IT is a memorable sentence, and worthy alwayes to bee regarded, which our Sauiour Christ the chiefe Master of sentences hath dictated for a perpetuall caueat vnto vs; Matth. 16. 26. VVhat shall it profit a man, though hee winne the whole world, if hee loose his owne soule? The losse of the soule, what is it but the losse of the rest of the soule, whereby it perisheth, [Page 2] Grego. Mo­ral. lib. 4. cap. 7. Al [...]ter pertre di­cimus vt non sit, a [...]ter perire di­cimus et male sit. &c. Humana anima beate vi­uere siue per vi­ [...]m siue per supplicium per­dit, essentialiter viuere non a­mittit. Not so as not to be, as Gregorie speaketh, but so as to be in euill, and looseth, not the life of essence and being, but the life of blisse and happi­nesse, whilest being diuided from God, in whom onely is the fountaine of life and blisse, it liueth immortally in death, and in a miserable end findeth no end of miserie, and is vncapable of any destruction where­by to bee freed from destruction: Now if the gaine of the whole world be but losse and dammage, when it is ioyned with this losse of Soule, how highly, how deepely doeth it concerne vs amidst our vsing the world and the things of the world, to haue alwayes an eye to our Soules health, and to be alwayes iealous of so intricating our selues in the troubles and businesses of the world, as to runne in danger of excluding our Soules from rest with God? As touch­ing the meanes of finding this rest, the Prophet in the words which I haue here propounded, very notably instructeth vs,1. Yee shall find rest for your Soules. 2. Vpon the wayes. 1. Commending it as the finall ende of all our trauaile, by this meanes onely and not otherwise to be found; 2. Noting the dif­ficultie [Page 3] of finding it, by reason of so many counterfeit wayes pretended to bring vs to it, when indeede they leade vs from it. 3. Shewing vs from whom we are to take3. Thus saith the Lord. the certaine direction of the right way. 4. Declaring what that direction is, both4. Stand, be­hold, aske. as touching the care that wee are to vse for the finding of that way, and 5. As tou­ching5. The olde way, which is the good way. 6. And walke therein. the marke whereby it is to be know­en. 6. Instructing vs what our duetie is when wee haue receiued the true know­ledge of the way, euen to walke therein.

2. As touching the first (which I make the first for my order of handling, though in place of words it be the last) what is all the life that we liue here, but temptation and warfare and trouble? What other then a restlesse Euripus, still ebbing and flow­ing; continually tossed too and fro, di­stracted with cares, perplexed with feares, oppressed with sorrowes, yeelding no Ho­nie without some Gall, no calme that is not intercepted or interrupted with some storme. Ouid. Nulla est syncera voluptas, saith the Poet; There is no pleasure that is not blended [Page 4] with somewhat that is distastfull and vnplea­sing. Eccles. 1. 14. I haue considered, saith Salomon, all the workes that are done vnder the Sunne, and be­hold all is vanitie and vexation of spirit. Grego. Mo­ral. l. 23. c. 15. Via est vita prae­sens qua ad pa­triam tendimus, & idcirco hic occulto dei iudi­cio frequenti perturbatione conterimur ne viam pro patria diligamus. This life, saith Gregorie, is the way for vs to goe to our Countrey, and therfore by Gods secret iudge­ment, we are here beaten and broken with often trouble, that we may not in steede of our Coun­trey fall in loue with the way. But yet against all this vanitie and mutabilitie and mise­rie, vaine man is euermore labouring to settle vnto himselfe an estate, wherein to enioy contentment, and peace, and rest; which hee seeketh here and seeketh there, but findeth it no where; and thinketh to gaine it by obteining this desire, and this failing, by obtaining that, but no whit the neerer, either by this or that, whilest in the hauing of things, hee findeth not that rest which hee promised to himselfe in the de­sire of them, and therefore hauing obtei­ned his desire againe and againe, yet is still ready to desire againe; euen as the Dropsie­diseased man drinketh to aswage his thirst, and by and by his Soule is drie, and hee is [Page 5] desirous to drinke againe. For as in the great deluge of the world, the Doue which Noah sent first out of the Arke, Gen. 8. 9. Found no rest for the sole of her foote, vntill shee returned vnto the Arke againe, Euen so the Soule of man being in sinne, gone out from God, and flying too and fro in the deluge of the miseries of humane life, findeth no where to rest it selfe, vntil it take course to returne to God againe; God hauing engrauen it vpon all the creatures of the world, which he said of old to the Iewes concerning Ie­rusalem, Micah. 2. 10. Non est haec requies vestra; This is not your rest, So as that they repell and put backe from them our desires and delights, and suffer vs not with continuance to sticke vpon them, by reason that in the vse, they breede a wearinesse and lothing of them, and Tertul. de habit. mulier. semper abundan­tia contumeliosa in semetipsamest. Abundance, as Tertullian saith, causeth alwayes it owne contumely and disgrace. There is nothing so sightly as that the eye ioyeth continually to see it; no melodie so sweete but that still to heare it, rather dulleth then delighteth; nothing so pleasing to the taste, but that continuall sacietie and fulnesse [Page 6] maketh it lothsome and vnpleasing; so as that Greg. Moral. lib. 26. cap. 28. Per multa duci tur vt quia qua­litate rerum non potest, saltem va­rietate satictur. in varietie of things, as Gregorie well obserueth, we are forced to seeke that con­tentment which we cannot find in the qua­litie of them. It remaineth therefore that there is no true rest but in the enioying of God, nothing being able to content the Soule but he that created the Soule, nor to satisfie the desire of the heart, but hee that made the heart to desire him. In him is riches, and beautie, & glorie, and strength, and immortalitie, and whatsoeuer apper­taineth to the blisse and happinesse either of body or Soule; so as that hauing obtei­ned him, there is nothing further for vs to desire or wish for. The little sight and fee­ling that we haue of the grace of God how great peace doth it administer vnto vs, euen in this life; euen Phil. 4. 7. the peace of God which pas­seth all vnderstanding? How hath it fortified the hearts of Gods Saints, to goe with con­stancy & cheerfulnes, Psal. 66. 12. through fire and water, against all the iniuries and violences of ad­uerse & euil men; persecutiō, banishment, imprisonment, hunger, cold, nakednes, and [Page 7] death it selfe, the inner man reioycing and resting in God, when the outward man hath beene tossed too and fro, with the stormes and tempests of the world, and Cyprian. de Mortalit. Inter ruinas humani generis stare e­rectum. amidst the ruines of mankind standing vp­right, as Cyprian speaketh, looking with boldnesse vp to heauen, as expecting re­demption and deliuerance to bee yeelded vnto them from thence? Now if there bee so much in the shadow, what shall there be in the substance, where there shall bee nothing to interrupt our glorious rest, where we shall 1. Cor. 13. 12. see face to face, and know euen as we are knowen, where Apoc. 7. 16. 17. & 21. 4. there shall be no more death nor hunger, nor thirst, nor crying, nor paine but God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes, where it shall finally & fully be accompli­shed which the Prophet hath said of the re­deemed of the Lord, Esa. 35. 10. Euerlasting ioy shall bee vpon their heads, they shall obtaine ioy and glad­nesse, and sorrow and mourning shall flie away.

3 But a matter it is of no great diffi­cultie, to conceiue that all our true content­ment and rest standeth in GOD, and in the fruition of his goodnesse, the greater [Page 8] doubt and question, is concerning the way to come to God. Wherein the wit of man hath infinitely busied it selfe, who appre­hending this principle, that by Religion and seruice of God, wee are to come to God, hath thought himselfe wise enough, to direct what is fit for God, and to com­prehend that light that should giue him conduct and guidance into the presence of God. Now it being with men according to the prouerbe, Quot homines, tot sententiae, So many men, so many minds, it hath by this meanes come to passe, that varietie of wits hath shewed it selfe in this behalfe by va­rietie of deuises, whence haue growen both without the Church, and within the Church so many opinions of God, so great differences of Religion, so many Sects, and Schismes, and Heresies, as in all ages we haue seene, euery of them preten­ding it selfe to be the right way, and pain­ting it selfe with colours and shewes of trueth, and promising the rest and peace of God and all happinesse from him. And indeede if the diuell should appeare and [Page 9] shew himselfe in his owne likenesse, and should professe himselfe a deceiuer and a destroyer, euery man would abhorre him and flie from him, but therefore he dealethpsal. 39. 11. like the Moth, Greg. Moral. lib. 5. cap. 29. Tinea damnam facil & sonitum non facit. VVhich doeth the harme, as Gregorie saith, and maketh no noyse or sound of it. Yea 2. Cor. 11. 14. he transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light, and teacheth his Agents and mini­sters to transforme themselues as if they were the ministers of righteousnesse, to write Pharmaca, medicines, where they should write Venena, poysons, and to Suger the brims of their in­toxicated Cups, that men the more greedi­ly and without suspicion may drinke those venimous potions, which they minister vnto them therein. Thus euen Celsus the Philosopher vpon his defenses of Paga­nisme, setteth an inscription of Origen. cont. Celsum. lib. 1. Ʋera oratio. the word of trueth. Manicheus that blasphemous Here­ticke, taking in hand to write to the Church his dānable paradoxes, doubteth not to begin thus, August cont. Epist Fundam. c. 5. Maniche­us Apostolus Iesu Christi, &c Haec sut salubria ver­ba de perenni ac v [...]uo fonte. Manicheus the Apostle of Iesus Christ: these are the wholesome words which issue out of the euerlasting & liuing foun­taine. Chrysostome reporteth of the Macedo­nian [Page 10] Heretickes, That Chrysost. de s [...]ct. & ador [...]d. [...]p. [...]emper di­ [...]nt, No [...] r [...]cia [...]. they were alwayes saying; VVe walke in the right faith. Yea, Aug. Epist. 56. Nullus error se [...]ud [...]t extollere ad congregandas sibi [...]urbas impe­r [...]torum qui non Christian [...] nomi­ [...] [...] conquirat. all Heresies, as Augustine somewhere noteth, Doe seeke the cloke and couerture of the name of Christ, and euery one saith of his owne sect; Idem cont. Faust. l. 13. c. 15. di [...]t, Salus qu [...] Christus promisit apud me est, ego dabo. The saluation which Christ hath promised is with me, I will giue it. By reason whereof it commeth to passe, which Leo Bishop of Rome saith, That Leo in Nati­uit. Dom. ser. 5. Nonin solo opere virtutum aut in sola obseruantia mandatorum sed etiam in tramite fidei angusta & ardua est viaquae ducit ad vitam & magni laboris est magni (que) dis­ [...] inter du [...]ias imperitorum op [...]iones & veri similes salsitales [...]nam sanae do­ctrine semita in­offensis gressibus ambulare, & cū vndi (que) se laquei errores (que) oppo [...]at omne per [...]ulum deceptionis cua­der▪ not onely in the worke of vertue, and keeping the commandements of God, but also as touching the way and path of right faith, strait and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life, and a matter of great labour and dan­ger it is, amidst the doubtfull opinions of vnskil­full men and their colourable falshoods, to walke the one path of sound doctrin without stumbling or offence, and where on euery side there lye a­gainst vs snares of errors yet to escape all danger of such deceipt. Now many there are who hearing this multiplicitie of wayes, are of­fended hereat, and because it is a question which is the right way, therefore sit them downe and go no way at all, or goe onely the way that companie & occasion offe­reth vnto them, being ready to leaue it a­gaine [Page 11] when occasion moueth them other­wise. But farre be it from any of vs to bee of this mind; Yea rather as the wayfaring man in his iourney, hearing of the perplex­itie of the way, and that there are many by-pathes and turnings by which hee may goe amisse, doeth not therefore giue ouer his iourney, or goe on at all aduenture, but is rather the more earnest and carefull to enquire and learne the way; euen so are we in this case to deale, that the malice of Sa­tan purposely labouring to breede doubt and difficultie of the way of life, doe not astonish vs, or driue vs to neglect of Reli­gion and faith towards God, but rather stirre vp and sharpen our industrie and in­dea [...]our to search and trie which is the true faith. And if as touching the things of this present life, we haue care to gaine the skill and knowledge to discerne money, whether it bee current and lawfull, and wares whether they be Marchantable and true, and meate whether it bee wholesome and sound; much more may wee thinke it concerneth vs, to learne the skill & know­ledge [Page 12] of true Religion, and to gaine abili­tie to discerne and iudge of erronious and false worshippes, wherein is a departure from God, and the making of the way to our owne destruction.

4 And the more doth it concerne vs to be warie in this behalfe, for that amongst those many wayes, which wee see diuersly frequented by diuers men, there is but one onely way that leadeth vnto God. As there [...] Ephe. 4. 4, 5, 6 is but one God who hath called vs, and one Lord,, Iesus Christ, by whom we are called, and one heauen whereto we are called, so al­so there is but one faith to know God in Iesus Christ, to obtaine life and saluation in heauen by him. Hilar. de Trinit. lib. 11. Quis ambiget extra fidem esse quicquid extra fidem vnam est? It is without the com­passe of faith, saith Hilarie, whatsoeuer is with­out the compasse of one faith, and Leo, Leo in Na­tiu dom. Ser. 4. Nisivna est, fi­des non est. Except it be one onely, it is no faith. Absurdly therefore doe they erre and are deceiued, who with Socrat. hist. lib. 4. c. 27. The­mistius admone­bat deum velle tam diuersa ac dispari opinio­num ratione glo­riam suam illu­strare. Themistius the Philosopher amongst the Pagans, or with Rhetorious the Hereticke amongst Christians, doe thinke that God liketh well of the varietie of Religions, and August. de haeres. cap. 7 [...]. A Rhetorio hae­resis exorta quae omnes haereticos recte ambulare & vera dicere affirmat. that all Heretickes walke aright and speake [Page 13] truth; so that it skilleth not of what Reli­gion a man be, if he be of any; as if heauen were a common harbour for all professi­ons to arriue at, a common Inne to giue en­tertainement to all that will offer them­selues vnto it: but so certaine a thing it is, that there is but onely one truth, one onely true religion, as that euery sect and schisme and heresie professeth it selfe only to be the truth, as graunting it out of common in­stinct to be a thing to be presumed, that it cannot be the truth, except it only be the truth.

5 Now which that only true way is, and how it is to be knowen, none can bet­ter teach vs then God himselfe to whom we goe. For as 1. Cor. 2. 11. no man knoweth the things of man, but the spirit of man which is in him (which yet knoweth not it selfe) so no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God, and he Ver. 10. to whom they are reuealed by the same spirit. And as no man seeth the Sunne but by the light of the Sunne it selfe, so doth no man see or know God, but by those resplendent beames of [Page 14] light which issue from him in his holy word, whereby he vouchsafeth to mini­ster vnto vs the vnderstanding of his waies. And therefore very well S. Ambrose saith, Ambros. Ep. [...]. Coeli myster [...] not eat me Deus ipsequi condid [...]t, non homo qui se­ipsum ignorauit. Cai magis de Deo quam Deo cre­dam? Let God himselfe that made heauen, teach me the mystery of heauen, not man who had not vnderstanding to know himselfe. Whom shall I beleeue concerning God, rather then God him­selfe? Oros. hist. lib. 6. cap. 1. Ab ipso audias, ipsi (que) Deo credas quod verum ve­lis scire de Deo. Heare of God himselfe, saith Orosius, and beleeue God himselfe as touching that truth which thou wouldest know concerning GOD. Therefore the Prophet here being to giue instruction concerning the way to come to God, and to finde rest with him, pro­poundeth nothing of himselfe, but deliue­reth his lesson from the Lord, Thus saith the Lord. And this is the onely certaine direction of true faith, and of the worship of God. It standeth not in the dictates of men, nor in the definitions of Councels, nor in the reuelations of Angels, but the finall resolution of all Controuersies of Religion must be into this issue, Thus saith the Lord. August. Ep. 48. Audi, Dicit Dominus; non, dicit Donat [...]s, aut Rogatus, aut Ʋincentius, aut Hilarius, aut Augustinus, sed dicit Deminus Heare, thus saith the Lord, saith Austin: not, thus saith Donatus, or Ro­gatus, [Page 15] or Vincentius, or Hilary, or Austin, but, thus saith the Lord. This onely is it that can truely stablish the conscience of man. Other things may breede maze and asto­nishment, and may draw the benummed fancy to the following of this, or that; but the true life and sense of Religion ariseth only from this ground, Thus saith the Lord. Which notwithstanding to the Papists is an importable yoake, who haue transcri­bed the authority of Religion to mortall men, to Doctors, and Fathers, and Coun­cels, and crie the names of these aloud, but cannot endure to be required for proofe of their doctrine, Thus saith the Lord. Albeit neyther do they pleade those names as per­swaded that their Religion can stand ey­ther by Fathers or Councels, but onely to withdraw their followers from the consci­ence and due regard of, Thus saith the Lord; that hauing once pulled them from thence, they may the more easily bring them by degrees to themselues and their Church, to the decrees & decretals of their Popes and Bishops, to tye their opinion and consci­ence [Page 16] of Religion wholly vpon them. Sure­ly Bellarmine, when for the proofe of their seuen Sacraments he could bring no wit­nesse [...] eyther of Councels or Fathers for more then 12. hundred years after Christ, bringing at last for proof therof the Coun­cell of Trent, to make good this proofe e­uen with one breath bloweth the other all away. [...]. Contra Papae autoritat [...] [...] August [...]us, nec Hicronymus nec aliquis Docto­rum suam sen­tentia d [...]fendit. The validity & force, saith he, of all the ol [...] Councels, and of all doctrines of faith depen­deth of the authority of the Church that now is. Let the Fathers all say what they wil, what is that to the purpose? It is the Church now in being (wee know what Church they mean) that must strike the stroake in all. Accordingly is it written in the Glosse of their Canon law. ^k neither Austin, nor Ierom nor any of the Doctors may maintain his opinion against the authority of the Pope: And in the law it selfe, Dist. 19. Si Romanorum. Romanorum [...]ont [...]ficum de­creto caeteror [...]m opuscula tract [...] ­ [...]orum [...]ppr [...]ban­tur vel repr [...] ­bantur. The workes of other writers are allowed or reiected according to the Popes de­cree. Yea further, they haue thus whispe­red one to another in their Index Expurga­torius, though not thinking that we should heare them; Index Ex­purgat. [...] In the olde Catholicke Writers [Page 17] we beare with very many errours, we extenuate them, we excuse them, by some deuised shift we denie them, or faine some conuenient meaning of them when they are opposed to vs in disputati­ons or in contentions, or controuersies with our aduersaries. What are those very many errors which they say they beare with in the Fa­thers, but the doctrines and assertions of our Religion, which amidst their out-cries and clamours that our Religion was not heard of before Luthers time, they them­selues confesse to be conteined and taught in the writings of the Fathers, but forsooth the Fathers erred in saying as we say? Which yet because they hold it would be some im­peachment to their cause alwaies to pro­fesse, therefore, according to the rules of their Index, they put them off with cunning and colourable answers and exceptions (albeit sometimes also with very lewde and apparant mockeries) when we bring their testimonies most expresse and preg­nant, and cleare against them. We alleadge Tertullian affirming the Emperour to be See the place after, Sect. 11. inferiour to none but God. They tell vs that [Page 18] Tertullian was Renat. Lau­rent. annot. in Tertul. Apolog cap. 30. Noluit offendere Genti­ [...]es. Caesaream maiestatem se­cundam hac de causa nominat. loth to offend the Pagans, and therefore did so speake, as if in good earnest he had not so spoken. We bring Agatho Bi­shop of Rome professing himselfe in ex­presse wordes, Agath. Epist. Synod. 6 Con­stantinop. act. 4 Pro obedientia quam debuimꝰ; vt personas, &c. Pro obedientiae satisfactione in­qu [...]rere; Nostra pusillitas quod [...]ussum est obse­quenter impleuit to owe obedience to the Em­perour, to be carefull to giue satisfaction of his o­bedience, to performe obediently the Emperours commaundement. Doct. BISHOP forsooth answereth, that Reproofe, p. 170. 181. these are but common and vsuall words of courtesie, vttered of custome and courtesie in all Countries. VVe alleadge Chry­sostome, saying that Chrysost. Op impers. in Mat. hom. 11. Haec vasa sanctificata in quibus non est verum corpus Christi, sed myste­ri [...]m corporis e­ [...]us cont [...]etur. in the sacred vessels there is not the very true body of Christ, but the myste­ry of his body. Bellarmine answereth, that Bellarm. de Sacram. Eu­char. c. [...]2. Ab aliquo Beregarij discipulo inserta illi homiliae esse videntur. these words seeme to be foisted in by some Scho­ler of Berengarius; whereas they themselues haue alwayes so printed the words vnto vs out of their own Libraries: & although they say in generall, that Edit. venet. [...]584. in marg. [...]oci. Haec in quibu [...]da exem­plaribus desunt. the wordes are wanting in some copies, yet lest they should be taken in a lie, doe not name in particu­lar any one copie where they are other­wise, neyther hath any such thing beene obserued by them, who did formerly pub­lish the same worke. As for that which [Page 19] he addeth, that Bellarm. vt supra. Ad rem non faciunt, nam loquebatur author homiliae devasis sacris templi Salomonis the words are nothing to the purpose, because they are spoken of the vessels of the Temple of Salomon, which Balthasar a­bused, and was therefore punished: it is a very senselesse and wilfull shift, because he him­selfe confesseth, that Ibid. In illis vasis non solum non crat verum corpus Domini sed nec mysteri­um eius. in those vessels there was no mystery of Christs body at all; because Chrysostom saith, not those vessels but these, nor wherein was, but wherein is conteyned, speaking in the present tense, as of the ves­sels which they had then in vse; because it had beene ridiculous to warne his hearers of a danger in abusing the vessels of the Temple of Ierusalem, which they had not to abuse; and doth no otherwise speake of Balthasar, but as bringing a particular ex­ample for proofe of a generall Doctrine: that by the punishment of Balthasar for a­busing the vessels of the Temple of Ieru­salem, we are taught how dangerous it is prophanely to defile vessels of sacred vse, as namely the vessels of our Christian Chur­ches, wherein yet is not the very body of Christ, but only the mystery of his body. But to streng­then this assertion of Chrysostome wee al­leadge [Page 20] Gelasius Bishop of Rome affirming that [...] the Sacraments which we receiue of the body and blood of Christ, are a diuine thing, and we are thereby made partakers of the diuine na­ture, and yet (saith he) there ceaseth not to be the substance or nature of Bread and Wine. Which wordes as they astonished Chemnic. in Exam. Concil. Trident. de Transubstant. Cardi­nall Contarenus in the conference at Ratis­bone, so Bellarmine also is amazed at them; and though he tooke vpon him Bellarm. de Sacram. Eu­char. cap. 27. to aun­swere them as well as he could, yet durst not set them downe. The matter is plaine by the testimony of a Bishop of Rome, that there ceaseth not in the Sacrament to be the substance or nature of Bread and Wine. And what will they say to it? Bellarm. ibid Melch. Canus loc. com. lib. 6. cap. 8. Sometimes for­sooth the Authour of the booke was not Gelasius Bishop of Rome, but another Ge­lasius Bishop of Cesarea in Palestina, who was more auncient then he of Rome. And yet Bibhoth. sanct. patrum Tom 4. Pa [...]is. [...]89. they themselues as they haue found it, so haue alwaies printed it, and doe vnder the name of Gelasius Bishop of Rome: and the Tract being written in Latine is not likely to be written by Gelasius Bishop of [Page 21] Cesarea, who being of the Greeke Church did vndoubtedly write what hee wrote in the Greeke tongue. But it hath receiued credite as the worke of a renowmed Au­thour of that name, and in all likelihood of Gelasius Bishop of Rome, by Ioan. 1. Epist. aduer. Euty­chian. Biblioth sanct. Pat. tom. 4. 1589. being cy­ted by a Bishop of Rome, Iohn the first; who was the fourth that succeeded after the same Gelasius. Therefore Gregory de Valentia seeing little boote in that answer, sticketh not to say both concerning Theo­doret and Gelasius, that Greg. de Val. de Transubst. cap. 8. Antequā quaestio illa de transubstantia­tione in Ecclesia palam agitare­tur, minime mi­rum est si [...]nus aut al [...]er, aut e­tiam aliqui ex vetcribus minus consideratè & recte hac dere senserint & scripserint. before the question of transubstantiation was debated in the Church, it is no maruelif one or some of the ancient Writers did both thinke and write vnaduisedly and a­misse concerning this matter; And againe, If Idem, Apo­log. de Idolol. l 3. c. 5. Si maxi­me Gelasius tanquam Dector aliquis nihil vt Pontifex deter­minans, & vnus item aut alter ex Patr bus hac [...]re lapsus erro­re fuisset, [...]abe­mus c [...]rte nu­bem aliorum testium. Gelasius as a priuate Doctor, not as Pope to determine; and some one or other of the Fathers haue erred herein, yet we haue for vs a cloude of witnesses. So then Gelasius in priuate said the same that wee doe, and was minded as we are, that there ceaseth not in the Sacra­ment to bee the substance of Bread and Wine; but he erred therein: and if he had set him downe in his Consistory Chaire [Page 22] (O absurd mockery) he would have been of another spirit, and haue spoken as the Papists speake, whereas notwithstanding he wrote these words in a dogmaticall tract against the two Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches, and therefore must be taken defi­nitiuely to resolue against that which is now taught in the Church of Rome. Not so, saith Doct. Bishop, for though the worst come to the worst, yet Doct. Bishop Reproofe, p. [...]62. the sentence may haue a good meaning, and may stand well with our doctrine: for the nature of bread doth not wholly cease to be in the Sacrament, because the forme, sauor, and tast of bread doe still remaine, though the whole inward substance be turned in­to the body of Christ. Marke this well, I pray you; there ceaseth not to be the substance of bread; that is, there ceaseth not to be the ac­cidents of bread, the forme, sauor and taste of bread: there ceaseth not to be the substance of bread; that is, the whole substance of bread is turned into the body of Christ. May wee not thinke that they imagine themselues to haue to do with beasts, and not with men, that wil seeke to put them [Page 32] off with such answers and expositions, as these are? Againe we alleadge Epiphanius, affirming it Epiphan. [...]. ad Ioan. Hie­rosolom Cum hoc vidissem (velum pendens habens imaginem quasi Chri­sti vel sancti cuiusdam) in Ecclesia Christi contra authori­tatem scriptura­rum hominis pendere imagi­nem, scidi illud, &c. Eiusmodi vela quae contra religionem no­stram veniunt. to be against Christian Religion to haue in Churches the Images of Christ and his Saints, and shewing that he himselfe com­ming into a Church, and finding a veyle wherein such an Image was painted, did cut the veyle in peeces. Alphonsus de Castro tel­leth vs, that Alphons. de Cast. lib. 8. tit. Imago. Res non crat adeo aperta nec deilla re quod sciam vn­quam Ecclesia illo tempore de­finierat. this matter of Images was not then so cleare, neyther had the Church defined any thing thereof: but now Gregor. de Valent. Apol. de idololat. l 2. c. 7. Si maximè fact [...]m ill [...]d Epiphanij ex­plocatum esset, nonnè plus pon­deris apud nos Ecclesiae totius authoritas at (que) vsus habere de­bet? the authority of the Church, saith the Valentian Iesuite, is to be of more weight with vs then the authority of E­piphanius. Yet we bring the Councell of E­liberis, saying, Concil. Eliber. ca. 36. Placuit in Ecclesia picturas esse non debere, ne quod colitur aut adoratur [...]parietibus d [...]pingatur. We will that there be no pictures in Churches, that that which is worshipped and adored, be not painted vpon the wall. VVhere Bellarm reciting diuers of his fellows an­swers, & trusting to none of them, cutteth off the matter briefly thus: Bellar. de imag. sanct. cap. 9. Quicquid concilium statu­erit, &c. contra nos tantum esse potest concilium 19. Episcoporum quod prouinciale fuit, minimè confirmatum, & in alijs decretis videtur crrasse. Whatsoeuer that Councell decreed, there can be against vs onely a Councell of nineteene Bishops, which was but Prouincial, and not confirmed, and seemeth in o­ther [Page 24] Decrees to haue erred. VVe bring Hierom determining of the bookes of Canonicall Scripture as we doe, and Hieron. pro­log. galeat. Sa­pientia quae vul­go Solomonis in­scribitur, est Iesu filij Syrach liber, & Tobias, & Iudith, & Pastor non sunt in Ca­none. excluding from the Canon the same that wee exclude, the bookes of VVisedome, Ecclesiasticus, To­bie, Iudith, &c. Melchior Canus turneth him off in a word thus; Melch. Can. loc. comm. l. 2. c. 11. Nec ve­rum est in decer­nendis libris Canonicis Eccle­siae regulam esse Hieronymum. Hierome is no rule to the Church for the determining of the Canonicall bookes; whereas Hierome setteth not downe his owne opinion only, but the iudgment and practise of the Church; Hieron. praef in lib. Solom. Iudith & Tobiae & Maccabaeo­rum libros legit quidem Ecclesia sed eas inter Canonicas scripturas uon recipit: The Church readeth them, but yet doth not receiue them a­mongst the Canonicall Scriptures. Chrysostome layeth vpon the Virgin Mary some aspersi­on of Chrysost. in Mat. hom. 45. Considera tam matris quàm frotrum impor­tunitatem, &c. Ambitione qua­dam & ostenta­tione com­moti &c. Patet inani quadam gloria illos com­motos fuisse. ambition, ostentation, and vaine glory: whereby we shew his iudgement, that the blessed Virgin was not without sinne, but stood in neede of her sonne to be her Sa­uiour. The Inquisition of Venice hath giuen him a checke in the margent, Edit. Venet. 1583. in marg. loci. Hic author excedit. Here the authour goeth too farre: and Pererius the Iesuite somewhat more sharpely; Perer. Chrysostomus & veritatis & pietatis terminos excessit. Chryso­stome passed the bounds of truth and pietie. Of Austins doctrine and iudgement con­cerning [Page 25] originall sinne, Pighius doubted not to say, that it is Pigh. Con­trou. de pecc. Orig pag. 7. b. Non solum quod certa non sit, im­mò qd certò falsa sit. & pag. 35. b. vides in quàm absurda dicta Pelagij ratiuncu la Augustinū de­scēdere coegerit. not onely not certaine, but certainly false, and that by a petite reason of Pe­lagius he was driuen to speake absurdly thereof. The same Austin in diuers bookes against the Pelagians soundly deliuereth the do­ctrine of the predestination and grace of God; but Osor. de iu­stit. l. 9. Nulla est in scholis senten­tia ne (que) maiore contentatione ne (que) minore rationū praesidio defensa, &c. Osorius a Popish Bishop in a worke written at large, purposely and pro­fessedly disputeth against him. And thus haue they at their pleasure vilified and dis­graced all the auncient histories of the Church. Eeusebius is reiected by Melchior Canus, as Melch. Can. loc. com. l. 11. c. 6. Ariana haere­seos defensor esse cognoscitur ex Synod. Nicen. 2. a defendor of the Arrian heresie, and his history is branded and condemned for Dist. 15. San­cta Romana. Historia Eusebij Pamphili Apo­crypha [...] Apocryphal by their Canon law. Ruffinus is taxed by Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. l. 2. cap. 13. Falsa expositio est, &c. Non rectè Con­cilij sententiam Ruffin▪ exposuit. Bellarm. for expounding falsely the Councell of Nice; & for reckoning the Canonical Scriptures, as we do, according as he saith, to the tradition of the Fathers, is noted by Canus as Melch. Can. loc. com. l. 2. c. 11. Ruffinus, pace lectoris dictum sit, Patrum traditiones ignorauit. being ignorant of the tradition of the Fathers. Socrates is traduced by Bellarmine also, as Bellar. de bon. oper. in part. l. 2. c. 15. Dic [...] Socratem non multum fidei mereri cùm & Nouatianus & Aërianus fue [...]it. & de cult, Sanct. c. 10. Dico fuisse Nouatianum ne (que) testimoniū eius in dogmatibꝰ vllius esse momenti. a Nouatian and Aerian [Page 26] hereticke, worthy of little credite, and is noted by him, as telling Idem de Clericis, cap. 20. Socrates l. 5. c 21. [...]. three manifest lies at once. Sozomen is likewise contemptuously reie­cted by him as [...]d. Socra­tes & Sozo­menus haereti­ci. S [...]zomem [...] S. Grego­ [...] [...], [...] multa, [...] quit, ment [...]tur. an Hereticke and a liar his History being censured by him out of Gre­gory as full of lies. Theodoret is taxed for a party. Nestorian and Melch. Can. loc. com. l. 11. c. 6. Illiusmodi er­rantium patro­c [...]a historiae [...]e­leuant & autho­ritatem & fi­dem. his defence of them, saith Canus, impeacheth the authority and credit of his Story. Nicephorus with Maldonatus Maldonat. praefat. in Luc. Nicephorus quantam fidem mercat [...]r abalijs malim aestimari quam a me dici: mihi temper au­d [...]ior est visus. deserueth like credite, and seemeth to him too presumptuous and bold. Thus whereas they exclaime against our modest and iust ex­ceptions against the Fathers, such as are taught and approued by the Fathers them­selues, and by which we subiect them on­ly to the word of God; they themselues are altogether impudent in this behalfe, vsing the Fathers as counters, to be somewhat when they list, & when they list nothing; yet as cyphers to be of no vse, but onely as they serue to adde to them. Like guardi­ans and tutors, so they dispose of them as their wardes and schollers, to speake when they bid them, or otherwise to hold their peace; not hereby to yeeld authority to the [Page 27] word of God, or to giue place to, Thus saith the Lord, but to giue way to whatsoe­uer deuises and traditions they themselues list to bring into the Church: yea, to that desperate passe they are brought by the writings of the Fathers, as that they see they cannot stand but by offering violence vnto them. Therefore as the olde Heretickes tooke vpon them to be Iren. lib. 3. c. 1. Sicut quidam audent dicere gloriantes se esse emendatores A­postolorum. emendatores Aposto­lorum, the reformers of the Apostles; so do they take vpon them to be expurgatores & emen­datores Patrum, the purgers and correctors of the Fathers; altering and chopping and changing their workes, putting in and put­ting out, falsifying and corrupting most shamefully all, both their written and printed books. In a word, like Alexander the great, what they cannot vntie they wil cut, not with a knife, but with a sword or an Axe, and hauing abandoned the consci­ence and vse of, Thus saith the Lord, they are at a passe with all other authorities, and muniments of faith, saying with them­selues, Psal. 2. 3. Let vs breake their bondes asunder, and cast away their cordes from vs: Psal. 12. 4. With our [Page 28] tongues we will preuaile, we are they that ought to speake, who is Lord ouer vs?

6 But for our direction in the right way, let vs now hear what the Lord saith; where first we are to note, what he biddeth vs to do for the finding of the way; stand, behold, and aske for the way. Secondly, what mark he giueth wherby we are to take knowledge of the way; which consisteth in this, that he calleth it the old way, affirming the same to be the good way. As touching the first, we know that the way faring man, comming to a place where there are many waies and turnings, becommeth at a stand. He will not go on at all aduenture, but staieth and looketh about him; he coasteth the coun­trey, and casteth with himselfe which may be most likely to be the way; and for the more assurance asketh and enquireth of them of whom hee can presume that hee shall learne the way. By which compari­son the holy Ghost heere instructeth vs what to doe, when wee fall into question and doubt of our spirituall way: First, he willeth vs to stand vpon the wayes, as to deli­berate [Page 29] and deuise, warning vs in this be­halfe to doe nothing headlongly and rash­ly, but to consider earnestly and carefully, what way we make choice of: For as in all things, so specially in Religion precipita­tion and headlong wilfulnesse is greatly to be condemned. For religion is a matter of greatest consequence; where to vse the wordes of Tertullian, Tertul de patient. Cuius iudicium in suos non in com­pede aut pileo vertitur sed in aeternitate aut poenae aut salutis the question is not of bondage or freedome, but of eternity, eyther of punishment or saluation. And therefore here to deale at all aduenture, and in the cause of God, and hazard of soules health, to goe on rashly and without regard, and to fol­low a Religion without reason, argueth a retchlesse and lewd mind; which we may not wonder, if God seuerely reuenge, as a matter of high indignity to himselfe. For which cause we cannot doubt but that the indignation and curse of God lieth vpon a number of our Recusants, who hand ouer head, and without any due regard haue embraced that damnable way, and haue impiously confederated themselues with the enemies of God, of their Prince and [Page 30] countrey, inthralling themselues to Anti­christ, the man of sinne, the sonne of per­dition, and yeelding themselues to be ledde by him to their owne destruction; euen by him who in infinite pride hath taken vpon him, that Dist. 40. Si Papa suae & fra­tern salutis neg­ligens, &c. Innu­merabiles populos cateruatim secum ducit primo man­cipio gehennae cum ipso plagis multis in eternū vapulaturus, hu­ius culpas ishic redarguere prae­sumit mortalium nullus, &c. though he led de with him innumera­ble soules to hell to perish with him for euer, yet may no mortall man take vpon him to reproue him. And this many doe, specially women of curiosity and singularity, desirous to seeme somwhat by being that, that others are not, and thinking the name of a Recu­sant to be a trimme name, because thereby there is a difference made betwixt them, and, as they conceiue, the vulgar sort of men, when in the meane time as touching iudgement and conscience, they haue no­thing to satisfie either others or themselues why they doe that which they doe: which wantonnesse and pride of opposition, iust­ly deserueth to be chastened by lawes, and the rod of correction is necessarily to bee vsed, to stay the course of this wilfull folly; to cause such headlong persons to stand, and to bethinke and aduise themselues of that they doe.

[Page 31]7 For so doth the Prophet teach vs, not onely to stand, but also to beholde: wil­ling vs thereby to vse our eyes, that is, our iudgement and vnderstanding, to esteeme and consider of the wayes that are before vs. For albeit our owne vnderstanding of it selfe, suffice not to informe vs as touch­ing the truth of faith and religion towards God, yet our sight and iudgement out of the notice of some common and generall principles auayleth so farre, as that we are able thereby to say, that this or that is not true Religion, because fasehood in Religi­on commonly hath somewhat, wherein, if we vse our eyes, we may see the Image of him that is the Authour thereof. And so the case standeth in Popery, where amidst all their varnishes and colours, there are some things so grosse, so palpably absurd, as that a blinde man with his fingers and by very touch may discerne, and feele the abhominations of them. For their pre­cepts and practise of equiuocation and mentall euasion; their doctrine of the Popes power to depose Kings and Princes, [Page 32] and to giue licence to their subiects contra­ry to their sworne alleageance, to rise in a [...]mes against them, & eyther by violence or treachery to kill them, and that with the merite of remission of sinnes and e­ternall life; their assertion, Tho. Aquin. p. [...] q 80. art. 3. in corp. Eliam si mus vel canis [...]ostiam conse­cratam mandu­ret, substant [...]a corporis Christs non desin [...]t esse sub speciebus, &c. Quidam dixerunt quod statim cum Sa­cramentum tan­gitur a mure vel cane, desinit ibi esse corpus Ch [...]isti; quod de­rogat veritati Sacramenti. that Dogges and Mice, and Swine eating their conse­crated Hoast, doe eate into their bowels the very body and bloud of Christ; their ab­hominable paradoxe, Coster. En­chirid cap. 15. Sacerdos si for­nicetur aut domi concubinam fo­ueat, tamet si graui sacrilegio s [...]se obstringat, gra [...]ius tamen peccat si contra­h [...]t matrimoni­um. that it is more law­ful for a Priest to commit fornication then to marry a wife; Bellar. de A­miss [...]grat. & Stat. pecc. l. 2. c. 18. Non peccat. Magistratus si m [...]r [...]t [...]cibꝰ cer­ [...]um locum vrbis incolendum attribuat. their defence of publicke and common Stewes; their falling downe to worship stocks and stones, and to pray and offer to them; their Seruice and prayers in a strange and vnknowen tongue; their maiming of the Sacrament by admini­string it in one kinde, contrary to the ex­presse institution and example of Christ in the Gospell, and that with a Non obstante in the Councell of Constance, Concil. Constant. Sess. 13. Lic et Christus post coenam instituerit & suis d [...]scipulis administrauerit sub vtra (que) specie panis & vini hoc venerabile Sacramentum, tamen hoc non obstante consuetudo quòd a laicis tantummodò sub specie Panis suscipiatur, ha­benda est pro lege, quam non licet reprobare, &c. This notwith­standing, yet the custome of administring to the lay people, onely in the forme of bread, shall be [Page 33] taken for a law; These, I say, and sundry o­ther of their doctrines and doings are such and so contrary to the common sense of Christian piety, as that of them who haue had occasion and meanes to take notice of them, and yet persist and goe forward in their euill way, wee haue iust occasion to conceiue that which the Apostle saith, that 2. Cor. 4. 4. the God of this world hath blinded their eyes, that the light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ should not shine vnto them: And againe, that Rom. 1. 28. God hath giuen them ouer to a reprobate sense, to doe the things that are not conuenient, and hath set vpon them a marke of that re­probate illusion, whereof the same Apostle speaketh, 2. Thes. 2. 10. 11. Because they regarded not the loue of the truth that they might be saued, therefore God shall send them strong delusion, that they may beleeue lies, that they may be damned, which beleeued not the truth, but tooke pleasure in vn­righteousnesse.

8 The next thing that is to be done, is to aske for the way. Now no man doubteth, but that it is expedient and necessary so to doe, but the question is, of whom we are [Page 34] to aske? Whom shall I aske that I may be sure to receiue of him certaine and true an­swere, which is the way of eternall life? Let me goe through all the Religions and pro­fessions in the world, Protestants, Papists, Brownists, Arians, Pelagians, euery one will say of that that he himselfe followeth that it is the right way. Who is now the Iudge amongst all these to giue vs certaine assurance and warrant, which is the way indeede? And whom shall wee thinke to be this Iudge but God himselfe, who as he is the end whereto we goe, so is the onely directour of the way whereby wee are to come vnto him? But here the troubled minde asketh againe, How shall I come to aske of God? how shall I heare his voyce to receiue answer from him? Let vs take the answer of this question from S^t. Hierome, who demaunding, Hieron. in Ps. 86. Dominus narrauit & quomodo narra­uit? Non verbo sed Scriptura. In cuius Scriptura? In populorum, &c. quae Scrip­tura populis om­nibus legitur, hoc est, vt omnes intelligant, &c. Principes Eccle­siae & princepes Christi non scripserunt pau­cis sed vniuerso populo, &c. non vt pauci intelli­gerent sed vt omnes. How will the Lord shew or declare? answereth, Not by word or voyce but in the Scripture. In whose Scripture? Marry saith he, In the Scripture of the people, which he noteth to be so called, because it is read vnto all people, that is, saith he, so as that al may [Page 35] vnderstand; because the Princes of Christ, that is, the Apostles and Euangelists, did write not for a few, but for the whole people, not that a few, but that all may vnderstand. God then hath giuen thee his holy Scripture, & hath attemperated the same to thy capacity and vnderstanding, that there thou mayest aske and receiue answere of him, which the way is wherein thou art to walke, that thou mayest obteine eternall life. And hereof saith Gregory Bishop of Rome (a farre o­ther man then are those Vipers and Aspes that now are bred out of the Church of Rome.) Gregor. Mo­ral. l. 16. c. 16. Per Scripturam Deus loquitur omne quod vult. By the Scripture God telleth vs all his will. Idem. Expo­sit. in 1. Reg. c. 3. Quid cor & animam dei nisi sacram. eius Scripturam accipimus? What doe we vnderstand, saith hee, by the heart and soule of God, but his holy Scrip­ture? as to giue vs to vnderstand, that if we desire to come so neere vnto God, as to haue him poure forth his heart and soule vnto vs, we must expect and looke for the same in his holy Scriptures. And therefore is it that our Sauiour Christ vseth that ex­hortation, Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life, and they are they that testifie of me. Heereby doth God per­forme [Page 36] the promise that of olde hee made vnto his people, [...]sa. 30 21. Thou shalt heare a voyce be­hinde thee, saying This is the way, walke in the same. Of which way the Prophet saith fur­ther, Esay. 35. 8. There shall be a path and a way, and the way shall be called holy; the polluted shall not passe by it, for God shall be with them (that is, with his people that seeke him) and walke in the way; and the fooles (the simple) shall not erre, namely because Psal. 19. 7. the law of the Lord gi­ueth wisedome and vnderstanding vnto the sim­ple, Pro. 1. 4. and to a childe knowledge and discretion. Very notable is that of Optatus, and much to be marked in this behalfe, when being at question with the Donatists, whether it were lawfull to rebaptize or not, hee saith thus, Optat. cont. Parme. l. 5. Vos dicitis, Licet, nos dicimus, Non li­cet. Inter ve­strum licet & non licet nostrum nutant & re: migant animae populorum. Ne­mo vobis credat nemo nobis om­nes contentiosi homines sumus. Quaerendi sunt Iudices. Si Chri­stiani; de vtra (que) parte dari non possunt, quia stu­dijs veritas im­peditur. Deforis quaerendus est Iudex. Si Paga­nus, non potest nosse Christiana secreta. Si Iudae­us, nimicus est Christiani bap­tismatis. Ergo in terris hac de re nullum poterit reperiri iudicium. de [...]lo quaerendus est index, sed vtquid pulsa mus ad calum cum habemus hi [...] in Euangelio; testamentum inquam, &c. Ergo voluntas eius sicut in testamento sic in Euan gelio inquiratur. You say, it is lawfull and we say, it is not lawfull. Betwixt your yea and our nay the soules of the people wauer and stand in doubt: let no man beleeue vs, let no man beleeue you; we are all contentious men. Wee must enquire for Iudges betwixt vs. If of Christians, they can be giuen of neither part of vs, because by part-ta­king [Page 37] the truth is hindered. We must looke for one abroad. If a Pagan, he cannot know the se­cret of Christian faith. If a Iew, he is an enemy of Christian baptisme. Therefore vpon earth no iudgement can be found hereof (little did hee thinke that the Pope in this case is to be the Iudge) we must require a Iudge from heauen. But why, saith he, do we knocke at heauen, when we haue one here in the Gospell, euen the Testa­ment of Christ? As in his Will or Testament, so in the Gospell let vs require what his will is. Thus spake Optatus in a case all one with ours, and plainly teacheth vs, who it is that must be the Iudge, to end amongst vs all Controuersies concerning the right way, euen the Testament of Christ, the word of the Gospell, by which Christ being in hea­uen still speaketh vnto vs to giue aun­swere of that which we aske of him. Now we know this offendeth and galleth the Church of Rome, and they gnaw their tongues for anger at the hearing of it. As Origen saith, Origen. in Num. ho. [...]. Super omnia eis est tormentorum genera & super omnes paenas si­quem videant verbo Dei ope­ram dare, scien­tiam d [...]uinae lo­gis & mysteria scripturarum in­tentis studijs perquirentem▪ it is a torment to the Diuels, to see a man giuen to the reading of the Scriptures, so is it a torment to them to heare the [Page 38] people inuited to the Scriptures, and in­structed there to aske of God concerning the way of life. They repine, they wrastle, they cast in scruples and doubts, they doe all that may be done to discourage men from making vse of that which God hath giuen to be the speciall meanes and helpe of our saluation. But the more they rage in this behalfe, so much the more let vs ac­knowledge and accept the gift of God, and endeauour that Ambros. in Heb. 5. Quomo­do p [...]t [...]runt sen­sus nostri exerci­ta [...] esse? Vti (que) ex vsit & fre­quent [...] lectione sanctarum scrip­turarum, &c. by vse and often reading and meditation of Scriptures, as Ambrose teach­eth, we may Heb. 5. 14. haue our wits exercised to discerne betwixt good and euill; esteeming by right reason, because the late Ballancer of Religi­on will haue the matter to be weighed Prudent. Ballance of Religion in the Epistle. by naturall and right reason; that it is more safe for vs to commit our selues to that where­of there is no question, then to that wher­of there is question, and because al men are questionable, and doe question one ano­ther; therefore to repaire to the Scriptures, and there to aske and seeke the way, where no man dare denie but that it is the voyce of God, the voyce of Iesus Christ, which by [Page 39] his Prophets and Apostles, vpon whom Ephe. 2. 20. the houshold of God are built, giueth answere to vs. To which purpose we may obserue that which S. Austin saith, August. in 1. Ioan. Tr. 2. Contra insid [...]osos [...]rrores Deus voluit pon [...]re firmamentum in Sc [...]ipturis; Con­tra quas nullus audet loqui qui q [...]quo modo se vult videri Christianum. Against deceitfull errours God would set vs a Fortresse or Bul­warke in the holy Scriptures, against which no man dare speake which will in any sort be taken for a Christian man. And of the vse of these Scriptures, Gregorie Bishop of Rome telleth vs thus: Gregor. in Cantic. cap. 5 Sancti viri se consilijs Scrip­turae ex toto ad­dicunt, vt vide­licet nihil agant nisi quod ex re­sponso [...]criptu­rarum audiunt; &c quae fluenta plenissima di­cuntur, quia de quibuscun (que) scruplis in Scripturis Consi­lium quaeritur, sine minoratione de omnibus ad plenum inueni­tu [...]. Holy men doe wholly addict them­selues to the counsels of the Scripture, so as that they doe nothing but what they heare by answer of the Scriptures; which, saith he, are called full streames or riuers, because of whatsoeuer scru­ples or doubts we aske counsell in the Scriptures; we finde it to the full of all things without excep­tion. Vnderstand it according to the words of Chrysostome, Chrysost. in 2. Thess. hom. 3. Omnia clarae sunt & manife­sta ex Scripturis diuinis: quecun (que) necessaria sunt, manifesta sunt. All things are manifest and cleare by the holy Scriptures; whatsoeuer things are necessary, they are manifest. In a word, of the Scriptures S. Austin most comfortably telleth, that August. de vtil. credendi. cap. 6. Pla­nè ita modificata vt nemo inde haurire non possit quod sibi satis est, si modò ad hauriendum de­uotè ac piè, vt vera religio poscit, accedat. the doctrine thereof is so tempered, as that there is no man but may drawe from [Page 40] thence that that is sufficient for himselfe (thogh not sufficient for the answering and deter­mining of al maner questions and doubts, yet sufficient for himselfe, for his owne soules health) so that he come to draw with de­uotion and piety, as true Religion requireth he should doe: for to such GOD himselfe is a teacher, not only outwardly by his word, but also inwardly by his spirit, enlightning their vnderstanding, & guiding their harts to conceiue aright of his way, giuing them that answere, whereof Gregory speaketh, when interpreting Greg. Moral. l 35. c. 3. Homini d [...]um inte [...]rugare est in [...]pect▪ e [...]us ne [...]c [...]entem [...]gnos [...]ere. R [...]mdore au­t [...]Det [...]st, est eum qu [...] benè h [...]n [...]l [...]ter nesci­entem cognouerit interms inspira­tio [...]bus erudire. our asking of God to be the acknowledgement of our owne ignorance in the sight of God, he expoundeth Gods answe­ring to be his instructing of them by inward in­spirations, Leo in Natiu. Serm. 5. Quis ad haec id [...]neus, nisi qui [...]p. Dei & docetur & regi­tur, dicente Apo­sto [...]. Nos autem non spiritum huiꝰ mund. accep [...]mꝰ & [...]. can [...]nte eti­am Dauid; Bea­tus quem tu e [...] ­dieris, domine, & de lege tua docu­cris eum. who doe humbly acknowledge their owne ignorance before him. And of this teach­ing and answering Leo Bishop of Rome speaketh, when hauing signified the diffi­culty of holding the right way amongst so many opinions, and so many falshoods, carrying shew and likelihood of truth, as hath beene before said, he addeth, Who is fit for this, but hee that is both taught and gui­ded [Page 41] by the spirit of God, according to that which the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 2. 12. Wee haue not receiued the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God, that we may know the things that are gi­uen vnto vs of God; and as Dauid saith, Psal. 94. 12. Bles­sed is he whom thou instructest, O Lord, and teachest him by thy law. Then indeede are wee truely taught, and then doe we effe­ctually and truely learne, not when wee onely reade the law, but when God him­selfe teacheth vs by his law; and thus hee teacheth all them who in the study of his law do faithfully & deuoutly aske of him. And by this inspired teaching God proui­deth, as in the time of Christ, so now also amidst al the illusions of Antichrist, amidst all the seducements, and Heretickes, and false teachers, amidst all the stumbling blockes that Satan casteth in the way, that Mat. 11. 19. Wisedome notwithstanding is iustified of her children, and they without faile Acts 13. 48. beleeue whom God hath ordained vnto eternall life. As for those Ios. 7. 21. Achans, that in the midst of Isra­ell are in loue with Babylonish garments and thinke themselues to be adorned and bew­tified thereby, they shall we are the shame [Page 42] and confusion thereof, they shall 2. Tim. 3. 13. grow worse and worse, deceiuing and being deceiued, till Esay 8. 15. they stumble and fall, and be broken in pee­ces, and perish, neuer to rise againe.

9 It followeth now what the marke is whereby God here describeth the right and good way, which to that purpose hee termeth the old way. The old way, saith hee, is the good way. Where we may iustly deride the folly of the Papists, who call their Re­ligion the old way, the old Religion; whereas here we see the faithfull instructed as tou­ching the old way, when as yet there was neither Pope, nor Papist, nor Papistrie, nei­ther were those superstitions knowen, which they now so much commend as the onely way to come to God. Certaine it is indeed, that the olde way is the onely right way, and what is most auncient is most true; but in this they dally and much decei [...]e men, that they take the name of the old way of that that hath beene some ages and generations before vs; whereas the rec­koning of that that is to bee termed olde, ought to be from the beginning: neyther [Page 43] should that in this case bee called old; a­gainst which, that exception standeth which our Sauiour vseth in the Gospell, Mat. 19. 8. from the beginning it was not so. Of w^ch obser­uation to make the better vse, we are to vn­derstand, that as from the beginning to the end there is but one body of the Church; so there is also but Ephes. 4. 4. 5. one faith, 2. Cor. 4. [...]. 3. one and the same spirit of faith, as the Apostle teacheth. Leo de pass. Dom. Ser. 14. Ʋna fides iustifi­cat vniuersorum temporum san­ctos. One faith, saith Leo, iustifieth the Saints of all times; Idem in Nat. Dom. Serm. 3. Fides qua viui­mus nulla fuit aetate diu [...]sa. the faith whereby we liue was not diuers in a­ny age. August. de Nat. & grat. c. 4 [...]. Ea fides iu­stos sanauit an­tiquos quae sanat & nos. The same faith, saith Austin, saued the iust of olde that now saueth vs: Idem in Ioan Tract. 45. Tem­pora variata sunt, non fides. Mutetus est sonꝰ venturus est, & venit; eadem tamen fides v­tros (que) coniungit. the tenses are diuers, they spake of Christ in the future tense, Christ to come, we speake of him in the preter tense, Christ already come; but there is no difference of faith. They differed from vs in outward signes and sacraments; they had circumcision, and the cloud, and the redde Sea, and Manna, and the rocke; we haue in stead thereof Baptisme and the Lords Supper: but August. ibid. In diuersis signis cadem fides. in this diuersity of signes there is the same faith. Therefore of those auncient faithfull the same S. Austin saith, that Idem Cont. 2 Epist. Pelag. l. 3. c. 4. Eadem sides & in illis qui non­dum nomine sed reipsa suerunt Christia [...], & in illis qui [...] s [...]nt sed [...] c. nt [...]r. though not in name, yet in deede they were Christians, [Page 44] euen as the Apostle also saith of them, that 1. Cor. 10. 2, 3 they were baptized, and did eate the same spiri­tuall meat, and drinke the same spirituall drinke that we now doe. This is a firme and a sure foundation; and hereby wee vnder­stand that the old way wherein wee are to walke, the olde faith whereby wee attaine eternall life, is the same with the faith of the Patriarches, and Prophets, and righte­ous Fathers from the beginning of the world. Let vs then looke vpon them, and consider with our selues; Were they Pa­pists? Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Da­uid, were they Papists? Had they a Pope to goe to for indulgences and Pardons to de­liuer their soules from Purgatory? Or was any of them a Pope to giue any such? Did they one call vpon another, and pray one to another when they were dead? Did Abra­ham pray to Abel, or Dauid to Abraham? Did they say, O Saint Abel pray for vs, or O Saint Abraham pray for vs? Did they fall downe before stockes and stones, before Idols or Images to pray or offer to them? Did they goe in pilgrimage one to anothers relickes, [Page 45] to doe deuotion to them? Did they intend one to performe satisfactions for others sinnes? Did they pray one by the blood of another, to be brought to heauen, as by the olde In feslo tran­sl [...]t. S. Thom [...] Portesse the Papists prayed concer­ning Thomas Becket, and Reproose. pag. 109. 110. Doctor Bishop lately hath defended? A thousand abhomi­nations there are in? Popery, whereof there is no shew nor shadow amongst them; and yet shall Popery be called The old waye?

10 But let vs come nearer, and take our beginning from the time of Christ incar­nate, of whom the Father gauetestimony from heauen▪ Matth. 17. 5. This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased, heare him; whence Cy­prian gathereth, that we are Cyprian. l. 2. Ep. 3. Quod christus debeat solus audiri, Pater de coelo cont [...]s [...]atur; & si solus Chri­stus audundus est, non debemus attendere quid abquis antè nos faciendum puta­uerit, sed quid qui ante omac; est Christus prior fecerit. to heare him one­ly, and thereof inferreth: If Christ onely be to be heard, we are not to regard what any before vs hath thought fit to be done, but what Christ did first, who is before all: thereby teaching vs to forgoe all latter customes and traditions of men, and to rest vpon that onely which Christ hath taught. Now then let vs here againe thinke with our selues, was Christ a Papist? Did he change the olde faith of [Page 46] the Patriarches and Fathers to bring in Po­pery to be the Religion, that thenceforth should continue to the worlds end? Sure­ly Chry [...]st. de sanct. & ado­rand. sp. Non lo­cutus est ex seip­so sed ex Prophe [...]. Non disc [...]ssit [...] di [...]i es­ [...] Proph [...]t [...]. Christ spake not of himselfe, but out of the Law and the Prophets, saith Chrysostome; be swarued not from the Law and the Prophets. If the Religion which Christ taught, bee found in the Law and the Prophets, then surely Christ was no Papist, because Popery is not found there. But for the further clearing thereof Tertull de praescript. adu. haeret. Inprimus hoc prop [...]mo, [...] ­num & [...]tum aliquid a Christo institutum esse quod [...] ed [...]re omni [...]odo deb [...] ­ [...] nat [...]on [...]s. This I propound with Ter­tullian, that there was some one certaine thing in­stituted by Christ, which the nations by all meanes are to beleeue. It was one onely and certaine not containing then any difference, or vari­ety in it selfe, not subiect afterwards to any alteration or change, but so to be still belee­ued and practised as at the first it was deli­uered. This he committed to his Apostles that they should reach it. They did so, and so did it as that Ibid. Nec ipsi qui [...]quam ex ar­bitrio suo quod [...]ducer ent ele­g [...]runt, sed ac­ceptam a Christo disciplinam fide­liter nationibus adsignau [...]runt. they made not choice of any thing at their owne will, or vpon their owne dis­cretion, to bring in, saith Tertullian; but the doctrine which they receiued of Christ, they faith­fully deliuered vnto the nations. And thus, [Page 47] Iren. l. 3. c. 1. Euangelium primò praeco [...]ia­uerunt, postea per voluntatem Dei in scripturis no­bis tradiderunt, fundamentum & columnam si­dei nostrae futu­rum. they first preached the Gospell, saith Irenaeus, and afterwards by the will of God, deliuered it vnto vs in the Scriptures, to bee the foundation and pillar of our faith. Yea and they so deliuered it in the Scriptures as that Tertull. vt su­pra. Nobis non est opus curiosi­tate post Chri­stum, nec inquisi­tione post Euan­gelium; cum hoc credimus, ni­hil desideramus vltra credere; hoc enim prius credimus non esse quod vltra credere debe­mus. we need no curiosity after Christ, nor further enquiry after the Gos­pell, saith Tertullian againe: for when wee be­leeue this, we desire to beleeue nothing further; for this we beleeue, first that there is nothing fur­ther for vs to beleeue. Christ then taught all out of the Law and the Prophets. What Christ taught, he deliuered to his Apostles to bee preached to all Nations, and they preached it also, Rom, 16. 26. by the Scriptures of the Pro­phets, Gregor. in Cant. cap. 5. A­postoli à Prophe­tarum dictis fi­dem integram acceperunt. receiuing the whole faith, saith Gregory, from the sayings of the Prophets. What the Apostles preached, they haue deliuered to vs in writing, and beside that which they haue written, there is nothing further for vs to beleeue, and this is the old waye. Seeke now heere for Popery, and where is it? Looke through the Gospels; turne ouer the Epistles; where is the Pope? Where is his Supremacy? where are his pardons? where is his Masse? where are his Images? [Page 48] where is all the rest of that filth, which like the dung out of the stable of Aug [...]us, so we haue cast out of the Church? Will they say of all these things as Bellarmine saith most ridiculously of their vowing to Saints, to giue reason why it is not spoken of in the Scriptures; Bellarm. de cult. Sanct. c. 9. Cum [...]rib [...]ren­tur cript [...]rae s [...]cte, non [...]um coeperat vsus vo­uend [...] Sanct [...]s. When the scriptures were written, the custome of vowing to Saintes was not yet be­gunne? Witlesse man, if there were no vse or custome of it then, what doe wee with it now? or what doe we with any thing else that Christ by himselfe and his Apostles did not teach? Ambros. de Virgin. lib. 3. Nos noua omnia quae Christus non d [...]cuit, [...]ure dam­namus, &c. si Christus non do­cuit quod doc [...] ­mus, etiam nos id detestabile iudi­camus. We iustly condemne all new things, saith Ambrose, which Christ hath not taught; if Christ hath not taught the same that we teach, we iudge it worthy to be detested: and Hieron. in Psal. 86. Vt ex­ceptis Apostolis quodcu [...]q aliud postea dic [...]tur, abscindatur; non habeat post [...]a authoritatem. Quamuis ergò sunctus sit ali­quis post Aposto­los, quamuis di­sertus sit, non ha­bet authorita­tem. after the Apostles, saith Hierome, whatsoe­uer shall be said, is to be cut off; it is afterward of no authority, be a man holy, be he learned, after the Apostles he hath no authority; namely, to teach any thing further or otherwise then they haue taught. But this tryal the Church of Rome abhorreth, and as the theefe is a­shamed when he is taken in his thef [...]: so are they here confounded with shame, and [Page 49] stand as it were astonished, for that they see the Apostles and Euangelists haue said no­thing at all for them. They would faine make shew of something; they catch here and snatch there, as the dogge doth the wa­ter at the Riuer Nilus; but can find nothing to stay vpon, nothing for clearing of any cause that they maintaine against vs.

11 And what if we come lower to the times after the Apostles, shall we find cause there to take Popery for the old Religion? Of their maimed and party-communion, their Iesuites and others confesse, that Coster. En­chirid. cap. 10. Diligenter no­tandum alterius speciei commu­nionem non tam Episcoporum mandato quàm populi vsu & fa­cto (conniuenti­bus tamen prae­sulihus) irrepsisse. it crept in by custome and by the fact of the people, the Bishops not commaunding it, but winking at it: that Cassand. Consult. art. 22. Compertum est ecclesiam Ro­manam mille amplius à Chri­sto annis in so­lenni praesertim & ordinaria hu­ius sacramenti dispensatione, v­tram (que) speciem omnibus eccle­siae Christi mem­bris exhibuisse. for the space of a thousand yeeres after Christ the Church of Rome did administer ordi­narily in both kindes; so as that Thomas Aqui­nas in his time mentioneth the receiuing in one kinde, as accustomed but onely Tho. Aquin. sum. p. 3, q. 80. art. 12. in corp. In q [...]busdam ecclesiis obserua­tur vt populo sanguis sumen­dus non d [...]tur. in some Churches; and we challenge them to shew that euer the Communion of old time was so administred in any Church throughout the whole world. They cannot shew any such thing; and shall we then thinke that [Page 50] the Religion which now commaundeth this mangling of the Sacrament of Christ to be the olde religion? Of transubstantiati­on Scotus one of their great schoolemen ac­knowledgeth, that Bellarm. de sacram. Eucha­rist. lib. 3. c. 23. Scotus ait, ante Lateranense concilium non suisse dogma si­dei transubstan­tiationem. before the Councel of La­teran, almost twelue hundred yeares after Christ, it was no Article of Faith: and of their other tricks and deuices for the vpholding thereof, of accidents subsisting without any sub­iect, and giuing nourishment and food to the body, and such like, the authors of their first Index Expurgatorius, plainely say, that Index Ex­purgat. Belg. in Bertram. Quae subtilissime & [...]rissime poste­rior aetas per sp. sanctum addi­dit. latter time added them by the holy Ghost. If latter time haue added th [...]se things, then surely these things are no part of the old waye. And wher­as they pretend the holy Ghost as the au­thor hereof, we will returne to them that which Chrysostome saith to the hereticke, Chrysost. de sanct adorand. sp. Ʋbi legisti haec: Ex quo non legit haec scripta s [...]d ex seipso lo­ [...]itur, manif [...]stu e [...]t quod non ha­bet sp. sanctum, Where hast thou read this? Because he readeth not these things in the scriptures, but speaketh of himselfe, it is manifest that hee hath not the holy Ghost. To let passe their seuen sacraments mentioned before, their Popes pardons, their Iubilees, their Church-treasury, their worshipping of Images, with sundry other [Page 51] apparant and manifest nouelties, doe they find in the old religion those preceps which they now deliuer of deluding magistrates in their examinations, by Equiuocations and mentall reseruations, and Euasions? Was it thought lawfull by that religion that a man might take a solemne oath, and then play mock-holiday therewith, and salue by the thought of the mind, the false answere of the tongue? Iustinus Martyr tel­leth vs the practise of the old waye, farre dif­ferent from this Popish way, Iustin. Mart. Apolog. Emori malumus prop­ter confessionem fidei quam aut mentiri aut in­quisitores fallere: alioqui in promptu erat vsurpare vulga­tum illud: Iura­ta lingua est, a­nimus iniuratus est. We had ra­ther die for the confession of our faith, then ey­ther lie or beguile them that doe examine vs; o­therwise we might readily take vp the common saying: My tongue is sworne, my minde is vn­sworne. That which they would not take vp, is now taken vp by Iesuites and Papists, and that is deemed lawful and right which euen the very light of nature taught men to condemne as wicked & vnlawfull. In a word, where doe they finde in the old waye that which before I mentioned, that the Pope or Bishop of Rome, hath a superio­rity ouer Emperours, and Kings and Prin­ces? [Page 52] that he hath authority to depose them from their crownes and dignities, and to release their subiects of the allegeance which they haue sworne vnto them? that vp­on his excommunication, it is lawfull for their subiects to rebell against them, and to practise all hostility for the remo­uing of them? O most impudent & shame­lesse men, carried now beyonde all bounds of modesty or honesty, who haue written so many bookes of la [...]e for the defence of this paradoxe? when as in all their bookes they doe not, they cannot bring one sen­tence or sillable of antiquity, no precept, no example for iust fication thereof, which notwithstanding they commend for Bellarm e­pist. ad Archi. presb. Vnum ex praecipius fidei nostrae capitibus & rel [...]gion [...]s Ca­tholicae funda­m [...]ntis. a chiefe and speciall point of the Catholicke and Christian faith. But this point of Christian faith Tertullian knew not, when hee affir­med in the name and behalfe of christians, that they held Tertul. aduer. Scapul. Colimus imp [...]ratorem vt hominem a Deo secundum, solo De [...] minorem. the Emperour to be a man next vnto God, and inferiour to God onely: that Idem. Apolo­get. cap. 30. In cu [...]us solius pote­state sunt: à quo s [...]cundi, p [...]st quem primi ante omnes. the Emperours were vnder the power of God onely, being next vnto God, and after God the first be­fore all men. Nor Optatus, who sayeth that [Page 53] aboue Optat. lib. 3. Super imperato­rem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit imperato­rem. the Emperour, there is none but God onely that made the Emperour. Nor Chrysostom, who saith of the Emperour Theodosius; Chrysost. ad pop. Antioch. hom. 2. Laesus est qui non habet parem vlliom su­per terram: summitas & ca­put omnium su­per terram ho­minum. He hath no peere vpon earth: hee is the head and highest top of all men vpon the earth. Nor Cyril, who saith to the same Emperour The­odosius, Cyril. Epist. ad Theodos. praefixa lib. aduer. Iulian. Ʋestrae serenita­ti nullus status aequalis est. There is no state equall to your Maiesty; Idem de rect. fide ad Theod. Vos estis & summarum dig­nitatum sontes & supra om­nem eminenti­am. you are the fountaine of the highest dignities and aboue all eminency of men. Nor Gregory Bishop of Rome, who acknowledgeth to Maurici­us the Emperour, that Gregor lib. 2. Epist. 61. Pote­stas super omnes hom [...]nes domino­rum meorum pietati coelitùs data. to him was giuen pow­er from heauen ouer all men. Nor Agapetus a Deacon of Constantinople, who saide to Iustinian the Emperour; Agapet, Pa­raen. ad Iustini­an. cap. 21. Non habet Rex in terris se quenquan altiorem. The King hath none Superiour to him vpon earth. VVhich sentence Anton. Meliss. lib. 2. cap. 1 Antony the Abbot, surnamed Magnus, transcribed into his Sermons as Catholick and sound: as did also Maxim. sentent. ser. 9. Maximus an ancient Monke, but now the Index Expurgat. Hisp. in Biblioth. sanct. Patrum. tom. 1. Dele­antur illa verba: Non enim habet in terris se quicquam excelsius. Index Expurgatorius of Spaine hath condemned this sentence as vncatholicke, and vnsound; and com­maunded the same in the sermons of Anto­ny to bee henceforth omitted and left out. [Page 54] But what? shall we thinke that all these were ignorant of the Catholicke faith? was the Bishop of Rome then the highest State vpon earth, and did not they vnderstand so much? And if it were so, was there neuer a Bellarmine, neuer a Matthaeus Tortus, neuer a serpens tortuosus that would hisse and thrust out the sting, against these impug­ners of so maine a a point of Christian be­leefe? Or shall we not rather thinke these most shamelesse and vngodly creatures that will thus willfully goe against so cleare a streame of antiquity; hauing nothing, no­thing at all from thence to alleadge for de­fence of that they say; nothing for any co­lour thereof, but only that they bring some speeches, touching generally the dignity of Priesthood, whereby they may as well prooue euery hedge-priest to be superiour to the greatest Monarch in the world, and the meanest Bishop in the world, to bee e­quall to the Pope? Thus whilest they still pretend and make shew of the old waye, they giue vs iust occasion, to say of them as Ter­tullian said of the old Romaness; Tertull. Apo­loget. c. 6. Lau­datis semper an­tiquitatem & nouè de die vi­uitis. Ye are still [Page 55] commending of antiquity, and are full of new de­uices from day to day. But wee take know­ledge hereby of that Antichrist, of whom it was foretold by the Apostle that he should 2. Thess. 2. 4. exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God, or that is worshipped: which Saint Hierome ex­poundeth to consist in this, that Hieron. in Dan. c. 7. Eleua­tur supra omne quod dicitur De­us, cunctam reli­gionem suae sub­ijciens potestati. he shall sub­iect all Religion to his owne power; hee shall make of Religion what he list, euen as the Pope doth.

12 It remaineth now briefely to note what in duty concerneth vs when God hath made his way knowne vnto vs, and that is, to walke therein. For as it booteth not to know the precepts of bodily health, if we put not in practise what we know; so nei­ther auaileth it to know the way of eternal life, if we onely know it, and be carelesse to walke accordingly. To walke, I say, both by preseruing integrity of faith, and by yeelding conuersation of life correspon­dent and agreeable to our faith▪ because the way doth not onely teach vs true faith, but also a vertuous and godly life. Here it is for vs to learne wisdome. If to know the [Page 56] way were sufficient to eternall life, how many would obtaine saluation, who now goe headlong to destruction? To beholde the kingdome of God a farre off, as Moses did the land of Canaan, whose heart doth it no [...] moue and enamor with the desire of it? in whom doth it not breed a wil to know the way to come vnto it? But to walke in this way and to continue therin, to vnder­goe the yoke of Christ, to deny our selues and to mortifie the desires of the flesh, and of the world; to fight against sinne that fighteth against vs, & in a word to follow the example of Iesus Christ, and as we haue receiued him so to walke in him; these are things so vncouch, so strange and crosse to our nature and will, as that many rather then they will thus doe, doe frustrate all their knowledge, and are content to be­tray their owne saluation. Bernard. in Cant. ser. 21. Quàm pauci post te, ô Domine Iesu ire volunt, cùm tamen ad te peruenire n [...]mo sit qui nolit, sci­entibus cunctis quia in dextera tua delectatio­nes vs (que) in finem, &c. Ex his erat ille qui dicebat, Moriatur ani­ma mea morte iustorum, &c. Mortem spiritu­alium optant sibi etiam carnales, quorum tamen vitam abhor­rent, scientes pretiosam mor­tem esse sancto­rum. How few are there, O Lord Iesus, that will follow thee, saith Bernard, whereas there is no man but is desirous to come vnto thee, all men knowing that at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore? Such a one was Balaam, saith he, who saide, Let my [Page 57] soule dye the death of the righteous, and let my latter end be like vnto his. And thus carnall men desire to themselues the death of them that are spirituall, because they know that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints; but in the meane time, they abhorre and shunne their kind of life. How many are there, that can like well to yeeld vnto God all externall acts of deuotion, but so that he will giue them the liberty of their inward affections? How many can bee content to admit the faith of Christ, so that they may be requi­red no workes, or at least no other workes then they please themselues? How many are glad to embrace Christ as Iesus to saue them, who like not to haue him vrged vpon them as their Lord to gouerne them? But Christ cannot in any wise brooke this dis­membring of himselfe. The true mother could not endure to heare of the deuiding of her child. If Christ be truly conceiued & borne in vs, we cannot yeeld to that deui­ding, of him but wil receiue him whole. If we will needs deuide our selues, to God by profession, to the Diuell by action; to [Page 58] Christ by faith, to our selues▪ surely God because he cannot bee content with halfe, will leaue the diuell to take all. Let vs not be like the Philistines, who 1. Sam. 5. 2. tooke the arke of God, and set it vp by Dagon their idoll God. August. in Psal. 77. Qui sic su [...]c [...]p [...]unt testa­mentum Dei vt veter [...] vanitate non se exuant, si­miles sunt hosti­bus populi eius, qui captiuatam arcam testa­menti iuxta sua idola pos [...]erunt, So doe they, saith Austin, who so receiue the Testament of God, as that they strip not them­selues of their former vanity. So doe they that take the faith of Christ, and set it with the idols of their owne corrupt and sinful lusts. Let vs not be like the Iewes Mat. 27. 34. Vulg. who gaue VVine indeed to Christ but mingled with Gall. Origen. in Mat. tract. 35. Quanticun (que) se­cundum doctri­nam quidem oc­clesiasticam sa­piunt a [...]i [...]unt au­tem male, dant e [...] viru [...] bibere f [...]lle permix­tam. So do they, saith Origen, who are minded rightly according to the doctrine of the Church, but doe liue amisse. Let vs not be like Matth. 21. 19. the Fig­tree in the Gospell, which had leaues onely and no fruite; that tree we know was cursed by our Sa [...]iour Christ, and withered soone way. This befel not for the trees sake, but in the tree Christ would teach vs what we are to expect, if we yeeld leaues without fruit, if we haue shadow and shew onely with­out substance; if we labour onely to know the way, and make no conscience to walke in it. Luk. 12. 47. The seruant that knoweth his masters wil, [Page 59] and doeth it not, shal be beaten with many stripes; Iam. 4. 17. and he that knoweth what is good, and doth it not, to him it is sinne. God direct vs the right way to come vnto him, that by vnderstan­ding we may know him: and by obedi­ence, may serue him, and may so passe the course of this transitory life, as that the end therof may be to rest with him in euerlasting peace and blisse, through Iesus Christ our Lord and only Sauiour Amen.