AFter that the Lord hadde by many argu­ments proued him self to bée the very same that shoulde come to saue the Godly, he did not without cause knit vp his saiyng with this sentence: Blessed is he that is not offended in me. Certainly, he not onely knew, that many things were conteined in the profession of his Gospel, from which mannes nature dooth vtter­ly abhorre, but also he foresawe, that foorthwith by the subtile woorking of Sa­than, should spring vp all kinde of lettes and hinderances, that might bringe it ei­ther in hatred or suspition of the worlde. And surely it muste néedes be fulfilled which the holy Ghost hath spoken of him, [Page] that he should bée the rocke of offence and the stone to stumble at: Not bicause there is in him any iuste cause to be offended at, as wée shall anon sée. But what skilles it? For this is (as it were) his fatall condi­tion, that as often as he offereth him selfe to men, many of them doo stumble at him. The whiche thinge if euer it happened heretofore, we finde at this daye to be trew, by examples almost innumerable. Wherefore we ought so much the rather to call continually to our remembrance, his former warninge, to thintent it may sticke faste in our mindes: least through the stoppes which the Deuill will cast in our waye, we beynge turned from him, might also be depriued of that blessednes which he promiseth to those that are his. But how fewe are there that thinke her­vppon? And on the contrarie parte, how many are to be founde, whiche vnder the colour of offences, doo eyther shonne the Gospel altogether as it were some rocke: or after they haue embraced it, yea and somewhat profited in it, doo afterwarde turne backe againe? Forasmuch then, as there was no one matter (in my iudge­ment,) [Page 2] wheraboutes I might bestow my labour more profitably, I was not vn­willinge to take vppon me the handlyng hereof: specially seinge I had bounde my selfe by promisse vnto certaine good men so to doo: who cease not to exact my pro­misse as a dewe dette. Peraduenture it ought to haue bene performed sooner: but in asmuch as hitherto, partly other wry­tinges no lesse necessarie, and partely di­uers weightie affayres haue helde me oc­cupied, this is soone inough, if it be well inough.

Moreouer, before wée enter into the matter it selfe, we must sée how this title will agrée to Christ, who assuredly is the doore of eternall life, that he should be the stone of Offence, & the rocke to stumble at: & likewise howe it may come to passe, that the doctrine of the Gospel, beyng the onely way to saluation, should continu­ally be matched with so many offences. This shalbe made the more euidēt, if we take our beginninge at the definition of an Offence. And now wheras the maner of liuing appointed to vs by God, is like­ned to a waie, or a race, which it behoueth [Page] vs to followe, hereuppon riseth another Metaphor, that Offences should be called what lettes so euer doo either leade vs a­wrie from our right course, or stoppe vs by lyinge in the way, or giue occasion of fallinge. Surely of all these, nothing can be imputed vnto Christe, nor to his Gos­pell. It is the office of Christe to leade vs by the hāde, the right way to his Father. Also he is the light of the world, by which we are guided thither: the pathe whereby we come thither: and the doore by whiche we enter. It is the nature of the Gospel, by taking away al maner of lettes, to set vs opē an easie accesse into the kingdome of God. Nothinge therefore is more disa­greable to Christ or his Gospell, than the name of Offence. This is an infallible rule, that if Christe be estéemed as he is in déede, nothing is more contrary to his nature, than Offence. In likewise is to be thought of the Gospell. But this hap­peneth through the lewdnesse of mē, that assoone as Christe appéereth a farre of, by & by they are wrapped in with Offences, or rather of them selues runne hedlonge into them. Thus is he the stone to stum­ble [Page 3] at, not bicause he giueth cause of stū ­bling, but bicause occasion is wilfully ta­ken. Like as the Gospell beynge the doc­trine of peace and vnitie, is not withstan­dinge, the occasion of great troubles and turmoyles, bicause the wicked gréedely take occasion thereof to set all thinges in a broyle. Now it were to much wronge to burden Christ with other mēs faultes, as if they were his owne, and to laye all the blame thereof on his necke, as if he were the offēder. And that is it that Pe­ter sayeth: Be ye builded into a spirituall house, whiche is a liuely stone, reiected of men but chosen of God, and precious also to you that beléeue: But vnto them that beléeue not, he is the stone whiche the builders refused, the stone for them to stumble at, and the rocke for them to fall against. Behold how Christe offreth him selfe to al men, for a foundation to builde them selues vppon, that they may be the temple of God. Surely here is none Of­fence. Wherefore then should they be of­fended? forsooth bicause like a sort of blind Bayardes, they rushe wilfully againste that thinge, whereon they ought gently [Page] to staye them selues.

Yet we sée the malice, or at leastwise the corruption of men is suche, that that thinge which happeneth extraordinarily vnto Christe, followeth as customably, as if it were moste of all pertinent to his Office. Now come I vnto them, who o­therwise refusinge not to embrace the Gospell of Christe, woulde neuerthelesse haue it without Offences. I haue to doo with such as are Christians: Would they haue Christe frée from all Offence? then must they goe forge thée a newe one: For the sonne of God cannot be any other, than of such sorte as he is preached in the Scriptures. Or els they muste alter all mens natures and dispositions, and goe make all the worlde newe agayne. We heare what the Scripture saieth: This is incident, not onely to y^e person of Christ, but also to all the whole doctrine: neither is it lastinge for a time onely, but it shall cōtinew through the whole course of the doctrine. Howe preposterous then are thei, who in these daies reiect the doctrine of the Gospell now springing vp againe, onely in this respecte, bicause they finde [Page 4] therein the selfe same thinge, that was tolde of before by the Prophetes and the Apostles. And yet for all that, they wilbe counted Christians: what if they had chaunced to haue bene in those daies, whē y^e Gospell was first of al newly preached, at which time there was almost no kinde of Offence but it swarmed out of the Go­spell? How soone would they haue sepera­ted them selues from Christ? how would they haue quaked for feare, least of neuer so slight a touche they mighte haue bene blasted with some infection? If they saie they woulde not haue done so then: why are they so spicec [...]scienced in these daies? why doo they not now also acknowledge the same markes in Christe? But an Of­fence is an odious thyng, & to modest na­tures horrible. Who denieth that? Nei­ther doo I say that Offences are willing­ly to be sought after. Let vs shunne them as much as may be. But a Christen mans hart ought to be fortified in suche wise, that what Offences so euer breake out vpon him, he neuer forsake his place, nor swarue from Christe one heare bredth. Who so euer is not furnished with this [Page] constancie that he may wade through all Offences vnuanquished, vnderstandeth not yet what his Christendome auayleth him. But it is a harde matter to resiste Offences, specially consideringe our fe­blenesse & imbecillitie. I graunt it surely: how be it to desire to be priuiledged from that incōmoditie, whereunto we sée the moste holy name of Christe & his Gospell subiect, that is vtterly against all reason. Therfore they that at this daye alledge, that Offēces are the cause why they dare not giue their cōsent to the pure doctrine of the Gospell which we professe, but are rather horribly afrayde to come at it, I woulde warne all such to take héede, that in stéede of Christe they set not thē selues vp an Idoll. For this must be taken for a sure grounde, that if we will shunne all Offences, we must therewithall also vt­terly renounce Christe, who if he were not the stone of Offence, were not the trewe Christe.

Howbeit I know there be fower sortes of men whome Offences withholde from Christe, or at least whiche vnder this co­lour are enemies to y^e Gospell. The feare [Page 5] of Offences holdeth many backe concey­ued of a certaine naturall modestie, in so much that they dare not ones take a taste of the Gospell. Other some beynge more slouthful and vnapt to be taught, doo hin­der them selues rather by dulnesse than by wilfulnes. And there are very many, who beyng sotted with pryde & the vaine opinion of that wisedome which they are farre from, are to themselues an occasion of Offence through their owne arrogan­cie. There are also which malitiously and of set purpose doo gather togither all Of­fences, and inuent many newe of theyr owne braynes, and that not so muche for ill will they beare towarde Offences, as for hate of the Gospell, to the intent they maye by some meanes or other rayse a slaunder of it. Yea rather whereas they thēselues are the Authours of Offences, of very spight most impudētly thei turne the blame thereof al together vppon the Gospell. With such slaunders the bookes of Sadolet, Eckius, Pyghius, Cochlaeus, and such like, ar to be séene throughly fraugh­ted. The first and seconde sorte are to be dealt withall somwhat more gently: but [Page] the thirde and fourth sorte are to be en­treated more sharply. For what point is it, I say not of humanitie, (for what hu­manitie can ye looke for at this cruell beastes handes?) but of honestie, to obiect reprochefully against the sonne of God, the thinges for whiche they them selues are altogether to blame? But wee will looke better vpō these things afterward, my minde was onely at the beginninge, to admonishe my readers what kinde of men I purposed to deale with: to thintēt they might thereby iudge, what they had to looke for in this litle booke. The weake and vnskilfull shall finde here, wherwith to arme them selues for the ouercomyng of all Offences. The wicked shal finde as much as shall suffice to disproue their ab­hominable slaunders. It is a greate mat­ter that I promisse, but I trust I shall sa­tisfie indifferent Iudges. For it is not to be hoped that I shoulde heale the diseases of all men. And I haue alreadye condem­ned him of greate folly, if any man will endeuer to bringe to passe, that Christe shoulde not be a stumblyng blocke to the wicked. The Scripture muste néedes be [Page 6] fulfilled, which hath tolde before that it shuld come so to passe. And I doo not looke that this my trauell shoulde woorke any other effect, than that their rage shoulde be more and more inflamed. But I haue respect to the weakelings, whose faith, as the wicked sort goe about to shake down. so it behoueth vs (as it were by puttinge vnder our handes) to stay it vp. As cōcer­ninge them that be desperate, it sufficeth me if I may represse their malapertnesse, or at leastwise if I may brynge to passe, that the infection of their poyson maye spred it selfe no further.

And for asmuch as what matter so e­uer a man entreateth of, distinctions are wonte to giue great light vnto it, I will here make a briefe distinction betwéene the chiefe kindes of Offences, which haue bothe troubled the course of the Gospell from the beginninge, and also doo hinder it at this day. Therfore of Offences, (if it séeme good) let vs cal some inward, which (at leastwise as men suppose) springe of the Gospell it self: or although they grow otherwise, yet are they almoste euer an­nexed vnto it. And let vs call other some [Page] outwarde, as springing out of heades al­together straūge and remoued from the Gospell. Of the first kinde are those, that haue their beginning as it were enclosed in the very doctrine of the Gospel. Paule saieth, that the Gospell is foolishnesse to the worldely wisemen. The whiche is trewe: not onely bicause the homely and vnpainted simplicitie therof is had in de­rision by them, but also bicause many thinges are therein conteined, whiche to mans iudgement are not onely very ab­surde, but also very toyes to laughe at. For wheras it is preached that the sonne of God, who is eternall life, did take our fleshe vpon him, & became a mortall man: and that by his death was purchaced vn­to vs life, by his cōdemnation our right­uousenesse, by his curse our saluation: it abhorreth so muche from the cōmon sense of men, that the sharper witted any man is, the sooner he casteth it of. And now se­inge the Gospell spoyleth vs of all prayse of wisedome, vertue, and rightuousnes, leauinge nothinge to vs of our owne but vtter shame, it cannot otherwise be, but it muste greatly offende vs. For suche is [Page 7] the pryde of our fleshe, that no man will willingly suffer those thinges to be wre­sted from him, with the vaine imagina­tion whereof we are all puffed vp. Here­vpon riseth a most sharpe conflicte. These thinges also touchyng the deniyng of our selues, the crucifiyng of the olde man, the despisinge of the world, the embracing of the Crosse, howe sore doo they with their sharpnesse Offēde vs? But the experiēce hereof is yet farre harder, when the faith is tried by persecutions and other cala­mities. Besides these, there are other thinges also, whiche partely séeme vnto mans reason Paradoxes and thinges full of absurditie, as the thinges we spake of first: and specially doo minister occasion of crabbed questions, whiche anon after doo also hatche as many Offences, that is to say, innumerable. Such is the doctrine of Predestination and other like.

Of the seconde sorte are these: that as soone as the Gospell springeth vp, by and by followe turmoyles and seditions: the wickednesse of many whiche before was hidden, is discouered: many sectes and monstruous heresies vnhearde of before, [Page] doo swarme vp: many doo proudly take oc­casion of more licentious libertie: many of the professors, by the filthie example of their life, doo shame the doctrine it selfe: some whiche for a time séemed very fer­uent, doo not onely waxe lazie, but like most horrible rebelles doo vtterly fall frō Christe. Moreouer the Deuill by won­derfull craftes, setteth together by the eares, good & otherwise sincere, teachers of the truth, to the intent through their in­firmitie to caste some slaunder vppon the doctrine. Furthermore bicause that of the very newnesse thereof, others take liber­tie to be bolder than they should be, it is ordinarie also in new matters beyng, yet scarsly settled in dewe order, to marke whatsoeuer is done amisse. In this forme let these and such like be.

The third sorte doth partly consiste of surmised slaunders, and partly springeth of the vnthākfulnesse of men: while they fetche from a farre sundry accusations, whiche they malitiously and falsly charge the Gospell with, to the intent therby to make it hated. Many also of thē that are counted faithfull, beyng intangled with [Page 8] men of an other, and almoste cleane con­trary profession, while they séeke meanes to nourishe fréendshippe, are caried away with ambition, as with a tempest, that they had rather caste of the Gospell, than dissent from the common trade of liuing. Seinge therfore, that I muste encounter with so many and so sundrie monsters, it was néedeful to make this said distinctiō, before & it had bene for none other cause but this: that if the infinitenesse of the matter would not suffer all thinges to be rehersed particularly, the Readers might yet haue recourse to the generall. Ther­fore to the intent I may beginne to en­treate of the firste sorte, it falleth ill out for the highstomacked men and suche as are giuen to statelinesse, that the holy Ghost vseth a homely and base kinde of speakyng in the Scriptures. And such as are accustomed to elegācie and finenesse, doo either refuse or lothe this rude style cladde with no colours of Rhetoricke. In this behalfe I like not to make y^e defence whiche other haue intreated of: namely that such disdeine riseth of vnskilfulnes, for asmuche as Moyses and diuers of the [Page] Prophetes were as fine in their owne language, as the Philosophers and Ora­tors which are with high commendation and best likinge red amonge the Gréekes and Latines. For although it be knowē to be so in déede, to suche as are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue, yet notwithstāding in asmuch as Amos is no lesse a Prophet than Esay, & that Ieremie obteined the same degrée that Dauid had, of whome not withstandinge, the enditinge is not a like eligant, but rather the stile of Ie­remie sauoreth of a Townesman, and the stile of Amos hath a smatch of a Herdmā: I willingly confesse, that the holy Scri­ptures wherin the heauenly Philosophie is wholly conteined, are voide, not onely of the florishinges of Rhetoricians, but also of such meane garnishynge, as euen the meaner learned sort doo looke for. But they are ouer squeymishe, that finde the lesse sauour in them for that. And such as vnder this pretext doo abase y^e authoritie of them, are to vnequall and malitious. Paule doth not onely graunt that he wā ­teth eloquence, but also preacheth it opē ­ly and glorieth in it, ought his doctrine [Page 9] doctrine therfore to be y^e lesse set by? Nay, rather, wheras is no floorishing of woords to bleare the eies withall, there he war­ranteth the strēgth of the heauenly wise­dome to shine the better. Neyther dothe he teache any other thinge vnto the .iiij. chapter of the firste Epistle to the Corin­thians, than that the faith is then verely, dewly founded in the wisedome & poure of the holy Ghoste, when the mindes are not seduced with finenesse of enditinge & wittie handlinge of the matter. And this doth euery one of vs know for a certen­tie, by the assured experience of our faith. Surely if the doctrine of Iohn or Paule were painted with the colours of Demo­sthenes or Cicero, it might peraduenture haue more grace to allure the Readers, but of weight to moue the consciences, and of woorthinesse to purchace it self au­thoritie, it should not haue the hundreth part that it hath. For the Maiestie of God vttereth it selfe there liuely: in so muche that they are compelled, who so euer rea­deth it, (onlesse it be suche whose mindes the Deuill hath astonied,) to thinke that it is euen God that speaketh vnto them. [Page] And therefore they are to dullwitted, which take no taste nor sauour in y^e Scri­ptures, bicause thei finde there no entice­mentes of speach. But what if God will perce the hart through & through, rather than with pleasant tinclinge, delight the eares? For wheras Paule, saith that the treasure of the Gospell is bestowed in earthē vessels, to the intent the power of God maye more cléerely appeare in the weaknesse of men, it agreeth very wel to our present purpose. Thus much I may lawfully take vpon me to say: that there are no disputatiōs of the Philosophers so suttle, whiche are able more strongly to perswade: no thunderinges of the Ora­tours, that are able more vehemently to moue affections: than is the simple & rude stile of the scripture. For who seeth not, how by the wōderfull prouidence of God it is so prouided, y^e in a base kinde of spea­king, the effectuall woorkyng of the spirit should nakedly much better shew it self. They wil néedes haue their eares deligh­ted with the swéetenesse of Eloquence: But God who formed mans tunge, will stammer with vs. Howbeit in his stāme­ring [Page 10] he thundereth: and beareth him selfe with as hault & stately a grauitie, to sub­dewe mens mindes, as if the cunningest of all Oratours, should out of the treaso­rie of his arte, put foorth of his best stuffe, what so euer he had there in store. This way Paule teacheth spirituall thinges to be applied to spirituall thinges: and we our selues doo cléerely sée, how mightie, Gods playne and simple truthe is of it selfe. Men are then to stately, if for so small a matter as this is, they disdaine to Reade the Scriptures, or thinke the au­thoritie of the heauenly doctrine, to be therefore of lesse importance. But let vs suffer thē to haue stil their owne delight. And as for our owne selues, if with the eares of our harte we harken to God when he speaketh, the rude & vnpainted speache shall so little offende vs, that it shall rather lifte vs vp to consider the maiestie of the spirite, appearinge in the same. For so ar the treasures of wisdome to be digged vp, whiche Paule admoni­sheth vs to be hidden in Christe. And hereof (if any man will) he maye finde somewhat in the firste Chaptre of mine [Page] Institutions, where I dispute of the au­thoritie of the Scripture.

Now, to the intent we may procéede to the curing of Offences of this sorte, is it méete I should frame a newe prouinge from point to point, of the opiniōs which are not delightfull to mans reason? In good faith that were an endlesse matter, seinge those thinges may be fetched both out of mine and out of othermēs trauels. And besides that, it were an vnprofitable labour, to alledge the testimonies of the Scriptures for this purpose. For what shall it auayle me to declare the diuinitie of Christe plainely out of the Scripture, to suche kinde of men. Uerely they will boldely reiect what so euer I shall bryng. Yea rather this is a cause why they reiect all the whole Scripture, by reason that in their opinion, it semeth to be an absur­ditie, as often as they méete with any thinge that liketh them not. And ther­fore they séeme then moste wise in their owne conceites, when they laughe our simplicitie to skorne, in that by assured faith we embrace those thinges, whiche not onely wante proofe to the outwarde [Page 11] senses, but are also to mans iudgement incredible. What idiot (say they) would suffer himselfe to be perswaded, where he seeth no reason to leade him. To foolish were I, if I would stande in contention with them, by such reasons as the sharpe­nesse of mans witte atteyneth too. For wheras we beléeue that Christe was ma­nifested to be God in the fleshe: Paule confesseth the same to be a misterie, farre remoued from all perceiuerance of man. What then if they would obiect vnto vs that it were an absurditie, and that we out of hande did readely wash our hands of it, in such sort that they should be com­pelled to stande dombe, onlesse they wold impudently barke against vs: yet coulde I not bring to passe, but that they would counte vs more dulheaded than any Idi­otes, that would hange onely vppon the bare Scriptures, in the debatinge of so weightie matters. Wherefore I will turne me to those that are tempted with such kinde of stumblinge blockes, but are neuerthelesse as yet curable.

Unto such I will minister none other Medicine, than that whiche Paule hath [Page] prescribed, namely that they learne to be foolish to the worldwarde, to the entent thei may be able to conceiue the heauenly wisedome. We meane not by this foolish­nesse, that men should haue their wittes altogether dulled or amazed, neither do we bid, that such as are learned in liberal sciences, should cast away the knowledge of thē: or that suche as are endewed with handsomnesse of witte, shoulde become brutish, as though he could not be a Chri­stian onlesse he were liker a beast than a man. The Christian profession requi­reth vs to be children, not in vnderstan­dinge, but in malice. Howbeit least any man shoulde brynge into the schoole of Christe, an affiaunce either in his owne witte, or in his owne learnyng: least any mā either swellyng in pride, or ouercome with lothsomnesse, should by and by put from him that which is laide before him, before he haue throughly tasted of it, if we doo but offer our selues willinge to be taught, we shall finde here no let at all. But they that are wise (I saye in their owne conceites only) to them their owne pryde is cause of fallinge. And why so? [Page 12] Bicause the sonne of God hath so muche abased him selfe, as to become thy bro­ther, and ioyne his eternall Godhead to thy mortall fleash, shall that be a lette to thée, that thou shouldest not come vnto him? wilt thou withdrawe thy selfe the further from God, bicause from his vn­measurable heighte he hath humbled him selfe to come downe to thée? what if he shoulde call thée vp into the heighth of heauen, whereto there is no accesse for thée of thy selfe? how couldest thou make waye to him so farre of, that arte offen­ded at hym beynge so néere hande? But thou sayest, it is a mōstruous thinge to thée, when thou hearest that God is become mortall. And what other thing is that else, than that God beynge im­mortall dwelled in our mortall fleashe? For the matter itselfe crieth out, that this thinge was not in vayne preached of Iohn, howe there was séene in him suche glory, bothe as was méete for the Sonne of God, & also as shewed no darke token of his owne Godhead: onlesse it were thy pleasure to deuise monsters, y^u couldest surely finde no monsters here. [Page] Our faith hath, that God tooke vpon him a bodie subiect to death. Here thou hea­rest a Misterie whiche thou oughtest to honour, and not a tale to scoffe at: nor a Monster to starcle at. Rather impute it to thine owne vnthankefulnesse, that thy wonderinge at so inestimable a grace, swalloweth not vp all thoughtes repug­nant vnto it. I know these thinges are spoken in vaine vnto many. Neither is it hidden from me, what a laughynge they make at vs, bicause we séeke for life in the death of Christe, grace in his curse, and rightuousnesse in his condemnation. Uerely (say they) so floweth colde water out of a burninge fornace, & light spring­eth so out of darknesse. And hereuppon they conclude: that nothinge is more foo­lish than we, which hope for life at a dead mans hande, whiche aske forgiuenesse of a condēned person, whiche fetch the grace of God out of one that was cursed, & flie for refuge to the Crosse, as to the onely authour of euerlastinge saluation. And therewithall laughyng at our simplicitie, they thinke them selues very sharpewit­ted. But I say, they wante the thinge [Page 13] which is chiefest in trew wisedome: that is to witte, the féelinge of the conscience. For what maner of wisedome, what ma­ner of Reason, what maner of Iudgemēt is it, where the conscience is dulled? But whereof cometh all this, that they should so abhorre the principels of Christian Re­ligion? but that the Deuill hath altoge­ther so sotted them, that they are touched with no feare of Goddes iudgement, nor conscience of sinne? I said a little before, that there was none other way for vs to come to the wisedome of God, than by be­comminge fooles to the worlde. But of this humblenesse, like as of all the rest of our Religion, the foundation is consciēce and the feare of the Lorde: the whiche be­inge taken away, in vaine thou endeuo­rest to make vp the buildinge. Therfore, who so euer will easely vanquishe all the kindes of Offences by me mentioned, let him no more but enter déepely into him selfe. For assoone as he shall acknow­ledge his owne wretchednesse, the way as well for him vnto Christ, as for Christ vnto him, shal by and by be paued & made leuell. The voice of the Prophet crieth, [Page] prepare yée the waies of the Lorde. And what other thing is meant by preparyng of this way? but that men knowinge in how great distresse they were, should be­ginne to long after Christ, whome here­tofore they lothed standynge in theyr owne conceite. By the same meanes also we prepare vs a way vnto Christ: yea ra­ther, that same godly longynge of ours, shalbe to vs in stéede of horses & shippes, to carie vs saufely ouer al letts. For like as to the atteininge of the higher sciēces, is requisite a fine & well furnished witte, so to this heauenly Philosophie, is requi­site a subdewed minde. For what taste can there be, where as is lothinge? what accesse can there be, where the hart is en­closed & locked vp with yronly hardnesse? In vayne therefore shalte thou talke of Christe, sauing vnto such as being vnfei­nedly humbled, doo féele how great néede thei haue of a redéemer, by whose benefite they may escape the destructiō of eternall death. As many therfore as will not wil­fully be deceiued and so perishe, let them learne to begin with this lesson, to know that thei haue to do with God, to whome [Page 14] they must ones giue an accompt: Let thē also set before their eies that iudgement seate whiche maketh euen the Angels to trēble. Let them thinke that the Deuil is harde at hande to accuse them. Let them herken to their owne conscience bearyng witnes against thē. Let them not harden their hartes against the prickes of sinne, & then there shalbe no daūger for them at all, of finding any thing to be ashamed at in the death of Christ, or to scare them frō him with the slaunder of his crosse, or fi­nally to withdraw them selues from him for any let. Of this thinge ye may behold a very goodly image in the womā of Sa­maria. Who as longe as Christ disputed with her of the misticall drawinge of the water of life, was pleasantly disposed to prattle with him & to ouerthwart him, & was pretely bold to dally & iest with him: but assoone as he had ones touched her cō ­sciēce, by casting her in the téeth with her whoredome, by & by forgetting her merie conceites, she reuerently acknowledged him for a Prophete, whom newly before, she sticked not to disquiet with her taūts. Therfore whosoeuer is offēded by Christ, [Page] for ioyninge his Godhead in one persone with the Manhood, or whosoeuer thin­keth it an absurde thinge, to séeke lyfe at him that was dead, and to call the cursed Crosse the wellspringe of all grace and saluation, lette vs assure our selues, that they are therefore offended, bicause that beynge vtterly voide of the feare of God, they haue no taste at all of the spirituall doctrine. Wherefore let not their asto­nishment be a stumblinge blocke to vs, but rather let vs be carried from the hu­maine nature of Christe, to the glorie of his Godhead, whiche maye turne all cu­rious questions into admiration: let vs de directed from the death of Christe, to his glorious Resurrection, whiche may wipe away all the slaunder of his Crosse: lette vs passe from the weakenesse of the fleshe to the poure of the Spirite, whiche may swallow vp all foolishe thoughtes. Sure it is that Paule was endewed with suche an vnderstandinge, when he saide thus: I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christe, for it is the poure of God to the saluation of them that beléeue. For by these woordes he meaneth that none are [Page 15] ashamed of the Gospell, but suche as take not holde of y^e healthfull power thereof: moreouer he declareth by and by after, that it cannot otherwise be taken holde of, than when the wrath of God is made manifest to our destruction. Who can now maruell, that meate hath no fauour with them, that haue no taste? For who so euer is so astonied, y^e he sléepeth soundly beyng touched with no reuelation of the wrath of God, he differeth nothing in the acknowledginge of Christe, from such as in discerning of sauours, haue their taste taken from them. As for suche men, we are not wonte to passe so muche of them, that any of vs would therefore lothe our meate, bicause they refuse it. But this kinde of Offence, which riseth likewise out of the doctrine, is more violent and more common: bicause that whereas of Nature we like well of our selues, and woulde haue all our owne thinges to be had in high estimacion: we finde nothing left vnto vs there, sauyng vtter pouertie of all good thinges. For there al the wise­dome of men is condemned of follie, and their rightuousnesse & vertue is brought [Page] to a thing of naught. Now this thing see­meth so intollerable to our proude fleshe, that for very spight they gnashe their téeth, as many as haue not learned to de­nie thē selues. For men are euer desirous to kéepe somewhat of their owne: & albeit that in some behalf, thei giue place to God against their willes, yet they can by no meanes abide, that al should be taken frō thē at ones. At the beginning they séeme very wise: they are puffed vp with trust in their owne power: & they like well of their owne rightuousnesse. Afterwarde beinge admonished by God: & partly also conuicted by experience, they finde that their wisedome stackereth, and that their power and rightuousnesse halteth. And yet they cannot by any meanes be per­swaded to beléeue, that they are vtterly destitute of al wisedome & rightuousnes. And what other thinge is this, than as it were by composition to parte stake with God? Now the Gospell pronounceth that light whiche we imagine our selues to haue, to be vtter darknesse: and it in such sorte leaueth vnto vs no droppe at all of rightuousnes, that is pronoūceth it to be stinkinge filthinesse before God, what so [Page 16] euer we bringe of our selues. Hereat the worldly wisemen begin to chause, & the hipocrites become madde. And this was the chiefe cause, why at the beginning of Christes kingdome, all the sectes of the Philosophers, together w^t al the politicke gouernours, did set thēselues so earnestly against the Gospell. For they might not endure to haue their owne wisedome de­faced, which thei thēselues honored as an Idoll, & for the which thei knew thēselues to be had in great reputacion. Wold God the auncient Doctors had made lesse cur­tesie to offende suche kinde of men. For while they studied to make medicines to asswage their maladie, thei left vnto vs a watrish and vnkindly péece of diuinitie. Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian, Basill, Chrysostome, and the reste of that order, would neuer haue spokē so of their owne frée motion: but whiles they sought a mi­tigation to appease y^e worldly wisemē, or to auoide their displeasure, thei confoun­ded heauen and earth togither. To bring mā altogither vnder foote, was a hatefull thing, & repugnant to common reason: & therfore they séeke a mitigation approch­yng nearer to the fleshly vnderstadinge: [Page] but in the meane time, the purenesse of the doctrine is prophaned. Nothing then had bene better, than to haue crushed the byle harde, to the intent iudgemēt might be giuen by the filthinesse of the matter. But nothinge is more euident, than that men haue alwayes bene stirred vp with outragious pryde, to make adoo agaynst the Gospell. The same cause also moued the Iewes to that beastly rage, where­with the Euangelistes, & specially Luke and Paule, doo witnes them to haue ben caried. For they stroue in defence of their rightuousenesse, whiche was nothinge els than smoke, and yet it séemed to them more precious than Christe. Both of thē ranne with might and mayne to assaulte the Gospell: but the Iewes ranne more furiously: whereby it might manifestly appere, that nothinge is more spightfull than the Hypocrites. Of this Offence Christ him selfe speaketh generally: whē he saieth, that the children of this world doo hate the light of the Gospell, least their euill woorkes should appere. For were the Gospell put awaye, then as though the light were cléerely quenched, [Page 17] the deceitful and transitorie wisedome of the fleash shineth in darkenesse, and reig­neth like a Prince: and counterfeite holi­nesse spreadeth her winges proudely eue­ry way about her. But assoone as Christe the onely Sonne of rightuousnesse, with the brightnesse of his Gospell sheweth him selfe, those thinges which heretofore occupied the chiefe roume of honour, doo not onely vanishe away, but are as little sette by as dunge. This verely is the grounde of all their griefe: This is that stumblinge blocke, whereof Paule spea­keth in another place, that goynge about to stablish their owne rightuousnes, they haue not bene subiect to the rightuous­nesse of God. Whiche thinge also we sée this day by experience. For ye shall see fewe that are puffed vp with the perswa­siō of their owne rightuousnesse, but they be obstinate enemies of the truth. As for the Hypocrites, they rage against it like madde dogges, euen to the death. And what other cause had Bunell to turne frō the Gospell, but that beyng a man borne to ostentation, and standinge to much in his owne conceite, he coulde ill abide to [Page] be made fellowlike with his inferiours? This one man I haue named for exam­ples sake, woulde God he had not many like vnto him. But what is there for vs to doo? Let vs suffer them to fall against the stumblynge stone, that the like may happen to them, that happened in times paste to the Iewes: whyle they ende­uour to stablishe their owne rightuous­nesse (saith S. Paule) they are exemp­ted from the rightuousnesse of God, and so it commeth to passe, that they perishe in their owne blindenesse. Lette vs, I saye, offer our selues emptie and naked vnto Christe willingely, to the entent he may fill vs with his goodnesse, and clothe vs with his glorie, & then shall this kinde of stumblynge blocke be abolished.

But I should take in hande as it were to lade out the Sea, if I woulde searche out and reherse in order, all causes of Offences, whiche wretched men make to them selues out of the doctrine of the Scripture, to their owne destruction. For they stumble, not onely throughe rashnesse when they méete with any dif­ficulte thinge, but they make their vaga­ries [Page 18] wilfully and of set purpose through all the rough places, as though they had none other pleasure, but to wearie their witte about crabbed questions. What so euer hath any likelihode of absurditie be it neuer so little, that gather they busilie and sifte it narrowly, least they shoulde séeme ouer light of credite. Also if there be any likelihoode of disagreement & con­trarietie, as there semeth to be in many places of Scripture, that catch they holde on gréedely, and heapinge together all suche maner of testimonies, they make a boastinge of their owne sharpe witte. This kinde of mē are troubled with a di­sease almost incurable. For wheras they are ashamed to be ignorant in any thing, yet may they find in their harts to learne nothinge. But forasmuche as with their braggyng they many times wounde the cōsciences of the simple, & suche as other­wise would be apte inough to be taught, it is néedefull to touche this parte of of­fendinge lightly in fewe woordes: not bicause they can be remoued with fewe woordes, against whome a longe volume would not fuffise. But first & formest we [Page] are all to be warned, that in readynge of Scriptures we kéepe that waye, whiche the spirite of God sheweth: whiche assu­redly shalbe plaine and leuell vnto suche as aspire to Christewarde. Secōdly that we couet not to be, or to séeme to be wit­tie, in writinge knottes of questions. Lastly, that we doo not by and by caste it vp, if we finde any thinge vnknowen or darke to vs. This is a vice woorthie no small rebuke, that the ignoraunce of ma­ny, makes them by and by to burste out into lothinge. But surely he giueth small reuerence vnto God, whiche denieth y^t to be his woorde, whatsoeuer his witte doth not reache vnto. For what else is this? than to measure Gods infinite wisedome by our small capacitie of vnderstanding, whiche were as muche as to measure the whole worlde with one fingar. But if we graunt the Scripture to haue procée­ded from God, lette vs not maruell that many things are cōteined therein, which are farre aboue our capacitie. Finally in Godlinesse, this is the meane & order of beyng wise: to striue to get right vnder­standinge through the obedience of faith.

[Page 19]Of the Offence that springeth of the sharpenesse & painefulnesse of the Crosse, and the seueritie of the doctrine, our Lord speaketh in the Parable, where he like­neth the Gospell vnto sowynge of corne. For, suche as fayle when persecution ap­procheth, he likeneth to the corne that sprange vp, but had no roote. And those in whome the doctrine is choked with cares of this worlde, he likened to corne growē vp amonge thornes, whiche hinder his fruitefulnesse and ripinge. These kindes of Offences doo somewhat differ: howbeit for auoiding tediousnes, I comprehende them both vnder one kinde. We heare Christe tell all his Disciples, that euery of thē must take vp his crosse. We heare him exhortinge them to abide all kinde of hatred, daungers, and reproches for his names sake: We heare him giue war­ninge, that it cannot otherwise come to passe, but that we shalbe hated of the vn­godly, and that afflictiōs muste follow vs continually in this world. We heare him declaryng, that all they are blissed, which suffer persecution for the truthes sake. This is the greatest stumblinge blocke [Page] that maye be to fleashe and bloud. For of nature, we feare the Crosse all of vs. And therefore many for this cause doo starte backe, who else woulde willing­ly embrace the Sonne of God, yf they coulde seuer him from the Crosse. But whereof commeth this Offence, but of our owne tendernesse? Christe com­maundeth vs to die with hym, that we mighte be partakers of his life: by ac­companiynge him in his Passions, he is minded to brynge vs to his glorie. It is no vnequall condition, if there were any equitie in vs. But many woulde fayne haue Christe, to bée a gloriouse Christe, buriynge the mention of his Crosse, whiche cannot be. And yet not contented therewith, they laie the faulte whiche is in them selues, vppon the pure Doctrine. So in times paste, the Ca­pernaites cried out that the sayinge of Christe was harde, when the hardenesse was in themselues and not in the say­inge: Doo we maruell if the Sonne of God woulde haue his Disciples hartie, and not meycockes and womanlike? Doo we maruell if he woulde haue his Ante­signes [Page 20] caried by them, and commaunde them to fighte vnder his banner? Nexte cousin vnto this disease, is that other whereof I haue spoken. For deniynge of the fleashe is so troublesome a thinge, that it feareth many from enteringe in­to Christes schoole, and thrusteth other­some quite out of doores, that were alrea­die entered. They will metely well en­dure to heare original sinne, and the com­mon vices of nature disputed vpon: Thet can well finde in their hartes, that the grace of God and the benefites of Christe should be set foorth with dewe prayse: but when it cōmeth to healing of euery seue­rall mās diseases, bicause the medicine is sharpe, they stubbornly refuse it: so ye may sée many, to whome the Gospel was pleasant at the firste taste, whiche thinke it tootoo bitter assoone as it hath pricked theyr cōsciences. Uerely, seing the woorde of God is a sharpe twoo edged swoorde, and seynge the properties thereof is, not onely to reproue and reprehende by outwarde meanes, but also to searche to the bottome of the harte, to perce tho­rowe all the marye, to discerne betwéene [Page] affections and thoughtes, and finally to sacrifice the whole man vnto God: these folke cannot abide to haue their woūdes touched: Some desire to haue libertie left them to steale: some to get by extortion: some to follow whoredome: and some to haunt riottynge and excesse. All couet to runne the race of their vanitie without checke. What wonder then is it, if they turne themselues from Christ? But some man will say, this is to shewe the cause of Offence, but not to take it away. I an­sweare, that the disease was first to be de­clared, to the entent that remedie might afterwarde be sought. The nicenesse of mennes mindes was to be corrected, ra­ther than clokinges thereof to be sought, whiche coulde nothinge further vs, and yet nourishe vice. But it is a high mat­ter. Who denies that? notwithstanding we must striue, and that not by our owne strength, but by the strength of Christe: who as he sendeth vs out to the battell, so also he furnisheth vs with armour and weapon to winne victorie. O, if we vn­derstood what auaileth this saying: Bles­sed are they that suffer persecution for [Page 21] rightuousnesse sake: how easie were it for vs to winde our selues, not onely out of this Offence, but also of all other, what­soeuer the worlde and the fleshe séeke to enforce vpon vs. Persecution is so trou­blesome to thée, that thou startest from Christe. And why? Forsooth bicause thou knowest not what Christe maye auaile thée. The care of this present worlde car­rieth thée away: and that is bicause thou hast no taste of the worlde to come. Co­uetousnesse burneth thée: verely bicause thou knowest not yet, which are the true riches. Thou arte drowned with ambi­tion: bicause vndoubtedly thou knowest not to glorie in the Lorde. Gluttonie, fleashly luste, pompe, or other vaine de­lightes entice thée to forget thy God: and that cometh to passe, bicause as yet thou art ignorant of that swéetenesse, whiche the Prophete testifieth to be layed vp for them that feare God. Finally, it is no maruell though there be fewe true Chri­stians to be founde, bicause there are few that haue learned that Christe is so much woorthe, that all thinges els are to be counted as dunge. But another place [Page] will serue better for exhortations. Here I muste so intreate of Offences, that it maye appeare to whome they ought of righte to be imputed. But why doo I make such a disputinge of euery mannes priuate miseries, seynge the state of the vniuersall Churche dothe containe in it farre greater occasion of Offence? First, it neuer shineth with suche outwarde beautie, that the senses of men may dis­cerne therein the kingdome of God. Se­condely, if it happen at any time to grow to some meane state, by and by it is either oppressed with the violence of Tyrantes, or it decayeth of the owne accorde: so that it continueth but a very small time. Her­upon it commeth to passe, that in all ages proude men did either despise, or slaunde­rously misreporte the true Religion. We sée howe arrogantly Cicero taunteth the lawe of God, bicause the Iewes had so ill successe. By this one man ye may giue iudgement at all. And to the intent I digresse not to farre, what is the cause that many at this day abhorre the sincere profession of the Gospell? but that they sée vs to be fewe in number, and of small au­thoritie, [Page 22] and of no power at all: wher­as they wonder to sée all thinges con­trarie on the behalfe of our aduersaries. And surely as the worlde goeth nowe a daies, it is no maruell though the state of the Churche beynge so misordred as it is, doo feare them awaye: and that the gloriousnesse that shyneth in our ad­uersaries doo dazle theyr eyes. But none other doo stumble at this Stone, neyther doothe this stumblynge blocke kéepe any backe, sauing suche as acknow­ledge not the kingedome of Christe to be Spirituall. For suche vnto whome neyther the stable wherein Christe was borne, nor the Crosse whereon he hunge, is a lette to woorshippe him as their Kinge: they shall neuer despise the low­ly state of his Churche. All menne con­fesse in woorde, and of necessitie muste confesse, that it is moste agreable to rea­son, that in the forme of the Churche, as it were in a Glasse, shoulde appeare the liuelie Image of Christe. And when Paule reasoneth of the simili­tude of the head and the members in the sufferance of the Crosse, all men agrée [Page] therto. When he saieth we muste all die with Christe, that we may be partakers of his life, no man speaketh against him. When all the whole Scripture compa­reth this present life to a warrefare, and teacheth that it is full of diuers sortes of conflictes, they consente that all this is trewe and right: and therefore the name of the Militant Churche is so commonly knowen, that ye shall heare it euen in childrens mouthes. But assoone as it cō ­meth to the pith of the matter, as though thei had forgotten all thinges, thei shūne the image of Christe, as it were some monster that they neuer hearde of. How­beit, if their longyng should be graunted them, that the Churche shoulde by all meanes enioye prosperitie, that it should florish in welth and power, that it should haue continuall peace, and finally that it should wante nothinge that might make the state thereof most fortunate and hap­pie, should it not appéere to be an earthly kingedome? And then the Spirituall kingedome of Christe were to be sought for els where. Or rather the Churche should be vtterly separated frō the head. [Page 23] But let vs remember, that the outwarde shewe of the Churche is fo contemptible, to the intent her beautie should shine in­wardely: & that it wauereth so on earth, to the entent it shoulde haue a stedfaste seate in Heauen: and that it lieth so torne and ruinouse before the world, to the en­tent it shoulde stande sounde and florishe before God and his Angels: and that it is so miserable in the fleshe, to the entent it should the rather haue her felicitie layed vp in the spirit. In this wise when Christ laye despised in the Oxestall, the Angels songe his excellencie in the cloudes: the Starre in Heauen bare witnesse of his glory: the wisemen perceiued his power in a countrey farre of. When he hungred in the desert, when he stroue against the illusions of the Deuill, when he sweate droppes of bloud, the Angels agayne did minister vnto him: when he was nowe readie to be bounde, he compelled his e­nemies to fall backewarde with the only woorde of his mouthe. When he hunge vppon the Crosse, the Sunne by loosinge his lighte, shewed openly that he was Kinge of the worlde. The sepulchers ope­ninge, [Page] confessed him to be Lorde of life and death. Nowe if we sée Christe throughe the despightes of the wicked, proudely dealte with all in his bodie, op­pressed with cruell Tyrannie, made a laughynge stocke, drawen violently hi­ther and thither, none of these thinges as vnaccustomed ought to abashe vs: but rather we ought to call to minde, that the Churche was ordeined for this purpose, that it should continually goe a warfare vnder the Crosse, as longe as it wande­reth in this worlde.

But if we were handsome and indif­ferente interpreters of the woorkes of God, the thinge whereat we take occa­sion to be offended, shoulde be the beste comfort for vs that coulde be. For wher­as the state of the Churche is for the most parte miserable, and alwayes vnstable, or rather for asmuche as it is continually tossed with diuers stormes as it were in a roughe sea: firste the Lorde giueth an euident token of his wonderfull proui­dence: and secondely it is a profitable and as muche necessarie exercise, for the triall of our faithe and patience. If the [Page 24] Churche were so founded, and altogi­ther fortified, that it might staye vppon the owne power, it shoulde differ no­thinge from an earthly kingedome: nei­ther would any man doubte that it were gouerned by mans pollicie, if it had stoode all at one ordinarie stay vnto this daye. But whē we sée that through (as it were) innumerable deathes, it hath neuerthe­lesse continued aliue so many hundred yéeres, it can none otherwise be, but we muste néedes gather, that it was preser­ued by the power of God. This greate power of God, other circumstances doo make more manifeste: in that when it was assaulted on all sides with deadly daūgers, wherwith oftentimes it might haue bene ouerwhelmed, maugre wel­néere the whole worlde whiche wrought the worste it coulde againste it, it al­waies scaped as it had béene from ship­wrecke. I say nothinge herein whiche any manne may not easely acknowledge in him selfe, who so euer will sette be­fore his eyes the Histories of all times. This is an olde cōplainte of the Church, that it hath béene assaulted oftentimes [Page] from her youth vp, and hath had the vn­godly her vtter enemies: that they haue ploughed vppon her backe, and drawen longe furrowes vpon her. By this voice, the spirit of God would rayse vp the god­ly sorte, that lie gronynge vnder moste greuous miseries, to the entent that rū ­ninge through all degrées of ages from the beginnyng of the worlde, thei should know that the Churche hath alwayes o­uercome by sufferance. Heruppon ought we to set our mindes continually: to the entēt that if at any time the present state of our time doo trouble vs, the remem­braunce of those thinges whiche our fa­thers haue suffered in time past, may re­freshe vs. And therefore it shalbe expedi­ent, to haue a description of all times ga­thered togither, to the entent that euery one of vs may from thence set before our eyes, examples méete to asswage our mi­series, as often as the race and néede shall require.

Howbeit ere I procéede any further, it is néedefull to note wherupon so many and so sundrie chaunges whereby the Church of God is oftentimes turned and [Page 25] as it were whéeled about, doo arise. The knowledge of this thinge is not to be fetched from farre & obscure coniectures, seinge the continuall starting of men frō God, hath broken the course of his grace, whiche otherwise had bene continuall: whiche thing ye may vnderstande almost from the beginnyng of the world. When Moyses speaketh of Seth and his sonne Enos, it is there recited that at the same time, the name of God was begonne to be called vpon. Whereby we vnderstāde, that the true worshipping of God, (which in the cursed ofspringe of Cain was in maner vtterly decayed) was restored a­new againe, that it might thriue & florish in the world. Scarce eight generations passed, when all the posteritie of them whom God had segregated to himself for his owne children, had throwen them­selues in such wise into all kinde of wic­kednesse, that with themselues they de­stroyed by floud of water, all the whole world defiled with their abhominations. At such time as the Church was brought to eight persones, it séemed then at least­wise so purged, that y^e little séede whiche [Page] remayned, should of it selfe bringe foorth nothinge but pure holinesse. And yet anon after, it diminished almoste by the fourthe parte. The posteritie of Iaphet also, within a while after fléeted awaye. There remained no more but the house­holde of Sem, the whiche it selfe ere it was any longe time, grewe out of kinde also: so that God did worthely exclude frō him a greate parte of it. When the Of­springe of Abraham, beynge by wonder­ful power brought out of Egipt, had pas­sed the redde Sea, and was goynge to­warde the lande of Promisse, who would not of luckie beginninges haue iudged that there shoulde haue ensewed a conti­nuance of a happie state? Notwithstan­dinge, euen the very same, in whose de­liuerance God had shewed so manifest a proufe of his power, made no ende of sin­ninge, vntill suche time as by horrible meanes, they were all destroyed in the wildernesse. At length the children of them toke possession of the said lande: but yet suche a possession, as wel néere in sixe hundred yéeres after, had no stabilitie, bicause they themselues throughe their [Page 26] owne falsenesse and vncōstancie, did eft­soones trouble it. Neuerthelesse the Lord did diuers times restore them to a tolle­rable order. All the which notwithstan­dinge, neither the remembrance of their first deliuerance, nor the rodde that was laide vpon them, so oftentimes to chasten them, nor the present féelinge of punish­ments, nor the often pardoning of them, could kéepe them in awe, but that by sha­kinge of the yoke of God, they procured newe mischiefes to themselues. Moyses had tolde them before how it would come to passe, that when they were fatte and well fedde, they would kicke againe: but the thing in déede was farre woorse, what doth the storie of the Iudges reherse, but continuall backeslidinges? Wherefore if any be offended at the sundry shakinges, wherunto they sée the Churche subiect in this worlde, let them caste their eyes vp­pon that Glasse, and they shall leaue wō ­deringe to sée them haue vncertayne abi­dynge vppon Earthe, who with so great vnconstantnesse of faithe doo wauer be­fore God. After that the Kingedome of Dauid was erected, there séemed a more [Page] certaine & grounded kinde of a state like to continewe, to haue bene stablished. But that lamētable slaughter of the Pe­stilence, which by the space of thrée daies after a monstruous maner raged in the worlde, abated greatly that felicitie. By and by after the death of Salomon, the bodie of the Realme was deuided, and the torne members ceased not afterward to byte one another. And moreouer both Kingdomes were miserably turmoyled by forraine warres. Shall we say their destenie drane them thereunto? Nay ra­ther they thēselues through their sinnes enforced and hastened the vengeance of God. For euen wherein they séemed most innocent, namely whyle Dauid go­eth through with numberynge of them, bicause it was the peculiar faulte of one man: yet the holy Historie saieth plainely that God was wrothe with them all. At length followed that greate conuer­sion little differinge from vtter destruc­tion, when all the whole Nation was led captiue to Babilon. But surely if their owne desperate stubbornnesse had not driuen them hedlonges, they had ne­uer [Page 27] come to this point of miserie. Their returne after thréescore and tenne yeres, was vnto them another birthe. Not­withstandinge, as soone as they were re­turned home, streight waies forgettinge so greate a benefite, they degenerate a­gaine into sundrie kindes of naughtines. Some defiled themselues with Heathen mariages: some (to vnworthely to speake of) defrauded God of his tēthes and first fruites. Other some settinge light, and neglectyng the buildinge of the Temple, were wholy occupied in makinge gaye houses, & bestowed excessiue costes there­about. This was too to foule an vnthank­fulnesse, and suche a one as euery man must confesse ought not to scape vnpuni­shed. And therfore, that they enioyed not tranquillitie and prosperous fortune any longe time togither, they themselues are in the faulte. Nowe since the time that Christe the author of peace and of all good thinges shewed himselfe to the worlde, men might assuredly haue felte how cer­taine and well fownded the felicitie of his eternall Kingedome is, if they would haue suffred him to reste amonge them. [Page] But the worlde was neuer shaken with more cruell tēpestes of warre, nor neuer drowned in so manifold & déepe a sinke of euils. The cause wherof is not hidden in such darkenesse, but that by searchyng it may easely be foūde out. At the time that Christe was borne, there was peace and singular quietnesse euerywhere. Fortie yeres after, or theraboutes, his Gospell was spred through diuers coastes of the worlde. After it was published farre and néere, sodainly as though fortune had chaunged her copie, thinges beganne to be on a turmoile euerywhere. And wher­of came so sodeine alteratiō, but that God for the contempt and refusall of his Go­spell, how muche the sooner, so muche also the more manifestly, reuenged so great vnthankefulnesse. Therefore, when lewde men charged the name of Christe with whatsoeuer euill happened in those daies, it was an easie matter for the god­ly teachers of the Churche, to disproue their so tryflinge slaunders. And why not? For when Kinges and their peo­ple had despised the peace whiche God offred them, was it not righte and rea­son, [Page 28] that they shoulde be sette together by the eares, that one of them mighte wounde another to the death? And what can continewe in order amonge them, who refuse to submitte themselues to God? I speake not onely of the open ene­mies, which haue wilfully striued against the wholesome doctrine of Godlinesse, but also of them that haue professed them selues Christians, howe coldly and dis­dainefully many of them, and with how false dissimulation othersome haue kissed Christe. Suche as are offended at the ex­amples of Gods seueritie in this behalfe, woulde be as readie to finde faulte with him, if he shoulde holde his hande. But onlesse it grieue vs to open our eies, to whomesoeuer God at any time manife­sted himselfe, we shall sée that they onely were the let that their own felicitie was not placed in saulftie to endure a longe time and of great continuance: and that they became miserable through no other meanes, saue their owne faulte. We knowe that Ierusalem was the Foun­taine from whence Saluation flowed in­to the vttermoste boundes of the Earth. [Page] All the sayinges of the Prophetes had promised to it full instrauration at the co­minge of Christe. Neuerthelesse it fell out farre otherwise. For whereas it re­tained scarce a thinne shadow of the aun­cient woorthinesse, it not onely within a while after loste that that remained, but was vtterly caste downe also and made a waste wildernesse. What is the reason that no man trauelleth in séekinge the cause of so monstruous a ruine, but that the desperate wickednesse of that nation, dothe openly crie out that the same was the cause thereof? Rome was neuer pla­gued with so many cruel slaughters in so shorte a time, as it hath bene since the Gospell came thither. Howe came it to passe that the kingedome of Christe could haue no stedfaste continuaunce in that Citie, wherein the lawlesse luste of the commonaltie had borne swinge so longe time? wherein wicked parttakinges had reigned? and at length also intollerable Tirantes had borne authoritie? Undoub­tedly bicause that when God brought the Medicine of his Gospel thither, as the vt­termost remedie against so many deadly [Page 29] diseases, they like persones y^t had sworne their owne destruction, prowdely reiec­tinge it, ceased not to fall from woorse to woorse. The very selfe same thinge, we may marke in this our age. Within these fewe yeres when the Churche beynge as it were new borne againe, had had a glo­rious beginninge, we sawe it soone after slide downe and carried backe againe. Howbeit before the Lorde laide this pu­nishment vppon vs, we saw the Gospell diuers and sundry waies euerywhere fil­thely abused: in so muche that the sodaine turninge vp of thinges that happened, is not so greately to be wondered at, as Gods longe sufferance in bearinge with the prodigious wickednesse of our time. Amonge so many thousande men as to outward appearance had very gladly de­nied the Pope, and professed themselues Gospellers: how fewe I beseche you, fell to amendement of their vices? Nay ra­ther what did the greater part pretende, but that when the yoke of superstition was shaken of, they might more licenti­ously giue themselues to all carnall liber­tie? Albeit therefore that they confessed [Page] the doctrine of the Gospell to be trew, yet where was there one amonge a number, that submitted his necke vnder the awe thereof? Was not this as muche in ef­fecte, as to treade vnder foote the inesti­mable treasure of our Saluation? And surely the sharpnesse of the punishement that ensued so wicked a contempt, ought rather to put vs in remembraunce of the preciousnesse thereof, than to engendre in our mindes absurde opinions of the casuall afflictions of the Churche. But rather it is to be wondered at, conside­rynge our so great vnthankfulnesse, that any parte of the woorke remaineth which God hath begonne.

Now wil I returne to my purpose, frō whence I haue by little and little made digression: That God is hereby better knowen to be the kéeper of this Churche, bicause it hath alwayes bene miserably vexed, than if it had florished amonge the greatest commodities, in peaceable ioye and tranquillitie. At suche time as the name of God was begonne to be called vppon in the householde of Seth, (as Moyses declareth) no doubte but the Of­springe [Page 30] of Cain, like as they were mo in number and bolder in al mischiefe, so also they vaunted themselues ouer proudely against them, beinge both few and giuen to méekenesse. How then could the Lābes haue any while continued saulfe amonge the Woulues, if they had not bene shiel­ded with the helpinge hande of God? Af­terwarde also, continually from time to time, as the wicked sort grew in malice, so grew they in power & abilitie to hurte: shall we say they stoode by mans power & policie, who liued like persons ouerwhel­med amōge so many outragious beastes? Onlesse peraduenture any man will sur­mise, that the Giantes were of modestie restrained frō doinge harme to the godly that were in their daunger, of whome they knewe themselues abhorred, as an adulterous ofspring. At length remained but one man with a smal household, who beyng cōmaunded by the Lorde to builde the Arke, by the space of a hundred and twētie yeres together, prouoked against himselfe the ragynge madnesse of them, that were altogether out of their wittes against God. For in séekyng a new kinde [Page] of Sanctuarie to saue his owne life, he threatened destructiō openly to them all. How often (may we thinke) that he, be­ynge prouoked with their raylinge and lewde behauiour, did earnestly stande in contention with them on the behalfe of Goddes rightuousnesse? nowe in suche a number of cruell enemies, muste he not haue stande to the hazarde of as many deathes, onlesse he had bene deliuered by the hande of God? Recken hereunto that if he had not bene sustained by the power of God, he had of himselfe a thousande times euery yéere come to nothinge. Afterwarde ensueth a greater and more heauenly miracle in the Arke, that being depriued of skie and ayre, he founde lyfe no where but as it were in the graue: he had not where to draw the breath of life, but where it was vnlike but he should be stifled to death: and finally that he coulde not otherwise abide in the worlde aliue, except he departed out of the worlde. When God had after a sort renewed the worlde, nowe putting vp the head out of the floud, there followed within a while after a greater and more noysome floud [Page 31] of vngodlinesse, which ouerwhelmed all Nations. Neither was this of tenne mo­nethes: but raginge a longe continuance of yeres, it gathered such strength, that the very household of Sem the holy trea­surehouse of God, had like to haue béene swallowed vp, but that Melchisedecke with a fewe other retayninge the pure worshippynge of God, stoode vprighte and not disceaued amonge innumerable waues: whiche was the onely waye for him to swimme to lande. God to the entent to saue Abraham, was fayne to leade him out of the déepe whorlepoole of Idolatrie. Moreouer beinge brought into the lande whiche was appointed for his inheritance, he so wandred in it, that one whyle he was driuen to make cōten­tion for water, and another while he was faine to remoue otherwhere for the fa­mine. In the Courtes of two Kinges, he could finde none other shift to auoide the daunger of death, than by settinge as it were to the spoile, his owne wife more deare to him than his life. The same, and also more sharpe troubles, did his Sonne and his Sonnes Sonne endure daylye [Page] amonge cruell and sauage people, as it were among wilde beastes, not without perill of their liues. Certainely he muste be woorse than starke blinde, that dothe not plainly beholde the hande of God, in the defence of their welfare. And it is not without cause, that Dauid giueth a sin­gular commēdation to this ayde of God, whereby they were in faulfgarde: when he saithe, that Kinges were forbidden to hurte the Lordes anoynted, or to trouble his Prophetes. They were few in nūber: they were aliantes and vnknowen men: they wandred like Pilgrimes from place to place, they were enuironed rounde a­boute with falseharted and outrageous people: they had no moment of time frée from some newe kinde of daunger. I confesse this was a disdeinfull sight for prowde men, and almoste shamefull to. How be it as I saide before, In this dis­dainefulnesse as it had bene in a Glasse, did better appeare Goddes extraordina­rie defendinge his Churche. Yea rather it is more euidently to be séene, that the Churche hath not béene saued out of one floudde onely, but that it hath also ne­uerthelesse [Page 32] continued many ages, floting from time to time in continuall waues of euilles.

Anon after followed the bondage in Egipt, whiche had smally differed from an vniuersall shipwrecke, but that God put too his helpinge hande in time. I will omitte the reproche & ouer grieuous burdens that were layed vppon them, in that they were kepte like slaues to moste vile and filthie woorkes: and that they were oppressed with suche excessiue mise­ries, that they had muche adoo to take breathe. But when Pharao had cōmaun­ded all y^t issue male to be vtterly destroy­ed, who would not haue saide that y^e mat­ter lay a bléeding? The Midwiues lied, to the entēt they would not become furthe­rers of the kinges crueltie. Finally Moy­ses himself who afterwarde should be the deliuerer of y^e people, was put in a wicker basket, and cast at the banke of the riuer. The welfare of the whole Nation lay in despayre, and the very name of them sée­med to be vtterly blotted out. Howe wonderfull then shall we iudge this mi­racle of God, that they which might haue [Page] bene tenne times consumed, doo not only remaine saulfe, but also doo accomplishe those incredible procéedings wherof Moi­ses maketh report. But here the lewdnes of man sheweth it selfe to malicious, in regardinge the woorkes of God. For if they heare of any thing greater than thei can conceiue, done by God for the helpe of his Churche, they reiect it as a Fable. What so euer is common and otherwise customable, they despise it, affirminge it either to haue happened by chaunce, or at leastwise to haue bene brought to passe by mans power and pollicie. If the state of the Churche be lesse prosperous & ioy­full than they looke for, by & by they take occasiō thereat to be offended. And ther­fore bicause Moyses reporteth that the gréeuous and slauish worke of brickema­kinge was laide vpō the wretched Iewes as it had bene vppon brute beastes: that their issue male was from the mothers wombe deliuered, cruelly called for to be slaine to death: that thei fledde priuely a­way by [...] out of order with Iewels that they had borrowed, like a sorte of rascalles: all this séemeth vnto many an [Page 33] vncomely thyng and against the honour of the Churche. Yea wheras he reporteth Iacob and his householde to haue bene courteously entertained of Pharao, and that he was gently vsed, and placed in the best pasture countrie, they impute it wholy to good fortune, whereas the same one householde is saide to haue growen to a greate people ere it was any longe time after: whereas the same Moyses de­clareth, that so many Miracles were wrought by God, for the deliuerance of the outcaste and forlorne Israelites: bi­cause it was more than coulde be beleued they scoffe at it as a feigned thinge. To the entent therefore we may bringe pure mindes to the consideringe of Goddes woorkes, we muste firste purge them of this leudnesse borne and bredde in them of Nature.

Least I may séeme to frame an histo­rie, (which is no parte of my present pur­pose) it suffiseth me lightly, & as it were by the way to touch the exāples of Gods prouidence in preseruinge his Churche, whiche are woorthie to be decked and set out with glorious enditinge. Albeit (to [Page] saye the trueth) the order of this woorke, suffereth me not to touche the tenthe parte of them, neyther is it a matter so greatly requisite: so be it that the Rea­ders maye by these fewe knowe this one thinge whiche I intende: namely that howe muche the Churche was more op­pressed vnder the Crosse, so muche the more notable was the power of God in liftinge it vp. From the first enteringe of the people into the lande of Chanaan, their owne vnbeliefe was the onely let why they possessed it not frée from ene­mies and in quietnesse. Afterwarde it was assaulted with continuall inuasions of enemies. Furthermore, when their power was decayed and brought vnder foote, it laye open to the spoyle and to be wasted. Moreouer it oftentimes chaun­ged maisters, whiche neuerthelesse con­spired all in one, who might make moste hauocke of it. In so muche that it maye be a wonder how in so many and so cruel destructions hanginge ouer it, it remai­ned vndestroyed. Surely after the Arke of the Lorde was taken, there was not an inche bredth betwene it and vtter de­spayre: [Page 34] it was scorged with an excéedyng greate slaughter: almoste all the flowre of their manhood perished: beynge scatte­red and dispersed, they minded nothinge in the worlde but weepinge and lamen­tinge. Howbeit, while, for the grieuous­nesse of their euilles, they sought not any remedie, firste was giuen them a little breathinge time: afterwarde vpon the sodaine beyonde all hope or expecta­tion, helpe shone vppon them from Hea­uen. At suche time as Saule was slaine, the like destructiō hōge ouer their heads, when Dauid in the twinclinge of an eye restored thinges decayed. If continuall successe of peace and prosperitie had fol­lowed them, the rare felicitie of that people mighte haue bene sette out with greater commendations, but so many helpes which God wonderfully sent thē, coulde not so well haue bene knowen. Afterward when tenne Tribes had rent themselues from the bodie, such a breake, specially amonge many enemies lyinge continually in the winde, to hurte them whensoeuer occasion serued, séemed to threaten present destruction. Anon after [Page] the Israelites degenerated into straūge customes, and for the same cause they were after a sorte banished frō the house­holde of God: as for the remnant whiche is counted the Churche of God, no man woulde thinke it shoulde stande longe. And surely that people was oftentimes brought to such an afterdeale, that beyng paste all hope of recouerie, it stoode in a maze lookinge for vtter destruction. In the time of Achaz when twoo moste pui­sant Kinges assayled euen Hierusalem it selfe, all the Countrie was turmoyled, as it had bene burninge with twoo fires at ones. Achaz beynge beside himselfe for feare, was like enough to haue bene confounded at the first assault of his ene­mies. But sodeinly without mans helpe that greate fire was quenched and the smoke alayed. Did not (thinke you) the glory of God shew it selfe with full blaze in this deliuerance? At what time Sea­nacherih had inuaded the kingdome de­stitute of defence, he furiously set vppon the fearfull Citie, nothinge furnished to make resistence: Ezechias the Kinge was in maner like a prysoner, there was no [Page 35] way to escape out, there was no helpe within, there was no succour to come frō els where: now, while the enemie vaun­tinge himselfe ouer arrogantly is drawē another way, dothe not this so sodeine alteration contrary to all hope, shewe that it is true whiche was spoken before by the Prophet Esay? that God had in a readinesse a waye eyther to tame that cruell beast, or to holde him shorte? But wheras anon after puffed vp with a new victorie he returneth againe, the Lorde shewed another manner of proufe than this of his grace and power in raysinge the siege. For he calleth him not from thence by men, either withstandeth his assaultes, and cutteth of his attemptes in the middes by ordinarie meanes: But with suche a slaughter as neuer was hearde of by the hande of an Angell, ta­kinge his army from him in one night, he driueth him naked & despoyled by shame­full flight farre out of Iewrie, whiche he helde with a great Hoste like a conque­rour. Assuredly this one déede is a suffi­cient example, that nothyng sometime is more expedient, than that the Churche [Page] should be pinched with vtter distresse, y^t it may learne to thanke the wonderfull power of God for her saulfe deliuerance. And double vnthankfull were we, if we put a veyle wilfully before our faces, to blemish the sight of Gods fauour toward his Church, whē as God himselfe setteth a cléere mirrour thereof before our eyes.

Now there cannot almost any defor­mitie of the Churche be fained so vgly to the sight of the worlde, as the banishmēt of Babilon. The cruell sackynge of all thinges, the foule destroying & wastinge of the Countrey, the castinge downe and defacinge of the Citie by fire and furie of the enemie, the horrible ouerthrow of the Temple, the vnwoorthie spoylinge of the holy furniture thereof, how great liber­tie of vauntinge might they giue to the enemies? And the thinges that I haue now reckened, doo shewe how arrogant­ly the Chaldies behaued themselues. By all likelihoode the worshippinge of God was euerywhere rayled and scoffed at in al mens mouthes. Howbeit these things were but as certaine preparatiues. The people beynge ledde to Babilon, was [Page 36] like a dead carkesse as it were laide into the graue: sauinge that this difference there was, that the torne members were scattered asunder, leaste they shoulde growe together agayne. There was no house of God any more, there was no Sanctuarie, no inklinge of Goddes ser­uice, no solemne assemblies, no nor so muche as the name of a Churche. And to the entent there shoulde wante no spight that might be deuised, the holy vesselles were set out for a show in their proude and vnpure feastes. Yea and the crueltie was so outragious, that it be­came treason to call vppon God. But this so excessiue heapinge togither of all mischiefes, maketh the power of God to appéere more manifest in restoringe the welfare of his people. First of all, in that Daniell and his felowes were from bon­dage aduaunced to such preheminēce, as hath seldome bene séene, to the entēt they might somewhat relieue their miserable oppressed brethren: It is by this example apparant, y^t the Church euen when it sée­meth vtterly abandoned, is neuerthelesse cared for of God. In y^t the thrée holy men [Page] whiche were cast into the fornace, scaped saulfe and sounde againe out, there ap­peared a token very woorthie to be had in remembraunce, of the deliuerance of the people, which shortly after should ensue. As for the returninge it selfe of the peo­ple, it was no lesse to be wondered at, than a certaine rising agayne from death whiche had neuer bene hearde of: so that the faithfull might iustely boaste in the Psalme, how they were at that time like men in a dreame. Nowe, in that saulfe-conduct is giuen by the Kinge, that the Temple is builded againe at the Kinges coste, that men were forbidden to doo the Iewes wronge by proclamacions vnder greuous penalties, we may be ashamed not to acknowledge God the authour of these thinges, seinge they were miracles to so many vnbeleuers. It is not to be saide how much the consideration hereof may auaile to the furtherance & encrease of our Faith. Wherby is conuinced the vnthankefulnesse of them, that in so well ordered a Theatre of the glorie of God, doo make to thēselues a stumblingblocke to pitch vpon. Moreouer at their returne [Page 37] into their countrie, sodainely they were increased by wonderfull meanes, as wel in number of menne as also in Riches. This also is no obscure miracle of Gods power, specially forasmuch as their ene­mies gaue them no respite to recouer. For we knowe they were beséeged with so many enemylike hostes, as there were nations borderinge rounde about them. But to the entent that vnder the Crosse the extraordinarie defence of God might shine the brighter, within a while after they were so troden vnderfoote and for­worne with continuall mischieues one in anothers necke, that their vtter de­struction was apparant. Under the Em­pyre of the Persians, albeit y^t their state was tollerable, yet notwithstandinge like shéepe appoynted to the slaughter, they were now and then at the pointe to goe to the shambles. Least Alexander should powre out his outrageous wrath vppon them, he was restrayned by war­ninge from Heauen. But when he was dead, & the Kinges of Syrie and Egipte, like sauage beastes burnyng in madnesse tare one another a péeces, and that there [Page] was no end of their outrage and crueltie one against another, who woulde haue hoped y^t a nation lying in the middes be­twene them, & set open to the lust of them both, should haue continued longe? And surely it coulde not haue stande, beynge brought vnderfoote with so many and so great mischaūces, onlesse it had had God to kéepe it, & had bene stayed vp with his hand. At length vnder the cursed tirānie of Antiochus, beyng as it were drowned into a déepe whorlepoole, it had not so much as a sparcle more of lighte in al the whole world. All y^e countrey swimmed in innocent bloud: Hierusalē was couered w^t horrible heapes of Carkesses, as it had bene with pauement: In the temple was placed an abhominable Idoll: The ordi­nāces of God beyng abolished, y^e Heathe­nish & vnkindely ceremonies & customes of the Gētiles vsurped the Soueraintie: al the holy bookes were throwen into the fire, to y^e intent y^t the truth of God should vtterly passe out of the remembraunce of men. Who durste ones open his lippes? Nay, whosoeuer did but sigh for sorrow, and not rather defile himself with traite­rous [Page 38] dissimulation, he was foorthwith drawē to the Butcherie. The Machabies with a handfull y^t they had gathered to­gether of themselues, lurked in caues of moūtaines, wanderyng in penury amōg the wilde beastes. Notwithstandyng, in y^t in so great an afterdeale, there remay­ned yet a remnant of godly men whiche should afterwarde come abroade againe, who can say but that thei were preserued by the wonderfull prouidence of God. In that the bookes of Moyses & the Prophets escaped vnhurte out of those flames, who can impute it to mans kéepinge? Finally the Historie of those times dothe muche more certainely testifie vnto vs the pro­uidēce of God in defendinge his Church, than if he had gloriously & stoutely triū ­phed ouer all people in the world. Other turmoiles also that happened afterward, doo set the same thinge before our eyes to beholde. For although that euen to the comminge of Christe, sometime by out­ward warres, sometime by inwarde dis­corde, and sometime by the wickednesse of Barbarous Princes, the Iewes were continually vexed and racked as it had [Page] bene vppon a whéele: Yet notwithstan­dinge it came to passe through the singu­lar benefite of God, that the Church held her owne still amonge these troublous turninges. Here may come to our remē ­berance so many holy men, yea and wo­men, who were fayne to swallow vp the vnwoorthie miseries that I haue recke­ned. Some that liued till they were ve­ry olde, were driuen of necessitie to trace the longe and manifolde mazes of euils, and at the laste to die sorowfully, when they sawe no ende of them. Surely these were stumblingblockes that mighte put them out of the right race, and yet traue­linge through by faith, they followed cō ­stantly their vocation. Nowe therefore ought their hartie courage to be vnto vs not onely as a wagon to ease vs of our wearinesse, but also in stéede of winges wherewith wée maye flie ouer the highe rockes, and the busshie and combersome wooddes, and also all other stéepe & rough places. And the ioyfull fallinge out of these thinges, which are witnesses to vs of Gods faithfull carefulnesse in preser­uinge his Churche, if they take not from [Page 39] vs all sence of offendinge, we are more nice and squeymish than we ought to be. Yea rather this kinde of lothinge is not tollerable, if in y^e plaine path we through our owne leude imagination, doo caste stumblingblockes in our way.

But if in his olde people the misfor­tunes and calamities of the Churche had alwaies this goodnesse in them, to bringe the helpe of God out of hand with them, and the greuouslyer they were pressed with the Crosse, so muche the more eui­dently God shewed that the Church was raised by his hande, and vphelde when it was raysed: we may much more plainely sée the same vnder the reigne of Christe. If the Churche through continuall suc­cesse in peace had enioyed a florishinge and pleasant state, since the Gospell be­ganne to be published to the worlde, vn­doubtedly this had bene an vsuall order after the maner of man, whiche all men would haue passed ouer in disdaine. But seynge that against so small and contem­ned a handfull, by and by boyled out the hatred of all nations and al states: seyng the name of a Christian was of lōge time [Page] euerywhere so hated and detested, that euery minute of an howre it was in all places at the point of destruction: seynge crueltie was euery where by sundrie meanes executed against al them y^e durst giue neuer so light & slender an inclinge of Christianitie: seyng the whole world conspired to put out the remembrance of them frō the earth: and that the Churche neuerthelesse after a sorte continued frō time to time: here doth appéere a certaine vnwonted power, and a certaine secrete woorkinge, whiche cannot be expressed. This I saye: when the dennes of wilde beastes in forestes and moūtaines were Christian mennes Churches: when they coulde no where dwell in saulftie, and that they were vtterly slaūdered and ha­ted of all men: who would not haue bene afraide to haue professed the Gospell, ex­cepte he had bene stirred thereto by the spirite of God? And yet from time to time, many, euen with strife of set pur­pose to take vppon them suche dispight, flocked willingly into that miserable & slauishe feare. Assoone as any one had professed Christ, he was not onely caught [Page 40] to be put to death, but cruell tormentes were also sette before him: there was no pitie of sex, there was no pitie of age. Was it not more than wonderfull, that any were found, whiche would be Chri­stians of the price? Assoone as any one was taken, he was streightly examined if he had any fellowes. If at any time whyle he was in tormentes the partie that had with others conspired the death of the Tyranne, helde his peace, because he would not bewraye his fellowes, all menne wondered at his constancie. In so many prouinces, in so many Cities, doo not the innumerable examples of kée­pynge promisse to the vttermoste, wit­nesse that their tounges were gouerned by God? And whereas in euery man seuerally, yea and oftetimes in weake women too, the whole welfare of the Churche laye in ieoperdie, surely there­in was a notable Miracle, that all had not within a while bene vtterly rooted out. And yet amonge so many abate­mentes, not muche vnlike to destructi­ons, it ceased not algates to spreade fur­ther. And that was truely to triumphe [Page] vnder the slaunder of the Crosse. Yea ra­ther he that shall wey all circumstances indifferently as he ought to doo, shal con­fesse that amonge innumerable deathes, there was a continuall race of many re­surrections. That thinge whiche for the difficultnesse thereof might séeme incre­dible to vs, if any man would tell vs that the like shoulde happen hereafter: Now when the same is come to passe, not onely to despise it, but also to count it a thinge to be offended at, is not a point of wise­dome, but of a malicious wilfulnesse. Those were in déede the moste violent bruntes, howbeit, other ages also were not exempted from the same warfare of the Crosse, but that they tasted of harder encounters, whiche woulde at that time serue God sincerely and faithfully. The Romaine Empyre had submitted it selfe to the kingdome of Christe. The Church might séeme to be placed in a happie seate of quietnesse and glorie. The barbarous nations also had yelded to the profession of Christe. But in the meane while, He­retiques and vnbeleuinge men helde the Soueraintie, in so much that good & true [Page 41] shepeherdes beinge chaced by violence (& not without reproch) frō their Churches, liued like banished persones in vnknowē coūtreis: Yea and they had not bene suf­fered to haue liued in exile, had they not hidden themselues from the Tirannie of their enemies. In that the Churche hath often bene left to the violence of so cruell persecutions, in that it hath lien wel­nere ouerthrowen to be frodē vnder foote of the enemies, this is farre from any likelihood of worldly dignitie. But in that a small number of the Godly, with inuincible constancie of faith, hath ouer­come so great waues of persecutiōs, that the Churche hath out stoode all the Ty­rannes and Heretikes▪ and lefte vnto po­steritie the true doctrine of the faith: this is surely a plaine witnesse of the power of God, which excelleth all the glories of the worlde. So in the present calamitie of the Churche, there shineth no suche di­gnitie as may represent to mennes eyes the heauenly kingedome of God: For the vtterest enemies therof oppressinge it in very déede, and yet garnishinge them­selues with the title of it as it were with [Page] a spoile, doo no lesse cruelly than proudely treade it vnder foote. If any man dare be so bolde neuer so little to stirre againste their wickednesse, by and by like terrible tormentours, with fire, swoorde, and all kinde of tormentes they goe nie to chace the true Church out of the Earth. And if it chaunce to finde any lurkinge holes, somewhile it is so assaulted with force of armes, another while so vexed with re­proches, & another while so tossed & tur­moiled with threatninges, and dreadfull attempts: y^t it representeth nothyng lesse than that kinglike beautie of Christe so greatly cōmended of the Prophetes. But seinge that by this their dreadful threat­ninge, & outrageous cruell dealinge, the vngodly cānot so much preuaile, but that the Churche of God vnder the lowlinesse of the Crosse standeth stedfastly vpright: why doo we not in this wōderfull preser­uatiō of God, willingly embrace his glo­rie? If any skilfull man woulde consider with himself, how many things the wic­ked sort haue practised these thirtie yeres togither, to destroy it, he shal be cōpelled to wonder y^t it was not a hundred times [Page 42] vtterly destroied. And now, wheras with in these twoo yéeres it hath bene pitifully rent, & the torne pieces therof are yet al­most in the Liōs mouth, although it brea­keth the hartes of many, yet the faithfull shall in the ende perceiue, that God doth it to a right good purpose, to the entēt he may stretch out his hāde more manifest­ly in deliueryng it. For we are not wont to acknowledge it to be preserued by him vnlesse he deliuer it out of very death.

Lastly to the furtherance hereof also maketh another reason, namely y^t it is a thyng more than necessarie, that wilder­nesse should be tamed and subdued by the discipline of the Crosse. We sée howe the Churche, which in the middes of persecu­tion had florished with spirituall chere­fulnesse, hath through to ioyfull quiet­nesse growen out of order. At this daye, when the Lorde reyneth vs in with a harde and rough bit, we sée how all mē in all places almoste doo waxe wanton, and what would they doo then if they had frée scope to rūne at rouers? when the profes­sion of the Gospell reigned farre & nere in Germanie, and that as yet the power [Page] was vnappalled of such as séemed stoute in defence of the good case, and that vpon confidence therof this lamentable warre was taken in hande, whiche fell out vn­luckely in the ende: at suche time as the hartes of our part were encouraged with great hope, I saide vppon a time openly, that there was more daunger for vs in our owne victorie, than in the victorie of our enemies. For there was no misfor­tune so greatly to be feared, as y^e Gospell to much triumphāt (if I may so terme it) whiche might puffe vs vp with pryde. Neither doth it repent me of this saying to this daye. For if the Lorde had not in time preuēted that Heathenish libertie, in processe of time the maladie woulde haue bene almost incurable. Godly do­ctrine and wholesome admonishmentes should haue bene nothinge setby. Suche as coulde not abide to admitt any meane discipline, would like vnruly beasts with violent rage haue broken all yoke. So great a blotte of slaunder could not haue bene wiped frō the Gospell, vnlesse they had bene compelled by force and afflictiō to a modestie of liuing, which heretofore [Page 43] they would not learne of their owne ac­corde. Againe in this balāce God shewed how euery man was minded. All men vaunted thēselues gloriously vnder sha­dowe of the Gospell. Wicked Hipocrites bare most swinge in many places. But after that this foyle was taken, many Princes of greate name were by and by out of hart: the noblemen of the common welth (which was benommed with feare I cannot tell how,) quayled of their own accorde. Here their ouer womanly feint­hartednesse, or rather traitourly coward­nesse, did openly bewray it self. We haue seene in one nation mo vngodly and wic­ked backeslidinges from Christe, within two yéeres space, than the histories of all times and all nations make mention of els where. How vnuincible the strength of faith is where the hartes are susteined by the vertue of the spirit, it is made ma­nifest in others. The Heroicall haulte­nesse of harte whiche the Lorde hath set foorth to be séene of all ages in one man beynge vanquished and taken prisoner, woulde neuer haue bene beleued but by such triall of the Crosse. Certaine other [Page] notable examples of the same sorte which I coulde readely reherse, I passe ouer for the nonce. But let euery man wey with himselfe these and innumerable suche o­thers. They saye that nowe women are ledde vnto death, to the entent that not onely mē, but also whole peoples should haue the lesse pardon, who for the gayne of a small interest of transitorie peace in the worlde, haue not sticked to denie the Sonne of God the author of eternall life, and to depriue themselues of his heauenly kingedome. Finally, the Lord himselfe knowes beste howe muche those thinges shall profite them, whiche nowe are commonly counted for great euilles. It is our duetie to take with stoute cou­rages what so euer calamities happen, hopynge for suche issue as is to be wis­thed for at the Lordes hande: and al­waies to grounde our selues vppon this pointe, that how so euer the Churche is pressed for a time, our moste deare Fa­ther whiche taketh singular care thereof, will neuer suffer that it be ouerwhelmed and decaye. If Christe muste beare rule in the middes of his enemies, (as by [Page 44] the witnesse of the holy Ghoste is testi­fied longe agoe,) his kingedome cannot be amonge vs without a kinde of war­fare and continuall strife. If we be like shéepe, appointed to the slaughter, and that our aduersaries burne in woodnesse like Wolues: Lette that precepte of the Lorde come to our remembraunce, that we muste possesse our soules in patience, vntill suche time as he may make perfect his strength in our weakenesse. Sure­ly the Apostles were in no happier cace, when they cried out boldlie, why doo the Heathen so furiously rage, and why doo the people imagine vaine thinges? We also if we vnderstoode what that sayinge meaneth, to sée God in Heauen, whenso­euer he giueth the vngodly bridle, we be­inge furnished with the same confidence that the Apostles were, shall carelesly laugh all the worlde to scorne, although they were in harnesse.

There follow Offences which the cō ­mon people beléeue agayne to procéede of the doctrine: but in very déede are the pro­pre & naturall issue, eyther of lewdnesse, or of vnskilfulnes, or els of curiousnesse. [Page] The Scripture teacheth vs in this wise of the corruption of our nature, that we bringe with vs a natiue viciousnesse and malice from our mothers wombe: wher­by it commeth to passe, that an euill trée cānot bring foorth other than euill fruite, vntill we be newe graffed agayne by the grace of Christe. Here mans reason ga­thereth, that men thēselues are not only faultlesse while they sinne, but also that the faulte is iustly to be ascribed to God, who createth them suche, that they séeme to be borne to sinne. Let euery man exa­mine his owne conscience, and he shall out of hande holde his peace. For there we shall finde that whiche the Scripture so often testifieth, how that the leudnesse which cleaueth in vs, is the welspryng of all vices: and that we therfore committe all euilles, bicause we doo couet y^t whiche displeaseth God. How cometh it then to passe that they whome their owne con­science findeth giltie within, doo busilie séeke here and there for vaine excuses to acquite themselues and others from the gilte? & not so content neither, doo make God also accessarie to their offence? If [Page 45] they were not minded to deceiue them­selues wilfully to their owne destructiō, would they not condemne the vice which they sée in themselues, rather than laye the faulte thereof vppon another bodie? But goe to: for asmuch as thei séeke after a sorte to haue some cloke (such as it is) to hide their blasphemies with, let vs shew them at one woorde that they doo shame­lessely without any colour say euil. Shal he boast himselfe to be innocent, whome it is manifest to sinne with his good wil? when they haue saide all that they can, in the ende we come to this pointe, that nothinge is imputed vnto them of God, saue that whiche they doo willingly. And what mā vnder the Sunne would quitte them in wilfull misdéedes. Now shall it not be frée for God to condemne, that whiche men doo lawfully condemne? But they stande in altercation with God, bi­cause he hath not giuen them a better minde & a vprighter hart: as who should say he had not giuē them so at the begin­ninge. For the lewdenesse that reigneth in vs, our learnynge imputeth not to Gods creation, but to the corruption of [Page] nature. They make exceptiō againe, that it is against equitie for them to suffer for another mās faulte. This exceptiō might peraduenture haue some colour, if they beyng frée from their owne sinne, coulde shewe that they were burdened with an other mannes faulte. But seinge they haue in such wise lost their rightuous na­ture in their first father Adam, that they are of their owne selues become sinfull, why doo they complayne of wronge done vnto them, as if they were giltlesse? Ue­rely they doo as ranke théeues are wont, who, while they are caried to punnish­ment, doo fall a reuilinge and slaunde­ringe the Iudge. And suche kinde of men cōmonly as they are readie to com­mitte mischiefe: so also haue they their tounges at will in raylinge. But what winne they by their malapert raylinge in this wise? For neither is their owne shame made lesse thereby, nor the iudge any thinge stayned, and that they them­selues knowe well inough, but that be­inge blinded with despayre, they take a miserable comforte of a foolishe reuenge­ment. Hitherto I haue answeared their [Page 46] blasphemies whiche bewray their owne wickednesse openly. Howbeit as yet re­mayne the slaunders of Sadolet, Pi­ghius and such like, whereby they misre­porte our doctrine, as though it brought with it diuers and almost infinite absur­dities. If there rise thereof any Offence, it is bicause our writinges are not per­used, what shoulde I then doo, but onely exhorte all those whiche beinge carried away with preposterous Offence, doo es­chew the vnknowen truth, that thei pro­cure not to themselues a double punish­ment of their rashnesse. For they doo bothe defraude themselues of saluation offered vnto them: and besides that, they shall not scape vnpunished for giuinge hastie iudgement with a lie, the cause be­inge not hearde.

Nowe that Predestination is a sea of Offences, howe happeneth that? but onely by our owne, either curiousnesse or malapertnesse? Here is meante of the secrete Iudgement of God, tho­rowe the brightnesse whereof, mennes mindes if they approche ouer nie, muste néedes be not onely dazeled and dimned, [Page] but also vtterly swallowed vp. And yet as much as our capacitie could beare, and as much as was for our behoofe, our Lord hath declared in his Scriptures: namely that we are all forlorne, sauinge suche as he chosinge from death hath redéemed to life: and that the grace of Christe cometh onely vnto them, who by frée election be­fore they were borne, were predestinate to saluation: and that others, like as they be ordeyned before to euerlastinge dam­natiō, so also thei cōtinue in their sinnes. To procéede any further if it were law­full, yet were it not expedient. But now seinge it were no lesse wicked than hurt­full, to rushe thorough from whence the Lorde kéepeth vs, as it were by holdinge ouer his owne hande: it were our duetie to embrace reuerently that whiche the Lord deliuereth vs, & to holde our selues contented ther withall, without makyng any further inquisitiō. For the right rule of beinge wise in this behalfe, is suche a sobernesse as coueteth to knowe no more than is reuealed in the Scriptures. Cer­tainely God would that nothinge should be hidden from vs, but such as the know­ledge [Page 47] thereof were superfluous, or more darke thā that our capacitie could atteine to the vnderstandinge of it. Wherefore we are the more vnthankefull, but if we temper our desire of searching, according to the meane which himselfe obserued in teachynge vs, why maruell we then, if they throwe themselues headlonge into the bottomlesse pitte, or dash themselues against the rockes, who after the maner of madmen rushe violently against God. They accuse God of crueltie, bicause he adiudgeth to damnation suche as are yet vnborne. But they shall one daye féele him a iuste iudge: or rather they féele him so alreadie inwardly, although they ac­knowledge it not. They cauill that pre­ceptes are giuen in vayne concerninge maners, that lawes are made in vaine, and that iudgementes are vniustly exe­cuted in punishinge euill dooers, seing all thinges are ruled or rather rolled by de­stinies. As who should say God did not so gouerne his elect with his holy spirite, & giue ouer the castawaies to be troubled by the Deuil, that he maketh the doctrine of Godlinesse and exhortacions fruiteful [Page] vnto the one, and holdeth the other as conuicte of wilfulnesse and vnexcusable, bicause they obeyed not his warninge. I omitte how little they profite by diffa­minge the Prouidence of God with the slaūderous name of destinie. For we nei­ther dreame of intricate knottes of cau­ses with the Stoikes, nor submit the go­uernance of the worlde to the Starres, nor imagine a necessitie of thinges in the very nature of thinges it selfe. Howbeit the same is it that Heathen mē call fatal. The predestination of God therefore is far another thing thā the Heathen deste­nie, but let this brawlyng about woordes cease in this cace. If (say they) that neces­sitie of thinges be prefixed by the eternal decrée of God, it is superfluous to teache what euery mans duetie is. For teach­inge shall alter nothyng of that which is alreadie determined. But they ought to haue considered by the way, that doctrine was by God himself ordeined to this end, that it should be an vnderseruaunt to his secret determinations. Whome by his e­ternal adoption he hath predestinated to life, doth he not by doctrine as it were by [Page 48] the hande stretched out, leade thē thither as he had predestinated thē? For what els is an effectual vocatiō, than an accōplish­ment of the electiō which before was hid­den. He may by sundrie threates compell y^e reprobates (to no purpose as it semeth) howbeit in asmuch as by this meanes he maketh thē vnexcusable, herein also ap­peareth some strength of y^e doctrine. Foo­lish mē perceiue not in how goodly order, the woorkes of God agrée amonge them­selues. Herupon it cōmeth to passe, y^e thei rashly set at variance with the will, the doctrine which is nothing els thā the mi­nister of his eternall will. Let vs learne therfore that God speaketh not to mē, to thentent to reueale vnto thē, or to correct those things which he had determined w^t himself lōg before, but rather y^t he might teach them by triall, how firme & stedfast they be. It cannot come to passe that they should perish, whom he hath ones chosen from the beginning: & bicause he will not haue thē perish, he cōmitteth them to the trustie tuitiō of Christ. Moreouer to y^e en­tent thei may haue Christ, to their shepe­herd, it behoueth y^t they be gathereded into [Page] his folde. Therfore when by giuyng eare to the voice of their shepeherde, the elect doo atteine saluation, it is nothinge else but a bringyng of their election vnto his appointed ende, by the outwarde preach­ynge of the Gospell. He commaundeth the same doctrine also to be set before the reprobates: and why? is it to the entent to disanull that that he had determined of their damnation? Nay, rather that their wilful vnbeliefe should make more apparant, what auaileth the grace of the secrete election? For what brighter mir­rour cā there be made wherin this grace may cléerely appeare, than when in the common doctrine, by the same callinge of God, by the like instrument of callinge, there is so great difference of men, that some obstinately refuse that, whiche o­thersome obediently embrace? Yet we sée in the meane while, howe the woorde whiche is spoken by the mouth of a man, although it amende not the hartes of the wicked, yet it striketh their consciences, and restraineth their malapartnesse as it were a bridle.

Now we must intreate of the Offences [Page 49] whiche we haue assigned to the seconde sorte. Many complaine that the Gospell is the fountaine of discorde: bicause that assone as it springeth vp, there bud out debates with it: or rather as if a trum­pet were blowen to some battell, men arme themselues one against another. It is surely to be confessed that Christe hath pronounced, that debate and fightinge should sprynge vp with the Gospell: but it is to be weyed vpon what occasion it cometh so to passe. First if men rise wil­fully against God, when he goeth about to bringe them to conformitie, we haue tolde you before by what meanes that happeneth. It is a harde matter that thei that stande to much vpon the reputation of their owne wisedome, shoulde yelde thēselues willing to be taught of Christ. But nowe when the lustes of the fleash, whiche reigne in men are so many, and like a sorte of fierce and vnruly beastes, doo we maruell if they make a tramplyng and stirringe agaynst the yoke and the brydle? But it is to much wronge to lay the blame of that euill vpon the Gospell, the cause whereof is in our selues. They [Page] doo euen as vprightly, who for feare of trouble and for hate of discorde, abhorre from the doctrine of peace. They thinke nothinge to be better than a quiet state: what then if some Tyrāne should by his horrible and outragious crueltie obteine thus much, that whiles he rauisheth mai­dens and honest wiues, whiles he spoy­leth euery good mā of his goodes, whiles he murthereth the giltlesse like a cut­throte, all men amazed for feare, shoulde holde their peace: shall tyrannie vnder this pretence deserue prayse? now if it be demaunded what maner of peace this is, whiche many sticke not to purchace with the losse of the Gospell? this surely shalbe the manifest truthe, namely to obteyne sinfull and peruerse Religions quietly & without stirre, bicause Sathan the worst of all Tyrannes, dothe without checke take his pleasure of mē halfe dead. Not­withstandinge as to the outwarde bon­dage of the bodie, peraduenture it were expediēt rather to suffer sometime, than for the recouery of libertie, to make in­surrection whiche maye burste out into slaughter and confused wastinge. But [Page 50] when the matter toucheth the eternall destruction of the soule, nothinge ought to be so muche set by, that we shoulde ei­ther desire or wilfully embrace deadly peace. Moreouer hereby we defraude the sonne of God of his preheminence. But better it is that Heauen & Earth shoulde be confoūded together, than that the ho­nour whiche his father hath giuen him should be diminished, and much lesse then be taken quite awaye from him, and he made Iacke out of Office. Shall we then liue at debate with the prince of life, to the entent we may enioye peace amonge men? shall we make open warre against God, to the entent we would not be cō ­pelled to be at variance with naughty­packes? shall we willingly stande at de­fiance with Christe, by whome we are with the Angels reconciled to God? It is surely to vnwoorthie a rewarde. And when Christe describeth the peaceable kingedome of Sathan, he doth not teach vs that it is therefore to be coueted: but rather he promiseth it as a greate re­warde, that a stronger than he encoun­teringe with him, shoulde bereue him of [Page] his vsurped authoritie. For if we sée thē so couragious, whiche ambitiously fight for soueraintie or for their libertie, that they woulde not passe to abide any trou­bles: with how muche more valiant cou­rage, ought we to set our selues against the tempestuous troubles, which Satan stirreth vp to disquiet the kingdome of Christe? the Sonne shall rise against his father: the father shall not spare the life of his sonne: one brother shall lay waite for another. Are these thinges tolde be­fore, to the entent that mē should shunne the Gospell? and not rather that beynge warned in time, they might not conceiue any feare at the straūgenesse of the mat­ter? For I haue not to doo with any o­ther, than suche as abuse the name of Christe, to colour theyr painted peace. And yet I am not ignorant that trouble­some persones in mouinge seditions, are the bellowes of Sathan wherewith he kindleth men (otherwise quiet of them­selues,) in hatred against the Gospell. So in our age about the beginnynge of the Gospell springyng vp againe, he ar­med barbarous men to proclayme open [Page 51] warre against lawes, iudgementes, and all kinde of ciuill pollicie. But as it is not vnknowen to vs, what such kinde of packing meanes, so if we do aske peace from the bottome of our harte, we shall by assured tryall, feele it offred vnto vs of God by his Gospell, in such wise that we shall haue it stedfastly also amonge men. To swarue from the Gospell, to the intent to preuent sedition, is a poinct of to much peruersnesse.

To outwarde appearance, this that foloweth is a iuster cause of Offence: that as soone as the doctrine of the Gos­pell began to bee published, as though the veyne of some springe had bene ope­ned, the wickednesse of many spowted foorth, which had before semed holy men. Howbeit it had bene muche more méete, that this shoulde avayle to the confirma­tion of the Faith. When Simeon assig­neth this duetie to Christe, to disclose the thoughtes of many hartes, so little dooth any man or none stand in deniall therof, that the sentence is to be reioysed at. What absurditie then is founde in the matter? Let vs suppose it had neuer bene [Page] spoken, to the intent that without pre­iudice, the thinge that appéereth, maye be estéemed so to be in déede. Whereas about thirtie yéeres agoe, religion flou­rished euery where, and all men with­out gaine saiynge consented in the woor­shippe of God, which was then common­ly receyued: now vngodlinesse and con­tēpt of God gusheth foorth euerywhere. First and formest I say, it is no maruell if light doo chace away darknesse: for it is a common prouerbe of olde time, that the dungeons of mans harte are so déepe, & the nookes thereof so windynge, that it surmounteth almost al bottōlesse pittes: now if mans dessemblynge be deceitfull in any cace, he dalieth with wonderfull leudnesse toward God, where he ought to doo it least. To the furtherance hereof commeth the wilinesse of Sathan: who partly by castinge a miste of ignorance, and partly by disguisinge the seruice of God with visers of ceremonies, maketh a wonderfull showe of Religion where none is. All men that haue eyes doo sée that it hath béene so vnder the Poperie. For there the consciences as it were be­witched [Page 52] with the poysons of Circe, are brought in a maze by their longe wind­lasses. fléeting from the earnest meaning of God. For that same vnmeasurable heape of Ceremonies, is assuredly the denne of théeues: bycause the hypocrites beynge wrapped in those disguysinges, thinke they may doo what they list with­out checke. If suche securitie doo take a­way the difference betwene true and fei­ned Religion, it is no maruell. And if at any time thei séeme to approch any thing nere God, they doo not to any other ende so much weary and disquiet themselues, than that the inward wickednesse of the harte beyng by such remedies appeased, shoulde be at rest inwardly. Now, if by bringyng in the light of the Gospell, hy­pocrisie be put to flight, and wickednesse openly discouered, the offence thereupon taken, is vnrightfull and peruerse. In old time amonge heathen men, no man was counted a dispiser of God, except he were a manifest murtherer, or a forger of Testamentes, or a forsworne persone, and wrapped in all kinde of leudnesse. For in asmuch as they had made to them [Page] selues carnall Gods, nothyng was more easie than to be religious. But we see how sharply the Prophetes doo inuey a­gainst skorners: the which thinge out of all doubt, they doo not without weightie causes. So the vngodlinesse which shew­ed it selfe in the Churche of God, appea­red to be none at all in maner amonge the vnbeleuers: shall we therefore saye that the lawe and the Prophetes were bellowes to styrre the same vp? shall the pure Religion therefore, whiche drewe that Serpent to light, be made the lesse accompte of? Yea verely euen in the Church of God, Ismaell vttered not him­selfe to be a scorner, but after that Isaac was borne. He whiche before was nexte vnto holy Abraham, did sodainly burste out into wicked skornynge the grace of God, wherby he deserued to be banished his fathers house. Ought such an exam­ple to haue alienated the householde of Abraham from his holy Ofspringe? Fur­thermore, that whiche was lightly sha­dowed in Isaac, was néedeful to be more clerely expressed in Christe, and the Hi­storie of the Gospell beareth witnesse [Page 53] that it was so done. For we know that since he was brought into the worlde, howe muche the madnesse of them hath boyled, whiche before times did bragge them selues of the title of Religion. Wherfore let this malicious opiniō take his leaue and be packinge, that libertie to doo naughtely springeth out of the do­ctrine of the Gospell, bycause it draweth wickednesse out of his lurkyng holes in­to the open light. And rather let vs be glad of this, that the thoughtes are dis­couered out of the hartes of many: how­beit, of this matter there is another rea­son also to be marked: namely whē some vtterly refuse the grace of the Gospel of­fred vnto them: & some disdeinfully sippe of it a little with their lippes: and other­some proudely caste it of from them ha­uinge receiued it before: doth not the vn­thankfulnesse of them all deserue, that God should punish it sore? And vndoub­tedly he punisheth sore in déede, whē ta­kynge away the fealinge of Religion, he casteth them headlong into this horrible blindnesse. As many men therefore as we sée at this day like Lucian, scoffe and [Page] iest at the whole Religion of Christe: as many also as we sée like Epycures, set themselues to sale to all kinde of naugh­tinesse without the feare of God: so ma­ny examples of Goddes vengeance, let vs know to be set before our eyes, which may commende vnto vs the woorthinesse and preciousnesse of the Gospell. Paule sayeth, that they were woorthely giuen ouer to a reprobate minde, and to filthie and shamefull lustes, who vniustly sup­pressed such knowledge of God, as may be conceiued by the onely beholdynge of the worlde: to the entent that they which had defrauded God of his honour, beyng subiect to vtter reproche, mighte receiue the deserued hyre of their vnthankeful­nesse. The greater sacriledge that the contempt of the Gospell is, so much the lesse maruell it is, if crueller punishment be taken thereof. And why so? For shall we confesse that they deserued to be pu­nished, who through theyr slouthfulnesse suffered the little sparkes to be quēched, whiche appeared in the framynge of the worlde? and would we haue them fréely mocke God, who of wilfull malice doo [Page 54] ouerwhelme & extinguish the full bright­nesse of the glory of God, shinyng in his Gospell? But if it bée very good Iustice, that God punishe grieuously the contēpt and castyng away of his grace, why are we offended to sée the same punishment (whiche is cōmendable) put in execution? nay rather it would become vs (as I haue sayd alreadie) that like as by this meanes God auoucheth the maiestie of his Go­spell, so the reuerence thereof shoulde be stablished in our mindes: howe can the Gospell be entertained as it is woorthie, whereby he offereth and giueth him selfe to vs in the person of his sonne? And yet many doo scarce vouchsaufe the common honour vpon this incōparable threasure: some treade it vnderfoote: some without remorse of conscience preferre the vayne pleasures of the world before it: and ma­ny (as though it were some maygame,) doo turne it in iestynge to a heathenishe pastime: but what followed theruppon? whereas before was at leaste yet some feare of God settled in their mindes, now like a sorte of dogges they barke agaynst God. And in this their sharpnes of witte [Page] they greatly delight them selues, or ra­ther take themselues for halfe Goddes, bicause they dare turne vp their tayles against the cloudes. But if it be a mon­struous thyng for a man to be turned in­to a beast, they are so muche the more to be lamented, in that thei are not touched with any sorrowe for their euill: they laugh smoothely at the foolish toyes of the Papistes: but themselues are vnwoorthie that euer they shoulde returne to the pa­pistrie: for it is not conuenient that their ende should be like other mennes, who haue partly had in derision, and partly in contempt the holy bloud of Christe, the e­uerlastyng truth of God, and the light of life. And assuredly the contempte of the Gospell whiche nowe reigneth, is a cer­taine foretoken of some beastly kinde of life. For, seinge that this is the laste re­medie to cure mens vices, namely when God shineth vpon them with his Gospel, whome soeuer this remedie helpeth not, it is most certaine that they are incura­ble: and they whiche wittingly and wil­lingly doo either iest away or driue away their Phisicion, doo wilfully procure thē ­selues [Page 55] any death. Nowe to conclude this title, suche as déeme vngodlinesse a hey­nous mischief (as it is in déede) thei iudge by the grieuousnesse of the punishment, in how ill parte the Lord taketh the con­tempt of his Gospell: and by warnynge therof are confirmed in faith & obedience to him. It is knowen to euery man, that Agrippa, Villanouan, Delet and suche like, did like Giauntes with one eye in theyr forehead fearyng neither God nor manne, euer presumptuously despise the Gospell: at the last they fell to suche madnesse & outrage, that they not onely spewed out moste abhominable blasphe­mies against the sonne of God, but (as much as perteineth to the life of y^e soule,) did thinke themselues to differ nothinge from Dogges and Hogges. Othersome, (as Rabelayse, Deper, and Gouean) after they had tasted of the Gospell, were stri­ken with the same blindnesse. And why happened this, but bicause they had by their wicked malapertnesse of iestynge & scoffynge, heretofore profaned that holy pledge of eternall life? I name a fewe, whosoeuer are of the same stampe, let vs [Page] know that the Lord doth as it were with his finger pointe them out to vs for an example, to the entent we shoulde care­fully continew in the race of our voca­tion, least the like happen vnto vs.

Furthermore forasmuch as these for­lorne men by theyr slidynge, or rather by their headlong fallynge downe, doo not onely offende the weake, but also doo shead abroade the poyson of their vngod­lines, to the entent to bring al the world in beliefe that there is no God: I muste set my selfe at defence against this stum­blyng blocke also. And that doth the holy Ghost, while he warneth vs that there shall come mockers whiche shall trouble our hope with skoffinges: but the same spirite affirmeth that vnstable soules shalbe in daunger of theyr enticements. To the entent therfore that we maye be out of perill, we must gather strength in Christe. It is a solemne custome amonge these vnpure Dogges, that the more li­bertie thei haue to belk out blasphemies, the more they playe the scoffers. So by their mery iestyng in talkynge at the ta­ble, they girde at all the principles of Re­ligion. [Page 56] And first of all they winde them­selues into their matter by ouerthwart nippes, or couert conceytes: howbeit all tendeth to this end, to blurre out of mēs mindes all feare of God: for at length they burst out into this opinion, that all Religions are deuised of mans brayne: that there is a God, bicause men liste to beleue so: that the hope of the life to come was inuented to foode foorth the simple withall: and that the dread of doomes day is but a bug to feare childrē with. These songes of the Meremaydes are to apt to delight the eares of many men, but it is suche eares as are alreadie tickled with the same itch of themselues. For we sée some so greedely snatch at, and hunte for those thinges that make to the takynge away of the féelinge of godlinesse, that hauinge in maner scarce perceiued the sounde of a fewe woordes, by and by they raunge frō the eternall and vnchaunge­able truth of God. And surely whosoeuer hath but meanly traueled in the woorde of God, when he shall haue tried that our faith is farre otherwise grounded than vpon opinion, he shal not so easly wauer. [Page] And they that beare the seale of the spi­rite printed in their hartes, it is farre vnlike that they should be ouerthrowen with the assaultes of these engines. But this is it that Paule meaneth where he sayeth: That mē make shipwrecke in the faith, after the time that they haue fallen from a good conscience: whereby he mea­neth bothe that this is the keper of right vnderstandynge, and that it is no won­der though they haue nothinge stedfaste emong them, whiche are tossed amonge the sundry waues of their lustes. There is no cause therefore why we should be troubled with this Godlesnesse, whiche now partly rageth euerywhere through the whole worlde, but specially reigneth in the Courtes of Kinges and Princes, in iudgement places, and in other glori­ous trades of liuyng: for if I shoulde de­maunde of one that had skill in thinges, (yea and it were euen of those, who cannot ridde themselues from this temp­tacion,) whiche of them all there did har­borow a good conscience, their answeare would be in a readinesse, that it is banni­shed a great way of: wherefore then doo [Page 57] we wonder at that shipwrecke of Faith, whiche Paule teacheth must néedes fol­lowe? Moreouer if they so warely kéepe money bestowed in coffers, as many as are any thyng smittē with the loue ther­of, what excuse shall he lay for him selfe, whiche beynge fenced with no garde of God, doth set him selfe foorth wilfully to the spoyle, if he be robbed of the heauenly treasure? specially considering we know that nothinge is so hurtfull as these cop­webbes of the wicked. For it is not my minde to extenuate the perill that maye come by them, but rather I admonish and testifie, that no Serpēt hath so venemous a blast as they, and therfore it behoueth vs to be so much the more waker & care­full to beware of them. By the waye, I say that al such shalbe frée from this con­tagion (be it neuer so pestiferous) as haue not forslowed to roote themselues déepe in Christe. Neither is this my sayinge, but the sayinge of Paule: that we ought to growe in Christe vntill we come to be perfect men: least we be any more subiect to the subteltie of men, which goe about to deceiue vs. Notwithstāding, we must [Page] harken also to another exhortation of Paule: namely that forasmuch as we are ensured to the Sonne of God vpon this condition, that we should kéepe our pro­misse of mariage vnto him vnuiolate, we ought in especially to beware that the Deuil corrupt vs not with his flattering enticementes. For if the woman whiche hath giuen eare to allurementes of bau­drie, séemeth to haue giuen alreadie some signe of vnchastnesse, it appeareth that those soules are scarce chaste, whiche de­light to be moued to false forsaking their obedience to God.

The reason of all errours is not much vnlike herunto. The faith of many quay­leth: and some doo vtterly fall from the Gospell, bicause they coniecture it to be the séede of errour. As though any man should giue ouer tillage and sowinge of the grounde, bicause the pure séede doth oftentimes degenerate into cockle. To the entent the straungenesse of the mat­ter shoulde not abashe any man, Christe warned vs that it shuld come so to passe. For albeit that in that place he cōpareth Hypocrites to darnell, and the true and [Page 58] naturall Sonnes of God to wheate: yet he sheweth howe this is the accustomed fraude of Sathan, to corrupte and defile the heauenly séede of God by al y^e meanes he can, to the entent it shoulde not come to fruitfulnesse: we know that the world lay a longe time barreyne like a waste and vntilled grounde. Nowe hath God sowed the doctrine of his Gospell by his Ministers: doo we maruell if Sathan doo intermedle as many corrupt errours as he can? For what whole wayne loades of false opiniōs hath he not brought in im­mediatly with the first springynge vp of the Gospell? I doo omit the innumerable multitude. But what cā be deuised more prodigious than the dotinges of Valen­tine, of Montane, and of the Manichees? Now it is to much folly, that they which counte it for a miracle that the light of the Gospell was not quēched in so thicke darknesse, or whiche hartely reioyce to heare, that the strength therof hath con­tinued vnappalled againste so many as­saults, should be offended at the doctrine of the Gospell, bicause now also Sathan sullieth it with the darknesse of his lies. [Page] Howbeit, forasmuche as men doo sundry waies stumble at this rocke, I will brief­ly shewe, y^t there is no kinde of Offence, the which they incurre not of their owne accorde, either through their slouthful­nesse, or els some other singular vice of theyr owne. They whiche simplie make this one obiection, that sectes doo bud out of the doctrine of the Gospell, partly are glad to séeke startingholes, and partly, through ouermuch lightnesse doo lay the cause of euill vpon the Gospell, whiche resteth otherwhere. Who so euer will vouchsaufe to open his eyes, he shall plainely sée that the Gospell is not onely the pure and cléere truthe of God, but al­so the best bonde of holy vnitie. Nowe if Sathan rise vp against it, to the entent he may darkē this light with the cloudes of errours, and rende the vnitie asunder, wherein the sonnes of God doo knit thē ­selues together, he dothe but his office. For he is bothe the father of lies, and al­so the authour and craftesmaister of all debate. It were our duetie therefore, so muche the more earnestly to labour in searchinge out the truth, and to embrace [Page 59] it the more constantly when we haue founde it. These men doo not onely ab­steine from all such endeuour and flie frō it, but also doo set this as a shielde of de­fence against God, that they be not com­pelled to obeye his commaundement. Othersome, al be it that they séeke not meanes for the nonce howe they may re­iect the wholesome doctrine, yet bicause they take occasion at euery light blast to starte backe, they haue nothinge whiche they may iustly alledge for their excuse. But you will say, thei feare not without cause, least if beyng vncertaine whiche way to goe they should yelde themselues pliable, they might through this pliable­nesse, be snarled in the snares of errours. This is in déede somwhat: but there was a better prouiso than this, for that daun­ger: namely to submitte themselues to God by godly humilitie, modestie, sober­nesse, and reuerence. For Christe hath not for nothinge promised that the doore shalbe opened to them that knocke: ney­ther is he endewed with the spirite of iudgement and discretion from the Fa­ther for nothinge. Also it is not for no­thinge [Page] that the Lorde promiseth by the mouth of his prophete Esay to become an attendant scholemaister to his people, alwaies readie at their backe, to direct their steppes. Finally, neither to de­ceiue nor to beguile vs, doth he say that the waye of life is shewed to vs in his woorde. Whereby it appeareth, that a great parte of men doo wittely couet this thinge, to despise remedies, and to waxe numme in their owne euils.

And whereas we sée many, which be­yng intangled with this or that errour, are led astray from the right way: it ne­uer happeneth but by the iust vengeance of God. First Augustine truely nameth pryde the mother of all Heresies. For there was neuer yet any maister of er­rour, whome leude desire of vaineglory puffed not vp to his owne hedlonge fal­lynge. We know that God is a faithfull teacher to the little ones: we know that Christe calleth the humble and méeke to him to be his disciples: wherefore such as swell with pride, it is no maruell though they be driuen out of this schoole, and be carried vp and downe with their owne [Page 60] wauerynge speculations. As many as in this our age fallynge from the pure do­ctrine of the Gospell, haue begonne to be teachers of false opinions, we shall finde that al of them beyng taken with the di­sease of pride, haue forged punishment of the witte, bothe to themselues and to o­thers. In stéede of many let the onely ex­ample of Seruet suffice. For he beynge puffed vp with Spanish pryde, and swel­lyng moreouer with his owne arrogan­cie, determined this to be the best waye for him to get him a name, if he snapped at all the principles of Religion. What­soeuer therefore hath of antiquitie from the very time of the Apostles bene by the Fathers lefte, concerning the thrée per­sones in God, and receiued from time to time cōtinually by the godly, he not one­ly reiecteth as vnsauerie, but also with to outragious rayling, tosseth and turmoy­leth it: now that same currish rage of bi­tyng and barkyng, which all the writers of that rable doo vtter, dothe sufficiently testifie what maner of spirite stirreth the man. But if ye come to the matter, ye shall cléerely perceyue, that their gréedie [Page] hunger, being inflamed with vnstaūched thirste of vaineglorie, hath caused them to quaffe vp all kinde of most absurde do­tages so desirously, that they haue made themselues dronken therwithal. He sur­miseth that the woorde of God was not, before suche time as Moyses bringeth in God speakyng in the beginnynge of the world. As who should say, that then first of all he beganne to be, when he shewed plainly his so great power: & not rather that he declared a proufe of his eternall beyng. He in such wise Deifieth Christes fleash, that abolishynge the truth of his manhoode, he maketh his Godhead which is spirituall, to be palpable. And yet cal­linge Christe God with full mouthe, he deuiseth vs, I cannot tell what maner of shadowye Ghost: as if ye would saye he had from the beginnynge bene nothyng but an Idaea of Plato: and that of any o­ther right he was not the sonne of God, but bycause he was conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wōbe of the Uirgin. In the meane while, he heapeth togither many cartloades of speculations, whiche haue so litle colour or none at all, that any mā [Page 61] beyng in his right wittes may easly per­ceiue, that none could not so play the di­zard, but he that is bewitched with the loue of him selfe. But if that as soone as the truthe of God hath put vp her head, proude wittes are bothe by their owne ambition moued, & by the Deuill driuen, either to darkē, or els to peruert it with theyr leude gloses and frantike opiniōs, there is no cause why we should be trou­bled as with a straunge matter. Where­fore as we haue saide before, that pryde is the mother of al Heresies: so the vaine­nesse of them that make themselues dis­ciples of such maisters, is the continuall nource to cherishe the same. As often as any errour is spred by the false prophet, Moyses affirmeth vs to be tried whither we loue God frō the hart. To what ende is that, but that we may know, that none other are ledde away from the pure do­ctrine, but such as vnder a false profession did coūterfaite holinesse? As for the faith whiche is stedfastly rooted, these engines can so little ouerthrow, that they doo ra­ther make manifest the firmnesse therof: like as Paule writeth, that when sectes [Page] doo reigne in the Church, those which are tried be made manifest. Wherby it is the lesse wonder, that assoone as any blast of a newe sect bloweth, many slide aside hi­ther and thither, seinge very fewe haue y^e feare of God imprinted in their hartes. So much the lesse becometh it vs to stag­ger with the multitude.

To take occasion of leude behauiour of the Gospell, hath now from olde time bene customable to many. Not without cause doo the Apostles so oftentimes giue warning of bridelyng our libertie, least it should be turned into a fleashly licen­tiousnesse. For euermore the fleash at e­uery light occasiō, doth by and by auaūce it selfe. But as bondage is a harde thing and contrary to mans nature: a greate sorte (by what meanes so euer they may shake of the yoke) doo déeme that the bles­sed life consisteth therin. Under this pre­tence the bondmē in old time, (as though by proclamation of the Gospell they had bene called to libertie,) were puffed vp with stubburnnesse: in so much that some of them wrested themselues from subiec­tion of the Kinges and Magistrates. [Page 62] Likewise at this daye many of the rascall sorte, hauyng taken a smatch of the Gos­pell, doo boaste themselues arrogantly: householde seruauntes doo take hault and stoute stomackes to thē: very many for­getting al shame and modestie, dare pre­sume any thing. But this is worst of all, that many doo in suche wise set thēselues frée from the obedience of God him selfe, as if by adoptinge vs to be his sonnes, he had abrogated from him selfe all fatherly right and authoritie ouer vs. Surely it is a foule leudnesse, & with the vnwoor­thinesse therof might grieuously wounde all godly mindes. But lette the wronge done to God burne vs, rather than we shoulde double it. We heare what Esay hath testified of the méekenesse of Christ: we heare what Christe preacheth of him selfe: Learne of me (sayth he) bicause I am méeke and lowly of hart. And for this cause (as Paule admonisheth,) when he was in the shape of God, he abased him selfe, to the entēt we should learne hum­blenesse of him. Seynge that the Sonne of God descended from the heauenly throne of his maiestie downe hither, that [Page] beyng cladde with our fleash, he might abide not onely the state of a seruaunt, but also the vtter reproche of the Crosse, whiche of vs may not be a shamed of our selues to looke so loftely, that we shoulde either be, or séeme to be any thing at all. Those that excell in great riches and ho­nours, to the entent they may make thē ­selues conformable to the exāple of their maister, must néedes (as it were forget­tinge their owne greatnes) come downe to y^e baser state. It is therfore to preposte­rous an arrogancie of the lower sorte, if they begin to take highly vpō thē vnder pretence of the Gospell. For greate men are not cōmaunded to departe with their right, to the entent that men otherwise being abiectes, should vsurpe the right of other men. But this doctrine doth not onely prescribe vnto any seuerall person the boundes of his duetie: but also mini­streth chastisementes vnto vs, wherwith to rebate the malapartnesse of lustie mates, and by the way it turneth the en­uie & blame of this euill from the Gospel. It cannot lightly otherwise be, whē mi­serly wretches endewed with no riches, [Page 63] no authoritie, no wit, nor no estimacion, as soone as they haue learned to prate of the Gospell, doo steppe stoutely in, not without contempt of others, but that so great an vnwoorthinesse shall make men of good nature and that haue any hart, to stomacke the matter. Howbeit the foly of a great sorte is so childishe, y^t it ought rather to moue vs to pitie them, thā pro­uoke vs to stomacke against them. Not­withstandynge, let vs graunt there is that greatly offendeth vs: shall our sto­mackyng against so foolishe a pryde, light altogether vpon the very authour of all modestie?

Behold on the other parte, many defi­linge (as much as in them is) the profes­sion of the Gospell with their dissolute and filthie life: wherupon riseth another stūblingblocke, next cousin to that which went before. And surely seinge that we (as Paule testifieth) by liuynge holyly & honestly, doo adorne the Gospell, looke how many doo cocker themselues with a licentiousnesse of liuynge, so many re­proches and spottes of Christendome are there. And it is not to be doubted but [Page] that the horrible vengeance of God han­geth ouer the heades of all suche, as by their leude behauiour doo diffame the do­ctrine of godlinesse, and make the holy name of God a laughynge stocke to o­thers. They shal one day féele how intol­lerable a crime it is, to haue prophaned the holy threasure of the Gospell: & howe it was not spoken in vayne, that they should not escape vnpunished that abuse the name of God. They shall féele howe precious the soules are to God, to whom through their euill exāple they haue fore­closed the way of Saluation. First it is a pointe of to muche lewdnesse, to confesse God with their mouthe, whome they de­nie in their déedes, as Paule sayeth: and to pretend to be the Disciples of the hea­uenly wisedome, when theyr whole life argueth a manifest contempt of God. But this is more than an heynous wic­kednesse, to abuse the Gospell to the clo­kyng of our naughtinesse. I speake now of the common practise, wherewith false and naughtie men doo winde themselues in, to deceiue, to defraude, and by all meanes to hurte. I haue séene some ere [Page 64] this, that were not ashamed to colour their baudrie and vnpure bargayninges vnder the shadow of the Gospell. Other­some that are lesse wicked, doo not with­standyng by their dissolute liuing, bothe defile the Churche with the filth of theyr vices, and also stayne the Gospell. More­ouer it is a thinge miserable and to be la­mented at, that the wickednesse of men shoulde not onely be imputed to the doc­trine of holinesse, but also that the same shoulde be shamefully slaundred in their persone. But there is another byle of the Churche more to be lamented, that the sheapeheardes, (I say) the sheapeheardes themselues (who mount into the pulpit, that is to say the holy iudgement seate of God, to the entent they should excell all other men in purenesse of life,) are nowe and then most filthie examples, either of naughtinesse, or of al other euils. Wher­by it cometh to passe, that their sermons obteine no more credite or estimation, than if a player shoulde playe an enter­lude vpō a stage. And yet such men make complainte, that they are had in contēpt amonge the common people, or els in [Page] scorne pointed at with the fingar. I doo rather wonder at the sufferance of the people, that women and childrē bedaube them, not with dirte and dunge. They extoll the woorthinesse of the ministerie with full mouth: but they remember not that the cause why no honour is giuen to their ministerie, is by reason that they themselues defile it with their filthy li­uinge. For as it was truely saide of one in olde time: be amiable to the entent thou may be beloued: so it behoueth them that will be had in estimacion, that they purchace them reuerence by their graui­tie and holy conuersaciō. And would God the Church might be purged and disbur­dened of such a sorte of rakehelles. But it falleth out farre otherwise for the most parte. For whereas they kuow thēselues to be woorthely despised, their euill con­science may abridge their libertie. Final­ly, forasmuche as they may perceiue that for the shamefulnesse of their euil liuing, they are vnderlinges to all men, eyther shame and feare restraineth them that they dare not hisse, at such times as they ought earnestly to exact that whiche they [Page 65] performe not themselues: or els they are compelled to beare with offenders & to flatter thē. Besides this, they are slouth­full bellies, who to the entēt that hauing taken their farewell of all peinfulnesse, they maye settle themselues to idlenesse and pleasures, could finde in their hartes to let Heauen & Earth to be confounded together. Many of them also for hatred of vertue, doo willingly beare with the vi­ces, as wel of themselues as of other mē. And the people to requite them with the like good turne, doo loue, embrace, & che­rishe them and none other, and to the en­tent to haue them as patrones of theyr faultes, mainteine them with their de­fence. Notwithstandinge they cease not to obiect, that the corrupt liuinge of the pastours, is a stumbling blocke that they come not to Christe. Surely it is to fro­wardly and impudently: neyther is any man woorthie to be excused, whome other mens sinnes withholde from comminge vnto Christe. Whiche is no more to say, than if a man would refuse to drinke of a fountaine, bicause he would alledge it to be growen about with briers & thornes, [Page] whereas neuerthelesse he mighte with small labour and lesse daunger ouerpasse the lettes. Bicause thei sée diuers hauing the Gospell in their mouth, liue wicked­ly and naughtely: behold the Gospell say they. How muche more of right shoulde they with sorrowe acknowledge, that greate wronge is done vnto God, when the liuyng answereth so euill to the doc­trine. If the cloudes cast a miste vpon the earth, no man is so mad or so leude, to cal the Sunne mistie. But great is the diffe­rēce betwene the clerenesse of the sunne, and the clerenesse of the Gospell. For al­though mistes maye darken the Sunne, yet the leudnesse of men can not bryng to passe, but that the brightnesse of y^e whole­some and godly doctrine, maye shine through, whereby our life (all darkenesse being wiped away) is reformed into true rightuousnesse: shall we then confesse the Sunne to be cléere, euen when it is hidden? and shall the sinnes of mē, (what sorte soeuer they be of,) dazle our eyes, when we see the bright lighte of the Go­spell, and the glorie of Christe shininge therein?

[Page 66]As concernyng the Guides thēselues, Christe knew alreadie, that it redounded moste to the slaunder of the doctrine, if they liue filthely. To the entent to turne away this stumbling blocke, he exhorteth men to obscrue that whiche they com­maunde, although they doo not with the least of their fingers touche the burdens, whiche they lay vpon othermens shoul­ders. It was at that time the office of the Scribes, to instruct the people in the law of God, as longe as thei were in y^e chayre of Moyses, they were the interpreters of Gods lawe: and at home or in place of o­pen assemblie, they were full of fraude, pryde, crueltie, periurie, and aduentured licentiously vpon all thinges. Neuerthe­lesse Christ willeth, that the authoritie of the woorde of God, remaine vnto it vn­touched. This admonitiō was not pecu­liar to one age, but rather at this day also the heauenly voice cryeth in our eares, y^t howsoeuer y^e pastours leade a life not al­togither agreable to their professiō, yet it is lewdly done, to misreport the Gospell any whit therefore. As surely, it is an vnséemely matter, to measure by the per­uerse [Page] liuinge of men, the rule which God hath prescribed for vs to liue well by. Ue­rely they shal one day come to reckning, and they shall féele how that saying was not denoūced for nothinge: that it should now be better for a man to be drownd in the bottome of the sea, with a milstone about his necke, than to offende any one of the least. Howbeit, in the meane while it behoueth vs to hie vs towarde the marke, the same waye whiche the Lorde hath paued.

Neuerthelesse the Offence in this be­halfe is doubled, when the heynousnesse of the mischiefes is increased with pri­uate hurte. Some beyng gētly entertei­ned as guestwise, doo either priuely goe awaye loaden with theft, or els beguile theyr Hoste and Hostesse by some other meanes, or els allure the maide seruants to whoredome, and sometime also aduē ­ture to trie the wiues themselues. Some being their craftes maisters in catching, doo leaue them starke naked, to whome they had promised moūtaynes of Golde: some deceiue in lendinge: some denie re­stitution of thinges laide to gage: some [Page 67] are vnfaithfull in felowship: some spende the money wastfully, which they had re­ceyued of almesse of good and thriuinge men, either in whorehuntyng, or dicing, or other riottous excesses: some lash out in idle expenses that which was lente thē to further their industrie with. And vn­to these wickednesses many haue the cō ­panie of their wiues. Some sticke not to breake the most holy bonde of wedlocke, deceiuing their wiues, and casting away their children. There are mo examples of suche wickednesses, than that a shorte beaderoll can comprehende them. Cer­teinly it cannot be, but that the leudnesse of these men, must strike a sore and gre­uous wound in honest natured mindes. And specially it must néedes be, that good men are dismayed, when hauinge but a slender piece of money, they sée thēselues spoyled thereof and brought to vtter po­uertie, vnder pretence of the Gospell, as if they had fallen into the handes of rob­bers. And this is to be registred amonge the harder sorte of our exercises, that we are compelled to looke vpon them, whiche so without checke make their game of the [Page] Gospell. But if God, by the mouthe of Paule, doo woorthely forefede vs, that al­beit we finde many vnthankefull and lewde persones, yet we shoulde not be weary of doynge well: and that he doo it to the entent that if any good man should haue néede, our duetie should not be vn­performed: howe muche more diligently ought we to take héede, that the leudnesse of men bryng vs not to such a wayward­nesse, that we become vnthankfull and impious towarde God. And therfore like as it becometh vs to watche earnestly, that no doore be left open to such varlets to doo harme, by preuenting their secrete practises in time, and by endeuoryng (as much as in vs lieth) that deceites and e­uill doynges be punished streightly by the Magistrate, to the entent that suche as make a mockage of Gods woorde, and such as reprochfully scoffe at the Church, may accordyng to their desertes haue the hangman for their maister, and the gal­lowes for their schoole: so must we againe somewhat more diligently take héede of the craftes of Sathan, least by castyng in our waye the losse of a little transitorie [Page 68] money, he shake vs quite from our hea­uenly treasure. For that is it that he go­eth about, and it is more pernicious vnto vs. Whosoeuer hath faithe in Christe (saieth Iohn) he sanctifieth him selfe. Those that aspire not to this sanctifiyng, forasmuch as we know they falsely pre­tende the name of Christ, what reason is there, that thei should trouble and hinder vs with theyr lewdenesse? The Gospell is the bread of lyfe: and yet it is a harde matter to brynge to passe, that all men shoulde digest it, when as of many that séeme to swallowe it gréedely, fewe doo take the taste of it throughly. Finally, when Christe compareth his Churche to a barnefloore, where y^e wheate is so min­gled with the chaffe, that for the moste parte it lieth hidde vnder it, he likeneth not straungers to the chaffe, but such as vnder profession of the Gospell, kéepe place amōge the godly. To what purpose also shoulde he haue testified that he will not know many in the last daye, whiche shall boast thēselues to haue bene preach­ers of his Gospell, and obiect that they haue wrought miracles: but that there [Page] muste néedes be some suche in all ages? Sometime also it commeth to passe, that they which otherwise feare God frō their harte, or at leastwise are not altogither reprobates, doo by fallinge into some fil­thie faulte, shame bothe themselues, and the pure Religion whiche they followe. How great was that trespasse of Dauid, whē followyng his owne lust, in rauish­yng another mannes wife, he not onely shed the giltlesse bloud of one man that had deserued well at his hande, but also as much as in him laye, deliuered all the people of God to destruction? If I listed to gather togither Offences of this sort, which were able to peruert euen the He­roicall men, what monstruous wicked­nesses sawe the holy Patriarch Iacob at home in his owne house? After that his daughter was forced, Simeon and Leui through as outrageous crueltie, as vn­speakable trayterousnesse, murdered the Sichimites. His sonnes beyng thus em­brewed with slaughter, conspired the murder of their Brother. At length to encrease the heape of mischieues, it came to passe that his first begottē sonne com­mitted [Page 69] incest, in companiynge with his stepmother. And yet the Churche of God was at y^e time inclosed within one house: I absteine from recitinge any moe exam­ples. But at this daye diuers doo searche out a fewe Offences with Linxes eyes, to the entent thei may not haue ought at all to doo with the whole Church of God, as farre as it stretcheth eueryway, with this one example I am cōtent to haue ad­monished my Readers, that the faith shal be to vnstable, if at the seuerall ruines of men, it doo from time to time waxe faint. In the meane while, this is to be helde for an infallible rule: that it commeth to passe by the determinate counsell of God, that euill men are euermore mixed with the good. By this meanes bothe the con­stantnesse of the faith is tried, and we be exercised to patience, & the desire to pray is quickned, & the stingyng of the prickes doo moue vs earnestly, to walke warely and wisely, and the cōtempt of the world riseth thereupon, and togither with de­sire of departyng hence, mindfulnesse of the heauenly life encreaseth. But if the cause lie hidde, yet let vs knowe that a [Page] parte of our warfare, which we must fol­lowe duryng all the race of our lyfe, doth consist in these exercises.

Greatly also anoyeth the lightnesse which is commōly séene in diuers, wher­as at the beginnyng they shew a marue­lous feruentnesse, that flame within a while so vanisheth away, that ye woulde say it was kindled of strawe. Othersome, although they stande furthermore some­what better to theyr tacklyng, yet by lit­tle and little thei waxe colde. That thing which commeth to passe, partly of vaine­nesse, partly of slouthfulnesse, and partly of earthly cares: the vnskilfull impute it to repentāce. And therfore least it might repent them to late of proceding to farre, they leape backe againe betimes. If any beynge dismayde, with feare of death or persecutions (which, the more pitie, hap­peneth to many) doo fall from the Gospel, vpon their inconstancie is framed a foun­dacion of Offence. Foule surely is theyr fall: but in what sorte so euer we denie Christe all of vs, shall he therefore denie him selfe? Nay rather he shall euermore remayne perfect, and alwaies from time [Page 70] to time neuerthelesse be like him selfe, as Paule also admonisheth. Farre other­wise it woulde become vs, to be reformed by suche exāples as these be: namely, that beynge warned of our weakenesse, we might carefully take hede, that the same happened not to vs. After the time that Paule had declared the Iewes to haue fallē from the fauour of God, he sheweth theyr fall to be so dreadful, that he exhor­teth and warneth others to beware. If then the fallyng away of one mā or twoo, doo vtterly dismaie them, whose careful­nesse ought to be quickened, when whole nations doo fayle, who would not impute the faulte to their peruerse iudgement? Notwithstandynge it is not my purpose to extenuate their fault, whiche as much as in thē lieth doo make féeble the weake soules. Onely I would admonish such as wauer when other fall, howe malicious this amazednesse is: he hath denied Christ who would haue thought it? He hath ta­ken his leaue of the Gospell, whome all men beleued to haue bene more firme thā a rocke. That man is nowe luke warme: & another is colder than Ise, when bothe [Page] of them were so feruent, that it was a wonder to sée. But they that so speake, doo not consider that some are therefore vanquished with feare of death, bicause they haue not as yet conceiued an assured hope of the life to come: & that othersome are stiffe for colde, bicause worldly cares doo alaye the heate of the spirite in them. But what booteth it vs to drawe vnto vs wilfully the infectiō of other mens disea­ses, seyng remedie is at hande, if it be not refused? why doo they not rather settle themselues in that so wholesome admo­nishmēt of Paule? For when he had spo­ken of Hymenaeus and Philetus, whose falling might haue striken great fearful­nesse into all the godly, by and by he ad­deth that, which was able to assure them vp. This seale remayneth: The Lorde knoweth who are his. Therefore let him depart from iniquitie, whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lorde. For asmuch as those twayne were knowen and no­table persones: Paule sawe it coulde not be, but that they by their headlonge fal­lyng, should compell some at least wise to wauer. Notwithstandinge, he exhorteth [Page 71] the chosen, to leane quietly vppon the de­fence of God: and he denieth, that there was any daunger of frettynge out the marke of saluation, which he had grauen in them: warnyng them by the way, that no man prophane the holy name of God, by counterfaite inuocatiō. Iohn also saw this stumblingblocke, to come through them, which by sheading abroade the ve­nim of their wicked doctrine, did at that time greatly anoye the Churche. But while he testifieth it so to come to passe, to the entent it shoulde be manifest that all are not of the companie of the Godly which take the name vpō them, he shew­eth therewithal a meane to ouercome the same stumblyngblocke, whiche mighte trouble many. What shall a man saye of Alexander the Copper smith? when of a noble disciple of Christe, he became first a renegate, and afterwarde a most deadly enemie, is he not set foorth for an example to others? What thinke ye of Demas? whē he embracyng this world did shame­fully forsake the Gospell, ought he to drawe the reste with him into the same Labyrinth? when in another place Paule [Page] maketh mention that he was forsaken of all men, doth he giue libertie to betraye the Gospel? when he complaineth that he was reiected of Phigelus, Hermogenes, and all the men of Asia, dothe he open a window of so wicked a departinge, vnto others? Nay rather, by such instructions all the Godly are awaked, to the entent their securitie shoulde not be in daunger of the Deuils deceites. They are cōman­ded to set before them, that euerlastynge signe of Gods election, in steade of a buk­lar against all assaultes, in such wise that they seale vp theyr faith also with a good conscience. For asmuch as I haue to doo with such kinde of mē, as wilbe counted Christians, to the entent I stande not o­uerlonge talkyng of the matter, let them reade the twoo Epistles of Paule to Ti­mothie: the which I suppose wil suffice to appease theyr mindes: onlesse peraduen­ture they will either turmoyle with thē ­selues for y^e nonce, or els séeke vaine pre­tences to fall from Christe wilfully. And surely with sounde & wise men this one thing wilbe able to vpholde theyr faith, y^e it were lewdly done to measure the eter­nall [Page 72] truth of God by y^e swimmyng incon­stancie of men. But thei y^t are so wittie to take libertie of sinnyng by euill exāples, why doo thei not obserue so many wōder­ful exāples of vnuincible cōstancie, which might woorthely stablish their faith amōg whatsoeuer stormes of temptatiōs. This our age hath séene good store of martyrs goe chierfully & vnfearfully to death. Nei­ther might men onely boaste themselues hereof, but in y^e womākinde also did God shew a strength surmoūtyng the strēgth of man. Surely y^e old stories doo not make reporte of any hartie women, whiche the women y^t Flaūders & the Countie of Ar­thoys hath brought foorth a tenne yéeres agoe, doo not matche. Shall then the false forsakyng of a few, ouerthrow our faith? shall that same holy bloud (whereof eue­ry droppe are seales to as many godly hartes,) vanish away without estimatiō or strength? Although it be so vile to thē, yet shall it not be without glorie before God. Neyther shall they scape vnpunis­shed for accompaniyng themselues wil­fully to their owne decaye, the miserable forsakers of Christe: and for neglectynge [Page] them that with stretched out handes call vs vnto Heauen.

I come to that let, which in our time hath kept many from cōmyng any thing neare to Christe. For they haue séene the chiefe Doctors of the newespringynge Churhe, not onely disagrée among them­selues in contrarie opinions, but also sharpely encounter one against another. Here a doubt entered into their mindes, how much thei were to be beleued that at the first beginnynge dissented. Yea and feare came vpon them, least they shoulde vnaduisedly leape so farre, as frō whence they mighte not retyre. Specially that same vnhappie contention as touchynge the Sacramentes, it can scarsly be expres­sed how many mens mindes it troubled. Howe singular a practise of Sathan this was to caste a chokepeare into fearefull consciences, I my selfe haue proued to mine owne harme. But like as I after­warde perceiued my selfe to haue bene rather hindred by mine owne fault, than withhelde by any iust cause, so I am not afraide to giue the same iudgement vpō all other men. I confesse there is in suche [Page 73] disagréements, that whiche maye perce those that be alreadie méetely well cōfir­med: and much more those that be vnskil­ful and nouices. But I say: men ought to gather their wittes about them, that thei may continewe in goyng towarde him, who is neuer sought in vaine. For it was not to the entent to deceiue vs, that he promised, that if we knocke it shalbe opened vnto vs: & that if we aske, it shall be giuen vnto vs. They whiche boaste themselues to be deteined still in Papi­strie, for the hatred they beare to the dis­sensions which they sée in our parte: haue no colour of excuse. I speake of a thyng to well knowen. There is no point of Reli­gion wherof their schoole diuines doo not dayly contende. How contrarie their opi­nions be, howe hatefully they sometime carpe, and sometime gyrde one another, theyr owne bookes beare witnesse. Yea rather they count it a glorious matter to professe diuerse sectes. And therefore the innumerable brawlinges and bickerings of the Papistes, doo nothing offende these good men: and yet one siely disagréement amonge vs, so woundeth them, that they [Page] vtterly abhorre frō al the whole doctrine. Surely in one thinge the Papistes are to agréeable, that is in bablynge who may bable moste against the Gospell, no lesse leudly than stubburnely mainteyninge theyr owne wicked superstitions. But when they come amonge themselues a­gaine, they doo nothynge els than striue one against another with hoarce and cō ­fused chattering. I know that the Mōkes and other bablers of the same heare, are so brazen faced, and so farre paste all shame, y^t they scarre the siely people from takyng any tast of the Gospell, chiefly by this reason, bicause we are not fully a­greed amonge our selues. As though the walles of schooles did not sounde agayne of theyr contentions. As though all their bookes (as is aforesaide) were not stuffed with repugnant sentences. But I mar­uell not that they doo so malapertly, who take lamentable wickednesse for ver­tue. But howe commeth it to passe, that well sighted men, (to whome none of these thinges y^t I speake of is vnknowē,) doo pretende thēselues to be moued with this Argument? Is not this as muche as [Page 74] to shunne the light of set purpose? And in so doyng they vaunt of their owne wise­dome, that they entangle not themselues in daungerous dissentions: deridyng thē as takinge no héede, who neuerthelesse dare séeke the way of Saluation. But, in asmuch as I sée no better remedie to cor­rect theyr pryde with, than to set them lighte: I turne me to the simple, who knowyng their owne vnskilfulnesse, had rather absteyne from desire of scarchyng out the truthe, than to put themselues in perill of errynge. When on the one side Luther, and on the other side Oecolampa­dius & Zwinglius, employed theyr labour earnestly to restore Christes kingdome, that same vnhappie contention, concer­nynge the holy Supper of the Lorde, rose priuely vp, into the societie wherof many others were drawen. That from the con­flict of these graunde Capitaynes, there came fearfulnesse into the hartes of the rawe Souldiers, it is more to be lamen­ted than to be wōdered at, notwithstan­dinge the rawe Souldiers are to be ad­monished, that they be not troubled out of measure, in asmuche as it is an aūcient [Page] pollicie of Sathan, to drawe the seruants of God (otherwise well minded,) to strife amonge them selues, to the entēt he may hinder the course of the wholesome doc­trine: who would willingly yéelde to the snares of the Deuill? So the dissension betwene Paule & Barnabas, procéeded euen to open defiance. So the dissention betwene the same Paule and Peter, did burst out into manifest conflict. In these thrée, al men acknowledge (as I sayd) the pollicie of Sathan: and why thē are they blinde in this present businesse, where theyr owne saluation is handled? Some [...] will make exceptions, that those cō ­tentions were not touching the doctrine. What? when some woulde néedes haue the Ceremonies of Moyses lawe kepte still, did not the doctrine come in questiō? But the Scisme procéeded so farre foorth, that it deuided in maner al the Churches: will thei say it had bene méete the Gospel should haue bene reiected, for that dissen­tions sake? It is well knowen that Lu­ther, and they that stoode in contention with him, were wise men, and garnished with singular giftes of God. In y^e whole [Page 75] summe of godlinesse thei agreed wonder­full well. They taught, as it were with one mouth, which was the right and sin­cere woorshippe of God: to purge the same from innumerable superstitions & Idola­tries, & to set it from mens leude gloses, was theyr whole endeuour. Ouerthrow­yng the affiance in woorkes, wherewith miserable men were made dronken and altogither bewitched, they taught that al Saluation was layde vp in the grace of Christe. The powre of Christe which ey­ther had bene cast vnder foote, or els laye drowned, they nobly aduaunced againe. Which is the true order of callynge vpon God, what is the operacion and nature of Repentance, wherof faith springeth, and what fruites it bringeth foorth, whiche is the lawfull gouernement of the Church, they teache without any variablenesse at all. Onely in the Sacraments there was some disagreemēt. And yet I dare auouch this without rashnesse, that vnlesse theyr mindes had bene partly exasperate with ouermuch earnestnesse of the contentiōs, and partly filled with wronge suspitiōs, the controuersie was not so greate, but [Page] that it might easely haue bene recōciled. But if in that heate of disputation, the controuersie could not be discussed order­ly as it shoulde be, what letteth nowe at leastwise, but that the turmoyle beynge pacified, the simple truth should be heard? We agrée very well amonge vs vpō the true vse of the Sacramentes. We doo all in generall affirme that the Sacraments were for this purpose instituted, to seale vp the promises of God in our hartes, to be furtherers of our fayth, and to be wit­nesse of Goddes grace: we aduisedly shew that they are not emptie or naked & dead figures: seyng that the vse of thē through the power of the holy Ghost is effectuall, and that God by the secrete woorkyng of the same holy Ghost, doth truly performe whatsoeuer he thereby declareth. And therefore we confesse that the Bread and Wine in the Supper of our Lorde, are not emptie pawnes or tokens of the Cō ­munion, whiche the faithfull haue with Christe theyr head: bicause our soules en­ioye him as their spirituall foode. Of all these y^e doctrine is agreable in all places. What so great stūblingblocke doo prouds [Page 76] men finde in this behalfe, that shoulde stoppe vp the way of the Gospell? But in definyng the way, the maner is somwhat diuers. I cōfesse surely that all mē speake not so distinctly as were to be wisshed: ei­ther bicause euery man hath not the like gifte to dispute plainely and cléerely, or els bicause that all haue not atteined one measure of faith. Whereas there remay­neth as yet much of the thicke darkenesse of the Papistrie, if it be troublesome to a­ny man to haue it narrowly and plainely set foorth, whatsoeuer maketh to the dis­cussing of the darknesse of theyr errours, he bewrayeth him selfe to be a malitious shunner of the light. Now whiles we lift men from the earth to heauen: while we carry thē from dead elementes to Christ, bicause we ascribe the cause of rightuous­nesse, saluation, and all good thinges to his mere grace: while we ascribe to the holy Ghost al the efficacie of the signes or Sacramentes: & like as God is the onely authour and performer of spirituall life, we chalenge wholy vnto him that which is his owne: while we reiect al grosse glo­ses, wherewith it is manifest that the [Page] worlde hath bene deluded: while we take away the carnall maner of Christes pre­sence, and the peruerse woorshippyng of him in the Sacrament: They that make a stumblyng blocke thereof, for asmuch as they wittingly and willingly stumble at Christe, they are woorthie to crush them­selues togither. I haue proued in this cace, that there are many which take de­light to pretēde Offences, bicause it plea­seth them to be blinde in the light.

Moreouer, that whiche I haue briefly touched before, is to be called to remem­brance, that although alteratiō of things doo minister occasion of many faultes: yet euery thinge is wonte to be noted more narrowly, and to be founde faulte with more streightly, if ought be then amisse: than if no alteration had happened at all. How déepe a goulfe of ignorance was in the Papistrie, howe horrible the miste of their errours was, it maketh vs astonied to remember. It was a great miracle of God, that Luther and others that labored with him in restorynge the doctrine of godlinesse, could by little and little wade out of it. Diuers doo cauill that they are [Page 77] offended, and come not to the Gospell, or els procéede not in theyr race already be­gonne, bicause they haue not séene all thinges at one instāt: and bicause so high a piece of woorke was not polisshed euery inche of it at the first daye, who seeth not howe excessiue this deintinesse is? For thei doo in likewise, as if a man should ac­cuse vs, that at the first dawnynge of the day, we doo not yet sée the noone Sunne. Nothyng is more common than these cō ­plaintes, why was not exactly prescribed vnto vs by and by, what it behoued vs to followe? why was this hidden more than other thinges? shall there be any ende at all, if it be suffred from time to time to procéede any further? Undoubtedly they that talke so, doo either enuie that the ser­uauntes of God shoulde profite, or els it grieueth them y^t the kingdome of Christe is promooted to better & better. The same waywardnesse appeareth in euery small trifle: whiche although they deserue not to be so lightly pardoned: yet they ought not to exasperate vs in such sorte that we should lothe the Gospell. Let the Monkes & other Maisters of the popish Synagoge [Page] bable neuer so vnsauerie old wiues tales, let them deforme the Scripture with ne­uer so absurde gloses: and these good men can finde in their hartes to beare with all this. But if any thinge happen to passe from any of our sort not so aptly applied, they alledge that they are kept from hea­ryng vs, as it were by some heynous Of­fence, odious to God and man. They pa­tiētly beare with wrestinge the testimo­nies of the Scriptures, with sentēces il­fauoredly hangynge togither, and with friuolous reasons in their olde writers: But if they finde the hundreth parte in the writynges of our men, they will not onely condemne vs all which shalbe gilt­lesse, but also they will counte the whole doctrine to be woorthie to be absteyned fro. Neuerthelesse I doo not here take vpō me the cace of such as by scriblynge doo a­laye their owne itche. For it is to be wis­shed, that such as are of that sorte, should giue ouer blurryng of paper. But euē as I graunt not that the foolishe toyes of a fewe are parcially to be cherisshed: euē so all men sée how vnrightful a thinge it is, that for wearinesse hereof, all the whole [Page 78] doctrine of the Gospel should be made vn­sauerie. It is vndoubtedly true that I haue saide before, that in the middes of the light of the Gospell, are more cléerely perceiued the thinges that erst lay hidde in the darke night. But to winke wil­lingly & carelesly at all maner of faultes in the one partie, whereas in the other ye searche ouer narrowly for thinges to carpe at: I say is the propertie of one that desirously coueteth & forgeth to him selfe stūblingblockes. For the Offence whiche is ministred to thē by the liuinge of some not correspondent to theyr profession, groweth not vpon any other grounde. If the life of them onely which boaste them­selues to be folowers of the Gospel were corrupt and dissolute, the cause of their Offence might be déemed more beauti­full. But seyng that wickednesse floweth generally, almoste through the whole worlde, what shall we saye, but that that olde complainte of the Poete dothe well agrée to our age also. The age of our pa­rentes worse than the time of our graūd­fathers, hath engendred vs lewder than themselues, who ere it be lōge shall leaue [Page] a more sinfull ofspringe after vs. And to what purpose pertaineth that warnynge of Christe: that the latter age shal be like the time of Noe, and that there shalbe an horrible floudde of iniquitie, wherewith the earth shoulde be ouerwhelmed, but that such a poole of wickednesses, shoulde sharpen the desire of hastinge, to suche as of theyr owne accorde are makinge haste towarde Christe? For this purpose ma­keth also (as I saide before) the iuste pu­nishment for despisinge the Gospell. For they that haue abused so holy a treasure, who can denie but they haue deserued, that the Lorde should cast them into a re­probate minde, to geue ouer themselues to all kinde of wickednesse. And it is not otherwise to be hoped, but that mē should euerywhere more & more waxe Heathen like, of whome we sée fewe frée from this sacriledge. Howbeit, I adde another cause to these causes aboue sayd: namely, that they are malicious and wrongefull iudges, whome the vices of men doo driue from the Gospell. They say howe diuers doo behaue themselues neither godly nor honestly, whiche glory in the Gospell. [Page 79] But this question shoulde haue bene de­maunded of them first, whither the Gos­pell chaūged them to the worse? He that was a whoremonger (say they) or a dicer, or otherwise dissolute of liuynge, is the same man he was still at this daye. Uere­ly the vices which in Papistrie thei beare with, they beginne to detest so sodeinly, that for hatred of them they abhorre the very doctrine of holynesse and innocēcie. I feare not, that they whiche by their fil­thie & wicked life, doo dishonour the Gos­pel, should thinke me to be their patrone. And therefore (I suppose) I shall haue the more libertie to rebuke them, that impute all the corruptnesse of the Papacie to the Gospell. If there be any holinesse there, the Monkes, by consent of them all, doo chalenge it to them without all contro­uersie. And why shoulde they not? when in their Cloysters is resident an angeli­call perfection? But for all that, we haue not from any other place a more filthie puddle of all vices. If any mā will replie, that since from thence onely come impo­stumes, it is no maruell if they sende foorth their stinche wheresoeuer they be­come: [Page] it is an easie matter for me to wash away such a friuolous slaunder. For first and formest if any goodnesse were there, it is most certaine, that by the wonderful prouidence of God it was brought out, as golde should be brought out of a dūg­hill. What Monkes had Germanie in our age, that eyther in doctrine or holinesse, may be bolde to cōpare themselues with Luther, Bucer, Oecolampadius and suche like, onlesse they doo it without all respect of shame? whome shall the Italians set a­gaynst Bernardine Ochine, or Peter Ver­mill? Also out of the Cloisters of Fraūce there issewed diuers, who with their brightnesse might haue shadowed many reproches and shames of their order. I confesse there were but fewe that turned from their Monkerie vnto vs, who are woorthie to be named for honours sake. And what wōder is it though many An­gels come not out of Hell. In that onely Loth of all the Sodomites escaped aliue, we doo woorthely attribute it to the excel­lent power of God. But what Sodom e­uer was there fraughted with so many monsters of filthinesse, as swarme at this [Page 80] day in the dennes of Monkes? And ther­fore am I wonte to say: if the tenth parte of them that fléete thence vnder the name of Christianitie, doo giue thēselues truly to Christe, the world goeth very well on our side. But rather we dayly sée Christe defrauded of his tenthes: in so much that scarce the twentie parte commeth to his share. Suche of them as giue occasion of Offence, I say not that they are so muche lewde of nature, and ill spokē of for their owne faultes, as hated for their filthie & wicked trayninge vp in Monkerie. For in that thei be slouthful bellies, & scoldes, and falseharted, and vnthankefull, and vnnurtred, and busibodies, and filchers, and of slauishe nature, and lecherous, doo not all these thinges smell of their Cloy­ster trade of liuing? Euery seuerall order hath seueral rules sequestred and distinct one from another: howbeit the common rule well néere of them all, is patched to­gither of those vertues whiche I haue re­hersed. For if the best whiche God hath drawē out of that myre, doo acknowledge the skurfe that they haue there taken, to sticke so faste by them, that they must la­bour [Page] from daye to daye in wipinge away the reffuse: a mā may iudge how sore the the infection reigneth amonge the cōmon sorte. Then let those, whome suche kinde of Offences hinder, receiue that is their owne, and they shal finde the way plaine & leuell. Surely if I were a magistrate, and that I had sufficient goodes to main­teine the charges thereof, I would neuer set at libertie a Monke new crepte out of his denne, vnder halfe a yéeres triall at the least, and that shoulde be thorowly done to, ere he should vse the cōmon trade of liuyng and societie of men: and as ma­ny as I sawe clad still in their Monkishe wéede, I woulde either shut them vp in prisons, or els sende them away as vnru­ly beastes into some wilde forest. More­ouer to washe from the Papacie, the fil­thinesse whiche is knowen to be proper vnto it, and to laye them vpon the name of the Gospell, is a point of to much slaū ­derousnes. But why doo I dispute of one kinde? For if the Papists obiect to vs the dissolute liuynge and scarce honest beha­uiour of a fewe men, we maye of as good righte and better, returne the same and [Page 81] greater reproches by double vpon them. Would God they gaue vs not so plenti­ful matter. It is to no purpose to tel how fréely whoredome reigneth among them without punishment: what libertie there is of scoldynge and quarrelyng: howe all kinde of wantonnesse is permitted com­mōly: with how great reioycemēt reigne amonge them lawlesse pompes, vnchaste daūcinges, and other thinges of the same sorte. Surely there is none of all these thinges, whiche (that I may glory after a sober maner) is not prohibited among vs by publicke proclamacions, & restreined by some discipline. Wherefore it is not to be feared, if we be cōpared with the Pa­pistes, that we should be founde fully as ilfauored as they. When we remember our euill doynges, there is cause why we should be greatly ashamed. But (which is a thinge to be lamented,) theyr extreame filthinesse maketh vs to séeme almost good and vndefiled men. It is a wonder there­fore that they, who are so coye in bearing with the vices of our mē, should be steele­harted in sufferynge the wickednesses of the cōtrarie part. Wherin they not onely [Page] doo vs wronge, but also are most vnthāk­full to God. For in the meane time they passe ouer very many examples of rare godlinesse, holinesse, & all other vertues: whereby it became them rather to be pro­uoked to the loue and reuerent feare of the Gospell, than for the faultes of some to be moued to hatred or contempt of it. They alledge that not many amended, since they professed the Gospell. But I pray you, how many may we bring foorth of the contrarie parte, whose wonderfull conuersion dothe beautifie our Gospell? And seynge they enforce vs to gloriyng, which so maliciously doo darken the glory of the Gospell, there is no region whiche doth not dayly beholde princely triūphes of our doctrine in this behalf. The aduer­saries themselues also, although they dis­semble it, yet are they ready to burste for madnesse, bicause they sée men, who here­tofore were giuen to riotte, wantōnesse, vnchastnesse, vaine pompes of the world, couetousnesse, & rauin, nowe wholy fra­med to sobernesse, temperance, chastitie, modestie, and vpright dealynge. And if they séeke at our handes for such as haue [Page 82] ledde the whole processe of theyr life con­tinually in vertue and glorious fame, we are not destitute of a very great number of suche. I could name a great sorte, who excellinge sometime with high cōmenda­ciō in the Papistrie, doo now sithens they were endewed by God with pure know­ledge of his Gospell, by expressinge the li­uely image of vertue in their life, shewe thēselues to haue had no more but a sha­dow of it before. But least this talke may for some appearance of boastynge be odi­ous, I will conclude shortly. If the exam­ples both of men & women doo throughly moue any bodie: singular godlynesse te­stified as well in death as life, vpright­nesse, chastitie, and temperance, ought to be much more auaileable towarde the cō ­firmacion of the faith, than it were méete that the disordered life of othermē should anoye it.

Now let vs passe to the laste sorte of Offences: which I saide to consiste partly of surmised slaunders, & partly to spryng of malicious cauillatiōs, which frowarde mē fetchyng a farre of, doo vniustly wrest vpon the Gospell. Of slaūders I purpose [Page] to speake this before: that is no maruell if lewde persones by spreadyng them farre abroade, endeauour to ouerthrowe the credite of our doctrine amōge the simple. For it is not conuenient that we shoulde be exempted from the common law of the seruauntes of God. Surely Paule was not so waywarde to make those com­plaintes for nothinge, whiche are to be séene euerywhere in his wrytinges. Ma­ny things, of his wisedome he suppressed with silence: many thinges, of his mode­stie he did forgiue: many thinges, of his noble courage he swallowed vp and sayd nothyng: and yet we sée how often he cō ­playneth that he was spightfully slaūde­red through the congregacions. I speake of sinistre backebitinges, wherewith ma­licious persones did burthen him, beyng absent & knowynge not of it, before per­sones to light of credite, vnskilfull of all thinges, and ignorant of the truthe. For it is to well knowen how the seruauntes of God, yea & the Sonne of God too, haue with open slaunders bene openly assaul­ted. But the Deuill when he seeth he can profite nothing by open assault, assayleth [Page 83] the good name of the godly priuely, as it were by mynes. Therefore when Paule was goynge of his harde souldierfare in countries farre of: when through a thou­sande daungers he endeuored to enlarge the kingdome of Christe: hauinge conti­nuall conflictes with sundry enemies, rū ­nynge hither and thither of purpose & de­sire to gather natiōs farre distant asun­der, into the vnitie of the faith: cowardly and currish whisperers burdened him be­hinde his backe with vndeserued slaun­ders. Whiche of vs maye require to haue his good name vntouched of all y^e snatch­ynges of wicked men, seyng that Paules purenesse of liuinge was not able to de­fende him? Yea rather (as he witnesseth him selfe to haue done) let vs goe through with vnapalled courage by infamie or good name. For it is no lesse behouefull for the seruauntes of Christe, to set light by slaunderous reportes: than to be frée frō the enticementes of vaineglorie. For Sathan by burthenyng thē with wrong­full misdéemynges, séeketh eyther to breake, or (at leastwise) to hinder their chéerefulnesse in doynge well. But like [Page] as it is nothinge conuenient y^e we should be moued out of our standynge, as often as we are ill spoken of for doynge well: so they are not troubled but by their own faulte, who in admittynge whisperinges and false accusations doo shewe thēselues to light of beliefe. Howe many thinges did the enemies of Luther surmise & in­uent vpon him, bothe in sermons & bookes that they put foorth, by the space of whole fiue & twentie yéeres togither? There are nolies so prodigious which thei durst not forge and blaste out against vs. Picart a doctor of Paris, a man of a troublesome brayne, and therewithall frentike, (but yet of suche estimacion amonge his owne sort, that al his olde wiues tales are coū ­ted for Oracles,) as he playde the dronkē bedlem, accordynge to his custome in the pulpit, was so bolde to say, that we vtter­ly denied there was any God. Undoub­tedly he is not ignorant y^t he lieth shame­fully: but for asmuche as such mē are pur­posed and bente to assaulte vs by any meanes that may be, they thinke the law in their owne handes, to blab out against vs, whatsoeuer may cause vs to be beha­ted. [Page 84] And surely seyng they know as well as maye be, that they are destitute of all reason, (but if they make the miserable people as very doltes as themselues:) it is no maruell that they are compelled of necessitie to abuse that for a shifte. How­beit whatsoeuer it pleaseth them to sur­mise, yea euen without colour, ought not foorthwith to obteine so greate credite. But it is so ordinarie, that it is counted for lawfull. If I shoulde make rehersall how many absurde & childishe toyes they haue deuised of me: it were daunger least I should wrappe my selfe in theyr folies. I saye no more but this: if there be suche lawe determined against vs, that y^e more vnbrydled and vnshamefast our enemies be to belie vs, so much shoulde the cace of the Gospell be the worse, and so muche of the credite thereof should be abated: there is no cause why so wrongful iudges may cōplaine, that stumblingblockes are caste in their waye, whiche they shewe to be a thinge of their owne voluntarie séekyng: and we may saufely saye with Paule: he that is ignorāt, let him be ignorant still.

I come to another spice of backbityng, [Page] whiche not onely cōmeth out of the same woorkehouse of Sathan, but also is forged almost vpon the same stithie. This onely difference there is, that those former, of whome I haue spoken, beynge open and sworne enemies, doo diffame the Gospell in their ministers to the people: and these of whome I purpose to speake hereafter, doo so winde themselues in, vnder the name of the Gospell, that neuerthelesse by ouerthwart murmuringe, they with­drawe as many as thei can from Christe. These are partely hungerstoruen vaga­bondes, whiche will ouerwhelme thée with carteloades of slaūders, if thou cram not full theyr gorges: and partly naugh­tie lewde fellowes, who being dispatched from our companie for their owne fault, or els depriued of some office for ill do­ynge, hunte for a new liuyng in another corner: and yet bothe sortes of them haue theyr mindes and tōgues in their bellie. Othersome, beinge a little more deintie, as not so much pinched with hunger, and yet shunnyng the Crosse, to the entent to haue a cloke for theyr cowardlinesse, doo ouerloade the pure doctrine of the Gospel [Page 85] with fables, feined by themselues. I sayd a little before howe there are a great nū ­ber of Dranes that roue abroade, to gette somewhat by pilferie, or by deceite. Such beyng now so knowē by their owne pac­kinges, that they can finde place no more to beguile folke in y^e Churches of Christe: departinge aside some otherwhere, doo power out any thinge they can imagine against vs impudently, to the entent to get themselues fauour, by bringynge vs in hatred with the vnskilfull. But what will those good men prescribe vs, whiche conceiue cause of Offence vpon their va­nitie. We sée asseheaded Mōkes, who yet were wont to stuffe the paunche, that if yée cram not meate into their mouthes, by and by they waxe firie to sanctifie bat­tell (as the Prophete termeth it.) We sée others also not vnlike the Monkes. They promisse all to become halfe Angelles, so they may happen vpō a measurable trade of liuinge, sayinge they wilbe contented with bread and water. But that same bragge of sufferance, anone after vanis­sheth into smooke. And they themselues after they haue within a while giuen a [Page] proofe of their slouthfulnesse, beinge wea­ry of woorke, steale priuely awaye. I con­fesse, that many hauyng desired a state of liuinge in vaine, (as it must néedes come to passe, where many come flockinge to aske at ones) doo departe. And I am not harde to beleue, but that some are not so liberally helped, who notwithstandinge were more woorthy of reliefe: either bi­cause in men vnknowen so exact choyse can not be had, or els bicause those that be the bolder sorte in crauinge, take vp the place before the fearefull and shamefaste doo come: or bicause we doo not euer iudge rightly, or bicause that beyng néere spent with giuinge out, we are compelled to sende away either emptie, or at leastwise slenderly relieued, suche as come out of season. And yet such as should haue som­what more colour, haue also come sieldo­mer, and speake more gently. The com­plaintes of the other sorte flie abroade e­uerywhere. And what maner of ones be they? Bespred with most mōstruous lies. Howbeit muche more lewdely doo they rayle, whiche beinge either driuen hence for their misbehauiour, or drawen hence [Page 86] by false reniyng, doo hauke for the fauour of richemen by slaunderous meanes, to the entēt to fill their mawe with likkyng their disshes. For this is not hidden, that there are many founde which would de­sire to haue the Gospell quiet for them, and frée frō all trouble: when as they are ashamed to confesse the truthe, howe the feare of the Crosse doth let them that thei cannot satisfie the Christian profession. If there be any vices in the Churches of Christe, they couet to enquyre them out, that they may not séeme tied to their nest without cause. Uerely (saye they) if in vs be reprehended clokinge of Idolatrie, in other places also is neuerthelesse cōmit­ted offence diuers wayes. And still they séeke pretence by their lies, whiche it is moste certaine to be forged by suche var­lettes, in fauour of them. It liketh me to alledge briefly two or thrée examples, to the entent that hereafter no man be de­ceiued, except it be wittingly & willing­ly. There was one Cortese minister of the woorde in the coūtie of Monsbergard: who beinge driuen from thence, went to Neoconium: where findyng colder enter­tainement [Page] than he hoped for, to the entēt he might reuenge him selfe, beinge fur­thered with the helpe of certaine like him selfe, he did many and great displeasures to the godly brethren. Howbeit findinge him selfe at length discouraged, he craued forgiuenesse humbly (which is an ordina­rie with those foxes) and through his de­ceitefull pretence of repentance, he not onely pacified the displeased brethren, but also at such time, as he fained him self to be doubtfull in certaine questions, ob­teyned their letters vnto me, wherein they desired me friendly, that I woulde goe about to resolue him. I entertainyng the man at mine owne table, hearde him patiently: in so muche that with aboun­dance of teares he affirmed al scruples to be nowe voyded from him. At his depar­ture also I gaue him wherewith to beare his charges by the waye. From that time foorth gaddinge ouer all Fraunce, he cea­sed not to speake euill of me like a lewde fellow. Another I knowe not of what countrey (who had giuen him self a name of the Cornell trée,) beynge accused to haue done diuers thinges vnséemely for [Page 87] the seruaunt of Christ, was by the iudge­ment of the conuocation of Lausan, com­maunded to suspende his ministerie, vn­till his cace were tried better. Anone af­ter as he carried letters to Berue, suspec­tinge they were not made as he woulde wish, he deliuered other of his owne coū ­terfettinge: and vnderstandyng that his lewdenesse was founde out, bicause he coulde not washe his handes of the mat­ter, he tooke his héeles into another quar­ter. And all these thinges were done in mine absence without my knowledge. Nowe he reporteth euery where that I draue him out by force, bicause he refused to subscribe to mine Heresies. Another who was to great a tauerne hunter, be­inge sharply rebuked by me, neuer lefte feastyng and banquettinge by stelth, vn­till he was runne very sore in dette: whē leauinge his householde he crept priuely away. I was gone of a iourney to Argē ­tine. There was betwene vs no variāce, no suspition of Offence, but that I had a while bene a let that he cast not him selfe away. And bicause he had bene of the co­uent of the Austine Friers, he walked [Page] vp and downe before their denne, decla­ringe lamentably that he was banished, bicause that he also had withstood my He­resies. But I doo not so much passe for the lewdnesse of him & suche as he is, as this vnwoorthinesse grieueth me, that the good Fathers, who dayly learne out of our Bookes, doo not sticke in steade of rewar­dinge vs, to charge vs with the offences which thei haue drawen out of those their owne puddels. But I play the foole in bu­siynge both my selfe and the Readers, in gathering these huskes togither: but that it behooued as it were to be represented in the persones of a fewe, what is wonte to be done of most men euery where and dayly. Towarde some we are to rough & vnappeasable. But it were good to know what maner of Clemencie they require at our hādes: we being wrongfully hurte doo forgiue, and take no reuengement, though it be in our hande to doo it. This is not inoughe for them: but they will moreouer be receiued into our bosoomes, none otherwise than if they had alwaies bene most faithfull vnto vs: what a thing is this? That beinge deceiued, betrayed, [Page 88] and cruelly misused, we shoulde not be bolde to looke to our selues afterwarde. But it repenteth them. Uerely, being ve­ry Crocodiles, they will with one little teare purchace credite of goodnesse. This therfore, is that our vncourtuous rigour, that we doo not wilfully yéelde our selues to thē to cut our throtes. But I let passe to speake of our priuate iniuries. God shalbe greatly offended: an open faulte & of very ill example shalbe commmitted, yea and some shall heape wickednesse vpon wickednesse: beinge conuicted they con­fesse tone halfe of the faulte themselues. And yet when they haue confessed, if all thinges be not in as good state with them as if they had neuer done amisse, they crie out, that by our rigorousnesse they are driuen to despayre. I say that repentance beyng so holy a thing, cannot be estéemed vpon colde signes. To goe further with them, what repentāce boast they of, who are so smally humbled with the acknow­ledgyng of theyr faulte, that within thrée daies after they dare with a brasen face vaunt themselues in the pulpit? It was the fasshion of Monkes to kéepe secrete [Page] what wickednesse so euer was in theyr fellowes for reuerēce of their order. Ma­ny woulde wishe that this custome were brought into the Church of Christe. But I holde opinion that there can no better prouiso be made for y^e honour of the Chri­stian name, than if the Temple of God be cleane purged from filthinesse.

But nowe I haue spente to many woordes in repeating the slaūders, wher­with suche varlets as are departed from amonge vs, doo through my sides ouer­thwartly wounde the Gospell: I returne againe to the generall slaunders, where­with the manifest and sworne enemies doo opēly assault the doctrine. This is the slaunder most frequented amonge them: that we vnder pretence of Christian li­bertie, doo set frée all thinges at the luste of our selues and of other men: and that our doctrine tendeth to none other ende, but that men beinge loosened from lawe, & awe, shoulde take theyr pleasure with­out measure or modestie. What our doc­trine conteineth, large volumes are able to shewe. But ye may vnderstand that it is as frée for our enemies to lie, before [Page 89] them that are kepte from readinge our writinges, as it is superfluous for vs to make excuse before the Readers. Neuer­thelesse, first I woulde know what yoke of discipline it is a Gods name, that is so grieuous, that it cōpels vs to flie to this sanctuarie. For the rigorousnesse of the Papacie was neuer yet so great, but that it was lawfull there to goe a whorehun­tinge, to daūce, to excéede vnmeasurably in all riottousnesse, to feast and banquet, to play at dice, and by all meanes to vse misbehauiour through the whole yéere: condicionally that once after yéerely par­don, those that had liued so lewdly, dis­charged their stomacke into the Masse­mongers eare, as it were by vomittinge after a surfet. To what purpose thē was it, to séeke this last remedie of despayre, in suche dissolute licētiousnesse? Certein­ly if there were any, neuer so desirous of alteration, yet they neuer began to make a doo, before they were past all hope of cō ­passinge theyr desire otherwise. Nowe there coulde not any vnruly or wanton desire haue tickled vs, whiche might not haue bene borne with, vnpunished vnder [Page] the Papacie. But the blowers abroade of the praise of the Papacie, are too too muche to be laughed at, while they preache their streight orders of discipline, as if they were the lawes of Sparta. For who wold beléeue a Monke with plumpe and ruddie chéekes, boasting of his fastinge? who cā thinke that they are sparinge, who are e­uerywhere knowen to be drowned in ruffianrie? To conclude in one woorde, almoste all the popishe Clergie, is a wide sinke of all kindes of wickednesse, which doth not onely breath out his stinch farre and wide, but dothe also infect with his deadly venim all other orders or degrées of the worlde. But admit we graunt that all thinges are ordered holyly and chast­ly amonge them. Yet for that thei say we loosen and set at large the chastitie of ma­ners, which men were streightly bounde vnto by their lawes: I will appeale to none other witnesses, for the disprouinge of this lie, than those whiche are dayly quarelynge with vs, complayninge that al their olde libertie is taken from them. I will saye nothinge but that whiche is throughly knowen to all men. As many [Page 90] amonge vs as being lecherous, riottouse, or lewde, couet to doo as they liste, ye should saye they be the very Souldiers of the Pope hyred to assaulte the Gospell. Neyther dissemble they the cause, that they cānot away with this auncient and sadde seueritie (as they terme it,) whiche earst lay hidde in olde forworne papers. The rage of these men at least wise were to be pacified, to the entent these good de­fenders of chastitie might perswade that we giue the fleashe as muche libertie as it will craue. But for asmuch as they kicke and spurne so much against our rigorous­nesse, to whom the discipline of Papistrie was swéete and delectable, it may be easie for any man to gather hereby, that our doctrine is farre wide frō that vnbridled parcialitie, whereof they accuse it. Naye rather many of the Papistes doo aggra­uate this spight vpon our doctrine, that it taketh almost all mirth and gladnesse out of the worlde.

Thrée thinges specially they obiect a­gainst vs: wherin they accuse vs to couet a licentiousnesse of doynge what we list. Bicause we haue abrogated auricular cō ­fession: [Page] bicause forbiddinge of meates is condemned: & bicause we make frée vnto all men the vse of Mariage. Thei crie out that shamefastnesse is taken out of the worlde, but if the necessitie of confessinge bridle it. Uerely it is a wonderous thinge that the spirite of God, neither in the old Church, nor of many ages after Christes comminge, did vse this brydle. Shall we then say, that all that time wāted shame­fastnesse, when holynesse, chastitie, and all vertues florisshed chiefly? Albeit the rigour of discipline were at that time ex­céedinge sharpe, yet notwithstandynge there was not this bridle, without the whiche these good patrones of modestie thinke nothinge should be in sauftie. But it is most false whiche they boaste of, that the lustes of men are hereby restrayned. For who seeth not, that in like maner as dronken men doo ease themselues by vo­mit, to the entent that anone after, as if they were fresh and fastyng they may re­turne to glutting thēselues new againe: Euen so the Papistes vtter their secreate whisperinges into the Priestes eare, to the entent that beyng lightened of theyr [Page 91] former fardell, they maye more boldely heape sinne vpon sinne. They pretende by their woordes, to cōfesse themselues to God. But I saye it is the common intent of them all, to disclose their priuities co­uertly to the Prieste, to the entent they may be hidden from God and man. And therefore we see that after they are dis­patched of their théeuishe mumbling, thei follow theyr lustes farre more carelesly than before. But let vs graunt them that some are so kept in awe with that slauish feare, that they absteine from sinninge: yet inferre they slaunderously vppon vs, that we séeke fleashly libertie in this be­halfe. We condēne the lawe of Innocent, whiche bindeth the consciences with the necessitie, from which God absolueth and setteth frée. Let them reason the matter with God, who so precisely forbiddeth that any man shoulde snarle him selfe in suche snares, or suffer the soules whiche Christe hath redéemed with his bloud, to be snarled. We say it procéeded of trayte­rous boldnesse, y^t the Remission of sinnes was bounde to the deuice of man. If we cannot auouche vnto Christe, his right & [Page] honour, otherwise than by takinge vpon vs this reproche whiche they charge vs with: it is verely the greatest honour to vs that maye be. Assuredly they are per­uerse & lewde, which thereupon conceiue cause of Offence. For the takinge awaye of difference of meates, the excuse is rea­die and easie to make. They say that the raine is let lose to the fleash to waxe wā ­ton intemperately, bicause it is permit­ted to eate fleash as well vpon the friday as the monday. As who would say, there were no riot or excesse, saue in eatinge of fleash. Furthermore, who knoweth not, that alwaies the deintiest fare hath euer bene of fishe? and that at this day, the kit­chens neuer smooke better, nor the tables are more busily laide, or furnished with more plentie and varietie, than vpō fishe­daies? Awaye with those toyes: that we allure simple soules with delicates. For the question in variance betwene vs is not of delicate meates. But the Papistes, whereas they cā with al their hartes suf­fer the gull to be glutted vpon the friday with all superfluitie and swéetenesse of meates, (fleash onely excepted:) affirme it [Page 92] vnlawfull to touche porke or beofe: & we leaue to euery mans conscience the liber­tie that God hath graunted. Therefore we dare determine, that there is no more religiō in vile inwardes of beastes, than in a fishe sumptuously sauced. Surely a spare and sober diet, as becōmeth vs, we commende: neither shall any man finde that our wrytinges or sermons doo euen thus muche beare with excesse. But ra­ther euery side of a leafe of our wrytings shall witnesse with vs, that we are some­what aboue the Papistes in enforcinge men to temperance. And takinge away the superstition of the day, we teach that it is lawfull to vse sparely and thriftely, such things as by Gods benefite we haue in store. What swéetenesse of libertie is there so great herein, that it shoulde in­force vs to turne y^e world vpside downe? Surely if I were minded to delight my mouth, I would for one halfe yéere, choose me other maner of meates rather than fleash. My acquaintance know I am very much delighted in fish, and certeine other thinges, frō which I willingly absteine, least I shoulde bie my delicates with the [Page] losse of my health. I confesse it is a fond­nesse, to confute suche slender slaunders. But my Readers must beare with me, if in settinge my selfe against Offences, I play the foole a little. Wherefore it née­deth not to tarrie any lengar, about these toyes. For this part of doctrine whiche I intreate of, consisteth of two members. We vpholde that it is vnlawfull for the consciences to be entangled with mans lawes, which should be ruled by the one­ly woorde of God. Although that nothing were more profitable than this kinde of exercise: yet not withstandynge we say it is a wicked boldnesse, when men make a lawe to binde the soules with an inward feare. For God chalengeth this right to him selfe alone, that he be our lawegiuer and our Iudge. Therwithal we say, that extréeme wronge is done vnto Christe, while y^e libertie purchaced with his bloud, is brought to nothinge. For by his bene­fite we are so muche in better cace than the people of the old lawe, in that we are set frée from obseruatiō of dayes & choyce of meates. Furthermore, with Paule we denie that the kingdome of God cōsisteth [Page 93] in meate and drinke: and therefore that men are deceiued by an euill superstitiō, when they take abstinence from fleash to be a part of holinesse. Finally, we doo no­thinge but subscribe vnto Paule, who plainly affirmeth it to be a Diuelish doc­trine, to forbidde meates as vncleane, whiche God hath hallowed to mans vse, that he maye eate fréely of them with thankes giuyng. Of no Offence ought to be had so great regarde, that it should be lawfull to hide in silence things so néede­full to be knowen.

But yet this crime is not altogither wasshed away, in asmuche as our aduer­saries brag that we can abide no fastyng, the whiche our Lord euery where highly commendeth. Firste, for asmuche as our Bookes and sermons doo crie out against this slaunder, we néede to labour the lesse in confutinge the same. But they wil re­plie vpon vs, that we haue disanulled the decrées that were longe agoe stablisshed for fastinge. I confesse so, & that we were compelled thereto for very earnest and weightie causes, so that they deale very lewdely with vs, in imputinge to vs as a [Page] faulte, a thinge godlily and iustly taken in hande. It was beleued vpō an olde for­worne opinion, that the Lenton fast pro­céeded of the institution of Christe. This errour is light to séemyng, but yet an er­rour in déede, and suche a one, as is in no wise to be borne withall. It is an easie matter to showe without any trouble, how foolishly and vnsauorly it was deui­sed, and how rashly it was beléeued. For if Christe would by his example allure vs to a yéerely faste, why did he it but ones in all his life, and not yéerely? why did he not by & by stablishe the custome amonge his Disciples? why did not the Apostles immediatly after his resurrection kéepe it as a rule prescribed of their maister? And why should we more followe the faste of Christe, than the olde people the faste of Moyses? which of the Prophetes or faith­full men, tooke example at Moyses to doo the like? now put to that other parte: na­mely that it is suche an errour, as cannot be winked at, without great domage to our faith. No man doubteth but that the doctrine of the Gospell was sealed with that miracle, to the entent the authoritie [Page 94] therof should be the certeiner. And ther­fore the Euangelicall historie reporteth, that Christe was not a hungred by the space of .xl. daies. That which Christe did by the power of his Godhead, to the entēt to exalt the reuerēce of his doctrine aboue mans reache, while the Papistes coūter­fet the same as if it were subiect to theyr owne power, doo they not (as much as in them lieth) darken the wonderfull power of Christe, & cancell that holy seale wher­with the truthe of the Gospell was rati­fied? In other fastings we easely showe, that when mē thought they pleased God, they did exhibite a grosse woorshippe vn­to Idols. In that daies are appointed in honour of whome they should faste. The Scripture condemneth it of wilfull su­perstition. That they stablishe a woorship of God therein, and imagine it a merito­rious woorke, it is not onely a foolish and vaine truste, but also an vtter vngodli­nesse. If we folow Paule as our Author, it shalbe lawfull to vs to pronoūce in ge­nerall, that suche outwarde exercises wherein the chiefe pointe of godlinesse consisteth not, doo little profite. And this [Page] cannot be spoken, but that that precise ri­gorousnesse of exactinge fast, which reig­neth amonge the Papistes, may iustly be condemned, as longe as they permit to neglect necessarie dueties. Yea rather a mā may crie vnto them out of the mouth of our mayster him selfe: O ye Hypo­crites, ye haue made the cōmaundements of God of none effect, for your owne tra­ditions sake: nowe although weightier caces doo moue vs to speake, yet sodeinly they make vs mainteyners of glottonie and all intemperance. And yet the lewd­nesse of thē, against whome I dispute, is vnwoorthie to haue so rightfull and ear­nest a defence made against it. For what lawe I beséeche you, doth the Pope forbid by his fastinges? or rather make for his fastinges? That a man shoulde no taste any meate before noone, and thē absteine from fleash: and to be short that conten­ting him with his onely dinner, he should that day forbeare his Supper. Moreouer, this is the vsuall maner, that the fill themselues well the night afore, ere they goe to bedde, to the entent a two howres fastyng may be the more tolerable: that [Page 95] the same daye they faste, because they are allowed no more but onely their dinner, they cramme in as much as their croppes will holde: & that the next day after they take vp their pennyworthes with surfet­tinge. After they haue so carelesly dalied with God, as if it were with some boye, this also they adde to the heape of their lewdnesse, that the measurable and spare diet is broken by vs. But I saye, that al­though they be dissolute in al their whole life, yet they no where fall more grossely into a beastly intemperāce, than in their fastinges.

Somewhat also remaineth to be spo­keo­kē of Mariage. Our aduersaries surmise, that we for womens sakes haue moued as it were the warre of Troye. To the entent I omit others at this present, thei must néedes graunt, that I at least wise am frée from this slaunder. By meanes whereof I haue the more libertie to refell their vnsauorie chatteringe. Whereas vnder the Tirannie of the Pope I was alwaies frée to take a wife, since the time the Lorde tooke me out of it, I haue many yéeres liued a single life. After the death [Page] of my wife, a womā of singular example, it is now a yéere and a halfe, since I haue liued a single life againe. These thinges whiche shall perchaunce séeme to make little to the purpose, I haue for this con­sideration spoken by the way, partly that thereby the malicious vanitie of our ad­uersaries maye be reproued: and partly that all men may beare witnesse I doo not pleade a priuate cace. But what goodnesse then doo these mainteiners of chastitie bringe? Marrie they say, that Luther and others beyng stirred thereto by the tick­lyng of the fleash, haue both giuen them­selfe libertie to marrie, and also drawen the common sorte of Priestes, Monkes, & Nonnes into the like allurementes. The thinges whiche might be truely declared of the chastitie of seueral persones, whom they falsely and maliciously diffame, I passe ouer of set purpose. For what were more foolishe, than for suche to flie out of the Papistrie as cannot liue chaste? Ye maye well thinke there were no libertie for sacrifisinge Priestes, Monkes, and Nonnes, to fulfill their lustes, onlesse they sought thē a new sanctuarie a great [Page 96] waye of, with theyr great trouble. As though all the Cloisters, Celles, & Fray­tries, of the Mōkes and Nonnes, did not stinke of all kinde of fornication and vn­cleannesse. Their prodigious lustes I doo not here touche. But to what purpose is it to dissemble a thinge knowen, as how that from those lurkinge holes, chastitie & shamefastnesse, for the most part, were so banished, that the greatest number of them had there some libertie at leastwise, to play the harlottes. What shall I say of the sacrifising Priestes, who are so little ashamed of their lecheries, that it is now a glorious matter for them to set vp re­membraunces of thē euery where. Sure­ly, that I maye speake moste fauorably, there is no néede at all that muttonmon­gers should remoue out of the Papistrie. And yet I doo not vtterly denie, but that some Monkes flie out of their cages, to the entent they maye fréely amonge vs féede on the laced mutton, whiche there they doo but snatch at by stealth. But I dare take themselues to witnesse, howe great oddes there is betwene mariage, & the voluptuous life whiche they ledde in [Page] their lobbies. And therefore diuers, bi­cause they by and by smell howe muche streighter the chaste dwellinge togither of man and wife is, thā the popish single life of wiuelesse wantonnesse, doo retyre betimes to theyr owne nestes. Other­some beynge more desperate, flie ouer to Rome or to some other place, whither for­tune carrieth them. And this is one of the Angelicall vertues of the Cloysters.

Neuerthelesse, admitte that many doo peruersly abuse our doctrine: yet it ought to be séene how iuste cause there is of Of­fence. God hath created mankinde vnder this condition, that man should performe the office of a head to the woman, and the woman againe be an helper to the man: and so in a mutuall bonde he knitte bothe the sexes togither. Before man was cor­rupted, mariage was giuen and permit­ted to them for a greate benefite. This benefite of God to be wrested from man beyng mortal, I say is not to be suffered. Now vnto the first institution of God, is come a greater necessitie, by reason of in­continencie of the fleashe. For the holy Ghost hath not in vaine by the mouthe of [Page 97] Paule, appointed this remedie for the a­uoydinge of fornication, that euery man should haue his wife, and euery woman also haue her owne husband. Christe and the said Paule doo not in vaine giue war­nyng, that all are not apte and méete for single life. And would God the disease of incontinencie were lesse knowen in this our nature growen out of kinde. God, to the entent to remedie this vice, hath not onely ordeined mariage, wherein man may lawfully dwell with womā, but al­so with lowde voice calleth vnto the law­ful vse thereof, al that are burned of their owne fleash. The Apostles, Martyrs, and other chiefest of the Sainctes vsed this benefite. A wonderfull estimation of sin­gle life arose sodeinly, and put mariage quight out of conceit and reputatiō. Not­withstandynge, the abstinence from ma­riage was but at will for a time, vntill that superstition set open the gate to Ti­rannie. First therefore were the Priests prohibited mariage, at length the prohi­bition crepte to the Deacons too. The Monkes and Nonnes, beinge intangled in the snare of their Othe, gaue ouer the [Page] right that God had graūted them. Here­upon the worlde beganne to thinke none hallowed to God, but onely singlefolke. This cruell furie raged so farre, that thei noted the maried life to be very reproch­full as an vnholy kinde of life. First, al­though suche a chaunge had had good suc­cesse to sée to, yet we say it had his begin­nyng of Diuelish audacitie. But the ho­lier vertue that Chastitie is, so muche the wickedder and more detestable is forced singlenesse, whiche is most certaine to be replenished with all kinde of filthinesse and vncleannesse. The Papistes extolt virginitie with wonderfull commenda­tiōs, to the entēt they may séeme like the Angels, whosoeuer abhorreth mariage. As who should say, they had wōne at our handes, that out of mariage there were nothynge but all chaste and virginlyke. But they séeme to haue theyr beds voide of wiues of theyr owne, for this purpose onely, that they themselues may be occu­pied in defilynge other mens. For who knoweth not how it is a common saying amonge them, that seyng a Monke, or a Priest, is disbarred the right of takyng a [Page 98] wife as all other men doo, it is good right and reason he should helpe him selfe some other way. And to the entēt there should be no default on their parte, almost all of thē follow lustely this kinde of hunting. There is no fitter pursute for Bawdry than confession, as whereby they doo not onely wind into their owne clawes, such womē as are giltie of any misbehauiour, but also doo assigne them ouer from one to another, and therefore nowe the mat­ter is come to this point, that such as are contented with Lemans in theyr houses, are counted amonge the rest to be chaste and temperate. Theyr priuie filthinesse & vnspeakeable incest, I omit. And surely I would not meddle with these neyther, though they be commonly knowen, but that it is néedefull the Readers should be admonished by the waye, howe honestly the aduersaries of our doctrine deale with vs, while they accuse it of dissolute licen­tiousnesse, bicause it permitteth lawfull mariage for the amendment of so cruell mischieues. Though they burst, whiche cease not to adorne with forged prayses, the constreined singlenesse of the popishe [Page] Cleargie: yet it is moste certaine, that in most part of them is the bottomlesse pitte of all vncleannesse: & I saye that in them which séeme to be chaste, is neuerthelesse an vnpure puddle. With such partly pri­uie flames of lustes, & specially manifest abhominatiōs, doth God (as ye may per­ceiue) reuenge that Diuelishe audacitie, for that despisinge y^e benefite of mariage, like Giauntes they buylde Babilonishe towres, wherewith to vanquish God and nature by plaine force. And so it behoued to come to passe, that at least wise men might learne, that, and none other, to be the true chastitie, whiche Gods rule pre­scribeth vnto vs. But bycause we re­straine the beastly lasciuiousnesse, wher­of there is no measure in the Papistrie, by the bridle of wedlocke: we are repor­ted to disanull modestie by settinge car­nall libertie at large. And what maruell is it? seinge that Christe and Paule were vpbrayded with the like thinge: as if they had broken the yoke of the lawe for the nonce, to the entent that men might vse theyr willes in stéede of lawe. For they woulde not haue purged their doctrine, [Page 99] frō slaunders so carefully, but if they had bene compelled by the lewdnesse & spight­full maliciousnesse of theyr enemies. But as many as be curable, I trust they wilbe pacified with this shorte excuse, that they forge not a stumblynge blocke to them­selues, of so light and friuolous a matter.

This also hath some colour: that our doctrine is disagreable to antiquitie and the consent of all ages. And therefore the Papistes bragge thēselues most therein, specially when with blowynge of trum­pettes they sounde those highe names of the Fathers, and the Church. Bicause it is knowen well inough, how odious and suspected a thynge newnesse in Religion is: vnder the same pretence they fray the vnskilfull from our doctrine. And I con­fesse surely, that if any newe thinge be brought, it is not to be heard. But of this crime there is no better or certainer pur­gation, than that we will nothinge to be admitted, onlesse it be proued by cléere & substātiall testimonies of the Scripture. And herein it appeareth that the Papi­stes are duller than Oxen & Asses, whiche at leastwise knowe theyr stall: who ha­uinge [Page] forged to themselues a newcome God, haue so forgottē the true and euer­lastynge God, that they haue no sight at all in the antiquitie of the heauenly Ora­cles. Notwithstanding, they alledge that we pretende Scripture falsely, who en­deuer to subuert all the consent of the aū ­ciēt Church. It is a cōmon old stale slaū ­der of theirs, but yet so foolishe, that I would be ashamed to bestow muche time in confutinge it: besides that, a longe vo­lume were néedefull for the matter. And our bookes doo abūdantly beare witnesse, that if the allegations of the olde men be sought, our cace is by them more furthe­red than hindered. Albeit it be manifest inough, that the doctrine of the auncient Fathers, is no more agréeable with the corruptions of Papistrie, than a shéepe is like a Woulfe, yet notwithstādyng they picke out certeine sayinges of theirs, and sometime also woordes, as peruersely as lewdly, wherewith to deceiue the rude, and suche as are not exercised in the rea­dyng of them. As often as we obiect the testimonies of the Fathers against thē: although they sée themselues ouerwhel­med [Page 100] with the weight and number of thē: yet bicause they thinke themselues to be out of all daunger of gūne shot, they care­lesly despise vs, and laugh at vs. For the Sea Apostolicke is so great, that it easely swalloweth vp all the Doctors that euer were. Neyther is any thing readier with them than this exception: that they passe nothinge for any determinations of the Fathers, as long as the holy sea of Rome hath decreed otherwise. Therefore amōg them, all the whole companie of the Fa­thers shal not be estéemed at a heare, on­lesse they list thēselues: but if any thinge perchaunce hath bene spoken by any one of them dnaduisedly, it muste by and by binde vs with so great deuotion, that it is vnlawfull to dissent from it neuer so little. I saye once againe that this prodi­gious & confused Chaos of the Papistrie, is so vnlike the auncient gouernement of the Church, as that there is not more dif­ference betwene fire and water. But if we séeme to eger & full of clamour in con­demnynge them, the Fathers woulde be much more vehemēt, if they liued at this day. Take this too, that these good sonnes, [Page] which tosse the name of the Fathers to & fro like a tennisball, séeme to choose al the grossest errours for the nonce, wherunto onlesse we giue our assent, they crie out vppon vs, that we are the enemies of all antiquitie. Melchisedech offered bread & wine to Abraham as he returned frō bat­tell. The olde doctors thinke it a sacrifice, which thyng they haue transferred to the holy supper of Christ. It is almost a chil­dishe errour. And yet of theyr so famous wrytinges, nothinge liketh the Papistes so well. Now least I should stande to lōg vpon this parte, they that haue perused the writinges of the Fathers, and can iudge but meanely, shall sufficiently vn­derstande, that we are furnisshed with theyr authoritie to assault the Papacie. And though they were layde as indiffe­rent betwene bothe, yet will they drawe nearer vnto vs. Wherupon then is buil­ded suche a pile of Offences? But what if we graunt, that the pure veritie of God cannot by vs be auouched and restored, but that that same consent of many ages whiche they vaunt of, would aduaunce it selfe agaynst vs, (as I cōfesse that a thou­sande [Page 101] yéeres since all thinge haue so de­cayed, that newe broodes of monstruous errours and superstitions haue crope out of the shell from time to time) yet what finde they in suche dissentinge as this, woorthie to be offēded at? If cōparison be made, certeinly those first vnder whome the Churche florished, eyther deserue to be counted lawfull Fathers alone, or at leastwise, doo chalenge of right the chiefe degree of honour amonge the Fathers. But the good Papistes (such is theyr gen­tle nature) doo celebrate the memoriall onely of that corrupted age, whiche had nowe muche declined from the auncient sinceritie. And at length all their com­plaintes come to this pointe, that we dis­anull at this day, the custome which hath bene receiued these eight hūdred or these thousand yéeres. But if the old Prouerbe be to be beleued, whiche also hath bene commonly vsed amonge them: an euil cu­stome is nothinge els, but the auncient­nesse of errour. And we knowe that the longer of cōtinuance an euill is, the more hurtfull it is. In times past this sentence of Cyprian was counted woorthie to be [Page] reioyced at: that we ought not to looke what other men had done or sayde before vs, but whatsoeuer Christ hath cōmaun­ded, who is the first of al, that is to be fol­lowed. No man also will denie, but this was well and aduisedly spoken of Augu­stine: that Christe attributeth not to him selfe the name of custome, but the name of truth. Now no man dare stirre though neuer so lightly, the stinkyng hearbe Ca­marina of corrupt custome, whiche hath rested a longe continuance of yéeres. Yea rather forebroken rigorousnesse in main­teyninge chiefe absurdities is waxed so stronge, that they not onely refuse the reprouynge of them, as comminge out of season, but also doo persecute it cruelly with fire and swoorde. That same Heathē man sayeth, that like as the custome of right speaking is to be fetched at learned mens handes: so the custome of well li­uinge is to be fetched at the hādes of good and honest men. Shal the lewde and cor­rupt custome of men, carrie vs away for­cibly as some violent tempest without iudgement or choyce, who haue Christe to direct vs? To the entent I maye con­clude [Page 102] this place briefly, if that thinge may take place with vs, which out of all con­trouersie ought to be a grounded princi­ple amonge all godly men: that the doc­trine of Christe is not subiect to the pre­scription of yéeres, this surmised stum­blingblocke shall hinder no man, at least­wise from the desire to searche. And whē it shalbe fully agreed vpon, that we haue from Christe that which we bryng foorth, who wilbe so ouerthwart as wilfully to fléete vnto men, frō the eternall wisdome of God, and the voyce of the heauenly Maister.

It offendeth many, bicause they sée al­most the whole worlde to be against vs. Neither are the defenders of the euil cace negligent, or to séeke what they shoulde doo, but with the same engine doo stryke the rude and weake: sayinge it is against all reason, that a fewe men should be cre­dited, and all Christendome beside wel­nere neglected? And to treade these vn­der their féete, they chiefly arme them­selues with the holy title of the Churche as with a mace. But I wold faine know, howe suche as are enstraunged from the [Page] Gospell, by reason of our fewnesse, maye mainteine theyr faith against y^e Turkes? As for our part, if we beyng but one man condemned all the men of his age by his faithe, there is no cause why the greate multitude of vnbeleuers should moue vs from our places. In the meane while af­firme that cause of Offence to be not one­ly scarce probable, but also vniuste and shamefull, where the respectes of men are weyed before y^e woorde of God. And why? shall not Gods truth stande sure, except it please menne to beleue it? Rather (as Paule sayeth) let euery man remayne a lier, and let them acknowledge God to be true, vnto whome he vouchsaueth to ma­nifest him selfe. And we haue alreadie in another place shewed, why the greater parte of men doth so hardly yéelde them­selues seruiceable to God. So muche the lesse then is it conuenient that in so great stubburnnesse of the worlde, we shoulde direct our faith after example of the mul­titude. But Christe giueth a token, that whither the Egles resorte, there is the Carion. I denie not verely, but that if at any time all the Egles shalbe gathered [Page 103] togither into one place, then the conuer­siō of the whole worlde is to be hoped for. But forasmuche as Christe meaneth not there all sortes of Egles, but suche as fol­low the liuely sente of his death: who se­eth not, that that sayinge is to be restrei­ned to a fewe, if any man wil perchaunce take exceptions that we are not excused by the example of Noe, if we withdrawe our selues from that congregatiō whiche holdeth the name of the Churche? when Esay commaunded to leauynge the con­spiracie of men and follow God onely, he meaned not straungers, but euen such as at that time moste gloried in the name of Gods people. And Peter whē he maketh the Churche like the Arke, bicause when the worlde perisheth, a little handfull of men is saued as it were by a floud: giueth sufficient warnyng, that we ought not to hange vpon the multitude. Why then haue miserable men pleasure, to séeke oc­casion of wauerynge and staggeringe, a­monge the variable blastes of the world, when God stayeth vs vppon the euerla­styng fundation of his woorde? why had they rather waue amonge the stormes of [Page] opinions, than harbrough at ease in the sure hauen of certeine veritie, to whiche God calleth vs. But very great reuerēce is dewe to the Church. I confesse so true­ly: and I willingly also put this more to it, that the vnderstanding of the Churche is so linked with the natiue doctrine of the lawe and the Gospell, that it is woor­thely called the faithful kéeper and inter­preter of the same. But betwene vs and the Papistes is the oddes: that they thinke the Churche not to be the pillar of truthe, otherwise than in sittynge as a iudge ouer the woorde of God. And we on the cōtrarie parte vphold, that bicause the Churche submitteth it selfe reuerētly vnto the woorde of God, the truth is by it reteyned, and deliuered vnto others frō hande to hande. And therfore the woorde of God hath no more authoritie amonge them, than the Churche as it were by in­treatance graunteth vnto it: & they turne the interpretatiō of the whole Scripture to the iudgement of the Churche, euen after the same maner that the Lesbians in old time were want to make their mason woorke by theyr leaden rule, as the olde [Page 104] Prouerbe reporteth. There is therefore no place of the Scripture so cléere, whiche beyng bowed (or to speake more proper­ly) writhed to this Lesbian rule, taketh not a straunge shape. And yet the chiefe cōtention betwene vs consisteth not vpō this pointe alone. But after the Papistes haue installed the Churche in Christes throne, to determine Religiō at her owne pleasure, and to iudge of the Scripture without appealynge from her, by and by thei take the lawe (such as it is) into their owne handes. We on the otherside, bi­cause it is as easie a matter, as daūgerous to be deceiued in, will haue it discussed whiche is the true Churche. Surely it is no newe thinge, that those are sometime cruell Wolues, which occupie the roomes of sheapeherdes: and that thei are wicked & ranke traytours to God & his Churche, in whose hāde the ordinarie Souereintie is. What cause then is there why vaine hobgoblins shoulde make vs so afraide, that we shoulde not (as becommeth) trie whether the same that beareth the name of the Church, be the true Churche or no? Paule affirmeth the Churche to be the [Page] piller of truthe: but yet the same Paule foretelleth both the fallynge away of the worlde nowe conuerted, and that Anti­christ should reigne in y^e middes of Gods Temple. It is knowen well inough that he susteined the like encoūters as we are exercised with at this daye, when the Iewes takinge pryde in the name of the Churche, cried out vpon him that he was a forsaker of his order, and an Author of Scismes and troubles. They report thē ­selues to be descēded from the very Apo­stles by continuall succession: verely af­ter the same maner that Caligula & Nero succeded, Valerius Publicola, and Lucius Brutus. For they clinge vnto the Apo­stles, as if there were not an vnmeasura­ble Chaos put by them, whiche mighte breake all aliances betwixt them, if there were any. Bicause the dunghil of the po­pish Clergie is against vs, they wil haue vs no lesse pressed with y^e peruerse doome, than if the Angels condemned vs out of Heauen. Uerely with the same pryde, did the Scribes in olde time reiect Christ, bi­cause none of the Princes or Pharisies had beléeued in him. And forasmuche as [Page 105] they are determined to stande to theyr tacklynge with tooth and nayle, euen to the vtterance, for maintenance of theyr tyrannie, & yet are destitute of true rea­sons: it is no maruell though they rappe out vaine soundes. But I woulde desire all them, vnto whome the false vsurped name of the Church is an occasion of Of­fence, that they would ones finde in their hartes to opē theyr eares and their eyes, least the deceitfull image of a body, pull them from their head: & a harlot disguised in the apparell of a bryde, carie them frō theyr spouse Christe. For what markes I beséeche you haue they, whereby thei may know the Churche of Christe, in all the whole bande of the Romish Antichrist? Onlesse peraduenture whyle they sée the Pope in his Awbe, with y^e crosse throwen at his féete, the Cardinalles in scarlet: the Bishops glitteryng with myters & croy­siers: and the reste of the inferiour rable euery one with their seuerall cognisāces, beinge contented with these tokens they desire none other Churche, than suche a one as appeareth in disguisinges like maskers and players of enterludes. For [Page] what els is there to be sayd to these trife­lyng fellowes, when hauinge so often, so pitthely, and plentuously, bene by vs cō ­futed, they persist still neuerthelesse in takinge vpon thē the title of the Church?

I sayd at the beginnyng that none al­most were here deceiued, but suche as be­yng lothe to come to Christe, doo procure lettes to themselues from a farre of. The time hath bene that this same scruple hath hindred many simple & godly soules: but at this day (I say) there are fewe that obiect the Offence, risinge vpon the name of the Churche, againste the wholesome doctrine, except it be suche as maliciously and proudely vaunt themselues against Christe. Like lewdnesse is it, that thei de­maūde miracles at our hande, wherwith they beyng amazed, are at length compel­led to yéelde vnto God speakynge by vs. And I saye, that seyng our doctrine bea­reth euident witnesse to it selfe, that it hath bene confirmed by all the miracles whiche haue bene since the worlde was made: these men whiche forgettynge the olde miracles gape after new, for asmuch as they are so astonied at the manifest [Page 106] power of God, and so blinde in the cléere light, are no lesse monsters themselues, than if we should sée a man turned into a beast. Bicause diuers are enriched with holy goods, and othersome haue méetely well appeased theyr hungar for a time, the enemies of the Gospell reporte, that we were ledde to alter thinges for desire of spoyle, than for any good zeale to God­warde: and many which hawke for a pre­tence to put by the Gospell, giue theyr as­sent to these malicious sayinges. Surely for my parte, if there be any that haue spoyled the goodes of the Churche, to fill theyr owne pouches, I excuse them not. And my Bookes are manifest witnesses, how much I abhorre frō such sacriledges. But as I am not minded to make my self a patrone or aduocate of the defaultes of our parte, if any be: so the slaunder is not to be borne with, that the malicious per­sones charge vs withall, howe we made our pray of all whatsoeuer was taken frō those filthie Seagulles, that is to say, the chapleynes of Ball and the Mōkes. Cer­teinly whereas the popishe impietie is a­bolished, there at leastwise parte of the [Page] reuenewes, whiche whores and baudes deuoured with the Priestes, is nowe be­stowed vpon the poore. Somewhat more is bestowed vpon schooles thā was wonte to be: true Pastours are founde, that mi­nister the doctrine of Saluation to the people: expenses are allowed to main­tained the state of the Churche, and those not small. Although this defence doo not acquite vs before God, (whiche thinge I confesse with a good will:) yet it declareth that Offence is maliciously gathered thereupō, against the doctrine of the Gos­pell. But they shewe howe it is manifest, for what purpose we haue bene moued to take this cause in hande, in asmuch as al­most all beyng occupied about lookyng to theyr priuate affayres, are slouthfull in exactyng discipline, in correctinge vices, and in increasinge and mainteynyng the kingdome of Christe. Wherfore then doo not they rather warme vs with theyr heate, than they fryse vnto our coldnesse? Let the cōplaintes of Aggaeus touchynge the neglectinge of the Temple be read. There a man maye beholde as it were painted in a table, the slouthfulnesse of [Page 107] our age, was not therfore the building of the temple againe a very holy woorke of God, bicause at that time euery man be­yng busied aboute his owne house, cared not for the Temple of God? Ought any man therefore to shrinke, bicause he sawe some not onely cease from so néedefull a duetie, but also wickedly defraude God of his first fruites and tenthes? But this is surely the thing that I spake of before, anone after the beginnynge: that many beyng entāgled with the vnholy friend­shippes of the worlde, doo couet any Of­fences that may be against Christe, ra­ther than to offende the wicked enemies of the healthful doctrine. This lewde am­bition ministreth vnto them bothe wit to forge Offences, and eloquence to barke at the Gospell with currish maliciousnes. Besides that, beynge not content with snatchyng at the present euils, they séeke with like maliciousnesse for somewhat to gnawe vpon hereafter. For they surmise that they foresée at hande the desolation of the Churche, whiche hangeth ouer it by meanes of inwarde dissention. These forecastynge men, wonder that we be no [Page] more moued bereat: and to the entent to bringe vs in hatred, they gather that we are altogither carelesse, or that we would not passe though the earth were sette on fyre. So I remember, the bishop of Aqui­leia did ones reason with me in commu­nication betwene vs two alone, how hor­rible a destruction was to be feared, if we did not shortly bringe our discordes to an ende. And all his whole talke tended to this ende, that it could not otherwise be, but that one time or other y^e matter must come to triall by the swoorde, if we were so stifly bente to maintaine our quarrell. Of the whiche warre, this woulde be the issue, that learnynge should be extinguis­shed, barbarous confusion brought in, & humanitie it selfe in maner be taken out of the worlde, and as the faulte of these euilles sticked in vs, so were we like to abide al the blame. Yea (ꝙ he) and it must néedes come to passe, that this religiō, in defence whereof ye stāde so stoutly, must perishe togither with learninge. That whiche I answeared at that time to him alone, let them take it as spoken to them all. We surely, are neither so dulwitted [Page 108] but that we can call to minde whatsoeuer Sathan practiseth, nor yet so sauage and beastly to neglect it without regarde. As for peace & quietnesse, we not onely wish the continuāce of them, but also (as much as in vs lieth) séeke to mainteyne them. Of good order and ciuill pollicie, we are as desirous as he that is most. How care­full we are for the maintenance of lear­nynge, it néedeth not to preache it in woordes. But seyng that Christ cōmaun­ded his Gospell to be preached without al exception: what sequele so euer ensewe thereon, we ought to obey this cōmaūde­ment. Algates men take to much vppon them, if they hope for better successe by theyr owne deuises, than by the meane that God hath appointed. Why not? I­magine they God to be blinde and vnad­uised, to cast his Church in daūger with­out consideration? Nay rather seynge he is the best orderer of things of all others, it is our duetie to ouercome al anguishes, be they neuer so troublesome, with this one sayinge of Abraham: the Lorde shall prouide: shall we thinke you be careful of this societie betwene man and man, and [Page] shall God the woorker thereof haue no minde at all of it: shall the Church beyng miserably forsakē of her onely soueraine and mainteiner of her welfare, leane vn­to our prouidence? But we are woorthie to be helde excused, if executinge obediēt­ly the office that God hath enioyned vs, we let God alone with his parte. And se­yng Dauid declareth it to be his peculiar woorke, to asswage y^e troublesome waues of the Sea, to pacifie warres, & to breake the chariotes and the speares: this assu­rāce ought to be inough to encourage vs in the auouchyng of that doctrine, whiche onely procureth vs his grace & blessynge. Notwithstanding, what issue so euer our attemptes in the ende haue, there shall neuer be any cause why it shoulde repent vs to haue performed, both godly and ac­ceptable obedience vnto God: and (which may comforte our heauinesse euen in our greatest afflictions,) to haue faythfully furthered bothe y^e glorie of Christ, (which is more to be estéemed than all the king­domes of the worlde,) and also our owne soules health, (whiche is more precious than all the worlde.)

[Page 109]Now that I haue reckened vp the Of­fences in generall, which we finde by ex­perience to be hurtfull, all the children of God are briefly to be admonished againe, that beynge armed with the remedies by me shewed, they rather kéepe Christe still for theyr foundation, than by their rashe and lewde runnyng vpon him, make him to themselues a stone to stumble at, and a rocke to dashe against. It cannot other­wise be but that in this worlde, many oc­casiōs of Offence must from time to time be fathered vpon the faithfull. From the which not euē Christe him selfe was frée. Yea rather it is scarsely to be hoped for, that they should steppe one pace, but that the Deuill cast some stumblingblocke in their waies. So must thei walke through innumerable Offences. But albeit the varietie of them be manifolde, and the heape thicke packed, yet shall none be a Christian, but he that wadeth through them with victorie. Christ sayth, that Pe­ter him selfe was a stumblingblocke vn­to him, when he assayed to call him backe from sufferyng death. But did he retyre backe when he was assaulted with occa­sion [Page] of Offence? Nay rather perceyuinge Sathan in Peter, he badde him auaunt. To the entent we should know that we must abide the same encounter as wel as he, he telleth vs all in generall, it cannot otherwise be but Offences muste come. But euen as he assureth those whiche are his, that they shall neuer be frée from Of­fences: so excuseth he no cause of Offence. For when he biddeth the right eye should be put out, if it offende any man, he ad­monisheth vs that there is nothyng of so great valour, that in respect thereof we ought any whit to be led frō the marke. If we were so diligent in auoydinge Of­fences, that none of vs woulde spare his owne eyes, I shoulde not haue néeded to spende so much labour in puttynge away Offences. I graunt it is a sore encounter and aboue our strength, but Christe saith not in vaine, that he hath warned his dis­ciples they should not be Offended. For there is none other cause why we are vn­able to vanquishe and put to flight Of­fences, sauynge that we harken not to Christe, whē he speaketh to vs. Surely it is true that he speaketh in another place, [Page 110] how they that stumble doo stumble in the night. For wherefore serueth the light of the Gospell, but to set before our eyes the stumblynge blockes in shewynge vs the waye. But some man will say, that a let although it be séene, yet will it not cease to hinder our race. But I haue shewed al­readie, that if our owne nicenesse let vs not, Christe alone is sufficient to ouer­come all Offences, seinge that by his hea­uenly power he lifteth vs vp aboue the worlde. And if we ought so valiantly to resist the Offence, whiche inuadeth vs a­gainst our willes, and fliyng from it, thei shall haue the lesse to lay for themselues, who thorough a certaine lewd dispositiō, are of themselues enclined to Offences. Paule putteth vs in remembrance, that the same thinge happened to the Iewes, who albeit they in no wise sought Offēce of a set purpose, yet bicause in goynge a­bout to stablishe their owne rightuous­nesse, they were not subiect to the rightu­ousnesse of God, they stūbled at Christe: yea and with a deadly shipwrecke dashed againste him, as it had bene againste a rocke. But the peruersenesse, or péeuish­nesse [Page] of suche as willingly take holde of Offences offered, or els desirously drawe vnto them those that are a farre of, is in no wise tolerable. And why so? Seynge that Paule testifieth howe he forgetteth his former life, to the entēt he may make spéede to atteine the higher vocation that is aboue, exhorting vs by his owne exam­ple to make the like haste: shall any man gather Offences a farre of, to hinder his owne race without punishment? Now if God haue punisshed a preposterous zeale so sore in the Iewes, what thinke we shal be done to these that stumble wittingly & willingly, or rather which damme vp the way, otherwise plaine of it self, with stū ­blingblockes heaped togither on al sides? but specially what pardon leaue they for thēselues, who make thēselues bucklars of the vices & wickednesses of mē, to beate backe God withall? For if euen the faith­full themselues be forbidden to looke one at another, least any thing should hinder theyr course: how should Christ pardō vs, if we stāde gazing farre about vs, séeking of set purpose the thinge y^t maye stay vs? Such we may truely & aptly cōpare vnto [Page 111] swine, vnto whome by reason of the na­tiue loue they haue to stinche, nothyng is more swéete thā to wallow themselues in myre and durte. The cruell vengeance of God shall light vpon all swine that are so gréedie of Offences, whither they hunte for them, or whither they delight in that they are offred vnto them, so y^t theyr day­ly offences heaped one in anothers necke, doo drowne them in euerlastyng destruc­tion. For it is good iustice that thei which are wilfully blinde, shoulde be made so blinde in good earnest, y^t at length the di­sease be past al helpe. Let vs in the meane season, when we heare Christe cursing al those that giue occasion of Offence to the weake, looke aduisedly to our selues, y^t no Offence at al happen through our faulte. Neuerthelesse, seynge it behoueth that Christe be a stone for the reprobates, and for the faithlesse world to stūble at, onely let vs be blamelesse or faultlesse, to take vp the Offences vnfearfully as often as Sathan thrusteth them vpō vs, or els let vs be armed with y^e onely title of Christ. And therewithall let another sentence of Christ come to our minde. For when his [Page] Disciples obiected that y^e Phariseis were offended, he bade them not passe of them, bicause they were blinde themselues, and the guides of the blinde. He addeth also a notable saying: Euery plantyng that my Father hath not planted shalbe pulled vp by the roote. Surely we muste deale in such sort, as we may seeke the soule health of all men so neare as we can: but for as­much as it is not giuen vs of God, to saue them whome he hath condemned to de­struction, let that perish whiche must pe­rish, as is in the Prophet Zacharie. For if it had liked Paule to take awaye the Of­fence of the Crosse, it had bene an easie matter for him, to haue coined some awke and ouerthward reasons for the purpose. But he so muche abhorreth from this de­uice, that he counteth it a great absurdi­tie to haue it taken awaye. Yée may per­ceiue he kept well in minde that which he saieth in another place, that although vn­to the reprobates we be a sauour of death vnto death, yet neuerthelesse we caste a swéete sauour vnto God. Finis.

Prayse be to God.