AL though at this present men cal this into questiō whether it be lawfull for a man which knoweth y^e trueth to be present at the celebracion of the Masse or noe: Or whether a mā beinge in company w^t others at Masse, in bodie be therwyth defyled, his spirite being absente and not consentinge, but rather detestynge and abhorynge the the abomynacyon and naughtynes of the Masse, or noe. All though (I saye) this nowe be come into question a mongest vs heare in Englande, esspi­ciallye amongest manye my good bre­therne & susters in London (as I here saye) yet I trust it be no further but styl in question, I meane that I truste men be not yet so persuaded as perchaunce the fyrst mouers of this question aither wolde haue other so to thynke,Papistes. because they thinke so, or els because they yet thinke not so: theim selues fullye, but wolde be so perswaded that as in consy­ence they might be quyett,weeke gospellers. so in bodye & goodes they myght lyue in rest & sauy­tye. How be it in asmuche as this que­stion (yf a man consyder the state of the world, and reasoning or probabilitees, [Page] whiche to a naturall man can not but seme alowable) maye fortune to growe to an inconuenyence to a christion con­sciences, and to a great offience both to god & his churche, I though it my duty as I can, to put to my helpynge hande, naye rather to besech god in the bowles and bloud of his deare son Iesus chryst that he wolde put to his helpynge hand and by me as by an instrumente of hys grace and mercy, he wolde worke some thinge to his glorye and to the profyte of his churche. In and concerning this matter,Caluine vyrett bullinger. Houper. not that the matter it selfe ne­deth it (for it is very playne and here to fore dyuerse haue wrytten of it ynough if ynough be ynough.

But because these tymes full of offē ­ces, Satans greate delygence and hys souldiors seruynge at a pinche on y^e one parte, & the in firmytes of my brethren theyr ignoraunce and semplecytie sone seduced by the subtyle on the other par­te, semeth to exacte of me and of al charytable hartes,Mat. xxv. as the lorde hathe lente his talentes so to exercise the same. The whiche thing as in dyscharge of my self here in, so to occasion others to helpe y^e poore afflycted congregacion of Chryst wyth theyr lerning and consolacions, [Page] lerned out of goddes booke. I nowe at­tempte and begynne in hope of goddes greace wysdome and holy spryte, which I desyre and craue of the oh mercyfull [...]ather, in the name of thy dere chylde Iesus Christ our onlye sauiour and ad­uocate aswell to gyde and teache me in wrytinge as to worke in the hartes of them, to whome this shall come vnto by readinge that we maye know thy truth in all thinges and loue the same, to lyue it for euer more. Amen.

Whether a man or woman maye w^t out offence to god and his churche bee presente at the Masse wyth others in bodely presence, in spirite beynge absente, and not alowyng the Masse, but rather detesting it: this is the question.Reasons to proue y^t a man may go to masse

That men or woman may be presēt in bodye at masse wyth suche as take it for a gods seruice and a greate wor­shyppynge of god, there are manye rea­sons made, wherof these folowynge as they be the most probable and effectuall so be they in maner all that can be obiected by any reasonable coloure.

1 Fyrst because god is a spirite and re­quereth accordynglye that is to saye in sprite to be seruide,I [...]on. i [...]ii. Therfore the bodye beinge at mas if the spirite be wyth god [Page] is not materyall, or a thynge to be greatly condemned.

2 Agayne as in the olde testamente, when muche errore and Idolatry was in the churche a monge the byshoppes, pristes, pharisies, scribes & people, yet dyd neyther the prophetes, neyther our sauyour and his apostles abstayne frō cominge to the temple at Ierusalem, & vsynge of the sacrifices accustomed: as they wold haue done yf they shuld haue sinned in so doyng. Euen so nowe it is not euel, though the masse be nought, & thoughe they do nought whiche thynke it a goddes seruyce if a man or woman do come to the churche where masse is, and so be at it, if that in harte and mind they consente not to the wyckednes, & Idolatrie committed.

3 Thyrdlye if whan Naaman prayed y^e Prophete Heliseus to praye y^e god wold not be displeased with him whē he shuld go w^t his lorde into the temple of Rem­mon in Bodie,iiii. kin. v although in spirite he wolde worshipe the true god of Israel: yf (I saye) the prophete bad hym goo in peace all shulde be well: much more thē it can not be any offence to be presente at masse, yf so be oure spirite talke with god and alowe it not.

[Page] 4 Fourthly a man beynge at masse and not alowinge it in his harte, as he can not but praye to god to helpe hys brethren that theyr eyes myght be opē to se the euyll they do in worshippynge god contrarye to hys word (as dyd As­sterius, who beynge at the Idolatruse sacryfice the people of Cesarya vsyd, by prayer obteyned of god, to haue theyr eies open & to see theyr error) do by hys gesture he wyl behaue him selfe in such sorte, as rather shal make men, the lesse to regarde the masse, for he wil not loke vp at the leuacion tym, hold vp his han­des, nor stroke his handes on his face, but rather knele downe in hys pue or fourme sadlye & heuelye, as one of small deuocion to the masse. This reason is thought verie probable.

5 Fyftlye a man beyng so scrupulouse as to thynke that it is not ynoughe to be leue well in the harte,Roma. x. and wyth the tongue to confesse to god the Chrysten fayth, except he rune out of hys vocasy­on to reproue the masse, and them that come at it, as though all men were preachers. [...] man thus doynge can not please god, nor profite his brother, but offēd both & bring him selfe in gret daūger to lose all he hathe, to be caste into preason [Page] to vndoe his wyfe and chyldren. &c. Therfore it can not be but well doone, to go to masse so that in spirite we alow it not.

i Cor. viii 6 Syxtlye Saynte Paule disaloweth them that altogether folow knowledge where charitie is the thinge edyfieth, & knowledge maketh proud. Therfore in this case we ought to folowe charitie & not to offende our brethren tyll god re­vele to them as he hath done vnto vs.

Math. xv. 7 Seuenthlye our sauiour sheweth it to come from the harte that defyleth the man: so then to come to masse in bodye, the harte beynge wyth god defileth not a Christian.

8 Eightlye, It is the errore of the A­nabaptistes as it was of the donatistes, and other olde heretikes to absteyne frō the ministere because of the wyckednes of others.i. Cor. xi. Rom. xiiii But Paul wold haue men to proue them selues and not to iudge of o­ther whiche stande or fall to the lorde, & euen so in this case of goinge to masse, let vs know the prest and peoples ylnes do not hurte vs if we in harte consente not to theyr euell.

9 Neinthyle, In Danuel we rede that god bade hym not loke on the outwarde shewe. for I haue reiected that saieth he [Page] For man looketh on that whiche is outwarde, but god beholdeth the harte.i kings xii So here if the harte be pure it maketh no matter of the outwarde gesture of the bodye.

10 Tenthlye, All the bewtie and glorye of the kynges doughter that is of the churche and of euery Christian is with in sayth the Psalme .45. and not wyth­out,Psal. xi. so that if the hart be pure it forceth not though the bodye be in company at the masse with them that come to masse as to an holye thynge.

These and suche lyke are the reasons that men make to proue it lawfull for a man or woman to be presente at masse, yf in spirite and harte they be absente & alowe it not. But how weake and vain all these be, yea how farre they make agaynste that they wolde proue, by gods grace I trust a none to showe after that I haue brefely touched the masse, what it is and how greate aneuell it is.A degres­syon of the masse. For a lytle therof wyll I speke, and that not so muche that menne myghte knowe that it is euell (for I truste in GOD that verye manye knowe that yf so be they wyll knowe it) but rather that men maye better consyder howe horry­ble and monstruouse an euell it is (the [Page] whiche thinge I fere me fewe doo) how be it because yet theyr ar some whiche thinke reueretlie of the masse, and erre of semplecitye and ignoraunce there­in, to whose handes this my wrytinge maye come & parchaunce do them good I doubt not but that my laboure in breflye bringynge in here, what the masse is, & how greate an euel it is, wyl not be thought vtterlye out of the waye.

What the masse is of the name of it.Consernynge the Masse what it is a man wold thinke that of the name of it, easely it myght be lerned, but certeinly theyr is here in no certeyntie. For some call it an oblacion of meale, of Mincha. Leui. 6. Malach. 1. Psal. 141. Some call it a voluntary gifte of Missath. Deute. 16. Some saye it hathe the name of sen­dynge awaye such as was called Cathe chumeni, bycause they were sente oute of the congregacion, when the Lordes supper was to be celebrated. Some saye it cometh of sending gyftes & almes for y^e relese of y^e pore, which were accustomed to be sent & geuing always to fore y^e re­ceipt of y^e cōmuniō at y^e time of y^e offito­ry, which therof hath his nam. Sō saye otherwyse, & sōe saye otherwyse against thē: so y^t theyr is (as I sayd) no certeyn­tye at all to learne, what the Masse is of the name of it. And therfore I thinke it [Page] best to looke on the partes of the Masse, to lerne ther out that which we can not out of the name. How be it by the waye note this,The name of y^e masse is not au­tentike nor cathalike. that this name Missa is no where redde a mongest the Grecians, wyth whome the prymitiue churche dyd floryshe, and therfore is no suche aunciente a relyke, as y^e papystes make it. For y^e Tripartite Ecclesiastical stori whiche was wrytten in Greke, hathe not thys worde Masse in it. though the translatore therof into Latyne nowe, & then vse that worde. Neither Ignatius epistel if in Greke they could shewe, it wolde helpe any forther thē this ecclesi­asticall hystorye. And Dionysius in his Ierarchie, not wythstandyng the lattē translacions be otherwyse. As for the feaninge of some whiche wolde gladlye haue men perswaded of the ancience of the masse, and of the name of it, & there­fore saye this worde messa is a worde of the Syrians spech, a man wyth halfe an eye can not but see that therin they halte. For in that Grece is so nere to Syria, and betwene vs and it, surely it coulde not but haue bene knowen and wrytten amongest the greke aucthors, but to come theyther frome whence I wente, thys shall suffyce to note by the waye that thee Maasse where­of [Page] wherof no certeintie can be gathered out of the name of it) was neuer knowē euen but in name to y^e primatiue chur­che prate the papystes as please them, & I trust shortlye by the partes to demonstrate the same,

What the masseis by the partes of itYf in speakinge of the partes of the masse I obserue not such an order as I shulde but speke of one peece before whiche shulde be spoken of after, I must de­syer pardone as wel for that (god be prased therfore) I neuer saide masse as also for that I haue for gotten the order the prestes were wonte to kepe, so longe it is sithens I dyd see any.

IntroyteThe Introite (for heare I wene I shulde begynne) one Celestinus bishope of Rome ordeyned aboute the yeare of our lorde .430. so longe this peace of the masse was not catholike nor the grayle also.Grayle For some saye he brought it in, how be it others do saye that Gelasius ordeyned the grayle to be had in y^e masse aboute the yeare of oure Lorde .490. And others do wryte that pope Grego­rye aboute the yeare of oure lorde .600. dyd institute it as manye other thinges so that of manye daye the grayle was Catholyke.

ConfiteorThe Confiteor pope Damasus brought [Page] brought into the masse as it is wrytten aboute the yeare of our lorde .370. So longe the Chatholyke churche wanted it and styll shulde wante it in that it cō ­teyneth in it Idolatrye. Inuocation to sayntes whiche is agaynst gods worde.kyreeleson

The Kerieelieson .9. tymes to he spoken in suche a tongue as fewe prestes can or do pronounce otherwyse then kyreleson, that is Sowe haue mercye, or Pigge shewe mercye, this pope Gregorie) though some saye it was Syluester Instetuted aboute .600. yeares after Chryst as he dyd also the Antiphenys, Hallaluia, the offertorye and a peace of the canon. How be it some saye that pe­lagyus the seconde hys predecessore dyd so fyrste appoynte kyreeleyson,Glorya in exelses the glo­rya in excelsis, pope Simmachus ordeyned to be song on y^e sondais & other holy daies about y^e yere of our Lord .510. masse first brought in to order To for this time was the masse out of order for they wryte y^t he fyrste broughte the masse into an order, but surely the order thē as it was fer frō that in y^e premitiue churche was vsed, so was it further from the order nowe vsyd for sythen y^e tyme manye thynges were founde oute and put to as partelye yf youe note the yeres I wryte you nowe see but more shal se a none by goddes grace, I know [Page] that some do saye that Telesphorus or­dyned it about the yere of our lord .140 aboute which we rede that Lente was cōmaunded to be of none other but of y^e prestes,Lente commaunded fyrste to y^e prestes on lye & clergye onely. Isedor Iam. i concel Gracia distincio .6. Statuimus. How be it al most al mē know that Hil­larius which was about y^e yere of oure Lord .340. made this himne & songe it fyrst in his church, & therfore it can not be attributed to Telespherus.

Collectes.The colletes who made them ther is no certeintie. Some say Gelasius, som say Gregorius, so that y^e church coulde wel spare them at lest .490. yeres.

the epistle and gospelThe pestle and gospell who disposed them as they be there, ther is certentie some attributing this to saint Ierome, some to damasus, some to Telespherus a foresaide. But this is more certaine y^e pope Anastasious the thirde ordined, y^e men shulde stande vp at the hearing of the gospel redde aboute the yere of oure lorde .405.

The credeThe Crede pope Marcus about the yere of oure Lord .340. dyd ordeyne to be song in y^e masse,i. Albes il. Corpa­rasses. iii. prestes mariage this pope brought in Lynen, albes, and Corparasses. And was nothynge offended that euerye prest shuld haue hys owne wife though nowe it be other wyse taken. In hys [Page] time ther was a councel called Elliber tuum conciliū.iiii Images condē ned kept in Spane whiche damned all kynd of Images, yea pictu­res in the temples.

The offertorye wherof now remaineth nothing but y^e nam is attributed to Eurichianus about y^e yere of our lord .280. the offortorye, The prefaces are geuen to Gelasius,Prefaces & gregorius, so that for .600. yeres or ther aboute after Christ they were not vsed.

The Canon whiche they haue in suche admiracion and reuerence,The canon as nothynge els was made of dyuerse.

Pope Alexander made one peece of it aboute the yeare of oure LORDE. 220. qui predie. Pope Pistus made an other peece apon a tenne yeres after hym, whiche he tooke oute of the pro­phete Esaye.

Pope Leo, aboute the yere of oure lorde .450. made an other peece Sanc­tum sacrafisium. &c.mariage of prestes And note that this pope alowed maryage of prestes as all hys predecessors before hym hade done. pope Gregorie aboute the yere of oure Lorde .600. made an other peece of the canon & a greate peece of the masse, as he him selfe wytnesseth in his regyster, for before his time it was no such hoch potte as he made it, but now it is much worse, pope gregorie the third about y^e [Page] yere of our Lorde .732. put to this peace et eorum corum memoria.Images alowed, yea commaunded &c. And note that this pope called a counsell at Rome wherin it was decreed that Images shulde not onely be had in temples but also worshypped and that al gain e­sayers shoulde be counted as heretikes, Innocentius the thyrde of that name, affyrmeth pope Gelasius whiche was aboute .490. yeres after Christ to haue made a great peece of the Canon, as he hym selfe dyd something therin. A bout the yere of oure Lorde .1120. Reserua­cion of the sacrament This In­nocencious ordeyned that the sacramēt shulde be reseruyd in the churches, he brought in Auriculer confession as a lawe.Auryculer confyssion He dyd constitute that no Arche­bushoppe shulde haue hys pale excepte he were of his relegyō, and therfore we haue lesse cause to maruel at the vnytie in poperye.

A polace for vnyte in poperyeBeatus Renanus affirmeth that one Scolasticus which was aboute Gre­goris tyme dyd make Te igitur. &c. So that we maye see what an hotch potche and how anciente a relyke this Canon is, which is the holyest, naye most blas­phemouse peece of the Masse.

The leua­cyonThe leuacion who ordeyned it I can not tell certeinlye some attrybute it to [Page] Honorius the thyrde aboute the yere of our lorde .1210. and not vnlykelye for in dede he ordeyned that the people shulde kneele downe and worshippe the sacra­mente, so longe a tyme after Chryste was it a fore this gayre was chatholike

The Agnus. &c. pope Sergius about the yere of our Lorde .700. brought in to the masse.Agnus Pate Censinge, coueringe of alters. Innocentius ordeyned the pare to be geuen to the people. Pope leo commaunded the sacramente to be cen­sed. Bonifacius put in his foote for the couerynge of the Aultars.

Pelagius brought out the comemo­racion of the dead to be had in the masse Vigilius ordeyned that the preist shuld saye masse wyth hys face towarde the Easte.Commemoracyon of the deade, Platina writeth how that y^e fyrst Lattine masse was songe in the .6. coū ­cell of Constantinople,The fyrste latyn mass whiche was aboute the yeare of oure lorde .750. And the same masse and order was ther and then alowed, and so hitherto hathe bene wyth a vantage

But to make an ende hereof authors do wryte that pope Stephanus whiche wolde be caried, and was, on mennes shulders. Pope Adrian his successour & many others after them dyd put some­thynge to the masse, so that by this whiche [Page] which I haue writē of y^e parts of it (& yet I spake neuer a word of y^e priuat percepciō of the preist alone in y^e masse whych was not vsed in Gregoryes tyme .600. yeres after christ, nor at this daye is v­sed in the Greke churche, nor was not Catholike as some wryte in Europe aboue .450. yeres past, of the partes I saye easelye you maye see y^t the masse is a hotche potch, and a deuice of man, yea of .28. Put to the number of [...]cviii. busshoppes y^t made y^e for n [...]er parte of the cred. Popes and moo, not fully founde out and fynished of a .M. yeres at y^t lest, after chryst. And yet y^e papistes bragge of it as though it had bene from the A­postles time, as though Peter had song the furst Masse at Antioch, & as though it were the most hoolye thinge vpon the earth, so that the churche cannot be w^t out it, wherin they speke trulye, yf by y^e churche they vnderstand y^e popysh churche, for else chrystes churce now & shuld aswell be wythout it, as it was of .M. yeres, vntyll the deuyll which was tyed so longe was letten loose. Rede the .20. chapter in the Reuelacions.How great an euel the masse is. Now the masse being knowen to be the deuyce & muenciō of mā I wil breifely shew you that it is y^e horribliest & most detestable deuise y^t euer y^e deuil brought out by mā

Furst the Masse is a most subtile and [Page] perniciouse enemye ageynst christ,The masse is ageinste chryste that is againste his prest hode. heb. vii and that double, namelye against his prest­hode, and against his sacrifice. His pristhode is an euerlasting prest hode, & such an one as can not go to another. But y^e Masse vtterlye puttes him out of place, as though he were deade for euer, and so god is for sworne, which sayed christ shulde be a preyst for euer,Psal. cx heb. vii. heb. iiii and Paule lyeth whiche affirmeth Christ to lyue & to be on the ryght hand of the father for vs y^t by him we may come to the throne of grace to fynde mercye, to helpe vs in oure nede. For if these be true as they be most true, the masse preistes ar to be put downe. For if they be of thorder of Aaron then resynne they that which chryst hath abolisshed, if they be of thoder of Melchisedick,Apoca. i. i. petre, ii Roma, xii, Heb. xiii iiii. kyng. x thē be thei Christs Other orders of preistes I rede none saue that whiche all Christians be to ofer vp them selues to god, and other spyrituall Sacrifices by Christe. And thorder of preistes of Baall, whose successors in ded the massers bee.

For else if they were, as they wolde be taken of thorder of the Apostles then shulde they be mynysters and not massers, Preachers & not treatours, as they be bothe to god and hys churche. [Page] God amende them.

Chrystes sacrifice once made by him selfe on the tree,Chrystes facryfice Heb. vli. ix x on the mounte of Cal­uarye is the full and perfecte propycya­torye sacrifice to the sanctificatiō of al them that are and shalbe saued neuer more to be reiterated & done agayne, for that signifieth an Imperfection. But y^e masse is called and hade for a cacrifice propiciatorie, and that suche a one as fetcheth pardon. A pena et a culpa, for the quicke and deade, and for whom syr Ihon wyll. In wordes or syllables the papistes wyll denye this, but in verye dede they do other wyse. And in y^e latter ende of theyr Canon playnelye they cal it a propiciatorie sacrifice. So that the masse we se is altogether agaynst christ a lyue, that is agaynste his preist hode & agaynst his death that is his sacrifce, & therfore a detestable euell I trowe.

The masse destroythe gods ser­uyce and all godlyenes of life Roma. xii Iohn. iiii.Secondlie the masse is not onely a let but also a destruccion of the trewe worshypping of god. For where the tyme is past to serue god now, as once he requyred wyth gottes bullockes. &c. And the tyme is come to serue hym, rationali cultu, as Paule saieth in the offeringe vp of our bodies by the renewing of our mindes & seruing him in spirite & truth [Page] vnfeanedlye fearinge hys displeasure, trusting in his truthe and mercy, and louynge his goodnes, and out of these in externall obedience as he commaun­deth. The masse (as I saye) not onelye letteth this but also vtterly destroyeth, it. For who knoweth not that the very outwarde worke of sayeng or seynge of masse is taken for a greate goodes ser­uyce? who knoweth not that the out­warde worke of the masse is and hathe bene applyed for the remission of sinnes of the quicke and y^e d [...]de? And wher dyd they euer teache that the masse was no­thynge worth either to the doer, or to them for whome is done, wythout this spiritual seruice of god, the true feare of god, fayth, and loue of god? No worde at all was or yet is spoken hereof. All men may know therfore yf they wyll the masse to let, yea to destroye goddes true seruyce for what nedeth repentaū ce when syr Iohn wyll saue me by mas­ses euen when the tyme of repentaunce is preuēted by death, what nedeth faith what nedeth godlynes of lyfe, what nedeth preaching, what nedeth prayenge, what nedeth any pietie at al, when that the masse hath al, and wyl and can saue from all. For by it cometh pardone of [Page] sinnes, by it cometh deliueraunce from hell and purgatorye, by it cometh fayre wether, by it cometh peace and plentie, by it cometh helth for man and beaste, Summa the masse is Mare Malorum, I shulde haue sayde, Mare Bonorum, the most singular, excellent, and incom­parable Iewell that canne be, so that it being gone, all is gone, the churche is lost, the people perysh, the fayth faileth, and god is not worshipped. But where it is al is wel, ther nedeth no preaching there nedeth no heringe of gods worde, praing in spirite, repenting or godlines of lyfe If so be once a daye men come to churche to heare masse, to se the sacring he that doth this is a good catholyke a chylde of the churche, a man of god, all thoughe dayly after he haue hard masse he al daye at tauerne or alehouse, at tip­plinge bybbinge. &c. All though he vse whoredame, swering, dysing, theuyng, pollynge, bribing. &c. If in the morrow after he come to church take holy water hear masse deuoutlye, & take altel holy­breade, he is sure ynough saye the pa­pystes. So that as I sayd, I say againe the masse vtterly destroieth al godlynes of lyfe, and al goddes seruice, as by this maye some thinge be sene and as by ex­perience [Page] experyence doth nowe teach vs. For it can not awaye with that whiche is the rote of al godlynes that is goddes word and the true often prechyng therof,massynge & true prea­chynge are neuer together the one can not but sende the other out of the waye, I meane aither the masse wil put the pure preaching of goddes word a parte and then the people perysh. pro. 29. pro. xxix▪ or els prechīg must put it awaye, as ones it dyd wyth vs, and styl wold haue done, yf we had bene thankfull to god for preachyng and preachers, and if we had had a lust to haue lyued as we haue heard. Iuste therfore art thou oh lorde thus to pūesh vs for we haue deserued it

Oh in thyne anger remember thye mercie, be not angrie wyth vs for euer. Turne to vs agayne oh lorde god of ho­stes, looke merelye vpon vs and we shalbe saued, thy wyll be done & not myne.The masse peruerieth horrible christes supper

Thyrdlye y^e masse is not onely besides Christes institucion & ordinance, but it is vtterlie against it & peruerteth it horrible I mean this as concerning y^e sup­per and sacramente of Christes bodye and bloude.i. Cor. xi

For whear he dyd ordeine hys sup­per to be a memoriall of hys deathe and passion, and therfore in the celebra­sion therof the lordes deathe shulde be preached [Page] oute tyll he come, as Paule wry­teth, I praye you who heareth anye thinge hereof in the masse? Naye they are wyse enough to kepe in that. For when that is spoken of men can not but see therby forgeuenes of sinnes to come to suche as beleue frelye, and so falleth there marte. Christ ordeined his supper to be celebrated and receyued of the congregacion, and therfore paule wylleth the Corinthians to tarye one for an o­ther that they might all receiue toge­ther. But all mē se that heare is no such thinge. Chose the people whether they wyll come or noo, syr Iohn is a kyn to the tyde, he wyll tarye noo man, if he haue a boye to answere hym amen, or yf he tarye for the people, yet get they no parte with him, all is to lytle for him selfe where christ yet byddeth them: doo this, that is distribute, and geue, take & eate as he dyd.Mat. xxvi Mar. xi. Luk. xxii. Christ ordeined this sup­per to be a takīg matter. Take eate (saith he) but y^e masse is a loking matter, pepe, see, loke stoupe downe before. &c. Chryst wolde the celebrators of this his supper to be assured that his bodie was brokē, for them and his bloude shedde for their synnes as they are assured, and in pos­session of the breade they eate, and the wynne they drinke, but leste they [Page] shuld be certeine therof, the masse and her miniō the preist wyll spare nothing to the people to eate or drinke wyth him No at no tyme the people muste haue theyr right. For the cuppe they maye none kysse, and yet chryst bad them all drynke of it, so is his wyll. But our pa­pystes haue an other wyll whiche the masse mongers wyll more wyllinglye followe then goddes wyll. Christ neuer mente that one shuld receyue the sacramente more for an other, then he wolde one shulde be baptysed for an other. I wolde wyshe the masse preistes were a while in corporal fode so serued, as they serue theyr brethren in spirituall foode I meane that the people shulde dyne & suppe for them a nother whyle, to see if that wolde feede them. Oh that men had as great a feelyng of the hunger of the soule, as they haue of the hungre of the bodye, surelye they wolde not then be thus mocked. But bycause herein I wolde but touche and goo: this shal suf­fyce to the dyligente for an occasion to see y^e masse to be a let, yea an ouerthrow of Chrystes institucion concernynge his supper. For now people thinke they serue god in comminge to se the sacra­mente. But if they knewe they desplea­syd [Page] god, yf they gaue not them selues to the often and diligente receyuing it wyth reuerence (as dyuers canons cō ­pell, and the doctors crye out therof) the masse whiche marreth all, coulde not be in place.The masse & the lords supper can not be together For it can not be but either the masse must dryue awaye the ryght­vse of the Lordes Supper, or the lordes supper ryghtlie vsed must dryue awaye the masse. For the lordes supper rightly vsed is when the congregacion gatherred together receyueth the sacramente in both kyndes as christ instituted? But the masse is when one prieste lyke a churle choppeth vp all alone and bles­seth the congregacion wyth the emptie chalice saynge Ite missa est. After the popes ordynance.Mat. vii ii. Petre. ii The one of these two can not but drye awaye the other as ex­perience teacheth vs agayne heare in Englande a iust punishmente for oure vnthankfulnes and horrible contempte of suche an heauenlye banket: we were but swyne and therfore not meete that suche a perle shulde longe be put before vs.Exo. xvi Num. xiiii wisdom xvi The stynkyng masse wyth the gar­lyke and onyons of Egypt were a thousande partes more mete for vs then goddes pure manna wherin was all kynde of heauenlye taste. Oh lorde forgyue vs [Page] & be mercifull vnto vs, and when thi good wyll shalbe ones more, put vs in trust with thy māna againe, we wyl no more murmur good lorde, but w^t thankfulnes and diligence fyl vp our Gomerres daylye tyll wee come into the lande of promyse thy heuenly rest and ioye.

I wyll not nowe speke how that the sacrament in the masse vsed to an other purpose and ende then christ ordeined it yea to an ende cleane contrarie (as alredye I haue shewed) is no more christes sacramente but a deuelyshe Idoll,The sacra­ment in the masse is an Idoll euen as if a man shulde carye aboute w^t hym or before hym the water of baptisme as though the holye goste were there en­closed, and so nowe new mē to worship the water. This which hitherto I haue spoken shall serue to geue men occasion to waye with them selues how great & detestable an euyll the masse is.

We see plainlye that it is ageinste christ him selfe, ageinst his preisthode & so his kingdome, ageinst his death & sacrifice, & so ageinst our redempcion, ageinst his worshippe & true seruice, a­geinst faith, ageinst praier, repētaunce, & y^e ministeri of gods word, ageinst his ordinaūce instituciō cōmaūdemēt & gos­pel I pray you what cā be worse thē such an one? if euer ther was idoll who seeth [Page] not this to be beelzebub, the cheife of al ydolles? If euer Antichrist had chylde or doughter this masse is y^e moste pesti­lence and perniciouse, vnder the name of chryst it destroyeth christe, vnder the tytle of goddes seruyce, it destroyeth goddes seruyce, vnder the colour of the churche it destroieth the churche. If Christ be deare, yf his death be deare yf his kyngdome and presthod be deare yf his seruice be deare, yf faith be deare yf his worde, commaundemente & my­nysterye be deare: In that this y^e masse I meane is agaynst thē all horreblelye it can not be deare, or tollerable in anye wyse, but detestable, and monstruouse vnto vs all that loue Christ, and be christians in dede, and that so muche more horrible, execrable monstruouslye, and vtter detestablye by howe muche it vn­der the coloure of a frinde to Chryste, and hys Churche is a mooste rancke and cruell enemye, and therfore of none shulde be allowed,That it is vnlaufull to be presente at masse no of none shulde be, but detested not onelye in spirite (for y^t is well knowen) but also in bodye as nowe I wyll proue by goddes grace.

Furst out of the .2. commaundement Thou shalte not make to the, &c. This precepte forbiddeth al kinde of outward Idolatrie to this ende that goddes true [Page] worshyppe inwardlye and outwardlye myght be obserued. But now the masse is an outwarde Idoll and the seruice of god thear vsed is Idolatrye.It is ydolatrye. Therfore they whiche are presente at the masse, honesting it wyth theyr corporall pre­sence (as all they do whiche being there do not in open and exterior faicte publyklye dysalowe the same) theye I saye are open and manyfest Idolatrers and in­curre the daunger of Idolatrye that is goddes heauy wrath and eternall dam­nacyon: whiche thinge I trowe be notryfie, but to foolles whiche make sinne a thinge of nothing, how be it I thinke best to make this more playne.

That the seconde commaundement Thou shalte not make to thy selfe anye grauē Image. &c. speaketh of outward Idolatrie, as the fyrst. Thou shalt haue noone other goddes. &c. Speketh of in­warde & Spirituall Idolatrye, I truste all men of any knowledge easely per­ceyue. For when god in the furste com­maundement hath tolde vs what he is vnto vs: euen oure lorde and oure god, wyth all that euer he is and hathe (for he that gyueth hym selfe to be ours ge­ueth all that euer he hath to be ours also) then of equitee he requireth that we [Page] shulde be content wyth hym and geue oure selues to hym to be hys wyth all that euer we haue,what it is to haue non other gode El Schaddai and therfore fyrste we shulde haue none other goddes but he, that is we shulde trust in none, loue none, feare none, cal vpō none, worship none, but onely hym which El Schaddai. an omni sufficyent god, & Iehouah vnto vs. Nowe bycause man consisteth of .2. partes the soule and the bodye, in that the lorde doth geue hym selfe who­lye vnto vs to be oure lorde and god, he wyll that we gyue our selfes hoolye vn­to him to be his people. And therforeas in the fyrst commaundemente he who­lye demaundeth the soule, wyll, vnder stangynge, and harte, that is our fayth feare, loue, thankefulnes, inuocasion, & inwarde adoracion, or worshippynge to be gyuen to hym onelye, and for hys sake as he shall appoynte. So in the se­conde commaundement. Thou shalte not make to thy selfe. &c. He generallye requereth for the outwarde seruyce of hym,No seruice pleseth god but such as he teacheth that we shulde followe his worde in seruinge of hym, and take it no lesse thē Idolatrye or Image seruice, what soeuer thing is inuented by man, saint or Angell, and not by hym conseruing his worshyppe and seruice.

[Page]And to saye the truth it is no meruell for we see that ther is no acceptable ser­uyce don to man excepte it be according to the wyl of him to whō it is to be done and not simplie according to the wyl of hym y^t doth it.i. Cor. ii,

Nowe in asmuche as none kno­weth the wyll of man but the spirite of man and he to whome by his worde or significacion he reuelleth it, shall not wee, yea must not wee of necessite gyue so much to god then it is requesite that in goddes seruice whiche is acceptable to god, wee must haue for it the worde of god, & not simple, our good ententes,Luke. vi the wisdome of man generall counceils custom, doctors, actes of parliement or goodlye outwarde shewes & apparaun­ces.

For as christ saieth that whiche is in great estemation before men is abomynacion before god, yf it be not accordīg to hys worde. But of and for the masse whear haue we goddes worde? Naye halas (as I haue alredye shewed) it is a pitchye patchet pooke made of manye a manne, and that at dyuerse tymes and is clene contrarye to GOD and his worde.

Therfore it being done to y^e seruice of [Page] god (as it is doone) it is abhominacion & a greate Idoll in goddes syght. So y^t the conclusyon of my reason is stronge that suche as dishoneste it not by theyr absence, or by there word and faict publyklie when they be presente at it, but beinge there onely in harte disalowe it y^e same whosoeuer they be are greuous sinners and breakers of the .2. commaū demente and so gyltye of the threate fo­lowinge,Exodu. xx namely of goddes visetacion, vpon theyr childerin for theyr synnes, into the thyrde and fourth generacion, for in that they dysalowe and diswor­shyppe it not wyth theyr bodyes, they do worshippe it although they how not downe to it as moste men doo. For in goddes seruice theyr is no meane: he y^t loueth not hateth, he that worshippeth not, disworshippeth and so contrarye wyse.

But to make all as playne as a pack staffe, let vs note that theyr are .ii. kyn­des of Idolatrers, one knowen to god onelye,Two kyn­des of ydolaters spyrytuall & corporall. thother to man also? To god o­nelye are they Idolatrers whych serue god in the syght of mā according to his worde, but theyr hartes are hastynge, deceyuable, gylefull and hypocritical in goddes sight. To mā also ar they ydolatrers, [Page] which worshyppe contrarie to goddes worde of this later sorte of Idolatrers, theye are thre diuerse kyndes,Corporal Id [...]at [...]ers are of thre sortes. One of them whiche be obstinate defenders of theyr Idolatrie against goddes worde and manifeste wrytine weritee, whiche they seing wyll not see. &c. And therfore iustlie of god are blynded as y^e wyckēd bushoppes and prelates of the papisticall church be with there cham­pions and parasites.wynchester Bonor weston &c These had nede to take hede they sinne not agaynst the holye ghost. An other sorte is of them whiche are semple and ignorante, who through comen error are seduced being perswaded that the thinge they do pleaseth god, & is goddes true seruice, suche are the semple soules of the countrie, whose eyes god I trust will open in his tyme: that they maye see his truth? as if they would be so delygent to enquire ther aboutes as they are in goyeng any iorney whiche to them is vnknowen of suche as they mete wyth all, they could not but easelye and soone perseaue, and therfore ignoraunce can not excuse ther wylful negligence, howe be it, it is not to be doubted but that god in his tyme if they reiect not his grace wyll open to them hys truth. Let vs as be carefull [Page] wee confyrme them not in ther errore, by haltinge and bearing wyth them in this their euell, so priuatelye after our vocasion and as wee wolde be done by admonyshe them of this arrore aboue all thinges prayeng vnto god for them, that wyth ther blynde guydes they fall not into the pitte of perdicion.Math. xv. This of Idolatrers is nothing so euell as the o­ther, for thother do sinne ageinst the holye ghost it is to be feared, but therrore of theis is sauable. The thyrde and last sort is of them which in dede knowe the thinge they vse is not allowed of god & therfore in harte they consent not vnto it, although outwardlye they seme not to disalowe it, Theis are vnlyke to the seconde, for they fall of simplicite and of a zele, but not accordīg vnto knowledge but theis do it wyttinglye and for lacke of zeale and yet of knowledge and ther­fore surelye ar much more to be blamed then the other to whom they are a gre­uouse offence confirming them in ther errore, that therin they shuld continew wyth out conscience. And suche be oure masse gospellers & popyshe protestātes whiche can serue both god & mammon, take Helias parte,Math. vi. z Reg. 18. & baall pristes parte, cary water in y^e one hād & fire in y^e other

[Page]I wolde wyshe that inche as [...]ese be wold marke wyth them selues y^e causes wherfore they goo to the masse whyche they know is euell, yf they do it of obstinacie & malyce, then are they to be reke­ned emongst the nomber of the formest sort which ar to be suspected of y^e sinne against y^e holi ghost? if thei do it to get ani wordlye estimaciō or promociō therbye or to kepe styl that which they haue got ten (as I feare me manye doo) let them dreade that they doinge as Iudas dyd drynke not wyth hym at the lenght. If theye do it for companyes sake or neghborhode,i. Cor. i iii. kyn. xx [...] let them consider the thing better, & marke into whose companye they are called. 1. Cor. 1. And so set the exam­ple of Iosaphat companing wyth Ahab to his greate perail, and dyuers other mo examples, wherof the scripture is not barreyne. If they do it for feare of losse of Goodes, Name Frendes, Libertie, lyfe. &c.mai. x, xvi Luc x. xiii &. xvii Let them cōsider that Iesus Christ affirmeth suche as be not readie so to doo, in no poynte the same to be worthye of hym rede the places. And here vnto lett them cōsyder what estate they be in as whether be publyke or priuate persones, lerned or vnlerned wy­che ar pore yonge or olde master or seruaunt housholder. &c. these al cōsidered [Page] and the horrible greatnes of the euyll theye alowe and confirme by their not disalowinge in dede wyth examples of goddes plagues vpon suche as haue dyssembled so wyth god, and mā, wyll help to make away theē out of their securite to repente, if they be fallen, and to take more hede if they be not fallen, y^t whych thinge god graunte. Amen.

To goo to masse is a breache of y^e thyrde commaūdemētBut now to bringe more reasons to proue that to be at Masse in bodye & not openlye to disalow it is sinne although the spirite and harte enosente not ther­to. Alredie out of the .2. cōmaundement we see it is Idolatrie. Nowe lett vs see how nere it toucheth blasphemie out of the thirde cōmaundemente. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy god in vayne.

Here out we maye well gather that to be at Masse, and not as in harte so in word opēlye to reproue it, it is a breach of this cōmaundemente, terme y^e sinne as we wyll. For thende of this commaū demente is not onelye to enforme oure tongue how that we shulde abstene frō taking gods name in vayne, but muche rather how we shulde vse the name of god in prayer, confession of gods truth and religion, thankes geuing and prea­ching [Page] purelye the gospel [...]nisters) yf wee be none, [...] three, prayer, confession, an [...] [...] gyuinge perteine vnto vs of wha [...] [...] soeuer we be.

Nowe what vsinge of the tongue in thankesgyuenge is in them whiche are presente at that whiche ouer throweth vtterlye the true worshippinge of theyr christ and god without reprouinge it? what confessing of relygion dothe their tongue exercise, whiche holde ther pece and withe there presence doo honeste that whiche setteth vppe an other sal­uacion, thē that which Christ brought and bought dearlye by the sheding and pryce of his preciouse bloude? what vse of theyr tongue in trwe prayer haue they, which in holding ther tōgue, saie Amē, to al the blasphemouse praiers of of the Masse? yf in dede their Christe be betwene the preistes handes, if y^t which the preist doth be the selfe same sacrifice whiche christ did on the crosse him selfe for our redempcion: then let them holde their tongue a gods name, & do as they do. But if theyr Chryst be in heauen on the right hande of the father, cōcerning the corporall presence of his Humanite as he is euery whare by his vertue gra [...] [Page] [...] diuinitie if christes sacrifice [...] be but one, [...] and neuer more to be [...]erate in that god hathe geuen them tongues, and now commaundeth them not to vse the same in vayne lyeng then to their [...]eet [...]b when he wold them vsed and exercised in confessing hym before men, I wolde they wolde tell me whē they are mute & playe mōe at thys horrible dishonore doone to their soue­raigne lorde? why take they his name beinge called on them as on his people in vayne. The name of the lorde oure god is called appon all that be his peo­ple and that not in vayne but to be cal­led apon, praysed and confessed of them all when aither his glorye, or their bro­thers necessitie requireth it. But (to omytte the necessite to oure brethren in this case whyche nyppeth the conscien­ce I trowe) where doth goddes glorye more require, that we shuld confesse his name and true seruice, then in y^e masse, whiche of all thinges that euer was is most horrible aduersarye to it.

Conclude therfore I well maye that it is a thorough out breache of this commaundemente and a takyng of goddes name in vayne, to be at masse and not reproue it. And what the punishmente [Page] of this commaundemente is god she­weth when he sayeth, that he wyll not hold hym giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine, loke wel her [...] ō gylties though you be before the magistrates here if in bodelye presens you honest it, yet you ar not gylties before god. Chose now ther­fore whose handes you wyll fall into: if into goddes handes that is horrible and none can delyuer you,Hebru, x. yf into the hand of man,math, x suerlye they can not pull as muche as one here of your heddes fur­ther thē your good father wyl y^t is then shall make to your eternall ioye.To goo to masse breaketh y^t, iiii commaun­demente. Let vs nowe goe to the fourth cōmaundement of the sanctifieng of the Sabboth daye and we shall see no lesse occasion then we haue done to gather goinge to the masse and not dysalouynge it puplyke­lye in worde and dede to besinne and a breache of this commaundemente Also for in it the Lorde requireth reste from bodely laboure to the ende of sanctificacyō (except we shulde put no difference betwene thende of reste on the sabbothe daye appoynted to man from that whi­che is appointed to the beest) Thende therfore (I say) of the rest in the saboth to man is sanctificacion that is man is commaunded to rest frō bodelye labore [Page] and other exercises, that he maye wyth diligence and reuerence heare goddes worde in his ministerye, lerne his lawe vse his sacramentes and ceremonies as he hath ordeined conuent to comen prayer in the place appoynted and other holye exercises helping to the conseruaci­on of the ministerie, propagacion of the gospell, and encrese of loue and charite one towardes an other al whiche thyn­ges styll remaine to vs, commanded in our resting tymes from our trauailes, and labors for this lyfe, althoughe the Iewes. vii daye be abrogated and takē awaye. This consydered who can not but see the masse whiche maketh to the prophanacion and vnhalowing both of bodye and soule to be for bydden? if the ende of my rest shulde serue to sanctify­casion, thē can it not serue to the masse which is abhominacion? yf I may not vse my rest simplie for the pleasure of my bodye whiche god alloweth excepte I looke to an other end, namely y^t I ma be more hable to endure the workes of my vocacion more to gods glorye & my neghbors cōmoditie, muche more then I maye not vse my rest for the pleasure of an other in that whiche god dysal­loweth.

[Page]But to make this more euident, No man of any reding or godlie considera­cion of the scriptures can not, but see y^e principall thing god in this commaundemente did respecte was the minestere of his worde and sacramentes, by the whiche god gathereth his churche, en­creaseth hit and conserueth,Num. xv. Hier. xvii Ezech. xx, it and ther­fore of all thinges he could wurst away with the breach of this commaundemēt rede how he commaunded the man to be stoned to death for gathering stickes on the Sabboth daye and in the prophettes how he cryed out all was marred, when this commaundemente was bro­ken. Now the masse (before I haue she­wed) is the onelye weedynge worme & rooting sowe of the gospel and sacramē tes for beyng trulye preached and minystred so that wher soeuer the one is the other can can not be. True preachinge and massing, true vsinge Chrystes sup­per, and syr Iohn massers dyner be as contrarie as lyght and darkenes wherfore as the masse is the ende of Sathās commaundemente and dyrectle impugneth the ende of goddes cōmaundemēt berre, as the masse doers greuouslye offende, so the masse herers and seers w^t out disalowynge it openlye runne into [Page] the same perrell and vengeaunce of god that is to the gatheringe of stakes to be burned in hell fyre looke well therfore hereon. The pope & his prelates sayt, yf thou come not to here Masse, but dy­salow it thou shalt frye a fagot in smith feld. God almyghtye sayeth if thou kepe the not from the masse, or if thou come to it and do not openly dysalowe it thou shalte frye a fagot in hell fyre. Choose now whether thou wylte take hede, in flyeng frō the smoke thou shalt into the fyre, make not man thy god but feare the lorde & sanctifie hym in thyne harte,Psalme praye with dauid: oh lorde knytt and enforce my harte truelye to feare thee.To goo to masse breaketh al the seconde table generaille and perticulerlye &c As nowe out of the furste table I haue shewed that euery commaundemende­mente their in is broken by hearinge & seynge Masse (for there is no cōmaundemente broken but the fyrst commaundemente is broken to fore) so could I shew out of the second table that it is a breach of all and euerye commaundementes there, it confyrmeth the magistrate in hys euell, when he seeth men wythout gaynesaying obeye his lawe as though it were good and godlye, so that they whiche heare masse at the commaunde­mente [Page] of the magistrate ar partakers also of the magystrates euyl, by their dis­obedience to god in this point confyr­myng y^e lawe, for if they wold disalowe it and obeye god more then man giuing theyr heades to the blocke, rather then to heare or see masse, it wold not be but as the wycked lawe wolde be infyrmed so the magistrates wold call the matter into a further inquirie and so the truth to take place.

Agayne it is a murtherynge of the soule, and the masse mungers are procurers and a betters of other to faule into the destrution of their soules

Moreouer theyr baudes to bring the spouses of Christe to be come Sathans whores.

Besydes this they that are masse-hunters are receyuers and concealers of thefte and spoylinge of christ and his glorye, yea vndoubtelye they are trea­tours & giltye of hygh treason ageynste god.

Last of all they are false wyttenesses againg their neighboures, against goddes church, as though the masse church were y^e catholyke churche, yea ageinste Chryste and hys warde by theyr going to masse, therebye wyttenessynge the [Page] masse to be a true seruyce of god and a badge of hys churche, wher there owne conciences saye they lye and so condem­neth them.

As for the laste commaundement of lustinge in that the same is an inwarde thinge, as the furste commaundemente is and this whiche I spake of, namelye goinge to the masse is an outward acte I can not therfore well applye it to thē albeit to saye the truth ther is no synne counted outwardlye, but these .2. comemaundementes, the fyrste and the last, are broken before the synne come to the knowledge of any man.

And thus it is playne enough I trow the hearinge or seynge of Masse, al­though in spirite it be aborred is no smale synne, but suche a synne as brea­keth all goddes lawe generallye, and e­uerye commaundemente perticularlye oh then howe greuouse a synne is this, looke well on it my deare brethren (to whom thys my semple counsell shall come) in the tender mercies of god I beseche you. If he that contineweth not in all thinges wrytten in goddes lawe be accursed.Deut, xxi, Galat, iii. Halas howe terriblie is he accursed that contineweth in nothing, but is a transgresser in all thynges.

[Page]And suche be popyshe protestauntes masse gospellers, or as they woulde be called bodelye masse mungers and spirytuall gospellers.

Now although this which I haue occasioned to be marked out of the decaloge or ten commaundemētes be enough for this matter,Moe rea­sons to proue goynge to masse to be synne, yet wyll I hear to adde some moo reasons, or at leste occasion men so to do by collectinge and gathe­rynge dyuers sentences in suche breuytie as I can.

1 He that is not wyth me is againste me sayeth our sauioure,Mat. xii. Luke, xi, and he that gathereth not wyth me scattereth abrode. Now in that the masse is neither christ nor in any poynte wyth hym, but of all thinges on earth most a geynst hym (as before I haue shewed) lette them marke what they doo by this sentence of chri­ste, that goo to Masse, and if they bee not wylfull blinde, they shall see y^t they arr against christ, that is antichristes in this pointe, and gather with y^e deuel.

2 Woo be to him sayth the truth by whom an offēce doth come,math xviii that is whiche doth or sayeth any thing wherby o­ny are iustlie occasioned to euell, letted to do good, or confirmed in ther naughtye doctringe and customes: It were [Page] better for suche (yf chryst saye trulye) to haue a mylstone hanged aboute theyr necke and to be cast into the bottome of the sea. And wyll you yet go to masse then to occason others to go wyth you, to let the godlye, whiche wolde not goo yf you wente not, to contyrme the pa­pystes in their Idolatrye.

i. Cor. vi. i. cor. iii. 3. Paule wylleth vs to gloryfie god in oure soules and our bodies, aswell requyringe the bodye to be applyed to the settinge fourth of goddes glorye as the soule, and no meruel for god hath made it is temple, that his holye spirite shulde dwell therin, and gaue hys preciouse bloude also therfore, that it myght be in eternall felycitie wyth the soule: yea he hath coupled our fleshe in hym selfe vn­to hys god hedde to be one person one chryst, god & man so greate is the dyg­nitie therof, and therfore full worthely warneth paule, that we shuld kepe our selues clene from all that which wolde stayne not the spirite onelye,2. Cor. 7. but y^e flesh and bodie also: so that a man w^t halfe an eye maye see the masse sayers and seers in bodye though the spirite be absent lytle to consyder what they do.

[...]. Cor. 8. 4 Paule wolde not allow a christē to come to y^• table in the idolles temple lest [Page] therby the weake brother might perish. And wolde he allowe commynge too masse (trowe you) whiche is an other maner of mater.i. Cor. x.

5 If that the thing were indefferente or lawfull to be presente at masse in bo­dye, in mynde disalowing it: yet in that thende of our lybertye is not what wee maye dooe, but what is best to be done, what most edyfyeth, seynge y^t goinge to masse is so farre from edifyeng, that it destroieth, easely maye wee se that it is not to be vsed.

6 But halas this is farre from law­full (It is a bee hauen an house of iniquitie & paule wylleth that they that cal on the name of the lorde shulde departe frō iniquitie,Ose. ii. Tim. 3 and how then shuld they com to masse, if they shuld departe from it.Gala. ii.

7 If I shulde buylde vp agayne that whiche I pulled downe, I thē shuld make my selfe an offēder saieth the apostle & what be they then y^t now by going to masse build it vp againe which by goig from it, and speking against it haue holpen to pull it downe.

8 What agremente is there betwene lyght and darkenes, what concord is w^t christ and belyall wyth the Chrysten and the popes minion,2. Cor. vi the masse I [Page] meane wyth the temple of god and ydolles sayeth paule, wherfore come awaie from the masse sayeth the lord and separate your selues from them that come to it and I wyll receaue you.

9 Paule wolde haue the Corinthians to shoone the companye of whoremongers,ii, Cor, i. and Idolatriers▪ and wyll he ly­cence now them to come and company with massers in theer chefest Idolatrie This were to make paules preachinge not yea yea, and naye, naye, but yea, and naye.

ii, Ihon 10 If any man come vnto you sayth S. Iohn and bringe not this doctrine with him you shal not so much as great hym, lest you be pertakers of hys euell And what doctrine is more contrarye to god and his gospell, then is the masse The masse sayers then and approuers shulde not wee seke to, which maye not receiue them if they shuld seke vnto vs excepte we wolde comunycate wyth theyr euyll.

Luk ix 11 No man that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is mete for gods kingdome, muche moore then are we vnmeate therfore if wee I saye not loke backe, but runne and go backe to see and heare that whiche iustlye we [Page] haue forsaken.

12. What happened to Core and his allowers that he shuld take on hym the preisthode withoute callyng,Num. xvi. and wyll nothing happen to our arrogante mas­sers that without callyng take vpō thē Christes preisthode, & to such as allowe and seme to allowe them. Rede the his­torye. Numery. 16

13. Ihon the Euangelyst durst not tarye in the house where Cerinthus y^t Heretike was whiche denyed chrystes manhod,Eusebius in his eccleasti histori lib. iiii. Cap. xiiii. and indede the house fell and flewe hym & all that euer remayned in the house with hym. And shall not wee feare goddes vengaunce to be in companye at Masse with her mynions, which denye christ both god and man making ther owne handie worke as good as he, yea he hym selfe saye theye?

14 Oh deafe eares, that wyl not hear the blast of y^e Angells trompe warning vs to come frō amonges theis whorishe Babylonians,Apocat. bellie god massemōgers lest we peryshe with them.

15 Lothes wyfe looked but backe and was turned in to a salte stone.Genes. xix And so are the hartes of our popishe protestaū ­tes I feare me hardened from fearyng god in that that they looke yea go backe [Page] agayne to theyr sodomiticall minion.

i. machab 2, chapter, 16. The good father Mathathias wold in no poynt dissemble, as though he had worshipped, but our Masse Gospellers are farre vnlike to hym.

Math. vi. 17. We praye to be delyuered frō euel Libera nos a malo: and yet we know­ing the masse to be euell resort vnto it.

roma. xiiii 18. What so euer is not of faith is sinn, but to goo see or hear masse, though but in bodye is not of faith:roma. x, for fayth han­geth on goddes word, and goddes word is not herefore. Therfore it is synne.

roma, 14, 19. Happie is he that condemneth not hym selfe in that thing which he allow­eth: marke by the cōtrarie whether our masse gospellers are not vnhappye and accursed by Paules iudgement.

Hebru. 12 20. Halting sayeth the Apostel hinde­reth, yea bringeth out of the waye. And what other thing is it to go to masse in bodye and to be awaye in spirite,math, vi. but a playne haltynge, a seruinge of two ma­sters whiche noone can doo, if Chryste be trew.

4 king. 16 21. Yf Iohn were iudge theis bodelie Massers shuld drinke w^t theyr brethern the Baalites. Read the historye and see whether he iudged not of their outward comming whose seruaūtes they were.

[Page] 22. Ae that denieth christ before men,Math. x. 2, Tim, 2 shalbe of hym denyed before god. But masse hearers denye christe before men in faict & dede although in tongue they professe otherwise.Tit. i Therfore I aduise them to take better heede. rede Titus. 1 and there shall you see, y^e denyeng christ is in faicte as well as in wordes.

23. S. Paule to the beleife of the hart requireth the confession of the mouth:roma. 10. houbeit our popishe protestauntes thinke this nedes not. But yet Christe saith he that is asshamed of me that is of my true religion & gospell before this faith lesse generation,marke, 8. I wylde asshamed of hym before the Angelles of god in hea­uen. Oh heauy sentence.

24. He that toucheth pitche shalbe defiled ther with saieth Salomō.prouerbe And shal not there bodyes be somthyng smytted with the fylthynes of the masse that ho­nest it with theyr presence.

25. If in thold lawe the touching of a carion defyled hym that touched it,Agge. ii. Leuyt. xix at the least for a dayes space: In that ther is noo caryon so stynkynge in goddes syght as the Masse, let them that goeth [Page] to it how soeuer he be mynded knowe y^t he is defiled so foule that all y^e holye water in Rome, Parys, and London can­nat purge hym ther from.

26 Vnto these our Popishe protestātes I can not but saye as Helias sayd,3, kīng, 18 how long wil you halte on both knees: if god be god folow him: if the Masse be god & goddes ordynaunce followe it.

iii. kings xix. 27 When Helias lamented y^t all was gone a straye but he, all were defyled w^t Baal although in hart ther were many hated bal as thei thought & wold haue cō fessed if Iezabell had not bene. God said y^t he had left .7000. which had not vow­ed ther knee to Baal: he saith not which in harte hate Baal: but which hath not bowed their knee to baall: of y^e outward signe demonstratinge his seruauntes. And so now let vs not thinke good bro­therne, any to be his true worshipers: but suche as not onelye in hart but also in dede deteste the Masse.roma. xvi. .ii. Tis. 3, 2, Tim, 3

28 S. Paule willeth vs to seperat ourselues from such as teach other doctrin and wyll not consent to the sounde doc­trine of our sauiour Iesus christ. wherfore in that the Massers teache an other doctrine thē christ or his Apostles euer taught, and by theyr Massinge departe from the sound doctryne of Iesus christ [Page] by godddes commaundemēt we must separate our selues from them, as no part of christes catholike church, bragge thei therof neuer so muche.

29 Peter wold that we being an holie people shulde be pure not in a peece but in all our conuersacion,1. Pet. 1, 2 1. Tessa. 5 & Paule wolde that we shulde absteiue, ab omni specie mala, from al apparaunce of euel being as light or Lanternes in the meddest of a froward generatiō and not darkenes as y^t be. And how maie this be?Philip, ii for south by holding fast the worde of god and fo­lowing it, for so he teacheth there. Rede the place.

30 Azarias & his .ii. companions knew they could not but displease god,Daniel. 3. if with any owtwarde shewe they shulde haue semed to allowe the Idol Nabugodonozer caused to be set vp, and therfore ha­zarded the fyer: which our Masse gospellers will not doo, to altar and turne the Quenes harte, as by theys .iii. not obe­yng Nabugodonozers precept, god turned his harte.

31 The bodye shal not be partaker of y^e sentence geuen to the soule in iudgemēt of that wherof in this lyef it is not par­taker with the spirite and soule. This is Tertullians reason, liber: de resurr­rexcione [Page] earnis.

32. Yf thyne eye be single and trewe fayth in thyne harte, then all thy bodye and actions can not but be pure.

But if they be darke, it is a token thine eye and light with in thee to be darke­nes. This argueth saith to faith in thē which file theyr bodies in beyng presēt at the masse, for as it is impossible light to be in an house and not to shewe it selfe at the slyfiers, doore, and wyndowes of the same. So is it impossyble trewe sayth of goddes gospell to be in the hart of that man which commynge to masse vttereth it not by some thing, wherbye men maye perceyue the lyghte of fayth inwardlye in the bosome. And therfore christians are called townes sett vppon Hylles: candelles vpon Busshell toppes and cōmaunded that theyr lyght shulde shyne to fore men: which theis massing gospellers allowe not, but thynke that a man can carie faith in the harte & not vtter it at the Masse in worde or dede, wher it is no more possible, then a man to carye iyer in his bosome, and not to burne his clothes.

i. Iohn, 1. 33. Our felloushippe (saith .s. Iohn) is with the father & with his sonne Iesus christ: he saieth not with y^e masse which in mere darkenes, and therfore to signi­fye [Page] the same, god hath suffered them to shewe it by the lyght they must haue at it. And further that theye that goe to it wote not whyther they goo, nor what they doo, our fellowshyppe I saye is w^t god y^e father and with his sonne Iesus chryst. But yet so, that we must walke in lyght for else we lye and the truth is not in vs. But to make an ende of collectyng any moe reasons to proue y^t which all wyse men see plainlye, namelie, that they grevouslye do offend which honeste wythe theyr presence goddes grettest enemye vpon earth the masse, and doo not dys­proue & disallowe it not onelye in harte but also in dede and worde openlye, for else openlye by theyr presence they ho­nor it, the preist praying especiallye for all that be there present and as they af­firme) receyuyng for all, & also turning him selfe diuerse tymes to the congregacion with his don̄s vobiscum the clarke answering in the name of al, et cū spū tuo, and other respondes, so that y^e standers by, if they openlye disproue it not, are partakers wyth the preist of his idolatrie, & false seruing of god,i. Cor. 10. as Paule sayeth, thei which eate of y^e sacrifice are pertakers of y^e altare. they whiche are at the Masse are partakers of the masse [...] [Page] the masse, that is Idolatrers, false wor­shyppers of gode, blaspemers of christ destroyers of his death, merites sacrifi­ce, preisthod and kyngdome, destroyers of the ministers of his gospell and sacramentes, destroyers of faith, repentaūce and all godlynes. Sūma they are Anty­christes, Antichristes (I saye in bodye, though they feane ther harte to christs) but christ and Antichrist can not dwell to gether) and therfore yf they be ther & hold theyr tongue thei cannot but cryeon daie,Esay. 6. ve mihi quia tacui, wo is me, because I held my tongue.

Oh that the latter ende of the .1. cor. 10 were well wayed namelye how that in wurshipping god contraie to his word, as y^t massers do, we haue fellowshippe with his deuilles, then I trow his exor­tacion wold take place, where he sayth, see that you gyue none occasion of euyll to any man, but seke to please that waie which maye helpe to the saluation of o­thers, and not to y^e destructiō of others: as all they doo, which being at masse & see theyr brethern take it for a goddes seruice,Ezeche it being a verie deuiles seruice, laye a Pyllow & a Cusshen vnder there knees & elbowes to hold on styll & so to encrease goddes further vengeaunce as [Page] in England in Englande wee doo. Oh lorde be mercifull vnto vs, and forgyue vs, open our eyes that we maye see thye truth, and worke in our wylles that we maie embrace, loue and haue lust to it to lyue it, cōfesse it, and suffer gladlie losse of frēdes, name goods, & lyfe for it. Amē Amen. Now let vs se how much the reasons of our popishe Protestauntes are of force, ¶Fyrst they saye that god is a spirite & therfore in spirite to be serued,The Aun­swer to y^e 10. reson made too proue commynge too messe lan­full i. Iohn, 4 i. Cor. vi. 1. Thess 5 so that it forceth not though y^e bodye be at Masse if the spirite serue god and be with him. To this I āswer, y^t though god be to be sirued in spirite: yet not alone in spiryte but also in bodie & therfore Paull wil­leth vs to glorifie god in both. and pray­eth also that god wold sanctifie & make the body perfit aswell as the spirite, Whē our sauiour saith. Ihon. iiii. that god is to be serued in the spiryte, a man that marketh the text before and foloīge can not but se how y^t our sauiour wolde haue it opposed and set against the corporall and exteriour seruice of god which was vsed of both the Iewes and Sama­ritanes with out the spirite and veri [...]e

The Iewes seruices instituted of god were voyde of the spirite and spirituall [Page] exercise of faithe in the promises & Mes­sias, so greatlie was religion corrupted and grosse ignoraunce encreased. The Samaritanes seruices of god were not onelye voyde of the spirite but also of verite, for they hadde no worde of god for them. Therfore saeth our sauioure that god must be worshipped in spirite & ve­ritie, that is to saye, not in all externall seruices but in such, as he hath appoin­ted ones, or rather then wold appoynte (for y^e veritie of that figuratyue seruice was come) and not onelye in this exter­nallye, but also spirituallye with thexercyse of fayth in his worde and promises Now then I pray you what haue they wone of this sentence: why do they not rather by seruing god in the spirite vn­derstande the same to be required in his exterior seruice, which else were hypo­crysie, then by it excluded that which god wolde not haue excluded, I meane thex­terior workes and exercises he hath cō ­maunded, by this meanes take prechīg awaie, vocall prayer thankesgiuing, o­bedience to the Magistrates. &c. and all exterior thynges and so they shal shewether selues Libertines: as though whordome, Murther, and all exterior euilles were no euelles, for this can they do outwardlie, [Page] and yet ther spirite is styll with god what & yf any of theyr wyues were taken in an other mannes bedde, thin­ke you they wolde be content with thys excuse, that her harte was not ther tho­ugh her bodye was in bedde: hence for­wardes therfore lett them learne to put to the spirite. This worde veritye also, as our sauiour doeth: or else they muste be as muche blamed for takinge vppe to sone,The papi­stis begin to soone with hoc est corpus marke wei as the papistes ar for begynninge to soone. for styll they begyn at hoc est corpus meum, wher they shuld begin at accipite comedite, take and eate: or else god is not bounde to kepe his promyse thys is my bodie because it is condicy­onal, requiryng our obedience of takīg and eating which thing maketh ageīste the marte, yf men shuld knowe that hoc est corpus meū were not true to anye others but to such as do in dede take and eate the sacrament as he commaundeth that is in faithfull remembrance howe his bodie was broken for their synnes. &c. so I saye shuld they doo to y^e worshippynge of god in spyryte & verytye: and thē wold they vse this sentence no more to cloke with al their dissimulation and hypocrysye makynge menn to beleue [Page] to beleue they serue god as they do whē in hart, yet theis men do saye they detest that kynde of seruing god. Thus much for the fyrst reason.

2. The .ii. reason is that it is no more synne for a man to be at masse, in bodye so that in spirite he alowe it not, then it was for the prophetes, Christe and hys Apostles to be at the Idolatrouse sacry­fices in the Temple of Ierusalē with y^e preistes, bushoppes, Scribes and Pha­risees. This is ther secōde reasō, which I wyll aunswer, when that they shall proue eyther y^e prophettes eyther christ & his Apostles at any tyme to haue bene present and comūicate with the presses in any Sacrifice or Ceremonie whiche was not accordinge to gods worde and cōmaūdemēt, how be it to saye y^e truth ther was neuer amonges the Iewes in y^e temple of Ierusalē any such ydolatrie as the masse. The prophettes, christ and the Apostles came to the temple at Ierusalem & there vsed suche sacramentes,Nothynge in the mas after gods worde Sacrifices and Ceremonies as god had institute, but wher did god institute the masse? wher alloweth he any seruice to be done in an an vnknowen tonge: where taught he adoracion, eleuacion, reseruation, and [Page] suche horable prophanaciō and gasyng on his sacrāentes? wher taught he praying for y^e deade or to y^e deade, wher ordeyned this sacremēt to be eaten vp of one lone? where is ther sacrifice of y^e Masse y^e principallest thinge in y^e masse, wher I saye is it foūded in goddes word? but what go I about to recken y^e things in y^e Masse besides goddes word: in y^e there is no thing in it beyng placed and vsed as it is, but y^e same is contrarie to gods worde. euen as the holye prayers in ex­orcysmes and coniuringes are ther placed and vsed not holie prayers, but hor­rible blasphemyes. So that the sacrifi­cies and ceremonies vsed in the temple at Ierusalem wher nothing lyke to our masse, nor our masse lyke to thē: but ra­ther lyke to those sacrifices which were at Bethel and Dan. & in theyr orchards Groues, woddes, Hilles. &c.the Masse and the groues in tholde law were leke Theis Sa­crifices had a shewe of goddes worde & in facte and apparaunce, they were the selfe same, which were in the temple at Ierusalem. As in the temple they slewe and offered Rammes, Lambes, Gottes Oxen. &c. so did they in Dan, in Bethel in ther groues, hylles. &c. But yet y^e one had godes word, and therfore thei were of them selues goddes siruice not wyth­standing [...] [Page] preistes concerning them, But thother had none of goddes worde and therfore were Idolatrie and y^e people idolatrers wherfore all good people, in the trybes of Isarael came vp to Ierusalem to the sacrifices there. and left. Bethel & Dan to theyr grett peryll as we rede of Tobi­as.tobias. i. And to I praye god that manye may here of our Englishe gospellers, y^t they wyll auenture theyr lyues and goodes rather then to come to Masse wherin though ther be the pistell gospell sacra­ment, some good praiers, giuing of thā kes &c, yet in that the same be not after goddes worde but after the imaginaciō of man, all and euerye parte therof ys leuened & sowred with the litle lompe, naye? massie peece of leuen papistical or Antichristian y^t is, is idolatrie to speke playne englyshe: and who so cometh to it be idolatres, how so euer hartes their seme, yf outwardlye they make it not knowen. And thus bicause this reason is sufficientlye answered, I wyll goo to the thyrd.

Naaman (saye they) was bydden of the prophet to goo home in peace all shulde be well,1. king, 5. although he went in to the tem­ple of Remmon to worshippe in bodye, his spirite and hart beinge all set on the [Page] god of Israell wheruppon they gather that although the masse be euill yet it is no offence to be at it in bodye, the spiryt being absent with god.

For answere to this reason lett thys suffyce: furst y^t thys Naaman was but an yonglyng in goddes relygion a .iii. hours byrde and therfore not to be con­terred with, vnto vs Englyshe men in this case which shulde be past mylke I trowe now if a man haue respect either to the tyme of our baptisme, of the pure preachyng of the gospel which we haue had .vi. or .vii. yeres. Agayn the syrians to Naaman nowe were not so nere as wee be one to a nother, being Baptized into one bodie besides this Naaman ac­knowlegeth his facte to be synne & therfore desyreth the prophet to praie to god for the pardon of it, when he shuld committ it. but our men excuse theyr going to masse, as a thing not faulti: last of al the prophet doth not excuse y^e facte, nor saieth not that it is no synne, but vade in pace, go in peace: as though he might safe, go this wayes, trust in god, he wil teach the what to do, & guide the w^t hys grace otherwise, than y^u arte aware of. And suerlie it is not to be doubted but godde dyd soo, he knoweth full well [Page] full well how to pull out his people frō the perill of temptacion. we rede not y^t he went into the temple of Remmō, as soon shall we fynde that god turned the harte of his master the kinge, aither frō his Idolatrie, or frō fantasieng Naamā as he was wont. As soone shal we find y^t Naamā was strēghtned to obeie god more then man, as we shal fynd y^t Naaman went into Remmons temple with the king. The prophet bydding hym go in peace downe some waye y^t god wolde preserue his seruaunt from euill so that we maye perceyue thes example of Na­aman little shaddoweth the facte of the popishe protestātes. Suerlie this is but one of Adams aprons. In those dayes the knoledge of god was nothing so much & manifest as it hath ben,Galat. 4. sythē chrystes comming especialie emongest the heathen for the good men emongest thisraelites were but as chyl­chyldren (so Paule calleth them) in comparison to that we christians in time of the newe testament shulde be.i. Cor. xiii Chyldes age is past & mannis state is now come. Therfore god suffered many thinges w^t them, which he wyl not suffer with vs: euē as y^t father wil beare mani mo thīgs at the handes of his sonne being a child [Page] then being at ful groweth & mānis stat.Daniel. i [...] Why rather do not we sett before oure eyes Azarias and his fellowes whiche wold not bowe ther knees to Nabugo­donozers Image? why s [...]tt not wee for our example to followe the seuen thow­sande Israelites which wold not bowe their knees to Baall?3. king, 19 i. macha. 11 ii. mach. 7 why doth not the fact of Mattathias moue vs? whye for­gett we to looke on the example of y^e wo­man and her .vii. sonnes? Rede y^e storye shal thexamples of one heathen preuaile agaynst so manye example of others? & that in the old testament? what a shame is this for vs that be in the newe testa­ment and in y^e last dayes of it. For suer­lye the coming of our sauiour wyl shortlye appeire in glorie with innumerable martyrs which coragiouslie aventured not goodes, but lyfe, rather then they wold be stained in soule or bodie, to our shame and confusion if we playe y^e Laodiceans,Apocal. 3. Galat. iiii be come mayre maydes & seke to please men.

4. Theyr fourth reason is that they wyl praye to god at masse for those that are deceiued therwith. And besides this they will not knocke nor holde vp theyr handes at the eleuacion tyme, as cōmēlie men doo: wherbye men maye be some­thynge [Page] moued, the lesse to set by y^e masse.

And here they bring in thexample of one Asterius which was at thedolatro­use sacryfice the Cesarians made, & by his praier there and then obteined their conuersyon. I answer here vnto y^t ther prayer heer is nothinge as a valeable it wanteth these wynges, Fayth and loue to god & loue to our neighbors. For wher is his fayth or loue to god that seeth his owne god horriblie dishonored, his good chri­ste robbed and spoyled, and yet dissem­bleth as thoughe he were honored, chri­ste were magnified? wher is his loue to his brethrē, that seeth there soules mur­thered, and they redye to drinke poyson as apreseruatiue and yet he dissembleth as though ther wer no peril: yea he wil drinke with them of the same cupp. &c. shuld a man thinke thys mannis praier is hard of god.

If god thy master and lorde be dyshono­red christe thy sauyor and redeimer be robbed, the simple people thy brethrē be murdered (as in dede spiritualie at theis be doone in and by the masse) why doste thou dissemble as though chryste were honored, god were serued, thy brethern were edifyed? Is not this depe dissimu­lation, [Page] is not this lake of loue to god & his glorie, is not this lacke of loue to thi brethern and to there saluacion, and is not this iniquitie? for euery sinne is iniquitie. But where iniquitie hath ease & rest in y^e hart there god will not receiue the prayer, how wyl he hear thy prayer thē thou hipocrite, dissembler with god and man, masse gospeller. But thou kepest still thye pue & holdest not vp thy handes? as though none wer papist is but suche as knocke & holde vp theyr handes: as though all men at the sacring tyme looke on thee what y^u onlie do [...]st, as though he dyd eate no parte of a pudding which eateth of both thendes of it, but tasteth not of the myddest of it Is the holding vp of y^e handes so greate a matter w^t you now? what I had thou­ght this externall worke or behaueour had byn nothyng if that the spirite had bene right? Is tholding vp of the hand [...] at the sacring tyme more then y^e presēce of thy bodye at all y^e hoole masse? is ther nothing els a myse in the masse but the adoracion of the sacrament? Yf y^u wold­est men shuld know that thou doest dis­allowe it, why comest thou to it? what doest y^u thear? doest not y^u go to y^e masse y^t [Page] the magistrate myght knowe that thou art of his religion, a good obedient sub­subiect to y^e deuelishe lawes. Thus playest thou wylie begile thy selfe. Tel me if thy seruaunt shulde goo with theues to robbe thy house with out gaynesaying or doing to thē, woldest thou haue hym excused? And doest thou thinke that god wyll not be angrie with y^t that goest w^t theues to robbe hym of his true seruice & honore by the Masse? Thy seruaunte might haue an excuse to saye if he shuld haue reproued them for their facte and denied to haue goon with them it could not haue holyē, but cast hym awaye for he had no helpe. But suche excuse haste thou none for god can deliuer and helpe the out of the handes of all thyne aduersaries.3 king. 13. Rede the storie of Ieroboā, whe­ther he was able to hurte the man of god reprouing his facte? And god is the same god nowe. The standing of the .iii. yonge menn ouer threwe the purposed ydolatrye of Nabugodonozer. And suerlie so wold it doo the wicked masse with vs, yf as obedient subiectes wee wolde obeye god more then man. As for thexample of Asterius beinge a [...] sacrifice with idolatrers and prayenge ther, helpeth them nothing for as he o­penlye [Page] declared him selfe to disallowe theyr idolatrie, which our masse gospellers do not: so dyd not he accoustome to resorte thither as they do to the Masse, but onelye by the waye happened to be thear at that time. And the thyng maye be more apparaunt I wyll heare wryte the storie as I fynd it in Eusebius. ¶At Cesarea Philippi which the Phe­nicians call Paneas at the foote of an Hyll named Paneas which is y^e head of y^e riuer of Iurdane, there was a cōmen custome emonges the people of y^t place yerelye vpon a certeyne solempne daye to offer and slaye a sacrifice, the whiche sacrifice by the sleight of Satan suddenlye after the slaughtor of it, vanished a­waye: so that the people were persuaded it went vp in to heauen: & therfore thys was no smal miracle nor seruice of god thaught they, and all the hoole coūtrye. Nowe to came to passe y^t this Asterius came by thē in theyr sacrifice tyme who perceiuing that all this was doon by y^e illusion of the dewill in bewitchinge of the peoples eyes: he in his harte lamen­ting the errore and miserie, forth withe fell downe on his knees and lyft vp hys eyes and handes to heauen warde, and withe harte and voyce called vpon the [Page] blessed name of the lord Iesus christe, y^e teares tricklinge downe by his chekes apace and besought christe to haue mercie vpon the poore people, and to deliuer thē from this ther error. As sone as he prayed thus openlye before all the peo­ple, beholde the lorde opened theyr eies, and so they sawe their sacrifice whiche they thaught had bene in heuen haled ouer the water thear in al theyr sight manefestlie wherapon they amended there fault, and neuer vsed this superstition anye more. This god wrought by the prayer of this one Asterius, which you see serueth nothinge to this purpose. I purpose by goddes grace shortlie to put some thing forth of this Assterius and other maritres and confessores of chri­stes fayth to conforte and confirme my afflicted brethren and sufferers. Nowe wyll I goo to ther .v. reason.

5 It is enough saye theye to beleue in the hart and with our mouthes to con­fesse it to god.Roma. x And therfore except a man were a preacher he maie not reproue or disanul the masse, yet it is but a nedeles tēptinge of god, to lose al we haue, thus reasō they, but I wyl breiflie āswer thē. Furst you make no difference betwene beleuing with the hart and confessinge with the mouth, where the one that is [Page] beleif is spoken in respect of god which searcheth y^t harte, and looketh for fayth Hirem. 5. and thother is spoken in reispect of the churche or men, as christ sai­eth, he that confesseth me before men. &c And this confession Paull putteth as a playne demostration of faith in y^e hart, so that whersoeuer it be not, faith is not Therfore this place vtterlie maketh a­genst you. For by your sylence at that horrible idol & enemie vnto christe & his churche you vtterlie holding your ton­gues declare youre faythles hartes, or else cōfessiō w^t the mouth could not but burst out as light in an house cānot but burst out, at y^e doore & wyndowes of the sai [...], to the sight of such as be with out.

Secondelye though we be not al pub­like ministers and preachears of y^e gos­pell,we haue al care one ouer an o­ther. yet we are all bysshoppes one ouer an other, and called to preache out and shewe the vertues of hym that hath cal­led vs in to his light, so that our duetie is to see as much as we can that no mā falle from y^e grace of god (except we wil follow Cain,Heb, x, v Gene, iiii, & say who made me keper of my brother) and whensoeuer occasiō is offered to set forth & shew y^e praises of y^e lord & reproue y^t which is euel as paul saith arguite potius,i, M [...]ter, ii Eph [...], v, but after our vocatiō. Inded if y^e p̄chers did their duetie to [Page] disalowe & reproue this masse, we shuld haue lesse cause so to do. It wer enough to declare that we alowe ther doctrine but seing that the preachers are lienge praters and the true spekers are put vp to preach to postes beinge companiles, Bokelesse paperles and with out pen & ynke (so streitlye ar they looked vnto) it is y^e dutie of euerie christian after theyr vocatiō, to disallowe all that he can not obeye and do with good conscience.

math x. 16 marke, 8. Luke. ix. xiiii. xvii.Last of all, as concernyng the losse of lyfe. &c. I can noone other wise answer then with chrystes owne wordes; be y^t loueth father and mother better thē me is not worthye of me: yea be that forsa­keth not Father and mother, Wife and children goodes and his owne selfe also can not be my disciple. For be that will go about to saue his lyfe shal lose it but be that aduentureth, yea looseth his life for my sake the same shall fynde it eter­nallye One daye wyll we nyll wer, we must forsake all and parchaunce go to y^e deuill: now if willynglye for gods sake we wyll do that which of necessitee we must do, we can not but be most certain to goo to god, not for y^e suffringes sake but for his mercie and promise sake.

6. Their .vi. reasō is of charitie & office▪ knowledge maketh proud, but charitie [Page] edifieth: for else if wee shulde not goo to masse, we shuld offend y^e simple.i. Cor. [...]. I āswer y^e knowledg with out charitie is euyll & such had the Corinthians which abused theyr knowledge in y^e libertie of y^e Gos­pel to y^e sorewounding of manie a poore conscience, for whom christ was crusified as our masse gospellers puse vp with knowledge of the libertie of the gospell in exterior thinges do, thinkinge that they maye go to masse and so lackynge wherof they dragge, ar takē tardie with ther owne reason for what charitie call you that which not onlye suffereth: but also helpeth to hurle his blynde brother headlonge into the pitt of perdicion. But s [...]rlye ther reasoning as ther do­inge sheweth them to want knowledge also. For that which is spoken of indif­ference thinges, they applye to thynges vtterlye vnlaufull. For the Masse is not to be placed emonges thinges indiffirēt But emongest the greatesse euilles for one most horible. God send them more knowledge and charitie, & then I doubt not but ther will kepe thē at whome ra­ther that goo to masse.Offences are ayther gyuen or taken. For offēding but brethrē in not comīg to masse a man must put a difference betwen offences, some are taken, some ar [Page] gyuē. The precher that preacheth gods worde trulye, offendes the wicked or rather the wicked taketh therby offēce, so doth the father offend the chylde if he be couetuose in geuinge, lyberallie to the poore. But this offence cometh of y^e wickednes of y^e euyl & is taken & not giuē. The man y^t goeth to the Masse gyueth an offence occasioning others to do the lyke, and wo be vnto such: The man y^t goeth not to masse, or if he goe thyther doth reproue it publiklie, this mā I saie geueth no offence, but the offence is ta­ken, for he that followeth goddes word to do his wyll can neuer gyue offence. But he that followeth his owne wyl or reason, or the wyll & reason of any man in religion or goddes seruyce, the same man giueth an offence and sinneth dāynablie. Go to therfore and see with thye selfe in going to masse, whether y^u doest it to do goddes will or thyne owne, yf y^u looke well on it thou shalte see it is not goddes will but thyne owne or the wyl of others whom y^u woldest not displease but now se what Paul saieth, if I shuld please men, I were not the seruaunte of christe.Gal. i. i. Cor. 10. And what saieth thy consience when thou praiest thy wyll be doone? & doest the contrarie? Euerie man muste studie to please his brother, but yet to e­dification. [Page] But of theis offences moche were to be spoken ageynste our gospellers whiche haue gyuen great offences in not resor­ting to y^e cōmunion to receiue it when they myght. Also in co [...]minge comen prayer in neglecting preachyng and sermons, in abusing theyr libertie, in meaies, in church goodes. &c.

7. There .vii. reason they gather out of christes wordes that not it which goeth in to the month defyleth man,wat. xv. but that which cometh forth of y^e hart, And therfore going to masse being but an exter­nall thinge, yf so be the harte allowe it not, can not defile a man.

Our sauiours wordes do not exclude outward words and workes contrarie to his lawes, but that they defyle man, as Murther, Theft, Whordome. &c, al­beit theis in dede spring out of the hart howbeit make the mater manifest. A difference as before I haue spoken ther shulde be put alwaies betwene thinges indifferent and thinges vnlaufull. The masse & goīg to it to serue god therby is no indifferēt thing. We shulde discerne gods creatures from mānes ignoraūce in y^e abuse of thē. wine is gods creature Dronkenes is mānis error & y^e abusīge of gods creature, the epistel gospel supꝑ [Page] good praiers, &c. are goddes ordinaūces but the masse is mānis ignoraūce, and horrible abusing of those holie thinges. To sacrifce calues shepe, &c. was godds instituciō, but to sacrifice in y^e groues, woddes, at Bethel, Dan, &c. was man­nis errour and plaine idolatrie, as one masse is, & thei y^t vse it horrible idolatre­rs, so y^t this their reasō apō this text gathered is reasonies if thei vsed it ageinst mānis prescriptiō of meates as though some were more holye then some, some defiled vppon frydaye more then apon thursdaye &c. then vsed they: [...] rightlye Now lett vs see their .viii. reason. It is Anabaptisticall saye they to abste­yne from the ministerie and temple, be­cause of others mennis faultes, rather men shulde proue and trye them selues then others. The preists ilnes or the pa­pistes errour can not hurte vs it wee in hart consēt not to their euil or alowe it. This reason is lyk the rest. For the my­nisterie of goddes worde and the mans at two thinges, the one meor repugnāt to the other and destroyers the one of y^e other, he doth wickedlye whiche with y^e Anabaptistes or Donatisses thynke y^t the faulte of y^e minister or people shulde empaire christes ministerie or sacramē tes [Page] and y^e vertue and efficacie therof to him wardes. In vsyng goddes ordinaū ces let vs trie our selfes and not others. But syr what ordinaūce of god c [...]l yea the masse? who taught to praye publikelye in an vnknowen tonge? who caught christes supper to be a priuate supper? but of this looke more before. Now will I dispatch their .ix. and .x. reasons.

9.10. Bicause god beholdeth the harte and not y^t outwarde apperaūce .1. re. 12 because the eyes of god looke for faith, Heremi .v. Bicause the bewtie of godds churche is with in. psal. xiv. Therfore y^e outward dede of going to masse forceith not, if so be inwardlie it be not aproued. To theis I aunswer y^e indede it is true god looketh on the harte but yet so that he beholdeth the words and workes also Malach. His eyes looke on faithe. But so that he casteth his eyes on mennys factes also. psal. And therfore the scryp­ture sayeth that godd wyll iudge after our workes and sayings rede. Mat. 25 and .12. of the wordes thou shalt be iustefyed, &c. Theis therfore conclude not as theye gather, but rather teach vs godds priuiledge which wee must not meddle with all: [...]nelie we must know the tra [...] by the tru [...]es: the which frutes if at anie [Page] tyme they deceyue vs, yet god can they neuer deceyue, for he knoweth y^e harte, be knoweth y^e fath and whether y^e fruts springe therof or noe, yea this sentence well wayed doch gyue vs occasion to set the popishe churche to be no churche in goddes sight, as doith the sentence they alledge for theyr tenthe reasons of the bewtie of the Kyngges daughter, that is the churche withe in. For if we be holde the face of the popishe churche in respect of christes true churche whose bewtie in dede is al inward being replenished with the spirite of christ and the frutes of y^e same, outwardlie being but symple, for she wyll adde nothinge to christes commandementes in goddes seruice and religion, otherwise then for orders sake it I saye we beholde the face of the popishe church, lord how it glistereth & gorgiouse it is in cōparisō or christes true churche which is deformed in theis dayes, but by the word of god tru­lye preachyd, the sacramentes purelye minestred, and sume discipline nothing so much as hath bene, might be, & shuld be, where as the popishe church wantes nothing to set hir selfe forth to the shew as he that considereth y^e persones Pope [Page] Cardinalles, Legates, Archbisshoppes bissheppes, suffraganes, Abbores, Pri­ores. Deanes, Prebendarres, archedeacons, Canons, Monkes, Friers, Per­sones, Vicares, Paryshprystes, Masse prystes, Nonnes, susters, nonices, Deacones, subdecones, &c. and a thousande moe) the pore ryches, honors, promoti­ons, landes, houses, fare, seruice (as sin­ging, sayeng, ringing, playeng, sensing &c Impelmentes (Crosses, Chalices, relykes, Iewels, Basens, copes, cruettes Vestimētes, Bookes, Belles, candelles &c. He I saye that considereth theis thinges he cannot but with Samuel thin­king, Eliab had bene he whom god had chosen, Thynke this to be the catholike church and spouse of christ. But this sē ­tence sayeth the bewtie of goddes para­mor is within: and therfore this maye be suspected to be the rose colored whore S. Ihon speketh of in the Apocalipse. For whome her ministers watch nyght & daye, how to mantaine theyr mystres & whore, madame with indowinge her w^t the riches, power, and pleasures of y^e earth: where as the ministers of christs true churche watche and labour howe to enryche and bewtifie goddes people wyth Heauenlye ryches, euen wythe the knowledge of god and hys chryste [Page] and ther fore they vse daylye preaching and publike prayeing, and vsing the sa­crament so as maye edifie. They vrge men to repentaūces to begī a new life, they wold haue men to horde by theyr treasures in heauen. &c. And this gayre they worlde lyketh not. But murmureth at the ministers, contemptneth thē, pilleth them that for pouertye and lyuinges sake thee myght speake to please, as experience hath taught hear­in Englād. But to make an ende of this matter I wold wyshe that they whiche vse suche sentences as theys be to hyde theyr manyfest ydolatrie and fornicatiō at y^e masse wold know that theyr spouse is gelyouse and wyll aswell be angrye with them whoring so in their bodyes, as they wold be, yf ther wiues were ta­ken in bodelye acte withe others, wolde they take this excuse yf the wyfe shulde saye: forsouth husbande this is no mat­ter for I promise you no bodye, but you alone hath myne harte. &c. God for hys mercies sake in chryste open our eyes & hartes to se know & loue his wyl, y^t wee maye serue hym there after: God power into our harts the sence of chrystes swe­ete sacrifyce made for our sinnes in hys owne persone and by his owne selfe. [Page] Thē suerlye we cānot but earnestlye detest thys masse wyiche is moste enemy [...] there ageinste, and that not onnelye in spirite inwardelie, but also in bodie outwardlye: euen as all honest women can not but be sore greued in harte or bode­lye acte to departe frome there husban­des. The gretter loue in harte the wyfe hard to her husband, the more pure wyl her bodie be kepte from the fellowship [...] of others. And so it goeth with vs here­in le [...]t vs therfore praye god to engraft his loue in our hartes and then vndoubtidlie we wyll neither do nor saye enyething that shall displease hym. Let his worde be the lanterne vnto our feet none other waye to go then we shal see it giue lyght before vs.Psal. lxix▪ Let his word so lye and remayne in our hartes,math. xiii. that it maye be as a leuen in vs to chaung y^t fauor of all our wordes and workes to be therafter Let vs hyde goddes words in our hartes that we synne not.psal. cxix. Let vs kepe our feete from all enyiwayes that we maye kepe goddes lawes & testimo­nies. And here I wyll write an historye not vntill for this purpose as I thinke.

Ther was in y^e time of Sapores king of Persia which cruellie persecuted the Christians a certayne Archebysshoppe [Page] Selenchya & Etesiphon called Symon which was called before y^e king diuerse tymes, but at the last bound like a thefe for christes gospelles sake howbeit all preuailed nothyng: constant he was in worde and countenaūce to the comfort of all the christians. On a daye coming from the kyng of whom he was examy­ned & thretned, it he wolde not worships the sonne and make a knee to it as god but in vaine as I sayed it fortuned that one Vstazardes an aūcient officer in y^e kynges courte I trowe great Master of his household sate in the court gates as Simeō came by which Simeon so sone as this Vstazardes did see coming forth with he arose and did reuerence. But Simeon knowinge that he had wour­shipped the Sonne for feare of y^e kinge, wold not looke at him, but semed to cō ­tempne & despise him. This gaire when Vstazardes perceyued so perced his harte, that he began to pull a sonder his clothes and to rende his garmentes, with weping eyes, crieng out and halas that euer he hade so offended god as in bo­die to bow to the sonne for (saith he) here in I haue denyed god, although I dyde it a geinst my wyl. And how sore is god displeased with me whē myn old father and frende Simeon his deare seruaunt will not speke or loor towardes me. [Page] Looke towardes me. I maye by the ser­uauntes countenaunce perceyue y^e ma­sters mynde. &c. on this sorte this Vsta­zardes lamented. Now syr it cam short­lie to the kinges care and therfore was he sent for and demaunded the cause of his mourning, and he out of hand tolde him the cause to be his vnwilling bow­ing to the Sonne, bi it (oh kyng) (saieth he I haue denied god & therfore because he wyll denye them that denye him I haue no lytle cause to compleyne & mor­ne. wo vnto me (ꝙ he) for I haue played the traytor to christe, & haue dissimbled with the my leige lorde. No deth therefore is sufficient for the lesse of my faul­tes. &c. when the king herd this it went to his stomake for he loued. Vstazardes who had ben to him & his father a faithfull seruaunt & officer, howbeit the ma­lice of sathan moued hym to causse this man to be put to death, when he sawe y^t by no meanes he wolde alter his minde to worshippe with the bodie, the sonne yet in this pointe be semed to gratefye hym, for Vstazardes desired that y^e cau­se of his death might be publ [...]sshed to be as it was, this I aske saith he) for guardon and recompense of my true seruice to the and thy father, Marie ꝙ the king thou shalte haue it thinkinge therbye y^e [Page] when the christians shuld knowe, how he wold not spare his chefest seruantes for relygion it wolde make them more afrayde & soner to consent vnto hym: but so sone as it was publisshed and Vsta­zardes put to death, lord how it comforted not onlye Simeon then being in prison, but also all the christians. This historie I wisshe were marked aswell of vs as our Popishe Gaspellers which haue no more to saye for thē then Vstazardes had, for his harte was with god, how so euer he framed his bodye & therfore (saith he) that vnwyllinglye be bowed to y^e sonne we shuld behaue our selues strongelie agenst suche brethren as simeon did & then they y^e soner wolde playe Vstezardes parte which thing no merueile though they do not, so longe as we rocke them a slepe by regardyng them & ther companayes, as dailye we do, and so are partakers of there euil & at the length shall feele of their smarte. God guyde vs all with his holie spirite as his children for euermore. Amen.