It is very hard also that a man should bee a good iudge of his owne cause, for hardly could he auoide, but his affections woulde cary him away, & hinder him frō seeing the right & giuing good iudge­ment; wherefore it is requisite to seeke iudges which be not ouermuch affectioned to the mat­ter, & do not iudge at randon according to their fancie, but bee of good cōscience with out loo­king to the affection of any but to God only, & to right and equitie.

And therefore my brethren, consider whether Sect. I speake of mine own head, or whether I bring my minde, or the mind of God: If I speake any other then y^e word of god, my reasons ought not to moue you nor trouble you, but you ought to let thē passe, as vaine & friuolous: If I offer vn­to you y^e coūcell of god, you haue no cause to be angry, or to cōplaine y^t we are too sharp & our iudgement is too hard: for would you that wee should change y^e meaning of god, & should belie him? I haue vnderstood y^e cōplaints & the atte­stations y^t som make, to cause vs to bethink our selues what we write of these matters. They say, & it is true, y^t the cōtrouersie & matter is not of the shadow of an Asse, or y^e wooll of a goate, (as the olde Prouerbe is) but of that they [Page] account most deare in this world, that is, of a thing for which we must forsake our countrie, our wife, our deare children, our goods, and all y^t euer wee may haue delight & pleasure in this worlde, yea to the loosing of our life, & running straight vpon death; and I denie not but these things are very sharpe and hard to flesh: where­fore I cannot thinke therof without great com­passion of these, which are in such a straight: but what shoulde we doe there? wee ought to think it more strange and fearefull to forsake Iesus Christe, the heauenly habitation, and the eter­nall felicitie, then these transitorie thinges, which without that we must once forsake.

Wee would gladly finde some way to sup­port Sect. the infirmitie of fleshe in this case, and to please it a litle in these great temptations. For it may be, if we were in the same danger, whe­ther we should be more weake & fraile, more strong & constant, then those whom we proue, God knoweth, who giueth strength and cōstan­cie to whom it pleaseth him, without whom we all are nothing: but I dispute not nowe what constancie or inconstancie might bee in mee or some other, & what we should do in such a case: I dispute what ought to be done in such a case, & what wee owe to God, as far as I can iudge by y^e scriptures; for to flatter our selues, & to lie [Page] against the truth of God, we shal gaine nothing: for all our coulours and excuses, although they please our fleshe, shall nothing auaile vs in the iudgement of God, if they haue no foundation in his worde, which wee must not corrupt and peruert to make it serue our affections, and to allowe our infirmitie and incredulitie as good.

What then haue wee to do? Did not Nicho­demus goe to Iesus Christe in the night? durst Sect. Ioh. 3. he confesse him publikely? is he therefore con­demned? As I cannot altogether excuse Nicho­demus: as though he had not at y^t time some in­credulitie and infirmitie in him, so I wishe that if wee haue not more faith and constancie then he, that we be not worse, but at the least like vn­to him. Saint Iohn did not write in the commendation of the chiefe of Hierusalem, that Ioh. 2. they did beleeue in Iesus Christ, but that they durst not confesse him, because they feared to be cast out of the Synagogue, and that they loued more the prayse of men, then the praise of God. If Nichodemus went to Iesus Christ by night, yet dyd hee not blaspheme him, and denye hym by day. If at the first he confessed him not open­ly, and maynteyned his cause publikely, yet did he not consent to his death, nor suffered for Luk. 23. Ioh. 9. Ioh. 7. his part that any shoulde doe hym harme or dis­pleasure, but he alwayes maynteyned his cause [Page] in that he could: he declareth him selfe with Io­seph of Arimathea to bee one of his disciples, Mat. 27. Luk. 13. Ioh. 19. when all his disciples forsooke him, hee made publike confession of him in the greatest danger he cold be in: And when hee had more cause of feare and offence then euer he had, they deman­ded the body of Pilate to bury it.

Woulde God that wee had many such Ni­chodemians Sect. y^• wereso feareful, that they would shewe them selues alwayes at neede: for they should be more worthy prayse, then a company of rashe heads, which play the hardy men at the beginning, & make great shewes, but they faile at neede, and for a thing of nothing denie and blaspheme the Gospel, and woulde not lose one heire of their head for it: or then a company of wise men of the world, who will couer them­selues with the example of Nichodemus: and in a counsell or company of aduersaries, they durst not open their mouth to vtter one word in fauour of the trueth: Nichodemus did farre o­therwise, howe fearefull soeuer he had been be­fore: but these men will consent rather to the death of the innocent, and if it be needfull, they wil condemne them themselues, for feare of be­ing suspected. Neyther Nichodemus, nor Io­seph of Arimathea woulde haue done that for their life, no not a good Pagan, which had anie [Page] loue to Iustice and equitie: yet is this the or­der of many which will arme themselues with Nichodemus, but such men might haue better occasion to alleadge the example of Pilate in their behalf, & to accōpanie thēselues with him: for they take more of him then of Nichodemus.

So then, as I cannot condemne the true Nichodemians, although that fayth and con­stancie Sect. is not such in them, as it is to be requi­red in a true Christian: so can I not allowe those, which in all thinges agree with the Ido­laters, and renounce Iesus Christ without any stay, and then wil excuse and defend themselues that it is lawfull for them, and that they doe not agaynst the woorde of God: there is enough of one euil, without adding two. It sufficeth once to haue blasphemed Iesus Christ, without blas­pheming him againe, in affirming that blasphe­mie is not blasphemie, and in going about to induce others to blaspheme him with vs, that we may haue mo companions with vs to couer our wickednes.

Were it not rather the duetie of a good chri­stian, Sect. Psal. 136. Exo. 16. Act. 15. to confesse his infirmitie & sinne, & weepe with y^e captiues of Babylon & Egypt, thē to de­fend his euill, and to lie vnto the spirite of God with Ananias and Sacharia? do wee not see the subtiltie of the fleshe? whence commeth these [Page] delayes and excuses, but of this fleshe? which is so delicate, that it cannot suffer the thornes of Iesus Christ, and so glorious, that it cannot suf­fer to be reprooued and condemned, and there­fore must shee forge her selfe a newe Iesus Christ, that hee may not diminishe any of her pleasures and delights, nor her glory and arro­gancie, but may entertayne both the one and the other, with her carnall Iesus Christ whiche he hath fayned to her selfe: for the fleshe is alto­gether contrary to Saint Paul, who will not glorie in any thing, but in the crosse of Christe Iesus, and in his tribulations and infirmities. But he abhorreth and detesteth them: for shee hath not well noted the lesson, that our Saui­our Christ gaue to his disciples, as it hath been already sayde, who so wyll be my disciple, hee must carry his crosse euery day and follow me: then he addeth a comparison, to teach vs howe we ought to preferre our selues to his seruice, he instructeth vs to doe lyke a wyse prince, who before he giue his defie vnto his enemye, and ioyne battayle with hym, hee examineth his force and riches, to knowe whether he be strong enough to resist him, to the intent he be not sha­med and confounded: if after he haue begonne, he be constrayned to leaue all and flye, or yeelde him selfe to his enemie: he wil also, that we take [Page] example of the wise builder, who before hee beginne his building, he reckoneth whe­ther hee shall haue money and stuffe enough to furnishe him therein, that after he hath layd the foundation, he be not constrayned to cease off, and to leaue his enterpryse, and in the ende bee mocked.

By this he giueth vs to vnderstande, that yf Sect. wee will fight vnder his banner, and lay hande to the buylding of his house, wee must prepare our selues to worke, not to rest, and to fight, not to sleepe, and to receiue blowes, rather then be­nefites: also he giueth vs to vnderstande, that in beginning, wee must prepare our selues to go forwarde, and that we must not forsake his ban­ner, nor our captaine when we heare the larom sounded, and the assault is giuen, we must not doe like the cowardly Souldyers, who will kil all as they sitte at table, but when they come to the businesse to giue blowes, they are y^e first that fiye away, and cause others to be afrayd, and go hyde them selues. If we be truely faythfull, it is necessarie that we confesse Iesus Christ opē ­ly, and that we die rather as the Prophets, Apo­stles, and Martyres did, then to forsake him, and commit Idolatrie, superstition, or any acte that hath any appearance of it.

If Iesus Christ had once many such cham­pions, [Page] which would be prodigall of themselues and liues, with so holy a prodigalitie, as they were, Antichrist would soone be ouerthrowne, Iesus Christ shoulde shortly raigne ouer al the earth, or death would diminishe and kill moe of our enemies, then the death of Sampson killed of the Philistians: we see what happened in the Iud. 27. tymes of the Apostles and Martyrs; if they had been so daintie as we are, and had been so feare­full of their skinne, the religion of Christe had not been so much encreased in so smal a tyme: Luk. 18. but it is harde especially in our time, wherein faith almost faileth vpon earth, according to the prophesie of our Sauiour Christ, to finde men of such fayth and constancie.

What remedie is there then herein, if we can Sect. not come to this high degree, and to this christi­an persecution of the martyrs, and if wee dare not openly confesse Iesus Christ with the dan­ger of our life, and wee feele not in our selues such constancie to suffer death for his name; let vs come at the least to the next degree, let vs be secret schollers with Nichodemus, and Ioseph of Arimathea: And if we shewe not our selues so openly, yet at the least, let vs do no dishonour to Iesus Christ, nor consent vnto his aduersa­ries in partaking at the table of diuels, & if wee find our selues weaker thē Nichodemus, & if we [Page] for feare of loosing our goods, our estimation & liues, we be constrained too much to dissemble, and to communicate with Idolaters; yet at the least, let vs not iustifie, but condēne our selues in y^t wherein we fayle, let vs acknowledge our ouer great infirmitie, & the ouer burning loue that we beare to our selues, & to the goods and dignities of this world, more thē to Iesus Christ & his word, let vs acknowledge in what euill & bondage we are, let vs confesse that it is a pu­nishment and iudgement of God vpon vs, be­cause of our sinnes, as it was vpon the people of Israel in Egypt & Babylon, let vs pray to God that he will encrease our faith to ouercome our infirmitie, and let vs confesse our faultes and sinnes vnto him, and aske him pardon and mer­cie for the same: let vs weepe and waile vnder this heauie burthen, and vnder this great tyran­nie of Antichrist which presseth vs so sore: let vs aske ayd, succour, and deliuerance at his hands, rather then to excuse and iustifie our selues, and so much to please our selues, and hee will see our teares, and heare our sighes and grones, by which he wil be moued to pitie and compassion, for to deliuer and succour vs, as he was moued by the like of the people of Israel.

But in y^e meane time, those which remaine in Sect. such miserie, so ouercōe by y^e infirmitie of their [Page] fleshe, y^t they are constrayned to communicate with idolaters, what excuse can they haue, see­yng they knowe well they doe euill, doe they not sinne against the holy Ghost? this is a que­stion that some wil make, and a doubt that tor­menteth many consciences: if al sinnes, that we commit, knowing that wee do euill, were sinne against the holy ghost, we should commit fewe y^e were not sin against y^e holy ghost: y^e adulterie & murder of Dauid, and the denial, blasphemy, and periurie of Saint Peter, should bee sinnes agaynst the holy ghost, for they were not igno­raunt that that was forbiddē of God, but it is an other thing to sinne of certayne malice, and in despite of God, and in contempt of his woorde, and to sinne through ignoraunce, or through in­firmitie of the fleshe, which displeaseth vs, and wee cannot ouercome it.

But we must not so far stretch out this skinne Sect. of mans infirmitie, y^t we wil wholly couer & de­fēd our selues, & by it giue our selues, to vnder­stand y^t sin is not sinne: for in stead of lessoning the sinne, wee may aggrauate it, and may well make it irremissible, as the sinne vnto death, for there is no great difference between the hypo­crites, & the contemners and mockers of God, and betweene the blasphemers, which sinne a­gainst the holy ghost; they are almost cosen ger­mans: [Page] wee see also by experience that from one of the degrees man falleth into the other, for many of those which become Atheistes and Epicures, and men without God, which haue at the first had some knowledge of the truth and nowe blaspheme it, they are fallen into these pits by degrees: for they haue fayned to themselues a Iesus Christ after their owne fancie without amending their life, and with­out any repentance, they haue dallied with him, and haue made it an art to blaspheme him: wherefore they haue altogether lost him, and God with him, whom without him we cannot haue: And therefore sinne is no more to them sinne, nor blasphemie blasphemie: for Iesus Christ, is no more to them Iesus Christ, nor God, to them God.

Let vs learne to feare the Lord by others Sect. losse, and to flee such curse and fury of God: let vs beware that seeing Iesus Christ hath driuen that wicked spirit out of our body, that, wherewith he threatneth the Iewes, befall not vnto vs, that is, that he returne not thither with seuen others woorse then the first, and that the latter thinges be not worse then the first, for it followeth not, if all sinnes be not sinnes vnto death, and as great and as wicked the one as the other, that yet they be not sinnes suffici­ent [Page] to bring vs to eternall damnation, if God of his mercy tooke not pitie of vs, and did par­don them vnto vs, let vs not thinke that wee are not bound to acknowledge and confesse them, and to pray euery day. O heauenly father forgiue vs our sinnes, enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, reprooue vs not, nor correct vs in thine anger and furie, lead not vs into temptation, but deliuer vs from e­uill.

I condemne not Dauid nor S. Peter as Sect. touching their persons, nor the Israelites which worshipped the Images of Nabucho­donozer, in such sort as I condemne them for reprobates: but I allow not therfore y^e murder of Dauid, nor y^e denial of S. Peter, nor the ido­latrie of the Israelites, but do condemne them as sinnes, greeuous and greatly displeasing to God, and worthy of eternall death, if God of his grace had not pardoned them. Yet because the persons acknowledged their faultes, and asked him mercy for the same, their sinne was not imputed vnto them: I haue also like hope that the Lord will take pitie and compassion on the poore, faythful, weake, and feareful, which are constrained to cary the yoke of An­tichrist, and that he will strengthen them more, so that they acknowledge themselues weake, [Page] and sinners as they are, and that they thinke not themselues to be S. Paules, where they are not yet worthie to be accounted good Ni­codemians, that they delight not themselues in their errours, that they call not the table of Diuels the Supper of Iesus Christ, but that they be grieued to be in that captiuitie, and to offend, and to see God dayly offended, that they auoyde idolatrie as much as they can, and that they hate and derest it with all their heart, without saying euil is good, or light is darke­nes: for God curseth such men by his Prophet; but those which esteeme so much idolatrie, & al­low it, and induce others thereto, they haue not well considered the wordes of the prophet, nor well thought of the malediction of God, wher­vnto they yeelde themselues faultie.

This is, wel beloued brethren, that which I Sect. would write vnto you at this time, not to trou­ble and torment further the poore, weake, and afflicted consciences, but to abate the pride and presumption of the fleshe, and the proude, and foolish, which feele not their euil, but wil main­taine it as good; hitherto tendeth my meaning that you may follow rather the councell of the spirit of God and his worde, then the councell of the fleshe and worldly wisdome. Wherefore I pray you take all in good parte, and consider [Page] rather with what heart I write vnto you, the speech of wordes. Thinke it not of arrogancie or presumption, if I haue taken in hand to write vnto them whome I neuer sawe, and which may be more perfect, and vnderstande these things better then my selfe? For I haue not done it w^tout cause, but at y^e request of many good men, which haue entreated me thereto, I done haue it also because y^t many pore troubled consciences haue often asked councell of me in such matters: and therefore I durst not refuse so iust and reasonable a matter, seeing I am debtor to all my brethren; for I haue thought I might serue euery one which had neede of my instruction, and that in so doing I shoulde giue a testimonie of my fayth to others, which are more strong and learned, and that I should stirre them vp better to satisfie such questions and troubles in conscience according to the grace that God hath giuen them, farre greater then to me, as alreadie some haue done long a­goe, and may yet more amply, to whom I am not worthy to be compared; If also I cannot satisfie all men, I shall nothing maruaile at it, but I should maruaile at the contrary; for I know well my abilitie, and how hard the mat­ter is, further although I haue been tedious, yet haue I not taken in hand to write all that [Page] I might well say touching this matter, for it would require a more ample and easie treatise, but I haue indeuoured to touch generally the principall pointes, which first came to my minde, offring my selfe alwayes to bee readie to employ my selfe according to the talent that I haue receiued of God, to satisfie you more at large, both in these & al things else, wherein I may serue you, so farre as God shall giue mee grace: if my councell be a little ouer hard to the flesh, thinke yet that it is faythfull, and such as I would take for my selfe: if I woulde not goe against my owne conscience according to the knowledge I haue receiued of the truth, wherevnto I had rather giue true and faithful witnes, then to lye vnto you and seduce you to please you, and to betray the truth of God: to whom you shall pray for me, and the Churche in these partes, euen as we pray for you beeing mindeful of your afflictions and perseoutions, as if we were there our selues.

In the meane time, my deare brethrē, walke Sect. in all feare and reuerence of God, in al humili­tie of the spirit, and in all christian modestie, wayting for your redemption: Let your light so shine before mē, that they may see your good workes, your heauenly father may be glorified, and that you may shut vp the mouthes of your [Page] aduersaries: admonish one another with al gē ­tlenes, correct al blasphemies, vices, & imper­fections, which raigne yet in the middest of vs, y^t through you the name of God be not blasphe­med amongst the Infidels, call vpon God, and he will rayse you vp, glorifie him, and he will glorifie you, humble your selues, and hee will exalt you, exhort one another, and waxe not cold, be not weary of wel doing resist not those that walke well, but support the weake, enco­rage them that faint, pricke them forward that cease off, and those that runne wel, that they may runne better, faynt not till you haue ob­tayned the price, and the God of peace shall comfort you and strengthen you to the ende, & will not suffer you to be tempted further then you be able to beare: but will giue good issue, to all your temptations and troubles, to the glory of his holie name, and saluation of our owne soules: to whome onely bee all honour and glorye, nowe and for euer.

Amen.