The baterie of the Popes Botereulx, commonly called the high Altar. Compiled by W. S. in the year of our Lord. 1550.  two. Cor. x. 
The wapons of our war are not fleshly, but mighty before God to cast down strong holds, wherewith we overthrow imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bring in captivity all understanding to the obedience of Christ and are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.   

¶ To his singular good Lord, sir Richard Rich, Lord Rich, & Lord chancellor of England: his most faithful and humble servant William salisbury wisheth everlasting felicity.  
EVen as I can not refrain but disclose and openly publish it, so can I not worthily express or declare, how joyous a thing it is to our ears, how comfortable to our heart, and how pleasant to our eyes, to hear, under stand, and see: that your lordship (having such power given you of God and your Prince to suppress, beat down, and utterly abolish, all vain superstition and false religion, as you have) doth now, by the abundant grace of almighty God working in your heart, openly repugn, suppress, & beat down those vain ceremonies, and superstitious observances founded by the bishop of Rome, that heretofore ye have (to the most part of men) been thought to favour, uphold, and maintain.  
In very deed. These manifest tokens that do now appear in your good lordship, are very joyous unto all such men, as delight to see all superstition abolished, and true religion set forth and maintained: but much more joyous to me and such other, as be toward your lordship in service. For now (the lord be thanked therefore) we have abundantly enough wherewith to stop the mouths of the evil speakers, so that if they will not otherwise be answered, we may say as Christ did to the froward jews. Operibus credit. Let the works (which ye see openly done) cause you to leave of your evil speaking, and to learn to speak well of such as god hath set in authority.  
And to declare mine opinion of your Lordship, I have thought it my duty (being moved in conscience to write against the devilish abuse of altars, so stifelie maintained by the stifenecked Papists) to dedicate the same mi labours unto your good lordship, trusting that if you will vouchesalfe to set it forth under your name, the people will with better will embrace it and be the more edified by it.  
With full trust therefore, that your lordship will be my buckler and shield of defence, whylse I fight under the banner of the lord of Hosts: I have couragiouselye given the onset upon the romish Enemies, bending mine ordinance against the strong & mighty Botereulx of their Bulwark (the high altar I mean) which beiing shaken down, I doubt not the fort will soon be yielded unto my grand captain jesus Christ. Who preserve your lordship to his honour, & your lordship's everlasting wealth. Amen.   

William salisbury to the christian Reader.  
FOr as much (good christian Reader) as since the first beginning of the derogation of the Pope's Laws in England, and since the first segregation & severing of his vain superstitions from Christ'S true religion here among us, I have not lightly seen the least toy, the most foolish fantasy, nor the most unfruitful ceremony, forbidden and taken away by the godly magistrates without much detraction, & backebitinge of such papists as had any learning, nor without secret murmuration, and oft stumbling of the unlearned & simple people, who are nothing so sore to be blamed therefore, as the learned and crafty Papists, which will neither (even as the Phariseis) receive the word of God themselves, nor yet suffer other to do it. Therefore have I always not only detested the stubborn manner of the one sort, lamenting the miserable state of the other, but also did ever mis-dread the verification of the Prognostication to truly calculed by the said papists under the meridian of their romish proceedings. But now because I would (in as much as in me mayly) put to my helping hand, to falsify or rather to prevent all such inconveniences and mischiefs (as now by experience every man might prognosticate to happen of the untaught, ignorance, of the simple people) I have here made a rude, and a simple little book, even for the rude & simple people, that (as I have now signified before) they being the better persuaded by manifestes texts of holy scripture, shall not have the like occasion, to murmur to grudge or to be offended, neither with the godly proceedings of the victorious Metropolitan of England (who as redoubted grand captain hath first enterprised on this most notable feact) nor with any other bishop or lawful officer that attemteth the like affairs: that is, 
Allusio sive periphrasis e ticolai Nepiscopi Londoniensium  to pluck down & remove the popish altars out of Christ's churches or temples.  
And moreover because I perceived (as one of the best learned papistical doctors in England gave me occasion by defending his altars, and that with tooth and nail & fumish fierceness, rather with the authority of wrested Scriptures) and was full persuaded that all the learned papists will styflye continue in the maintenance of their hallowed altars: therefore was I constrained to make the said little book more pithy and substauncial and so more diffuse and harder to be understand than I willingly had intended.  
Wherefore who so ever will understand it, let him read it thoroughly and if he thereby get any more light or perfect knowledge in the matter entreated, let him thank and praise God the grauntor thereof. To whom be all honour and glory. Amen.   

¶ The baterye of the Popes Botereulx.  
AS it is a point of infamy in a valeant warrior to steal on his enymyes ere they be ware, or to go about to entrap them, and have them at a vantage, unless he do first give them a notable warning, either by the thundering of a bombard, either by the bounching on a drumslade, either by scrikinge of a trumpet, either else by some other couragiousse alarm, noise, or shouting, whereby his audacity, hardiness, and confidence of victory, might rather be insituated unto his enemies than crafty wiles, silly cowardness and distrust of having the upper hand: so mine enemies peradventure would impute unto me the like in glory & reproach, if I do not admonish them before hand of my proposed conflict in besieging their Botereulx. Forth avoiding whereof (and for that in no wise I may be faint or false hearted, as long as I war under the most triumphantestandert blazed with the gioriouse arms of the most victorious Lion of the tribe of jehuda) let them therefore take this for a warning piece that now I intent forthwith (for every man knoweth the open war is proclaimed betwixt us long ago) to batter, bet down, & arase not the oldman nor the young man, but an other like fortress of the old man's making, for the onli defence of his made god: which fortress the papists call an alter: the god the sacrament of the altar. But they might as well & as anagogicalli call their altar the tower, & their hovering god hanged thereover, the hawk of the tower. But as I can give their god no proper name: (so at this time for the pariforme, proportion, & situation of it I will name their altar a Botereulx, which if we by might of the lord of hosts can bater down to the ground the pope's church shall greatly stagger, the papists wondrously waver, and their god ever hover.  
Now therefore ye Papists take heed to your Botereulx, for now I go in hand to charge my batering pieces, and say not but that I give you warning that neither the outworn puisaunce of the douty captain Moses, who was so mighty for a time, nor yet the presence of your earthly God, the glittering of his triple crown, ne yet the conjuring characters crosewise graven shall be a sufficient fortification for to defend your said Botereulx: No though ye cluster & daub it round about with will, clods turfs, earth, mire, dirt, & such trishtrashe: no no though ye pray in aid the great Turk, the Soulden the Sophy & all the Saracens, yea and though all the heretical sects of the whole world came to you and practise on your side all the wicked sects that their high general Satan shall suggerate into their brains. Take heed therefore yet ne left that your Botereulx have not a steadfast foundation: For if we can prove that it be founded upon Moses and not on christ: than was it destroyed in effect. M.D.lxxvii. year a go.  
But first or we go about the demolition of this Botereulx, by the good diligence of master Grammar the chief undermyner, we will search what foundation it is of: and because the first Botereulx or altar was used amongst the hebrews: we will see what was the primative name that they gave it (for thereby we may hap to thrust open one window) for truly they according to the veri use thereof, in their holy language, named the altar Midhsbach, that is the sacrary or the place to offer up sacrifice on. The priest, the office or the doer thereof, they called medhsa beach The sacrifice or the offering they named it Dhsebach. So likewise the grace of the Greek tongue shall declare unto them the self nature of the same vocables & that by the help of these words: Thysiasterion, Thyscos or Thytes, Thysia. Which words a man shall not lightly express with the like concinnity neither in latin nor English except a man would speak on this wise, Sacrarium, sacrificus, sacrificium: that is sacrari, sacraficer, sacrifice. And than do we take this word sacrarye for an altar, which word altar and none other, all Nations that received the faith at their hands of the see of Rome: do usurp still in this signification. Nevertheless ye do now perceive by the Etymology and true exposition of the above said Hebrew and greek words: that they be so nigh of kin in betokening, and so like in speaking in those languages, as be these three words in English: House, husband, & husbandry. So the ye can not well deny but that they be so coniugate, yoked, and knit together, as well in signification as in syllabication, that uneath one of them can not be severed from an other: nor the nature of one of them can be declared without making mention of the other: nor one can be abolished, forbidden or destroyed: except the other two be abolished, forbidden & destroyed also. Therefore may you gather that we do not greatly stray from our high way, at what time so ever we speak of sacrificer, or of sacrifice beside this term Altar.  
Now therefore O thou Lord of hosts, make my face to prevail against all lying bragger's faces: and harden thou my forehead against their foreheads: so that my forehead be harder than an adamant or flint stone, that I may be less afraid of them. O thou most mighty Lord jah, defend me against the cankered malice and wicked policy of the Pope's soldiers, who (I dare well say) will not only stand styflye in defence of their popish fortress, but with a terrible countenance by gnashing their teeth together will step forth, vibrate and shake their venomous darts towards me threatening me after this sort. Thou unexercised tyron, thou fresh water soldyoure: thou youngman I say: darest thou approach us? darest thou assault us? darest thou once adventure to assiege our invincible fortress? Yea, or thinkest thou it possible for any gun shoot to brose the weakesse part of the walls, which continued so many. M. years unassaulted, unviolated, & untouched? whose mortare is waxed as hard as the flint stone, whose stones are as hard as steel, & whose timber is as tough & as durable as it were of fyr tree. Recule therefore my good son recule. But because we perceive the to be so desperate a fellow that thou wilt sans remedy, other sink or swim, and either take a fall or give a fall, & either hab or nab, we think it best for us (lest peradventure thy captain come with greater force upon us than we look for) to make ourselves in a readiness to defend our holy altar which the callest Botereulx, yea this Botereulx shall not pass on thy baterye (but god forgive me to misname so holy a thing) but now I perceive the old said saw to be to true. Qui taug●t picem, comquinabitur ab ea. I will say no more, but good enough.  
And now not to dissemble, ye are a stark heretic, in that you do fantasy to have our altars thrown down in all churches. But this is a wonderful matter, that we must be feign to prove that which our mother the holy church of Rome had never in question, but let us alone with this matter, & would god we could prove our transubstantiation, our purgatory fire, our pope's primacy & other like matters of no less importance as well & as evidentli as we can prove this. 
The manner of the papists in wresting the scriptures  For we can prove how our altars had their beginning ii M. & odd. C. years passed, as any Christian man that listeth may read Genesis capitulo octavo. How the holy Patriarch Noah, after that he had come out of the Ark, builded an altar to the lord and took of every clean beast, and of every clean foul, and offered sacrifices in the altar. And the lord smelled a sweet savour: And the Lord said in his heart: I will not proceed to curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth etc. And Abraham likewise builded an altar unto the lord even in that place where he had appeared unto him and did call on the name of the Lord. And jacob also being commanded of the Lord and because he had heard him in the day of his tribulation, builded an altar unto the Lord: and called the place the God of bethel: because that God had appeared unto him there, when he fled from he face of his brother. etc.  
And farther ye shall read how that God after that he had yeven the ten Commandments, by the hand of Moses commanded also thus. An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and thereon offer thy  offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen in all places where I shall put the in remembrance of my name, thithir will I come unto thee, and bless the. Item. Exodi. xxix. Seven days (saith the lord) thou shalt reconcile upon the altar & sanctify it, & it shall be an altermost holy. Exo. thirty. And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense. Of Sethim wood shalt thou make it, a cubit long & a cubit breadth: even four square shall it be, and ii cubits high. etc.  
Item iii Reg. xviii. The holy Prophet Elias utterly to bring to confusion the false God Baal & his prophets & to set forth the glory of the living God: took xii. stones according to the numbered of the twelve Tribes of the Sons of jacob, & with the stones he made an altar, in the name of the lord etc.  
We could allege vi hundred places out of the bible beside these that we now recited, which should still make on our part if need required, but because they are so commonly known of all men we will at this time overpass them: for we trust that we have already brought authorities enough to prove the ancienty, the laudabilitie, & continual acteptaunce of altars before almighty God in the old law. But now to prove the confirmation of them by the new law ye shall read these other texts. But first mark well how that christ himself said Mat. v. If thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee: leave than thine offering before the altar, and go thy way first and be reconciled to thy brother, and then come & offer thy gift. Lo ye may see here how the altar is twice spoken of, and that where the reason consisteth but of very few words. Iten ye shall read of this word altar in the xxiii. chapped. of the same Evangelist, where Christ himself also saith: from the blood of the righteous Abel, unto the blood of zacharias the son of Barachias whom ye slew between the temple & the altar, Iten Lu. i. There appeared unto zacharias an Angel of the lord standing on the right side of the altar, of incense. Iten Act. xvii. As I passed by (saith. s. Paul) & beheld the manner how ye worship your gods, I found an alter wherein was written: to the unknown god. And again, the holy apostle Paul to put us herein out of all doubts, sayeth:  
Do not you know how that they which minister about holy things live of the sacrifice? and they which wait on the alter, are partakers of the altar?  
More over in the sixth chapter of the apocalypsis ye shall read of an altar to.  
And when he had opened the fifth seal (saith john) I saw under the altar the souls of them that were killed for the word of god, and for the testimony which they had. etc. And in the eight chapter of the same apocalypsis, you shall read of three altars, and so nigh together, that they fall within the compass of three lines almost, and one of them being a golden altar. etc. Item Apoca. xi.  
Than was given me a reed (saith this holy Evangelist) like unto a rod, and an angel stood and said. Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, & them that worship therein: and the choir that is within the temple. etc. Lo sir, here ye may plainly read in the very text of a temple, of an altar, & of a choir to, & yet these men of the new learning, will neither have temple, altar, nor choir, or at the least ways if they must have a temple, they by their will, would have it to be without choir, without altar, without images, and without any manner of holy ornaments, vestiments, and deckynges. Yea, they would have it like a barn, or like a man's dwelling house, having neither respect to the fashion of the tabernacles, nor the temples of the hebrews, neither to the temples of the church of Rome  
But blessed be God, that left us in the holy write such manifest testimonies as we have now rehearsed, whereby we may easily confounded all such naughty heretics as will presume to talk against our laudable ceremonies, or any other decent things which have been accustomed to be had in our temples and have continued among all nations since Christ was borne, & many hundred years before, as I have already declared by sundry texts of the scripture, as well of the new testament, as of the old. And beside all this we might ratify the same by diverse places of our Canon law, unless it were now abrogated, & by thauthority of very ancient doctors For doth not the holy doctor. S. Augustine. Li. xxi. cap. x. De civi. dei (speaking of the infideles) write thus. They unto their gods have builded temples also, & have set up altars, & have offered sacrifices. Now because these fellows of the new learning can scant away with the learning of old catholic doctors, we will cite no more of their work: But shall we not be as blameless as. s. Paul to bring in for our purpose such places of noble Poets, as may be thought convenient. For as I remember Ovid in a certain place of his works writeth much after this sense.  
When Medea was come home, without the doors she stood,  
Using no man's company, while she was in that mode.  
Twey altars than of sods she made, and garnished with bows:  
And a black Kamme she Sacrificed, to fifty great Goddases.  
Ye may read also in the chiefest Poet among the Latins, as thus.  
first with these three thrums of three hews, I the environ do,  
And round about these altars eke, with thine image I go.  
But because men now a days give no credit in a manner to poetry and not very much to the gloss of the old fathers we will allege no more places of them neither: trusting the all good catholic people will be established by these sufficient proofs which are brought hitherto, & seeing the altars have been used & had in such condign reverence ever since noah's flood (& who is it that can tell the contrary but that Cain and Abel the sons of Adam offered their oblations upon altars?) And where all manner of nations thorough out the wide world (were they never so ignorant in true knowledge) either by the instinction of the Law of Nature printed by Gods fyngere in their hearts, either by imitation of Gods own elect people, the hebrews thought it very expedient and no less necessary to build them altars whereupon they might offer their sacrifices to worship, pacify, and gratify their Godwithal. Without which altars as most agreeable instruments every man knoweth no sacryfce can be conveniently offered or orderly frequented. Wherefore let all them that do regard the good and wholesome constitutions of the holy church of Rome: hearken, embrace and cleave unto them that maintain altars as things most necessary and most fetest to minister the sacrament of the altar upon: in which sacrament for a sacrifice (as sayeth. s. Augustine) all christian men offer up themselves in the self same offering, which the church doth celebrate. Ergo to conclude of the whole sum of all the prymisses, altars must needs be had in all churches to minister the sacrament of the altar upon. Now therefore hence fourth let us have no more ado about this matter, for ye see how plainly how largely and how truly we have taken pains to discuss it: yea & I warrant you that this ergo shall grieve to the guts (if they so escap) all those altary heretics specially the bragger which would so feign bater our Botereulx (as he termeth it) nay I warrant you we have battered him out of the way: where art thou I say thou baterer of our Botereulx? where art thou? it is to the that we speak? No? 
The Papists triumph before the victory.  not as much as one word? why than mum bouget, and we are content. Heih let us be of good cheer, our fortress shall not yet down.  
And if your fortress shall not yet down, I tell you, I the self man that you thought you had now of late slain or at the lest way put to silence, it is even he that telleth you again that your fortress shall down if not yet, yet shortli. And it shall not only be thrown down, but it shall be arraced & made even handsmothe with the ground. For now I have you by the back, I have spied, all your succour, all your refuge, all your poor pieces, your disordered ordinance & your harmless harness. For your pieces are so poor that even shortly you shall not drink a half pennyworth of ale by them: your ordinance are so disordered that they are liker to destroy your own men than others: & your harness are so harmless that their werers some hornwode or drunken. For the head piece lieth cast down & trodden: the gauntletes are worn on the feet, the sappodines on the hands, the collar on the ankles, the vambraces on the legs: the greaves on the arms: & all the rest are no righter placed. Neither will I denay but that all your armour be very strong of themselves, of the right making, and of great force if ye could weld them: but because you have stolen them out of our Captain his armoury, and intend also so unshamefastly to abuse them again his honour and magnificence they shall stand you in no stead (& how can they, saying ye can not rightly use them?) when ye shall have most need of them.  
But now to put on our armour that we may immediately go thorough with this our began combat, and to speak more plainly. All the testimonies that you brought on your behalf out of the old testament, are as true, as nothing is more true: neither (as I signified before) do I doubt any thing of the truth of them: and I think no less of the other texts which you alleged out of the new testament.  
Nevertheless I am not so dull, so far seduced, nor so void of all godly understanding, but that I perceive how craftily, and how subtly ye go about by your long recital of all the said texts, to blind and cast dust in the eyes of the unlearned and simple people, who have not that capacity that they (by comparing together the old law & the new) can comprehend how to sever the one from the other, or to know in what point the one agreyth or disagreeth with the other, or how to accord them together: for they both are one in effect, though diversly set forth. They both tend to one end: but the one is consummate and ended, the other endureth to the last day.  
Neither is it any wonder at all, if the unlearned people, or the carnally learned attain not the discretion to examine the exact difference between the law and the Gospel, or can not justly discuss after what sort the law is abrogated, and after what sort the observation of the law is damnable in a christian. Yea it is no wonder I say, though the worldly wise man can not right lie judge in such divine matters, seeing that some of the holy apostles were in the same taking, whiles it pleased the gloriousse majesty of GOD as it were to withdraw his Spirit from them (therefore good Lord do not thou put us out of thy presence, neither take away thy holy Spirit from us) for what caused Peter and james to attribute over much unto the law of Moses, but that they were destituted (for that while) of the spirit of God: which Spirit never abode (I mean continually) upon any man saving on christ only.  
And what made so many vain ceremonies and damnable superstitions as well out of the Law of Moses as out of heathens rites to creep into Christ's religion, but because that the spirit of GOD had departed from the maintainers thereof, and for that the pure gospel ne was not discreetly severed from Moses his law, nor well purged of the Heathen and infidels their foolish traditions? As for an example. To pray and our faces turned eastward, to fast these imbringe days, have we taken of the Heathen, or infideles.  
And to trust that we do a good deed in resting and ceasing only from bodily labour and excercise, on Sundays or Holy days and not rather to the intent that we might give ourselves wholly to rest and cease to work or exercise our own carnal works, and to hear the word of GOD preached, occupying ourselves in prayers and meditation to godward.  
Such ungodly idle rest & mock holy day, have we sucked out of the dug of Moses law, & to offer bodily sacrifices, is to be fathered upon the same Moses, & not upon jesus Christ: which misfathering hath filled Christ's church with so many popish altars, as we shall anon begin to declare more particularly, according to the measure or gift which we received of Christ. But because the altars were made but for Sacrifices sake, we shall first speak somewhat of sacrifices  
And in as much as this word sacrifice is but a borrowed term in english, and therefore the signification thereof not commonly known, we shall open to the unlearned what is mente by sacrifice. 
What sacrifice is  Sacrifice is an offering up of our work, which we exhibit to God, whom we acknowledge to be such one, that worthily we ought to present this our service or worship unto. Which service, worship, or reverence (as is afore said) is naturally planted in the hearts of all men, as well of the Heathen as of the jews, of the learned as of the unlearned: & even in the hearts of them that never heard of god, which thing causeth such as have not the true knowledge of god's word (as it were children by making of babes, or the like trifling imitations) to invent sundry kinds of sacrificing or worshipping him whom they take for god. All which sacrifices & worshipping being invented by the fantasy of the corrupt & sinful nature of man, & not grounded on true faith, is no better esteemed for acceptable worship before god, than is the babe or the pupet of the child's making thought to be a perfit workmanship in the iugment of a severe & a sage old father. And therefore (me thinketh) it is no less folli for us, who profess Christ's doctrine to learn of the Heathen people (to whom the mystery of the evangelye is not revealed) any point of religion, then if prudent princes, learned lawyers, honest husband men, would consult with infants or children of two or three year of age, how to rule their Realms, plead their pleadynges, or to husband their husbandry. For it is to evident as well by profane as holy scripture, how the Heathen nations did not only serve from the true worshipping of god, but did grievously displease his divine majesty. And though God showed himself unto them by the work of the Creation of the world, yet they have not praised nor thanked him accordingly, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were blinded. When they counted them selves wise, they became fools: and turned the glory of the incorruptible god, into the image of a corruptible man, and of birds, and four footed, and of creeping beasts. Wherefore god likewise gave them up unto their hearts lust, into uncleaneness, which turned the truth of god into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, which is blessed for ever. Amen. Therefore god gave them up unto shameful lusts. For their women changed the natural lusts into the unnatural: likewise the men also left the natural use of the woman, & brent in their lusts one on another, & man with man wrought filthiness, & received in themselves the reward of their error, as it was according. And as they regarded not to know God, even so God delivered them up unto a lewd mind, that they should do those things which were not comely, being full of all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, evil conditioned, whisperers, backbiters, haters of god, disdainful, proud, boasters, bringers up of evil things, disobedient to father and mother, without understanding, covenant breakers, unlovinge truce breakers, unmerciful.  
Which men though they knew the righteousness of God, considered not how that they which commit such things, are worthy of death, not only they the do the same, but also they which have pleasure in them that do them. And fathermore beside all this mischievous absurdity that S. Paul declared by them, the wicked imagination of their corrupt nature being not regenerate of the spirit of God did so far contrary to nature itself, 
Psa. cvi. Levi. xx.  that they killed men yea their own begotten children and sacrificed them not to God nor yet to the creatures of god, but even to very devils. And if you (I mean you altar pryestes) do delight to learn the Heathens manner of sacrificing, record well these verses in your mind.  
Et capita inferno et, 
A memorandun for the Papists.  patri transmittite lumen.  
give heads to Pluto the God infernal. And Saturn his father, the fire iustral.  
But how hydeouse, how terrible & how devilish a thing it is for any Christian to follow any such men's rites or ceremonies: I leave to the judgement of any godly man.  
Neither will I deny but that the Heathen had altars amongst them, but only invented, made, and occupied for no better purpose, than is now before said: which is to say, to offer up Sacrifices unto Develis.  
And as many so ever as list to offer up sacrifices unto Devilis: they may full well ground their proceedings upon the heathens learning, & so build as many altars as shall please them and mayntane the same as long as they may.  
But now to return to the sacrifices of the jews. The jews had divers sacrifices or sorts of offerings (whose names in the Hebrew tongue I will now omit, for thes English printars are so thrifty as to have never an Hebrew letter to print withal.  
But I will name them as they be commonly englished, that is: Peace offering, Sin offering, Meat offering, Drink offering, Wave offering, Heave offering.  
All which sacrifices or offerings are comprehended in these two names: pacifying Sacrifice, and Gratifiing Sacrifice.  
The occasion of the Pacifiing Sacrifice, 
Thoccasion of the pacifying sacrifice.  was the laps or fall of our forefather Adam, by whose fall all mankind halteth, hoppeth and walloweth in the dirty Puddle of sin, lyith chained with the Iron chains of God's Wrath and vengeance, taken captives of the Prince of this world, and become Enemies and Rebels against the God of might.  
For whose presumptuous Defiance and sturdy Rebellion, it lay in no man's power to make a lovedaye between God and man, nor pay so great a ransom as was justly to be demanded.  
Therefore if man would recover his old fall, go an upright gate again, arise up out of the fyllthye puddle of sin, be released of the untolerable chains of God's wrath and vengeance, and be delivered out of the captivity of the devil, & brought again into the amity, favour and friendship of God: than by all justice it behoved him to pacify the ire and indignation of God with as full satisfaction and with as dew and as plentiful compensation as should countervail the transgression and displeasure which was perpetrated against the glorious majesty of the great god. But now who was able to make satisfaction for so heinous a displeasure? Was there any man upon earth able to do it? no not one. Was there any Angel in heaven able to do it? no not one neither: for why should any other creature than man satisfy or make amends for man's fault?  
And it resteth now that man is utterly like to remain out of the favouor of god and so consequently, to continue in the miserable thraldun of the devil. But alas for sorrow to see how man is deservedly condemned by the righteous judgement of god which no man's conscience can justly gainsay. Oh is there than no help? is there no remedi? is there no refuge? No surely: there is no refuge at all: unless this only shift may be allowed, that is to appeal from the severe justice of God, unto his great mercy, and to make an humble and an hearty petition unto his grace to send his dear son into the world to be incarnate and to become man to pay a full raunsume unto God for man to deliver man out of the devils captivity, to reconcile, & make at one God and man, & to offer himself up for a pacifiing Sacrifice unto his father for man's transgression.  
Which thing the unspeakable mercy and the natural kindness of God being not required did undeservedly grant unto man as he was yet his very enemy and most disobedient rebel.  
And this was the sole and only ransom that redeemed Adam and all his posterity out of the greedy chaws of the old Serpent, 
All the pacifying sacrifices of Moses law were but significations of Christ's sacrifice.  this was the sole and only propitiatory sacrifice that pacified the ire of god, that wholly satisfied for man's sins, and restored man again into friendship and favour of God.  
And so all the Pacifiing Sacrifices that ever GOD instituted and commanded his Servant Moses to publish and set forth to the Israelites or jews did alonely signify the said Sacrifice of Christ.  
For after that the world had continued about two thousand years without law, or any other prescribed manner of living, than nature itself did minister: at the last it pleased the high majesty of God (that the mooe might be saved) to establish a law, 
The b●● of Moses law.  which should as it were declare and open the Law that was obscurate, darkened, and far degenerated by the sinister corruption, which liniallye did issue from the first father Adam into all his offspring.  
Howbeit as God did not give this law, unto all Nations, but only to the jews being but a few in numbered in comparison of all the people in the world, so did not he forthwith open the mysteries contained therein, but over shadowed them with manifold sacrifices, and diffuse rites and ceremonies being significations of good things to come.  
And moreover as the lord went before them in the wilderness the day time in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and the night time in a pillar of fire to give their corporal eyes light, that they might journey both day & night toward the land of promise: so likewise did the tender love of God practice in furtheringe them to the very land of promission: for he did so temper his traditions which he commanded unto them that they which were never wont before to be groverned by the light of any moral law (and therefore gross, rude, and poor blind) might be traded under a cloudy and mystical doctrine, but yet having many sparkles of his sunny bright gospel, and so the eyes of their mind being neither unmeasurably darkened nor nuzzled in blindness, nor yet overmuch dazzled and overcome with the eyeing of shining brightness, they might rather achieve the end of their spiritual progress.  
And therefore all the ceremonies contained in this law were none other thing, 
The ceremonies of the law  but introductions to lead unto Christ.  
And all these flesh sacrifices betokened the flesh sacrifice of Christ's body, once offered upon th'altar of the cross. But now to beat down the jewish bulwark that the Pope's soldiers have round about their fortress, we will recite certain testimonies, as well out of the old testament, as of the new, which shall evidently prove that god delighteth not (though he required them for a time) in the extern oblation or the utter offering of the sacrifices commanded by him in Moses his law. 
The abrogation of sacrifice.   
Wherefore he declared the same by the mouth of diverse of his prophets, as it is written. Mala. i. I have no pleasure in you, sayeth the Lord of hosts: and as for your meat offering. I will not accept it at your hand. Again. Ose v. They kill sacrifices by heaps: and turn far from the lord, and I have been a rebuker of them all. And again. Prou. xv. The lord abhorreth the sacrifice of the ungodly. etc. Item Eccle. xxxiiii. The highest doth not allow the gifts of the wicked. And God hath no delight in the offerings of the ungodly, neither may sin be reconciled in the multitude of oblations. Who so bringeth an offering out of the goods of the poor, doth even as one that killeth the son before the father's eyes. And in the l Psal. I will not reprove thee (saith the lord) because of thy sacrifices, or for thy  offerings, because they were not always before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house: nor no he goats out of thy fold. For all the beasts of the forest are mine, and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls upon the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are in my sight. If I be hungry, I will not tell thee: for the whole world is mine, & all that therein is. Thinkest thou that I will eat Bulls flesh, and drink the blood of goats?  
And in jeremy iii Chapter you shall read, not of the abrogation of Sacrifices only, but also of the abrogation, & disannulling of all the law, 
The abrogation of the old law.  and of the old testament withal. The text goeth this. When ye are increased and multiplied in the land, than (saith the Lord) there shall no more boast be made of the ark of the lords testament. No man shall think upon it, neither shall any man make mention of it: For from thence forth it shall neither be visited nor honoured with gifts.  
Moreover in the xxxi Chapter of the same prophet, you shall not alonely read, of resolving and repelling of the old covenant or testament and the cause thereof, but also of the substitution of the new, & of the description, nature, and tenure of the same.  

The new testament prophesied of.  And the words of the text be these: Behold, the days will come (saith the Lord) that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of judah: not after the covenant which I made with their fathers, when I took them by the hand, and led them out of the land of egypt, which covenant they broke: Yea even when I as an husband had rule over them, sayeth the Lord.  
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord. I will plant my law in the inner part of them, and write it in their hearts, & will be their god, and they shall be my people, & from thence forth, shall no man teach his neighbour or his brother, and say: know the Lord, but they shall all know me, from the lowest to the highest, saith the Lord. For I will forgive their misdeeds, and will never remember their sins any more.  
These testimonies (I think) shall easily persuade every true christian (which hath not a very jewish heart) to be certified that as well the carnal gratifiing sacrifices required in Moses law, be as utterly determined, and as clearly abolished, as the other pacifiing sacrifices, whom most specially we treated of hitherto.  
And if the gun shoot of these old culvering pieces and double Cannons have not sufficiently overthrown the bulworcke of the said popish fortress, we will yet shoot of a piece or two of strong new ordinance of Sacres and Apostles: whereof we shall furnish this for one.  

Hebr. viii ix.  The new testament weareth out the old: Now that which is worn out and waxed old, is ready to vanish away. For that first tabernacle verily had ordinances and seruynges of GOD and outward holiness. etc. But into the second went the high Priest alone, once in the year, not without blood which he offered for himself, and for the ignorance of the people.  
Wherewith the holy ghost this signifieth, that the way of holiness was not yet opened, while as yet the first tabernacle was standing. which was a similitude for the time than present, in which were offered gifts and Sacrifices, and could not make perfit (as pertaining to the conscience) him that did the god's service only with meats and drinks, & diverse washings and iustifiynges of the flesh, which were ordained unto the time of reformation. 
Hebru. x.  For it is unpossible that the blood of Oxen and of Goats should take away sins.  
Wherefore when he cometh into the the world, he saith. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not have, but a body hast thou ordained me. Burnt Sacrifices and sin offerings haste thou not allowed. Than said I, Lo I come: in the chiefest of the book, it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O God. Above when he had said. Sacrifice and offering, and burnt sacrifices and sin offerings thou wouldst not have, neither haste allowed, which yet are offered after the law: than said he: Lo, I come to do thy will O God. There taketh he away the first, 
All bodily sacrifices ended in Christ.  to establish the later. In which will we are sanctified by the offering up of the body of jesus Christ once for all.  
So than now, if it be a clear case, and that by the plain texts of holy scripture, that since Christ was once offered on the altar of the cross, all carnal sacrifices and all manner of offerings that ever were wont to be offered upon the altars be wholly extinguished, utterly void and of none effect. And in as much as no man (being in his right wit, when he advisedly perceiveth, and plainly understandeth that the cause of the first Invention and building of the Altars was for none other purpose, 
That altars discontinue with the sacrifices  but to burn, or to offer sacrifices or oblations upon, which manner of sacrifices God will no longer accept) but he will strait ways acknowledge that there ought not any altar to remain to any use among us christians, after the death and passion of our master Christ: at which time as he protested himself, saying: Consummatum est, it is finished, signifying thereby, that Moses law was not only by him prevented, fulfilled & finished: but that the same law, or any commandment, rite, ceremony, or any other part therein contained (as concerning any burdening or jurisdiction over the christians) was to all intentes tolled, taken away, and fully determined and ended, and the gospel as it were a new law surrogated, confirmed, & established in stead of the old. 
The temporal lawyers.  You see how the temporal lawyers can tell on their finger's ends which is the ancient common law of the Realm, which be the customs of old boroughs, territories, and countries, which is statute law, and which not, what statutes be expired, what statutes be mitigated, what repealed, & what eviued. Or what statutes continue but from parliament to parliament, and what statute expoundeth an other, yea or what branches of any statute is cut away by the vigour and egged force of an other statute: How many do agree and concur in one thing, and how many be contrary one to an other.  
They know farther (even as readily as their Pater noster) all the book cases that remain in writing the year of the reign of the king, and the Term also, and the better opinion of the judges, and what case ruled and what not.  
And I know well that such knowledge requireth as great, as diligent, and as industrious a study, as for to be perfect in the bible and all the good writers and expositors thereof.  
Yet you, who glory to be called by the name and title of doctors of divinity, or bachelor of divinity, and profess the exact knowledge thereof, 
The divines.  are not (as it seemeth by the confuse hotchepotte that you have made of your learning) so perfectly seen in your science, as they in theirs. And yet their ignorance is more excusable than yours, & their Practice more tolerable also than yours, for their ignorance or practice: shall only prejudice or endomag a man of his worldly goods, disherit him of his earthly lands, or loss of his body, which is nothing in comparison of the soul, whom your ignorance and preposterous practice shall disinherit of the land of promise, which is the kingdom of heaven.  
But shall we be foolish, gross, and unapt in spiritual feats, and in things longing to the Soul, and only wise and circumspect, politic and fit in all worldly matters which appertain to bodily affairs? 
That the learned papists be more undiscrete & foolish, than the unlearned simple people.  Or shall the learned be more fond than the unlearned? or doth much learning make a man mad or doltish? For what husbandman (be he never so simple) will be about to blow his land with a whelebarowe, to harrow it with a slede, or to carry with an harow? What husbandman, I say is so foolish, as to go about to weed his corn with a scythe, to mow his hay with a wedinge hook, and to tedde the same with a rake? Is a leaden cistern made for to sail on the sea? is a ship made to be drawn of horses as a waggon upon the land? do noble men build sumptuous palaces for their horses to stand in, and lie themselves in old ruinous stables? or do men ordain featherbeds for their dogs, and lie themselves in kennellis? Who maketh a Garnar of an Oven, or an Oven of a Garnat? Or who maketh a threshing flore in his dwelling house, and a hearth in his barn? Who can make a pleasant and a soot banqueting house, of filthy Schamebles or of a stinking Slaughter house?  
Yea or who had not rather have his supper laid on a fair Table before him than on a bloody Butchars' Cradle?  
And so like wise (to apply some of these straying Anagogies & dark sayings to our purpose) is not a Garnar more meet to lay up grain in, than an Oven? Is it not more meet to make a threshing flore in a barn than in a man's dwelling house? And to make an hearth to kendle fire on in the mids of a man's house, than by the mows side in his barn? And so who can make the jews old slaughter synagogue to serve for the new Euangelyke banquesting. Temple? Or who had rather ease the heavenvly banquet of the Lordis Supper on a jewish, a heathelyk or a popish altar: then on a decent and a fair comely Table?  
The unbelieving jew defiyth Christ's Table and his supper also. The unfaithful heathen think scorn of the same. The pope & his papists make of it a god or a popet  
The jew abhorryth utterly our Religion. The Heathen in no sauce can away with it.  
The Pope is well contented to be called a christian, 
The pope dissembleth.  yea to be thought to be Christ himself, so that ye give him leave to live like a jew or an Heathen. And shall we seek upon them? Shall we be partakers of their damnable Ceremonies, of their execrable Rites, and cursed Usages? Or is Christ's religion so unperfit of itself, so needy & beggarly that it must borrow imbring fasts of the Heathen, borrow altars of the Pope, and borrow vestiments of the jews? beside an unnumerable sort of other like baggage, 
weeds in our religion.  which hath been wedded now of late out of Christ's religion, and now restored home to the owners thereof.  
Therefore let us either render home again unto the Heathen, the superstition of the imbring days and to the pope his hallowed altars and unto the jews, 
Exo. xxix.  their Aaron's vestiments: or else let us like good Companions join together in a league with them, 
The wicked provision of man's fantasy.  and be tenants in common, and put our religion with theirs in hotche potche, & according to the lawyers vulgar term Qui primum happat primum cappat. And by my fey that peradventure were great wisdom: for so did our fathers & ancestors: and were it not good fellowship to do as they did? Yea were it not good policy to hold on the bigger side? And are not more in numbered of the Papists Heathens and jews than of the Christians? yea no doubt, thrice so many at the least: why then let us be of one religion with them, & they will take us as their friends, and we likewise will take their part. And so, we being than so many in numbered, and gathered together and rayed in a puissant and a mighty army, shall rush into heaven, whether God & his angels will or no. And if all fail, after that we have made merry by the way, in the dominion of the Pope's purgatory, we will march forward and come to the large and wide kingdom of the Prince of this world, even the mighty prince Satan (who refuseth no man) and there shall we be so courteously entertained, so choicely cherished, and so much made of, as though we were his own dear children. For he loveth them alyfe who be at defiance with jesus Christ, & have forsaken him for their sovereign. Now as ye have heard the fantastical advisement, & brainless council of man's natural wit, (who perceiveth not the things that belong to the spirit of god) so hearken what the spirit of god speaketh by the mouth of his choose vessel, 
s. Cor. two.  s. Paul, even by these words.  
dearly beloved, i'll from worshipping of idols. 
s. Cor. x  I speak unto them that have discretion, judge ye what I say. The cup of thanks giving, wherewith ye give thanks, is it not the partaking of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not the partaking of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread and one body, in as much as we are partakers of one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh. They that eat sacrifices, are they not partakers of the altar? What shall I now say then? Shall I say that the idol is any thing? Or that which is offered unto the idol is any thing? Nay. But this I say, that look what the heathen offer, the offer they to devils & not to god. Ye can not drink of the cup of the lord, & of the cup of the devils. Now would I not that ye should be in the fellowship with devils, Ye can not be partaker of the lords table, & of the devils? Or will ye provoke the lord? Are we stronger than he? I may do all things, but all things are not expedient. I may do all things, but all things edify not.  
Now I trust that as many of us as have received the spirit of God shall soon perceive by the meaning of the text now before rehearsed, that the christians in no wise may be partakers with the Heathens or jews in idols, altars, sacrifices offerings, or such other unchristenlyke ceremonies.  
For (as the same Apostle saith) what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? 
two. Cor. vi  what company hath light with darkness? how agrreeth Christ and Belial? or what part hath the believer with the unbeliever? how accordeth the temple of god with images? etc.  
But now I pray you, do you not see with what a care, with what a diligence, and with what an earnest affection the holy Apostle of Christ exhorteth, 
The great diligence ●f saint  counseleth, and calleth upon the christians, lest they should keep company or be yoked with the Heathen or the jews, 
Paul the Christ's religion should not be mingled.  or lest they should admit and receive any of their superstitious rites, or wicked ceremonies, and mingle the same with Christ's religion?  
Yea, & the Apostles did so much abhor, eschew and fear, lest such confuse mingle mangle of strange superstitions (whether they were of the Heathens vain rites, or of the jews law) in so much that they bade not only farewell to all the ceremonial and judicial law of Moses, but also (because they would differ from the jews in keeping holiday) they translated and changed the celebration of the Sabbath from saturday to Sunday. For the seventh day whereupon by one of his ten commandments God commanded us to rest, was on Saturday, and not on Sunday. The like affection and mind was Constantine the Emperor of (abhorring the memorial of the vain Heathens Gods) when he sued unto one Silvester the first, bishop of Rome, that it might be decreed, that the days of the week which had before the names and titles of the sun, 
The names of the days in the week by a decree altered.  Moon, Mars, Mercury, jupiter, Venus, & Saturn, should be called the first ferry, the second ferry, the third fery, the fourth, the fift, the sixth, the seventh: in like manner as the jews counted their days from the Saboth day.  
But it pleased him that the first fery might be called Dies Dominicus also, which we name sunday, and that Saturday should be called Sabatum, of the old holiday and rest of the hebrews.  
And if such vigilant circumspection and careful mind to flee from having any mutual conversation (as well in words as in things) with the jews & other infidels had still continued in christian men's hearts ever since the Apostles time hitherto: 
Master Negligence careless, holp the Pope to set up his altars.  than needed no man to travail at this present day to write or inveigh against the unjust intrusion of altars.  
But well worth the time of the old primitive church, when every thing (as Polidorus Vergilius recordeth) in the administration of the lords supper was plain, 
☜  sincere, and without any minling of ceremonies, containing more virtue than solemnity.  
hearken than to this testimony (all ye Papists) and give good credit unto it, (for he that first wrote it) is the Pope his own country man.  
For surely he speaketh herein as truly as did the bishop Cayphas when he affirmed that it was better that one man should die for the people, than all the people should perish.  
But would God it had pleased his holy Spirit to speak by the mouth of the pope, as he hath done by the mouth of Balaam, Cayphas and of other as evil men. Than should not all the people have perished, but rather one man. And would God I say, that this Polidorie of Polidorus had been more liberally bestowed on the common people in England. Than would they more freely and with a better will obey and embrace the ecclesiastical proceedings of the higher powers. And saying than that of a very truth (according to the golden sentence of Polidorus) the religion of Christ was replenished with more unfeigned holiness, and garnished with many mooe godly virtues, before it knew any thing of these new found solemn ceremonies, and holylyke traditions.  
What the devil than was it, that put into the Pope's brains, to over charge the religion with so many fold vain ceremonies, and so diverse pernicious traditions? it was but even the same devil that set a work Mahometh the notorious false prophet to play the like part. Yea it was the self same blind devil that maketh even at this day all the Papists and the Mahumethistes to adhere & stick to their false gods the Popes and Mahamethes deceitful laws & vain traditions, more than to the Lord Christ, and his healthsome gospel.  
But now to let pass these two great usurpers of Christ's dignity and most high power, and to let them sink in their own sin and to talk no more of them but rather styckinge steadfast to our tackling to defend ourselves from the darts whom we see already directed, and shaken against us by our adversaries the poisonful papists.  
How be it because my chiefest intent is, to write this treactyse for them that be unlearned, I will first open and declare somewhat of the nature of one term lately borrowed of the Latins, and therefore not so well known of every english Reader: which term peradventure I shall have occasion to use now and than, ere I shall have done with this matter.  

What is ●o allude  The term is to Allude. And a man doth allude, when he speaketh that which hath a privy respect or resemblance to an other thing: as sometime a man alludeth to a word as thus.  
The good mome is fool a town, meaning that the good man is forth of the town. Here the allusion is in mome and fool, for man and forth. Sometime a man alludeth to a practice or a deed doing, as when I say: Let me alone with him for I will walk him, I will dress him like a Lennarde, I will make Stockefishe of him. etc. And sometime a man alludeth to an history as thus.  
By like our King (God save his grace) after his father's departing, did ask of GOD in his prayer Wisdom, and understanding & not long life, neither riches neither revengement on his enemies saying the Lord hath so endued his heart with such unspeakable wisdom & understanding etc. and his majesty with such riches and honour etc.  
Now in so saying the allusion is had unto the history of Solomon iii. Reg. iii. And so at the last to re: turn from alluding to defending.  
Where soever therefore, ye do read in the new testament of this word altar: if ye mark it well and circumspectly, ye shall clearly perceive that the use thereof is not there awhyt renewed or confirmed, but by some occasion spoken of, and rather determined, ended, and annulled.  
As in the .v. of Math. The text I will not rehearse now, because it is here once before rehearsed, the sense whereof (though in many words) is not far disagreeable from this.  

〈…〉 place of Math. expounded  You jews, saith Christ, which received a Law of my Father by the ministery of Moses: by which Law ye were commanded to use certain outwade ceremonies, as it were to enure yourselves in a religion and that it should appear to all nations, that you were my fathers own peculiar People.  
And ye were also commanded by the same Law, that when so ever you should transgress or break the same or any Article thereof: that then you should offer up Sacrifices or offerings unto my Father where ye might be blameless, holden excused and be acquitted by the same law, all your former trespasses & sins notwithstanding, and rather justified before the world, than in the presence of God.  
But sense ye have altogether abused the said sacrifices, chewing the Bark thereof, and grossly feeding on the utter part of it, taking no food of the inner pith, neither having any regard to those things which were chief signified by the same sacrifices: my father hath warned already by the mouth of his Prophets, that he passeth nought of your sacrifices and offerings that you offer unto him on Altars (which were but tokyns of inward holiness) but the sacrifices and offerings which he is reconciled and pleased with all, are these: 
Psal. two.  a stomach broken with repentance, and a heart smitten & wounded with sorrow, 
Ose. vi.  and to show mercy one to an other. And if ye will offer up these, my Father shall never despise them. Therefore thou jew when so ever thou breakest any of the x. commandments, as when thou killest any man, other by thought or deed: when thou art angry with thy brother by his fault or misdemeanour, or else when thou hast given him occasion (by reviling, scofing or calling him knave or other wise by useing or practiseing any dispytfull word or deed towards him) to be moved to wrath and to be displeased with the.  
Than if thou wilt pacify the wrath and Indignation of my Father for the Injury and displeasure that thou hast done to his servant: verily I tell the it availeth the nothing at all, to come and offer any manner of bodily sacrifices or oblations upon the altar: yea & though thou be come near unto the altar and thy gift with thee, even ready to be offered (if it chance the than to remember any manner of displeasure betwixt the and thy brother) thou must not, I say, offer up thy gift immediately (as though thy offering should rather pacify & more please my father than brotherly love and concord) thou must not I say go that way to work: but thou must leave thy gift (as a thing nought worth of itself) before the altar: and than go thy way to satisfy thy brother, to please thy brother, and to reconcile the to thy brother. And when thou hast after this sort pleased the servant, than mayst thou the bolder approach to the presence of the master: 
s. joh. iii  and than if thou wilt needs offer up thy gift, he will rather accept it, and take it in good worth.  
Now have you heard how little Christ doth attribute unto sacrifices and offerings, for whose use altars are ordained, and only serve. For ye must specially note this, that Christ in this place expounded & opened unto the jews most chyeflye, the true understanding and meaning of their law with the right use of the ceremonies thereof.  
For it fared than with them as it did with me, when I was a holy Papist, at what time I was at this point with god. That if I had heard mass both sunday and holy day, 
The chiefest points of the pope's religion.  had said our Lady matins, or our ladies psalter, kissed and licked devoutly saints feet (for so called they their images) and besprynkeled myself well favouredly with conjured water, & had done the superstitious penance enjoined to me by my ghostly, shall I say enemy or father? Than I say was I at such point with God, I thought it, and assuredly believed that I had done my full duty unto him, though I never once called to remembrance the benefit of Christ's death, as well in satisfying and pacifiing for all the trespasses and sins of my former evil life, and naughty conversation.  
Yea besides all this popish and devilish presumption, I thought farther, that if I had done the said vain works & such other no better, 
The wicked unthankfulness of a Papist.  that I was no more beholden unto god than he was to me; neither gave I him more thanks for par, doning me of my sins: than one merchant man giveth to another for the optayning a penny worth for a penny.  
But thanks be unto the Lord who of his mere clemency, delivered me out of this blind popish heresy, and vouchsafe of his like goodness to work the semblable miracle in as many as yet continue in such damnable error.  
But now again to come to the purpose.  
And as I was thus tangeled, and abhominablye deceived, and trained, and brought up in tender age, in the Pope's holilyke Religion before Christ's second birth here in England, even so were the jews before his first birth in judea wondrously deceived, and shamefully seduced and that by the feigned new Doctrine that their Popes I mean their scribes and Pharisees had brought into their church.  
And for to root that doctrine out of the jews law, was the occasion of Christ's Sermon in the said place of Matthew.  
So likewise in the xxiii chapter of the same evangelist he exhorteth the jews for to do all things both great or small that the Scribes and Phariseis preached unto them, as long as they tumble not out of Moses chair, nor serve not from teaching the sincere & pure law of Moses. There among other matters he doth sharply condemn their blind doctors for a certain constitution that they had made, being led with avarice or covetousness: The sum and effect of which constitution which they had made be contained in these few words.  
Who so ever sweareth by the temple that is nothing: but who so ever sweareth by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. And who so ever sweareth by the Altar that is nothing, but who so ever sweareth by the offering that is upon the altar, he is bound by his Oath.  
This constitution of theirs doth Christ confute with natural reason calling them fools and wondrous blind, that they would institute so gross, and so far from reason, a tradition as this is.  
But I think that Christ will never say to the Pope for his fine Canons, decrees, and constitutions (though they were made for the like purpose) as he did to the scribes and Pharisees: But I will not undertake that he will not (as he called Herode) say unto him on this wise. Thou wily Fox, why diddest thou loose that, which I bound? or why dideste thou bind what I did lose?  
Now I pray the gentle Reader do not blame me for this short digression, but rather the fox, whose crafty wiles caused the same. And thus from Pope to Papist. Thou Papist, even thou that of late wouldest defend thine altar with this text and so thou mayst in deed if thou wilt subdue thy neck unto the heavy yoke of Moses his law, under which law all those people were subject to whom Christ preached as is aforesaid. And if thou wilt be content to live under the law of Moses, than hath Christ died in vain for thee: and therefore get the hence unto the jews, which still look for a worldly Christ to come.  
But thou good Papist that art willing to renounce thy Popery and to receive Christianity, thou must consider, that where so ever Christ doth inculcate the law of Moses unto his country men after the flesh (I mean the jews) that he doth it chiefly to this intent, that they should withdraw their necks from the untolerable yoke and heavy burden of the law and receive the easy yoke and the lig●● burden of his most blessed gospel.  
For the law, 
M●● 〈◊〉. john. i  as saint john sayeth, was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by jesus Christ.  
Every good christian therefore must mark this also. That the merciful lord jesus Christ (whose nature and property was not to strive nor to break a brosed read) though the strength and vigour of the law and prophets extended no longer but to the time of john the baptist as Christ himself did signify the same unto them, and declaring that the kingdom of heaven being the Gospel succeeded and was at hand even before his passion: yet did he rather permit or somewhat derogate than utterly abrogate the law of Moses until such time as he thorough his blood and Death sealed up and stablished his new Testament, which then immediately did wear-out the old. Therefore every Christian that is as prudent as the Serpent first (all the circumstancis being well perpensed) will be ware to believe every sentence and every word written in the new Testament as part thereof, or confirmed by the same: as where Christ declareth the Law etc. or where Christ in the same xxiii cha. speaketh of an altar meaning nothing less than to confirm or renew the use of altars among his christians but all together to upbraid the jews for succeeding their wicked ancestors cruelness in killing of Prophetis.  
Here his own words are these. Behold I send you Prophetis & Wise men, and Scribes and some of them you shall kill and crucify and some of them shall you scourge in your Synnagoges, and persecute them from City to City: that upon you may come all the righteous blood, which hath been shed upon earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of zathe son of Barachias whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar etc. But full little (god knoweth) wotteth he what an Altar meaneth that will allege this place for an altar.  
And even of like force be the ii places before rehearsed, in the bigining of the book, on the papists behalf, which places were chopped out of the first cha. of. s. Luks gospel & of the xvii of his book of the acts. But I can not denay but one might gather thereof such an argument as this. The jews had their altars, and the Heathen had their altars, Ergo the christians must have altars. But either I am a simple Logician or else the argument would better frame, and a more true consequent follow after this sort. The jews had altars, & the Heathen had altars also, ergo the Pope being a participle must have halteres likewise. But I promise you there be two places, one i Cor. ix. & the other, Heb. xiii. which might hap to make one that is not somewhat travailed in the scriptures to think verili the altars be there spoken of as things apertaining to us that hold of Christ's new Testament, where it is nothing so. For the text to the Corh. hath thus. An nescitis quoniam qui in sacrario operantur, que de sacrario sunt edunt? Et qui in altario deseruiunt, cum altario participant? Ita et Dominus ordinavit ●is qui evangelium anunciant, de evangelio vivere. Where the greek text for Altario hath Thysiasterion, which signifieth Sacrarium a place for holy things, as well as Altarist an altar. But to make no more words than need: 
Preachers of the gospel.  all the argument of. s. Paul in this place tendeth to prove that they who preach the gospel, ought of duty to have a competent living thereby. And to persuade the Corhinth. thereto: he useth this Induction. Why, you Corhinthians, do you not remember how you yourselves before ye had received the preaching of Christ's gospel, did find such as ministered in the temples of the Idols? And do you not see among the jews also how the priests & the Levites which wait on the altar, have the offerings divided among them toward their sustenance and living? And why should not he likewise that taketh pains to preach the gospel have a living also?  
The author of the gospel willed and ordained that the true gospelers should have a living: yet had I rather use great scarcity, & work with mine own hands, than to be onerous and chargeable unto you.  
Nevertheless if ye denay a living to an other that shall require it of you, if he preach the Gospel unto you, ye must needs be adjudged to contemn and set nought by the holy words that are preached unto you, and even despise the author thereof, which is the Lord jesus Christ. etc.  
And. S. Thomas and Remigius (as we have now declared this place according to their mind) do think that Sacrarium here hath a relation unto the idols of the heathen, and Altarium unto the sacrifices of the jews. Now therefore who so delighteth in the heathens devilish idolatry, or jewish sacrifices he may well enough wrest this place to maintane his altars: which thing I had liefer he did than I. But now or we set upon to bater, and beat down the head corner stone of their Popish Botereulx: we will first declare yet one grammar term mooe, for the unlearned sake, which though it be no high point of divinity, nevertheless who so hath not the knowledge thereof, his divinity is but humaniti, or rather carnality, than true knowledge in divine matters.  
And so the grammarians call it a speech spoken by a figure called Metonimya, when the thing contained is mente by the name of the thing that containeth it. 
Metonymia or denomination.  As when we say, reach hither the cup: meaning to have the drink contained in the cup. This figurative speech used Christ himself when he said. 
Luk. xxii.  This cup is the new testament in my blood. Where he meant of the wine, and not of the cup. And likewise Matthew xxiii where he speaketh by the name of the City unto them that dwelled in the city, saying: jerusalem jerusalem, thou that slayest the prophets. etc. Such manner of speech is also much used in the old Testament. As isaiah. i. Hear O heaven and hearken O earth. And in an other place. howl ye ships of Tharsis.  
And so the Papists must either grant that, that kind of speech is used in the text, that we shall anon rehearse hereafter, or else must they grant that the jews (whose altars or rather Sacrifices and forbidden meat, the writer of the Epistle alludeth unto) were wont to eat up their altars being made of stones or of other metal harder than stones. And that were hard meat in deed. Yea that were meat alone for Ostriches? Yea or rather stone meat were more meet for such as have stony hearts, 
Ostrich is a beast that swalloweth gads of steel & digesteth them.  as have all Papistical Doctors who against their conscience, knowledge, and learning, and being all destitute of the spirit of God, cry and shout for the defence of their well-beloved altars, Habemus altar, Habemus altar, Habemus altar.  
Yea and I may tell you this Habemus altar, is their iudgeling stick, whereby they do juggle unto the unlearned, it is all their hibernacle and only refuge against all tempests, and this is as well their shot anchor as their hallow at their hoysinge up of their ankore.  
But to hale in my sail and to land at the proposed haven. The english text of Habemus altar written. Hebrew xiii is this: Be not carried about with diverse & strange learnings: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, and not with meats, which have not profited them that have had their pastime in them.  
We have an altar, of the which they have no power to eat, which serve in the tabernacle. etc.  
Here he doth in a manner make a brief rehearsal of all the chiefest matters that he entreated of before, adding thereto diverse godly sentences to persuade the hebrews to abide in this learning: Inducing them also, by alluding unto their law being but a shadow to cleave unto the gospel, and to let go the shadow. And therefore he saith thus unto them. And as you had certain Sacrifices offered on the altars whereof it was not lawful even for the very offerers to eat: so likewise have we a Sacrifice once offered upon the altar of the cross, whereof it is not lawful for as many of you as be yet duskened with the shadow of the law to eat, nor to be patakers of it at al.  
Now therefore must the papists be thought not only to be of to childyshe a wit and of no understanding, but rather furious and mad, if they continue to prove their stony altars by this text.  
And therefore would I think it an exceeding good deed for such as enjoy their right wit, to pick out from amongst themselves as many as are vexed with the spirit of the said kind of frenzy, and sand them to Bedlam, or to their own city of Rome. For else they shall still infect other, and do more hurt than every man is ware of.  
At the last to draw toward an end in this matter. Where this word altar is read in the vi viii. and xi Chapters of the revelation of saint john: if altar in those places, admitting the like trope and figurative speech, do not signify Christ also (God knoweth) it signifieth nothing less than the confirmation of such Altars as the Pope hath filled every corner of Christ's church withal.  
And if the papists (after that all the testimonies, as well of thold and the new testament have failed them) go about to wrest the saying of the old doctors, for the stablishing of their altars, they shall get nothing thereby, but still utter their own gross ignorance, or their perverse blindness. For where so ever thold catholic doctors, used this word altar for the lords Table, than alluded they unto the jews altar and mente thereby the cross which served as an altar to offer upon the sacrifice of Christ's natural body.  
And forsooth, ye Papistical priests, as many of you as understood the Latin, and marked what you read (and if ye had been Bees, 
The Bee gathereth honi on the same flower that the Spider gathereth poison.  and not Spiders) you might have gathered the nature of this manner of allusion or resemblance of Christ's cross unto the Altars of the jews even out of your own poisoned mass.  
Which well might be called Massa, farrago, vel Chaos, quo sacra prophanis, miscebat Papa.  
Even a very hotch pot, in the which the Pope put all manner of religions and all manner of rites & ceremonies, both good & bad, & lessons of holy scripture, and of unholy scripture: this hotch pot I say ordained he, even for his dear children, & catch who catch may: hap good or bad: hap holy, hap unholy, hap godly, hap devilish.  
For do you not remember how ye mumbled (how ye red I would say) in a certain rhyme of your said hotche pot which began. Laudes crucis extollamus, nos qui crucis crult●mus. etc. O quam feli● quam pre clara, fuit hec salutis ara, rubens agni sanguine.  
O how excellent and how happy, was this Altar of tree, besprynckeled with lambs blood?  
And again in an other prose.  
Ara crucis, lampas lucis, vera salus hominum. Whose sense in english word for word is this. The altar of the cross, the lamp of light and the very health of men.  
Now though your own time makers of your popish service have used so many Metaphories, so many tropes, and so many borrowed speeches, usurping one word for an other, until at the last they ran on the rock of unexcusable idolatry, and plain superstition: you must not therefore think that the holy Doctors ran so headling in their works, that they abused any one term of Christ's religion, wherbi the same might be a stumbling block unto any, saving unto the children of perdition, who continually stumble at the very word of God.  
And to confess the truth, the old holy fathers and catholic writers no doubt are worthy much commendation, for that they greatly travailed in revoluting and expounding the sacred Scriptures committing to writing their censures thereof: willing and requiring that all their posterity should give no farther credit thereto, than their censures and interpretations should seem to be agreeable unto faith.  
Whose worthy antiquity and grave authority notwithstanding, we yet needs must prefer and esteem of more importance, and believe also that he is a great deal of a more infallible and undeceivable judgement, 
Act. ix. Galat. two.  whom the evangelist saint Luke so to be, doth bear witness unto us.  
And I mean none other, but even our Apostle saint Paul who calleth the board where the Spiritual feast of the lords Supper is celebrated and eaten upon, the table of the Lord.  
O the deepness of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of GOD, who so many hundredth years passed, did foresee that his most holy word ne should not be set to a fall, 
Luke. two.  but to an uprising to all his chosen people?  
And of this place we may gather, that it pleased God to pour more abundance of foreknoweledge in his Apostle Paul's compendious doctrine, than in the large writing of the notable learned doctor Saint Augustine.  
For saint Paul through the secret advertisement of the holy ghost did know before hand, that if he had given the name of an Altar unto the LORD his Table, that there would be in time to come certain jewysh teachers that would build and set up popish altars in stead of tables to serve the lords supper upon.  
And surely the holy doctor. s. augustine nor any other godly writer would never have used this term altar so often after that sort as they did, if they had had but the least inckeling in the world of foreknowledge what absurdity, what inconvenience and what mischief and abomination have been grounded on their translated terms.  
And I pray you what though saint Augustine or other doctors used to term the lords supper the Sacrament of the altar, 
Sacrament of the altar.  which if it be as I take it (I take it after the most sound and faith fulliste understanding) the unlearned people should not be greatly beholden unto them for their strange terms being so far fetched. For thus I understand them.  
The Sacrament of the altar that is to say: the sign of the Altar, which altar betokeneth the cross, which cross betokeneth the Sacrifice that was offered on the cross, or the passion and death of jesus Christ.  
Wherefore good Christian brethren let us that are homely fellows not be ashamed of the old terms that we have at our home in the text of holy scripture, which calleth the reverend and healthful remembrance of the lords death by breaking of bread, 
i Cor. x. i. Cor. xi.  by the name of the lords supper, or the communion and partaking of the body and blood of Christ.  
And the thing whereat we 
‡ Vel propter arto latriam vitandam tutius erit ut sedensquam genu flectens mense dominice populus accumbere assuescant.  sit devoutly to eat the lords supper, let us both have it, and call it the lords board, or the lords table, and not a borrowed towel, nor a popish stone altar, nor yet a wooden altar, with a Superhaltare. And let us Present with so far fetched terms and so dearly bought, the Popes glace, and his fair Ladies of Rome.  
Now because I trust that we have vaunquished and given an overthrow to the chiefest part of the Pope's soldiers, battered and beaten down to the ground the only Botereulx, and the great stay of his strong hold & Fortecesse: therefore shall our trumpet blow a retreat in this battle. Praised be the Lord. Amen.  two. Cor. two. 
¶ thanks be unto God which always giveth us the victory in Christ, and opened the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.  
For we are unto God the sweet savour of Christ, both among them that are saved, & among them that perish. To these the savour of death to death: to the other the savour of life to life.   

Imprinted at London by Robert Crowley, dwelling in Elye rents in Holborn. The year of our Lord. M.D.L.  
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