HEarken ye erring soules,1. The dan­gerous e­state of Schisma­tikes. who wil not enter the Arke, or­dained for the safety of my Elect? yet hope to escape the vniuersal floode of my wrath; who refuse to leaue Sodome? yet feare not fire and brimstone; who forsake not the Taberna­cles of Chore? yet dread not to be swal­lowed of the earth; neglect to flie from Babylon, yet expect nothing lesse then to be oppressed with the ruines thereof. Oh ye lost sheepe, who hauing receiued my marke, enter another sold; yet wil needes be tearmed of my flocke, runne with the Theefe, and wil be holden inno­cent; partake in iniquity, yet wil be ac­compted righteous; Ye broken branches ignorant of your owne decay; Ye that rent my vnseamed coate, not acknow­ledging [Page 2] a fault; teare my body without sence of sinne; breake the vnity of my Church vvithout scruple of Schisme. Come forth before me and justifie your selues if ye can, cal together your wits, search the depth of your harts, ponder the reasons of your frailty, and the cir­cumstances of your defence, in equity I wil argue your offence, and contending by just judgement. I stand against you to your face: my Majesty shal not pre­judice, to alleage what you can, I wil neither oppresse you with authority, nor ouer-rule without reason, but your owne guiltinesse shal appale you, & the cleare­nes of your crime, shal make you dumbe. Laying a-side the person of a Iudge, I the Creatour of al, referre the cause to the censure of al my creatures. To al both Angels and Men, I appeale to Ca­tholikes and Heretikes; to Christians and not Christians, to your owne consciences if ye haue any.

2. Schisma­tikes no true seruāts of God.I haue tried you and found you faith­lesse, I haue giuen occasion of manife­sting your fidelity, and found you a dis­loyal [Page 3] generation; I haue prouided for you a plentiful haruest of glorious and e­ternal merits, I proffer the purchase of the Kingdome of heauen; but I perceiue you set at naught my wisdome and bounty, contemning the treasures of my King­dome, as not worthy the vile price of temporal detriment. I haue proued you at the touch-stone, and discerned you to be b [...]se: I haue weighed you, and found you to light. Oh seede of Samaria, and not of Iuda, I hate your dissimulation, I detest your cowardize, and abhorre your blindnesse; my soule loatheth your hal­ting harts. Great is my indignation a­gainst you, and digest your frowardnesse I cannot.

If any man with-hold your right,3. Vngrati­tude of Schisma­tikes and their inju­rious dea­ling to­wards God. an action is ready, he is serued with pro­cesse and exclaimed against, for vncon­scionable dealing. How long shal I de­maunde the interest vvhich I haue in your soules, and you giue no eare to my claime. You disdaine to be con­temned at your seruants handes, you brooke not disobedience in your chil­dren; [Page 4] In case the fields and orchyeardes yeeld not their fruits, ye storme and rage: But where is your owne duty? the ho­nour of your Maker, the loue of your Redeemer, the awe of your God? where are the fruits which my care haue deser­ued? Long haue I trauailed in manuring your barraine soules: I haue sent my la­bourers, who imploy their diligence, I haue by many occasions sollicited your harts, and with sweet inspirations, I haue at al times endeauoured to mollisie your obstinate mindes. VVhat is that I should doe to you and haue not done it? yet reape I nought but contempt, nor finde you other then stiffe and vntractable, vn­profitable, and voide of al towardnesse; Whatsoeuer you haue is of my beneuo­lence: your very life and being is of my bounty: neither dependeth your conti­nual preseruation vpon any other assu­rance, then the protection of my right hand. If al this be too little, I am ready to doe more, and greater matters I wil in your behoofe performe, then your selues would either haue expected, or desired: [Page 5] and the good that I purpose toward you, in case you make your selues vvorthy thereof, cannot by mortal hart be con­ceiued. For which then of al my benefits doe you thus injury my patience? where­in hath my gratious goodnesse deserued the contumely and reproch, vvhere-with your iniquity doth daily vexe me? Wic­ked and peruerse people, yeeld you this thankes to my kindnesse, this recompense to my deserts? Why doe ye thus forsake me and deny me, dispise and disobey me, oppugne and assault me?

Ye forsake me, and deny me,4. Schisma­tiks deny, dispise, & impugne God. and say with a bold countenance, wherein haue we forsaken and denied thee? Haue ye not renounced my seruice, cast off my li­uery, departed from my family, passed from my campe and coulers, to the ad­uersaries tentes, and yeelded to the pro­fession of a Protestant? Ye dispise and disobey me, yet blush not to say, wherein (oh Lord) doe we dispise or disobey thee? Haue I not commanded you to loue me aboue al, and to confesse my name, my beleefe and Church, and to contend euen [Page 6] vnto death for my truth sake? Where is your loialty? Haue not I ordained Sacra­ments for your special comfort, a Sacri­fice celestial for memory of my excee­ding munificence, and as an homage of Christian subjection? haue I not in my Church determinate ceremonies and ob­seruances, for the greater dignity of my seruice, and absoluter vnity of my fami­ly? Al which sithence you frequent not, where is your loue of me? or the re­gard of my honour? you oppugne me also and assault me, and dissemblingly say, wherein doe we oppugne and as­sault thee. Oh Sauiour? your exam­ple discomforteth others, vvhich would else doe wel, dissolueth the courage, de­creaseth the number of my part, weake­neth the cause of faith, and fortifieth the enimy.

5. Schisma­tikes wil­fully de­ceiue them selues.You flatter your selues notwithstan­ding al these injuries, soothing your con­sciences with a vaine pretence, that you loue and honour me stil, and with a false gloz [...] that you would not for a thousand worldes forsake my seruice, nor deny my [Page 7] sacred name. How iniquity wil lie vnto it selfe, and beare the port of innocency? you list not found the depth of your owne hartes, for feare of touching the quicke, and espying the default, which you would not see, because seing you would not a­mend, and not amending must needes feele the continual fretting of a disquie­ted conscience, and thinke your soules to hang ouer the Dragons mouth. But I wil search the ground of your hollow hartes; reueale your deepe dissimulation, vnmaske your vaine pretences, and launce your festered soares to the very bottome.

Doe ye not as Peter deny your selues,6. By Peters denial is proued that Sch [...] smatik deny Christ. to be of my company? doe ye not appa­rantly renounce, yea and sometime abjure the fellowship of my followers? Doe ye not pretend to haue nothing to doe with their conuersation, dreading to be pr [...]su­med, as one of their number? what is this but to disclaime from my Religion, to depart from the corps of my vniuersal Church, and to seperate your selues from the Congregation, vvhich among [Page 8] al the people of this land, is al only left for my inheritance, and among whom only I am se [...]ued and honoured? To de­ny the communion of my flocke, is to deny me to be the true Sheep-heard, to renounce the fellowship of the house­hold of faith, is to renounce me for your Lord, and to disauow my seruice. In not partaking with my children, you cast me off as none of your Father, and in disioy­ning your selues from the rest of my mem­bers, you giue sufficient argument, that I am not your head. Thus you renounce me for your God, denying vtterly my ho­ly name and Majesty. If you be not vr­ged to deny my God-head, no more was Peter: If you be not willed to reuolt in hart from your Redeemer, no more was he: If you be not expresly commanded, to appostate from your faith and consci­ence, no more was he: If you deny with month [...]o one article of beleefe, no more did he. In sound beleefe of hart he pas­sed you farre (or if comparison should passe between [...] you) I suppose you wil vaunt no prerogatiue. His zeale had in [Page 9] other respects beene often proued, as yours daily vpon smal trial, deserueth re­proofe. Your vvickednesse may almost justifie his weakenesse, at leastwise the enormity of your crime may extenuate the guilt of his frailty. Though he denied me his Master, by denying himselfe to be a Disciple, yet waded he not so farre, as by any other external signe, to beare shew of an enimy. Though he wickedly spake, and rashly perjured as ouer-care­lesse what he replied, to a Girles questi­on; Yet before the Magistrate at publike trial of his faith, he shewed more con­stancy, accomplishing by losse of life, the period of this penance, then which nei­ther could he offer vp, nor I require any greater satisfaction. After thrise offen­ding, he conceiued harty and profound contrition, neither euer relapsed into like sacrilege, but presently bewailed vvith bitter teares, the grieuousnesse of his sinne; and lamented the longest day of his life. The crowing of the Cocke was a peale to his penance, a memorial infal­lible to showres of remorse, and what [Page 10] one day had committed of sinne, a [...] daies following omitted not to sobbe. How different are your deserts from his? how contrary a course doe ye take? mul­tiplying your sinnes without al modesty, if not without measure; not priuatly and sodainly speaking a word of Apostacy, but publikely in the face of the vvorld, committing actes of Heresie, vvithful deliberation, with a hart resolued to ha­zard shipwracke, and giue aduenture vp­on the shelfes of sinne. Not conten­ted vvith eschewing the exercise of the Catholike faith, and participation with the faithful, in profession of conscience; ye make no scruple to frequent the rites of a false beleefe, and partake vvith my vtter enimies, in the sacrilegious impiety of their profession. Yet whereas in him you acknowledge a damnable, and mor­tal denial of me, the Lord of Hostes; your owne more apparant and odious, you wil not vnderstand. But you re­ply (a crafty generation, as you are, crafty to deceiue your selues, and as in­genious in iniquity, as slow to piety) [Page 11] you wil returne vpon me the reproofe of an vnjust complaint: saying,7. Schisma­tikes are not of the Catholike Church. that you be Catholikes, and remaine firmely vnited to the Church my Spouse.

Da [...]e ye then say that Catholike Re­santes, are not my proper stocke? Or can ye maintaine, that your selues are of their band, members of their Church and Fraternity? or vvil ye a­uouch that any company can be mine, vvhich imbraceth not wholy their faith? For vpon one of these three, of force ye must rely, if ye vvil justifie your selues, to be Children of my Church, or for­tifie your errour vvith hope of salua­tion.

Recusants to stand vpon an assu [...]ed ground, none can justly deny,8. The assu­red groūd where vp­on Recu­sants stād. or vvith reason cal their saluation in question; vvho cleaue stedfastly to their fore-fa­thers faith, departing neither on the right hand, nor on the left hand, from the rule of religion, but agonizing e­uen vnto death in that Confession, vvhere-unto their first christined Aun­cestours vvere conuerted, and wherein [Page 12] al their Godly Predecessours, both ver­tuously liued and happily died. Ye your selues, though slacke imitaters of their piety, cannot but admire it, and praise in them that perfect resolution and heroy­cal courage, which bold affection though ye feele not, though in fits of remorse, y [...] some time wish it. The very view, and regard whereof, might make you blush before men, and shal confound you at the supreame judgement.

9. Recusants highly to be cōmen­ded for their zealeThese are they vvhich nourish the sparkes of that fire, which I came downe to kindle on earth: these only maintaine in this Realme my heauenly lampe, that it be not extinguished, support my law that it be not ruinated, glorifie my name that it be not vtterly defaced. These re­maine like starres in the darke night, like greene bayes in the midst of hoary win­ter, like liuely fresh fountaines in the san­dy desert. These are they who liue vn­spotted, a-midst a peruerse generation, whose vertue staieth my fury, and with­holdeth my sword from the rest of the people. They walke in light, and know [Page 13] what they doe, ye confesse them to doe best, and their vowed enimies acknow­ledge them to be in state of saluation.

With these you may wish to confort in conscience,10. Schisma­tikes haue no part with Re­cusants, neither are of the same Church. to partake in profession of faith: ye may in bare tearmes auouch as much, but shal neuer with reason be able to make it good. To become joynt-heires with them in the heauenly inheri­tance, ye may foolishly hope vpon rash presumption, but shal neuer attaine it for want of merit. Wil ye with them raigne, with whom ye doe not sustaine? Wil ye deuide in the labourers hire, nor parta­king in his trauaile? Wil ye reape of their joyes, with whom ye sow not in teares? Thinke ye to feast with them, in the e­ternal Holy-day of the resurrection, with whom ye fast not the lent? Or beare a part in their Musical Alleluia, which hold no voice in their tragical vah? in the Psalmes not in the Threnes? Shal deni­ers be joyned with Confessors? disclai­mers with Disciples, fugitiues with fol­lowers, faithful Souldiers with false co­wards. Assoone shal shamelesse Aposta­taes [Page 14] be enthronized with my holy Apo­stles, as peruerted Runnegates with my stedfast Recusants; you deny your selues to be of their congregation before men; and shal I acknowledge you for one of them before my Angels? At the time of battaile you wil be none of them, and shal ye be found vncassered at the time of pay? Nay, nay, they which beare not my badge shal not be cladde with my liueri [...]s; they which be not of my retinew, shal not be fedde of my dispense. What then? you are and wil be of my suite and seruice, as the best Catholikes are.

11. Schisma­tikes are not Ca­tholikes.And are you indeede? aske the Recu­sant, and he rejecteth you: aske the Per­secutor, and he imbraceth you not: aske the Saints and Angels, and they abhorre you? I neuer yet tooke you for seruants of mine, since you cast away my cogni­zance, neither did I thinke that you durst be so bold, as to ascribe your selues to my family, who are retainers to another traine, and set your feete vnder my foes table. Are ye to be deemed of the true Church, making your resort to the ma­lignant? [Page 15] may they be numbred in the so­ciety of the faithful, vvho are associate with Infidels? How are ye of my flocke, who assemble in another fold, and ap­proch not to mine; feede of other pa­stures and forsake mine; heare the voice of other sheepe-heardes, and disobey mine? Haue no confidence in vaine lying wordes; say not in your hartes we be Ca­tholikes: ye are none, you haue gone forth from among them, you haue sepe­rated and diuided your selues, for feare of the world, refusing to be partakers of their punishments and calamities, and to beare the yoke vnder vvhich they groane. Cal not your selues children of my Church, vaunt not to sit in the lappe of my beautiful Spouse. Ye are be­come like blacke a-moores Brats, and like Aegiptian Elues.

Out of my sight,12. Schisma­tikes shal receiue judgemēt with He­retikes. whom to behold is my griefe, the view of your vgly defor­mity I cannot abide. As I did to Chore and his cōpany, so did I to al those which negligently staied among his Taberna­cles; as I did to Samaria who had quite [Page 16] cast off my beleefe and law, and to her Idols, so d [...]d I to Hi [...]rusalem and her Idols, although sh [...]e pretended no re­uolt from my seruice. And as in the day of vengeance, I wil plague Heretikes and Infidels, who manifestly rebelled against me, and impugned my faith, so wil I with the same Scorpions, scourge al those who for feare of friendship (or what re­spect soeuer) adhere to their faction, and yeeld to their fury, al copartners in iniqui­ty shal together haue their portion, in the lake burning with brimstone, I am a jea­lous God, which wil not beare any com­petitor in interest of my inheritance, any riual in the loue of mans soule, nor indure that the reuerence due to my diuine ser­uice, be exhibited to any vngodly sect, and the personal obseruance, which my espoused Queene challengeth, be per­formed to an Adulterous Synagogue.

13. Indifferē ­cy in reli­gion in ef­fect Apo­stacy.No man can serue two Masters, with­out displeasing the one, no man can warre vnder two aduersary Princes, with­out being a Traitour to the one. Mine you are by generation, by regeneration [Page 17] more mine then before, by dependance of conseruation, ye are more mine then your owne, yet wil you both in hart haue recourse to me, and in act to Belzebub. You say you loue my Temple, but you enter into Bethel and Galgala: Amos c. 5. vers. 5. like the Schismatical Israelites; you commend my Sac [...]i ice, but frequent the Calues of Hier [...]boam. Ye pr [...]tend to the Hil of Syon, but ye ascend to adore in the pro­phane Hil of Garazim as Samaritans, be­comming thereby companions of Diuels, and wounding th [...] consciences of the weake, together with the true God,4. Reg. 17. ye adore the false. As those libertines a­mong the Corinthians,1. Cor. 8. & 10. relying vpon your inward beleefe, ye freely eate of I­dolatrous Sacrifices,Apoc. 3. as those of Laodi­cea, ye are neither hotte nor cold, and therefore loathsome to my stomacke. Ye resemble those which sweare by God and by Melchom, Aba. 1. v. 5. vvhom therefore I threatned with vengeance, with wicked Achab ye worship God and Baal, nay your exteriour open worship, is whole to Baal, and not to me; you remaine with [Page 18] me in fayned falshood, and not in al your hart: nay rather you remaine with them, and on their side; if not in al your hart, yet in outward profession; if not wilfully yet willingly; if not dispitefully, yet disobediently. Loue not me in word, but in worke; not with lips, but in hart; not in pretence, but in truth and sincerity. The peruerse, for fashion sake demanded what they should doe to accomplish my wil, Luke 18. and when it was told them, neglected to fulfil it.

If you be children of my Church, doe the workes of children; if you be my seruants, doe the vvorkes of seruants. Haue accesse to my Priests, frequent my Sacraments, cleanse your soules by hum­ble confession and penance, haue in due reuerence my rights and ceremonies, ho­nour my seruice with your presence, pro­strate your selues before my holy Altar, lifting vp pure hartes and handes. Adore with zealous indeauour, at the houre of my dreadful Sacrifice; when propitiation for the liuing and dead, when memory of your Redeemer is celebrated. This [Page 19] seeke through fire and vvater, through swordes and snares. Let neither distance of miles, nor friuoulous danger of places, nor surmised peril of your owne persons impeach Godly indeauours, what should I say more, declare by your deuotion, that you hunger and thirst saluation, and that you set by nothing so much, as by the ex­ercises of your religion, and the presence of me your Sauiour. Aboue al flie the Sy­nagogues of Sathan; flie al prophane praiers, al heretical cōuenticles, al vngod­ly rites, al participation with any thing, that belongeth to the table and cuppe of Deuils. This doe, and then cal me Fa­ther of heauen, and the Church Mother of earth, I wil blesse you in life, and shee shal present you to meat your death.

Here you straine courtesie, here flesh and bloud reclaimeth, the spirit taking the foile, and the old man triumphing;14. Schisma­tikes just­ly repel­led from the Sacra­ments. some of you discharge themselues of their crimes, by mystewards ouer rigorous au­sterity; and by cōplaint of injury in being secluded from my sacred misteries? vnder­stand ye what ye aske, oh ye hypocrites? [Page 20] in this one thing only happy, that your suite is suspended, and prudently rejected by those which know, that they are or­dained for dispensers, not for spenders and vvasters of my celestial prouision, and that the childrens foode, is not to be gi­uen to dogges, nor pearles to be cast be­fore swine, why demaunde ye that which would augment your damnation, which though most diuine, yet would no more sanctifie you then it did Iudas, nor more preuaile you, then the Arke did profit the Philistian. The sweetest conserues in vndisposed stomackes, turne to gal and choller; the most nourishing meates, breede most annoy in infected bodies, and nothing is wholsome, where wan­teth digestion. What flower or herbe the Spider feedeth on, turneth to venom, be it neuer so pleasant; and vvhat Ser­pents deuour, turneth to poison, be it ne­uer so wholsome.

How dare you proffer to approch to my Altar, where so great a Majesty is re­sident, vvithout sufficient examination and proofe of your worthinesse? how can [Page 21] ye be proued, vnlesse ye be purged? how purged, but by penance? how admitted, to penance and pardon, either not ac­knowledging your guilt, or not in pur­pose of amendment?

Wel then,15. Schisma­tiks are to be presu­med for Heretikes and why. among my Catholikes since you are not, where shal I finde you? where are your raunges; being that you cleaue to Sectaries in actes of their Schi­smatical profession, I pronounce you Protestants, whose proceedings in de­parture from the faith, though in priuate opinion (or possibly in talke) ye reproue, yet by presence at their houses of Idolatry you in appearance honour, by obeying you allow, by example you further, by deedes you confirme, by dissembling you establish. You goe thither as one of them, you sit there as one of them, you behaue your selfe reuerently as one of them. The Caluinist taketh you for Proselites, and as either conuerted or conformed; not altogether abhorring their pretended religion, not ouer resolute in the old faith, and finally as persons, not farre from their Kingdome. The poore Catholike scan­dalized [Page 22] at your impiety, frameth no o­ther conceipt, then that either you are quite peruerted to heresie, or at least­wise that your faith is in the wane; that your Sunne is set, your deuotion done, the light of your soule extinguished, that you are lost sheepe, distemblers, Schismatikes, and at the brinke of bot­tomelesse heresie. And haue not thinke you the one and the other, just reason of their censure. You giue your hand, though you vvith-hold your hart; you weare the Deuils coate, though you cal him not Lord; you honour him, though you hate him; though you abhon [...] him, yet you obey him.

16. Those which goe to the cō ­uēticles of Heretical rites, are justly and properly called Schisma­tikes.Abhominable is Schisme, and [...]o [...]ri­ble is the name of a Schismatike, but why should this be a word of offence, to whom the subject thereof, and the sacri­lege of so great a sinne, is neither shame nor remorse. Men are men, not priuy to the secre [...]s of harts: the vnderstanding censureth, as by the senses is deliuered. The Church therefore judgeth, by that which shee seeth, not by that which shee [Page 23] seeth not. The deede (as reason wil) doth prejudice the contrary word, and vpon the fact riseth sentence of faith?

When my Church in her first prime, vvas nipped vvith sharpe persecution, so that diuers blossomes sel from her branches, those which through passio­nate feare condescended to Idolatry, vvere by the Bretheren condemned as fallen from their faith, rejected as A­postataes, and denounced excommuni­cated, neither receiued againe vvith­out publike satisfaction, and many yeares penance.

He that should keepe the Saterday ho­ly, and pray with Iewes in their congre­gation, were to be supposed a Iew: Eue­ry man would exclaime against the fact, vvithout caring for the cause. He that entreth any of Mahomets meschits, pray­eth in his Temples, or kisseth the bookes of his law, is of euery Christian man de­fied for a Runnegate, and of the Turkes priuileged for a Boserman; no man in­quiring whether loue of their Mahome­try, or dread of extremity, whether carnal [Page 24] sensuality and liberty of their law, or worldly prosperity, did moue him: fix­ing their eies vpon his outward action, men let the intention repose it selfe in the prosound abisme of the hart, what then should hinder, why you also associating Heretikes in their actions, yea principal and proper actions of their profession, should not be blazoned for a sherents to Infidelity, bearing the blot of depa [...]ters from my Church Catholike, and conse­quently of Schismatical persons.

17. Protestāts cannot be of the Ca­tholike Church, neither in their faith can be saluation.I know, I know, what it is that lieth at your hart, a mischiefe so corrupting your appetite, that it destreth not good, and your tast that it discerneth not euil; a priuy poison, but so pestiterous, so be­numming (not the senses, but the soule) that if it be not exhausted, an incureable letargy, a mortal and euerlasting sleepe ensueth, ye are not perswaded forsooth, that the Protestants religion is so abho­minable; they are to precise, which either make them Heretikes, or thinke that Heretikes must needes miscarry. What? we be al Christians, beleeue in one Sa­uiour, [Page 25] expect one heauen, and enjoy one redemption. Haue not al men soules to saue: little diffe [...]ences make no great square, in the foundation we agree. At leastwise, whatsoeuer their liues be wic­ked, and doctrine false, their praiers and Churches must needs be of God, because they be good, and needes be good, be­cause they honour God.

Ah ingenious impiety, how thou tur­nest and tossest to winde from thy accu­ser? nay rather, ah foolish stubborne blindnesse, which wil not see that, which is as cleare as noone day, which taketh for one (or as not much different) those thinges which are as wide distant as the two poles of heauen. To take your selues for a particular Church, is vnpossible for a heedlesse multitude, who haue neither Temple, Altar, Priest, nor Sacrifice, nei­ther distict members, nor any band of vnion. Aswel you may thinke of going at the latter day, neither to heauen nor to hel, as to thinke in this life of a Neutrali­ty? Blinde you are, if you perceiue not your selues to be seperated from my [Page 26] Church; but if you imagine that those whom you cleaue vnto, may be my con­gregation, and that in their praiers, holy­nesse; or in their faith, saluation may be found; then are ye both blinde and im­pious.

Pro. 17.Take heede what you say, to justifie the wicked is as detestable, as to con­demne the just. Wil you diuide my Church, whose especial marke and pro­perty is vnity? or wil you giue me two Bodies mistical, two Spouses vnspotted, two chast Turtles, two Citties on hilles, two Kingdomes, two Families, two Pil­lars of truth; Am I an adulterer, or am I deuorsed from my loue. To say that Protestants may by their profession be saued, is either to make an other God beside me, or to make me none; to make an other summum bonum, or to make me euil, to league me with Luci­fer, or to make Iehonah Sathan, to conclude me as authour of dissention, or patron of impiety, a double dissem­bler, or a flat Heretike.

If I can haue two Churches so diffe­rent [Page 27] in rites, so contrary in doctrine, so naturally and necessarily tending the one to the vtter extirpation of the other, then giue me two heauens for them, and contrary glories for their opposite de­serts. Diuide my God-head vvith fu­rious Manes, and defend one God good, and an other euil; or say that I am mu­table good, and badde by enter-change of places, and enter-course of times. If there bee two Churches, prouide them of two Christes; if there be two Moones, finde them two Sunnes: An other Sunne to lighten this other Moone; an other Christ to illuminate this other Church; an other Redeemer to wash her in his bloud; an other Holy Ghost to Sanctifie her: for I dyed but for one, my diuine Spirit sanctifieth but one.

If on the other side,18. The per­fect oppo­sition and contrarie­ty of Ca­tholikes and Pro [...] t [...]stants. you joyne Calui­nists with Catholikes in one Church, then set togither the Woolfe with the Lambe; couple the Lyon vvith the Hart; the Gos-hawke vvith the Partridge, and they shal wel agree. No, no, heauen and [Page 28] hel haue as much affinity, as haue these [...]wo religions, and shal assoone shake handes, the one being sure, the other sur­mised; the one infallible, the other vn­possible; the one founded by my selfe from the beginning, and vpon a Rocke; the other newly reared by mans imagi­nations, cherished for pollicy, hauing no other ground then flitting and foundring sand, the one intituled by prescription, the other setled in possession, the one e­rected by diuine prouidence, the other seazed by intrusion, (and to be briefe) the one mine, the other Belzebubs, the one diuine, the other Deuilish. Where are my indifferent mates, that can beare two faces in one hood, carry fire in one hand, and water in the other, that can breathe both hotte and cold, that can hold with the Hare and runne with the Hound: Weather-cocks vvhich turne with the winde: Camelions transforming their hew, according to the present object which they see. Let them vnfould the whole sardle of their fancies, and bring me forth the golden meane, which they [Page 29] so much commend.

Combine me fire and vvater in one bundle; make me vnderstand (oh ye Neuters) how these two faiths can be re­con [...]iled together, or constitute one faithful company, being so opposite, that of necessity the one must be plaine blasphemy, or the other Idolatry: For as much as my dreadful Eucharist is irresra­gably beleeued by the one, to be my true body; not in figure, but in verity; not in conceipt, but in re; not in shadow, but in substance; not in faith only, but by my personal presence, and consequently is adored with due veneration, whereas by Hugonots and other Heretikes it is inju­riously reuiled, vpbraided as an Idol, torne, spit at, and troden vnder foote (beastly Monsters as they are.) Of other maine differences, consider vvith your selues the particularities; in number of Sacraments, in vse of Images, in inuoca­tion of Saints, in forgiuenesse of Sinnes, in heauenly Glory, in Infernal paines, in Iustification of the liuing, in praying for the Dead, in Faith, Hope, and Charity, [Page 30] in Fastings and Praiers, in Sinne and Merit, in Predestination and Free-wil, in Scriptures, in Traditions, and almost in the whole summe of Faith. Shal Arius, Nestorius, and Eutiches with o­ther old Heretikes be justly credited, by vniuersal consent of al ages, and by your owne verdicts to roare in the bottome­lesse pit for one or two points (for further they went not) and stagger ye vvhat to thinke of them, who haue tossed ouer euery stone, reuersed the whole frame of faith, and turned al vpside-downe? Or is not rather their departure, and diuision from my Church, a sufficient vvarrant of their judgement, though but in one point only, they varied from the faith.

19. How ab­hominable the Scrip­tures, prai­ers, and Churches of Here­tikes a [...].Caluinisme then being doctrine so dia­bolical; what are the fruits thereof? what are al thinges which depend vpon it, or are annexed thereunto? Haue this for cer­taine, vvhatsoeuer concurreth with my saith, concurreth with me; and whatsoe­uer hath affinity with heresie, conspireth with Sathan, who is the father of lying, and fosterer of falshood. You mistake [Page 31] much, if you take their Scriptures to be my word: Fie, none of mine, they are the word of the Deuil, false adulterated, poi­soned, peruerted, ful of corruptions, which belie me in euery leafe, and make my spirit to speake thinges, which I neuer thought, oppugning my faith and church, for whose maintenance and comfort they were inspired, I disclaime from them as from a counterfaite copy, and reuounce them as no deede of mine.

You erre if you thinke their praiers to be praiers, whatsoeuer they say,Hierom. in c. 4. Osee. whatsoe­uer they sing, it is in my eares the howling of Wolues, the bellowing of Bulles, the screetching of Owles, the mutual answe­ring of night Rauens in the deserts. Oh how illusion bewitcheth you: if yo [...] deeme Ministers to succeede in the au­thority of my chaire, and participate in my keies, they are of heresie heresies, pensio­ners, officers of Antichrist, his Heralds, his Prolocutors, his Scribes, his Prea­chers, his fore-runners, his Apostles, and the Angels of his Kingdome. Lesse dan­ger to the body is to sucke Adders egges, [Page 32] then to the soule ministration of their prophane bread; and better it were to swil the dregges of a fatal boule, then to sippe the cup of their communion. Their rites and ceremonies, though few and fantastical, yet not a little noisome and infectious. They are not holy, but pro­phane; not religious, but sacriligious; yea, euen those which they retaine of the auncient custome, as Fastes and Holy­daies, which sithence they haue transla­ted to vnder-propping of their superfi­cial and ruinous edifice, and to disguising of their false ware and fradulent trash, doe please me euen as much as a man de­lighteth to be wounded with his owne blade, and dispighted with his owne in­uentions. Yea their Churches and Tem­ples (be not carried away with the accu­stomed phrase) are no more holy, no more my house, no more the place of my Sanctification.

They were, they were mine; but then mine, when none of theirs; for becom­ming theirs, they ceased to be mine. Why cal you that mine which is con­quered, [Page 33] possessed, and polluted by my e­nimies? My aduersary, yea your aduer­sary, and the aduersary of al mankinde, boasteth in the seate which was holy, and hath placed his chaire of pestilēce, where the sacred Altar my earthly Thronestood. In steade of Quyres of Angels,Chrys. which carst frequented about it, descending and ascending (though mortal eies were vn­worthy of the sight) as the dignity of my presence required, legions of infernal spirits there now daunce, (though for a­uerting your mindes, they bewray not themselues) triumphing not only as in their most proper residence and Pallace, but more, as in a subdued fort, victo­riously obtained against me. Woe to the betraiers, that of faint courage, first gaue ouer my hold, and rendred my signiory; and woe to al those which shal thither now goe, to yeeled their homage and al­leageance. The honour which there is exhibited, keepeth course of speech by pretence of my name, but in verity touch­eth not me, but is appropriate to Lucifer, who alwaies affecting to paragonize the [Page 34] highest, his hatred is so strong; his enuy so cankred, his insolency so haughty, that he reckoneth as nothing al other ho­nours, which Heathens and Pagans vnto him exhibite, except he may draw to himselfe, whatsoeuer is wont to be mine, and magnifie himselfe with the brauery of my plume.

Genes. 12. & 31. 1. Reg. 10.Bethel vvas my house, where Iacob and the Patriarkes both adored and Sa­crificed, but after King Hieroboam had cut off Israel from Hierusalem,3. Reg. 12. & 13. and had there erected a Religion, Priests, and Sacrifices, of his owne inuention? vvas Bethel any more my house?Deutr. 11. & 17. Garazim I ordained for a hil of benediction; but when the Samaritans vsurped it for a place of their adoration,Ioh. 4. was it any longer a hil of benediction?Genes. 12. Sichem where I appea­red to Abraham, was a place sanctified and adorned by him, in memory thereof with an Altar, but when the Schismatical people had made it the3. Reg. 12 Iohn. 4. Where Si­char is af­firmed by S. Hierom to be al one with Sichem. Metrapolitane See of their separation, was Sichem from thence-forth sacred? Or are the Turkish mesquits houses of diuine praier, because [Page 35] they were in times past Christian Chur­ches? No more then Iudas was the Tem­ple of the holy Ghost, after the tempter had inuaded his hart, when the place is so prophane, because of the seruice there­in exercised, what can the seruice it selfe be but meere abhomination?

Oh thinke not it can be to my worship which is so wicked. Remember,20. The Pro­testants publike praier, how vn­lawful & detestable that Al­tar is raised vp against Altar, Priests set vp against Priests, Sacraments against Sacraments, Seruice against Seruice, Faith against Faith, betweene vvhich there is not, (neither possible can be) any vnity concord or conformity; Or to speake more properly, and not by the common peoples tearmes, vvho i­gnorantly confound the names of thinges cal to minde, that against my venerable Altar, there is erected a plaine commu­nion Table, in defiance of the pretious and veritable Host (my owne quickning and sanctifying Body) is exalted, the Idol of their contemptible Supper, a base and vnprofitable peece of bread, in liew of my anointed Priestes, are [Page 36] obtruded the Ministers of darkenesse, for a reuerent, worthy, sound, and vndoub­ted faith, is crept in bastard, counter­faite, vncertaine, and fained miscreance.

If Masse and Mattins, were fully and wholy vsed in their assemblies, and that publike praier had nothing of their owne corruption, yet were it abhominable in my sight, proceeding from their Mini­stery, who haue runne away from my Church, and stolen away with them her ornaments; and to couer the ragges where with they are rigde; jet vp and downe, cladde in her robes. Can the veile of a Virgin, make a strumpet honest, or sto­len attire beautifie heresie? Is this any o­ther, then with Iewes to bow the knee, and spit in my face, to crowne vvith thornes, and then salute as King.

If the seruice (I say) were perfectly Catholike, yet wil I giue no licence and leaue to Sacrifice in Aegypt, but wil be serued among a chast generation, and rather in the desert, then among the Ae­gyptians. How then shal I brooke a forme of praier, a shadow of diuine ser­uice, [Page 37] wholy tending to maintenance of heresie, not only abrogating, disanulling, suppressing, my auncient and approued rites, but directly substituted in defiance of me and my misteries, and of the faith Catholike, which is put into English, to insinuate that my Church erreth in not vsing the vulgar; blotteth out inuoca­tion of Saints, as open Idolatry; and prai­er for the dead, as plaine superstition; cancelleth Consecration, as vanity and falshood; abhorreth Eleuation, as dete­stable impiety; praieth expresly for pro­pagation of their Sect, and in impreca­tion, joyneth Peters Successour (the Rocke of saith) with the Mahumetan Potentate, and his confederates.

See here the seruice, which they who mocke me, cal mine, and they who de­lude themselues, name the old seruice translated: where are the memories and r [...]ntations of my Saints? (lessons of ins [...]on to the ignorant, and exam­ples of [...]ety to the simple) are they not dispitefully broken and brent as Idols? where is my standert, the eternal monu­ment [Page 38] of my triumph, at the sight where­of the suries quake, and whose sight is to euery good Christian as a sentence, heard or read out of my passion? where are my Tapers, which warne people, to see that their life be light, and their soules free from darkenesse? where are the Vest­ments and Vessels of sanctification, doth not the face of al thinges in their Tem­ples, import a perfect and absolute alte­ration in faith: doe not the very walles & pillers cry out, that Catholikes should not come there? Ah ye poore Schisma­tical soules, how long vvil ye erre and runne forward without remorse, if reason stay you not, regard the examples of constancy, which stand before your eies; and how faithful beleeuers behaue them­selues.

21. Schisma­tikes vain­ly build vpon per­nitious examples.You can say that Priests did in many Parishes follow the new course, and ma­ny of them yet liuing, continue in the same. And why rather leane ye not vnto the example of the Bishops, vvhom no lesse learning and sanctity then their Su­periours function, more commend vnto [Page 39] you; vvho vniuersaly died in long and lingring imprisonment, no one yeelding to vnconscionable conformity, but rather choosing to loose both liuings and liberty and to see their aduersaries possesse their chaires. Oh but great Presidents moue you, and many wise fellowes haue assaied this Ice before you. Ye pry vpon the cor­ruptest soules, as Kites when they seeke a carkasse; and like the Rauen, vvhich Noe let flie, ye rather wil stay your selues vpon a carrion, then returne to the Arke. Why rather returne ye not vvith the Doue, although ye should haue found greene boughes, whereon to recline? you propose to your weary and tired spirit, to your fainting harts, the examples of cer­taine which seeme to you wise, but are in very deede sooles; seeme learned, are ignorant; seeme religious, are meere worldlings.

Aswel you might build, that theft, ex­tortion, murder, or adultery, vvere no wickednesse, because they sometimes fal into these sinnes, whom a false shew of wisdome or vertue had before cōmended. [Page 40] Euery man that sinneth, doth not straight thinke it lawful, wil you direct your life by his rule, who perhaps condemneth his owne, yet if any wil stifly defend their Schisme, to cleare themselues from sinne, is this sufficient security, to follow such mens fantasies? where haue these Pa­stors the k [...] of knowledge; vvhence fetcht these Doctors them profound lear­ning? where waded they, through the depthes of diuinity? No man in his waigh­ty cause trusteth the warrant of a puny student, contrary to the opinion of Coun­sailors, no man crediteth his life to a [...]aw practisioner, against the aduise of the ex­pe [...]tensed Phisition. And wil ye hazard your soules vpon a presumptuous sm [...]t­tere [...]s conj [...]cture, neglecting what they teach, whose o [...]ly labour is to guide to heauen; whose life and study is the daily meditation of my law.

22. Examples fit to be [...]egarded by Schisma­tikes for their in­struction.Why [...]ather six [...] ye not before your [...]ies, so many both of the spiritualty and l [...]ity, who haue in your owne memory, but yesterday, yea daily, sustained blou­dy and ignominious death, rather then [Page 41] runne your race and incurre damnation? Walke to the prisons, see if they be not ful of my Confessors? there haue you ex­amples justly to be imbraced, not one but many, not many but multitudes.

If thinges present please you not, cast your regard vpon ages past, consider what the faithful in al antiquity hath beene wont to doe in like case, as yours is now. Weigh what Tobias would haue done in these times,Tob. 1. who when al Israel fre­quented the Calues of Hieroboam, though he were of their Tribes, yet would neuer beare them company, but contrary to the Kinges ordinance, and the peoples pra­ctise, went yearely to adore at Hierusa­lem, what those religious hartes would haue performed, who being Israelites for sooke their natiue Country, because of the Schisme,1. Paral. 15. and went to dwel in Iuda vnder a right beleeuing Prince.

What constancy the seauen Brethe­ren would haue shewed,Mac. 7. who were sacri­ficed by vnspeakeable torments, for refu­sing to eate swines flesh, at King An­tiochus commandement, because it was [Page 42] an act abhorring from the profession of their law.

Mach. 6.How would Eleazarus haue behaued himselfe, who gladly suffered death, ra­ther then to giue scandal by seeming conformable to the same wicked decrees, refusing most constantly so to dissemble, as publikely to eate meates, not forbid­den indeede by Mo [...]ses, yet proffered vnto him, and pretended to the beholders as swines flesh, thereby outwardly con­descending to the Infidels proceedings.

How resolute would Machabeus haue beene, how couragious his Sonnes? What a firery and zealous answere gaue the Father to the Kinges Commissioners, exacting his obedience to the late edicts, concerning alteration in religion. If al men obey the Kinges commandements, yet I and my Sonnes wil neuer doe it. If to these Presidents ye pleade that Moyses was greater then I, my seruant then my selfe, that more perfection and zeale was to be required of Iewes, then of Christi­ans, that my old Testament, was more holy and more precisely to be stood vpon [Page 43] then my new, bethinke your selues of my Apostles and Disciples, whose heires and imitatours as ye pretend to be in faith, so ye ought to be in profession.

Would Peter thinke you haue broo­ked Luther, founder and grand-father of so many falshoods, who for one article of misbeleefe, bidde Simon Magus auaunt as ful of bitter gal, and the child of perdi­tion? Would Paul haue spared Ministers the seducers of many soules, who stoutly called Elymas the Deuils Sonne,Act. 13. and eni­my of righteousnesse, for diswading one man from the faith, & by his word stroke him with blindnesse? Would my diuine Euangelist S. Iohn haue endured Iohn Cal­uin that Arch-heretike, the corrupter of whole Prouinces, who at the sight of pet­ty Cerinthus, Iren. lib. 3. cap. 3. Euseb. hist Eccl. lib. 3. cap. 22. subuerter not of the thou­sands person, in comparison of the other, cried out to the people, that they should flie from his company, least the place where they were, together should for Ce­rinthus sake fal vpon their head. Per­haps these pillers of my church, would to saue their goods or liues, haue reuerently [Page 44] heard the common praiers of Simon, Elymas, and Corinthus, honoured their abhominations, and receiued communi­on bread at their handes. What appre­hended ye of al my auncient Martirs? thousands of whom each day through­out the yeare, hath registred in the booke of life, and crowned with an immortal Garland, because they would not partake with Idolaters, in any act of their vngod­linesse.

23. Participa­tion in workes of Heresie worse then in actes of Idolatry.If now you be so simple, as to thinke that Heresie is not worse then Idolatry; that to forsake me, is not worse then ne­uer to haue followed me; to deny me, then not to confesse me; to abjure me, then not to know me; to blaspheme, then not to honour me; that Infidels for their ignorance, shal be beaten vvith many stripes, and Heresie for her peruersnesse; malice and apostacy shal be beaten, with few; that to cast two or three graines of Francumcense vpon a Heathen Altar; or to lay a bunch of Grapes before Bac­chus, Syndas Nicepho­rus. to crowne Ceres with cares of corne; to moue a little the bonnet before Iupiter [Page 45] be greater sacrilege, then the courtesie of cappe and knee, and reuerential pre­sence, at their thrise Idolatrous commu­nion; or then the seruice to maintenance thereof erected; euery jot of whose ri­tual customes, and publike praiers vvas inuented, commanded, practised, and is stil continued, only in detestation, de­fiance, extirpation, and denial of my faith Catholike.

Then, oh then how are ye deceiued?24. Heresie worse then Infi­delity and Idolatry. seing euery falshood, the more it hath of truth, is the more apt to beguile; the m [...]re apt to beguile, the more pernitious to the distruction of soules, and more abhominable. False Prophets which cry the Lord, the Lord, when I the Lord haue not spoken vnto them, are worse ten-fold then the Prophets of Baal, sooner shal the Publican be justified, then the hypo­critical Pharasie, viler and more hateful before me and men is the Adultresse, which by Matronlike demeanure would seeme a Saint, then the open Strumpet which carrieth lightnesse on her backe, and vanity in her face. A plaine fable is [Page 46] laughed at, but not hated, because it is not made to deceiue, neither is apt to de­ceipt if the authour would, but a lie for­ged, and obtruded for truth is intollera­ble; Yet if so be that wilfulnesse hath a­mazed reason, that whereas you are re­solued to die, rather then yeeld to Idola­try (for so now and then you would make your selues beleeue) yet you would yeeld to heresie, rather then sustaine any da­mage.

Reflect then once at my request, vpon my good Christians, whom (Idolatry be­ing ouer-come) I exercised by Arianisme; some-what alwaies, being necessary to try my elect. Restect (I say) your vnder­standing vpon their excellent zeale: (except perhaps ye refuse with soare eies, to behold the Sunne, for feare of grea­ter annoy) marke wel how they forti­fied their faith against the Arrian Here­tikes.

Socrat. l. 2. c. 12.22.23.24. Theod. l. 4. cap. 14. Niceph. l. 9. cap. 24.Regard how in Greece, they vvith­stood the Proclamations of Valens the Emperor, choosing rather to be scorched, brent, slaine, at their assemblies without [Page 47] the Church walles, then they would be present at publike praier of their here­tical Superintendent, though their ser­uice which he said were nothing altered from their owne;Victor Vtic. de persecuti­one Van­dalorum. set before your eies the horrible calamities, and intollerable vexations, vvhich Catholikes in Africa endured, vnder their Vandal Princes, for refusing to partake with them in their Arrian rites, and for priuately frequen­ting Masse, vvhen it was forbidden.

Finally, muster before your selues the Martirs and Confessors of al ages, from the beginning of the vvorld, to this present time, from Abel to the last which you haue seene (or might haue seene) with your owne eies. Let the ve­ry names of Martir and Confessor exhort you: the first whereof admonisheth you,Martir signifieth witnesse. that I require your testimony: refuse not therefore to beare witnesse of my truth; the other that I challenge your suite and seruice at my Court, your duty and at­tendance at my feasts, your vassalage and alleageance confesse therefore and deny me not.

Oh ye stubborne bowes, which wil ra­ther breake then come to the just bent, which the true measure of Christianity requireth? Oh peruerse generation, how much ye want of the perfection of aun­cient beleeuers? Nay, how much want ye of the true zeale, which a number of good soules declare, on whom yet I haue be­stowed lesse gifts, either of nature or of worldly prosperity? In case you say to your selues, that you see not the actions of auncient times, yet the example and con­stancy of these, doth euery day in euery place hitte you on the eies, and might wound your hartes, if they were flesh, and not of flint: nay, if they were not too fleshy, and voide of al spirit. How just cause haue I then to exclaime against you (oh disloyal wreatches) how long wil ye reject my authority, and kicke against my Commandements?25. By what cōmande­ments of God going to the He­retiks prai­ers is for­bidden. who am I that charge you? am not I the Omnipotent? who am I that cal you? am I not your Creatour? You put your hand in your bosome, and draw forth an empty excuse from your hollow hartes, you can re­member [Page 49] no law of mine, that you brake by going to heretical seruice, nor can finde any precept to the contrary. I per­ceiue that you are deeplier seene in the statutes of men, then in mine ordinances, in the common law, then in the Canons, more minde the managing of secular af­faires, then of your soules, and better know how many yeares purchase a peece of land is worth, or how much a loade of corne commeth to at such a rate, then what p [...]e heauen is to be valued at, or what summe of felicity merits added to merits, wil at length a mount vnto, which is that great and maine commandement, not the principal point only, but the a­bridgement of the whole law?

Is it not, that man loue me with al his hart, vvith al his strength, with al his soule? you answere, this serueth your turne, and that you loue me asmuch as I require: But descend to the particulars, and you shal be taken with the lie.

Did I no where wil, that besides be­leeuing in hart, you should also professe your beleefe before men. Or vvil you [Page 50] violently make me to meane before Iews and Heathen, but not before Heretikes; in time of religion flourishing, but not in time of persecution, to the obtaining of credit or commodity, but not to detri­ment? Did I not adde, that he which de­nieth me before men, shal be denied of me, in the presence of Angels. He which shal be ashamed of my religion, I wil put him to open confusion, and which shal saue his life temporally, by yeelding to the persecutour, shal loose it eternally being condemned at a more dreadful tri­bunal, when vniuersal Sizes are held o­uer al the world.

Isay 42.Haue I not said, that I am a jealous God, and wil not giue my honour to ano­ther?Deuter. 7. Did I not seuerely forbidde my peo­ple, to encermedle in Heathenisse rites? did I not for peril thereof interdict them al society,Exod. 23. and cōuersation with Infidels? did I not denounce by my Apostles pen, that as in hart men are to beleeue, that they may be justified,Rom. 10. so with mouth they are to confesse their saith, that they may be saued? If by mouth, how much more [Page 51] by deedes, and the whole course of their life? Or wil I (thinke you) contrary my owne decrees, approue him which con­fesseth me in wordes, and denieth me in profession?

And what if I had not in such expresse wise prescribed your duty?26. Schisma­tikes vio­late the law of nature, by going to the Pro­testants Churches. doth not the light of reason, the law of nature, the of­fice of a Christian man, suggest, teach, command, that ye cleaue firmely to your faith, and that for no cause possible to be imagined, ye commit any thing, in word ordeed, or omit any thing by negligence or slouth, which may import a departure from your religion, or be so interpreted and accepted; or that may seeme in any one point a conformity; to a strange and false faith, a yeelding or agremēt to irreli­gious proceedings? If he which breaketh one commandement be guilty of al, as a violater of charity; shal not he likewise, vvhich faileth or falleth in one point of faith, be fully guilty of Infidelity? To beare truly the title of a faithful soule, it is not enough to beleeue a-right in one or two articles, but my whole law, that [Page 52] is, the entire word of faith, must stedfastly be imbraced. If then I shal say; goe ye cursed, for not doing good, for omitting only hospitality, and workes of mercy, shal wickednesse goe scot-free, shal par­taking with Heretikes in their abh mi­nations, passe as innocent? Shal depar­ture from my Church, my Faith, and Sa­craments, deserue to heare: Come ye blessed? Is there nothing for me to exa­mine, but whether you be murtherers, theeues, or adulterers? doe I much respect that you should not offend your neigh­bour, and contemne my owne injuries.

27. Heresie & pe [...]ecutiō purposely permitted of God for trial of mēs harts.I foretold, while I conuersed on earth, that heresies of necessity must be for the trial, and manifestation of mens hartes, that it might be apparant, who would of a proude and contemptuous spirit em­brace heresie, who would of faint hart and pusi lanimity obey it, who contrary­wise vvould meekely trace his reuerent Fathers steps, and preferre the authority of the vniuersal Church, before his owne imaginations, and not to be shaken as a reede, with any tempestes of blustering [Page 53] persecution.Luke 12. I fore-warned that I came not to send peace but seperation, be­tweene Parents and Children, Subject and Prince, Master and Seruant, be­tweene Wife and Husband, Bretheren, Kinsfolke, and Friendes, that persecuti­ons should be raised on al sides, and that he which loueth parents or children, or what else more then me, and wil not take vp his Crosse and follow me,Math. 10. is not my Disciple, nor worthy to haue part in my Kingdome.

Are you Christians,25. Dissēbling in religion is abho­minable. and thinke your selues excused from the precept, which I gaue to the Synagogue, that if any man would draw you to a straunge faith, he should not be obeyed, for that by such I make proofe of my seruants, I discouer the secrets of the hart; and sift the branne from the fine flowre, try the wheate from chaffe.

Are you Christians, and know not that to follow a false faith, is to serue a false God, and to beginne new and straunge doctrine of faith, is to erect a new and straunge Idol. If you doubt thereof, I [Page 54] assure you it is so. And now is your time of trial: now are you called vpon, sollici­ted, yea commanded to follow new do­ctrine, to serue Caluins Idol, now are you cast into the furnace, now shal you proue your selues, either gold or drosse, and the calamities of this present time, I haue purposely sent that the secrets of al hartes shal be reuealed.

Reuealed you are to your owne shame and to my griefe. What shal I doe to your stony hartes, to whom my serious commandement, of professing sincerely your saith by your conuersation, is but as a puffe of winde against a mountaine? Shal I charge your consciences vvith Moyses ceremonies, and cause you as I did the Iewes, to beare the remembrance of this commandement vpon your bo­dies, seing it is so shine from your hartes. Shal I forbidde you to vveare linsey-woolsey in your raiment, to joyne in the plough the Asse with the Oxe, and to sow with two kinde of seedes. Though these obseruances were appendant to the [Page 55] old law, doubt ye not but the significa­tion of them, taketh place in the new. He which walketh simply and plainely,Pro. 10. walkes confidently; Dissimulation and double-dealing, I in euery thing hate; but in factes of religion, I vtterly ab­horre.

Admit that neither reason nor rule of conscience suggested vnto you,29. Schisma­tikes con­temne th [...] authority of the Church. nor that I expresly exacted of you such firme con­fession of faith, yet ought not the autho­rity of my Church, to weigh so light in your conceipts, as neither to hearken vnto my Priests, who to reduce you from Heretical conuenticles, set nought by their liues, and haue by their bloud confirmed the thing to be vnlawful, re­fusing to accept pardon of life, vpon so damnable a condition; nor to my Vicat in earth, vvho sollicitous for soules, spa­reth neither care nor cost for your sal­uation, nor to the declaration of my General Councel at Trent, vvhich re­solued (when this case came first in que­stion) that not without grieuous sacrilege, [Page 56] you could yeeld your presence, at the Heretikes Churches, or Ecclesiastical as­semblies; or by any other manner of signe, giue external consent to their de­testable rites. A thing indeede, which by men of vnderstanding could neuer haue beene doubted off, if worldly feare had not blinded peoples harts, and made them hard to beleeue, that which plea­sed not their humour. What can they therefore accompt themselues, who wil not hearken to my Spouses voice, nor o­bey her admonition; but to be vvorse then Heathens and Infidels.Math. 17. 2. Reg. Let them know, that not to obey her, is as sac [...]le­gious as Idolatry, and al that contemne her are accursed.Tob. 13.

30. Heretikes how pre­cis [...]ly to be shunned.Besides that principal precept, of lo­uing your God aboue al; and that other absolute statute of constant profession of my faith Catholike, which suffereth no exception. If you wil but a little looke about you, ye shal finde that I haue yet left you another commandement, as a continual helpe against mans frailty, a so­ueraigne preseruation against al infection [Page 57] of pestilent doctrine. It is more auaile­able against the spiritual enimy, then any armour of proofe, or a ten-fold shield: and might in these darkesome daies be a torch vnto your steps. Wil you beare to h [...]are it? wil you indeauour to follow it, that my present admonition, may not turne to your greater damnation? you wil, if you may heare it from my owne mouth, it shal be joyfully receiued, as comming from heauen, your wordes are reasonable.

Wel then, whose spirit but mine in­spired, and established as a perpetual ob­seruation, to the worldes end, that He­retikes should be vtterly auoided, as men subuerted and already damned by their owne judgemēt;Tit. 3. Rom. 16. as sowers of schisme and authors of diuision, by teaching con­trary faith, to that which was first recei­ued;2. Tim. 2. 2. Tim. 3. as whose speech creepeth like a can­ker; as louers of pleasures, rather then of God, making a shew of piety, but deny­ing in effect the vertue thereof;Math. 7. 2. Pet. 2. as Wolues in sheepes attire; as authours of blasphe­mous Sects, bold, selfe conceipted, wal­king [Page 58] after the flesh;2. Pet. 3. 1. Ioh. 2. as those who follow­ing their owne fancies and desires, haue issued out from among the faithful, and fallen from the truth,2. Tim. 2. Iudae 4. turning the grace of God to vncleanenesse, and are there­fore already appointed to judgement; as false Apostles,2. Cor. 11. deceitful labourers, Ministers of Sathan, whose end shal be according to their workes, and (to con­clude al iniquity, imaginable vnder one title) as Antichrist, [...]. Ioh. 2. I wil not therefore, that ye eate or drinke, or haue familiarity with them,Ioh. ep. 2. I wil not that ye friendly sa­lute them, for in so doing you partake in their wicked workes, and bolster them in their proccedinges, and by just conse­quent must be partners of their damna­tion.

How long shal the light of reason and conscience sleepe? how often must ye be admonish [...]d, that right beleeuers must not participate with Infidels; that I can haue no society with Belial: nor my cup vvith the cup of Deuils. If light and darkenesse can loue? If I joyne in any respect with Lucifer, if euer any mercy, [Page 59] loue, or amity, any league or consent, be betweene him and me, then let Ca­tholikes adhere to Heretikes. If no such thing can possibly be, but that eternal enmity bee sworne betweene vs, why then should children of Hierusalem, come to the solemnities of Babylon? they which looke to be heires of heauen, make pact with hel? expecters of life e­uerlasting, marchandise for their tempo­ral with accursed death? He that run­neth with the theefe, fornicateth with the adulterer, murthereth with the Ty­rant, is in no case to be excused, no not although they doe it for feare, more then for affection to the sinne.

Shal they then vvhich professe here­sie, with Heretikes bee found cleare? Of like I had no reason to forbidde you their company,31. Schisma­tikes are infected with he­resie and not with pure Schisme only. for you are proui­dent and discreet, firmely grounded in the Catholike faith, stronge Rockes, vvhome no vvaues nor tempestes can moue, vveake vvreatches, and so much the vveaker, by how much you presume more of your selues, and rely [Page 60] more vpon your owne indeauours, then vpon my grace: how feeble ye are, your actions giue better testimony, then your imaginations.

Are ye they, which can liue in the fire, and not be scorched in the flame, and not be smothered; wade vp to the lippe in the surges of the Sea, and not be ouer­whelmed; handle pitch and not be defi­led, eate and drinke, conuerse, contract, (not only bargaines, but marriages) di­sport, discourse, play, pray, liue and die vvith Heretikes; and yet sound at my terrible examen, neither attached with their infection, nor touched with conta­gion? I fore-warned my auncient and first people, that if they vsed the conuer­sation of Infidels, among whom they dwelt,Ios. 23. they should finde them stumbling blockes of scandal, by giuing occasion of ruine, and prickes to their eies, in put­ting out the inward light of faith, what by example, what by custome and per­swasion. Experience proueth this true in them, and the euent argueth it more true in yourselues.

Are not most of you infected, some with one heresie, some with another? I haue to charge you withal, besides go­ing to Church, how soeuer you thinke your selues, to be some-what vertuous, and Godly; Rarer then a white Crow is he to be found among you, who either cancelleth not fasting-daies by his owne authority, or dispenseth not with meates prohibited, as often as he list, or doub­teth not of some article of faith, if not of al? One improueth Confession, another Purgatory, this man inuocation of Saints or vse of Images, that man praiers for the Dead, or the office in Latin. There are that suppose Antichrist shal not be one singular person, but includeth a company or a succession. Many doubt nothing of this, yet acknowledge no vnion of the Church, vnder one head visible; or de­tract from the authority of Councels, and decrees Ecclesiastical: Most of you feare least the gates of hel haue preuailed against my Rocke; least the spirit which I gaue her, haue not fulfilled my pro­mise, neither taught her al truth, but [Page 62] that shee may diuersly erre.

The stench of the damnable memo­ry, and the fume of their brimstone, ascendeth from the bottomlesse lake, who of Schismatikes haue at last become flat Heretikes, yea Persecutours, yea and of an il beginning, made a vvorse ending?3 [...]. By what meanes Schisma­tikes grow to be He­retikes. vvhence al this? not because the longer ye liue, the skilfuller ye waxe in Diuinity, the carefuller of your soules, more desirous of heauen, or are oftner visited with inspirations celestial, but be­cause ye vvaxe weary of expecting my pleasure, in that I come not at your ap­pointment, but let my secret and eternal prouidence haue the determinate course, ye thinke I haue either forgotten my Church, or cast her off; supposing quite contrary to Christian doctrine, that ad­uersity is an absolute signe of my indigna­tion, and of a reprobate religion. Wax­ing more and more in loue vvith the world, ye haue lesse sence and feeling of remorse? by neuer talking with Priests, nor conferring of matters touching the spirit; by being loden with secret sinnes, [Page 63] which either you wil not acknowledge, or minde not to forsake, or cannot be indured to reforme by restitution and sa­tisfaction; it commeth to passe, partly through the nature of such negligence, partly through my just permission, for your vngratitude toward me, that you beginne to loath the religion, vvhich checketh your humour, and assureth not heauen to sinne and iniquity.

Amidst these your sensual, carnal, and worldly affections, heresie buszeth ab­out your eares, plausibly inuiting you to her cuppe of pleasure. Thus lying open to the enimy, and destitute of my grace and protection, you are made a pray to the roring Lyon; vvhile with con­uersing among Heretikes, ye become like them in life. Becomming like them in conditions, you quickly delight in their sutable doctrine. Poyson, poyson, lurketh in their company, as in domesti­cal Adders, and in the familiarity as in Cocatrice eies. What though at the first ye be not Conquered? He which loueth peril, shal perish therein: [Page 64] vvhat though their arguments be but weake and foolish? Drops of raine in continuance pearce the hardest stone, a smal worme in time decaieth the roote of the fairest Vine, and contemptible Yui [...] being let alone, ouer-creep [...]th and ouer mastereth in time the tal [...]st tree. Flee therefore society of Heretikes (asmuch as you may) euen in temporal businesse, because of your peril, and because my counsaile is so to doe. F [...]ee it absolute in fact of religion, not for peril only, but for sinne, not because of my aduise only, but for my commandement sake. Flee Ba­bilon, flee Chore, flee Sodome, flee from the aduersary campe in time, as ye wil at the day of my victory, at the day of your death, at the great day of judgement, not be taken for enimies.

33. The obsti­nacy of Schisma­tikes and ingratitude towardes God.Perceiue ye not, for al that I can say or doe, the horror of your offence, (oh ye my traitours and rebels) how long shal I cry out to a people, which haue stopped their eares, and alleage reason to them, which say they wil not vnderstand? how long shal I preach repentance to them, [Page 65] which repel knowledge, and catch hold vpon euery simple shift, as vpon a staffe to sustaine their halting and trembling consciences. The eare discerneth wordes, and the eies coulours, the mouth tastes: This rude wilful people hath reason, and yet discerueth not iniquity. They repel al outward admonitions, for fea [...]e they should be conuicted; secret inspiration of contrition, they reject as melancholly; remorse of conscience, they hate as a hart sore.

Shal I for this hold my peace, and leaue to lay open their faultes? If it be little that I haue yet alleaged against you, heare more if it be not too little, but e­nough to condemne you, and too too much for you to finde any euasion, yet wil I adde more, to see if any thing can moue you; yea though nothing w [...]l moue you, ye [...] wal I adde it to j [...]stifie your con­demnation, and my complaint, woe, woe, to you who wil not know the time of your visitation.

Behold, I haue stoode at the dore, de­sirous to be let into you [...] hartes, and you [Page 66] haue not opened vn [...]o me, when there­fore ye shal desire to enter into my King­dome, and rest I wil answere you, that which the foolish Virgins heard, wi [...]h sorrow enough: Ye come to late, the gate is shut, and it shal neuer more be opened. I haue sought rest in your soules, to make there my mansion, and I finde as at my natiuity,Luke 1. that there is no place in the Inne; I must seeke some-where else. I come to your boundes and territories, to cast out your Deuils, and heale your infirmi­ties:Math. 8. you like second Gerasens, because of temporal losse of your Swine, request me to depart your confines.

I wil depart, and when in necessity you cal me backe, I wil not returne. I inuite my selfe to your dinner, as I did to Za­cheus, to worke in your house saluation; ye con [...]rary to him refuse my courtesie, and wil no s [...]luation to your hous [...]. I wil seeke more worthy Hostes, and I wil sh [...]ke off the dust of my feete against you. I cal you as Lazarus foure daies dead, (foure yeares dead, if not fourty) out of your stinking graues; I cry come forth, [Page 67] come forth, and ye wil not arise. Possi­bly you imagine, that as I in raising La­zarus, brake the common course of na­ture, to shew my glory, so I wil in you swarue from the statute of your creation, and violating your free vvil, make you Catholikes by force so to saue you, wel lie stil in your putrifaction, whom my voice could not raise to saluation, my Angels shal raise them to judgement. I haue so [...]ong stoode and cryed: Ye [...]hich trauaile and are loden come vnto me, and I wil refresh you. I haue openly proclaimed that vvhosoeuer thirsteth, should come vnto me, and I wil giue him drinke of the water of life. Which importunate indea­uours of mine, and vehement prouocati­ons since they nothing auaile, seing ye contemne my loue, and set not by the ri­ches of my mercy. I am forced to an our cry against you: O al ye which passe by the way, behold and see if there be any griefe like vnto mine? See if any man were euer so handled by his enimies, as I their God by my creatures. See if euer so great kindnesse hath beene recompensed [Page 68] with so monstrous vngratitude: if Supe­riou [...]s were euer so dispighted by their Subjects, Lordes by their Vassals. See if at any time beggarly necessity despised so bountiful munificence; or apparant peril of ruine and vtter destruction, were so securely neglected. See if any memo­ry can record so high a Majesty, to haue loued so affectionally as base a bond­maide, and to haue beene so ignomini­ously repulsed in his suite.

What fettered caitiues were euer cal­led to such glorious liberty, and would not come out of their dungeons? What languishing in such loathsome malladies were proffered health, and loued better their noisome calamity? Consider and see how the Courtly cares, the Royal cheare, which I haue prepared for my feast,Luke 14. hath beene frustrate and disgraced by vnworthy companions: one excuseth himselfe by cares, an other by couetous­nesse, an other by caruality, one hath businesse, an other is bargaining, the third hath married and cannot come. Nay ye shal not come? but the time shal [Page 69] come when like dogges, ye shal hunger and runne about searching, and shal not finde for your famine. Ye shal craue and wish, cry and cal for the crummes, which shal fal from my childrens table, and from the trenchers of my house-hold, but shal not obtaine them, ye shal roare after one draught of wate to allay your thirst, nei­ther shal it be reached: yet vvhen you haue done your worst, by not comming when ye were called; my banquet shal not be blemished. I wil oppose to your soules of better talent, you frustrate my feast, but it shal not be frustrate, I wil fil it with better guestes; you disgrace it, but I vvil grace it with more honourable roomes; ye shal be eternally barred from the table of the Lambe, Heretikes shal enter before you into my Kingdome, Heretikes shal be conuerted, to supply your place; and Infidels wil I fetch from East and West India, to sit in my glory, and ye shal be throwne into vtter darke­nesse. They shal possesse the Thrones ordained for you; they shal enjoy the Crowne, which hong ouer your heades, [Page 70] in expectation of your de [...]erts. Faith shal be giuen to them, to them shal th [...] g [...]ace be translated which ye ref [...]se, and they shal fulfil the righteousnesse belonging to their b leefe.

34. Schisma­ti [...]s b [...] their euil example impugne the Catholike [...]aith.But oh that only ye lost your owne Crownes, and that ye were not occasion of perdition to thousands more. Oh that though ye honour me not your selues, yet that ye would not worke me that contu­mely and reproch, which I may not beare at your handes. Euery where am I bla­sphemed through your example, my reli­gion growing in contempt, because ye set so little by it, who are thought to be­leeue it. The edifice which I so care [...]ully founded, ye like mouldring stones decay by your faltring and relenting, that which my Saints haue built by their bloud (or rather I by mine owne) ye ruinate by the world and flesh, as fast as zeale laboureth to kindle holly flame, so fast doth your coldnesse extinguish it. Marke how de­solate my house is, and how many haue forsaken my Church, one through an­others example. It is your dissimulation [Page 71] that betraieth my cause, without which persecution could little preuaile. For in­troduction and confirmation to your er­rour, ye set the examples of others before your eies, as pillers of your actions, o­thers shal make you the ground of their vngodlinesse.

The contagion runneth among you from one to an other: as Chored sheepe and blasted fruit, ye daily are destroied and destroy by mutual infection, you say you hurt not me or my cause, but the joy of the aduersary, and the dole of the Catholikes conuinceth it. If you could now see the triumph, vvhich you adorne for the Deuil, and the sor­row of the Angels and Saints, as you shal one day know it, you vvould con­fesse no lesse, then I now charge you vvithal, in the meane space that which you see in the Children of light, and in the Children of darkenesse, how the one is grieued, the other encouraged, and how each side laboureth, the one to vvinne you, the other to hold you fast, is sufficient to informe you and [Page 72] condemne you, because Moyses and Aa­ron did once by their example not sancti­fie me, I would neuer let them enter the land of promise, and shal you enter into my rest, who dishonour me before peo­ple euery day? He which is the ruine of one poore soule, were better be drowned with a milstone, and thinke ye it a sleight matter to destroy, ye knowe not your selues how many? The children of Israel repining against the difficulties which they found, when I ledde them through the laborious desert, (as I now conduct my Church in England, through the vn­couth dreadful and paineful waies of af­fliction and tribulation) I caused them euery one to die in the wildernesse, ex­cept only Iosua and Caleb, because they two asmuch as in them lay, encouraged forward the rest. Shal then your mur­muring and rebelling against the crosses, laid vpon my flocke escape my judge­ments? Wherein chiefly lay the sinne of Ophin and Phines, for which I plagued both their father, their children, and al their posterity? was it not the alienating [Page 73] and discouraging of people from my sa­crifice by prejudicial behauiour? wil any King going to warre-fare endure him, which shal by faint wordes or cowardly examples, detract the journey and dis­solue the Souldiers hartes from battaile? I suppose not: for one such person hur­teth more then seauen enimies, if he vvould; should he not build with one hand, and pul downe with the other? How then can ye be excused from being both impediments and impugners, of my religion? seing as in skirmish, so in con­tention about religion, the apprehension of man and his frailty is such, that if one shrinke ten faint, and if ten yeeld a hun­dred flie; and diuers not standing to their tackling, the ouerthrow of al followeth, and slaughter of the rest.

Oh ye fugitiues from my pauilions and campe, ye cal me King,35. Schisma­tikes grie­uously ab­use God. but where is your subjection, you cal me Captaine, but where is your courage? you cal me Lord, but where is yours seruice? ye cal me father, but where is your fillial loue? ye cal me Sauiour, but where is your care [Page 74] of saluation? ye cal me Redeemer, but where is your thankefulnesse? ye cal me Creatour, but where is your obedience and loue? ye cal me Omnipotent, yet ye feare not my power; ye cal me just, yet feare not my rodde; ye cal me w [...]se, yet thinke not that I pearce your dissimu­lation; ye cal me merciful, yet accept not my pardon, which I here offer you yet againe, if ye wil presen [...]ly repent. Ye cal me good, yet vse it not, but abuse my goodnesse: ye cal me righteous, yet doe me wrong: ye cal me God, yet haue more respect of man. Ye say ye are not wicked, but what greater impiety, then to associate your selues to my aduersa­ries, to betray my cause, to deny my reli­gion, and forsake the participation of my Sacraments. To haue more care of your substance, then of your soules, to poise the world and me in ballance, and pre­ferre it before me; not to deale with my Priests, not to assemble at my praiers, to liue like Heathens, acknowledging the seruice which ye haunt to be folly and sacrilege, yet otherwise wanting al [Page 75] exercise of Religion? Cursed is hee that doth my worke negligently and fraudulently, and cursed is he which doth it not al.

Why doe I thus reprehend a sort of innocents,36. Excuses of Schisma­tikes refel­led. who wish wel to me and my faith, and with al their hartes, desire the returne of their fore-fathers daies, hel­ping my distressed members to their vt­termost power. It is not they which haue denied my faith, and abolished my lawes; or which persecute with such ex­tremity. What they doe, is against their wil vpon meere compulsion, not so much for regard of their owne particular, as of children and family, neither from the hart, but for fashion sake and obedience, and only for a time. They purpose not to die otherwise, then graffed into my body Mystical, and true members of my Church, and in the meane space re­deeme the time of their sinne, vvith workes of mercy.

Can iniquity thus teach your mouthes an vntrought? Pyned consciences, howe greedily they pray vpon the [Page 76] foode of falshood. The bread of lying rellisheth wel in your tast, but the grauel thereof shal grate your mouthes, and fret your mawes: Against your owne soules ye pleade.

37. Schisma­tikes are not excu­sed by pre­tence of helping the Ca­tholike.Others indeede made the breach in Peters Net, but why haue ye with them fallen head-long forth? others ouer-sow­ed the cockle, but why are ye choaked there-with? others raised the smoke, but how hapneth it that your eies are blin­ded? others pursue and assault my Ca­tholikes, but why haue ye through your departure vveakened them, and made them a pray, to whom if ye had manfully stoode, neither they should haue beene so oppressed, nor you liue in such slauery of conscience, nor I haue beene so disho­noured in this Realme, and almost quite exiled. What tel ye me of your simple assistance, which is the least that ye ought to doe, but farre from the most that ye might. Is your continuance in Schisme to further the conuersion of England? What? Shal my Church be reared in iniquity, and Syon founded vpon dam­ned [Page 77] soules? Can not I maintaine my power without your sinnes? or (though I vse you as I finde you) wil I euil that good may redounde thereof? I seeke not your goods, but your good; not your substance, but your sanctification; you and not yours. Build not your sinnes vp­on my backe, for I wil cast you head­long; I neede not your dissimulation, you are not necessary to me at al. If I feede you without other mens aide, so can I feede others without you. Perhaps I am beholding vnto you, that ye are not such flat Heretikes as some are, I had as liefe ye were. Oh we are luke warme; I would ye were cold: oh vve doe not wholy follow Baal. If Baal be God fol­low him wholy; if I be God, follow him not at al, but me: halt no longer betweene both. And what is it that ye dreame off, your good vvorkes?38. Schisma­tike me­rit not glory not remi [...]sio by the [...] good workes. and frame imaginations of I know not what manner to redeeme your sinnes.

Pretend ye to be Christians, to be of vnderstanding, to know wel what ye doe, and are ignorant that al workes done in [Page 78] state of [...]inne, and out of grace, how much soeuer they tend to piety, or in­tend my honour, are aboundantly rewar­ded, if in cons [...]deration thereof I tempo­rally blesse you, with health, wealth, or other pro [...]perity: seing they neither satis­fie my justice, no [...] merit remission of of­fences. Hauing dismembred the vn [...] of my Church, by your departure, and violated the sacred bond of her peace and charity, whatsoeuer ye doe, though ye gaue al to the poore, and your bodies to the fire for my sake, ye are nothing, ye doe nothing, ye shal reape nothing. I spit at your workes, if you thinke that done out of grace, they serue to salua­tion.

Nothing saueth but by liuely vertue, and force of my Passion, vvith which none can haue affinity, who haue by sinne made themselues dead, detestable are such in my sight, vntil by profound and perfect repentance, they be reconciled to my fauour. No vvorkes are holy, where the soule is not sanctified, no branch can beare fruit, except it bide in [Page 79] the stocke, cleanse your vessels, then put in your wine, and your floore before you heape corne. Ere vp a fresh your ground & cast not away your seede vpon thornes. My Church is a Vine, whereof I am the roote; become branches of this Vine, and then may ye beare fruit to saluation, keepe perfectly my Commandements,1. Ioh. 3. and then haue confidence.

Out of my sight vvith polluted and blinde Sacrifices: away with the workes which smel of the contaminated caske. Abhominable are the offrings of the wic­ked;Pro. 15. neither wil I be gresed with the oile of sinners, such as the die is, such is the coulour: such as the pipe is, such is the li­quor. Ye holy? your very justice and righteousest actions are as ragges of of­fice; the choisest of you is but as chaffe, the smoothest a Thistel, the b [...]st is a Bryer, and the hol [...]est among you an Hypocrite. Ye rich in merits? ye are vvretched, poore, miserable, vvhen your heape (such as it is) shal come to the Mil, ye shal finde that your graines were hollow and worme-eaten, fuller [Page 80] of filth then pure flowre. Wel voide, to the voide, and ful to the ful, they which haue, shal haue more and abound, and from you shal bee taken that little which ye haue. I wil suffer you to haue your course: ye are cold, but ye shal waxe colder: ye are runne farre from me, but ye shal runne further, I wil puffe away your almesse as ashes, your giftes I wil re­ject as from dissembling friends. I weene ye measure me by your selues, and thinke to bribe me before the day of judgement, your expectation shal be deceiued, and your sinnes argued before al the world. What shal I doe vvith a multitude of your praiers, the lip-labour of defiled mouthes, and flattery of faithlesse harts? Let not the confidence of them ouer­whelme you,Eccles. 15. my praise is not fitting in th [...] mouthes of sinners, and execrable is his praier,Pro. 28. which wil not heare my law. Sa­lute not me, Lord, Lord, except ye fulfil my wil. If blasphemous tongues can magnifie me a-right, then shal your mouthes perhaps praise me worthily; whose deedes blaspheme me, I heare not [Page 81] sinners.

What magnifie you your fastes exter­nal,Ioh. 9. 39. Schisma­tikes pre­cise in smaller matters neglect the grea­test. neglecting the solemne and great fast internal, from sinne and wickednes? Your fastes are infected with selfe wil, (in following your owne desires and not mine) with worldly feare, with hatred of correction, and reprehension with fro­ward auersion from the truth, with dead­ly sinne, what of your feastes, holy-daies, and other auncient obseruances, where­in you choose what ye list, and what ye list ye contemne? ye fast the Eues and keepe Holy-daies, possibly more then ordinary, in discerning of meates, many of you are more precise then you neede. But to communicate through feare with Heretikes in their sacrilege; to abstaine altogether from my Sacraments through feare, to deny me before men, is no mat­ter of scruple. Oh Pharasees which ve­ry precisely tith-mint and rue, condem­ning whosoeuer swarueth one jot from his duty, or doth not more then he is bound in these smaller matters, and brea­king freely the maine precepts and prin­cipal [Page 82] points of my commandement: Hy­pocrites. These greater thinges ought by any meanes strictly to be obserued; and then are the other not to be omitted. First obserue the substantial part, then haue care of secondary respects: First, hold fast surely the possession and profession of your faith: then neglect not the ceremo­nies thereto belonging. Why straine ye a Gnat, and swallow a Camel, feare a Mote and dread not a Beame, stoppe at a Straw, and stagger not at a Streame? To whom, but to such as you did. I cry by my Prophet,Ierem. 14. that when they fast and pray, I wil not heare them, and when they lift vp their handes, I wil turne away my face.

40. The obje­ction of o­bedience refelled.Let not the bare name of obedience blind-fold you. I forbidde you not to giue vnto Caesar, that which is Caesars, but deny me not mine. No, not though Caesar would arrogate to himselfe, that vvhich appertaineth to me. Yeeld to Caesar goodes, life, al temporal serui­tude, as farre as behoueth to the Coun­tries commodity and regiment. Render [Page 83] to me a pure hart, and sincere obser­uance vvithout al exception, this I challenge as my right. Honour the Prince for my sake, but honour me for my selfe. So I say, Honour me, Feare me, Loue me, Reuerence me, Obey me, Serue me, which of you wil indure, that his Sonne shal disobey him, and for his excuse, that he did it by your seruants commandement? ye must not obey my seruant against me the Master, neither my Magistrate against me the Soue­raigne Lord of al.

Be ye your owne judges in this case, whether ye ought most to obey man or me: Goe ye to heretical conuenticles for obedience to the law? More tollerable shal it be at my great day to them, which yeeld of frailty and feare, not aggrauating their offence, by acknowledging prero­gatiue ouer soules, besides that alone which I haue appropriated to my Church and ke [...]es; neither joyning their exteriour schisme with inward schisme and heresie. If obedience be a pretious thing performe it to me, to whom al subjection is due, and [Page 84] to whom al powers bow, I command o­bedience to superiour preeminence, but not in derogation of my owne preroga­tiue, neither am I contrary to my selfe. Neither must the law of the supreame Court, giue place to a meaner seate, nei­ther my celestial Throne, to a terrene Tri­bunal. What obedience is that, wherein is the greatest disobedience possible? what dutiful subjection, where in is most noto­rious and perfidious rebellion? If the name of obedience be holy, whatsoeuer it pretendeth, and that against the silla­bles thereof, no reason can be heard, then obey the body commanding against the spirit, the world against heauen, the Deuil against me.

41. The excuse of feare rejected.What now, if ye be not so madde as to allege that you sinne against my law, by way of obedience, to the lawes of the Realme; but that what you doe of any goodnesse, ye doe for loue of me, and that which ye omit, ye omit for feare of the world. Nay, what if al the good ye doe, be done for feare of my wrath, or for vaine-glory, and not for my loue? and [Page 85] that which ye doe not, ye omit for loue of the world, preferring the same before my feare? for how can ye feare the world, but that ye loue too much the world, and feare least it should not loue you? Why stand ye in awe of her frowne, but because ye would allure her fawne? you would not dread her bended browes, if her smile pleased you not too wel, and tickled not your hartes with delight. If you loathed the world, and could brooke either the absence of her company, or the eie of her displeasure, ye would not feare what shee could doe vnto you, which to speake the most, is but to vse you frowardly, or to banish you her sight. This if shee did, am not I presently ready with armes displai­ed, to receiue you into my bosome, into my Pallace, into my eternal and incom­parable Tabernacles? If ye loued me, ye would not so loue the world, ye would not so feare her: Seing ye violate my commandement, because of her coun­termande, how is it not manifest, that wherein you obey me, ye obey me for feare of my reuenging rodde, which also [Page 86] ye would soone treade vnder foote, if the world should thither in like sort extend her prohibition.

Oh faithlesse cowardes, and not faith­ful champions: oh Hares and not Men: oh patternes of pusillanimity, what auai­leth it you for excuse, feare indeede (as you say) driue you from your duty? I e­uidently denounced that ye should not feare them, which kil the body, and can­not destroy the soule; but me, who can cast both body and soule into euerla­sting flames. Haue I no way deserued, that you should suffer for me; Number the pricks of my sharpe pearsing thornes, number the bloudy and renting stripes, receiued oueral my body, from the rage where of no part from the crowne, to the plate was free, if ye cannot number these being innumerable, consider my fiue deepest woundes, consider my de­spightful death, and what I suffered for the redemption of al mankinde, for yours in particular amongst the rest. Or I pray you, if you suffer any thing for my sake, is my future glory an vnworthy [Page 87] recompense. Am I a slow pay-master, or a poore Lord, not able to make you a­mends, or are ye richer then I, and can expect no just retribution? If now while ye are my enimies, I haue prouided you, and furnisht you vvith many necessary thinges, and suffer you to enjoy the fruites of my excellent vvorke-man­ship, the Earth and Skie; haue I re­serued nothing in store, to gratifie my friendes.

Giue credit to my wordes, I tel you that blessed and a thousand times happy are they, which suffer persecution and crosses for my name sake, and for their conscience, for great is their reward in heauen. If perfect wisdome were to be talked to vnperfect hartes, I vvould tel you how to endure for religion, is a thing which in so ample vvise satisfieth, for humane negligences and former offences, combineth so singular a Gar­land for the sufferers; so exquisitely conformeth to the type of my Passion, and maketh men so like to mee their Sauiour, that Saints in al ages haue [Page 88] with teares of harty affection desired it; with joy imbraced it, drawing neare and feruently sought it, when it was farre off: why feare ye and tremble (oh ye of little faith) why dispaire ye, & cast your selues away, O ye of no faith? The shippe-man calleth to me from the bottome of the Sea, in expectation to be swallowed, and I heare him. The trauailer passing through the midst of theeues craueth my a [...]e, and I conduct him safe. Daniel was secure in the Lyons den. Ionas in the Whales belly, the three children in the furnace, because I assisted them. I forsooke not my Disciples and shippe, though some­time I seeme to sleepe, and to forget them. If your eies were worthy to be o­pened, you should see as my seruant Eli­zeus did, millions of Angels in readinesse for preseruation of my Church and com­pany. Feare not therefore, that from which both I can deliuer you if I wil, and wil as I see it best.

Deny ye my omnipotency and ability to deliuer you; or if I cal you to suffer some-what for me, who are ye that dare [Page 89] detract and say, ye wil not, if ye be so bold, can ye aliue or dead escape my handes, but that I wil make you suffer euen in this life, much more for your sinnes, and that without al consolation, thankes, or recompence?

That which ye feare shal come furiou­sly vpon you, and oppresse you like an ar­med Giant. Though ye feare to serue me, yet wil not I be afraide to repay your da­stardy, with a dreadful hire. The slouth­ful person feareth to be stoned with a peece of turfe, pretendeth for his lazines:Eccles. 22. A Lyon is without the dore: in the midst of the streete I shal be deuoured. What ailest thou Prophet of slouth, if thou take courage I am with thee.Pro. 29. Feare me and my law, he which feareth man, shal soone perish; but he which trusteth in me shal be assured. What fearest thou per­secution as a Lyon: Feare sinne and flie from it, for it is a Serpent, and a two ed­ged sword. You heare not, you are not perswaded: Goe your waies ye vnkinde wreatches; ye shal not suffer for me, for ye are not worthy.

42. Excuse of necessity ouer­throwne.Necessity you say hath no law; but deserueth pardon. Oh how you vexe me with wilful blindnesse. What ne­cessity is there, why ye should deny your faith by going to the malignant congre­gation? Necessity forceth you to saue your soules, for if ye doe not, in vaine ye haue receiued them, nay cursed is the houre vvherein ye were borne, vvho haue frustrated the end of your crea­tion, vvhich was that glorifying me in this life, ye might be glorified by me in the life to come, and caused my bloud to be shedde for you in vaine, and shal be damned for euer-more, without al re­demption.

But no necessity compelleth you to saue your life, much lesse your goodes. What if ye become poore, yea most poore? What if ye die? is not the cause mine? Is it not your faith that ye suffer for? I repeate it againe. No neces­sity constraineth you to saue your life, much lesse your goodes; neither care of your selues; neither care of your fa­mily.

Can not I prouide for you and yours,43. Care of family is no excuse of schisme. without your sinne? Aske the Birdes, Fishes, and Beastes, who feedeth them, vvhereas they neither sow nor reape. Say not with the murmurers: Can God prouide vs foode in the desert, feare their example, I gaue them sustainance, and when they were not content with such as I sent, I condescended to them their hartes desire, but while the meate was in their mouthes, my wrath fel vpon them. The expectation of the careful shal pe­rish, and the lesse ye trust in me,Rom. 11. the lesse regard I wil haue of you. Seing you dis­card me from your accompts, I discharge my selfe of your care. Wilt thou needes prouide for thy family? thou doest wel? doth natural loue instigate thee to seeke their maintainance? So doe I also, yea I tel thee, if thou feele not this instinct, thou art vvorse then an Infidel. But how behoueth it thee to prouide? by hooke and by crooke, by sinne, Schisme, Infidelity, Perjury, Theft, Murther? must al things be lawful to thee for main­tainance of thy family, according to thy [Page 92] calling? Or must thou prouide for them only by industry, labour, or any other honest and just meanes; and touching the rest, commit them to me? My com­mandements doe not one impugne the other, neither haue I willed any man to offend.

Eccles. 15.When I commanded to loue me a­boue al, did I except wife and children? did I not peremptorily auouch, that he is vnworthy of me, whosoeuer preferreth them in any thing before me? Cursed shal the child be, which shal be respected aboue me and my commandements; be he innocent, yet shal he sustaine the re­coile of his fathers iniquity. And he which taketh hold vpon the natural loue engraffed by me in your hartes, why doe ye not inferre with your selues, that if he who prouideth not for his family tempo­ral necessaries, is worse then an Infidel, he which neglecteth prouision for their soules, is a very Deuil: Vnlesse ye thinke that the body is more pretious then the soule. But I assure you that al is lost if the soule be lost; ye shew wel therefore, that [Page 93] you loue your children for your owne sakes and delight, and not for me or my wil, thus turning the law of nature, a­gainst me the authour of nature. Goe forwardes ye vvho are so sollicitous for your house-hold and posterity, proceede in your cares; vvhen ye haue al done, both hazarded and lost your soules, and daily offended me for their sakes; who is it that fostered and preserued them? you or I? who filled their Mothers brests with milke? who gaue to you that affe­ction of loue, which maketh you to assist them?

Tel me whosoeuer thou be, which trustest more in thine owne sollicitude, or (to speake plainely) more distrustest me, then that thou darest commit them to my handes, canst thou feede thy selfe with­out my prouidence? I, who but I? che­rish the younge Rauens, cloath the Lil­lies and Flowres, open my handes and fil al the earth with blessings, I number not the starres only, but the very haires of your head, why then dare ye not rely vp­on my refuge.

44. The true cause why Schisma­tikes going to Church are ripped.I haue laide before you the excuses, which the best of you with vnsacred lips, and vncircumcised hart doe forge. Wic­ked and vnsearchable is mans minde, but I vvho am the searcher of hartes, wil finde out euery corner. The reede on vvhich you leane, shal runne through your handes and breake. Are these your causes and pretexts? Pretexts they are, but not causes. He easily findeth occa­sion, which wil needes breake friendship. If you wil not vtter the very cause, but are ashamed thereof; then heare it at least, and confesse a truth. Charity is waxen cold in your hartes, the world or the flesh haue ouer-whelmed you, ye want saith; of the Catholike beleefe, you haue no certainty, as infallible; but opinion only, that is probable.

Your soules are ouer-growne vvith sinnes and sensualites, as a barren field with bushes and brambles; your corrupt affection tieth you more strongly to the world, then if you were chained by one foote to a stake, you can not soare aloft, not lift vp your hartes to congitation of [Page 95] celestial and spiritual thinges. If some­times ye cast vp as it were one eie to heauen, ye cannot but fixe the other on earth; if ye proffer vp one foote, the other is fast clogde; ye cannot moue, if ye offer to vse the triple winges of grace, reason, and free-wil: the massy poise of flesh and bloud abaseth you presently, before ye can make winge. Ye vvil suffer nothing, ye wil loose nothing, ye wil beare no paine, sustaine no detri­ment, incurre no disgrace, indure no calamity, ye wil diminish no diet, im­peach no sleepe, abate no part of your port, impaire no credit, abridge no li­berty, cast off no superfluity.

Ye little thinke,Eccles. 1. that to serue me is per­fect liberty, to loose for me is great gaines: it commeth not to your minde, that a se­cure conscience is a continual banquet, and that the fruit of a religious hart, is joy and peace. What shal I doe to such a nice, delicate, and vnmortified generati­on? If the times were good, could ye ea­sily goe to heauen: not so soone as ye suppose. Ye vvil neuer take vp my [Page 96] Crosse and follow me, who when I lay it vpon you, and help you to beare it, thrust it from you with violence, and hurle it a­way with a mischiefe. Let your sainting hartes meditate defence of their constan­cy: but they shal not be innocent. Build pretence while you wil, but ye shal not be guarded from the tempest of my wrath. Wash your selues with sope, as long as ye list, ye shal neuer be cleane: Why being inuited to my heauenly banquet, desire ye to be holden excused? Why say ye that ye cannot come: what neede these complements? Speake plainely, say as the truth is; say, we wil not come.

Oh fie, such wordes to our Lord God? such a flat denial to our maker?45. Against such as or defer their cōuersion. Nay, Spare vs a while O Father of heauen, we wil but set thinges in order, and waight a conuenient time, at least once before we die, we wil approch to thy sanctified Table. Craue you then daies and deliberation? Is it for my behoofe or your commodity, I inuite you? Need I your saluation, more then of so many other soules, Iewes, In­fidels, and others, which I hourely suffer [Page 97] to perish, and inuite them not to life? whom if I inuited, I should finde multi­tudes of them, answerable to my inspira­tions, and if I had giuen them some few of those opportunities & motiues, which I afforded to you, they would long since haue done penance in sack-cloath and ashes, and beene conuerted perfectly from their wicked waies. Or if besides my Quyres of Angels and Saints, I yet would be glorified of more, can I not create more children to Abraham? or when ye haue done your best, haue ye not beene vnanswerable to your talents as vnprofitable seruants? Did I choose you first, or did you choose me? I chose you and loued you, before ye were in nature, before ye were any thing, and now ye be some-thing ye forsake me. And yet though ye haue forsaken me, I haue not so forsaken you, but that I inuite you once more to returne. Turne vnto me, and I wil turne vnto you. Nay, behold I turne vnto you, turne therefore vnto me, I humble my selfe to seeke first the attone­ment; I inuite you gratis to my super­eminent [Page 98] glory. Aske any man if he wil intreate you, or hire you to partake of his blessings: yet behold I inuite you.

Come, come, my children, come poore soules, take your fil for thankes, not Wine and Milke or Honny, but of supernal, immortal, and Angelical foode, vvhich who so eateth, liueth for euer, and who so eateth not, can haue no life in him. Come, and ye shal not only be wel-come, but I wil giue you present grace, as pledge of future glory, I wil giue you remission of sinne, I wil make you one with me, I wil endew you with some especial fauour. For I am not he that enter any where and am wel enter­tained, but I there bountifully leaue my remembrance. If euer I deserued wel at your handes, if euer ye expect any fur­ther pleasure, if ye loue me, if ye ho­nour me, if ye feare me; come, delay I may not beare. My fatlings and fowle are killed, al thinges are in readinesse, and I wil not stay. If ye wil not come for my sake, come for your owne.

Come while you are in health: For­sake [Page 99] the world before it forsake you, This is merit and thankes. Come while your senses serue, vvhile your wits are your owne, while as reasonable you may vse reason, before ye be drowsie and speachlesse as beasts, or rauing as dam­ned spirits.

Come quickly, least ye be taken in a trappe, at an houre vnlookt for, and neuer come; or at least vvhen you vvould, no meanes occurre; vvhere­by ye cannot come. Bring forth the vvriting, vvherein I haue indented with you, not to cal you til ye be rea­dy; if you haue any deede or lease of life or yeares, shew me my seale, and then build vpon my assurance. If you haue no such, shew me at least some parrol vvarrant; if ye hold on­ly at vvil; why dally you, vvhy delay you? Why preuent ye not my sodaine summons, hauing no Charter of e­state?

Oh miserable soules, vvhose chie­fest hope is, that vvhich of al o­ther thinges is next to damnation, the [Page 100] most horrible? that is to be conuerted a [...] the end of your life; then which, what is more perilous or vncertaine?

46. Against those which say the Prince shal an­swere.There are among you, which are not yet so forward, as to purpose to turne to me at their last houre; but can finely shift themselues from the seuerity of my judgement, although they acknowledge their actions to be il. They can shunne the blame thereof vpon the Prince and the law-makers, who are the causes of their sinne. Your soules indeede I vvil require at their handes, but what is that to you, who per [...]sh in your iniquities. What may the punishment of the acces­sary auaile the principal felon? of just actions, the motiue is not reproueable, not the cause il, if your act be not dam­nable, what is their offence. Are ye In­fants? or wil ye pleade simplicity? or are ye men who because their free-wil cannot be forced further, then they list them­selues, are at their owne peril to looke to their doings. The theefe alleageth his necessity, the fornicatour the violence of his passion you the terrour of the lawes? [Page 101] Aswel you might al thinke your selues excused, by casting the fault vpon the Deuil, who tempreth you.

Loe here the weakenesse of your for­tifications? Either you goe for obedience, or compelled for feare, or for loue of your family: either you lay the fault vp­on others, or you deferre your conuersion. Scar-bugs and visards to terrifie children, not to amaze men; excuses to mocke fooles, not to satisfie him which requi­reth reason.

Are these the bulwarkes that must su­staine the day of my wrath?47. Excuse of Schisma­tikes how vaine and weake. are these your trenches for time of battaile? If Spiders webs can with-hold the Eagles flight; if a thinne boorde can recoile the roring Canon, then shal these allegations serue for a good plea. Souldiers trust not in gilded armour, nor the marriner in painted shippes. Dare ye venture your soules on such friuoulous illusions? you may deceiue others, you may deceiue your selues, but me ye cannot deceiue; no not though you thinke to ouer-reach me, and perswade me to be content: [Page 102] I see not as man seeth, for man ouer­seeth, but nothing escapeth my know­ledge, yet if as man I see; what man is so blinde that seeth not your dissimula­tion and offence? I wil waigh al your actions euen to a graine, and keepe tale of al your sinnes euen to one; I wil rippe vp your hartes, discouer the center of your cogitations, and lay open your bar­ren rootes, your adulterate loue I reject; your fained obedience I renounce; your pretended deserts I cast out off my me­morial.

Pro. 11.There is a vvay which seemeth to a man not to be vnrighteous, and the end thereof leadeth to death: Such is the course which you ensue. There is a ge­neration which seemeth pure to it selfe, and is not cleansed from her filth:Pro. 30. such a generation are ye. But (as I told you before) the reason hereof is, be­cause vanity bewitcheth you, obscu­ring that which is best, and peruerting your vnderstanding.Eccles. 8. Because judge­ment is not out of hand pronounced a­gainst you, therefore ye securely wal­low [Page 103] in sinne: ye loue your selues and not me. Selfe-loue I say you haue, for indeece ye loue not rightly your selues, if ye did, ye vvould loue me more then your selues.Tob. 12. Hee that loueth sinne, is the Enimy of his owne soule.

What shal I say to you?48. Against those which appeal [...] to God [...] mercy. though al excuses faile you, yet wil you not faile to excuse, when nothing serueth your turne, then appeale you to my mercy, Appeale to my mercy when ye harty­ly repent, not while ye purpose to con­tinue in sinne; vvhile ye liue, not when ye be dead; while ye be yet at li­berty, not vvhen ye be apprehended, and cast into prison for my debt, I am merciful. Now come to mee, and I wil take you to mercy. Wil ye not come? Then in calling mee merciful ye mocke me.Exod. [...]. To say the Lord is righteous, and we are wicked, shal no more auaile you, then it did Pharao, except ye forsake your iniquity. Shal a Man for-giue his Wife, if shee persist stil in her [Page 104] adulterous minde, or his Sonne if he con­tinue his contempt? if such may be found yet wil not I be so fond. Oh desperate boldnesse: Because my word extolleth my mercy, and examples of my clemen­cy are maruailous, in confidence thereof to waxe male part and bold, and to tel me before hand, that presuming there-vpon, you wil neither care what you doe to me, nor what I say to you.

Shal then the Arbiter of the heauens be vnjust, and the Iudge of Iudges be corrupted? Shal I so a [...]use my selfe, as to absolue whom the final verdict shal finde guilty? Then vvere my iniquity greater then yours. If ye hope to finde mercy, without conuersion to the foun­taine of mercy, and auersion from your wickednesse,Pro. 10. ye gape to feede vpon winde, and follow birdes flying in the aire, your hope is as thistle-downe, which euery breath scattereth. In this consi­steth my aboundant mercy, that I haue not al this while taken you away in the midst of your sinne, but patiently a long time put vp al abuses, and expected you [Page 105] to repentance; that I haue louingly gi­uen you diuers motiues of remorse, that I haue by secret meanes remoued from you diuers occasions of further sinne, that I haue not suffered the enimy, to execute his malice against you, in such sort as he would haue done, and as ye deserued; that yet also I am prest to receiue you once more, euen now inuite you againe to saluation.

As for the rest, you haue heard (I am sure) and by authority authentical, that I am a hard Lord, reaping where I sowed not; a seuere creditour, that wil exact of vngrateful debtours the vttermost far­thing; a precise Iudge, which wil exa­mine and cal to accompt euery idle word. A straight Prince,Math. 25 which wil damne to vtter darkenesse an vnprofitable seruant, a terrible God, vvhich for negligences and omissions of smaller matters, then exercise of religion and profession of faith wil denounce: Goe ye cursed into euerla­sting fire. Haue I not flatly proclaimed that the way to heauen is straight, the gate narrow, and sew shal enter; that [Page 106] scant the just shal be saued. If it shal goe so hard vvith good Catholikes, vvhat shal become of you? if the flourishing and fruitful tree shal scant escape fire, what shal the dry and vvithered stocke? This if ye wil not now vnderstand to saluation, the tempter shal beate it in­to your heades, at your final houre to desperation.

49. Schisma­tikes rely vpon hu­mane wis­dome.My wordes I wast, not able to per­swade this wise and circumspect compa­ny, vvho cast beyonde the Moone, and thinke vvith their farre reach to sur­passe my prouidence, vvho deeme it a feate of the greatest folly that may be, to venture goodes for grace, their li­uings for my loue; to hazard terrene honour, for hope of Celestial glory, and a little temporal prosperity, for eternal felicity. This is the summe of your reckoning. First and principally, before the care of God and conscience, I wil quietly enjoy my wealth, and liue in estimation among al men to my pow­er: Shal I be in danger of want, or seeke a straungers table, vvho am now able [Page 107] to entertaine others? Shal my enimies haue aduantage ouer me, and treade me vnder feete? Shal varlets and ribauldes possesse themselues of my substance, which I haue so painefully gotten toge­ther, and so carefully kept? Shal I liue in prison, and be vsed I know not how, who now may goe where I list, and sport at my pleasure?

Vnderstand what is true pollicy (oh ye babes) learne perfect prudence (oh ye fooles) that which you say is vanity; and the practise thereof is meere madde­nesse.Pro. 1. &. 9. The beginning of wisdome (if your vvisdomes wil consider it) is my feare,Eccles. 12. and the accomplishment of wis­dome is the awe of me. This is the be­ginning and the end, this is al in al.1. Cor. 3. The wisdome of the flesh is foolishnesse be­fore me,Pro. 12. and the waies of the wicked shal finally deceiue them, ye say ye are not blinde; your owne wordes condemne ye,Ioh. 9. and of them I take witnesse, that ye erre not of simplicity and ignorance. Beguile not your selues, I am not to be jested vvith al. Measure your fore-sight,Pro. 23. [Page 108] trust not ouer-much to your deuises, which I wil bring to confusion,Pro. 3. but haue confidence in me with al your hart. Be no longer wise in wickednesse, and sim­ple in goodnesse: Seeke first the King­dome of he [...]uen, and the righteousnesse thereof, and al thinges else shal be sup­plied by me.Rom. 8. The wisdome of the flesh is death, but wisdome of the spirit is life eternal. If ye abhorre to be a triumph to your enimies; Let not the Deuil the chiefest foe of al, braue me by the spoiles of your soules.

Now you are captiue, now may your backe friendes scorne you, now doe they treade vpon you, when they haue made you yeeld vnto them, and for feare of them, to doe that which is both a shame­ful shift, and which they know vexeth you to the hart: For he is neuer ouer­come vvhich maketh resistance, but he whose courage failing, recanteth as re­creant. Neither is your estimation to be stoode vpon, as a matter of worth, for honesty may be wel thought crackt, where Christian duty to God hath taken [Page 109] her flight. It cannot be expected, that he wil be loyal to man, who hath violated fidelity to his maker. If you force not of this credit, but intend authority, gape af­ter dignity, loue superiority, and delight to command, are not your hartes guilty of abhominable ambition, and testifie a­gainst you, that ye loue the honour of men, more then the honour of your Lord God? Let your glory be to know me; for to follow me is perfect worship.Eccles. 23. I am the glory of my people, and they are my countenance.

Liberty you loue; why then remaine ye the slaues of sinne? ye are content to be the Deuils bond men and thral, rather then ye wil be my seruants; and to en­dure his heauy fetters, rather then sustaine my sweet yoke. Vse the liberty which I haue giuen you, captiuate not your spi­rits and free-wil, to the earthly inclina­tion of sensuality. And why should you preferre gold and siluer before me, where­as I redeemed not you with corruptible mettel, but with the last droppe of my bloud? The earth is mine,Luke 15. ye are mine [Page 110] husband-men and labourers; al goodes are mine, and ye are my Stewardes; is it much for you to render to me my owne, if I demande it? you are rich enough, if ye haue a good conscience;Eccles. 3. and most pestilent pouerty is in a wicked breast, vvherein is no goodnesse. Better is piety then pretious stones,Pro. 30. it is the word of life; and a Bay-tree alwaies flourish­ing.Rom. 15. Eccles. 27. Better is a little with piety, then great treasures. Many seeking riches, turne away their sight from seing truth, and easily make shipvvracke of their soules; seeke not so eagerly, that which is an impediment to the entry of my Kingdome.

50. The great folly of Schisma­tikes.But for asmuch as you thinke your selues so wise, consider yet a little, and you shal see much more of your foolish­nesse, which euery child may plainely discry, and conuict you of folly; what profiteth it you, that my Church hath power to forgiue sinnes, seing you haue no accesse vnto it? that shee prayeth for her children, both liue and dead, seing ye be none of hers?

What auaileth it you, that my Pas­sion is a medicine to saluation, seing ye apply it not vnto you? that my ho­ly Body sanctifieth and prepareth to glory, seing ye neuer receiue it? What booteth it you, that the just shal shine like the Sunne, seing ye for your schisme, shal be as vgly as fiendes? that to the righteous is prepared a Kingdome of glory; seing ye be vvicked, and de­serue torment in Hel? That there is a Heauen, seing ye shal not enter into it. Angels and Saints, seing ye shal neuer enjoy their company?

Finally, in vaine it is to you that there is a God, into whose rest ye shal neuer enter, and whose face ye shal neuer see, ye haue mouthes, and praise me not a­right; eares, but neuer heare the Cano­nical praiers, and voice of my Spouse, eies ye haue, and neuer behold me your Sauiour, though most louingly I offered my pretence among men, that they may daily remember my Pas­sion.

50. God wil peruert the wisdome of Schis­matikes.Al this notwithstanding you thinke your selues wise, and that my Catholikes are improuident persons. Contend with them no longer, but contend with me. See if I turne not your deuises against your selues, and make the wicked fruits of your vaine conceipts, to light vpon your owne heades. Contend with me in wis­dome, and see whether you can more ea­sily lay a foundation of felicity, or I sub­uert it; you gather together, or I scatter; you purpose, or I preuent; you deter­mine, or I frustrate. Your trust is in the security, which is promised and permit­ted vnto you, for your vnconscionable conformity; as though they could assure you of prosperity.

Cursed is the man, which trusteth in man: Whence ye least feare danger, I send out mischiefe against you as a Ser­geant, and my wrath as a Pursuiuant, no strength shal be able to defend you, nor any place to hide you. I would haue de­liuered you from them, but who shal rescue wretched sinners out of my hands. I dispise such, as to please men displease [Page 113] me, and their bones I wil crush a sunder. As I hate the ring-leaders and masters of falshood, so abhorre I their disciples and confederates: You feare them, but it is I which wil plague you; you dread to step in the hoare frost, but snow shal ouer­whelme you; ye feare drops, but stormes shal ouer-take you; ye feare a cracke as it were of thunder, but I wil strike you with my horrible boltes in deede. As with the holy I am holy, so vvith the ouer­thwart I wil be ouer-thwart, of al the e­uil which you haue sowen, ye shal reape seauen-fold; for to the sword I haue or­dained those,Eccles. 16. who passe from righteous­nesse to the Tents of iniquity,Iud. 5. Anathema to the land of Meror, for not aiding my Israelites in their extremity of battaile, and Anathema to those, whose joyning with my aduersaries, and yeelding to them, hath made my host a pray, yet want I not meanes to maintayne my Church, and without you it shal triumph.

Vnprofitable trees, how long shal I expect fruit in vaine? yeares and yeares are passed, and alwaies I finde you barren. [Page 114] The Axe therefore shal be set to your rootes, and ye shal serue for fire, if ye were Roses as ye be cankers, yet being so intangled among thornes and briers, ye should goe together to the surnace, ye shal see my Catholikes in my King­dome, and your selues be kept without dores as dogges; which of my Saints wil stand betweene you and my fury, whose communion you haue renounced, with whose impugners ye are associate.

What helpe can ye hope for of the Angels, whom ye haue contristated by auersion from their King? Your Guar­dian Angels ye haue chased away, by entring Schismatical Temples. They are ashamed to haue laboured so long in vaine about you, neither wil follow you into the Kingdome of darkenesse. At that day therefore, ye shal see my children glistering in glory, and shal say. Behold these are they, whose course of life we esteemed ridiculous, and zeale to be meere madnesse, whom we thought to be miserable, and eschewed their company as ful of calamity, now with how great di­uersity [Page 115] hath God deuided their felicity from our wreatchednesse? If I deferre til then you care not. Nay, the Iudge is at the gate, and his rodde sleepeth not; Though ye be flexible by fauour, yet wil I be just, though ye dissemble with me, I wil not dissemble with you, nor faile of my threatning word. Ye shal know that I looke not downe on earth for nothing, nor in vaine behold the actions of the Sonnes of men. Ye doubt whether there by prouidence, but when I repay you in waight and measure, and subuert al your wise imaginations, then ye shal feele it.

Goe to the Synagogues of Sathan, sit with the malignant in their Church, and wot wel that you shal be judged for so doing. Passe this life as merrily as you can, but hope not for the life to come. Be not content with your owne euil, but peruert and hinder others also, (which is the proper office of the Deuil) rather then further them to saluation as Angels. Ye shal one day finde, that double sinnes are needlesse, for of one you shal be condemned. Feare of disgrace [Page 116] spurreth you to perdition, forgetting that I gaue Toby fauour in the sight of King Salmanasar, aboue al others, because a­boue al others he honoured me most, and least seared the Kinges displeasure, in matter of conscience.

Dauid and Ioseph might also serue you of example, that credit is not alway lost by seruing of me, but seing ye so feare to loose mens fauour, ye shal loose it, they shal maligne you, abuse you, hate you worse then Recusants. From your wealth and fatnesse proceedeth often your ini­quity, I wil make you leaner, multiply­ing your miseries, and the third heire shal neuer enjoy those thinges, for enjoying whereof ye forsake me. I wil put a ring in your nostrels, and a curbe in your mouthes, your owne conceipts shal pe­rish, and my wil shal preuaile. You are jealous of your honours, and thinke you that I wil not stand vpon mine. Because you dispise me, I therefore defie you; and as spittle I cast you out of my mouth. You are none of mine, and I wil be none of yours; I wil blot you out, and crosse [Page 117] you as notes out of vse are wiped out of tables. And when I behold your neces­sities, I wil clappe my handes ouer you. You haue cast me away as a burthensome and vnprofitable God. But I wil shake you off, as a man would cast filth from his coate. Ye haue set a time to your selues, beyond which ye wil not expect, and now tired with expectation, ye are quite desperate. Me, who made the globles of heauen, wil ye limit? to me who am e­ternity, wil ye prescribe an houre or a yeare? For this marke what I tel you; ye that say, We shal neuer see good daies, Num. 14, but shal die in the wildernesse, and therefore now let vs follow the time. Good times shal come, and ye shal neuer see them, but die in the wildernesse, and (which is worse) in your sinne; your fortune shalbe like to the incredulous captaine, who saw the wonderful plenty and alteration,4. Reg. 7. which he beleeued should come to passe, but neuer enjoyed the benefit thereof, and ye likewise which say. Good time shal shortly come, we wil not be to forward before we see them, but wil then be conuer­ted. [Page 118] Good time shal come vvhen I appoint: the prefixed number of my Martirs being accomplished, when al hartes haue beene sufficiently laide open, when I haue tried out, and retried al dis­semblers, such as I finde you to be: Yet shal not the fruit hereof, nor the joy be such, as you promise to your soules, some of you shal die before, others at that time, vvhen they would most gladly liue a while, others shal euen then haue their hartes hardened in some other sinne, as now in Schisme.

52. An inui­tation to returne from sinne.Repent therefore, repent and turne to the Sheepe-heard of your soules: O ye my sheepe; turne vnto your Lord God O ye children, why set ye your soules to sale for vanity, and sel your selues to the Deuil for a vile price? Why suffer ye creatures to draw you from your Crea­tour? Adhere no more to gold, siluer, and possessions, vvhere-with I often cloy my slaues, and smile at your childishnesse. Let not drossy mucke, nor dirty farmes seperate you any longer from my church. Wed not your selues so straightly to the [Page 119] world, which passeth in a moment, and al that is therein, no otherwise then a cloude before the Sunne.

The riches that ye haue, others had before, and some must haue after you. Aske your Mannours and Landes, how many owners th [...]y haue had, and they vvil reckon vp vnto you a long Cata­logue; none of whom could euer yet by wit, strength, or power, either retaine them stil himselfe, or assure them to his posterity, ye shal finde them bought, sold, changed, reexchanged, giuen, in­herited, purchased, let out, morgaged, forfeited, vsurped, conquered, lost, recouered, by right, by wrong, by might, by law, with a thousand other alterations. If the sundry liues, and de­meanure of such seueral possessors, and what these goodes did cause vnto them, were recorded. Ye should see substance and possessions to be nothing else, but the pray of extortioners, the object of ra­uenours, the eie-sore of great personages, the ready pray of a Tyrant, the nourse of vnthriftinesse, the wracke of youth, [Page 120] the carke of age, the source of al vice, the shipwracke of al soules: A but then, which oppresseth al that vndertake it, a gate out of which enuy cannot be shut forth, a thorny bush which choaked al goodnesse and grace. Regard them not therefore, but haue pitty on your soules, spare your selues and sinne no more.Eccles. 30.

Returne, O my prodigal children, and I wil receiue you. How many h [...]re­lings haue their fil in my house, while ye in a forraigne land deuour huskes with swine. Returne, and I wil cladde you with a new stole, and cast your sinnes in­to the bottome of the Sea. Let euery one of you hasten to saue himselfe, as being in a daungerous tempest, to him which doth perish, al the world perisheth. Why die you and liue not? Why spend you your talents, and not in purchasing heauen? Circumcise your hartes, that ye may vnderstand, pul your tailes out of your eares, and stoppe not reason with sensuality: ye are not beasts but men, vse the dignity of soules, of reason, of con­science, of free-wil. Follow me in sim­plicity [Page 121] of hart, and proue me if I shew not my selfe a good God vnto you and whe­ther I wil forsake you, or yet suffer you to be tempted aboue your power, or any further then is necessary for your good, you shal see that nothing is better then to feare me, and nothing sweeter then my law; yea,Eccles. 23. Eccles. 1. I wil prouide for you by such meanes, as you would least expect. So shal ye be sure to tast happinesse at last, and to be blessed at your end.Eccles. 2. Eccles. 24. No man euer trusted in me and was deluded. Be not ashamed to defend truth and pro­fesse it. For this confusion wil bring you to glory.Eccles. 4. Be not a-fraide to striue euen vnto death for righteousnesse, I am your reward incomprehensible.Eccles. 17. Passe to the part of the holy flocke and liue with them, which liue and praise my name.Eccles. 21. The Synagogue of sinners is as a heape of stubble, and their end is a flame. What reward is it to be Catholikes, when times are Catholike,Eccles. 18. now in the time of impiety and infidelity, shew a good con­uersation. With-draw your selues from those, whom malice and sinne hath [Page 122] blinded, depart from their pollution, touch not their filthinesse, away from it, away from it; come not neare it on paine of your soules. Looke backe to the rocks from which ye haue fallen; for blessing is vpon Syon, and curse vpon Hebal; my spirit ouer Hierusalem, and my sword o­uer Babylon: Become ye fellow Citizens of the Saints; enrole your selues in my family; be reconciled to me, and I wil be reconciled vnto you. My Messen­gers and Legates, I haue sent into al quarters to preach my peace vnto you, and offer you pardon. Consider and see; this is al that I your Lord God require at your handes, that ye leaue dissimulation, that ye loue me, and feare me aboue al, walking before me in a perfect and vp­right hart. Doe this and liue for euer, ye shal be my children and I wil be your Father.