A GENERAL TREATISE AGAINST POPERY, AND IN DEFENCE OF THE RELIGION BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY PROFESSED IN ENGLAND AND OTHER CHURCHES REFORM. Wherein they that either want leisure to read, or that have not judgement to conceive, or that are not able to buy the learned treatises of other concerning particular points of religion, may yet evidently see popery not to be of God, and our religi on to be acceptable in his sight. Very necessary for these times, for the confirmation and strengthening of men in our religion, that neither by Jesuits, nor by any other, they may be drawn to popery, or any other heresy or sect: and likewise for the winning of Papists and Atheists to an unfeigned liking and true profession of our religion. BY THOMAS STOUGHTON minister of the word. PRINTED BY JOHN LEGAT. Printer to the University of Cambridge. 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND MOST TRULY RELIGIOUS AND virtuous Lord, Robert Lord Rich, Thomas Stoughton wisheth increase of all true piety and honour in this life, and eternal glory in the life to come. RIght Honourable, your favour having been such towards me, as that both either upon my commendation before I was by face known unto your Lordship, and especially myself sithence that time have thereby sared the better, I could not but in all duty think of some way, whereby to show myself in some measure thankful for the same. Having therefore taken a little pains in gathering these general arguments against the whole mass & lump of popery, as in defence likewise of the general doctrine publicly, and by public authority professed in England, I thought your Honourable courtesy to be such, that these my labours would be accepted as some testimony of my grateful mind. Neither am I bold to offer them unto your Honour, in respect only of that your singular favour towards myself, but also because the same your Honourable favour hath been extended and is extended towards all, whom your Honour hath seen forward in the profession of that religion, the defence whereof is the chief subject matter of this treatise. Yea so have you vouchsafed to countenance such persons from time to time not disdaining the meanest, that this your Christian and godly mind is much more worthy this work, than the work itself any ways worthy to be presented to so great a person. For by this love towards the professors of the truth, hath evidently appeared your affection towards the truth itself. This affection also towards the truth itself, even towards the truth, which in this treatise is commended and justified, hath in like manner been most plainly testified unto this whole country of Essex, by your singular care for the placing of godly and sufficient ministers in all places, where the patronage of benefices by the ancient laws of this realms hath been your right. And both these, to wit, your love unto the persons professing this religion, and your like affection towards the religion itself, have plentifully declared your true zeal of God himself and of Christ jesus. For Christ accounteth that done to himself, that is done to them Math. 25. 40. that belong unto him. And as the enmity against God his truth and the professors thereof, endeavouring to suppress the one and to repress the other, doth testify the like enmity against God himself and Christ jesus, so the Ma●h. 25. 43. Act. 9 4. contrary love towards both, doth declare the like love towards God himself and Christ jesus. Further your honourable care (before mentioned) for the furthering of this religion, showed by providing such sufficient ministers for instruction of the people in the true knowledge thereof and obedience thereunto, hath also witnessed and doth daily witness your unfeigned love unto men. For what greater work can there be for the benefits of their souls? yea both of their souls and of their bodies, of this life and of the life to come. For who knoweth not but that as the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, Rom. 1. 16. jam. 1. 21. 2. Tim. 3. 15. Psal. 19 7. Frou. 1. 4. and the word contained in the holy Scriptures (which also contain this religion here commended) is able to make men wise unto the same salvation: so also that that wisdom which the gospel and word of God teacheth, hath in Prov. 3. 16. her right hand length of days, and in her left hand riches and glory? As therefore to hinder the gospel and word of God, doth plainly bewray the hatred of men, which cannot be saved by any other means without it, (for which cause the Apostle speaking of the jews saith first, that they 1. Thess. 2. 15, 16. were contrary or adversaries unto all men, & then immediately addeth as a reason or confirmation of the former, that they had forbidden them to preach the word unto the Gentiles, whereby they might be saved) so to promote the same word, can not but witness the contrary. Finally this your godly care, hath in like sort the better witnessed, & doth witness your faithful heart, both towards her most excellent Majesty, and also towards the whole realm. For it cannot be but that the more the true knowledge and fear of God aboundeth, by the more plentiful preaching of the word also will abound true obedience unto her Highness, and unfeigned love betwixt subject and subject: by both which the bars of the gates of the whole kingdom, must necessarily be the stronger against all fortaine adversaries. Sith therefore (Right honourable) it hath pleased God, of his abundant goodness and rich grace, besides your great earthly honour, thus more highly to honour and advance you in heavenly things, as I do in this respect the more boldly dedicate this treatise of religion to your Honour so zealous of religion, so in all humility I desire the same to accept thereof, and to vouchsafe your honourable protection thereunto. And because your former zeal persuadeth me the same of your Honour, that the like persuaded the Apostle of the Philippians, namely, that he Philip. 1. 6. that hath begun this good work, will also finish the same: therefore that use of this treatise, which in the end I wish generally to all great persons already called to the fellowship of this true religion, I do more specially commend unto your Honour, namely that you will yet be zealous thereof, as hitherto you have been and are. Yea let not your zeal only continue, but let it be such also as Solomon describeth the love of the Church to be, strong as death, cruel (or hard, or Cantic. 8. 6, 7. invincible) as the grave, whose coals are fiery coals, and as a vehement flame, (or as the flame of God) and the which much water cannot quench. Yea because the Lord jesus reprehendeth the slaking of the first love of the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2. 4, 5. threatening also to come against her, and to remove her candlestick out of her place, except she repent and did her first works: therefore also your love abound more and more, as the Apostle writeth unto the Philippians: and as our Saviour himself Phil. 1. 9 commendeth the love of the Church of Thyatira, saying, that her works were more at the Rev. 2. 19 last then at the first. This the Lord requireth of all, but especially of such as himself hath most highly advanced, and made the sons of the Psal. 29. 1. mighty: yea this is the end for which he doth thus advance them, and make them so mighty. Ester 4. 14. Neither need any man to fear any disgrace or dishonour by such forwardness in zeal: yea rather every man is to hope the contrary. For God himself hath expressly promised, to 1. Sam. 2. 3●. honour them that shall honour him. Therefore the Apostle hoped and fully assured himself, that in Phil. 1. 40. nothing he should be ashamed, but that Christ should be magnified in his body: where by opposing his own shame to the magnifying of Christ, and the magnifying likewise of Christ to his own shame, he plainly teacheth, that they that study and bend their endeavours most to magnify and exalt Christ, need not to fear any shame and disgrace of themselves. Moreover they that continue the honouring of him, with that honour and according to that honour whereunto he hath exalted them, shall build up the surer house to their own posterity. For as the Prophet speaking generally of the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his commandments, Psal. 112. 1. 2. that his seed shall be mighty upon the earth: so more particularly the Lord promised to David, to set up his seed after him, which 2. Sam. 7. 12. should proceed out of his body, and to establish his kingdom. And this promise all men know to have been most amply performed. Yea to jehu (a man not so according to God his own heart as David was) did the Lord promise, that because he had diligently executed that which was right in 1. King. 10. 30. God his eyes, etc. (though not with a perfect heart) therefore his sons unto the fourth generation, should sit upon the throne of Israel. This promise also was performed unto the full. For jehu himself being reckoned for one, Zecharia the son of jeroboam king of Israel, was the fifth descent from jehu. And this honour was more than the honour of any other king of Israel, after the division of the kingdom. For no other king of Israel besides jehu, had above one or two at the most (as several generàtions) of their own stock and line, to succeed them in the kingdom. Three indeed are said to have succeeded Homri, to wit, Ahab, Ahazia, and jehoram: but this last was not the son of the middle, but both Ahazia and jehoram were brethren, and the sons of Ahab and jezabel. Now to return to the fruit of being zealous in honouring 2. King. 3. ● and 9 22. the Lord, when the thread of all earthly honour shall be drawn to an end, so as that it can not possibly be lengthened one inch more, then shall begin the honour that is without end. Then shall Christ confess them before the Mat. 10. 22. compared with Luke 12. 8. Father, and before his Angels in heaven, that have confessed him before men in the earth. He will not commit the proclaiming of their praise to any other, as Ahashuerosh did the praise Ester 6. 11. of Mordecai unto Haman, but even himself will be as it were the Herald thereof. Neither will he whisper the praise of such in secret, but he will publish and proclaim it in the greatest and most honourable assembly that ever was. Yea this jesus the king of glory shall Math. 23. 35. Dan. 12. 3. Math. 22. 30. Philip. 3. 21. 1. joh. 3. 2. place them at his right hand, and shall make them like to the stars, yea to the son in firmament, yea to the angels, yea even unto himself. Verily (Right honourable) this glory, though it should continue but one day, is more than all earthly glory, though it should continue a thousand years. If David said the like of the courts of God upon earth, what may be Psal. 84. 10. said of the highest court of God in the highest heaven? what heart therefore would not be inflamed and set on fire with the knowledge and certain assurance of these things? when Peter, james, and john, did see Christ jesus in the mountain with Moses and Elias in that glorious apparel for a while, which one day they should put on for ever, how were they affected there with? Truly so that although they themselves were not one whit transfigured with Christ, yet they could have been content for ever to have dwelled in that mountain, only to have enjoyed this glorious sight of Christ, Moses, and Elias. For what said they? Peter speaketh for the rest, as oftentimes he did for all (not as being the head of all, but as having the boldest spirit) and said, Master, it is good for us to be hear: if thou wilt let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias. Were these thus ravished with the bodily sight of the glory only of Christ and of two other, and that upon the earth, and but for a time? How then should the heart of every Christian be ravished with the spiritual sight by faith of the everlasting glory of Christ jesus, of all the Saints generally, and of himself particularly, which one day they and himself shall have for ever in the heavens, and whereof in the mean time by the same faith, they and he are as certainly assured, as if they were already in possession thereof? How zealous also should every the like Christian heart be of this our religion, whereto only this glory is promised, and whereby only it is to be attained? So great was the glory of Moses, having talked but a while with the Lord in the mountain at the receiving of the law, that without a vail the Israelites could not look upon him. Exod. 34. 33. Was glory so great at the giving of the law unto Moses? How great then shall it be at the final rewarding of the perfect observation and full satisfaction of the law by Christ jesus? was glory so great after a while talking with the Lord? how great then shall it be when we shall have our whole conversation and live with God for ever? was glory so great in an earthly mountain? how great then shall it be in the high heavens? was glory so great upon corruption? how great then shall it be, when that that is sown in dishonour, shall be raised altogether in glory? was glory so great upon weakness? how great then shall it be, when that that is sown in weakness, shall be applied in power? Finally was glory so great upon a natural body? how great then shall it be, when that that is sown a natural body, shall be raised in a spiritual body? I writ not these things (Right Honourable) so much for the enlarging of your zeal towards the religion in this treatise following commended, as for the better provoking also and quickening of this zeal in all other the like noble persons. The rather also and the more plentifully have I been bold to deal herein in this my epistle Dedicatory, because I thought it might be, that some would read this epistle, which would read but little else of this book: and that othersome would hereby be the more excited to the reading of the whole treatise. Now what shall I say more? The same God that hath begun this noble work of zeal in your noble heart towards this religion, make the same perfect. The same God that hath so highly advanced you upon the earth, that sometime you sit with most noble Queen Elizabeth clothed with Parliament robes in great dignity, so also exalt you, that you may walk with his son Christ jesus in heart clothed in white, yea and that you may Rev. 3. 4. ad 2●. sit with him in his throne for ever, as himself sitteth in the throne of his Father. Thus most humbly craving pardon of my boldness, I do also humbly take my leave of your honour. At Billerim in Essex, the 7. of March, in the year of our Lord, according to the computation of the Church of England. 1597. almost expired. Your Honour's most humble to command in the Lord, Thomas Stoughton. To the Christian readers, especially to my Worshipful and other lo ving friends in Kent, London, Essex, Suffolk, and elsewhere. BEloved I am not ignorant, how dangerous a thing it is to write books in these days, partly in respect of the great variety of all learning in many, which thereby are able more easily to find a fault in any man his writings, than the author (for the most part) himself, and partly of the great curiosity of other which are ready to reprehend the best, and to find a knot in a rush; yea not only to carp at that which deserveth no blame, but oftentimes to condemn that which they ought rather to commend, or which at the least they cannot amend. The consideration of this, did at the first make me for a long time to wish this labour that I have now taken, to have been set upon by some other, more able to have gone (as we say) throughstitch therewith then myself, before I durst once begin to set my pen to paper for the writing my meditations thereof. After also that I had begun ana finished this treatise, in such sort as now it cometh forth (some small things only excepted) I stayed the publishing thereof, to see if any other would have prevented me in this argument, that so I might not have laid myself open to those reprehensions and censures, which now perhaps I may incur and sustain. At the last seeing none other to deal therein, and thinking it to be a thing very profitable, yea being persuaded of the profit thereof by some other, whom I desired to read the same written; (as whose judgements I did much better trust unto then to my own) I laid aside all such fear: and respecting the common good of many, more than mine own private credit and estimation with a few, I have boldly committed it (as ye see) unto the print, and do now exhibit it unto your reading. Although therefore it may be, that it shall pass through the fiery and sharp purgatory of many such quick heads & nimble tongues, as to which almost nothing will be welcome: yet I hope that it shall also find courteous and fawrable entertainment with many, which will make such profitable use thereof, as I have commended in the end, and in regard whereof, I regard not all the obloquy of the other. I crave also yea and trust, that what faults soever have escaped me herein, they may be the more favourably interpteted, and the more esilie pardoned, because this treatise is not only the first fruits of my labours thus published, but also such an argument, as wherein I do not remember any other professedly to have taken the like pains. If hereafter any man of great learning generally and particularly of much reading and deep judgement in divinity, shall think this work to be insufficient in this kind, and shall therefore take the same theme in hand, and handle it more substantially and sufficiently: I shall not only not envy the same or be grieved therewith, but I will also willingly accept it, reverently esteemen it, and be heartily glad of it. In the mean time I entreat all Christian readers of this book, thankfully to look, and charitably to peruse the same, even as they would have others to accept the like travel of themselves. Neither let them be offended with my plain manner of handling these arguments, but rather let them seriously way the matter and substance itself. For it is not fineness of words but pith of matter that must edify to the working, confirming, or increasing of true faith and godliness. Good and whole some meat is not the worse to be liked, for being served to the table in a earthen or wooden vessel. If also one argument please not, yet let no man be discouraged, but let him proceed to the next, and so to them that follow. Where there is variety of dishes, there men not liking of one will taste of an other. The like favour I entreat in the reading of these arguments, hoping that the further men proceed in reading this treatise, the better savour they will find therein. Now as I entreat all Christian readers generally to accept courteously of my pains in this book, so more specially I pray the same of such, as are my friends dwelling in the places before mentioned, or elsewhere. For being specially bound unto them, either by kindness or by kindred, and being not able to do that good to these that nature itself requireth, I was the more willing to publish this treatise, as a testimony of my thankfulness to the one, and of my well-wishing mind unto the other. As therefore in this special respect, I do offer this general treatise unto them both, that they may make the more special use thereof unto themselves, so I do desire them especially to accept it. Touching the addition of the dainties of popery annexed to the treatise, partly to show the unlearned learning of their popish great clarks in divinity, when popery itself was at her top and top gallant; and partly to discover the abominable blasphemies, and blasphemous abominations of their religion: (which to many perhaps were before secret and altogether unknown) touching this addition (I say) of these things I do also desire that it may find the like courteous entertainment. And lest any man should think that these things thus added, were gathered out of such authors as were of no account in their church, (as likewise many slender things might be collected out of the books of some simple writers amongst us, that are of no reputation in our church) lest also touching those things that I have gathered out of their service books, any should imagine them to be such, as they themselves should now disclaim, I have sufficiently prevented these objections in the addition itself, showing that the authors by me here traduced, had great allowance from the Popes own unholiness, and were of high estimation in their churches, and likewise proving their ancient service books in the things here expressed, not to differ from their new books newly reform by the council of Trent, neither yet to be any whit in a manner now revoked. Much other the like popish trash I might have noted out of other the like popish books, but to avoid tediousness unto other, I did the more willingly spare my own pains. Thus committing yourselves with the success of these my labours unto the Lord (who work both in you and in me more perfect hatred of popery and all other errors, and more unfeigned love of his truth, that we may the better continue therein, and be the more plentiful in all the fruits thereof,) I do lovingly take my leave of you, from Billerim in Essex the seventh of March in the year of our Lord according to the computation of the church of England 1597. almost now ended. Yours in the Lord unfeignedly Thomas Stoughton. The general sum of all all things comprehended in this treatise following. The reasons why this work was taken in hand and the state of this cause being first briefly declared, then follow these general arguments against popery and for our religion. 1 All true religion and acceptable to God, is wrought in the hearts of men by the ministery of God his word conteived in holy scripture. Popery is not wrought by the ministery of that word in as much as where that word is most plentifully & sincerely taught, there popery most falleth, and where that word is wanting there popery most abound, as also because papists will neither voluntarily come, nor by authority be drawn, either to the preaching or reading thereof in our Churches, neither do delight in the private reading thereof at home, ergo Popery is not true religion etc. 2 All true religion is upheld and maintained by good and lawful means, needing no evil & unlawful means to uphold it. But popery is upheld and maintained by all unlawful means, as by force and violence, by fire and faggot, corrupting, adding unto, and diminishing the text of scriptures, by false alleging the authorities of men, by clipping and mangling the works of the ancient fathers, both in citing their testimonies, and also in printing of the books themselves by authority of the popish church, by lying miracles, and such other indirect means, ergo, etc. 3 The subject matter of true religion is contained in the written word of God. The subject mat▪ of popery is not comprised in that written word of God, but is directly contrary thereunto in all, the principal points thereof. ergo etc. 4 The form of true religion is also comprehended in the canonical Scripture. The form of poperis is not there comprehended, but is altogether divers from the form of God his worship in that word prescribed, yea rather popery hath in a manner no worship of God at all. ergo. 5 All true religion referreth all things to God his glory. Popery referreth not all things to God his glory, but so advanceth the Pope, saints, and man himself, that it spoileth God of all his glory. ergo. 6 True religion bringeth forth obedience to the ●orall law of God contained in the ten commandments. Popery (and not Papists only) baingeth forth no such obedience, but transgresseth every one of these commandments, and that in the highest degree. ergo. 7 True religion worketh true joy and sound comfort in every heart where it taketh true place, as certifying she same both of the present favour of God, and also of the continuance thereof. Popery worketh no such joy and comfort, as the which depriveth men of the Scriptures, whereby their eyes are to be opened and their minds instructed in true wisdom, as the which teacheth likewise that it is presumption for a man to say that he is persuaded of God his favour, and of his own salvation, and wherein no man ever knoweth whither he receiveth the true sacrament or not. ergo. 8 All true religion is wise as he that is the author thereof. Popery is not wise, but most foolish and ridiculous, grossly worshipping many homely relics, absurdly baptizing bells and Churches, etc. and without all wit and reason (much more without divinity) citing, condemning, and excommunicating them that are dead. ergo. 9 All true religion is unsavoury and unpleasant to the nature of man. But popery is most pleasant thereunto, because it teacheth men not to take any pains in the scriptures, yea forbiddeth all such pains, because it affirmeth that the work done is sufficient howsoever it be done, and that therefore men need not to be careful about their hearts, because also it commendeth especially the commandments of men, giving all liberty unto men from the commandments of God: and teaching that what good soever is neglected, or what evil soever is by any committed, yet by confession of all this with the mouth, by a little voluntary afflicting of the body, and especially▪ by a piece of money, a man may have forgiveness of all. ergo. The contrary of all the former arguments is proved of our religion, from whence it followeth that it is true and acceptable unto God. 10 Both the former conclusions, the one against popery, the other for our religion, are proved by actual testimonies of God. These are showed to be 1 The gifts of God promised to the latter times for the commendation of the Gospel. 2 The works of God. The gifts of God are showed to have been 1 Exceedingly decayed, and almost dead and buried in the chief times of popery. 2 Repaired, revived, raised up, and greatly to have flourished, etc. at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darkness of popery. The works of Godare either single against popery. against our religion. or mixed both against popery and for our religion. All these former arguments being plentifully handled, then followeth the conclusion, wherein are exemplified the manifold use of the whole treatise. Concerning them which are of our religion all generally weak and strong. more particularly great persons, and those also either generally all, or specially David's Worthies. not ofour religion Atheists and all of no religion. Papists 1 weak & erring only of ignorance. 2 obstinate and wilful. A GENERAL TREATISE AGAINST POPERY, AND IN DEFENCE OF the religion by public authority professed in England, and in other Churches reform. THE PREFACE. IT cannot be denied but that many excellent, learned, and godly men, have both plentifully and sound, and also profitably and fruitfully written, most worthy treatises for confutation of all particular points of popery, and like wise for confirmation of all particular points of our religion. In this treatise also the mystery of iniquity in popery is so fully discovered, and the truth of our religion from point to point particularly so evidently declared, that all men of any judgement, exercised in those treatises may easily see both the one & the other: yea many have seen & do see both the one & the other. Notwithstanding as many have seen & do see it, so also Satan the god of this world doth still detain many in their former blindness and ignorance. Yea the nearer that his kingdom is to an end, the more diligently he goeth about like a roaring lion seeking still whom he may devour. Therefore he ceaseth not by his chief instrument the man of sin, and child of perdition (I mean the Bishop and Pope of Rome) continually to send forth into all corners of the realm swarms of jesuits and seminaries priests, as to harden those in popery that have not yet renounced that profession, so also to infect other there with that are either of no religion, or that having embraced ours are not yet sufficiently settled and grounded therein. And truly both ways he doth the more prevail, partly because many have not ability to buy the books of particular controversies betwixt us and the Papists they being some what costly, partly because they have no leisure to read them being many and large, and partly because they have no judgement to conceive of them being matters of learning and learnedly handled. Where he cannot effect that which he would for the hardening of men in popery, or drawing them to popery, there he goeth another way to work, either corrupting them with some other heresy, or making them altogether profane, and working in them a contempt of all religion. Because all is one to him, whether men be Papists, or other heretics, or of no religion at all. 2 Thus therefore seeing true religion every where to decay, & the kingdom of Satan more and more daily to be enlarged partly by popery, partly by other heresies, and partly by profaneness, and contempt of all religion, I have thought good an other way to try the conversion both of the ignorant Papists that are yet persuaded their religion to be sound and true, and that wherein they please God, and also of other heretics and profane persons themselves, if it be possible, and likewise the confirmation and strengthening of such as professing our religion in show, are notwithstanding unstaid and wavering, and therefore ready to be drawn any other way. To all these therefore I do here offer these general arguments following, in defence of our religion, and against popery, so briefly and plainly set down, that even all that are not able to go to the price of books of particular controversies, or that cannot intend the reading of them to weigh and conceive them, may yet generally see the truth of our religion, and the falsehood of popery, and seeing these things, may likewise more seriously consider of our religion: and contrarily of the most dangerous, fearful, and wretched estate of all Papists, and likewise of all other that are not as yet of our religion; that so the one sort may not forsake our holy fellowship, and the other may join with us: and that both joined together in one truth, may zealously profess it, bringing forth plentiful fruits thereof. Neither would I have men wholly to content themselves with these general reasons, neglecting particular treatises of particular controversies, but rather by this treatise to be the more encouraged to the reading of the other, and to be made the fit, and every way the more able to judge of them. 3 That all men may the better see my meaning in this whole treatise, and know the state of the whole cause: by our religion, I do here understand the religion now established & publicly by public authority professed in England; and such other Churches as have justly forsaken Rome, and are in good measure well reform according to the word of God contained in holy Scripture. To speak more plainly, I mean by our religion that substance & doctrine of faith, wherein we descent from the Church of Rome, and do all of us consent among ourselves, both we with those other Churches, and those other Churches with us in this land. By popery like wise I understand, all that doctrine of the church of Rome, which differeth and dissenteth from this our religion, & the doctrine held and professed publicly here in England, & other Churches in like manner reform. In this treatise therefore I do undertake by plain and evident arguments fit for the capacity of all sorts both poor and rich, both learned & unlearned, though they can read or understand only the english tongue, to prove that this our religion is of God, and that which God as touching the substance and doctrine thereof, doth well accept and like of: and contrarily, by like arguments as plainly to show that popery is not of God, and therefore also not in any account with him, but abominable and detestable in in his sight. THE FIRST ARGUMENT TOUCHING THE breeding and begetting of true religion. THUS having declared both the reasons that moved me to this work, and likewise the state of the whole cause handled herein, I will now enter into the arguments themselves. Here therefore first of all, let us consider the chief and principal means: whereby both that religion that is of God, and acceptable unto God is at the first begun and framed, and afterward further built and perfected in them that attain unto it, and also of the like means, whereby popery is at the first hatched, and afterward brooded & further strengthoned. Touching the former, it is most certain that it is always begun by the word of God. For the Apostle S. Paul expressly teacheth us. Rom. 10. 17. That faith is by hearing the word of god preached. S. james also chap. 1. 18. saith, that we are begotten again by the word of truth. Our Saviour likewise in the parable of the seed. Matth. 13. plainly showeth that, that only is good ground into the which the seed of god his word falling bringeth forth good fruit, and so likewise that, that only is to be accounted good fruit which springeth from the seed of the word. As the word of god is the only ordinary means whereby faith and regeneration are begun in every man whom God will have to be saved: so also it is the especial means, whereby they are to be further built till they be finished. S. Peter exhorteth the Christians to whom he wrote, that as they were already borne a new by the word of God. 1. Pet. 1. 23. So also as new borne babes they should desire the sincere milk of the word, that they might grow thereby, chap. 2. verse. 2. Saint Paul likewise having first exhorted the Thessalonians, not to quench the spirit, which they had received, that is to cherish the spirit, meaning the work of faith & regeneration wrought by the spirit (a Metonymy, of the cause for the effect) presently admonisheth them, not to despise prophesying. 1. Thess. 5. 20. Where by prophesying (by a Synecdoche, of the special for the general,) he meaneth the preaching only of the same word by the which before they had received the Spirit. Our Saviour Christ also in his Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, Revelat. 2. and 3. Exhorting those Churches to repentance, constancy, keeping of the things they had received, & the increasing of them, addeth in the end of those Epistles this general admonition, Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches, whereby he giveth all men to understand, that hearing of that which the spirit said to the Churches, was the especial means for the working and increasing of the things commended in those Epistles to the Churches. 2 All this hitherto spoken of the word of God, is to be understood only of the word of God written and contained in the holy Scriptures. For whatsoever the Papists say of their unwritten verities, as equivalent to the doctrine of the Scriptures, yet that there are no such unwritten verities of such authority, and so to be esteemed as it hath been sufficiently proved by that worthy man, & of holy memory M. Whitaker, and other learned men that have particularly dealt in that cause, so is it also evident by that general admonition before spoken of, given to the seven Churches, because in it by hearing that which the spirit saith, is not meant any unwritten verity, but that which before Christ jesus had commanded john to write to the seven Churches. 3 These things being thus evident touching that religion that is of God, and acceptable unto God, let us now see by what means Popery is hatched and brooded. Here let a view be taken of the Papists within our own land and abroad, yea of all whatsoever, wheresoever and whensoever; which of all them may be said to be begotten and won to that religion, by the preaching of the word of God comprehended in the Scriptures? which of all these can be said to have been confirmed and strengthened in that same religion by the same word? verily it is most certain that popery is begun, increased and perfected not by that word, but by traditions only and doctrines of men. The more men are purely instructed in the word of God, the more they hear & consider of the doctrine of the Scriptures, the further are they from all popery; the more they dislike and abhor the same. Again, the less men are acquainted with the word of God, the seeldomer they hear it, or read it, the more capable certainly are they of all popery, the more also are they confirmed and strengthened, yea rather hardened in all popery. This is most evident; First, because as the pure preaching of the word of God decayed in the world, so popery grew and increased; Secondly, because sithence the sincere preaching of this word hath been again revived in these latter times: the more hath popery wasted and pined according to the prophecy of the Apostle who hath said, that the Lord should consume Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth. 2. Thess. 2. 8. Thirdly, the same is manifest by divers examples of places and persons in our own land. For where the Gospel is most plentifully and truly preached, there are fewest Papists, and where the Gospel is least preached, there is the greatest number of papists. Some places which were most popish of all the country where they are, before they had the preaching of the word, are now since that god in mercy hath vouchsafed the same unto them, most free of popery & papists. Myself as young as I am, did know the time long sithence the happy Reign of her Majesty, when we in Kent was most accounted & also was indeed the most popish place of all that country. But sithence it hath pleased God to send unto them the ministery of his word, popery hath there vanished as the mist before the Sun: and now I think it is less noted for popery, than any other place, especially then any place which hath not had the word, as that hath had it. Yea few places are more forward than that in true profession of our religion. The like may be said of many other places, both in the South, and also in the North parts of England. Again, who are the most obstinate papists in the land? are they not those that never have heard the word of god preached unto them? or that having heard it, are fallen away from it? and what is the cause why many are so obstinate in popery? Is it not because they will not be drawn to hear that word of God neither yet to read it? Truly I doubt not but that if it might please God to give unto them willing minds to hear or read the Scriptures, with a true desire indeed to keep and embrace the doctrine in them contained, how contrary soever to that which in times past they have held or do yet hold, than the more they should hear or read, the more they would dislike of their former religion. In the mean time whilst they care not for hearing or reading, whilst they despise the Scriptures, whilst they rail of the hearing and reading of them (as many of the most learned papists do) what do they else but be wray, that they are not yet begotten unto God by them, neither the children of God, & that therefore their religion is not of God. For if they were begotten unto god, and that by the doctrine of the Scriptures, if they were the children of God, as they imagine and boast of themselves, would they not delight to hear his word? at least would they not delight to read the word by whomsoever brought unto them? what loving child is not glad to hear the voice of his loving father, or to read at least his letters sent by others unto him from the place where himself is? He that is of God, heareth God his word. joh. 8. 47. If they were, the sheep of Christ, they would hear his voice. john. 10. 27. If they suspect our preaching of the word, yet they would at the least come to those places, where the word is read, or they would read it at home by themselves, in such a tongue as wherein they might understand it. Sith therefore they care not for the hearing or reading it, they show they are not begotten to God by it. 4 As touching our religion it is begotten by the word of god, it is confirmed & strengthened by the word of God. As men's traditions grew in request with men, so our religion at the first decayed. As the vanity of men's traditions began to be discerned & abolished by the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Scriptures out of the cloud of popery, so our religion was again renewed and increased. The more common that the Scriptures are, or have been, the more doth our religion flourish, and hath flourished from time to time. The more men hear the Scriptures, search the Scriptures, meditate the Scriptures, and pray unto God for the true understanding of the Scriptures: the more also do men mislike of popery, and grow into love of our religion. The Papists themselves see this to be so, and can not deny it, therefore do they by all means they can, not only accuse the Scriptures of such difficulty & obscurity, as whereby they discourage the unlearned sort from reading of them, but also they utterly deny them to the common people in their vulgar tongue. On the contrary, they care not how common their unwritten verities be. If they feared not the overthrow of their religion, and the growing of ours by the use of the Scriptures, why should they so straightly restrain the common people from it? if they thought as they speak and write, that their unwritten verities were of God, aswell as the Scriptures: why should they make them more common than the Scriptures? Is it because they think them more easy, and therefore fit for the capacity of the common people than the Scriptures? This will not stand with that, which they make the ground of them, and which they pretend for their special warranr: namely with the words of our Saviour to his disciples, Other things have I to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now etc. john. 16. 12. For by these words it is manifest, that those things which Christ had further to say unto his disciples, were harder than those that then he did speak, & are now written, otherwise he would not have added as a reason, why he did for a time conceal them, but ye can not bear them now. 5 Now to finish this point, forasmuch as that religion which God accepteth and liketh of, is wrought by the preaching of his own word, forasmuch as Popery hath not such beginning, but is only engendered by the slime of traditions, and doctrines of men. Finally forasmuch as the religion now publicly professed in England is both begotten by that immortal seed, and doth also grow to further perfection, by that pure milk of the word of God, therefore I conclude for my first argument that popery is only such as those slimy traditions & doctrines are, whereof it is engendered, and that our religion is not of man, but of God, and acceptable unto God. THE SECOND ARGUMENT TOUCHING THE PRE serving and maintaining of true religion. THE same is also manifest by the second means whereby popery hath been from time to time, and yet is upholden and maintained. For as touching this, what shall we say of the impudency of the Papists, I mean such as account themselves the learned Papists, both in falsifying the ancient Fathers, & also in alleging patches only of their writings, as making against us, but leaving out some part of the same sentences or some sentence going before or following after: whereby both that Father his mind is made evident, and also our doctrine approved? Is not this to deal with the Fathers, as the devil doth with the Scripture against our Saviour. Mat. 4. 6. And that the Papists do thus abuse the readers by citing the Fathers in such sort is sufficiently showed, by those that have written in particular controversies. To prove the APOCRYPHA books Canonical Scriptures, they allege the testimony of Augustin lib. 2. de doctrina Christiana. cap. 8. Yet that Augustin did not so understand the word Canonical, as they apply his testimony is manifest in the same place, let the learned reader see Whitak. controvers. 1. quest. 1. Cap. 4. Pag. 15. In like manner they deal with Ambrose, whose testimony they allege for proof of this: that many things are hard in the Scriptures, thereby indeed to discourage all unlearned, from reading of the Scriptures, as though all things were hard in them: and yet in the very same place, Ambrose also saith, that in the Scriptures is matter fit for all persons to drink first, second, and last; where by he also teacheth that as there are some things to be drunk last in the rivers of the Scriptures, that is, not till men be well grounded in knowledge and judgement, so also there is for young beginners & such as have not entered, or that have made but little entrance. So they deal with Augustin oftentimes in the same question of the perspicuity of the Scripture, as also the learned reader may see Whitak. quest. 4. pag. 276. In like manner they deal with the Fathers almost in all other questions and controversies; Sometime also they allege the testimonies of the Fathers out of some of their books not regarding how they have either opened their mind or retracted their former errors in other of their books. Sometime again they plead the authority of some Fathers in citing testimonies of their books, which they wrote after that they were fallen into some heresy. So they allege the testimony of Tertullian out of such works as he made after that he was a Montanist. Whitaker. quest. 6. pag. 449. Finally oftentimes they are not ashamed to name the Fathers in particular questions as if they were on their side, whereas the clean contrary is manifestly proved and showed by our writers, and is likewise evident to them that are acquainted with the writings of the Fathers. For proof hereof let the reader look their preface to the translation of the new testament into English by themselves, and likewise read M. Fulke his answer to the same. 2 For their first reason, why they translate the new Testament according to the vulgar latin translation, and not according to the greek original is this. It is so ancient (say they) that it was used in the Church of God above 1300. years ago as appeareth by the Fathers of those times. But M. Fulke showeth: first that no one translation was in those days commonly rèceived; Secondly, by many examples that Tertullian, Cyprian, the Clergy itself of Rome in Cyprian his time, Hierome, Arnobius, Hilary, and Ambrose, did not follow this vulgar translation, but did read the text far diversly from the same. In their fourth reason they commend it as that which for the most part ever since Hierom his time hath been used in the Church's service, expounded in Sermons, alleged and interpreted in the Commentaries and writings of ancient fathers of the latin Church. But M. Fulk proveth and showeth, First, that their Church service is not so ancient as Augustine his time, many of their Church lessons being taken out of Beda and other writers living many hundred years after Saint Augustine his age. Secondly, that such parts of the Scripture as seem to have been of most ancient times used in the church of Rome are not taken out of their vulgar text; and thirdly, that since Jerome his time Optatus Melevitanus, Fuigentius, Primasius, Prosper, Aquitanicus, and Leo likewise himself Bishop of Rome did allege and interpret the texts of Scripture much differing from this vulgar translation. 3 The like may be said of their belying the Fathers in their notes afterward upon the text itself. Upon the first petition of the Lords prayer, Matth. 6. 12. for their old distinction of sins venial and mortal, they quote certain places of Augustine to bear the unlearned reader in hand, that Augustine was the author or a favourer thereof. Notwithstanding Augustine in those places quoted by them, useth no such distinction, but only speaketh of small sins, which no man denieth. Upon 1. Cor. 13. 10. they say that S. Augustine, lib. 22. de Civit. cap. 29. proveth that the Saints in heaven have more perfect knowledge of our affairs here, than they had when they lived here. And yet S. Augustine in that place speaketh not of the knowledge of the Saints now in heaven touching our present affairs here in earth, but only speaketh generally of the perfect knowledge which all Saints both dead and yet living shall have in the resurrection. Above all other places I wish the reader to see how foully they falsify Chrysostome for defence of Peter's supremacy upon joh. 21. 17 yea how common this fault of falsifying the fathers is with them by the judgement of themselves, even of the University of Douai approved by the Censors according to the decree of the Council of Trent, concerning the book of Bertrame. For this University acknowledgeth how they do oftentimes excuse ancient writers, being by Protestants opposed unto them in disputation, and how by devising some pretty st●ifts they deny them, and do feign some commodious sense unto them: and therefore whereas it seemeth there had been some consultation for the utter suppressing of the said book of Bertram, the said University concludeth that the foresaid book of Bertram should rather being amended (that is, clipped and mangled at their pleasure) be tolerated, then altogether forbidden. See this more largely in the answer of M. Fulke to their note upon the place of joh. 21. 17. but especially let the learned see the same in their Index expurgatorius, pag. 11. and 12. where also the reader shall see what they command to be clean put out in that book of Bertram, and what also to be changed or expounded according to such sense as they imagine or would have to be of his words. All this their juggling with the people in crying out, all the Fathers, all the Fathers, are on our side, might be showed more plentifully, but that it is not fit for this treatise. In like manner they are not ashamed to bely our own writers, and to charge them with such words, as they never used. So they deal with that worthy, and reverend man D. Fulke, as himself showeth in his Defence of English translations of the Bible, in his answer to the 49. section of the preface, and of the 18. and 37. sections of the first chapter, and in many other places. The like may be said of their fathering new things upon ancient writers: see Calvins' instit. lib. 4. cap. 7. sect. 20. Doth truth need to be upholden by such notorious lies? 4 But all this is nothing to their intolerable impiety both in adding unto, and also in detracting from the writings of the Fathers what they list, to make the Fathers to speak nothing but that which they will have them for to speak. Yea thus to deal with the writings and works of the Fathers even in the printing of them: that their whole volumes being so printed, the readers may think, that the Fathers did speak and write as now their books are printed. In like manner they deal with such notes as are by some new writers added to the margin of the Father's writings for the better directing of the reader in reading those writings. So also deal they with such tables as by late writers are gathered and set in the beginning or ending of the Father's works, for helping the reader more easily to find that which he desireth in the Fathers. Whatsoever in such marginal notes or in such tables, may any way help the reader to find any thing, or the better to understand any thing in the Fathers either against their errors, or for the truth received by us, that have they by public authority and act of the Tridentine Council, and of the King of Spain's Edict, commanded to be blotted and razed out of the books of the Fathers in the new printing of them. And for the better doing thereof, they have set forth a table of all such things as they will have so razed out by the authority aforesaid. This table they call Index expurgatorius. And this table though they kept from us a while, yet now we have by the industry and pains of Junius: who also in his preface thereunto testifieth, that at Lions in the year 1559. he being familiarly acquainted with a printer, whose name he saith was Lodovicus Savarius, did there see Ambrose his works most fairly and exquisitely printed: so that he could not but admire the artificial and beautiful countenance thereof. But the printer seeing him so well to like thereof, and so much to be delighted there with, told him notwithstanding that if he were to buy Ambrose his works, he would rather buy of any other edition then of that. junius marveling at that speech demanded the reason thereof. The printer therefore showed him from under his table certain leaves of the ancient copies of Ambrose, some canceled wholly, some other in part only razed, telling him also that those were the patterns of those leaves which but few days before he had truly printed, according to the example of the ancient and certain pattern. But said he further, two Franciscan Friars by authority have put out all these leaves, and commanded these to be put into their places, contrary to all truth of the former books. What they have commanded to be razed out of the marginal notes and tables of the Fathers doth plentifully and particularly appear by the Index itself so set forth by junius. Now let any indifferent reader judge of their religion, the which by these means they are forced to uphold and maintain. Certainly if their religion were of God, it would not need any such props of falsehood and wickedness. Yea if themselves or at least the chiefest of them, thought it to be of God, they would never set such rotten shores to keep it up. 5 Neither aught men much to marvel at their clipping of the writings of men in such sort, sith they deal in like sort with the precious come of god his own scriptures. For first of all they have been bold to take away the whole second commandment out of the decalogue, that so they might bear the common people in hand that there is nothing in the scriptures against images, or at the least nothing in the moral law to bind us now as well as the jews in former time: and that this their dealing might not be espied by any defect in the number of the commandments, they have divided the tenth commandment into two. Both these things are manifest by their common primmers. The like they do with the Scriptures in many other places, as appeareth by their vulgar translation & edition of the Scriptures in latin: the which although it were not theirs at the first, yet because they condemn all other, and do only command this as authentical, forbidding also any man to appeal from the same to the original text in the Hebrew and Greek, therefore it is to be accepted theirs. In that translation and edition many things are wanting that are in the original text, and many things also corrupted. In the 9 of Matth. verse. 13. Our Saviour saith. I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance. In their translation are these two words to repentance left out. Rom. 11. 6. All these words are wanting in their translation. If of works then not of grace, or else were work no more work. joh. 14. 26. For these words, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you. For these words I say which I have told you, their translation saith which I shall tell you. Thus they read for help of their traditions to make the common people believe, that Christ speaketh in this place of some things, which he would speak afterward, that he had nor spoken before. Many other places there are in like manner either clipped or corrupted. If their cause were good, why should they sustain it by such vile means? 6 Let us here further remember their exceeding cruelty, and most bloody dealing, for the continual maintenance of their religion. If fire & faggot had not better helped them, then preaching & disputing, their religion had never been so universal as it is. For although the blood of the Martyrs be called the seed of the Church, and have been a notable means to confirm many in the profession of the Gospel. Yet other also have thereby been drawn from it, and for fear have received popery. As therefore the Priests, Scribes, & Pharisees, and other jews, when they were not able by the Scriptures to resist the wisdom of our Saviour, of Stephan, of the Apostles, & the spirit that spoke in them, did use force and violence for their last & chiefest argument: even so have the Priests, Scribes, and Pharisees of the Church of Rome always done. Such always hath been their cruelty, that as divers wild beasts and birds make the flesh and blood of other to be their nourishment and life, so also the blood of the Protestants hath been their special relief. The cruelty exercised here in our own land, as sometime before, so especially in the late time of Queen Marie doth plentifully witness the same. The like may be said of the Spanish inquisition the chief means of upholding popery, not only in Spain itself, but also in many other countries. The cruelty thereof is so great and barbarous, that the cruelty of Nero, Domitian, and all other the like professed enemies unto Christ jesus and his Gospel is nothing to be compared thereto. The copies thereof are to be seen printed in english for justifying that which I writ. A man would think that all the devils in hell should never have devised such tortures and most exquisite punishments, except it were thus manifest. Here also is to be considered the most bloody massacre in France Anno 1572. in the which of noble men, gentlemen, learned men, & common persons thought to be protestants in Paris were slain and most violently & cruelly murdered without any proceeding by order of law, the number at the least of ten thousand within three days, and within less than one month presently after in many other cities & towns of France, were in like sort slain & murdered 20000. more. So that as it should have been with the jews through all the provinces of Ahashuerosh, if the cursed purpose of Haman had proceeded to effect; so also was it with all the known or suspected protestants in France, upon whom the merciless Papists could lay hands: what doth this else witness but that the religion of the Papists is like unto that wicked decree of Ahashuerosh & from the same fountain? Neither may this be said to have been a fault only of that nation. For the great joy of the Pope, with all his Cardinals at Rome, their procession, their gunshott, and singing Te Deum in honour of the bloody act, do evidently show both the approbation of the thing done by the whole Church of Rome, and also that the said Pope and Cardinals were acquainted with the matter before, and had an hand & stroke in it. I confess I note this out of the book of Martyrs, but no Papist is therefore to suspect the truth of the matter: for this history there reported is but briefly gathered out of the French Chronicles and Histories, which do more largely describe the same. Besides this act is so late & was so notorious at the first committing thereof, that there needeth not the testimony of any writer to be suspected therein. Thus we see that a pillar of blood is the chief pillar of the Romish Church such as now it is. 7 The like objection made against our religion from the execution of many Seminary priests and jesuits in our own land hath been sufficiently answered by others. For they have not been executed to maintain and uphold our religion, but for their heinous treasons whereby they have sought the sacred life of her Majesty in bringing in of foreigners here to usurp the kingdom, and the overthrow of the whole land their own natural country. Therefore this horrible treason against both their Prince and country, being especially authorized by the Pope himself, and his Clergy, not only for the seducing of the subjects from all obedience to her highness, but also for the shedding of her blood, as also the like treasons of many other to the same intent, attempted by the same authority do plainly disclaim their religion as not being of God neither acceptable unto God. For truth seeketh no corners, truth requireth no such stilts to go by. Neither did our Saviour use such means to commend himself & his doctrine, though he might have commanded more than twelve legions of Angels, neither after his ascension did the Apostles or any of them so further the gospel. 8 To these means before mentioned I may add their foul abusing of the simple people with pretended revelations & lying miracles, thereby to make them to account their religion to be as divine and from heaven, as by the same means well looked into, it doth manifestly appear to be altogether divolish and from hell itself. Such was the practice of certain Monks & Friars with Elizabeth Barton a Nun in Kent whom they called by the name of the holy maid of Kent. This holy maid by the device of the foresaid Monks and Friars, feigned herself to live with no other food than that which was brought unto her immediately by the Angels of heaven, she made also as though oftentimes she lay in a trance wherein she did strangely alter her countenance with the other parts of her body, and spoke many things in commendation of Idolatry, pilgrimage, and other like points of popery, and likewise in derogation of the Gospel, & in disallowance of King Henry his divorce from the Lady Katherine the late wife of his elder brother Prince Arthur, threatening as it were by way of prophesying that if he proceeded therein, he should not be king one month after. This knavery being found out both she and her abettors, namely certain Munks, Friars, & Priests, were executed for it. See the book of Martyrs, printed 1583. p. 1054. And other histories thereof. The like is reported in the same book. p. 1291. out of the ninth book of Sleydan his commentaries, of certain friars of Orleans in France, who because the majors wife of the city upon her death bed had desired her husband that she might be buried without the solemnities then commonly used at the funerals of such persons, whereby their noses were wiped of a great part of their accustomed gain, caused a boy in the time of their night service to make a strange noise in one of the vaults of the church where she was buried as if he had been a spirit. This boyish spirit, or spiritual boy thus inspired by the devil and the friars, and conjured like wise after their popish and devilish manner, having signified that he was a dumb spirit by signs also showed that he was the soul of the said majors wife before buried, now condemned in hell, for the heresy of Martin Luther. This frierly prank being found out, the friars by authority of the King were committed to prison where they continued a long time before they were released. Let the reader see this more largely in the book of Martyrs & Sleidan his commentaries. As these and such like means continually applied to shore up popery, do show the rottenness thereof, so our religion continuing and standing right notwithstanding many storms and tempests against it, doth show itself to be sound and upholden by him only whose power none is able to resist. But of this more shallbe spoken afterward upon other occasion. THE THIRD ARGUMENT TOUCHING THE SUB iect matter of true religion. AS these means hitherto spoken of do mightily speak against popery, and teach the very simplest that are, that it is not of God: so also doth the matter & substance of popery speak as much. For it is partly directly contrary unto, and partly far differing from the matter and substance of that religion which God himself hath commended in his Scriptures, and the which no man can deny to be acceptable unto god. This is manifest, first of all, because that religion, which the Scriptures commend, is true knowledge of God, of Christ jesus, of the truth. The Lord saith by the Prophet Ose. I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of god more than offerings. Ose. 6. 6. Oftentimes also the Lord reproveth and complaineth of the ignorance, & want of knowledge in his people, as the cause of all evils both which they committed, & also which came upon them, as jer. 9 3. and in many other places. S. Peter also saith in the name of all the Apostles, We believe and know that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, joh. 6. 69. Our Saviour Christ saith, This is life eternal that they know thee to be the only very God, and him whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ, joh. 17. 3. He like wise promiseth the knowledge of the truth to all his true disciples, joh. 8. 32. The Apostle saith, God will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1. Tim. 2. 4. And again he describeth faith to be the knowledge of the truth according to godliness, Tit. 1. 1. He forbiddeth also the Corinthians, not to be children in understanding, 1. Cor. 14. 20. The Ephesians also not to be unwise, but to understand what the will of the Lord is, Eph. 5. 17. Finally, the Apostle S. Peter biddeth the Christians to whom he wrote, to join virtue with faith, and with virtue knowledge. 2. Pet. 1. 5. By these and many other the like places we see, that the Scriptures commend knowledge, as the first matter of faith and religion. We see also what knowledge they do commend, namely of God, of Christ, of the truth according to godliness, of the will of God, of the Scriptures themselves, and that to all sorts of men. Now what shall we say is the matter of Popery? Truly to speak according to the nature of things, popery hath indeed no matter at all, but is a mere vacuity or emptiness for the most part. For may it be said that popery is knowledge, and that of these things? No certainly: but it is a principle of popery, that ignorance is the mother of devotion. Therefore the whole popish Church generally condemneth all knowledge of God, and of the scriptures in the common people: prohibiting them the use of any part of the scriptures (as we have heard before) and teaching and commanding them only to believe as the Church believeth. This they say is sufficient faith and sufficient religion. And indeed touching devotion to their religion, they speak most truly. For no man will have any devotion unto it, that knowerh ought of God in the scriptures. But to believe as the Church, that is, as their Church believeth, is neither true faith nor the shadow of true faith, but rather of faith in the devils. The most part also of them when they teach this faith, have it not, but can only say that they have it, and that they do believe as the Church believeth. The most (I say) do only say that they do so believe. They do not in deed believe, as the Church believeth. For how can they, sith they know not what the Church believeth? Yet are their bare words taken & allowed for currant, good, lawful faith of Rome. I grant with grief, that many amongst us know not the principles of our religion: yet no man alloweth such ignorance, but every godly man condemneth it, and is grieved for it. But be it that they did in deed believe as their Romish Church believeth, and that they knew as much as the best Doctor and all their Romish Doctors know touching their religion, yet this is not enough. For now to enter into the particular matter of their religion. First the Scripture teacheth us oftentimes, that there is but one God, one Lord, one Mediator between God & man, Christ jesus▪ but popery teacheth that there are many gods, & many mediators. For doth it not communicate the peculiar properties of God, the ubiquity or universal presence, and such like unto the body of Christ? and do they not so make an other god thereof? do they not attribute the doing thereof to several saints for several countries, diseases, and other several affairs, which is only proper to God, whereby they make so many several gods, as their are saints in their Calendar? do they not also ascribe power to forgive sins unto the Pope, and to every shaven priest, which yet God challengeth only to himself, and which also their forefathers acknowledged to be God his own due? Yea do they not in their Decretals, Distinctions, Canons, and such other books allowed by general authority of their Church, in most plain words writ that of him which is a so the only prerogative-royall of God? verily it can not be denied. For proof hereof to the reader, I will set down some of their own words, that no man may challenge me of a slander, neither the pope himself bring any action against me for belying his holiness. These therefore are the words of the gloss upon the distinction. In canon Quanto de translatione episcopi, titulo 7ᵒ. Papa dicitur hasere c●●leste arbitrium, & ideo etiam naturam resum immutat, substantialia unius rei applicando a●ij: Et de nihilo potest aliquid facere, & sententiam quae nulla est aliquam facere, quia in his, quae vult, c●est proratione voluntas. Nec est qui ei dicat, curitafacis? Ipse enim potest supra ius dispensare, & de iniustitia facere justitiam, corrigendo iura & mutando: Nam plenitudinem obtinet potestatis. That is (that I may interpret these words, to let the most ignorant see what blasphemies popery teacheth.) The Pope is said to have Turrian heavenvly power: & therefore he changeth the nature of things by applying the substantial properties of one thing to an other. And he can make something of nothing: and that sentence which was none (or nothing worth) to be somewhat (or of force) because in those things that he will, to him will is for reason. Neither is there any man that may say, why dost thou so? For he can dispense above right, and of that which is injustice make justice, correcting and changing laws, because he hath full authority. Who doth not see by these words that they make the Pope another God? for to change the nature of things, as God turned lot his wife into a pillar of salt, made Baalam his ass to speak, and gave Nabuchadnezzar the heart or qualities of a beast, to make something of nothing, to make justice of injustice, as God is said to ferch light out of darkness, to make his own will sufficient reason, to dispense above right, to correct & change laws, to have full authority to do all these things, is it not proper unto God? An other also of their doctors saith, Excepto peccato, Papapotest quasi omnia facere quae Deus potest. Sin excepted, the pope can do in manner all things thai God can do. johannes also Capistranus (a fit name for one so well worthy of an halter) of the authority of the Pope, and of the Church. p. 93. B. writeth to the same effect, Vbi quaeritur ad quid protenditur authorit as Papae, respondeo breviter, quòd ad omne bonum & nullum malum; est enim quas●. Deus in terris, maior homine, minor Deo, plenitudinem obtinens potestatis. That is, If it be asked, how far the pope his authority extendeth, I answer briefly, that it extendeth to all that is good, to nothing that is evil, for he is as God in the earth, greater than man, and less than God, having full authority. Mark good reader, how they are not ashamed even to attribute these words unto him, whereby the Apostle doth describe Antichrist. 2. Thess. 2. 4. saying that he should sit as God etc. So God will have themselves to acknowlenge the Pope to be Antichrist, though they intent no such thing, but rather to make him God, or at the least pewfellow with God. In their decretals also they writ, that the Pope is neither god nor man, but the Vicar of God, and mixed or compounded of God and man. Oftentimes also they ascribe unto him all power aswell in heaven and hell, as in earth. But for further view of the monstrous blasphemies of the Pope, I refer the reader to the large description of him which is in the book of Martyrs, in the very end of King Henry the 7. his reign, & in the very end also of the first volume, where plentifully are laid down both their words of him, and also the places of their own books quoted, in which any man may find them. By these things it is evident that although they think great scorn to be charged, to teach that there are many Gods, yet in truth by communicating that unto other, which is God his only due, they teach as much. God himself hath said, that he will not give his glory to any other, but they scotch not, they fear not to give it to many other. 3 The like do they touching the Mediator: For they teach that there are many Mediators, yea so many as there are Saints, and a great many more. Yea they teach that the Virgin Marie is not only a Mediator, but also a Mediator above Christ himself. For proof I will note their own words, but yet only in English for brevities sake. Thus therefore they speak to the Virgin Marie as I do faithfully translate their words in a certain horary etc. Rejoice O celestial matron, triumphantly praise God thy Saviour, which hath made thee singular. Thou wast content to be called the handmaid of jesus Christ; but as the divine law teacheth, thou art his Lady; For right and reason requireth that the mother should be above the Son. Therefore ask humbly and command loftilie that he guide us, that are here in the evening or twilight of the world unto the supreme kingdom; And again in the same place. Thou alone art without example, whom god hath chosen to be Mediate our between God and man, the repairer of the world, the end of destruction, the washing away from sins, the way of counsel, the trust of reward, the ladder of hèaven, the gate of paradise. In their common prayers also they call her the mother of grac● the mother of mercy, and they pray her to defend them from their enemies, and to receive them in the hour of death. Again they call her the certai●● hope of them that are in misery, the mother of Orphans, the Saviour of the oppressed, the physic of the sick, all to all. What can be more contrary to the doctrine and matter of religion? for this is not only to make her another Mediator, but also another God: and indeed if she be another Mediator, she must also of necessity be another god: because there can be no Mediator, which is not also god. Neither▪ is this much to be marveled at, for they also pray to god to be heard, not only for the blood of Christ, but also for the blood of the Martyrs. Yea of Thomas Becket, which was no Martyr, but justly put to death for his insolenctreason. Yea they teach that every man must also be his own Saviour, that is, merit his salvation by his own good works, so that whereas the Scripture teacheth us, that a man is only justified and saved by a true and lively faith in Christ jesus, Popery teacheth that a man is justified not by such a faith alone, but also by works partly of himself, and partly of other. 4 So the Scripture teacheth that Christ jesus is a perfect Saviour, which hath redeemed us from all iniquity, and that with once offering up of himself, once I say for all and for ever, but popery teacheth, that he hath only satisfied for sins before Baptism, and that he must daily be offered up, by the hands of some greasy priest. The Scripture teacheth, that there is certainly no condemnation to them that are in Christ jesus, that they that love the brethren are of the truth, and shall before him assure their hearts, that they shall never perish out of the hands of Christ jesus, etc., but popery teacheth that it is presumption for any man to say that he is assured of these things. The Scripture teacheth us that Christ his humanity is in heaven, and shallbe in heaven till his second coming unto judgement, but popery teacheth us that it is even now upon the earth, & that in many places at one and the same time. The Scripture teacheth us, that Christ his body glorified doth so retain the essential qualities of a true body, that it may be discerned to have both flesh & bones by our outward senses. Luk. 24. 39 But popery teacheth that it is so altered and changed, that neither by sight nor by taste nor by touching and feeling it can be discerned to have any more flesh and bone, than a piece of bread, yea then a wafer cake, as thin as a paper. The Scripture forbiddeth all graven or painted Images of any thing whatsoever and wheresoever to be made and worshipped, or any ways religiously to be bowed unto, but popery commandeth the making and worshipping of Images of things in heaven, and in earth, material and spiritual, visible and invisible, known and unknown, living, and without life, even of the material and wooden cross of Christ▪ The Scripture forbiddeth all detraction from, and all addition unto itself, binding this prohibition with a commination of a fearful curse, to any that shall so do: but popery hath not feared to cut of the whole second commandment, and many other things, neither to add whole books to the Cannon of the Scriptures. The Scripture condemneth all prayers of the mouth in any unknown tongue without understanding and affection: but popery teacheth that in prayer, and all other things opus operatum, the work done, howsoever it be done, with affection or without affection, is meritorious: and that all prayers of all persons, and in all places must be in the latin tongue, albeit they that pray understand never a word and may as well be taught to say O Devil which art in hell, as Our father which art in heaven, yea and so they oftentimes pray for aught they know to the contrary. For howsoever the Pope hath canonised Thomas Becket, & (as it is said) Edmund Campian, & other of that traitorous nest for Saints: yet their treasons for which they were justly cut off by the sword of the civil magistrate and their damnable heresies, and horrible blasphemies whereof they showed no repentance, do rather condemn them for devils in hell, then commend them for Saints in heaven. The Scriptures commend the observation of the Lord his day above all other days, condemning also the observation of any other day in like sort perpetually, but popery commandeth more holidays now then were ever commanded by God himself in the time of the law, and that to be kept as strictly as the Lord's day itself. The scripture teacheth, that all things are clean to the clean, but popery maketh such difference of meats, drinks, apparel, etc. and teacheth that at some times all flesh is polluted, that it defileth whosoever eateth thereof, more than swearing, fornication, and such like things, as God himself hath expressly forbidden. The Scripture commandeth to gather up the basest of God his creatures, that nothing be lost: but popery commandeth upon Sh●oue-tuseday, that whatsoever of the best flesh be left, it should be cast unto the dogs, and ●o utterly lost, rather than saved for the good of any man. The Scripture teacheth us only to call upon God in the dare of our trouble, and to pray only to him when we may call, Our Father which art in heaven: but popery teacheth us to pray to the virgin Marie, Saint Peter, Saint john, Saint Swithin, etc. yea to the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. to the neckerchiffe, girdle, etc. of the virgin Marie; as is manifest by some of their old printed prayer books. The Scripture teacheth by sentence, and example of Priests, Levites, Prophets, Apostles, etc. that marriage is honourable in all men, though as holy as Adam was before his fall: but popery teacheth us that at sometimes of the year marriage is unlawful for all men, and at all times for the ministers of the word in regard of their holy function. The Scripture teacheth us that every soul ought to be subject to the higher power, and to honour the King, etc., and that whosoever resisteth such power, resisteth the ordinance of God: but popery teacheth us that the clergy is exempted from all civil power, and may not be called before any such magistrates, neither be punished by any civil laws. To finish this argument drawn from the repugnancy of the matter of popery to the Scriptures and that religion which they commend, I must even say as the Apostle saith, Heb. 11. 23. What shall I say more? the time would be to● short to tell of Gedeon, Baruch, etc. so, I say, must I say, what shall I say more▪ long time would be too short, and much paper too little to set down all the repugnancies and contrarieties of the matter of Popery, and of the matter of that religion, which is commended unto us in the scriptures. Can both therefore be of God, and acceptable unto God, that is, always the same, and in whom there is no change, nor shadow of change? THE FOURTH ARGUMENT touching the form of true religion. THat which hath been said of the matter of popery in respect of the matter of that religion, which is commended in the scriptures may be said of the form. God is a Spirit, and therefore to be worshipped in spirit and truth, joh. 4. 24. But popery prescribeth such a carnal and fleshly form and manner of worship, as if God were all flesh and no spirit. God oftentimes commandeth himself to be worshipped only according to his own word. And truly if Princes may lawfully require obedience and service of their subjects according to their own laws, with much more equity may God the Prince of princes require service according to his own statutes and ordinances. Therefore he doth justly refuse the traditions, precepts, and doctrines of men in his worship, Isa. 29. 13. Math. 15. 3. and in many other places doth he also condemn will worship, and such as is forged only in the forge of man his wit: but popery prescribeth a form of God his worship principally according to the doctrines of men, and least of all according to the doctrine of God himself. Yea to speak according to truth, they have brought such a dark cloud of the precepts of men into the worship of God, that a man can hardly discern whether they worship God according to any of his own precepts. Yea to speak yet more plain, they make so many images, crosses, relics of saints, they make so many prayers to Saints, and offer so many gifts unto them, they have so many pilgrimages in their honour, they repose so much trust and confidence in all these things, they bestow so much cost upon them, they so precisely and superstitiously observe days consecrated unto them, etc. that a man cannot well say that they worship God in any manner at all. As for their foolish distinction digged only out of that coal-pit, from whence they have digged their Images, relics, and invocation of Saints, etc. as none of their learned sort have ever been able to defend it, so not one of five thousand of the vulgar people do know or understand it. How then can they regard it, or tell when they give that unto God, which they give unto saints, and images, etc. or that to these things, which they should by their own doctrine only give unto God. 2 Neither do they only worship these things, but also a piece of bread, which as soon as they have adored, goeth into the mouth, from their mouth into the stomach, from the stomach into the paunch, and from the paunch out again of the body, all men know whither. That this is so (whatsoever the ignorant are persuaded to the contrary) is manifest, because that if a man were driven to that necessity, that he had no other meat to eat then their consecrated host (as they call it,) as sometime David was forced to eat of the showbread, I am sure they could not deny, but that their host so eaten for a week or a month together would nourish the natural man as well as other bread; so as that their should be as good digestion, and egestion of that, as also of other bread or meat: if it be so, can the nature of it be so altered according to their doctrine, and by their enchanting sorceries, as that there should remain nothing but accidents of bread? It is most absurd, it is most ridiculous. For how can mere accidents nourish a material substance, and make a material egestion? If they say that all this is done by the substance of Christ his very body, they speak the more grossly, in making that food for this natural life, and the more blasphemously in saying that that goes into the draft. Again, in such a case I demand also, whether a man forced to live only by such means for a time, or so living voluntarily by getting some way or other all the Hosts to himself in a country, could live by them alone without drink? Certainly by their doctrine, for the administering of the sacrament in one kind only, it should be so. For they say that one kind only is sufficient, because the blood of Christ is always with the body per concomitantiam. So then, by this reason a man that should have nothing but their host for a week or month, or longer time to live upon, should not only have meat, but also drink. For they must as well grant the blood of Christ to be sufficient to quench thirst, as his flesh to satisfy hunger. Yet for all this, let one of them try but so little a time to live in this manner, I mean only feeding upon nothing but upon bread consecrated by some Papist, and I doubt not but that he will be glad to ask his neighbour a cup of some other drink beside that spiritual drink which he hath by concomitance (as they speak) of his food. Yea if some Papist would try this way, to live but a little while, he should quickly find the knavery of transubstantiation, and consequently also the impiety of all popery. 3 Now to return from whence we have made this digression, the Papists do not only worship the cross, relics, and such like things; but such as are no relics of the Saints, & pieces of wood in stead of pieces of the cross whereon Christ was nailed. For if so many Churches should have such large thongs of the very cross of Christ as the Papists say they have, all gathered together would load the best ship in England: then no marvel indeed though Christ were weary of bearing his cross, & what a giant was Simon of Siren whom they compelled to bear such a burden? O, say they, you do not understand the mystery. For the cross of Christ was not so heavy, as all the pieces now laid together would be. How so? because ever as one piece was cut off, the remainder did grow to the former greatness, and was never a whit less than at the first, but notwithstanding all the pieces cut off, it still remaineth whole. Let him that list believe this; my name is Thomas, and I will not believe it, till I see it, therefore I shall never believe it. Touching their worship of relics, he that will have sport, let him read M. Caluin of that matter; I mean his little book of relics: where amongst other relics, he shall find Christ his foreskin cut off when he was circumcised, his shoes, the earth that lay under his feet, when he raised up Lazarus from the dead, the title set over his head at his crucifying, his thorny crown, the dish wherein he did eat the paschal lamb, the napkin about his head when he was buried; yea the very tail of the ass whereon he road, and many such morsels. 4 By these things hitherto spoken, we see how contrary popery is unto the religion commended in the Scriptures, both in matter and also in form. Who therefore that knoweth the constant, immutable, and spiritual nature of God can be persuaded in any reason, that popery should be acceptable unto God? If out of one fountain cannot come both sweet and sour waters, can two religions so contrary come from one and the same God? If God approve that religion which is commended in the Scriptures, than he must needs disallow of that which is contrary thereunto: or if he allow of that religion which is contrary to the Scriptures, than he must also disallow of the religion commended in the Scriptures. If therefore no man dare think that God disalloweth of the religion commended in the scriptures, let no man dare to think that he alloweth popery so contrary thereunto. Now as touching our religion, both matter and form agree with the Scriptures. We commend knowledge, we commend and teach all that the scriptures commend and teach, we say also and prove by most sufficient arguments that the Scriptures are sufficient of themselves, and contain all things pertaining to the worship of God and salvation of men. Therefore also so nigh as we can, we frame the manner of our worship of God according only to the Scriptures. If therefore the matter of the Scriptures, if the form of God his worship, prescribed in the scriptures be acceptable unto God, then also is our religion: but the former cannot be denied, therefore also the latter must be granted. THE FIFTH ARGUMENT touching the end of true religion. THat that we have said of the contrariety and difference betwixt popery in the former things and betwixt that religion which the Scriptures commend, may also be said touching the end of that religion which the scriptures commend, and the end of popery. For the scriptures commend that religion, wherein all things are referred to the glory of God. The Prophet saith, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory, Psal. 115. 1. And again, Help us, O God, of our salvation, for the glory of thy name, deliver us and be merciful unto us for thy name's sake, Psal. 79. 9 Our Saviour beginneth his prayer which he commendeth unto all men, with this petition, Hallowed be thy name, and concludeth it with these words, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. The Apostle commandeth whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1. Cor. 10. 30. All the Apostles say▪ Unto him (that is, unto God) be praise in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all generations for ever. Eph. 3. 20, 21. And again, Unto God even our father be praise for evermore, Amen. Phil. 4. 20. And again, Now unto the King everlasting, immortal, invisible, unto God only wise be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen. 1. Tim. 1. 7. And again, To God only wise our Saviour be glory and majesty. jud. 25. So also the Angels gave glory and honour and thanks to him that sat upon the throne, Rev. 4. 9 All creatures also in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that are in them did john hear to say, Praise, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, which liveth for ever and ever. Revel. 5. 13. Many other the like testimonies of scripture there are in the same book, in the psalms and elsewhere, teaching that all things are to be referred to the glory of God, and that this glory of God should be the principal end of all things, and that nothing should be done but that whereby God might be glorified. Matth. 5. 16. This is likewise manifest by reason: because God hath made all things, ruleth all things, and all things hold of him, and serve under him: therefore it followeth that all things should seek his praise and glory above all things, and refer all things thereunto. 2 Now what doth popery? doth it thus respect God his glory in all things? doth it refer all things thereunto? Nothing less: what with invocation of Saints, and trusting in them, what with making images and worshipping of them, what with giving of the Pope the name of god, the headship of the Church, power to forgive sins, to let out of purgatory, to command the devils in hell, to open heaven gates, and magnifying him accordingly, what with turning of bread into the body of Christ, and adoring the same, what with commending the free will of man, and teaching his ability and strength to keep the commandments of God, what with the doctrine of the blood of Martyrs, of merits, and of works supererogatory, what (I say) with these, and other the like things, they ascribe so much to these things, and so much respect the praise, honour, and glory of these things, that they do nothing almost for the glory of God. Therefore they may say, if they would speak truly and according to their doctrine, and all their practice. Not unto thy name, O Lord, not unto thy name, yea they may add the third time, Not unto thy name give the glory, but unto saints, unto Pope, unto bread, unto Martyrs, unto us. If they will yet say, that all these things make to the glory of God, let them show how & which ways, and what glory God hath by them. Our Saviour Christ, joh. 7. 18. saith thus of and for himself, He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. In these words he proveth himself to be true and free from unrighteousness, because he sought the glory of God that had sent him: and on the contrary, that he that seeketh his own glory speaketh of himself, and is not sent of God. This may be well applied against Pope and popery. For our Saviour speaketh as well generally, as of himself. The Pope therefore seeking his own glory and not the glory of him by whom he saith he is sent, doth manifestly condemn himself to speak of himself, and not to be sent by him of whom he boasteth. Popery likewise seeking the glory of itself, and of other things not of God, doth also bewray itself not to be of God, nor acceptable unto God. 3 As for our religion it ascribeth nothing to Saints or any other thing, neither to ourselves, but all to God. Our doctrine and whole religion abaseth all things, yea ourselves also, and all that is in us, acknowledging that we have no power in ourselves, and of ourselves, to do, speak, or think any thing that is good, confessing also ourselves to be full of all evil naturally, and prone to all sin and wickedness; teaching that what good soever is in us, it is only of God, and that no good thing is ever perfect whilst here we live: further also professing that whatsoever good we do, we merit nothing thereby at God his hands: but that God for all that, if he would deal with us according to our unworthiness, might most justly cast us out of his presence for ever. Thus, I say, doth our religion teach, and thus we freely confess, and with heart and tongue we say, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory. Therefore as this was a good argument for Christ, thereby to approve himself to be sent from God; so also it is as good and firm for justifying and approving of our religion to be of God, because it seeketh the glory of God. Thus much for the end of Popery. THE SIXTH ARGUMENT touching the effects of true religion. IN the next place let us consider of the fruits of popery, and see whether they help us not also with some armour against popery. As therefore Popery teacheth doctrine contrary to the scriptures, so the fruits of popery cannot be agreeable to them. Such as their doctrine is, such must be their fruits: because their doctrine is evil and contrary to scriptures, therefore their fruits can not be good and suitable to the scriptures. Many indeed teach good doctrine, that bear not fruits agreeable, but where the doctrine is evil, there are never any other then evil fruits. To begin with the practice of the commandments of the first table, it is certain that they make no conscience or account at all of them. Their straight observation of the precepts of men in their divine worship, hath justled all care of the commandments of God clean out of the doors. Neither can it be otherwise. For even as when a wife openeth the door of her heart, and gives entrance unto the love of a stranger, this new love iustleth out the old towards her former husband: so is it in the love and worship of God. We have heard before how many other the papists do invocate, worship, offer gifts, obs●●●● days unto, and such like, and therefore also how many they trust in, love, and fear beside the Lord, (for it cannot be that the performance of those outward duties can be without the inward things.) We have also heard touching those duties which they perform unto God, how repugnant they are to his word, which requireth no such things, or at the least in no such manner. Now besides these things, their other fruits do further bewray that they have no regard at all of any thing, that God himself in his first table concerning his worship doth command. For what Papist careth for the public hearing or private reading of the word of God, except it be only to gather some colour of matter, either for the confirming and hardening themselves in their errors, as also the animating themselves the more boldly to transgress the word in other things (as all the wicked do:) or for the railing on our religion? So also, which of them maketh any conscience at all of swearing either falsely, or at the least idly or vainly by the name of God, and by every part of Christ jesus; or profanely also and wickedly by the names of their Saints, mass, and such other their abominable idols? yea, which of them thinketh not him a fool, and suspecteth him not to be of our religion (though otherwise they know him not) that is sparing of such oaths, or that at least showeth any dislike of such oaths in others. 2 Yea and here not to speak only of the breach of the third commandment by particular persons; let us also add something of the violating of the same by the blasphemous prayers of their whole Church. Something hath been noted before of this point, in showing the contrariety of the matter of their religion to the matter of the religion commended in the scriptures, where we have seen how derogatory their prayers to the virgin Marie are unto the Mediation of jesus Christ. Notwithstanding in this place also it shall not be amiss further to show how blasphemous both to God and also to Christ their prayers are to the virgin Marie, to other whom they account as Saints, and finally to the wooden cross of Christ. To the virgin Marie thus they pray: Te laudamus & rogamus matter jesu Christi intendas & defendas nos à morte tristi. Here they pray unto her to be kept from sorrowful death, and so ascribe unto her power of life and death. Again, Threnosa compassio dulcissimae dei matris Perducat nos ad gaudia summi Dei patris. that is, Let the pitiful compassion of God his most sweet mother, bring us to the joys of the most high God the father. These prayers are full of blasphemy, yet behold greater blasphemy than this. For thus also they pray unto her, Virgo singularis inter omnes mitis, nos culpis solutos mites fac & castos, vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum, ut videntes jesum semper collaetemur. Here they pray unto her that they being released from their sins she would make their life pure, and their journey safe, that they seeing jesus might rejoice together. Again, Deal culpas miserorum, terge sordes peccatorum, dona nobis beatorum vitam tuis precibus. In these words they entreat her to blot out the faults of them that are in misery, to wipe out the stains of sinners, and by her prayers to give unto them the life of the blessed. In another prayer they speak more blasphemously, calling her Mairem orphanorum, the mother of orphans: consolationem desolatorum, the consolation of the desolate: viam errantium, the way of them that stray: salutem & spem in se sperantium, the health and hope of such as trust in her: fontem consolationis & indulgentiae, that is, the fountain of mercy, of health and grace, of godliness and joy, of consolation and favour. Are not all these petitions blasphemous to the Deity? It is here also to be observed, that although these and most of their prayers in their service books (from whence I have verbatim, word for word borrowed these fragments) be in latin, yet that all ignorant men may think the more highly of that prayer, and utter the words with more devotion wherein are these last attributes proper only to God, communicated to the virgin Marie, they have prefixed this inscription and commendation in English with red letters over the head of the prayer: To all them that be in the state of grace, that devoutly say this prayer before our blessed Lady of pity, she will show them her blessed visage, and warn them the day and hour of death, and in their last end the Angels of God shall yield their souls to heaven, and he shall obtain five hundred years, and so many Lents of pardon, granted by five holy father's Popes of Rome. In an other prayer next to the former as they pray unto Christ to be defended from the wrath of the Saints and of his holy mother. so also they desire him to give them health of body, and power to live well, etc. by the intercession of his holy mother. So they make Christ a Mediator between them and the Saints and his mother, and yet they pray unto him for the intercession of his mother, etc. In an other not long after the former they call her sororem angelorum, the sister of angels: regi●am patriarcharum, the queen of patriarchs: magistram evangelistarum, the mistress of Evangelists: doctricem apostolorum, the teacher of the Apostles: confortatricem martyrum, the comforter or strengthener of the Martyrs: fontem & plenitudmem confessorum, the fountain and fullness of confessors. And before this prayer is set a red lettered preface promising to every one that shall read it devoutly, not to departed out of this world without penance, and administration of the holy sacraments. In the next prayer also they call her the bottomless pit of all grace and mercy, etc. This prayer likewise hath a red promise prefixed of an hundred days of pardon granted by Pope Goodface, I should sale Pope Boniface. In the next prayer they call her the Queen of heaven, the gate of paradise, the Lady of the world, etc. The head likewise of this prayer is crowned with a promise of eleven thousand years of pardon granted by the munificence of the holy Father Sixtus Quartus Pope, etc. In an other prayer they call her rerum omnium imperatricem, the Empress or commandreesse of all things. Their other blasphemies in their other prayers unto the Virgin are infinite, and almost without number. 3 To such as they account Saints in the same their printed portuus, thus they pray as followeth. To one S. Erkenwald Bishop (as they thought of London) they pray that he would make them with himself partaker of life without end. To S. Armigil, they pray to be released from all grief of sickness. To Sitha a holy virgin (as they call her) they pray for the glory which she had merited, and to be released from all evils in this life. To S. Sebastian, that they may merit to go free and unhurt of the plague. To S. Christopher, to be comforted in mind and released of all grief. To S. George, that being washed from all their filthiness, they might with all joy be with him in all glory. To William the Confessor, to have the spots of their life taken away, and the joys of the heavenly crown given unta them. To Apollonia a virgin, generally against all things hurtful; and particularly to be kept from the toothache. To one King Henry (what king Henry I think themselves know not) that they might not die with sweat and grief, but live and clap their hands in heaven without end, and by him overcome all their enemies. In all these things do we not see how they ask those things of their Saints, which belong only to God to work, and to bestow? And what greater blasphemy can there be then this? I might add a thousand other like blasphemous petitions in their prayers, were not the labour too great both to the reader and also for myself. 4 For the prayers to the cross or the similitude thereof, though I might only refer the reader to the Beehive of the Romish Church in English, book the 4. chap. the third, yet because it may be that every one that readeth this my treatise shall not have the book at hand, therefore I will hear express some of their prayers both in latin and english, which that book hath gathered out of the popish writings. First of all therefore he setteth down this prayer to God himself touching the cross, Oramus te Domine sancte pater, etc. ut digneris benedicere hoc lignum crucis tuoe, ut sit remedium salutare generi humano, sit soliditas fidei, bonorum operum profectus & redemptio animarum: sit solamen & protectio ac tutela contra saeva iaculainimicorum: that is, We beseech thee, O Lord heavenly father, that thou wilt so bless this wood of the cross, that it may be a heathfull help to mankind, a strengthening to faith, a furtherance to good works, and a redemption of souls, that it may be our comfort, our safeguard, our defender against the noisome darts of the enemies. Again, thus they commend the cross and pray unto it: Ista suos fortiores, Semper facit & victores, Morbos sanat & languores, Reprimit daemonia. Dat captivis libertatem, Vitae confert novitatem, Ad antiquam dignitatem Crux reduxit omnia. O crux lignum triumphale, Mundi vera salus vale, Inter ligna nullumtale Frond, flore, germine. Medicina Christiana, Salva sanos, aegros sana. Quod non valet vis humana Fit in tuo nomine. that is, It maketh her soldiers excellent, And crowneth them with victory. Restores the lame and impotent, And healeth every malady. The devils of hell it conquereth, Releaseth from imprisonment, Newness of life it offereth, It hath all at commandment. O cross of wood incomparable, To all the world most wholesome. No wood is half so honourable, In branch, in bud, or blossom. O medicine which Christ did ordain, The sound save every hour, The sick and sore make whole again By virtue of thy power. And that which man's unableness Hath never comprehended. Grant by the name of holiness It may be fully ended. In these words although the English might have been translated somewhat more aptly to have answered the Latin, yet the difference being not great, I thought not good to alter any thing because I would have the reader to see both in the book itself, from whence I borrow these things. Thus also they sing, and provoke all to praise the cross in this manner: Servi crucis, crucem laudent Qui per crucem sibi gaudent Vitae dari munera. Dicant omnes, dicant singult Ave salus totius sacli Arbour salutifera. that is, as it is here translated, The servants of the holy cross, Her praise to heaven let them to see, And they which in the cross rejoice, And of the gifts of life have choice: Let this of all both old and young, In solemn sort be said and sung. O holy cross, which canst prevail, O tree of life, all hail, all hail. And again, Ecce lignum crucis venite adoremus. Behold, here is the wood of the cross, come let us worship. And also, O cruxspes unica, auge pijs justit●am, donareiss veniam. O holy cross our only help, increase righteousness to the godly, and pardon the offences of the wicked. What man that hath any piety or spark of true godliness, will not tremble to see and understand such things so proper to God and his son Christ jesus thus blasphemously ascribed to a tottering and rotten piece of wood? Nay verily I am persuaded that if many that have ignorantly with great devotion said and sung these words, had understood the meaning of them, they would have abhorred both them and all popery for them long ere this time. This shall be sufficient touching their blasphemies, whereby they have most deeply transgressed the third commandment. Concerning the fourth commandment, how can they sanctify the sabbath according thereunto, sith (as we have showed before) they have not only made many other holidays equal unto it, but also advanced and magnified many above it. 5 This shall suffice touching their fruits of the first table. Now because the second table is so joined with the first, that the one cannot be neglected or contemned without neglect and contempt of the other: because the observation of the duties of the second is also sometime called by the name of religion, jam. 1. 17. and because the Papists do most of all boast of their good works in observation of some things belonging to the second table, I will therefore also take a survey, and give the reader a sight of their obedience thereunto, that thereby he may the better judge of their religion. Here in the first place let be considered the intolerable pride of him whom popery and Papists account the Head of their church: let, I say, his pride be considered against men, as before it hath been noted against God. For how can he that lifteth himself above God, or at the least matcheth himself in all things with God, make any account of men? This pride of his against men is so well known to all, that few words thereof will suffice. For how doth he entertain the ambassadors of all Princes sent unto him, or any other that go to see his holiness? what courtesy doth he show them? Forsooth he vouchsafeth nothing unto them, but only the kissing of his filthy foot. Therefore if the Earl of Wylshire his dog at the holding forth of the Pope his foot to be kissed of some there present, had bitten it clean off, as he ran & took it into his mouth, had he not been as worthy thereof as jezabel was to be wholly eaten and devoured of dogs? How also doth his pride appear in riding upon men's shoulders, as thinking the earth too base for his princely foot to tread thereon, and all other creatures almost too vile to bear his divine person? What shall we say also of his triple crown of most pure gold set with all precious stones, not like to the thorny crown that Christ did wear, but far passing all the diadems of all other Princes? yea what further shall we say of his monstrous abusing of the Emperors from time to time, when they were greater than now they are? Hath he not made them with their wives and children to wait many days together at his court gates, as if they had been beggars at some rich man his door, craving an alms of some small piece of silver, or of bread and cheese? Hath he not sent them whither it pleased himself, to do their penance enjoined by him? Hath he not commanded them what service he would, as if they had not only been his pages, but also his lackeys? Hath he not commanded them to hold his stirrup, and rewarded them with a blow on the ear for holding the wrong stirrup? Hath he not troad on their necks? hath he not crowned them with his feet? will any doubt of these things because they are reported by M. Fox in the book of Martyrs? Let him know that M. Fox hath these things out of the books of other, even of their own religion, which have written more largely of these things then M. Fox could do●. So it pleased God to have the memorial of his intolerable pride preserved by his own brood, that the posterity might make the less doubt thereof. Again, what shall I say of the right which he challengeth to himself for advancing and deposing, for setting up and putting down Kings and Princes at his pleasure? what shall I say of those bulls, excommunications, and hellish (but yet foolish) thunder bolts against the Lord his anointed over us, for the cursing of her Majesties own person, and discharging all her subjects of all obedience unto her? what shall I say of the continual debate, contention, strife, and wars which always he hath made betwixt Princes? May this fellow truly say as our Saviour saith, Matth. 11. 29. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart? Nay rather he may truly say, Take heed of me, for I am proud and haughty in heart. May he also say as the Prophet David saith, Psal. 131. Lord, mine eyes are not haughty, neither are mine eyes lofty, & c? Nay rather also he may make a clean contrary hymn to be sung in a contrary tune. Saint Peter whose successor he vaunteth himself, commanded all men to submit themselves to Kings and to honour them, 1. Pet. 2. 13, and 17. But he commandeth all Kings to submit themselves to him, and to honour him. Saint Peter being justly reprehended by Saint Paul, Galat. 2. 14. did patiently take the same reprehension, and after that wrote nevertheless of Saint Paul, 2. Pet. 3. 15. But the Pope to prevent all such reprehensions, and to stop the mouths of all men, that no man may dare to find any fault with him, challengeth this as a special prerogative (as we have heard before) that no man may say unto him, Why dost thou so? 6 That which hath been said of him, may also be said of his Cardinals, Bishops, & other of his train, Like master, like man. They are all of one brood, of the same nature, of the same spirit. Such also as the Pope himself is, such have been many of his whelps here in England. From whom have all treasons come, all insurrections, all rebellions, all conspiracies against her majesties person, & the whole state of the land? Have they not come from jesuits, Seminary priests, and (as they call them) catholic noblemen and gentlemen? It cannot be denied. What also shall we say of the murder of the late French king by a jacobine friar, and of other like practices of the Papists against their Sovereigns in other countries? Can the Protestant be justly charged with any such things against their princes though popish? As for that of the Duke of Suffolk against Queen Marie, as it was before the title of Queen Marie was thoroughly known, so all men know what colour of reason he had to do as he did, by the will and testament of that noble Prince king Edward the sixth. Besides it is also known how soon and willingly he yielded himself. As for the Lady jane how innocent she was in that action, the Chronicles of our land do testify. Touching Sir Thomas Wyatt, he intended no hurt against the person of Queen Marie, but by his oath to the will and testament of king Henry the eight, thinking himself bound to do whatsoever he could for the hindering of all foreign government, he did therefore withstand the coming in of the Spaniard. Concerning the late tumult of Hacket and his two associates, as Hacket himself was justly executed, so the other two were condemned of all men in that behalf: and therefore all men see how far this differeth from the continual practices and heinous treasons of the Papists, allowed and justified in their open writings, as appeareth by Cardinal Allin his book of that matter, and likewise approved & warranted by the Pope himself, the head (as they say) of their Church. 7 To leave this 5. commandment, let us come to the next, wherein the Lord forbiddeth all cruelty, and commandeth all mercy, as likewise he doth in many other places. Do they therefore (I mean the Pope and Papists as they are Papists) behave themselves any better in observation of this commandment, than all the former? No certainly: but such as their pride is, such is their cruelty. As the Scripture oftentimes joineth these two evils together, so also they concur in them. For it may be truly said of them as the Prophet writeth of his time, psal. 73. 6. Pride is as a chain unto them, and cruelty covereth them as a garment. This is manifest by that which hath been before spoken of the persecution of the Protestants in our own land, of the Massacre in France, of the Spanish inquisition, of the dispensations granted by the Pope for the murdering of her Majesty, and of the villainous kill of the French king. For further proof also of the cruelty of the Catholic Prince the king of Spain, in all those places where he reigneth by right or wrong, by inheritance or violence and usurpation, I refer the reader to the late book of the entertainment of English fugitives by the Spaniard. In this book the Spanish cruelty is both largely described, and also exactly penned. Therefore this book being so lately come forth, and handling this matter so well, I do only refer the reader hereunto. Yea the Papists have not only been cruel to the living but also to the dead. For do not all men know that they digged up the bones of Bucer and Paulus Phagius, summoned them being dead long before, to appear in their Court, and condemned them, and at last buried their bones solemnly at Cambridge? Did they not also dig up the body of one Margaret Elyot that had died in prison, did they not (I say) dig up her body, after that it was buried three or four days, and so burned the same? Is such cruelty a note of that religion that is acceptable to him that hath commanded his children to be merciful as himself is merciful? Touching the seventh commandment, not to speak of the filthy adulteries, fornications, incests, and such like abominations of particular persons, even of their Cardinals & Bishops, whereof some have been taken in adultery, the next night after they have much inveighed against the marriage of ministers; others have been taken in gins as they have climbed windows, to defile other men's wives: yea not to speak of the like filthiness of the Pope his own holiness, that hath been taken in the very act of adultery, and slain at that very instant. Not (I say) to speak of these and other the like things, all the world knoweth that their whole Church doth allow Stews, and houses of bawdry, where any man may have his whore according to his ability to give for them, some for twenty shillings, some for ten shillings, some for ten groats, yea for six pence. Any old men that knew the Stews here in our own land at London, and all travelers into other countries, can witness these things. I feat also that many travelers know the truth of these things too much. The Apostles condemn all fornication and wantonness: yea they command the Church not to suffer one such filthy person amongst them, lest by one many be defiled and made to fall from the grace of God, 1. Cor. 5. 4, etc. Hebr. 12. 16. How much less than should the Church suffer whole houses, and great companies of many harlots? Hither also appertain the abominable dispensations that the Pope hath granted for unlawful & incestuous marriages, contrary to the written word of God, yea and to very nature itself: the which also he might as well have granted for the marriage of a man with a beast. Can all these things so contrary to the express Scriptures, be said to be done by that spirit, by inspiration whereof the Scriptures were given? 9 To come to the eight commandment against theft & all injustice against our neighbour in his goods, they offend as much herein as in the former. For by what authority or right doth the Pope himself, his Cardinals, Bishops, Abbots, priors, Monks, Friars, Priests, Canons, Peticanons, and other of his generation, gather such great masses and infinite sums of money of all sorts of people as they do? For what do they either for soul or body worthy any thank? much less worthy so great and ample reward. The King of Spain also the Pope his eldest son, yet not his heir, though his fellow heir of the black and dark kingdom, by what authority or right or colour of either, or of both, hath he by his force and violence gotten all those foreign kingdoms which he hath gotten, and which he holdeth as unjustly as he hath got them? But what need I thus to accuse the persons of the Pope and papists of the transgression of this commandment? their religion itself especially at the wellspring thereof, is altogether covetousness. It is an old saying, that Omnia venalia Romae: and this saying though it be old, yet is it not mouldy or cast away by them, but fresh, and as it were new baked, and therefore as much set by, and as much fed upon by the daintiest mouths amongst them as ever it was: yea many of them that think scorn of much other good and dainty meat, do feed of this as savourly and hungerly as if they had not had a good meals meat an whole year before. But I forget myself to speak of their persons, when I charged their religion of covetousness. I say therefore that covetousness is the food and the very life of popery. For in popery what is not to be bought for money? To omit the common sale of all their preferments, even of the popedom itself, who knoweth not that masses, dirges, trentals, forgiveness of sins, release from Purgatory, and heaven itself, (as popery maketh men believe) may be had for money? Hence it is that the former general proverb, All things are to be sold at Rome, hath brought forth another in words more particular, but in sense and meaning as large and general, No penny, no pater noster: whereby is signified, that in popery the very lest thing is not to be had graiis, that is, freely and without money: and no marvel, for sith they teach, that God himself giveth not heaven freely, and without merits, why should their religion give the commodity it hath without silver? Neither in popery may a man have only pardon for any sin committed, but also a dispensation and licence for the committing and doing of any thing, how wicked and unjust soever it be, as hath been touched before. How contrary is this manner of dealing as well to the practice of holy men in the scriptures, as to the other doctrine of the scriptures? Elisha refused the gift of Naaman, offered and urged upon him, though Naaman had first recovered his health by the means of Elisha. The Pope taketh where nothing is offered, and for which nothing is performed. S. Peter also being offered money by Simon the sorcerer, for power that on whom soever he did lay his hand, he might receive the holy Ghost, answered with great indignation, Thy money perish with thee, etc. Act. 8. 20. The Pope is not only ready to sell greater matters for money, than those gifts of the holy Ghost, or at the least to take money for words only of greater matters; but also is so greedy to sell them, that he will rage's and roar like a lion, if money be not offered unasked, or not presently paid as soon as it is demanded. Can we therefore think that the Pope taketh all such things by the same spirit, whereby Elisha and Peter refused that which they might have had with very good will? Nay, but most fitly may he be compared to the true daughters of the horseleech, which cry, Give, give: as also to the three things that will not be satisfied, and to the fourth, that say not it is enough, etc. Prov. 30. 15, and 16. The great Alms that houses of popish religion do give, are but sleights of the Devil to blear men's eyes withal, that they may not see the miserable covetousness of such houses in other matters, neither their other wickedness, but that they should rather think them to be liberal and good, how covetous and wicked soever they be. Further such alms are falsely called by the name of liberality, because they are without difference of any person, whither needy or not needy, whither able to get their living by labour or not able: and so are they the mothers of idleness, and the grandmothers of many other wickednesses. The thief also that robbeth on the high way, or that breaketh up men's houses by such means getting many rich booties, and that afterward also frankly spendeth that which he hath so lewdly gotten at alehouses and taverns, upon harlots, upon good fellows, or upon some poor persons; may as well brag of his frankness, and boast of his liberality, thereby to justify his theft, as these may object their alms for defence of their covetousness. 10 Touching the ninth commandment, first popery accounteth them for heretics, that hold nothing but the word of God. The Papists also (I mean the learned papists) stick not to bely the dead, as well as the living, boasting all the Fathers to be on their side, that are more against them then for them, making them also to say that which they never spoke, as hath been before showed. Have they not also cast out libels against the most worthy servants of God: Luther, Calvin, Beza, and such like, full of all notorious slanders, for the better disgrace of their doctrine and religion? Yea in such libels they have not spared Nobles and Princes themselves. As for the last commandment, we shall not need to labour the detecting them therein. For how can they have any regard thereof, that flatly deny concupiscence to be any sin? 11 These things and many other do plainly show the fruits of popery to be such, as that they flatly bewray popery not to be of God, if we had no holy Scripture at all to direct our judgements, the light only of nature would descry popery to be nothing agreeable to a divine nature. He also that had seen no further into the invisible things of God than the works only of God, do show them unto him, Rom. 1. 20. He that had beheld no more of the glory of God than the heavens and firmament show forth the same: he that had heard no more than day unto day and night unto night doth utter, Psal. 19 1, and 2. Finally, he that had learned no more of the power and goodness of God than the beasts can teach, than the fowls of the air can tell, than the earth itself can show, and then the fishes of the sea can declare unto him, job 12. 7. and 8. may easily by these fruits judge the tree that beareth them to be an evil tree, and such as the Lord will one day cut up by the roots, and cast into the fire. M. Fox in the book of Acts and Monuments reporteth, that one Rulmar and some other being Papists, seeing the extreme cruelty of other Papists in persecuting the Protestants in the days of Queen Marie, did thereby conceive great dislike of popery, and became likewise from that time lovers and professors of the Gospel. If one fruit of popery were so effectual in them, what shall be said of those that notwithstanding the evident demonstration of all those fruits of popery before mentioned, (more differing from the fruits of that religion which God commandeth in his word, than the sourest crab doth from the daintiest apple) do not yet see the abomination of popery, neither have any better affection to our religion then at the first. 12 If against this that I have written of these fruits, it be objected, that all papists are not such, but that some of them are modest, humble, loyal to their Princes, gentle and merciful, sober and chaste, just and righteous touching the goods of their neighbours, yea remitting some part of their own right, and if they be great persons dealing favourably and kindly with their tenants, and such as belong unto them or hold of them: yea sometimes better than such as have the name of Protestants, that they are also wise and circumspect in their speech of other: I acknowledge that these things are so indeed, and by some experience I speak this to their commendation, and if I should not so speak, I should do them wrong: yet I answer first that such examples are very rare, secondly that some of them of whom I speak by experience are rather suspected Papists, then perfect Papists, because they refuse not to hear the preaching of the word, from the which I trust, that they learn these virtues, whereby I also hope, that a way will be prepared for a better entrance of the Gospel into their hearts, to the expelling of all dregs of popery, if any remain: and lastly though all Papists bring not forth such fruits, that yet some of them, do but conceal them, & force themselves to the show of these virtues to merit heaven by, and that all of them may be such as before by those fruits I have described, for all popery, or any thing taught by popery to the contrary. For if they be such, popery itself will not condemn them, but bear them out as well as it hath borne those out, of whom before we have spoken. 13 But some man will yet further say, if ye judge according to this rule, than likewise may your religion be also condemned. For are here not amongst you, O ye Protestant's (that have the Gospel in your mouths) many blasphemers, many contemners of your own sermons and sacraments, many proud, many cruel persons, many adulterers and fornicatouts, many oppressors and extortioners, many backbiters and slanderers, etc. To this I must needs say, that my heart grieveth, my bowels ache, mine eyes weary, my face blusheth, my countenance changeth, my tongue stuttereth, and my hand trembleth, and I would my whole man were more troubled to speak, and write the answer. For I must confess and do ingeniously acknowledge to God's glory, & our own shame, that we have many such as of whom the objection is made. But as yet, O ye Papists and Romanists, ye also O ye Atheists, and that are of no religion, but deride all, (for I know that this is the common objection of both sorts of adversaries) know ye that this neither excuseth popery, nor condemneth our religion. The reason in one word is this, because although many amongst us are of these sins, expressly condemned in the scriptures, and contrary also to our profession, yet doth not our religion maintain and allow them in their sins: but contrarily it condemneth such hypocrites, and teacheth that their judgement in the latter day shall be greater than the judgement of Papists, and the heathen themselves for the same sins. But as for the like amongst, O ye you Papists, you religion itself, and the head and pillars of your Church do allow, approve, and justify them: yea also commend some of these manifest transgressions of God his laws, as excellent virtues, and such as whereby the transgressors shall merit heaven. THE seventh ARGUMENT touching one necessary effect, or fruit of true religion, which is, true joy and sound comfort of heart. I Might add many other effects and fruits of popery, whereby more plentifully to prove it not to be of God, but because I have written much already, and yet have divers other arguments of as good moment as the former remaining, I will add one fruit more, or at the least one fruit which that religion that is commended in the Scriptures doth always bring forth, but being not to be found upon the whole tree of popery, doth therefore prove the same never to be planted or grafted by the Lord. This fruit is the great joy and sound comfort of conscience that always groweth upon the religion commended in the scriptures. The statutes of the Lord (saith David) are right, and rejoice the heart, Psal. 19 8. They are also sweeter than honey, or the honey comb, v. 10. He saith also that the promise of God had been his comfort in his trouble, and had quickened him, psal. 119. 50. and that he remembered the ancient judgements of God and so was comforted, v. 52. and again, v. 92. that except the law of God had been his delight he should have perished in his affliction. S. Peter also joineth these two religions together, believing in him whom we see not, and rejoicing with joy unspeakable and glorious, 1. Pet. 1. 8. And indeed how can this religion be without such joy and comfort? For it teacheth that the sins of such as do believe according to the scriptures are forgiven, Matth. 9 2. that they are justified and have peace with God, Rom. 5. 1. that they shall never be cast away, Joh. 6. 37. but raised up at the latter day, v. 44. that they are in the hands of Christ, and that no man shall take them out, but that they shall certainly have eternal life, joh. 10. 28. which eternal life is kept for them in heaven, as likewise they are kept for it in earth, not by men or angels, but by the mighty power of God, 1. Pet. 1 4, and 5. that they are translated from death to life, 1. joh. 3. 14. and are of the truth, and do as certainly know themselves to be of the truth, and that therefore they shall before him assure their hearts, as God himself greater than their hearts knoweth all things, v. 19, and 20. that they are borne of God, 1. joh. 4. 7. and therefore are the children of God, and heirs of God, and coheir with Christ, Rom. 8. 17. and that nothing shall separate them from the love of God, v. 38. that they are so built upon a rock, that no storms or tempests shall overthrow them, Math. 7. 25. but stand fast for ever like unto mount Zion, psal. 125. 1. that they may no more doubt that God will forget the work and labour of their love, than they may doubt of the righteousness of God himself, Heb. 6. 10. not in respect of their works, but in respect of his promise, 1. joh. 2. 25. and the price wherewith they are bought by Christ jesus. 1. Cor. 7. 23. and 1. Pet. 1. 9 and of the earnest of their inheritance, even the spirit, Eph. 1. 14. and of the continual intercession of Christ for them at the right hand of God his father. Rom. 8. 34. These and such like things doth the Scripture assure all them of, that by the fruits of a true faith and religion both inward and outward, know that they have true faith and religion. How therefore can they be heavy? yea how can they not rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious? 2 But what joy and comfort can there be in popery? doth not popery deny the first foundation of sound comfort, namely the doctrine of particular election, whereby a man is taught, that God loved him, and predestinated him to eternal salvation before the world was made? doth not popery take away the word of God that giveth wisdom to the simple, sight to the blind, light to them that sit in darkness, and life to them that are dead in their sins? and doth it not therefore leave men foolish and blind, in darkness and in death itself? Can there be any comfort in such an estate? Doth not popery teach that salvation is to be had partly, yea chiefly by our own works and merits? And who knoweth when he hath wrought and merited enough? Doth not popery teach that the efficacy of the sacrament, dependeth upon the intention of the priest? Who knoweth the intention of any man his heart but his own? 1. Cor. 2. 11. who therefore knoweth when he receiveth the sacrament, and when he doth not? Doth not popery teach, that it is presumption for any man to say that he is certain and sure of the favour of God, and his continuance therein, and of his salvation? What sound and certain comfort can there be without assurance of these things? 3 I grant that the Papists rejoice and are merry as other wicked men rejoice and are merry. But such joy is fleshly, superficial and uncertain, the ground thereof being not in God but in themselves, in Saints, in relics of Saints, in the blood of Martyrs, in the pardon and indulgences of the Pope, and such like sandy stuff, and therefore not certain. The joy of the Papists is like the joy of the Israelites at the making and worshipping of the calf. Exod. 32. 6, 17, 18, and 19 The joy of the Papists is the joy of Nabal in his great feast, 1. Sam. 25. 36. The joy of the Papists is like the joy of Belshazzar, when he made the great feast to a thousand of his Princes, and drank wine before the thousand, commanding the holy vessels of the Temple of the Lord to be brought forth unto that feast, and polluting them at his pleasure. Dan. 5. 1. Even such, (I say) and no other is the joy of the Papists before their Calf, that is, before their innumerable idols and graven images, and at their solemn feasts which they dedicate to the honour and worship of them and of their Saints. 4 Contrariwise our religion teacheth all these things which before we heard to be taught in the Scriptures, it teacheth men to apply them to themselves, and by them to assure themselves of God his love and favour, as certainly as if the angel Gabriel were sent to them as he was to the Virgin Marie, even to speak to them particularly, as he spoke to her and said, Luk. 1. 28. Hail, or (according also to the natural signification of the word) rejoice and be merry, as one that is freely beloved; and again whatsoever thy sins be, etc. yet fear not, for thou hast found favour with God, v. 30. as if also another should say as he did to the shepherds, Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people, etc. This comfort and this joy doth our religion teach and commend, and offer, yea also bring unto all them that truly embrace the same. Yea certainly they that by the powerful working of our religion in their hearts, and in their outward conversation, do know themselves not to be hypocrites, but truly to have embraced our religion and the doctrine thereof, they (I say) may better cast away all fear, and more certainly assure themselves of God his favour, and therefore also more truly rejoice then all the Papists in the world, or any one of them, remaining in his popery may or might, not only if one angel, but if all the angels in heaven should come and speak unto them in like manner. This is a great word, but it is a true word: how so? verily because one greater than all the angels doth speak it, and biddeth all such not to fear, but to rejoice. God himself generally thus speaketh in all the Scriptures, to all such generally: and the holy Ghost his effectual working of true faith and true godliness in every particular person, that is, truly of our religion speaketh also the same thing. Therefore the greater and more credible that the master is then the servant, and so also God himself, than the angels, which are but the work of his hands, and therefore his servants, and ministering spirits: the more certain also may every one be assured of God his favour, to whom God and his spirit by their effectual working do testify the same, then if the angels of heaven should speak as much to one in whom were not the effects of the spirit. Further also the reason of that comfortable speech of the angels to Marie and the shepherds being well observed, doth confirm that which I have said of the applying of the same comfort to all those that are truly of our religion. For why will the angel have the virgin Marie not to fear? because she was freely beloved, and had found favour with God: but how doth the angel prove this? because (saith he) thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bear a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. If therefore to conceive in her womb and bear this son only, were a sufficient argument to persuade her to cast away fear, to rejoice, and assure herself that she had found favour with God, how much more may he cast away fear, rejoice, and assure himself of God his favour, whose soul and whole man hath embraced whole Christ, & is likewise embraced of Christ, and is made one with Christ, even flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, and which knoweth this by the death of sin, and the life of righteousness in him, through the death and resurrection of Christ? If she were so blessed whose womb should bear Christ according to the flesh, and whose paps should give him suck, how much more blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it? Luc. 11. 28. 5 The like may be said of the argument of the angel to the shepherds, for be not afraid, saith the angel: but why? I bring you trdings of great joy, that shall be to all people. What are these tidings, and what is this great joy? Unto you is borne this day in the city of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord, etc. Now if this were such joy to hear only of the birth of Christ jesus, how much greater is it to hear of the birth of the whole life, of the death, of the resurrection, of the ascension, and of the sitting of Christ jesus at the right hand of God, there making intercession for all his members? yea not only to hear, but also to be assured of these things by the effects of them in our consciences. Neither doth our religion only bid men thus to rejoice for a time, and at a start, but we say also with the Apostle, Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice, Phil. 4. 4. But upon what ground doth our religion bid men thus to rejoice? because it assureth them not only of the present favour of God, but also of the continuance thereof for ever to them that are once truly incorporated into Christ jesus. For whom God loveth, he loveth to the end, joh. 13. 1. and, the gifts of God are without repentance, Rom. 11. 29. and, in God is no change nor shadow of change, jam. 1. 17. Neither is he as man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it? Num. 23. 19 And again, Heaven and earth shall pass, but the word of the Lord shall not pass, till all things be done. Luk. chap. 21. vers. 33. 6 Upon these and many other the like grounds, we bid them that truly have embraced our religion to rejoice always, and do assure them upon the immutable nature of God, and of his word, that they shall never be cast out of his favour: yea that it is as possible for the power of hell to take away from Christ one of the members of his material body now glorified and reigning in heaven, as to pluck away or cut off any member of his mystical and spiritual body here in earth. Therefore of all such & every such we say, that God speaketh as Isaac spoke of jaacob, after that he had one blessed him, I have blessed him, therefore he shall be blessed, Gen. 27. 33. As Pilate also saith of the title and superscription, which he had set upon the head of jesus Christ crucified, when the high Priests laboured him to alter the same, What I have written, that I have written, joh. 19 22. So say we of all them, whose names God hath once written and registered in the book of life; that (the decree of God, being like the decree of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not, Dan. 6. 8.) though all the devils in hell should labour God for the rasing of any out of the book of life, whose names are written therein, yea if it were possible, that all the blessed angels should endeavour and entreat any such thing, that God would always keep his purpose, and answer them, Him that I have written, I have written. This is the joy and comfort of God his children, and this joy and comfort is in our religion, and never to be found in popery or to be attained unto thereby. 7 If any object that many sometime of our religion do utterly fall away, and sometime also despair for ever of the goodness and favour of God, I answer with S. john, They went our from, us, but they were not of us, 1. joh. 2. 19 They professed our religion, but they never truly embraced the same, neither did ever truly feel the power of godliness in their souls; yea though it may be that they had some joy in our religion, yet it was but the joy of the stony ground, wherein the seed of the word hath no sound rooting, Math. 13. 20. and like unto the joy of Herod at the preaching of john Baptist, Mark. 6. 20. Yea but some perhaps will object further, that many of the best of our religion are often in great heaviness of mind, and do much doubt of God his favour, etc. yea that most part of their life they continue in this pensiveness. To this I answer, that although this fruit of joy and sound comfort do always grow upon the tree of our religion, yet sometime the twigs of our old crabstock into which this religion is grafted, do grow out so far through our evil husbandry, and not pruning them in time, that the leaves thereof being very thick, according to the nature of the crab, do so shadow this fruit, that even he that is grafted with the imps and sciences of our religion, can hardly find this fruit without narrow search and diligent turning over, and removing the leaves as it were one by one with his hand. As also we read that although Christ were in the presence of the two disciples that were going to Emaus and talked with them, and yet was not discerned by them, because their eyes were holden, that they could not know him, Luk. 24. 16. as also that Marie Magdalene saw jesus and talked with him, but yet knew him not, joh. 20. 14. So also the children of God that by a true and lively faith are partakers of Christ, do not yet see Christ, nor the great comfort which they have by Christ, because their eyes are holden, that is, their sight is dimmed by the sight of sin partly, and partly also by the sleights of Satan, that they can neither see nor feel that matter of joy and comfort which they have and carry daily about within their breasts. 8 Finally touching this comfort, it is with the children of God, and such as are truly of our religion, as it is with many simple men in the world touching their earthly possessions and inheritances. For although they have never so good right unto them, and never so good assurance of them, even as good as possibly they can have, and as all the lawyers by all the law in the world can make them, yet for all that, they oftentimes meet with some pettifogger and cozening mate, that telleth them their title is nought and not worth a straw, & so forth. Now by such words the simple man is half persuaded, and beginneth something to doubt, yea sometime almost to fear: and thus he continueth till he meet with his learned counsel, that do again declare unto him and assure him of the contrary: so, isaiah, is it with the children of God, and such as are truly seasoned with our religion. By Christ jesus they have as good right to the kingdom of heaven as is possible, and their estate is so good as that all the enemies they have either carnal or spiritual, cannot possibly defeat them thereof; notwithstanding such is their simplicity in heavenly things (as oftentimes it is greater in earthly things) that their enemy and the enemy of God meeting with them, and reasoning the case, either by his outward instruments, or by those secret friends which he hath in a man his own heart, doth at the last by his subtlety make them to doubt, and filleth them with fear, till they meet again with their old counsellor the spirit of God (who sometime keepeth himself close, and for a time will not (as it were) be spoken withal, to try what his clients will or can do without him) but when they meet and confer with him, by the time that he hath a little repeated their assurance, and declared their right from point to point by his several effects in their hearts, and how also Christ jesus purchased salvation for them, and bestowed it upon them, and therefore also gave him unto them as an earnest penny thereof, to seal and confirm the whole gift; then do they cast away their former fear, and recover their ancient comfort. So is it from time to time with them, whilst Satan talketh with them, and the spirit of God hideth himself, they doubt: but when the spirit of God talketh with them, by his lively and sensible operation in their hearts, then are they of good cheer and comfort; yet even whilst they fear, they have no cause of fear, but their right is always one and the same: only sometime by their simplicity they see not their right. This shall suffice to have spoken both of the abundance of all heavenly comfort in our religion, and also of the want thereof in popery. Wherefore I do again conclude, both that our religion is most pleasant and acceptable unto the God of all comfort, and also that popery is altogether abominable in his sight. THE EIGHT ARGUMENT touching the wisdom of true religion, an infallible note and sign thereof. I May here also not unfitly, nor out of place add the foolishness of popery. For what can be more foolish or ridiculous, than the worship of such relics as they do both worship, and also take great pains and travail many miles, & defray great charges for the worship of them: especially most foolish, absurd, and gross is it to worship such as before have been named, as the very ●ayle of the ass whereon Christ road, & such like. I ask here no pardon as speaking grossly, the holiness of the thing must take away the homeliness of the word. But I marvel they could get n● better and sweeter morsel than the tail: it may be they came too late to market, and so all the better pieces being taken up before by dogs, kites, ravens, and such other customers as do use to resort to such markets, this only was left, and so it was bought for the Pope his own tooth; but he of his mere holy conscience would not eat meat of so great a price, and of his great liberality bestowed it upon the church for ever. If they make so much account of the tail, they would much more have honoured the head, if they had come time enough to the market: what then would they have done with the whole body, if they could have gotten it? and if they make such reckoning of a piece of a dead ass, I suppose that if they had the living ass, and could keep him alive (and yet what a fool am I to make a question of their power in such a thing, when as every man knoweth that their Pope and every Priest of his begetting, can make God himself, and we heard also before that the Pope himself can make something of nothing?) I suppose, I say, that if they had the living ass (now I make no doubt of their keeping him alive, yet for all that why do they not make▪ him alive again?) they would gather a counsel for determining what new honour should be done unto him. 2 The like may be said of their admonitions, citations, and excommunications, against them that have been dead and buried a long time: as against Bucer, Paulus Phagius, Tooly, john Glover, and many other, whom being dead, they have condemned, digged up again out of the earth, at least their bones, or the bones of some other for theirs, and burned them. Is it not a toy for men to excommunicate them out of the visible Church, that God hath called out of the world? And are not these two special ends of excommunication, one to keep the Church from infection by the company of such as deserve excommunication; the other to draw the persons excommunicated to repentance? when death hath first taken them away, what fear is there of the first? what hope or possibility of the second? 3 As they do thus abuse excommunication, so much more foolishly do they abuse and blasphemously profane the holy sacrament of baptism, in applying the same to churches, bells, and such like. Christ biddeth nations to be baptised, not churches or bells: Christ biddeth his disciples teach and baptise; therefore also they may as well teach the gospel to churches and bells, as baptise them. Neither have churches and bells any sins to be forgiven, or whereof they can repent: therefore churches and bells need not the sacrament of these things, especially no other part of God his righteousness belonging unto them, the which they camperforme. The same may be said of ringing the bell in any great tempest, as though that could make fair weather. As foolishly also did they, and do they make boys and little children Bishops and Cardinals. Many and infinite other the like follies there are in popery, worthy to be laughed at by little children, more worthy to be derided by Eliiah and the Prophets of God: and altogether unworthy of the wisdom of the most wise God. Certainly I marvel why plays, interludes, and comedies, were in such request in the time of popery, sith in their golden legend they might daily read or hear, and in their exercises of their religion they did daily see such pleasant things, as would make better sport than all the plays in the world. 4 Well, to conclude this argument seriously, drawn from their follies. When David counterfeited himself a fool, and behaved himself as a fool, by letting his spittle fall upon his beard, and scrabbling upon the walls before Achish King of Gath, 1. Sam. 21. 13. how doth this King (in whom as there was no fear of God, so there could be no good wisdom) like thereof? the scripture answereth that he did sharply rebuke his servants for bringing such a person in his court, and that he said unto them: Lo, ye see this man is beside himself: wherefore have ye brought him to me? have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall he come to mine house? In like sort, yea and much more will the God of all wisdom, rebuke those that shall plead for popery, or present Papists unto his court. He shall say to any that shall commend Papists unto his Majesty in this sort: Lo, ye see these men are beside themselves, wherefore do ye bring them to me? have I need of mad or foolish men, that ye have brought them to play the mad men or fools in my presence? shall they come into my house? Thus will the Lord rebuke and check such as shall speak for the justifying of Papists unto him. Great men of this world take much and too much delight in fools, and laugh at their follies (though they should make better use of them:) but the only wise God is delighted only with true wisdom, and such as are truly wise. Therefore all the follies of the Papists, and the foolish Papists themselves, so long as they continue such, are abomination unto him. As for our religion, as it is no other than the Scripture commendeth, so it hath nothing but that which well beseemeth the wisdom of God, and therefore it cannot but be acceptable unto him. THE NINTH ARGUMENT touching the opposition and enmity of true religion to the nature of man. THe same that hitherto hath bi● concluded of popery is further evident, because popery is so agreeable and wellpleasing the nature of man. This reason is very firm and good, because that in our flesh naturally dwelleth no good, Rom. 7. 18. and, the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and, the wisdom of the flesh is death and enmity against God, neither subject to the law, neither can be: and, they that are of the flesh cannot please God, Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8. and, the natural man doth not somuch as perceive the things of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can be know them, 1. Cor. 2. 14. and, no man can so much as say (that is, in any good and true meaning) that jesus is the Lord, but by the ●●oly Ghost, 1. Cor. 12. 13. For to confess that jesus is Christ the son of the living God, is not revealed to flesh and blood, but by the Father in heaven, Math. 16. 17. 2 Yea, but how is it proved, that popery is agreeable unto and well▪ pleasing the natural man? surely because it requireth nothing but that which the natural man may well perform, and doth perform without any special grace of God, and without any new work of regeneration, as both been sufficiently showed by other in larger treatises specially spent in that theme. And who seethe it not to be so? For doth not popery teach (as we have heard before) that ignorance is the mother of devotion? and doth it not from hence follow that men neither need, nor aught to take pains in the study of the word of God? doth not the natural man well like of this? Doth not popery bid men only to believe as the Church believeth? can any thing be more easy? and doth not ease please the natural man? doth not popery extol and magnify the mere natural disposition of man, both denying it to be so thoroughly corrupt as we teach, and commending it to be willing and able to conceive, and to practise much good of itself? Is not this a pleasant song for the ears of a natural man? and is not his heart tickled with such commendation? Again popery offereth forgiveness of sins, release from hell, the whole kingdom of heaven, etc. to sale for money. What natural man will higgle to give any money for purchase of such things? What shall I say more? Popery biddeth men not to take to much pains about their hearts, neither to be at all careful for resisting the first thoughts and motions unto evil, for that these by popish doctrine are no sins: it teacheth that God looketh not so much to the inward man, but regardeth the work wrought, howsoever it be done, and that he in justice cannot deny a good reward to such merits. Can the natural man dislike of all this? Further, what natural man is not ready, & apt to worship images, to invocate Saints, to swear, to profane the Lord his day, or at least to observe any holiday appointed only by man more exactly, to be proud, to resist magistrates, etc. what natural man, I say, is not willing enough to these and the like? 3 Yea but it is objected, that our religion teacheth faith only to justify without works, and that therefore our religion is a doctrine of ease and liberty, and so consequently more pleasing the natural man then popery, which requireth many numbers of prayers, no● to God only, but also to Saints, many great journeys in pilgrimages, many offerings to the church, many alms, many good works, many merits, etc. I answer, first acknowledging that we teach indeed that faith only justifieth even without any works whatsoever: yet is this faith more hard to the natural man then all before mentioned, to be taught and required by popery. For this saith that we teach, must have knowledge of God, & of him whom he hath sent, as also of the holy Ghost, and that as they are revealed in the word, and likewise of the promises of God in his word particularly taught: it must also apply these things particularly to every man his particular self. Secondly, though we say that good works are not necessary as causes of justification, yet we do utge true good works (not such as the Papists commend) more straightly than they do, & teach them to be more necessary, as effects & fruits of justification, and such as without which there is no salvation. For we say that he that hath not eternal life begun in him hear, that is, in whom the old man is not crucified, and sin mortified, in whom the new man is not restored, and the life of godliness wrought, that man shall never have eternal life in the world to come, neither shall ever enter into the kingdom of heaven. This the Apostle saith, and this we say, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither corruption inherit incorruptio. 1. Cor. 15. 50. 4 As for all other things required by popery, the natural man can well brook and bear so long as the inward may be dispensed withal; yea what is there so costly, though it come to the plucking off the earrings, and giving the ordinary jewels and ornaments that men use to wear, though it be the offering thousands of bullocks and rams, or ten thousand rivers of oil, what is so precious though it be the first fruits of a man his own body? what is so laborious & painful, though it be the cutting of himself with knives & lancres as the priests of Baal did, or the whipping of himself till the blood follow, or the pining of himself by long fasting, or at least by living only of bread & water, and by lying in woollen & upon bare boards, or taking no rest many years together, but only standing as many old Monks mentioned by Socrates and Sozomen were wont to do, & some foolish papists yet do: what, I say of all these is such, that a natural man will not willingly undergo, so it be repugnant to God's word & devised only by man? Again, what though popery require all these things? what also though nothing thereof be performed whilst a man liveth here? shall he therefore to hell? No, say the Papists, there is remedy for that. When he dieth, and needeth no more to use his goods himself, let him but give liberally to the poor, especially to the Church, and to priests for singing and saying of masses, dirges, trentals, and other such pleasant songs for his soul, and then all shall be well enough. He shall not go to hell, but only to purgatoriekitchin, and there either to be a rafter, or a little to turn the spit, and then after a few years he shall be removed from thence, and preferred even to God his own parlour in heaven. In the mean time who seethe not that the hope of this maketh any man, especially of wealth and ability, to give liberally, if all the days of his life he may live in all licentious manner? 5 But as for our religion it is far otherwise therewith. For by abasing the whole man and all that is in him, and teaching those things which before have been spoken of, and shall not need now to be repeated, it is altogether unpleasant and unsavoury to the natural man, even as smoke unto the eyes, and vinegar to the teeth: yet to God, yea therefore to God it is sweet & pleasant. Certainly in this respect there is such difference betwixt our religion and popery, that if both were offered unto the natural man, he would make much sooner choice of popery then of ours. And this indeed is the cause why of long tim, e and of most parts in the world, popery hath been so generally received; & why there have been more Papists then Protestants, namely because our religion is altogether repugnant to nature, and popery altogether agreeable thereunto. Further let every man examine his own heart, how it standeth naturally affected, and he shall find himself rather inclined to popery, wherein he may for a money matter, have both pardon of any sin already committed, and also a dispensation to commit what he will, though it be incest with his own sister, then to our religion which condemneth all such pardons and dispensations. Sith therefore this is now so evident, that popery is so suitable to our corrupt nature, and that our religion is altogether so harsh thereunto, why may I not again conclude as before I have done, both against popery and also in behalf of our religion? THE TENTH ARGUMENT: the first part, touching the great decay of God's gifts in these times of Popery. MY last argument touching the main conclusion, both against popery and also for our religion, shall be from the testimonies of God himself in this matter. By the testimonies of God, I mean not here the testimonies of his written word, but real and actual testimonies (if I may so speak) that is, such things as whereby indeed God himself hath justified our, and condemned the Romish religion unto the eyes of men, as by his written word he hath done the same unto their ears. Neither let any man be offended, that I call such things by the name of God his testimonies, for so the like arguments are called in the scripture itself. joh. 5. 36. our Saviour Christ calleth the works that he did, the witnesses or testimonies of his Father in his behalf: I have (saith he) greater witness than the witness of john: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me. In like manner speaketh the Apostle, Hebr. 2. 4. where he saith that God did bear witness unto his gospel, both with signs and wonders, and diverse miracles, & gifts of the Highost, according to his own wil 2 These actual testimonies of God, whereof I purpose now to speak, are especially two. The first are the gifts of the spirit, which God hath promised to these last times of the world, for the commendation of the gospel: the second, are his other works, whereby likewise he doth bear witness thereunto. Touching the first, let us first of all consider of God his promise for those gifts; secondly of the performance of that promise. The promises are either made in the old testament by the Prophets, or in the new by Christ himself. The promises of the old testament are many. First of all, the Prophet David psal. 68 18. insinuateth a promise of the gifts of the spirit in these words: Thou art (saith he) gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men: where the Prophet, by receiving gifts for men, meaneth the gifts wherewith Christ as the Mediator was furnished without measure, to bestow upon the Church after that he should vanquish his enemies, & triumphing over them should ascend into heaven, there to sit at the right hand of God in all glory and authority. This interpretation is manifest, both by the words immediately following, Praised be the Lord, the God of our salvation, which loadeth us daily with benefits; and also by the application thereof, Eph. 4. 8. where although the Apostle do name only the callings of the Church, yet doth it not therefore follow that the place in the psalm is of such gifts only to be understood, because that every general may be applied not only to some, but also to all particulars comprehended in the general. The second promise is, Isa. 44. 3. where the Lord speaking of the latter times of the church, saith thus, I will pour water upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy buds, etc. And lest any should think, that this promise was only made to the jews or Israelites according to the flesh, he addeth in the 5. v. One shall say I am the Lords, another shallbe called by the name of jacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and name himself by the came of Israel: which words do testify, that the promise before made was as well to the Gentiles as to the jews, because the jews were already of the house of Israel & called by his name. The promise of the same gifts of the spirit is likewise signified, by leading or driving of them to the springs of waters, Esa. 49. 10. He reneweth also the same promise, joel 2. 28. Afterward (saith the Lord in that place) will I pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy: your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the maidens in those days will I pour my spirit: so the same Prophet chap. 3. 18. expresseth the same promise in other words saying, In that date shall the mountains drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of juda shall run with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shithim. By all these words he meaneth nothing else but the plentiful gifts of God his spirit, calling them by the name of wine, milk, and waters, both because of the variety of them, and also because of their divers effects, according to the divers necessities of the divers members of the Church. And lest this promise also should be restrained only to the jews, he addeth in the 21. v. this effect of the spirit, that he would cleanse their blood whom he had not yet cleansed, meaning by those whom he had not cleansed, the Gentiles, that till the coming of Christ were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and being without God in the world, Eph. 2. 12. Finally the Prophet Zacharie, chap. 14. etc. hath this promise, In that day shall the waters of life go out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the East, and half of them towards the utmost sea, and shall be both in summer and winter. These and such like are the promises in the old testament, which to belong to the new testament, and to be made for the credit and commendation of the gospel, appears by the application of the promise in Joel made by Saint Peter. Act. 2. 16. And although that Prophet speak of seeing visions, dreaming dreams, and prophesying, etc. yet by these are not only to be understood the same, but because these served then the good of the church, therefore by them the Prophet meaneth all such gifts as should make for the good of the church, under the gospel the which is manifest, because Saint Peter apply this prophecy to the gift of tongues, bestowed upon the church at the feast of Pentecost. 3 Touching the New Testament first our Saviour alluding unto, and indeed plainly meaning these promises of the old Testament before mentioned, saith thus, joh. 7. 38. He that believeth in me (as saith the Scripture) out of his bellue shall flow rivers of water of life. Where the Evangelist himself interpreteth our Saviour to speak of the spirit, which they that believe should afterward receive. The like promise is made so often as he speaketh of the Comforter, joh. 14. 26. and 15. 26. 16. 7. and elsewhere. So also after his resurrection, Act. 1. 5. john indeed baptised with water, but ye shallbe baptized with the holy Ghost within these few dates. All these promises do teach and assure the Church that the gospel should not come forth in the latter days poor and desolate, but rich and accompanied with an honourable train of all necessary gifts and graces of God his spirit: and that the more the gospel should flourish, the more plentiful also should these gifts and graces flow in the Church. Thus much for the promises of the gifts of the spirit. 4 Touching the performance thereof, it is certain that it was especially accomplished in the time of the Apostles: and fit it was it should be so, because the gospel was then first to be communicated unto the Gentiles, who before that had never heard any such doctrine: and because also, as the Lord did then give extraordinary callings of the Apostles, Evangelists, and Prophets, so it was also mere that they should have gifts suitable to their callings. Notwithstanding it is not to be doubted, but that the promise should remain, and doth yet remain in force, even unto the end of the world, as touching the general substance thereof; and that therefore although those times are now past, and those reasons now ceased, when and why the Lord gave such gifts of his spirit, in such extraordinary measure and manner, yet he will never leave his gospel without such a train of the graces of the graces of his spirit as shall be somewhat answerable to the flourishing thereof, and meet likewise to commend the same the better unto the world. 5 Sith this is so, I demand whether this promise were performed to the church of Rome, holding the same doctrine that now it hath held for the space of seven or eight hundred years, and enjoying that outward glory and magnificence, the which also these years it hath enjoyed? Certainly to this my demand, it cannot be affirmatively answered with any truth. For all men know (or may know) the contrary: yea the Papists themselves, if they be not past all shame and grace will acknowledge the contrasie. For when the Pope began to set his foot upon the stairs, and to ascend towards that dignity whereunto he is now mounted, then began the holy Ghost also, as it were, to take the wings of an Eagle or dove, and to fly away, and return again towards the heavens, from whence before he came. Ever since that time also, as the Pope hath climbed the ladder of his magnificences, so the spirit of God hath mounted more and more towards heaven, and hath gone further and further out of the sight of men. The more that the Pope and popetie have grown and flourished, the more have all the gifts and graces of God his spirit decayed and withered. At the last when the Pope was revealed to be the man of sin, the son of perdition, etc. and the very Antichrist, that is, when he was come to the top and perfection of his pride, than also did the holy Ghost in a manner take his leave and bid all the world almost farewell, at the least touching his visible presence. When all Kings and Princes had received and drunken the cup of his fornications, whereby being intoxicated and deprived of all true knowledge of God and common sense, they abjected themselves unto him and put their necks under his girdle, yea abased themselves in most slavish manner to hold his stiroop, and kiss his filthy feet: when also they had received his mark in their foreheads, that is, themselves had embraced his damnable doctrines, and stooped unto his abominable idols, and commanded also their people to do the like: when, I say, the Pope and popery were thus advanced, and had justled both the true religion of God and also all authority of Princes out of the throne, and most proudly did sit in it themselves, as it were booted and spurred: when (I say again) the Pope with all his abominations did thus sit in the chair of estate, both of Princes and also of God himself, then what true knowledge was there, I will not say of God, but even of arts, of tongues, and almost of any good humanity? 6 For trial of these things, if any think I slander them, let the rolls and Chronicles of those times be searched: let the books of those ages be perused, let their matter, their phrase and style be examined. Was not the knowledge of the Greek so rare, that it was a common proverb, Graecum est, legi non potest: It is Greek, it cannot be read? And could the Hebrew tongue be more plentiful? No verily, but much rarer. What also shall I say of the Latin tongue? was the knowledge of that in those times any better? very little. Every boy indeed learned their primer, and to say his prayers, and to help the Priest to say Mass in latin, yet could he not tell whether he prayed to God or the devil: whether he asked bread or a stone, fish or a scorpion, yea not one Priest of an hundredth did understand the Matins, that he continually said, or the masses that he daily sung; Rome was wont to be the mother of this tongue, and the University and house of the eloquent orators, but having once entertained the deep mystery of transubstantiation of bread into the body of Christ, all the former eloquence of this place was also transubstantiated into barbarism. This tongue indeed was the common tongue of their religion at Rome and elsewhere, yet when their religion was at the full, then also was the knowledge of this tongue in the wane, yea in the very last quarter half spent. For it would make any man of knowledge to laugh, to read or hear the words, phrase, & style of those books that were then written. In their prayers indeed, (in which is least need of eloquence) especially in their prayers to the Saints, and chief to the virgin Marie, by two or three figures they affected a kind of eloquence to please the ears of men, and to make the prayers go the more roundly, that ●o men might take the more delight in saying or singing of them: but in most of their other writings there is nothing but plain dunstable latin, yea nothing for the most part but barbarism. 7 If any man yet desire further proof of this ignorance, wherewith I charge the chief times of Popery, let them read what M. Lambert reporteth touching the same in his perambulation of Kent, writing of the place called Cliff; what (I say) he reporteth in that place of that matter out of William Malmesburie, de rebus gestis pontificum Anglorum: namely, that Curbert the eleventh Archbishop of Canterbury, in a great Synod of all or most of the Bishops of his Province, assembled by himself to the foresaid Cliff (then called Cloveshoo,) did there decree that the Priests themselves should first learn, and then teach their parishioners the Lord his prayer, and the articles of his belief in the English tongue. In the same place also he noteth, that king Alfred in his preface upon the pastoral of Gregory which he translated, saith that when he came first to his kingdom, he knew not one priest of the south side of Humber that understood his service in latin, or that could translate an epistle into English. Further, he addeth that Alfric in his poem to the grammar, saith that a little before the time of Dunstan the Archbishop, there was never an English priest that could either indite or understand a latin epistle: and lastly that William Malmesburie himself saith, that at the time of the Conquest almost all the Bishops of England were unlearned. 8 This is not to be understood of the knowledge of the latin tongue only, but also of the very matter itself, and that not only of books of diumitie, but also of books of philosophy and humanity. Their absurd and gross definitions, their infinite, intricate, foolish, and unlearned distinctions, (wherein notwithstanding consisteth all their learning and deepness, as they of Thyatira said, Revel. 2. 24) will not only weary and tire any young scholar, but also make a learned man sick at the very heart. Every man that is any thing acquainted with Peter Lombard, Gratian, Scotus, Durandus, Thomas Aquinas, Occam, Gerson, Haymo, and such like Divines of those times, can testify that which I say of the books of Divinity. For proof notwithstanding thereof, I refer the reader to that which that reverend father and worthy man Master jewel answereth to a vain boast of Master Harding, touching the learning of their side. First he biddeth him remember that their provincial constitutions do begin with these words: Ignorantia socerdotum. Then he addeth as followeth, It were no great mastery to charge the chief doctors of your side with some want of learning. Ludovicus Vives saith, quidque his supertoribus seculis min●s tritum fuit studentium manibus, it a purius ad nos pervenit. For the space of certain hundred years, the less any books came into student's hands, the purer and better they came to us: meaning thereby, that every thing was the worse for your learned handling. Of Thomas, Scotus, Hugo, and others of whom you seem to make so great account, your own friend Catharinus saith, Scholastics multa inerudite comminiscuntur. These schoole-doctours imagine matters unlearnedly. Erasmus saith, Portenta quae nunc passino legimus in commentarijs recentium interpretum, tam impudentia & insulta sunt; ut videantur suibus ea scripsisse non hominibus. The monstrous follies that we commonly read in the commentaries of late interpreters (whereby he meaneth the very crop and the worthiest of all your scholastical doctors) are so far without shame and so peevish, as if they had been written for swine and not for men. One of your doctors saith, Apostolus dicitur ab apos quod est argumentum vel praeeminentia, & stolon quod est missio, quasi praeeminenter missus. Another saith, Apocrisarij dicuntur nuntij Domini pap●: Name crisis dicitur secretum, & apos dicitur nuntius. Another saith, Cathedra est nomen Graecum, & componitur à Cathos, quod est ●ides & edra quod est sponda. Another saith, Eleemosyna dicitur ab eleis quod est misereri, & mors quod est aequ●. More followeth to the same purpose in jewel his defence of the apology 5. part, 12. chap. 2. division. where the learned reader may see the quotation of those writers out of whom he borroweth these things. By these things we sufficiently see the profaned divinity of the chief times of popery. 9 Touching philosophy, the works of Petrus de Bruxellis, johannes de monte, de ponte, Dorbella, Duns, Toletus, Titleman, and many such like, do evidently confirm that which I have said. Yea such is the rudeness of these books, that many young scholars in Cambridge and Oxenford, for want of good direction too much addicting themselves to the reading of them, can never afterward attain unto any true eloquence or knowledge of the Latin tongue, neither yet to sound philosophy. So also may it be said of such Divines as take too much delight in reading the works of those before mentioned. Many distinctions in these books seem witty, and have show of some depth in those things whereof they entreat, but if they be thoroughly with judgement examined, and (as it were) sifted or rather bolted, they will be found but mere trifles, more curious and troublesome, then sound and profitable: so far also from illustrating and making lightsome the things whereto they are applied, that rather they obscure and darken them. Sometime perhaps a man may hit upon, or by the way meet with something somewhat worthy the observation, but it is so rare that more time will be lost whilst a man find it out, than the benefit of the thing will countervail when he meeteth with it. 10 As those books before spoken of do witness the learning or rather ignorance of those times when they were written, so many men also now living can testify as much of the later times of popery, both touching all the learned tongues, and also touching divinity, and philosophy. Notwithstanding I charge not all of those times, and of that religion with such ignorance, but only the most: some there were more learned, but very few. The greatest part of those that were brought up in learning, and which professed learning, were as ignorant and unlearned as I have said. And how could it be otherwise, so long as they taught that principle before spoken of, that ignorance is the mother of devotion? And albeit they meant the ignorance of God and divinity, yet thereupon followeth that the knowledge of other things is also unnecessary. For all other knowledge is especially to be referred to divinity, as to the chief and principal end thereof. This being taken away, what need in a manner is there of other knowledge? And indeed they desired that men should have had no good learning at all (as it is among the Turks) that so they might never discern the wickedness of their religion. For they knew and feared, that the true knowledge of tongues, and arts, and humanity, would quickly have detected all the wickednesses and abominations of their religion. Therefore also when they could no longer keep under the knowledge of these tongues and arts, but did see men to grow and flourish therein in despite of them, they made a solemn and common law amongst them, that the vulgar corrupt translation in latin of the Bible should only be authentical, and that also no man should in any wise appeal from thence to the Hebrew or Greek text. By this canon they provided, that although men grew to skill and knowledge of those tongues, yet this skill and knowledge should little help them to any further learning of the holy Scriptures, then before they might have attained unto by the latin tongue. Yea so also they cunningly endeavoured to stop the course of such knowledge. For who could have any great heart to those studies, whereby he should have no help in divinity, the Queen of all studies? Again, touching that learning that was in the chief time or popery, for the most part it was greatest in them that inclined to our religion, and that did not a little dislike of many gross points of popery, and of many foul corruptions amongst the other Papists. 11 Now to conclude this part of the argument touching the general ignorance that was in the pride of popery, how will it stand with the rich and ample promises of God, before mentioned, for the pouring out of water upon the ground, and his spirit upon all flesh? If popery were the religion that came from God, would God have so peeled it and poulled it of all the gifts and graces of his holy spirit so often promised? If it had been the same religion which the Apostles taught after the ascension of Christ, and the primitive Church received from them, would not the Lord have commended it with his spirit as he then did? If the Church of Rome were the only daughter of God, and spouse of Christ (as she boasteth herself) would the Lord have left her so naked of all ornaments? chief and principally beseeming her estate, and most answerable to her royal descent? will any earthly Prince send forth his only daughter, or let his wife go abroad, without such princely ornaments as her princely estate requireth, and whereby she may be known and reverenced with the reverence of a Prince? much less therefore may we dream, that the Lord God of heaven, the Prince of all princes, would so rawly send forth his only daughter, or Christ jesus his only son and heir suffer his only spouse (whom he loveth as himself) so poor and naked, as the Church of Rome was in her highest prosperity. 12 I grant that the Pope and his Cardinals had their rich ornaments and costly apparel, of silver, gold, precious stones, etc. that also the rest of that generation even to the very hedge priest, had a gay coat to wear in their holy business, that likewise all their Churches had great riches: I grant that in all these things the Pope and popery did far excel Saint Peter with all the rest of the Apostles, and likewise all the churches of their time, but these are not the spiritual ornaments that the spiritual nature of the daughter of God and spouse of Christ requireth. The Church of God is indeed described, psal. 45. 9 etc. as a Queen standing at the right hand of her husband Christ jesus, in a vesture of gold of Ophir, and as having apparel of broidered gold, and likewise that she hath raiment of needlework, but the Prophet describeth here the Church only after the manner of an earthly Queen, meaning notwithstanding by these things all manner of spiritual and heavenly ornaments, and therefore even in the same place, and the beginning of the 13. verse, she is said to be all glorious within. It is therefore certain that the chief ornaments of the Church, are inward and spiritual: the which wanting, whatsoever outward ornaments and riches she hath, yet she may be called wretched, miserable, poor, blind, & naked, as Christ jesus calleth the church of the Laodiceans. Rev. 3. 17. 13 Now then, forasmuch as the Church of Rome wanted those spiritual ornaments which the Lord hath promised, and doth always bestow upon his daughter, I conclude therefore that she is not the daughter of God, neither the spouse of Christ. If it be said that the true church hath not always the like gifts, I freely acknowledge it; yet this is certain, that the more the Church flourisheth, the richer she is in the gifts of God his spirit. But contrariwise the more the Church of Rome flourished, the poorer she was in the graces of God his spirit. And here by the flourishing of the Church, I mean not only an outward flourishing in earthly things: for so I grant that as the graces of God are many times choked in particular members of the Church by outward prosperity, so it may be also in the whole body of the visible church: but by the flourishing of the church, I mean her flourishing in sound doctrine, and her enjoying of such authority as of right belongeth unto her. Now in this sense, when the doctrine which the church of Rome accounteth only sound doctrine, and the contrary whereof she accounteth heresy; when, I say, this Romish doctrine most flourished with least gain saying of any thereunto, when also that authority which the church of Rome challengeth to herself, as her right was in such regard, that neither Princes nor people made any resistance, them were those gifts of the holy Ghost promised to the true Church, in the latter times most rare and scarce; when it was summer with the church of Rome touching all her prerogatives which she challengeth, than it was the dead of winter touching those graces of God his spirit; so that scarce any leaves of them did hang upon any tree. Thus we see that those promises were not performed to the church of Rome in that estate wherein now it standeth, and whereof it vaunteth. THE SECOND BRANCH OF the tenth argument, touching the reviving of God's gifts at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darkness of Popery. MAy the like be said of our Churches in England, Scotland, etc. since the religion now established brake forth of that darkness wherein before it lay? No verily. All the world seethe what knowledge of arts, of tongues, of philosophy and all humanity hath been, yet is, and doth daily increase. Now many children sixteen or seventeen years old are better Grecians, and more learned Hebritians, than were the great doctors in the height of popery. Now I may truly say that Cambridge alone, or Oxenford alone (if not some one College in either of both) hath more skilful Grecians and learned Hebritians than all Christendom had, whilst popery sat upon the th●one. The like may be said of the true knowledge of the Latin. Philosophy also and all arts since our religion have been revived, have been much polished, and far more perfected than they were before. 2 Let it not here be said, that there are some Papists now every way in these things as learned as the Protestants. For first of all the question is not whether Papists or Protestants be now more learned in the tongues or liberal sciences, but when this learning, having been along time as it were banished out of the world, returned again. This present learning therefore of the Papists, neither much helpeth them, neither a whit weakeneth this mine argument, except they could prove, that when their religion was at the highest, then also they had been as learned as now they are. Secondly, although that many of them have indeed now attained unto much knowledge of arts and tongues, yet this knowledge begun first to be revived amongst us. Afterward they seeing us by those gifts tha● God had bestowed upon us, for commending of our religion to the world, to be so able to maintain our doctrine, and so mighty to oppugn theirs, they (I say) seeing this, were provoked and whetted to take the more pains in study, that they might the better defend their errors against us, which now they saw to be falling to the earth from whence they sprung. Many also of the learned amongst them attained unto their learning even against us and by us, being brought up in our schools, and afterward better nourished and more strengthened in our Universities. But as unnatural children do sometime forsake their natural parents, and run they cannot tell whether; so have they forsaken our Universities: and as many roagish boys being entertained by some master, and under him having learned some good trade, do oftentimes when they have been a while there, forsake such masters, and go to any other that will give them but a little more wages yearly, unthankfully forgetting all that their former masters did for them, when no man else would regard or pity them: even so many Papists having gotten their learning amongst us, and in our Universities, yet seeing afterward they can not have such outward preferrements as they looked for (which is a thing that they especially ●●yme at) have unnaturally forsaken us, and associated themselves with the Papists, who wan●ing such studs to uphold their rotten and tottering religion, have been glad to entertain them with great promises, but many times not performing them, but rather bringing them, or sending them at the least to the gallows. Such oftentimes is the judgement of God upon them, ●hat too much respect outward preferrements, and so doth God in his justice harden many of them that will not believe his truth, whilst they live where and when they may have it, that he giveth them over to believe lies so strongly that they care not what danger they incur against themselves, both soul and body, for defence and furthering of those lies which they have embraced. 2. Thess. 2. 11, 12. 3 Well, to return from where we have digressed, we see by this that I have now spoken, that in these respects thus mentioned, the Church of Rome may thank us for that learning which now they have, and for many of those learned men which are now in great and ●igh estimation amongst them. Further it is no new thing that those gifts of God's spirit, which God at the first giveth to bear witness unto 〈◊〉 truth, should be afterward communicated bo●● to such as do not greatly favour Christ and his gospel, and also to such as are wicked and reprobate. In the time of Christ himself the power of casting out devils first given to the twel●● Apostles Math. 10. 1. for the commendation 〈◊〉 their ministery, was afterward communicated to other that would not join with the Apostles nor follow Christ. Our Saviour also saith that many that should plead for themselves the casting of devils out of other, should notwithstanding be rejected by him as refuse persons Math. 7. 22. And thus hath the Lord dealt in these latter times. As at the first preaching of the gospel by the Apostles after the ascension of Christ, he bestowed upon them the gift of tongues for the better magnifying of the gospel, and furnished them likewise with other extraordinary gifts; which gifts notwithstanding afterward were also communicated unto many other, yea to many of the wicked: so in these latter times also at the first breaking forth of his truth (which we profess) through the black, the thick, and dark clouds of popery, that ● long time had overshadowed and drouped the whole earth, the Lord according to his ancient promises gave gifts unto men, in respect of the former great want of them, very extraordinaries these gifts (I say) he gave at the first breaking forth of our religion through popery, to the first preachers of our religion, for the commending thereof unto the world, and so increased them afterward more and more in those that embraced our religion: but after that by such gifts he had sufficiently renewed and recovered the credit of his truth which we do now hold, and likewise by beautifying our religion with the first fruits of these gifts, had sufficiently disgraced popery, than he communicated these gifts unto other even unto the Papists themselves. 4 And truly in very great wisdom hath God done so, that he might teach men to esteem of his truth, not for those gifts only but also for the truth's sake itself. So also he would have the Papists themselves, yea and all the world to see, that all the learning in the world is not able to uphold popery, and that our religion is as well able to stand against, and to beat down popery into the pit of hell, from whence it came, as well when popery hath the same armour on that our religion hath, as when it was naked and had almost none at all. Therefore to conclude this part also of this my last argument, touching the performance of those promises of God to the Church, that were never in such manner performed to the Church of Rome. As the more the dark clouds of popery covered the whole earth, and the more violently also the boisterous winds thereof did blow upon the earth, making the very cedars of Lebanon both to bend and to break, the more dead were all the gifts of the spirit, as we see all things to be in the depth of winter: so like wise since our religion hath come about towards the summer point, and by the strength and power thereof hath scattered and dispersed these clouds, and pacified those boisterous winds of popery in many kingdoms, the more have those gifts of God his spirit before promised, budded and flourished even as we see after an hard winter, the more the sun cometh about toward Cancer, the more all trees and herbs before sear and dead, do revive and spring out. I conclude therefore, that as by the springing and flourishing of herbs and other plants, we know summer to be come; so also by these gifts of God his spirit which have sprung and flourished, even sithence that our religion hath been revived & again quickened: we know the same gospel to be again returned about, the which in former times God according to the righteousness of his promise, did beautify and commend with the like graces. 5 Will any Papist now object the times of Tertullian, Gregory Nazianzen, Cyprian, Chrysostome, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Barnard, and such like? let him first remember, that most of them were before the time whereof we spoke. They were (I say) before any stone almost laid of the foundation of the church of Rome in that state wherein now it is: all of them also lived before that Church was built to that perfection whereunto it was reared, until the repairing of our religion. Again these ancient: Fathers so many of them as did see the building of this church begun, or any matter prepared ●owards the same, laboured by might & main (as we speak) and to the utmost of their power, ●he hindering and staying thereof: therefore have they plainly written against images, justification by works, invocation of Saints, free-will, and many other the like principles of popery, as is plentifully showed by our late writers in particular controversies. Especially both they and also many other, yea some of the Papists themselves, and of the learnedst of them have mightly declaimed, and sharply invaied against all ●uch proud and arrogant titles, as now the Pope claimeth and usurpeth. Further although these ●ere excellent persons for learning and godliness, and worthy of honourable remembrance ●● all ages, yet lived they not altogether. Nay ●●ther one age had almost but one such, or at the ●ast but very few such, as these were that I ●●ue named: but our ages and the ages before ●s, ever since the return of our religion, have 〈◊〉 all times and in every kingdom had many ●●ch. Yea I doubt not to sale, and that truly, that although it be not yet two hundred years since ●u● religion came out into the open field, and ●ncountered with popery in such public ●anner as now it doth, yet there have been in ●is little time as many great learned men as captains of the Lord on our side, as can be grooved to have been with us or against us, in ●welue hundred years before. 6 Further I doubt not but that I may say, and that also truly, that we have had and yet have many in good respects comparable to those before named, as in the exact knowledge of all learned tongues, arts, and humanity, so also in sound and deep judgement of divinity. uz. Luther, Zuinglius, Melancton, Oecolampadius, Erasmus, Paulus Phagius, Bucer, P. Martyr, Calvin, Marlorat, Musculus, Cranmer, Ridly, Hooper, Bradford, Bullinger, Bez●, Zanchius, Iu●l, Ramus, Vrsinus, Sadeel, Daneus, Pilkington, Fulke, Humphrey, Whitaker, and infinite other, partly dead, and partly yet living, whose name●● I do not well remember, or in some respects think not convenient to express. I may here also name Flaccius, Illyricus, Hemingius, and many other of that sort: because although they have some errors, yet which almost of the ancient Fathers had not as many and ●● great? 7 To this argument I may further add, that the Lord hath not only commended our religion by the increase of all learning according to the increase of our religion, but also by the repairing almost of all other knowledge in common things and matters of this life. For what trade and science is there so mean and base, which is not much amended and brought to further perfection since the late time of out religion, than it had before in the depth of poperit? yea who knoweth not that there is great variety of knowledge since the flourishing of our religion, which never almost was heard of before? Especially most admirable is the gift of printing, which never was in the world till within these hundred and three score years at the most, about which time it pleased God to broach new vessels of his gospel with our religion. This gift of printing is not unfitly by some compared to the extraordinary gift of tongues in the Apostles time; because the Lord did not only prepare a way for the gospel thereby, but also hath made it as a mighty voice of a crier in the wilderness of popery, to proclaim the grace of God in Christ jesus, and to further and enlarge our religion, by opening the hearts of many Princes and more people, many noble and more base, many rich and more poor, and many learned and more unlearned persons, for the entertainment of Christ jesus, and submitting themselves to his kingdom and government. Certainly by this new benefit of printing the Gospel hath been more sounded out to the ears of all nations, than it could have been by the voice of many preachers. For by the means hereof we that live in England, have easily heard the sermons and readings of Calvin and Beza in Geneva, and of other in other places: and they likewise that live in Geneva and in other places, have easily heard the readings of Doctor whitaker's in Cambridge, and likewise of Doctor Reynolds in Oxenford. This printing also is not only as a quick post riding upon a swift and speedy horse, but also as an angel of the Lord with six wings, for the most speedy conveying of the doctrine of the gospel out of one country into an other. Who also knoweth not, that a man may have more now for six pence, then before printing, he could have had written for forty shillings? who seethe not also that books printed, are more easily both read and also preserved, than the like only written? Now although the devil abuse this gift of God also for the furthering of popery, (as what gifts be there that he quickly doth not abuse?) yet sith it was never heard of whilst popery was at the highest, but then only appeared and came forth into the light of the sun, when our religion was raised out of the grave where before it lay buried, and when popery began to fall sick, and to incline unto a consumption, who seethe not that it was a special and an extraordinary gift of God for the honouring and furthering of our religion? Thus much for the first sort of God his actual testimonies, namely for the gifts of his spirit which before he promised, and according to his promise hath bestowed upon his Church, not only in the time of the Apostles, but also in these latter times for the commendation of the gospels then, and of our religion now, as being the same with the gospel, and therefore in like manner acceptable unto him. THE THIRD BRANCH OF the tenth argument, touching the works of God against Popery. NOw followeth the second sort of God his actual testimonies, namely the works of God, whereby God hath testified both his dislike of popery, and also the approbation of our religion seueral●y and jointly, as evidently as if in express words, and in his own person, he should have spoken against popery in this manner: This is the religion that I hate, and which my soul ab●orreth: and contrarily of our religion as he spoke of his Son: This is the Gospel and that glad ●●dings which bringeth salvation unto all men, and in which I am well pleased, therefore receive it. 2 Here first of all let us consider the great judgements of God against many of the Papists, especially such as have been special adversaries to our religion and to the professors thereof. For truly there have been few such special adversaries to us and our religion, whom God hath not in some special manner so punished here in this life, or at least so prosecuted that their malice in their posterity, that all the world might thereby clearly see, that he utterly disliked of them and of their course, as also approved and allowed of them & their cause, against whom they opposed and set themselves. Touching these judgements, although I might ease myself and the reader of much labour, by referring him only to the latter end of the book of Martyrs, where is a special treatise of such things; yet because that book is of so great price that many are not able to buy it, I will therefore cull out some few of the principal examples there and elsewhere in that book mentioned, and for the rest refer such as have that book to that special treatise. First of all let here be remembered the history of one Pavier or Pa●●ie, in the days of King Henry the eight: this Pavier or Pavia being town clerk of the city of London, and a notable enemy to the gospel, upon some report that the gospel should be in English, said with a great ●ath, that if he thought the King would in deed set forth the Scripture in English, and let it be read to the common people by his authority, he would cut his own throat. And so indeed he did not much less. For though he cut not his throat with a knife, yet he hanged himself with an halter, anno Dom. 1533. This is reported by Master Fox, page 1055. of his book printed 1583. but borrowed from Hall his Chronicle, who wrote the same not upon the report of other, but upon his own knowledge, who both heard him swear that he would cut his own throat, and also knew how he broke promise by hanging himself. In the same year also, that is 1533 one Doctor Foxford chancellor to the Bishop of London, and a cruel persecutor and butcher of God his Saints under Bishop Stokesly, died suddenly and fearfully 〈◊〉 in his chair, his belly breaking and his guts falling out before his own eyes. 3 Next to these let be considered that of William Gardiner an English merchant, most cruelly martyred at Lishbone in Portugal, for snarching the host with one hand, and beating the chalice with the other out of both the hands of a Cardinoll, before the King and all his nobles, the Lords day after a solemn marriage of the said King his son with the daughter of the King of Spain, anno Dom. 1552. and in the reign of King Edward the sixth of most blessed memory. Let, I say, be here also remembered the judgement of God following the execution of that most holy martyr by the portugals at Lishbone for the cause before mentioned. For how did they, by whose authority he was so executed, escape? The same night he was burned, one of the sparks of the fire where with he was burned, by God his providence being conveyed amongst the King his ships lying in the haven, fired one of them and burned it● within half a year after the young Prince then married, died: and the King himself also within another half year after that, and so within one year both the king and his son died. 4 An other example we have of one Alexander the keeper of Newgate, not much unlike to Alexander the coppersmith, of whom the Apostle complaineth; this Alexander dealt most cruelly with those that were committed to his custody in new gate for the gospel. But what became of him he died most miserably being both swollen more like a monster than a man, & so eaten also within, that no man could abide the smell of him. Yea further, the Lord his wrath was kindled also against his son: for he being left very rich, was given over to such a riotous mind, that he wasted all within three years: and being sometime asked how he could spend so much in so little time, he would answer, that evil gotten must be as evil spent. Shortly after also as he walked in newgate market, he fell down suddenly, and so died fearfully. 5 Another example there is also registered of a Sheriff of Suffolk his man, that attending upon his master at the martyrdom of one james Abbes at S. edmond's Bury, and hearing the fald james Abbes exhort the people to stand in the gospel which he would in their presence seal with his blood, bad the people not believe him, because he was a mad man & spoke he knew not what. But mark good reader: This railing and raving Papist, as soon as fire was put to james Abbes, was immediately before all the people stricken with madness, so that he cried out as much in commendation of james Abbes, as before he railed on him: condemning also himself, and saying, james Abbes is a good servant of God and saved, but I am damned. This note he sung until his dying day, railing also on the priest that his master sent for to housle him a little before his end; yea not only railing on the priest, but also on papists and poperic, charging them to be the cause of his damnation. Another example we have of God his judgement upon Fisher Bishop of Rochester, and Sir Thomas More knight: these had been persecutors of the Protestants, especially they had procured the death of john Frith, Bayfield, and Baynham. Therefore the Lord cried also quit with them, for themselves also were publicly executed at Tower hill. 6 Worthy also of remembrance is that which M. Fox likewise writeth of one Vanderwarfe of Antwerp, who as he was of great place and authority in that city, so also was he of great malice against the Protestants, most cruelly persecuting all, and drowning many men and women to his great praise among other of that cruel generation. For this also he was called a bloodhound, or bloody dog. But God in whose eyes the death of all his Saints is always right precious, forgot not his cruelty: for this Vanderwarfe having gotten great riches, and therefore left Antwerp, living in the country at his case, at a certain time came in a wagon with his wife, and some other to make merry at Antwerp, where having recreated himself, he returned again toward the country. As soon as he was out of the city, being to go over a wooden bridge, built (as should seem) but for a shift and for a time, having bars and rails on both sides, the horse in the wagon stood still, and would not go forward by any means of the wagoner. Vanderwarfe his blood being up, and provoked against the wagoner, bade him drive forward in a thousand devils names. Immediately upon this there arose suddenly a mighty whirl wind (all being calm before) which tossed the wagon with this gentleman & other passengers over the bridge, and so they fell into the water. The rest being saved, and taken up alive for the present, (though his wife died within three days after) himself only was drowned, as he had drowned many before. What also shall I say of the miserable & desperate death of Steven Gardiner the great bloodsucker of this land? for at his death another Bishop coming unto him, & (as it seemeth) finding him in a desperate mind; put him in remembrance of Peter his denying Christ. But he savouring no comfort therein, answered that he had denied Christ with Peter, but never repent with Peter. 7 What also shall I say of Henry the second of that name King of France? had he not committed certain great persons to prison for religion, and threatened one of them to see him burnt with his own eyes? yet behold the work of God herein. Shortly after he had not eyes to see it: for the very same day that the King was in the greatest rage against the foresaid prisoners, and had examined the Precedents & counsellors of the Parliament against them, after dinner addressing himself to run at the tilt, and indeed performing that act very honourably with the breaking of many staves, to his great commendation by all the beholders. He not satisfied with that which he had done, but tickled with the former commendation, and desirous of more according to the nature of ambition (which thinketh no praise sufficient) urged the County of Mountgommer to run an other course with him. This County had before received the former prisoners from the Constable of France upon the King's commandment, and carried them to prison. Notwithstanding now when the King urged him to run an other course; he kneeled down and crave pardon, as thinking the king to have done enough for one day; but the King prevailing more by commanding, than the other could do by entreating, at the last this County addressed himself to this last course, which indeed was the last course of that day and for ever to the king: for the staves being broken, and the King his vizard suddenly falling off (so doth the Lord work to bring his judgements to paste) one of the shivers pierced his head unto the brains, and suddenly so festered that no surgeons could cure the same. Thus the King lost one of those eyes, where with he threatened to have seen the burning of those people, & died also of that hurt. 8 Neither may we here well omit the death of Charles the ninth of that name King of France, in whose time & by whose means that bloody massacre, before mentioned was done in Paris, and in many other cities of France. For as the King had delighted himself in the blood of his Saints, so himself also in his youth at the age of 25. years died of a most grievous bleeding. Many other the like examples are recorded by M. Fox, both of our own country and also of other nations, of some that were stricken with madness, of some that did hang or drown themselves, and of other that died in despair most fearfully, and that in such manner as that all the world might see the just judgement of God against them, both for their religion and also their malicious persecuting of such as were of our religion. 9 To these will I add an other example not yet written by any, but yet as true as any of the former, (whereof not with standing some are known to all the world) and also no less worthy the writing then the former. At great Wenham in Suffolk, in the days of King Henry the eight, there dwelled one M. Cardinal, whose wife having heard one M. Worth a godly man & good preacher, preach at Hadley about some three miles from thence, at her return home entreated her husband one day to request M. Worth to come and preach with them. Master Cardinal though at the first fearing some danger of law, yet at the last yielded, and indeed proceeded and procured M. Worth to come thither. The parson of the said Wenham being popish, withstood M. Worth being come, saying that no such should preach there; M. Cardinal entreated but the parson denied, being like ●o the dog in the manger that will neither eat ●aie himself, nor suffer the horse at the rack to eat any. So, I say, this parson (as some also do ●n these days) neither would nor could do good himself, neither would suffer any other ●o do any. At length M. Cardinal seeing the parson so wilful and obstinate, said that M. Worth should preach do the parson what he could to the contrary, and come what danger would come. In fine they went all to Church, and many other upon knowledge of M. Worth his preaching were assembled. Now when M. Worth should begin his sermon, the parson according to his froward word for the disturbing of him, went toward the high altar to say, masle. What followed? a most worthy example of God his justice. For presently before all the people assembled, the Lord smote this popish parson for dead for the time, drawing his mouth up to his ear, and so made him past saying of mass. Notwithstanding being carried out of the church for avoiding further trouble of the congregation, he was within little time recovered of his life, yet never recovered his wits and senses, but living long after, continued a fool all the days of his life, and turned the spit, 〈◊〉 was employed upon some other service in the said M. Cardinal his house ever after. I have heard this of many very credible persons, who had often heard it from M. Worth, long time after (even in this Queen's days) vicar of Dedham in Essex, and of many other that were present at that sermon, and were eye witnesses of the judgement. Some also are yet living about Wenham aforesaid that knew it. 10 I might add many other examples of God his judgements against like persons for like cause: but these shall be sufficient. For by these who seethe not (that hath any eyes at all to see) in what account popery is with the Lord? Let all men therefore by these examples take heed that they deceive not themselves. Let not them blindfold their own eyes that they may not see the things thus manifest. Let them not disgrace the reports of M. Fox, sith many things written by him are also written by other before him, from whom he borrowed that which he did write. Some things of his are famous, and known to all men. I am not ignorant that M. Fox in writing some things upon the report of others might sometime err. And although his slip in such things be taken great hold of by the Papists, who there by take occasion to disgrace all the truth he hath written, to cover their own cruelty, to conceal God his judgements, & to harden themselves in popery, and the more easily to draw other to be of this mind; yet let the wise and true Christian consider, that it was by the devils great policy, to move some (no doubt) in colour of sincerity, and pretending a mind of helping M. Fox in that worthy work, to inform him with some untruths, that by his writing of them upon such information, all the rest of his writing might be in disgrace, as being in like manner untrue. This no doubt, was the subtlety of the old serpent, and of his viperous litter, so to disgrace that noble work, and so to obscure those evident examples of God's disalowance of their religion, as though he had written no truth, when the most of the things by him chronicled, are as clear as the sun is in the midst of the brightest summer day. But albeit some be given over in the just judgement of God, to believe truths to be lies, because they have embraced lies for truths; yet I hope that such as belong unto the Lord, though perhaps by such devices they have been abused, will now make better use of these examples that I have set down, and the like. Thus much for those works of God against popery and Papists, whereby he hath (as it were) immediately testified his dislike of both. THE FOURTH BRANCH OF the tenth argument, touching the works of God for our religion. Now although by the former works, God hath also testified his approbation of our religion; yet let us now further consider and mark diligently, what he hath directly done for our religion & the professors thereof. Truly such have been the great and mighty works of God for our religion, that as the Prophet saith, God is known in judah, his name is great in Israel. psal. 76. And again, The Lord loveth the gates of Zion above all the habitation of jacob, glorious things are spoken of the citi of God. psal. 87. 2, 3. So also it may be said of many particular persons that have boldly professed, and stoutly maintained our religion, and chief of those cities, countries, and kingdoms where it hath been in like manner maintained, defended, and established. To begin with Luther, when it pleased God first to open his eyes to see both the abominations of popery, and also the truth of the gospel, and likewise to deliver him from the miserable darkness and bondage of the one, and to translate him to the glorious light and liberty of the other, yea to give him an heart, courage, and tongue, boldly (as the Lord's herald) to condemn, and disclaim the former, and to preach and proclaim the other; how many, how divers, how great, and how mighty adversaries had he? How few also, how simple, and how weak were those that took his part? yet how mightily and how miraculously did God preserve & uphold him, yea also bless and prosper the work of his ministery, almost to all Christendom? The like might be said of many other, who although they had not so great, nor so many enemies as Luther had: yet had more greater than they had been able to have resisted, had not the Lord mightily taken their part. 2 What shall we say of little Geneva? doth it not stand in the very mouth of the adversary there of the Duke of Savoie? doth this adversary want either power or malice? Is it not therefore manifest that the Lord which neither sleepeth nor slumbereth, psal. 121. 4. is the keeper there of, and that he doth protect and defend it by his mighty power and outstretched arm? What shall we say of the town of Rochel, besieged for the gospels sake, and for harbouring the professors thereof, by all the power of France for seven whole months together? were there not during that siege many conflicts & skirmishes? did not the whole power of France make seven principal assaults thereunto, in all which the Pope his side & greater power had the greater loss? do not the French histories themselves testify, that in the first assault, within less than one month there were discharged against the walls and houses thereof, the number of thirty thousand great shot? Do not the same also writ that in the second assault there were two thousand field pieces laid against the town? yet what success had these and the other assaults? The King was forced in the end to withdraw his forces, and still to grant them continuance of their former privileges, and specially to the grief of his heart, the liberty of the gospel. What also shall we say of God his providence toward the said city, during all the time of the former siege? for the poorer sort wanting corn, the Lord sent every day into the river a multitude of such fish, as the which they used in stead of bread: and that this was the special and extraordinary work of God it appeareth in that, that so soon as the siege was removed, the supply also of the fishes did cease. 3 Above all what shall we say of our own little Island, and of our most dread sovereign and gracious Queen? Hath not the whole land, and especially her Highness, had many and mighty enemies continually? Before she came to the crown in the days of Queen Marie, were not Queen and Council (for five years together) her mortal enemies? did they not translate her from place to place, by night and by day, whether in health or sick? were not sometime her own servants removed from her, and strangers appointed to attend upon her? was not the place directly under her, one night fired to her great danger if it had not been prevented? did she not sometime in the evening fear death before the morning? did she not in the heaviness of her heart and agony of her soul, writ, Much suspected by me, nothing proved can be? Did she not send these words to some of her servants, that came and attended to see her. Tanquam ovis? who kept her in all those great and deep dangers? who restrained her enemies, especially the bloody and butcherly Bishops, Bonner and Gardiner, who delivered her in the end? who advanced her unto the crown? did not the Lord all this, and that most wonderfully? And may it not be said in some sort of her preservation, deliverance, and advancement, as it is said of Christ himself, especially considering that all her danger was for Christ his cause: This is the Lord his doing and it is wonderful in our eyes? psal. 118. 32. 4 Since she hath been placed in the throne of Majesty, have her dangers been less or fewer? No verily: but as her place hath been higher, so the devil and all his whelps have more sought her utter ruin and overthrow. To omit foreign assaults, many home rebellions, many secret conspiracies and privy treasons, many open insurrections, have been against her Highness from time to time. Many have been sent partly from the Pope, partly from the King of Spain, first adjured by their sacrament of the altar, secretly or openly most traitorously to murder her. Many here within the realm have conspired and attempted the same. Neither have they been such as have wanted opportunity to have effected their purpose, but even such as have been continual courtiers, waiting daily upon her person; yea as have had all their advancement and honour from her: such also as have had familiar access unto her, and with whom likewise she of her princely courtesy and kindness towards them hath vouchsafed very often privately to confer: yea even then, when they have come with full purpose and resolution to have defiled their hands with shedding of her sacred blood, have they been admitted to her private and secret conference. Who then bridled them? who took away all heart and courage from them? Is it not evident to all men, and must not all men acknowledge, that the secret power of the Almighty did both withhold them, and also preserve her? And may not she truly say with the Prophet, psal. 94. 17. If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost dwelled in silence? But is this all? No verily: the Lord hath not only thus miraculously kept her, but also highly honoured her in the eyes of all nations. As she maintaineth the cause of Christ jesus, so God hath performed to her in some sort, the promises made unto Christ jesus. As she is a principal member of the spouse of Christ jesus, so hath God honoured her with those honours that he hath promised to the same spouse. All Princes almost have brought presents unto her, and all people have been in admiration of her. Search all histories, turn over all Chronicles, sacred or profane, divine or human, ecclesiastical or civil, yet shall ye never find a woman prince, a maiden Queen, whose preservation hath been so mighty, whose glory so great, whose government so long, so prosperous and so happy. 5 All this hath been the more admirable, and is the more to be considered, by how much the more and oftener she hath been cursed with bell, book, and candle, by him that arrogateth to himself plenitudinem potestatis, all authority in heaven, in earth, and in hell itself. This addeth no small force unto my argument against him and all his religion. For if he were he whom he vaunteth himself to be: if he were Peter his successor, and Christ his viccar-generall upon earth: if he were the head of the Church, if he had the keys of heaven, if he could not err; how could he have erred in sending forth so many curses causeless? or if the cause of his curses were just (the which he rather pretendeth) how could he so often have cursed without success? Christ hath said and promised to Peter and his successor (as they teach) that whatsoever, or whomsoever he should bind or loose in earth, the same should be bound or loosed in heaven. Have his curses been such? verily they never came half way to heaven, or else when they came there, Saint Peter was so fast asleep that they could not awake him to let them in: or else when they were let in or crowded in, they were nipped in the head, and by the regents there retained with a Nescio, or Non placet. But I will not speak too much of this, lest I provoke his holiness to commence an action against Christ himself, for not keeping promise, yea to send out a bull and excommunication against him. For then what should become of us poor Protestants, if our head should be thus hardly dealt withal? 6 Notwithstanding I fear him not greatly, sith I have seen by so much experience, that his bulls are but bubbles; yea that the high court of heaven, hath always turned his cursings into blessings. For I doubt not, but that the more he hath cursed her Majesty and this land, the more God hath blessed both. Elisha cursed the two captains with their fifties, which were sent to apprehend him and carry him to the King, and presently fire came down from heaven and consumed them. 2. King. 1. 11. Elisha cursed those unhappy hangman's and wicked boys that mocked him, and presently came two Bears out of the forest which devoured them. 2. King. 2. 29. The same Prophet likewise cursed his servant Gehazi, for that sin which before we have heard to be the life of the Pope, and presently the leprosy of Naaman did fasten on him and cleave unto him. 2. King. 5. 27. David cursed joab, praying the Lord to remember him according to his wickedness, 2. Sam. 3. 39 & so it fell out to joab, 1. King. 2. 34. Paul cursed Elimas the sorcerer with blindness, and immediately there fell on him a mist & darkness, so that he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand, Act. 13. 11. If therefore this bonus senex and holy father, had cursed with the same spirit wherewith they cursed, and in the same name in whose also they cursed, his curses also would have had the same effect. But sithence they had the clean contrary, may we not safely conclude, that he is not the Vicar of Christ, but rather the deputy of the devil; and that the vicar of Saint fools is his ghostly father? yea that he is the adversary of Christ and child of perdition, in taking upon him to curse the anointed of the Lord, who is also the blessed of the Lord. Certainly forasmuch as his curses are no more effectual, but always turned into such blessings, I wish he would likewise curse me; for than I think I should both live the longer, notwithstanding my present infirmities of body, which daily threaten death unto me, and also every other way be the more blessed. David hoped of some good from the Lord, for cursing of Shimei after another manner, 2. Sam. 16. 12. so if the Pope would also curse me, I should hope to far likewise the better thereby. 7 To end this argument therefore drawn from such examples: if Nabuchadnezzer seeing the mighty deliverance of Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego, in the fiery oven, did acknowledge their God to be the only God, Dan. 3. 29. If Darius seeing the strange preservation of Daniel from the mouth of the Lions, when he was cast into their den to have been devoured of them, did likewise confess the God of Daniel to be the living God which remaineth for ever, Dan. 6. 26. shall any that profess themselves, and would be accounted Christians, see so many and so great mercies of God towards other professing our religion, and so miraculously bestowed: shall any, I say, that would be accounted Christians, seeing all these things done by God himself, for the upholding and maintaining of our religion and the professors thereof, yet make doubt of our God whither he be the living God, and of our religion whither it be the true religion? 8 Yea but me thinketh, I hear one object the great plenty that was in the time of popery, when one might buy 24. eggs for a penny, a good cow for a noble, or eight shillings, an ox for a mark, a sheep for twenty pence, a bushel of wheat for four or six pence. And that since this new religion (for which I now plead) came up, there was never such plenty, neither was it ever so merry with us. This is an old objection, and worn in a manner with often handling clean through: yea it is so old that it is even rotten and consumed, so that if it be but touched, it will fall to dust or powder. It was used by the jews to jeremy against the word of God that he preached, and for defence of their former idolatry: When, say they, we worshipped the Queen of heaven (or as some do read more generally, the things of heaven) than we had plenty of victuals, and were well, and felt no evil; but sithence we left such idolatry, we have been consumed by the sword, and by famine. jer. 44. 17, 18. To this objection I return a threefold answer briefly. First I say that this plenty of things in former time of popery, is not easily proved as spoken. For although a man might then buy so much for so little as hath been spoken of, yet this proveth not such plenty, except there had been as great plenty also of money, to have bought the other things so cheap. Then a penny was as hard to come by, as a tester is now: for then a labouring man had but a penny a day for his work, but now he hath six pence or a groat at the least. Therefore it skilleth not though things be now dearer than they were then, as long as money is more plentiful and easy to be come by. So likewise it may be said as well of the commodities which the poor man hath to sell, as which the rich man hath. When therefore a man may have a groat now or six pence as easily as then he could have a penny, may he not as well give a groat or six pence for that which he buyeth now, as than he did give a penny? Secondly, the number of people being now so increased above that it was then, as we see it to be, and compared with the small number of those times, doth prove that there was no greater plenty in those times then is now. Yea rather doth not this commend the mercy and liberality of God the more, in providing as well for the great multitude that is now, by the means of the long and great peace we have had, as he did then for that small number of people that was then? If it be objected, that many towns & cities were greater then, then now they be, and that this proveth as great a multitude to have been then, as is now: I answer that as some towns and cities are decayed, so also many more both towns, cities, and villages, are mightily increased. Thirdly, though the former plenty of former times should be granted, yet it is not to be ascribed to popery. For then now also where popery is, there should be like plenty. But we see the contrary. For in Spain and other countries of popery, there is far greater dearth at all times, then where our religion is received. THE FIFTH PART OF THE tenth argument, touching the works of God both against Popery and for our religion. NOw then let us proceed, and to the former examples both of God his just judgement against popery and Papists, and also of his mercies for our religion and the professors thereof; let us add an other sort of mixed works of God, that is, of such things as God hath done both for one and also against the other, and whereby at one and the same time he hath signified both his liking of the one, and also his disliking of the other. Here I will not refer the reader to the histories and books of other, but do only entreat him wisely and in the fear of God to consider such things as have been so lately done in the eyes of the whole world, as that every child of twelve years age knoweth them and talketh of them. 2 First therefore let the great Navy of the king of Spain, sent forth anno Dom. 1588. for the invasion of this kingdom, and captivating of the people (if it had been possible) be considered, with the success which it had. This Navy was so great, as that the seas never before did bear the like, and therefore also themselves did call it the invincible Navy. Neither was it sent forth only by the King of Spain himself, but also with all the blessings that might be of the Pope and the whole Church of Rome. As the whole popish holy clergy in England in Queen Mary's days, made many earnest and loud prayers, went many solemn processions, and sang many devote Masses for the childbirth and safe deliverance of Queen Marie; so in like manner did the Pope and college of Cardinals, and the whole holy Synagogue of Rome, in Rome, in Spain, and in many other places, make the like supplications, go the like processions and sing the like masses, for the good and happy success of the said Navy. Therefore came this great army, not only intending all violence and cruelty, but also fully persuaded (in their own hearts) of all victory. They made the like account of prevailing against England, that sometime Senacherib King of Ashur with his Captain Rabshakeh made of prevailing against jerusalem, and therefore said (no doubt) in their hearts secretly, the same that Rabshakeh spoke in words openly, 2. King. 18. 25. Am I now come up without the Lord to this place to destroy it? The Lord hath said unto me, go up against this land and destroy it. They thought it had been impossible for us to have escaped their hands, as sometimes Benhadad king of Aram did think it impossible for the Israelites to escape out of his hands, and therefore hearing that men were come out of Samaria against him, he made not reckoning of it, but said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they be come aught to fight, take them yet alive. 1. King. 20. 18. Finally they so presumed upon the virtue of the Pope's blessing and upon their great forces, that they made reckoning before of dividing the spoil amongst them, as sometime Sisera and his mother with her wise ladies did, of dividing the spoil of the Israelites. judg. 5. 29. 3 But what came of all this? Truly, as there never had been sent forth the like power by sea against any people, so was there never the like overthrow. They had not cried loud enough unto their gods, therefore they did not help them: they set themselves against the God of heaven, therefore he confounded them. They said as the Egyptians said, Exod. 15. 9 We will pursue, we will overtake them, we will divide the spoil, our lust shall be satisfied upon them, we will draw our sword, our hand shall destroy them: but we may truly sing and say as Moses and the Israelites in that place sung and said, vers. 6, 7, 10. Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, hath bruised the enemy. And in thy great glory hast thou over thrown them that rose against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath which consumed them as the stubble. Thou blewest with thy wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters. All this may we truly say, because the Lord, the Lord only did overthrow Pharaoh and his people in the red sea. He gave their flesh to be meat to the fishes, as before he had given the flesh of the Egyptians. Yea he did this in a manner without any strength of men, he commanded both wind and sea against them, and they both obeyed, that so himself might have all the glory, and none might give any part thereof to us, neither we take any part thereof unto ourselves: yea that so he might make it known to all the world, that Pope and Spaniard had not only opposed themselves unto the Queen of England and her religion, but also to the God of heaven and his truth. So that as all the prayers, processions, and masses here in England for Queen Marie her safe deliverance, & for the young Prince in her womb, came to nothing: in like manner did all the works of like devotion, by the Pope himself and the rest of the Church of Rome, in Rome and elsewhere, come to less than nothing. For as before his curses of our Queen and land were turned into blessings: so now also his blessings of the Spaniard and his forces, were turned into curses. Who seethe not by this, that he that dwelleth in the heavens did laugh them to scorn, and that that the Lord had them in derision? as it is said and threatened unto all such as assemble together against the Lord and against his anointed. psal. 2. 2. etc. As the prophets & priests of Baal cried unto their gods, so did the Spaniard unto his gods, both which he imagineth to be in heaven, and also before which he falleth down and worshippeth in the earth, I mean both unto all his Saints, and also to all his graven images made of wood, stone, silver, and gold, etc. As Elisha cried unto the true God, so also did we in the day of our trouble. We fasted and prayed lifting up our hearts and our hands unto God in the heavens, commending ourselves and all our forces only to him. Therefore as the priests of Baal laboured in vain: so also did the Spaniard. As Elija, jehosaphat, Mordechaie, and Ester, and many other the good servants of God, were heard in that they prayed; so also were we. Wherefore, as Elija by this argument confounded the priests of Baal, proving their god to be no god, their worship to be false worship, and contrarily did approve himself to worship the true God, in true manner: so also why may not we by the like argument, condemn the god of the Pope and the Spaniards to be no god, and their religion likewise to be no religion: and on the contrary conclude and boldly affirm our God only to be the true God, and our religion to be that religion which this our true God hath once commanded, doth daily command, and ever accepteth? Truly so great was our danger in that expedition of the Spaniard against us, that since our deliverance from the same we may truly say as the Church saith, psal. 124. If the Lord had not been on our side, may England now say, if the Lord had not been on our side, they had then swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: then the waters had drowned us, the stream had gone over our soul, then had the swelling waters gone over our soul. Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us as a pray unto their teeth. Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler: the snare is broken, and we are delivered. Our help is in the name of the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth. This whole psalm in respect of our mighty deliverance, may we as truly apply unto ourselves, as before we showed that we might apply part of the song of Moses and the Israelites, when they were newly delivered from their slavery and bondage out of the land of Egypt. 4. The second example of these mixed works of God against Pope and popery, and also for us and our religion, is the honourable and happy success of our forces last year sent forth against the Spaniards under the conduct of the right honourable and most worthy Earl of Essex, and the Lord Admiral: especially if it be compared with the former success of the Spaniard against us. For the Spaniard coming against us (as before is said) with such huge and mighty forces as he thought inexpugnable, and finding us as it were in a manner altogether unprepared to meet him so suddenly, and indeed of ourselves not able then to have resisted him, yet could not so much as set any footing of any one man within any part of our land; but by the mighty hand of God stretched out from heaven against him, was forced to return in vain, yea with loss (at the least) of half his forces both ships and men by the way, to the everlasting shame and dishonour of him and of his religion. But on the contrary our forces being nothing so great as his were, neither coming upon him on the sudden without his great preparation for them, did yet so mightily prevail, by the power of God going before them and with them, and the fear of God falling upon the Spaniards (as sometime upon the Shechemites and their neighbour nations, Gen. 35. 5.) that coming not into any obscure river, but to one of the most famous havens in all Spain, and finding the same furnished with a mighty Navy of the king his greatest ships, did not withstanding both foil all the foresaid Navy, and also land, not some, but as many of their men as themselves would: and within few days did both take and sack, not some little village, but one of the chiefest, richest, and strongest towns in all his kingdom, strongly fortified with men, and plentifully furnished with victual, and whereof (by report of them that were there, & that know the place) every house was built of stone, and in form and strength like unto a castle. Thus did our God bless and prosper our forces against him, with loss of no man of reckoning but only one, and of no more of the common soldiers, then is most likely in so great a multitude would have died at home. So did our army's return, as with a sufficient spoil and booty, so with exceeding great honour and renown. What shall we say of these things? that by our hand and strength we have gotten the victory? God forbidden that we should so rob God of his honour. But let us more truly answer as the Apostle answereth the like question of admiration with these words, If God be with us, who can be against us? Rom. 8. 31. Even so let us, touching the confusion of the Spanish forces, and the gracious success of our own, likewise answer and say, God hath been with us, therefore it skilleth not who hath been against us: and on the contrary, God hath been against the Spaniard, and therefore it hath not helped him against us, whomsoever he hath had with him. 5 A third example also of like mixed works of God, against Pope and popery, and for us and our religion, is that overthrow which the last winter the Lord himself, without any means of man, gave to a great power of Spanish ships, sent towards Ireland for aid and strengthening of the rebels against us. This power of ships, being not so much as expected of us, did the Lord by his mighty power so graciously confound in our behalf, that we never heard of their coming, till tidings came of their drowning. And may we not here also add the happy success of our last voyage this present year against the Spaniard, as likewise the contrary of the Spanish Navy again sent hither against us? yes verily. These do no less deserve the registering, than the former: these are as well worthy the observation, as the former: finally these speak as plainly for our religion and against popery, as the former. For as touching this second voyage of that most worthy and honourable Earl, albeit at the first God himself seemed as it were to frown upon us and to resist us, (for the trial of the courage, and proving the patience, and likewise the better humiliation of the said Earl and his forces) and finally for instructing of us as well as the Spaniard, that the proceeding in any voyage must not be according to the will and pleasure of man, but according to his will and pleasure, that ruleth and governeth as well by sea as by land:) yet afterward (all things considered) the Lord hath not much less (if any whit less at all) magnified his great mercies towards us and his gospel, and his justice against Spain and popery, than he did the last year, at the taking and sacking of Cales. For first of all, how honourably to the great reproach of the great King, hath our little Fleet discontinued from home, partly before, and partly about the dominions of Spain, and that in the very face of the Spaniard? yet what hath all the Spanish power done unto them? yea rather how cowardly have they kept themselves within their safe havens and harbours, not daring so much as once to look our forces in the faces? did we so in the year 1588.? doth not this speak to the renown of our little Island, and especially to the glory of the religion therein professed? doth it not in like manner as evidently disgrace both the Spaniards themselves, and also their Roman religion? As touching the final success of this voyage, although it were not such as it might have been (because God well seethe that so rich a booty as the whole Indian sleet had been, would perhaps have made us too proud) yet such was it, that we have no loss, neither they any gain thereby. Concerning the Spanish Navy, this year also sent against us, first how cowardly was it sent, when they thought our strength to have been from home? will not every man utterly condemn him for a coward, that taketh the advantage privily of his adversary, when he thinketh him to be unarmed? why therefore may not the like be said of the like practice of a King and kingdom? especially of such a king and kingdom, as in their high pride think they should command the whole world. Secondly what success had this Fleet, so privily and closely thinking to have stolen upon us? verily as he that kept England heretofore, hath neither slept nor slumbered, so now also when the Spaniards thought to have found us asleep, they found him waking. When they thought to have found us unarmed, they found him as a man of war, with his sword girded to his thigh, yea rather ready drawn in his hand, and every way prepared for the battle. For this man of war fought for us again this year, as he did the last year: and did partly confound them, and partly force them to recoil home with all dishonour; and that before that we did so much as once (almost) dream of any such power coming towards us. The more did God reveal his wrath against them and their errors; as also testify his love unto us, and to his own truth. 6 In writing thus of these things, I boast not of ourselves and our own worthiness, as if the Lord for our righteousness had done all these things forus: I labour not to commend our persons, but only to justify our religion. As touching ourselves, we cannot deny but that although we have the gospel, yet our contempt of his gospel and his other mercies, our security by them, & our other manifold and heinous sins which we daily commit against his majesty, are such, that we have been and are altogether unworthy of so mighty protection, and of so prosperous success. It hath not been therefore in respect of ourselves, that God hath thus dealt with us and for us: but only for his own great names sake, and that he might yet further commend his gospel professed amongst us (but indeed not so practised and obeyed by us as it ought to be) unto those that yet regard it not, and that (if it be possible) he might win thereunto both Atheists, and Papists, and also all other that yet are enemies thereof. Thus we condemn ourselves, and thus we magnify only the power and goodness of God, in regard whereof we wish as the Prophet often wisheth in the 107, psalm, that men would therefore confess before the Lord, his loving kindness, and his wonderful works that he doth before the sons of men: we wish also as the Prophet doth again in the same psalm, vers. 22. that, men would offer sacrifice of praise, and declare his works with rejoicing. Let no man or woman therefore, how zealous soever of popery they have been hitherto, and yet are: or how obstinate and hard hearted soever against our religion, so lightly pass by this argument, or so basely think of our religion, as they have done or do. Though we do not honour it as we ought to do, but rather dishonour it by our wicked lives and conversations, altogether unbeseeming the holiness thereof: yet let them more seriously consider these arguments, whereby God himself from heaven hath graced and commended and doth grace and commend the same unto them. 7 Let no man here say, that by these last arguments from the works of God, the religion of the Turks might be justified. For albeit it cannot be denied, that the Turk hath had mighty victories, and doth flow in great prosperity, yet is their great difference between our victories, and his: between our prosperity and his. All that he hath gotten hath been by exceeding force and power: but our victories have been obtained almost without force, against great force. His victories have never been gotten without great loss of his own side: but as the jews and Israelites oftentimes prevailed without any fight at all, judg. 7. 20. 2. Chron. 20. 17. and 23. etc. so in a manner have we done. The Lord only hath fought for us, we almost have not fought for ourselves or for him, but only have showed our faces to the enemy. As the Turk hath thus gotten that which he hath, so also he maintaineth his estate wholly by violence: but as the Lord hath fought for us from heaven, so also he miraculously maintaineth us. The like may be said of the other prosperity of the Turk, because he hath not those mighty enemies to oppugn and envy it, which we have had and yet have, to envy and oppugn ours. The same, and more also, may be said of all the victories of the Spaniard himself against other: he hath gotten all, he holdeth and keepeth all, partly by violence and cruelty, partly by falsehood and treachery. Therefore as the former great victories of Senacherib against other nations, whereof Rabshekah boasteth, 2. King. 18. 34, 35, etc. did the more justify and commend Hezekia, and the worship of God repaired and established by him: so the great victories of the Spaniards against other nations either heathen or popish, maketh the more for us and for our religion, sith the Spaniard cannot by those means prevail against us, by which he hath prevailed against others, as great people as we are if not much greater. For what else doth this teach, but that the Lord himself is our light and salvation, our strength, our rock and fortress, and he that delivereth Psal. 27. 1. Psal. 18. 1. 2. us. Surely the Lord is our strength, and he that teacheth our hands to fight, and our fingers to battle, he is our goodness & for tress, our tower, and Psal. 144. 1, 2. deliverer, our shield, and he in whom we trust: even he that subdueth our people under us. It is the Lord that pleadeth for us & for our religion, yea rather for our religion only; because that we ourselves are so wicked and sinful, that we are altogether unworthy of his aid and defence. 8 Yea but the Spaniard himself hath also had great victories against the Turk, when the Turkish forces have perhaps been twice or thrice so great as the Spanish. Let this be granted, yet doth not this simply justify the Spanish religion, but only in respect of the Turks, who are professed enemies of Christ and of all that is called by the name of Christ. The Israelites after the death of joshua fell often to most grievous idolatry, the Lord gave them notwithstanding mighty victories against their enemies. Yea the ten Tribes after they were revolted, not only from juda, but also from the Lord himself and his worship, and so continued: in their battles notwithstanding with those that professed enmity both to them, & also to god whom they sometime had truly worshipped, and of whose worship they retained some small remnants, had very great and happy success, though sometimes their enemies were ten times as many and as strong as themselves. Yet do not these victories simply justify the Israelites, or their present religion, but only in respect of their enemies, which did utterly deny God and his religion. The Lord notwithstanding their falling in most things, had regard to the remnants of his worship amongst them, and to his formet covenant, even for his own names sake, as Ezekiel teacheth, chap. 20. In like sort the Spaniards professing the name of Christ, and having some remnants of Christian religion amongst them, but the Turks utterly denying and defying Christ, and the very name of all christianity: no marvel though Christ jesus in the wars of the Spaniards against them, do rather fight the battles of the Spaniards, as having respect unto his name so blasphemed by the Turk. But hereby doth not Christ jesus simply approve of the Spanish religion, but only in respect of the Turkish. 9 If it be further objected, that the most wicked that are, do sometime prevail against the godly themselves, as the men of Ai against Israel, etc. and that they flow also in much, yea almost in all outward prosperity, and that therefore this argument is not sound and firm enough, to infer that which I infer thereof, I answer that the Lord indeed giveth sometime such victory unto the wicked against his own people, but it is for some special sin of his people, as appeareth by the example before alleged. For Israel fell before the men of Ai for the sin of Achan, yea the Lord saith they could not stand before their enemies, Josh. 7. 12. because of that sin. Again, though the Lord sometimes give his people over into the hands of his and their enemies, yet he doth it not in such miraculous manner without the force of the enemy against them, himself fight from heaven for the enemy, as he hath done for us against the Spaniards, but always the enemy hath prevailed against the Lord his people, by greater strength of flesh than the Lords people had against them, and by fight in their own person. For touching the former example of Ai, joshua sent but about 3000. of the Israelites against it, Josh. 7. 4. but it is most like that they were repelled by a far more greater force. For although they whom joshua first sent to view Ai, returned and said it was but a small people, yet it is certain that they were able to make a greater force than three thousand, because when Israel prevailed against Ai to the number of twelve thousand, Josh. 8. 26. The same may be said of the other prosperity of the wicked, they prosper, they flourish, they wax rich, etc. but it is by ordinary means: sometime also, yea most commonly by unlawful means, by hook and by crook (as the proverb is:) but our prosperity and the prosperity of other kingdoms, countries, and cities, etc. professing our religion, have so prospered and flourished in outward things, above that which they did whilst they were overgrown with popery, that every man may evidently see, that it is the special blessing of God even for the honour of our religion, that hath made us rich and thus to prosper. Again we have thus prospered, though the wicked Papists have seen our prosperity, and been angry; yea though they have practised against us and gnashed their teeth. Psal. 37. 12. and 112. 10. THE CONCLUSION, WITH the use of the treatise. 1sith therefore that popery is not wrought in men by the word of God, but by traditions of men: sith it is upheld and maintained chief by wicked and unlawful means: sith the proper substance and matter thereof is not only divers from the written word of God, but also directly contrary thereunto: sith the form of God's worship in popery is not that which god hath prescribed, but that which men have devised and forged: sith the principal end of popery whereunto it referreth all things, is not the glory of God, but the glory of Saints, of images, of Pope, and generally of man himself: sith the fruits of popery are such as God hath expressly condemned in the decalogue and ten commandments given to all nations, and for all times even unto the end of the world: sith there is no sound joy and comfort growing upon the tree of popery, but double fear and desperation: sith popery is a foolish and absurd religion: sith popery agreeable, suitable, and well pleasing to the natural man, which savoureth not the things which are of God: sith the gifts of God his spirit (promised to the Church in the latter age thereof, are bestowed upon the church whilst it swerved not from the pure doctrine of the gospel, delivered by Christ and his Apostles,), were at an ebb and dead low water when popery was full sea: sith God hath inflicted from time to time, manifest and strange judgements and punishments upon Papists, and such especially as have most maligned our religion and the professors thereof: sith God hath not regarded the sacrifices of the Pope and popish church, neither hath made their curses effectual against them whom they have cursed, neither hath given any good success to them for whom they have made many prayers, but have turned his curses into blessings, & his blessings into curses: therefore I do conclude that popery is not of God, neither acceptable unto God. Again, sith our religion is wrought by the preaching of that word of God, which is contained in the scriptures: sith it standeth without all unlawful means to uphold and maintain it: sith the matter thereof is altogether consonant with the written word: sith the form of God his worship therein touching the essence thereof is the same that god himself hath prescribed: sith it referreth all things only to the glory of God: sith the fruits that it alloweth and beareth, are such as God hath commanded in the decalogue and moral law: sith it always bear the sound and most sweet joy and comfort: sith in wisdom it well beseemeth the wisdom of God: sith it is altogether unsavoury and unpleasant unto the natural man: sith from the breaking thereof through the Sodomitical and Egyptiacall darkness of popery, it hath most brightly shined in those gifts of God his spirit, which were universally and almost wholly eclipsed when popery was spread over the face of the earth: sith God hath avenged the hatred thereof upon the heads of the Papists that especially hated it: sith God hath mightily upheld, blessed, and prospered such persons and places, as have most boldly and constantly professed and embraced it: finally since God hath openly pleaded the cause thereof against such as have oppugned it, miraculously preserving the professors thereof, so oppugned by their adversaries; & fearfully confounding the adversaries, I do therefore again conclude in behalf of our religion, that it is of God and acceptable unto him. The general arguments used by the Papists for defence of popery, drawn from antiquity, universality, and unity, are now stolen, yea battered in pieces by those that have often substantially and plentifully confuted them. Therefore I mean not to increase this treatise, and so to make further work for the reader, by setting down any answer unto them. THE FIRST USE CONCERning generally all of our religion, both weak and strong. THese things now written, and whereby I have proved the falsehood of popery, and likewise showed the truth of our religion, I wish profitable unto all: both to those that profess themselves of our religion, and also to those that neither are, nor profess themselves to be. Of those that profess themselves to be of our religion, some are faint, weak, and wavering: others are strong, and well grounded, or at the least such as have never doubted our religion to be of God. The first sort I do now wish to be as the second, that is, by these things that now I have written, so confirmed and established in the love, liking, and constant profession of our religion, so keeping (as it were by force against all force whereby they shall be assaulted) this profession of their hope, Hebr. 10. 23. without wavering, that hereafter they be never carried about with divers and strange doctrines, Hebr. 13. 9 yea both these sorts of professors of our religion, I wish to be much stronger in this profession, assuring themselves that so long as this religion abideth in them, so long they themselves shall continue in the son, and in the father, Hebr. 2. 24. and so long as they walk according to this religion, so long they walk with God as Enoch did, Gen. 5. 22. But forasmuch as our religion is of God and acceptable unto him, therefore they that fall away from it, do also departed from the living God, and fall away from the grace of the same God, Hebr. 3. 12. and 12. 15. and then doth there remain no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgement and violent fire, which shall devour the adversaries, Heb. 10. 26, 27. Let no man therefore that hath given his name to our religion deceive himself, neither suffer himself to be deceived by any other, either Papist or Atheist, or of any other sect or heresy: for surely it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. 10. 31. it had been better for such never to have known the way of righteousness, then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandments given unto them, 2. Pet. 2. 21. for the end of such men shall be worse than the beginning. 2 Neither would I have this to be understood only of the soundness and constancy of judgement in our religion, but also of the continual abounding in the works of the Lord, 1. Cor. 15. 58. and the provoking of ourselves more and more to all love and good works, Heb. 10. 24. such as our religion commendeth: the despising whereof is the despising of God his commandments, and the doing whereof is obedience, not unto man, but unto God himself. Further I wish this that I have written against popery and for our religion, may so confirm and strengthen all professors of our religion therein, that if any of them have wife or other friends yet remaining Papists, they would pray more often and earnestly, and every other way, by themselves and by other (perhaps better able than themselves) labour more diligently the conversion of them, than ever they have done. How do all loving husbands and friends labour the health of their wives or other friends being but bodily sick, the danger whereof is nothing but this present death? O then how much more ought such husbands and friends to labour the recovery of their wives or other friends out of popery, a most grievous sickness of the soul, the danger whereof is eternal condemnation both of body and soul? The like may be said touching those that are sick of any errors or heresies, contrary or not agreeing to our religion; as likewise of Atheists, and such as are of no religion. THE SECOND USE CONCERning all great persons of our religion. AS I wish this good generally to all of our religion, so more especially such as are in any special place of honour and authority in church or common weal, & by such special place are able to do some special good for the advancement of our religion, and the helping and countenancing the professors thereof, as also for the weakening and repressing of popery, atheism, and such like: such, I say, as are in any such special place, I wish, yea (as it were) upon my knees most humbly beseech, and yet also boldly exhort in the name of this God, whose religion I have justified unto them, all such (I say again) I do beseech and exhort to be of all Christian courage and boldness, for speaking and doing whatsoever lieth in them, whereby to promote this religion, and comfort and countenance the professors thereof. To omit the famous and most worthy examples of many most zealous kings of juda, of Ester a Queen by marriage, yet as touching authority, but (as it were) a lady of honour, of jehoida likewise and I●hoshua high priests, of Ezra a scribe or inferior priest: to omit (I say) these and many other the like examples of zeal, let them only consider how boldly joseph an honourable counsellor of Arimathea went unto Pilate (but an heathen deputy of an heathen Emperor) and begged the body of Christ being dead, that he might honourably bury the same, Mark. 15. 43. If he were so bold for the honouring of Christ, as to go to an heathen man, how much more boldly aught men to go to Christian Princes, in causes whereby Christ jesus and his gospel may have any honour? If he feared nothing, wherein all likelihood much was to be feared, what shall be said of them that fear where there is no fear? If he made no bones to speak for Christ, to one that had before condemned Christ, why should any stick at speaking likewise for Christ to such Princes, as have done and do daily speak and do so much for Christ in his gospel and in his members, that they give great encouragement to all persons of place fit to have access unto them, without fear to put them in continual remembrance of further honouring of Christ? If he were so bold for Christ jesus being dead, how much bolder ought all men to be for Christ jesus raised up from the dead? yea verily he is twice risen again: once touching his body out of the sepulchre, into which the same joseph did honourably lay him: and again touching his gospel out of the grave of popery, wherein it had lain twice so many hundred years (at the least) as his body had lain days and nights in the former sepulchre. How zealous therefore ought men to be for the honouring of the gospel of Christ jesus with true honour, wherein Christ jesus himself thus raised up and glorified cannot but be likewise honoured? As such men ought to be thus zealous, in speaking for Christ and his gospel at all times, so especially then ought they to be most zealous, when any special occasion requireth the same, or when any special opportunity is offered thereunto. Solomon saith, How good is a word spoken in due season? Prov. 5. 25. He speaketh this by question and admiration, and thereby teacheth, that he himself, the wisest that ever was (Christ only excepted) could not well express, how good a word was spoken in due season. Therefore he saith again, A word spoken in his place, is like apples of gold, with pictures of silver, Prov. 25. 11. Such therefore as the Lord hath advanced to such place either in Church or in commonwealth, as wherein at any time by word or deed, they may further this religion in this book thus commended, I wish to watch all opportunity of doing further good, and any being offered, not to neglect the same, but wisely to take and follow it to the utmost of their power. Where any noble, honourable, or other great person, seethe any convenient time where his word may do good to further religion, & thereby to advance God his glory, let him think with himself as Mordecaie spoke unto Ester, Ester 4. 14. who knoweth whither the Lord hath thus advanced me for this time? 2 Neither let any such person fear the loss of their labour touching themselves, in speaking in such causes. God whose religion ours is, hath said by his Prophet, 1. Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour: and, he is faithful that hath promised, Hebr. 10. 23. This is manifest by many of the examples before mentioned. The fruit indeed of such labour, doth not always appear presently: yet God is not unrighteous that he should forget the work and labour of such love towards his name, etc. Hebr. 6. 10. but he taketh such a note thereof, yea of the least word spoken this way, that it shall most certainly be remembered to such persons themselves or to their posterity even in this life, and touching the benefits thereof, when all the world shall think it buried, and even (as it were) wholly consumed to ashes in the grave of oblivion. It was not much that jethro the father in law of Moses did, called also Keni, judg. 1. 16. and of whom descended the Kenites: it was not much (I say) that this jethro or Keni did for the Israelites. For he did but only give counsel to Moses his son in law for the better government of the Israelites, Exod. 18. 19 yet note what note the Lord kept of this small matter. After the death of Moses, after the death of joshua, and the elders that overlived joshua, after the death of Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gedeon, and the rest of the judges that judged Israel mentioned in the whole book of judges, after the death of Eli and his sons, after the government of Samuel resigned into the hands of Saul: after all this, even four hundred years after the former counsel given by jethro to Moses, did the Lord think upon this kindness, and recompensed it ten fold to the Kenites the posterity of jethro. Yea rather than it should not be recompensed, he raised up Saul to recompense the same, even unnatural, unthankful, and most cruel Saul, that had sworn the death of his own son jonathan, 1. Sam. 14. 44. who had saved Israel, and would indeed have killed him, had not the people rescued him, that afterward did daily hunt for the life of David as for a partridge in the mountains, 1. Sam. 26. 20. (who had notwithstanding killed the great Goliath whom all Israel durst not look in the face, 1. Sam. 17. 24. and gotten many other victories of the Philistims, and married Saul his own daughter:) that also killed all the Lord his priests at once, 1. Sam, 22. 18. even this bloody man did the Lord raise up to recompense the kindness of jethro, and to save the lives of all the Kenites. Yea though this Saul were a man most unmerciful unto them, to whom he owed much mercy and other love, yet the Lord so wrought his heart, for the recompensing of that that jethro had done to Moses and for Israel, that he was very earnest with the Kenites for the withdrawing themselves from the Amalakites, that he might not destroy them with the Amalakites. Therefore he saith not only Go, but also departed, yea also he addeth, Get ye down from, among the Amalakites, lest I destroy you with them. And why is he thus merciful unto them? for (saith he) ye showed mercy to all the children of Israel, when they came up from Egypt, 1. Sam. 15. 6. Certainly this mercy whereof such a stream did flow from Saul towards the Kenites, was only of the Lord, not of Saul himself. Saul of himself (as we have heard) was as the stony rock in the wilderness, which notwithstanding the Lord made to give drink plentifully to the Israelites and their cattle, Numb. 20. 8. Saul of himself had neither the religion nor the manners, to consider greater things done by those that were of his own blood, for himself and for the present generation of the Israelites. Shall we then think that he had religion or manners to remember such old good turns, done so many years before for the old forefathers of the Israelites? Now what doth this example teach us, but that the Lord is just to remember the like kindness, when all men shall think it utterly forgotten? yea & to make such to consider the same, as from whom in respect of their contrary disposition, no such matter can in reason be hoped for, but rather the contrary feared? 3 But what shall I need to call (as it were) so loud unto antiquity so far off, for an example whereby to justify the righteousness of God in honouring them that honour him? Is not Queen Elizabeth yet living (and many years more, O blessed God, may she live and reign to thy glory) is not, is not this our most noble, gracious, and Christian Queen, a most lively and bright example of God his righteousness in this behalf? As her Majesty both honoured God in exalting, establishing, and maintaining this religion, in comforting and countenancing the professors thereof of her own people, and in harbouring, relieving, and succouring them of other nations: so who seethe not but that God hath many ways as much honoured her above all her noble ancestors, as she hath excelled them in zeal towards this religion? THE THIRD USE CONCERning the military Nobles that are of our religion. AS I do wish zeal daily to grow in all great persons generally, for the better upholding and further advancing of this religion, so more particularly I do also wish all David's Worthies, that is, the principal captains and men of war of Queen Elizabeth, to fight not only the battles of our Queen, country, and people, and of themselves, their wives and children, etc. but also of the Lord in defence of our religion against the Spaniard, or any other champion of the Pope: these I wish, by this that I have written, to be the more valiant and courageous in this cause of our religion, against such and other enemies. Why so? because ye fight not for men, but God himself. Excellent is that speech of joab, and worthy to be in every ensign that goeth against the Romish Ammonites & Moabites, etc. even written in great letters, that every soldier might see a far off, read, and be encouraged thereby, Be strong and let us be valtant for our people, and for the countries of God, and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes, 2. Sam. 10. 13. Excellent also and worthy in like sort to be written, are the words of jehaziel the son of Zechariah, etc. unto Jehoshaphat and all juda, for the encouragement of them against the mighty forces of the Ammonites and Moabites that came up against them, as the Spaniards have come up and do yet daily threaten to come up against us, Fear ye not, neither be ye afraid for this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but Gods, 2. Chron. 20. 15. I wish also such Worthies of our land, by the former experience that we have had of God his mighty working and fight for us, to be the better encouraged for the time, wars, and dangers to come, as we read David to have been animated against Goliath, by the former success he had against a lion and a bear. 1. Sam. 17. 35. Notwithstanding as the cause is not their own but the Lords, so I wish and exhort them not to seek their own praise and glory, but the praise and glory of him whose cause they handle, & whose battles they fight. joab in fight against Rabbah a city of the Ammonites, did more respect the honour of David then of himself: and therefore though he might have taken it without David, yet he would not, but sent first for David, that the victory might not be attributed to himself but unto David. 2. Sam. 12. 28. If joab a wicked man, did so notwithstanding respect the honour of David above his own honour (and yet David though he were his sovereign was but a mortal man, & but a type of Christ jesus) how much more ought our Christian worthies and nobles to respect the praise, the honour, and the glory of Christ Jesus himself, above their own praise, honour, & glory? Further besides this regard of Christ his glory, let them also go forth not trusting in their own forces (for after this sort go forth the heathen unto their battles) but let them trust in the power and help of the mighty Lord Christ jesus. And therefore as it hath been christianly provided by our most christian Prince & the governors of our church under her, that there should be public prayers in behalf of such expeditions against the common adversaries, so I wish also our noble Worthies most highly to esteem of such prayers: yea themselves also before their going forth, and whilst they shall be forth, always to commend all their enterprises unto the Lord by most earnest prayer, yea to make also all the friends they can at home in like manuer to remember them privately, as by public authority they are remembered publicly. For certainly as hitherto we are not to doubt, but that our chief success hath been more by these means, then by any strength of our own arm, so also let them assure themselves, that if they go forth in this sort, than the Lord will not only send his angel with them, as he offered to do for the Israelites, Exod. 33. 2. but will also go with them himself as it were in proper person: not only to look on how they fight for him, but also to teach their hands to fight and their fingers to battle: yea the Lord will be as a man of war to go before them, in the mids of them, behind them, and round about them in complete harness, both to cover their heads in the dai● of battle, and likewise to fight for them, and to deliver his own and their enemies into their hands, as he hath done. Now if the Lord be thus with them, who can be against them? But yet one thing more remaineth, concerning both such Worthies themselves, and also all common soldiers, namely that as they have heard and seen by this that hath been written, that all war in behalf of our religion is God his war, and in his cause: so also they take heed, that whilst they fight one way for our religion and for God, they fight not an other way against religion and against God himself. How is this? verily by transgressing, violating, or neglecting the precepts of this religion, and that way sinning against God. For he that doth so, fighteth more against religion, & against God, then for religion and for God. Therefore the Scripture plentifully teacheth us, that God hath oftentimes given over his own people for their sins, yea once also his Ark to captivity of the common enemy: yea his temple where his name was called upon to be destroyed, and all the holy vessels and other ornaments of the temple, which sometime had served for his worship, to be polluted and defiled by the wicked heathen. Let all such Worthies therefore as before I have spoken of, as likewise all common soldiers, which shall hereafter be employed against the common enemy, diligently take heed and beware of all sin generally, and more specially of such sins as are most common in warriors (what these are I need not to speak) because otherwise, though their cause be good, and commended likewise in some sort by prayer unto God by themselves and by other, yet may they fear the success of the battle. This is manifest by the double overthrow the other Israelites had before the Beniamits in a cause very just, and commended also to God, and that with weeping the second time: and wherein at the first they also prevailed having humbled themselves in prayer and fasting and true repentance before the Lord, judg. 20. 26. Now the sin of the Israelites, for which they receiving such a double foil, appeareth by the text to have been, first too much confidence of the victory, in regard partly of the goodness of their cause, partly of their great multitude; and secondly that although they sought unto god in that behalf, yet they sought not in such humble and earnest manner as they should have done, and also did at the last, when they had not only warrant from God to go again to battle, but also a promise of victory. Now if these sins be so dangerous to a good and just cause, what may be feared of great sins? Thus much shall suffice to have spoken concerning them that are of our religion. THE FOURTH USE CONCERning Atheists, and all those that are of no religion. TOuching them that are not of our religion, they are especially either Atheists and such as are of no religion, or Papists. By Atheists, I mean not only such as in deed and openly profess themselves to be such, not fearing plainly to deny God and all religion (of which sort we havee too many even in our land) but also such as do bear men in hand that they are of our religion, but in truth are not. For albeit they will go to Church, and perform other outward duties that our religion requireth, yea & will also sometime speak and do something for our religion; yet all is but in policy: they practise only the precepts of cursed Machivel, and therefore if any change should come (which the God of heaven keep from us) they are as ready for any religion as for this. To this sort of Atheists, I do also refer many civil men that never knew or heard of Machivel himself, neither of his precepts, which come also to Church, etc. and live likewise uprightly as touching civil righteousness and outward equity amongst their neighbours, which will also sometimes talk of religion both ours and popery, and yet in truth also are of no religion at all, neither Protestants nor Papists. Moreover hitherto belongeth a great multitude of poor souls in this land, that for want of instruction are so ignorant, that they know not what religion is, or any point of religion, and which therefore make no difference betwixt our religion and popery. All these I wish seriously to consider of my former arguments, and thereby to provoke themselves to make more account of religion generally, and secondly of our religion only, then ever they have done. As they have heard our religion to be of God and acceptable unto him, so let them know, that they cannot please God in any other way but only in our religion. How miserable therefore, wretched, and fearful is their estate and condition? Let all such therefore lament this their misery, hearty thanking God that they understood it before their end, and whilst it is called to day let them not harden their hearts, but hear the voice of God yet calling them to his true religion, and knocking at the door of their consciences to be entertained with his truth. Let them seek the Lord whilst he may be found, and call upon him whilst he is near, Esa. 55. 6. least neglecting his grace offered unto them, the Lord remove his kingdom, and departed himself (as it were) out of their hearing, and so withdraw his mercies from them, and pour out his judgements upon them, that they stretch out their hands, and the Lord hide his eyes: they make many prayers, and the Lord hear not, Esa. 1. 15. they seek and there be none to be found to help them, joh. 7. 34. yea lest notwithstanding their seeking they die for all that in their sins, joh. 8. 21. Let such as now laugh at, and make (as it were) a Maie-game of all religion and the professors thereof, weep & mourn in time for their such laughing, lest the Lord also do laugh them to scorn in their misery, Psal. 73. 13. and do mock them when their fear cometh, Prov. 1. 26. bringing such heaviness upon them, that they cannot laugh though they would; yea and in the end casting them into the place of utter darkness, fear, & horror, where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth, Math. 8. 12. that is, in hell fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dieth not, and their fire never goeth out, Mark. 9 43, 44. Those also that hitherto have been secure and careless regarding no religion, let them likewise in time better regard such means, as whereby they may be drawn to our religion. THE FIFTH USE CONCERning weak and ignorant Papists. TO Papists also I say the same, especially to such as are Papists in a kind of conscience, that is, to such as are not of that religion of any obstinate and wilful mind, but because in ignorance they are persuaded their religion to be the right way, and ours to be a wrong or by-waie. I doubt not but that there are many such in the land. Yea I hope that many Papists are such. This I do hope of such Papists, as bring not forth those fruits that popery approveth of, whereof I have spoken in my sixth argument before, which are also merciful and ready to do good, not to them only of their own religion, but also to other. These I hope to be rather ignorant then wilful Papists: therefore I have also some good hope of their conversion in time, especially if it might please God to move their hearts, to have regard of the perfect law of god which converteth the soul, Psal. 19 7. And truly in the Christian love that I bear unto these, and in the pity and compassion I have of their souls (as I see them full of pity and compassion towards the bodies of other, and likewise to have many other excellent & commendable things in them) I have the rather set pen to paper for the writing of this treatise, to try if it might please my good God to bless my labour unto their good, even to the winning of them to our religion. For I protest unto them (and God knoweth I speak the truth of my heart, and lie not neither dissemble) that I so desire their salvation, that I would be gladder thereof then of all worldly wealth and good whatsoever. In the mean time me thinketh, that howsoever they be commended for many excellent things indeed not very common, yet all their commendation is very defective and lame, for want of commendation touching true religion. Yea certainly when a man hath said all that he can in commending such persons, and then saith that these were excellent men, or worthy women, were it not for one thing, that is, for their religion, this one thing wanting is more than all they have. For this one thing concerneth God, & all the other for which Papists are commonly commended, concern but men. And our Saviour saith, that the great and first or chiefest commandment, is to love the Lord our God, etc. Math. 22. 38. yea this is so great, that the other without this concerning men, not being grounded upon this, are not only little, but in truth touching themselves, nothing at all. For Christ calleth this not only the greater, but also the first commandment. Now where there is no first, there can be no second. Notwithstanding I hoping this want of true religion in them, to be (as I said) especially of ignorance, do therefore the better hope of their more easy conversion, and do the more hearty wish the same, that there may be no such defect in their commendation as there is, but that it may be more full and perfect. Such therefore having vouchsafed to read my former arguments, I do also most hearty desire according to right to judge of them. Some I have heard to have renounced popery, upon the sight of the great overthrow of the great Spanish Navy in our narrow seas, anno 1588. by the mighty power of God in our behalf: as Rahab hearing of the great and mighty works of God for the Israelites, renounced her own people, and was incorporated into the body of Israel, Ios. 2. 11. If that one argument before more largely handled in this treatise, did so greatly prevail to the conversion of some, how much more ought all the arguments before applied to this purpose, prevail with other in like sort? Let none therefore so lightly regard all such things, as whereby our religion is so commended, and popery so evidently evicted. 2 Let none oppose the religion of their fathers and forefathers, etc. to all other contrary arguments. Indeed David exhorteth Solomon to know the God of his father, and to serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, etc. 1. Chron. 28. 9 and this is an excellent instruction for all fathers to give unto their children, and likewise for all children to learn of their fathers, when as the fathers have known & served the same God that David had known and served, and that according to his word, as David had done: but if so be the fathers know not, neither serve that God, or not in that manner that God requireth; than it is a foolish and wicked instruction to be urged to the children by the fathers, or to be obeyed by the children, namely to know and serve the God of their fathers. 3 For when fathers have rebelled against God, & not walked in his statutes and ordinances, than the Lord oftentimes complaineth of the children that have walked in such steps of their fathers, and therefore also threateneth the greater and heavier judgement against them. In the 78. psal. v. 57 the Prophet complaineth of the wickedness of the Israelites, and amplifieth the same by like example of their fathers, They turned back (saith the Prophet) and dealt falsely like their fathers, they turned back like a deceitful bow. So Christ also speaketh unto the jews, as to a people past hope, & therefore biddeth them to fulfil also the measure of their fathers, Math. 23. 32. So likewise Steven amplifieth the sin of the jews by the like example of their fathers, Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised hearts and ears, ye have always resisted the holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye, etc. Act. 7. 51. Therefore also the Lord many times admonisheth the Israelites and jews not to walk in the ways, neither to do the works of their fathers. Harden not your hearts (saith one Prophet) as in the day of contention (or tentation) in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, etc. psal. 59 8. By an other Prophet God speaketh thus, I said unto their children in the wilderness, walk ye not in the ordinances of your fathers, neither observe their manners, neither defile yourselves with their idols, Ezech. 20. 18. So the messengers that Hezekiah sent forth to invite the Israelites to the Passeover at jerusalem, bid them not to be like their fathers, etc. neither stiffnecked like their fathers, etc. 2. Chron. 30. 7, 8. In like sort speaketh Zachariah, Be ye not like your fathers, etc. Zachar. 1. 4. Many other the like places are in the scriptures, whereby we see this argument not to be good; This was the religion of our fathers, therefore it shall be ours. 4 Yea certainly this is the very argument of many obstinate jews, for the defence of their idolatry, The word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hear it of thee, but we will do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the Queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, both we & our forefathers, jer. 44. 16, 17. Thus answered the wicked jews, and thus answered many Papists, saying, they will not hear the word of God, but will pray to the virgin Marie (whom they call indeed the Queen of heaven, as hath been showed before) and to other such heavenly things, for no other reason; but because they and their fathers have done so. But such Papists as love their own salvation, I exhort in the Lord, not to be so wedded to the religion of their fathers. Will any of you say thus, My father was a ttaytour to his Prince, and was therefore executed, therefore I also will be a traitor to my Prince, that I may beheaded, drawn, hanged, and quartered, as my father was? Some it may be, will not stick to say so: but all that are wise, will take heed of such words and thoughts. Therefore why also will you say, My father was a Papist, and idolater, and of that religion that God hath condemned, and so consequently a traitor unto God, therefore also will I be so? will any of you say, especially such as God hath advanced to great honour, or worship, and wealth in the land, My father or grandfather was a sadler, or butcher, or grazier, or husbandman, or of some other the like mean trade, therefore also I will be so? I think none so foolish: why then will ye say the like and ten times worse in religion? will any of you say, My father, or my mother, or both, had this or that bodily disease, and died thereof for want of remedy, therefore also I feeling the like in myself, will not be cured of it though I may? I think none so mad. Why then will ye say the like, touching such a grievous spiritual sickness of your souls, as popery is? why will ye die in your sins, and not be saved, O ye Papists, and many other that are not yet of our religion? 5 Neither do I say these things, as condemning yours and my forefathers. I condemn not them, but I condemn their religion. As for themselves I leave them unto the Lord, as not knowing whither they secretly repent or no of their popery before their end. If they did not repent, it is far more better to condemn them, then to condemn the word of God of any untruth, and God himself of any unrighteousness. Be ye not therefore like the adder that stoppeth his ears, refusing to hear the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. Be ye not unlike unto the first world, that seeing how miraculously and contrary to nature, the lions, bears, wolves, tigers, elephants, unicomes, hares, coneys, and such like cruel and wild beasts: the swallows also, kites, ravens, ostriches, eagles, and many other the like wild and ravening birds, came willingly and gently without any outward force compelling them to Noah, to go into the ark with him and with his family, Gen. chap. 7 vers. 7. would not yet believe, and therefore were drowned in the waters. Be ye not like the Egyptians, and many also of the Israelites, that seeing the great works of God against Egypt, and for the land of Zoan, would not yet believe, and therefore perished; the one in the red sea, the other in the wilderness. Be ye not like the jews, that did see the great and mighty works done by our Saviour and his Apostles for commending his gospel, and yet would not believe, and are therefore scattered upon the face of the earth, out of their own country unto this day; and that which is worse, are given over also to hardness of heart, & will not yet believe that the Christ and Messiah is come. 6 Verily God hath commended our religion (as we have before showed) to your ears, to your eyes, to your understanding, to your inward, to your outward, to your whole man. Take heed, take heed therefore that ye harden your hearts no longer. Ye have heard many arguments drawn from the word of God, ye have seen and do daily see his works against your own religion and for ours: O therefore stop not your ears, shut not your eyes. Yea, ye yourselves, (O ye that will be called Catholics) have fared and do far the better for our religion in England. Ye yourselves are partakers of the benefits, whereby the Lord hath graced it and doth grace it: ye live in much peace for our religions sake, ye enjoy your honours and dignities by our religion: yea, ye keep and increase your livings the better for our religion. For though some of you perhaps will say, that ye pay two hundred and forty pound a year for your religion, yet if ye were thoroughly examined, and would truly answer, ye could not deny, but that under pretence of this payment, ye save twice so much an other way. For this is certain, that none do purchase more lands, build goodlier houses, and hoard up more money, than some of them that pay the foresaid sum yearly. Think not that it should be better with you if the Spaniard might here prevail: ye are wise enough to see how vain such thoughts are, by his dealing in other places, where he hath won the goal. Do ye also hope of some better estate, if popery were again here revived without the Spaniard? perhaps ye should be deceived, partly by the old greediness of the Pope, the rather being now like an hunger-starved cur, that for his long want of the crumbs, bones, yea and good gobbets of meat that were wont to fall from the tables of England to his share, would now be insatiable: partly and especially by some other judgements of God that would follow popery. Sith therefore ye enjoy such benefits by us and our religion, as Laban fared the better for jacob, Gen. 30, 30. and Potiphar for joseph, Gen. 39 5. be not so unrighteous, as any longer to condemn that which God doth justify. Be not so unthankful, as any longer to refuse his great mercy, in calling you by such commendations of our religion to the embracing thereof. Now I say unto you as Paul saith unto Timothy, 2. Tim. 2. 7. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. Yea such understanding, as that I and all other that desire your salvation may rejoice, that the angels in heaven may rejoice, and especially that yourselves may rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious. THE sixth USE CONCERNING obstinate and wilful Papists. TOuching those that be obstinate, whither they be Papists or Atheists, professed or not professed, but rather according to Machivel his counsel (too much now esteemed and followed) making a show for the present time towards our religion: to such, I say, as will not be reclaimed and called back from their popery or profaneness, I give this counsel, that although they will not join hands with us in the true embracing and profession of our religion, yet they take heed always, that they neither speak nor do any thing against our religion, or the professors thereof. This counsel I give them in regard of themselves, because certainly the Lord will not forget the least opposition unto his name, or injury unto his serua●●s. Though many times he let them run their race a while, so as they think all is forgotten, yet (as I have said before of recompensing any kindness in word or deed showed to his people) at the last, though it seem to belong, certainly the Lord even in this life will meet with them or theirs, for their sin against his name, and wrong against any of his servants. In the 8. of Amos, v. 7. the Prophet telleth them that had devoured and swallowed the poor, by their extreme dealing with them in selling their corn at an unreasonable price unto them (as too too many do in this time of dearth amongst us) that the Lord had sworn by the excellency of Jaacob (that is, even by himself) that he would never forget that cruelty. Observe, good reader, orrather let such observe as of whom I speak, that he saith not, that the Lord had said only he would not forget, but that the Lord had sworn it by himself, teaching thereby, that except they did speedily repent, the Lord would most certainly punish that their great sin, because every word of God is certain, much more that word the which he confirmeth by an oath. If the Lord did threaten and swear the punishment of hard dealing with the common sort of the people, that for the most part are as poor in heavenly things, as in earthly, that is, whose wickedness is as great as their poverty, can any man hope of immunity and to go free, that speaketh or doth any thing directly or indirectly against that religion which he seethe to be acceptable unto God, or against those persons that profess the same, both which are as dear unto God as the apple of his eye. 2 Neither let this be understood only of religion and the professors thereof generally, but also more particularly of every branch of religion, of every good cause, and of every one dealing in such causes. The example of God his judgements upon divers malicious Papists before mentioned, do testify the same. So also do many examples in the scriptures. Though the sins generally of Ahab and jezebel his wife were many, yet the Lord threatened ruin unto them both and to all their posterity, chief for their sin against righteous Naboth, 1. King. 21. 20. the which was so fully executed by jehu according to the word of the Lord, that they paid most dearly for Naboth his vineyard, 2. King. 9 27, 33. & 10. 6. Though joash king of juda committed many sins after the death of good jehoiada the high priest, yet his putting to death of the Prophet Zechariah the son of the same jehoiada, is only mentioned as the chief cause why his own servants conspired against him and murdered him, 2. Chron. 24. 25. Though Haman had not fully effected his bloody purpose against Mordecai and the other jews, yet we know that the same measure by the righteous judgement of God was measured unto him, that he had only intended to have measured unto Mordecai, Est. 7. 10. 3 Here especially let us remember how God dealt with the Amalekites, only for withstanding the Israelites as they came out of the land of Egypt, Exod. 17. 8. First although the Lord did discomfort them before the Israelites at the prayer of Moses, when they first came out against Israel, yet did not the Lord satisfy himself with their overthrow of that day, but presently he spoke further against them unto Moses, vers. 14. saying, Writ for a remembrance in the book, and rehearse it to joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven▪ and again, v. 16. The Lord hath sworn, that he will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Afterward also the Lord opened the mouth of Balaam (whom Balak sent for to curse Israel) the Lord, I say, opened his mouth with a curse of destruction against the Amalekites. Nomb. 24. 20. Yea but perhaps these were but words. Words indeed they were, but yet afterward when that generation of the Amalekites which then lived, and four other at the least were dead and rotten, those words were fulfilled. For as long after this, as before we heard that God remembered the kindness of the Kenites for their good, the same God also remembered that sin of the Amalekites to their overthrow. For he sendeth Samuel with this mandate and commission to Saul against Amalek, 1. Sam. 15. 2. I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how they laid wait for them in the way, as they came up from Egypt: now therefore go and smite Amalek, and destroy all that pertaineth unto them, and have no compassion on them, but stay both man and woman, both infant and suckling, both ox and sheep, both camel and ass. This was four hundred years after the former sin committed. A man therefore would have thought, that God had not now any more thought upon it, for all his former note of remembrance. But the Lord remembereth when men forget, and think also all to be forgotten. Yea the Lord did so remember this sin, and doth so remember other the like sins, as that if he forbear the punishment for a time, yet at the last he cometh in also for arrearages. For in the former commission given to Saul, we see with what severity the Lord will have Saul to proceed against the Amalekites. Yea afterward in the same chapter, when Saul had been too remiss in the execution of that commission, the Lord raised up Samuel to do or see that to be done against Agag the king of Amalek, that Saul had neglected. 4 If therefore there shall be any such Papists or Atheists, as by no means will be reclaimed and drawn to our religion, in this treatise commended and proved to be of God and acceptable unto him, yet at the least let them take heed and beware of speaking the least word, and doing the least deed against it, or against any that love and maintain the same, for loving and maintaining thereof. Let them not flatter themselves. God is the same now that ever he was. And the more himself hath spoken or done for commendation and justifying this religion, the more that others raised up and also directed by him, have spoken, written, or done in the same behalf, the greater shall be the judgement in the end of all such, as shall not regard the same. 5 Now the success of all that I have written in this cause, I commit to him that is only able to give a blessing thereunto. The Lord therefore make us all that do already profess this religion, thankful unto him, for that he hath in his abundant mercy vouchsafed us the glorious light, the rich benefit, and the sweet comfort thereof. The Lord confirm and strengthen us to continue therein unto the end. The Lord enrich us more and more daily, with the faith, knowledge, love, and fear of God, with the righteousness, mercy, and all other virtues touching God or men, that it commendeth. The Lord fill the hearts of all great persons with more zeal to speak and do more for the advancing it, especially any special opportunity being offered. The Lord thereunto animate, encourage, and enable all his own Worthies, to defend it against all adversaries thereunto, with all honourable success. The Lord preserve, advance, and honour them, that have advanced and honoured it. Especially, O Lord, preserve, advance, and honour thy servant our dread Sovereign Queen Elizabeth: yea, O Lord, as thou hast set her higher than all other in her kingdoms, so still magnify thy mercy towards this Church and other Churches (which as it were suck of her breasts that never gave suck) in making her elder than any of her own people, especially then any of thine and he● adversaries. The Lord open both the eyes of such as have not regarded our religion, to see the glory of it, and also their hearts to embrace it. Finally touching such as be incurable, the Lord restrain them from doing that to the hindrance thereof, which Satan by them endeavoureth, and in the end do with them and to them that which shall be right in his own eyes. Amen. AN ADDITION OF CERTAIN DAINties of Popery, collected partly out of their popish service books, and partly out of the writings of some princi palls Doctors of special account in the popish church, when popery itself was at the highest. Having in my former general treatise against popery, and in defence of our religion, charged popery to be a religion maintained and upheld by unlawful means, and whereof both matter and form are contrary to that religion which the Scriptures commend to be acceptable unto God; yea to be a religion maintaining open blasphemies against God and Christ jesus, and wherein there is scarce any worship of God at all. Having also charged it to be a religion wherein nothing is done to God his glory, but all things almost referred to the glory of the Pope, of Saints, of the wooden, stony, golden, or painted cross, etc. of relics of saints, of men, etc. Having affirmed it to be a religion that teacheth no obedience to the ten commandments of almighty God, but that alloweth disobedience unto every one of them, and that therefore it is a religion altogether licentious, lose, and full of carnal liberty. Having showed it to be a religion without all found joy & comfort: having blamed it as a ridiculous and foolish religion, nothing savouring the excellent wisdom of God: having likewise added, that it is plausible and well liking to the natural and unregenerate man, and therefore altogether disliking and unpleasant unto God: and finally having objected to the chief times of popery, great blindness and ignorance, as touching the sound and true knowledge of God, so also touching other good learning in the learned tongues, and in all learned arts; and having in the said treatise firmly, though but briefly, proved all these things (that so I might not therein be over-tedious to the reader) since the finishing of the former work, I have thought good to make this addition following, for the more evident and plentiful demonstration of all those things before mentioned. Such therefore as desire to see all things before touched and objected to popery more largely opened and proved, such (I say) I call to this addition, wherein they shall see the words of the popish Church itself, more amply to justify all my former words: yea they shall here see not only their own words, bu● also their own syllables, their own letters, their own points. For as nigh as I could (& yet in some things I may slip, because I found it an harder matter to set down their false manner of writing, then if all things had been truly penned by them) as nigh, I say, as I could, I have written all things in this addition (abbreviations only excepted) in the very same sort that I find them written in their own books. Let not therefore the Christian and learned teader be here offended, either with the rudeness of the latin itself, or with the false manner of writing thereof, without observation of any rules of orthography. For as sentences are written here without any true points, as I have set down the words themselves, without dipthongs, without great letters for the most part at the beginning of sentences, and especially of proper names one letter also sometimes for an other, as K for C, Y for I, and such like, and adverbs that should be accented without any accents, as (I say) these things are set down by me; so did I find them, & so shall the reader find them in ancient books out of which I have taken them. And thus I have the rather done, that thereby their ignorance, their blindness, and rudeness, even in the latin tongue (whereof notwithstanding they made most profession) might the more evidently appear even to the children, that have learned any rules of grammar. Touching the matter itself of these things here added, it is either so blasphemous, that it will make any christian heart to tremble at the reading or hearing thereof; or so foolish and ridiculous, that any man of reason, will think it more fit for a stage, then for the Church, the place of God his worship, and to make sport withal, rather than to have the name of religion. In this addition, for the most part I have set down the latin itself, that so all men may the less suspect my faithfulness in reporting their words. Notwithstanding sometime, when there is no special thing in the latin, either for phrase, or for manner of writing, worthy the noting, and especially when the latin is very long, I have for brevities sake, either altogether omitted the latin, or only set down the beginning thereof, sometimes also noting some special words in the margin. Now although this addition may at the first seem somewhat large, yet to the reader it need not be very painful, for that one half is in a manner the whole: because if the reader be learned, understanding the latin tongue, than he may read the latin only, omitting the english. If the reader know no other tongue then the english, than the reading only of the english will be sufficient. Now to come to the things themselves, which here I purpose to add, I will first begin with their popish service books, and proceed from them to the writings of some of their chief Doctors, and finally conclude this whole addition with some of the miracles of the virgin Marie. Now because their service books are full of many blasphemies, as wherein they give so many of God his peculiar attributes unto the Saints, especially to the virgin Mar●e, and to the cross, yea to the bare sign of the cross, that in truth, they leave nothing to God himself: I will only select the principal of them wherein are the highest blasphemies, and omit the other, as being of more labour to be written, then of use to be read. These that follow are such, that it may be many did never think so foolish and abominable stuff had been in their books, until they did see their own words. 2 Therefore, out of a book, entitled (in some impressions) horae beat virgins Marie ad legitimum sarisburiensis ecclesie ritum, etc. I have gathered these things following: These prayers following aught to be said, ere ye depart out of your chamber at your uprising. The Apostle teacheth to pray with understanding, but of thes prayers following, as the language was unknown to the common people, so the sentences of them do not agree one with an other. leaf 7. first side. Auxiliatrix sis mihi irinitas sancta● deus in nomine tuo, levabo manu● meas. Crux triumphalis passionis domini nostri Ies● Christ●. Jesus Nazarenus rex● Iudeor●●m: filled dei miserere mei, In nomine patris & filii & spiritus sancti. Amen. per signum sancte crucix X, libera nos deus salutaris noster: that is in english. Help me O holy trinity. O God in thy name will I lift up my hands. The triumphant These sentences agree like light and darkness. Note that here and many other places, they say not by the cross itself, but by the sign of the cross. cross of the passion of our Lord jesus Christ. jesus of Nazareth the king of the jews: O son of God have mercy on me. In the name of the Father, the Son, & the holy Ghost. Amen. By the sign of the holy cross, deliver us O God of our salvation. Again in the same leaf: When thou goest first out of thy house bliss thee, saying thus, Crux triumphatnis domini nostri jesu Christ, ecce viuifiee crucis dominicum sanctum, fugite parts adverse. The triumphant cross of our Lord jesus Christ. Behold the Lords sign of the quickening cross. Avoid ye that are my adversaries. When thou takest holy water say thus. Aqua benedicta, sit mihi salus & vita: presta mihi domine per hanc creaturam aspersionis aque, sanitatem mentis, integritatem corporis, tutelam salutis, securitatem spei, corroborationem fidei, nunc & in futuro, Pater noster. ave Maria. This blessed water be unto me health and life, work in me O Lord, What warrant have they thus to pray. by this creature of sprinkling of water, soundness of mind, hailenes of body, preservation of health, security of hope, strength of faith now and for the time to come. Our father Hail marry. leaf 8. B. 3 In the 16. leaf B. there is a goodly picture of an old man with a long beard, and a flashing woodknife hanging by his side, wanton kissing a woman: the mystery whereof passeth my capacity, but underneath are written these english verses, or rather rith me doggrel. How Marry the mother and virgin Visited Elizabeth wife of Zaehary Four sweet and artificial verses. Which said blessed be thou cousin. And blessed be the fruit of thy body. 4 In the 20. lease B. is a blasphemous picture of the trinity, having three faces in one head and within one body. This picture is in many other places, both of that book and also of many other. This shall be sufficient to have spoken thereof once for all. In the leaves following follow a multitude of idolatrous and blasphemous prayers, some to Saints, named in the Scripture, some to other. I know not what, neither I think do they well know what they were. These prayers I will here omit, partly that I may not be too tedious, partly because I have touched the sum of some of them in my treatise before named. Notwithstanding I will here express some of the most special prayers, and many of the titles set over the prayers in english, for the commendation of the latin prayers following such titles. To omit many titles wherein are pardons of sin granted only for many days to all that shall devoutly say the prayers annexed to such titles, I will especially set down such titles as have the largest pardons, or wherein besides the pardon is some especial folly worthy the observation. 5 ●o the 55 leaf B 〈…〉 this title, This prayer was shewea to S. Barnard, by the messenger of As gold is better than all other metals, so prayers to the virgin Marie are better than prayers to God. To the saying of the like prayer is promised, that he shall not die without penance and ministration of the holy sacraments. fol. 51. A. of the same book. Gog (this word perhaps should be God, yet in truth Gog were fit) saying, that as gold is the most precious of all other metal, so exceedeth this prayer all other prayers: and who that devoutly saith it, shall have a singular reward of our blessed Lady and her sweet son jesus. ●hen followeth the prayer itself to the virgin Marie, wherein are those epithits which I have noted in my former treatise. Ancil●● Trinitatis, gloriosissima regina patriarcbarum, magistra evangelistarum, veracissima, and such like. 6 In the 59 leaf B. according to some impressions, but according to some other in the 50. leaf there is this title. These be Let the Papists try the truth of the first promise here made, and likewise of the last, by the conversion of 15. of their next kindred, and the strengthening of other 15. already righteous. the 15. ●●os, the which the holy virgin saint Brigit●a was wont to say daily before the holy rood in S● Paul's church at Rome, who so say this a whole year, he shall deliver 15. souls out of Purgatory of his next kindred, and convert other 15. sinners to good life, and other 15 righteous men of his kind shall persevere in good life. And whit●ye desire of God ye shall have it, if 〈◊〉 be to the salvation of your soul. After that great title follow the 15. 00s themselves, as O Domine jesu. etc. 7 In the 62. leaf B. according to some other impressions 54. leaf B. followeth this title over a prayer to Christ himself. To all them that before this image of pity devoutly say 5. pater noster, and 5. ave and a credo, piteously The Papists in prayer must look ●oure as the hypocrites, Math. 6. 16. beholding these arms of Christ's passion, are granted 32755. rears of pardon. And Sixtus the 4. pope of Rome hath made the 4. and the 5. prayer, and hath doubled his foresaid pardon. 8 In the 65. leaf A. is this title following over an epistle of the cross, the which epistle also I have annexed, excepting only the sign of the cross so often made therein with red ink as the word cross is used. The title followeth. This epistle of our saviour A beggarly pardon for the Pope's magnificence to send to an Emperor. sendeth our holy Father pope Leo to the Emperor Carolo magno, of the which we findest written, who that heareth this blessing upon hi●, and saith it once a day shall obtain xl. years of pardon and lxxx. len●ige, and he shall not perish with sudden death. The epistle itself as they call it: Crux christs sit mecum. crux est quam semper adoro. crux christi est verasalus. crux christ● super at omnem gladium. crux christi solvit vincula mortis. crux christi invincibilis per arma. crux christi immobile signum. crux christi sit michi via virtutum & virtus. per crucem divinam aggrediar iter. crux christi pandit omne bonum. crux christi fugat omne malum. crux christi abstulit penam eternam. crux christs salva me, sisque super me ante me & post me, quia antiquus hostis fugit ubicunque te viderit. O altitudo crucis, quam numquam altitudo tetigit & profunditas quam nunquam profunditas vallavit, & latitudo, quamnunquam latitudo comprehendit, libera me simulum tuum ab omnibus diabolicis artibus, & pessimis cogitationibus, quae in me manent. Tu diabole fuge ame ut nesciam te, & sicut tues abscissus a celo, sic te abscidat spiritus sanctus a me, 〈◊〉 sicut tu es alienus ab omnifelicitate, sic tu sis alienu● a me: & sicut nunquam desideras deum, sic nunquam desideres ad me venire. Fuge diabole a me famule dei per signum sancto crucis. ecce crucem domini fugite parts adverse, vicit leo de tribu juda, radix, David, alleluiah & benedicti● dei patris omnipotentis & spiritus sancti. Cru● Christi descendat super me & mecum maneat semper. Amen. pater noster, ave Maria. The same in english. The cross of Christ be with me. It is the cross which I do always worship. The cross of Christ is true salvation. The cross of Christ over cometh every sword. The cross of Christ looseth the bonds of death. The cross of Christ cannot be over come by any armour. The cross of Christ is an immovable sign. The cross of Christ to me the way of virtues and virtue itself. By the divine cross I will take my journey upon me. The cross of Christ layeth open every good thing. The cross of Christ chaseth away every evil thing. The cross of Christ hath taken away eternal punishment. The cross of Christ save me and be upon me● before me and behind me, because the old enemy fleeth wheresoever he seethe thee, O height of the cross, which never height touched. and O depth, which never depth undermined. and O breadth which never breadth did contain, deliver me thy servant from all the sleights of the devil, and from the evil things which remain in me. Avoid thou devil from me, that I may not know thee. And as thou art cut off from heaven, so the holy Ghost cut thee off me: and as thou art far from all felicity, so be far from me And as thou never desirest God, so never desire to come to me. Avoid devil from me the servant of God, by the sign of the holy cross. Behold the lion of the tribe of juda, & the root of David hath gotten the victory. Praise the Lord. And the blessing of God the father almighty, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghost. The cross of Christ descend upon me and abide with me for ever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Marry. 9 To this epistle let me add a prayer to the cross, out of the hours of the virgin Mari●, according to the custom of the church of York, in the 165. leaf, in manner and form following. Signum sancte crucis defendat ●e a mortis preteritis, presentibus & futuris, interioribus & exterioribus. Signum sancte crucis a persecutione diaboli & omnium inimicorum meorum liberet me. hoc signaculo persternantur omnes adversarij mei & fugiant. per hoc signum sancte crucis a periculis mundi liberet me dominus▪ that is, The sign of the holy cross defend me from evils passed, present, and to come, inward and outward▪ the O forgetful S. Paul which entreating of christian armour, didst never think upon the sign of the cross. sign of the holy cross deliver me from persecution of the devil and all mine enemies. By this little sign let all mine adversaries be laid prostrate and put to flight. By this sign of the holy cross, the Lord save me from the perils of the world. 10 In the former hours of the virgin according to the use of Salisbury, in the 69. leaf B. there is this title over the head of a prayer to God. This prayer was showed to S. Augustine by revelation of the holy Ghost, and Make much of this prayer, for it is something worth, if all be true that is promised in the title. who that devoutly say this prayer, or hire red, or beareth about them, shall not perish in fire or water, neither in battle nor judgement, and he shall not die of sodden death, and no venom shall poison him that day: and what he asketh of God hi● shall obtain, if it be to the salvation of his soul: and when thy soul shall depare from thy body, it shall not enter to hell. 11 In the same book the 71. leaf A● there is this title over a prayer to Christ. This prayer made the worshipful S●Beda of the 7. last words which our saeu●our Jesus Christ spoke hanging on the cross, who that saith it kneeling devoutly neither the devil, nor wicked men shall not hurt him, and he shall not die without confession. 12 In the next leaf A. there is this title and prayer following. These 5. petitions and prayers made saint Gregory, and hath granted to all them that devoutly say these 5. prayers with 5. pater noster, 5. ave Maria, and acredo in deum, 500 years of pardon. oratio. ave manus dextra Christi perforataplaga tristi nos ad dextram iube sisti quos per crucem redemisti: pater noster, ave Maria. ave plaga Jesu leva, sic confixa manu s●ua, nos ab eo malo leu●, quos perduxit matter Eua. pater noster. ave Maria. ave latus lanceaium, unde fluxit flumen gratum prebe nobis conducatum ad eterne vite statum. pater noster. Au● Maria. ave vulnus dextri pedis cellam mentis pietedis Dum adeum sepe redis esto nobis spes mercedis. pater noster. A. ●e Maria. Aueplaga, leave plant qua virtutum crescunt plant nos ab hoste supplantante contuere post & ante. pater noster. In all this rhythm they do nothing but salute the right and left hand, as also the right and left foot of Christ pierced with nails, and likewise his side thrust through with a spear. They do only (I say) salute these members of Christ thus wounded for us, with an All hail. Then which what can be more ridiculous? For not to speak how childish a thing it is, to speak any thing unto these members of Christ his material body, thus severally considered, and that without any the like examples of the Apostles, even when they did see Christ bodily present after his resurrection, both whilst he was conversant and also when he ascended up into the heavens before them; it is also a very toy to bid all hail, either unto them, or unto any other thing in the heaven. For what is the meaning of All hail? truly either it is a phrase of wishing well unto that whereunto it is spoken, or it exhorteth to rejoice and be▪ merry. In which therefore of the significations shall it be applied to those members of Christ, or to any other thing already advanced unto heaven? 13. In the same leaf B. there is this title following over a prayer to all the members of Christ. This prayer shall ye say in the worship of all the members of Christ devoutly, and ye shall have 300. days of pardon for every salve. Then followeth the prayer itself in latin. But because I find it somewhat enlarged in a new manuel service book pretended to be reform by the authority of the late council of Trent, and published by the commandment of Pope Pius the fift, anno dom. 1580. I will therefore here set it down in that ample manner in which there I find it. The inscription of the prayer in that book page 318. the volume being in 16ᵒ is this. Salutationes ad omnia membra Christi, & suiipsius adeum commendatio. that is. The salutation of all the members of Christ and the commendation of himself unto him, The prayer itself in latin. Salve tremendum cunctis potestatibus caput Domini jesu Christi salvatoris nostri, pro nobis spinis coronatum & arundine percussum. Salue speciocissima salvatoris nostri jesu Christi facies pro nobis sputis & alapis caesa. Saluete benignissimi jesu Christi salvatoris nostri oculi pro nobis lacrymis perfusi. Salue mellifluum os gutturque suavissimum Domini nostri jesu Christipro nobis fell & aceto potatum. saluete aures nobilissime Domine jesu Christi salvatoris nostri pro nobis contumeliis & opprobrijs affectae. salve collum humile jesu Christi pro nobis colophizatum, dorsumque sanctissimum pronobis flagellatum. Saluete venerabiles Domini nostri jesu Christi manus & brachia pro nobis in cruse extensa. salve pectus mitissimum domini nostri jesu Christi saluateris nostri pro nobis in passione conturbatum. salve latus gloriosum Domini nostri jesu Christi pro nobis lancea perforatum. Saluete Domini jesu Christi salvatoris nostri, sacra misericordia genua pro nobis in orationibus flexa saluete Domini jesu Christi salvatoris nostri pedes adorandi pro nobis clavis affixi. salve totum corpus jesu Christ● pro nobis in cruse suspensum v●lneratum, mortuum & sepultum▪ salve sanguis preciocissime de Corpore Domini jesu Christi salvatoris nostri pro nobis effuse▪ salve sanctissima Domini nostri jesu Christi anima in cruse pro nobis in manus patris commendata. In eadem commendatione tibi commendo hody ac quotidie animam meam, cor & corpus meum, omnes sensus & actus meos, omnes amicos, benefactores, filios & consanguineos meos, animas parentum, fratrum, sororum, & omnium amicorum ac inimicorum meorum, ut nos protegere liberare & defendere digneris ab omnibus insid●is inimicorum nostrorum, visibilium & invisibilium nunc & in perpetuum. Amen. The same in English. Good morrow, O head of the Lord jesus Salve. is a word of salutation used especially in the mornings, & therefore I have translated it Good morrow, rather than otherwise. Christ our Saviour, which art to be feared of all powers, having been crowned with thorns for us and smitten with a reed. Good morrow most beautiful face of our Lord jesus Christ, spit upon and beaten for our sakes. Good morrow most benign eyes of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour, washed with tears for us. Good morrow honey sweet mouth and most pleasant throat of our Lord jesus Christ, filled with gall and vinegar for us. Good morrow most noble ears of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour, contumeliously and opprobriously handled for us. Good morrow most humble neck of jesus Christ buffeted for us, and most holy back scourged for us. good morrow venerable hands and arms of our Lord jesus Christ, stretched out upon the cross for us. good morrow most gentle breast of the L. No salutation of the belly of our Saviour often pinched with hunger for us, Math●. 2. & 20. 18. jesus Christ our Saviour, greatly disquieted for us in thy passion▪ good morrow glorious side of our Lord jesus Christ, thrust through with a spear of a soldier for us. good morrow sacred knees of mercy of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour, bowed in prayers for us. good morrow, O feet to be worshipped of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour pierced Nothing is here for the thighs and legs of Christ, though often by walking wearied for us. through with nails for us. good morrow O whole body of Christ hanged on the cross, wounded, dead, and buried for us. good morrow most precious blood shed for us out of the body of the Lord jesus Christ our Saviour. good morrow most holy soul of our Lord jesus Christ commended upon This whole salutation is but a plain mockery of Christ, there being no warrant thereof, or of the like in all the Scriptures. the cross into the hands of the father for us. In the same commendation I commend unto thee to day and every day, my soul, my life, my heart and body, all my senses and actions, all my friends, benefactors, children and kinsfolk, the souls of my parents, brethren, sisters, and of all my friends and foes, that thou wouldst vouchsafe to protect, deliver, & defend us from all snares of our enemies, visible, and invisible, now and for ever. Amen. This salutation of the members of Christ, I have the rather taken out of their service book lately reform, that no man might think it to be of those follies whereof some of the Papists themselves begin to be ashamed. 14 In the very next prayer in the same book made to the virgin Marie, they give her the same titles which before in the treatise I have collected out of their more ancient books. For they call her matrem orphanorum, the mother of orphans: consolationem desolatorum, the consolation of the desolate: viam errantium, the way of them that stray: salutem omnium in se sperantium, the health of all that trust in her: fontem misericordiae, fontem salutis & gratiae, etc. the fountain of mercy, health, and grace, and so forth as before we have heard. In the same book, page 327. they commend unto her faith and custody, and into the bosom of her mercy, to day, every day, and in the hour of death themselves, their souls and bodies, yea omnem spem & consolationem, omnes angustias & miserias, vitam & finem vitae: all their hope and consolation, all their afflictions & miseries, their life and the end of their life, etc. Sith therefore they commend all these things into the hands of the virgin, what do they leave to be commended into the hands of God? In the very next prayer in the same book, besides other blasphemies, they pray unto her to be their comforter, and thereunto they add these words, & apud eundem tuum & dei natum v● ●igenitum in die novissimo, quando cum omnia & corpore sum resurrecturus, & de singulis meis factis rationem redditurus, me digneris iuvare, ut perpetue damnationis sententiam per te pia matter & virgo valeam evadere, & cum electis ●ei omnibus adeterna gaudia feliciter pervenire: that is, that with the same thy son and the only son of God, thou wilt vouchsafe so to help me, that when I shall rise again with soul & body, & give account of every thing that I have done, by thee O godly mother & virgin, I may avoid the sentence of eternal damnation, & with all the elect of God happily come to everlasting joys. These things have I taken out of their new and best reformed service books, that no Papist should make any simple man believe that although their old books of service had some such blasphemies, yet their new books were altogether purged of them. For by these few things, it is evident, that albeit they have ministered some physic to their old service, yet hath it not so wrought, but that it hath left the grossest humour unmoved, so that the substance of the chiefest impieties do yet remain. 15 Now to return a little to the former old book according to the custom of Salisbury, in a prayer to the virgin leaf 51. B. in some books, in some leaf 42. A. they call the virgin dominam gloriae, reginam letitie, fontem piesatis, venam misericordiae, sanctitatis libertatem, iocunditatis amenitatem, splendorem celi, dulcedinem paradisi, domiwm angelorum, sanctorum letitiam, virginum gemmam, felicem & beatam dominam. that is: The Lady of glory, the queen of joy, the fountain of piety, the vain of mercy, the freedom of holiness, the pleasure of sport, the brightness of heaven, the sweetness of paradise, the lady of angels, the rejoicing of saints, the pearl of virgins, the happy and blessed lady. Then they commend unto her, totum corpus & animam, totam vitam, quinque sensus corporis, omnia facta & mortem: that is, the whole body and soul, their whole life, the five senses of their body, all their works and their death: then they add, cum sis benedicta in eternum & ultra: that is, forasmuch as thou art blessed The Papists have a time longer ●h● exernitie. for ever and beyond. 16 In the 73. leaf A. of the same book, there is a pardon of ten hundred thousand years for deadly sins, granted by the holy father john 22. pope of Rome, to all them that shall devoutly say three prayers to Christ there following, which were found written in the chapel of the holy cross in Rome, otherwise called sacellum sancto crucis septem Romanorum. 17 In the 75. leaf there is this title to a prayer unto Christ. Who that devoutly beholdeth The Papists obtain pardons not only by prayer but also by bare looking. this arms of our Lord jesus Christ, shall obtain six thousand years of pardon of our holy father S. Peter first pope of Rome, and 30. other pope's of the church of Rome successors after. And our holy father pope john 22. hath O that this pope john had still lived: for he was of good nature and full of pardons. granted to all then very contrite and truly confessed that say these devout prayers following in the commendation of the bitter passion of our Lord jesus Christ, 3000 years of pardon for deadly sins, and other 3000. for venial sins, and say first a pater noster and ave Maria. 18 In the 78. and 79. leaf there is a long luxurius title of a prayer, wherein to every one that shall say the prayer to jesus devoutly, with a contrite heart daily, is made this promise: Note that by popery, one in the state of damnation, and therefore altogether without faith, may merit God his favour for his discharge. that if he that saith that prayer be in the state of eternal damnation, his eternal pain shallbe changed him in temp●rall pain of purgatory, or if he hath deserved the pain of purgatory, it shallbe forgotten and forgiven through the infinite mercy of God. 19 In the 125. leaf of some books, of some other the 123. leaf, there are these words over certain verses of the psalms. When S. Barnard was in his prayers, the devil It seemeth to be no small honour for S. Barnard to be the devil his scholar: yet Barnardus non vi 〈…〉 omnia. said unto him, I know that there be certain verses in the sawter, who that say them daily shall not perish, and he shall have knowledge of the day that he shall die, but the fend would not show them to S. Barnard▪ then said S. Barnard, I shall say daily the whole sawter. The fend considering that S. Barnard should do so much profit to labour so, he showed him these verses. Then follow these verses, entitled, versus sancti Beruardi. By these prayers and pardons annexed unto them, such liberty is granted, as that popery seemeth to commend nothing but prayer. For what good soever a man omitteth, or evil soever he committeth, pardon (ye see) may be obtained for the same, by saying devoutly their prescribed prayers. It is likewise to be observed, that if a man may have so large a pardon of all his sins (as before we have heard) for saying some one prayer, then for saying all the prayers, what letteth but that he may have all the pardons before mentioned? And then also what followeth? forsooth either that Christ shall not need to come unto judgement; or that he shall not come till all that time for which all those pardons are granted be expired; or that purgatory shall continue after his coming. Otherwise what needed pardons for so many hundred, so many thousands, yea so many millions of years? THE SECOND PART. 1 IN an other popish service book, like unto the former, called Portiforium se● Breviarium ad usum ecclesie Sarisburiens●s, castigatum, suppletum, marginalibus quotationibus This book was printed at Paris, anno 1555. adornatum: that is, A Portus or breviary, for the use of the Church of Salisbury corrected, supplied, and adorned with marginal quorations, etc. In this book I say to omit the like blasphemous prayers to the virgin Marie as before have been noted. I find these special things following, not mentioned in the former. For the translation of Saint Martin, there are these things read for the second and third lesson. Lectio secunda. Anno sexagessimo quarto post transitum beati Martini, beatus Perpetuus predicte sedis episcopus: corpus beati Martini, transfer disposuit, convocatisque vicinis Abbatibus & clericis, & cum hoc in kalendis ●ulij agere vellent, vigilata prius una nocte, per totam diem laborantes, nihil proficiebant. Tunc quidam ex clericis ait. Scitis quod post tridu●, natalis episcopatus eius est: & fort in hac die nos transferr●se admonet. Lectio tertia. Quarta autem die accedentes non valebant movere sepulchrum. Pavore autem omnes exterriti vasculum terra cooperire cogit abant. Tunc apparuit eis veneranda canitie senex, dicens se abbatem: & ait quid turbamini & tardatis? Nun videtis beatum Martinum astantem vobis iuvare paratum: simanus apponatis, & iactans pallium posuit manum cum alijs ad sarcophagim. Quod pratinus cum summa levitate commotum: in locum quo nunc honoratur tu●● hymnis domino annuente perducitur. Post haec requiritur senex, nec exite visus est, nec ibi invenitur. The second lesson. In the 64. year after the death of blessed Martin, blessed Perpetuus bishop of the sea A tale of Saint Martin read in the Church for a lesson. aforesaid (that is, of Towers in France) determined to translate the body of blessed Martin. And having called together the neighbour abbots and learned men, when they would have done it the first day of july, having first watched a whole night, they did also labour a whole day and did no good. Then one of the learned men said, Ye know that after three days, is the birthday of his bishopric, and peradventure on that day he admonisheth us to translate him. The third lesson. But when they came the fourth day, they could not remove the sepulchre. Now being stricken with fear, they thought to coue● the vessel with earth. Then appeared unto them an old man with a reverence, door headed, that called himself an abbot: and he he said, Why are ye troubled, and why prolong ye the time? do ye not see blessed Martin standing by you ready to help, if ye put to your hands? And throwing away his clock he put to his hand with other unto the sepulchre; the which presently with very great case being removed, was by the favour of God, brought to the place, where now it is honoured with hymns. After this they sought for the old man: but neither was he seen to go forth, neither did they find him there. 2 In the translation of Thomas Becket, many blasphemous prayers, and some other Many blasphemous prayers in the translation of Thomas Becket. things are in the same book mentioned. First of all thus they pray unto God, Deus qui nobis translationem beati Thome martyris tui atque pontificis celebrare concedis: te supplic●● exoramus, ut eius meritis & precibus a vitijs ad virtutes, & a carcere transferamur adregnum: that is, O God which grantest us to celebrate the translation of blessed Thomas thy This Thomas (as our Chronicles testify) was put to death for treason, yet see how they honour him. martyr and bishop, we humbly beseech thee that by his merits and prayers, we may be translated from vice to virtue, and from prison to a kingdom. After that they say, apparuit ei dominus & dixit, Thoma, Thoma glorificabitur in sanguine tuo ecclesia mea: that is, the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Thomas, Thomas, my church shall be glorified in thy blood. In the sixth lesson for his translation, they S. Thomas 〈◊〉 miracles. speak of many miracles that he did, namely that he restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, and life to the dead. Then they pray again, jesus Christ per Thome vulnera quae no● ligant relaxa scelera, etc. jesus Christ by the wounds of Thomas lose the sins which do bind us. Then they say in further commendation of him, Felix locus, felix ecclesia in qua Thome viget memoria: felix terra que dedit presulem: felix illa que fovet exulem. Happy is the place, happy is the church wherein remaineth any memory of Thomas: happy is that land which gave him for a bishop, and that likewise entertained him a banished man. Again, Thome cedunt & parent omnia: pests, morbi, mors, & demonia, ignes, aer, tellus & maria. Thomas mundum All things obe● Thomas and he filleth the world with glory. replevit gloria: Thome mundus prestat obsequia. All things give place and obedience unto Thomas: pestilences, sicknesses, death and the devils. The fire, the air, the earth and the seas. Thomas hath filled the world with glory. The world yieldeth humble service unto Thomas. Then follow the eight & nine lessons for the said Thomas Beckets day; the sum of which lessons is this. A certain man desirous to visit his shrine, for prayers sake, meeting with a car upon Kainford 〈◊〉. Thomas sa●eth a man from drowning. bridge by London, was thrown into the water. He remembered therefore Thomas, and prayed unto him, that he might not be drowned. Now although he sunk five times to the bottom, and still came up again, yet he did earnestly protest, that he felt no grief either in his mouth, or in his nostrils, but that only in his falling, he took a little salt water He also added, that when he began to be drowned, a certain bishop supported him, that he could not be drowned. Then they note that the translation of Thomas was consummated ann. 1220. in the nonce of july, about three of the clock, but whether in the morning or evening they tell us not, in the 40. year after his suffering. After they say, Aqua Thome quinquie● varians calorem (that perhaps should be colorem) in lac s●mel trans●●t & quater in cruorem. The water of Thomas five times changing the heat (or rather S. Thomas his water turned into milk and blood. the colour) was turned once into milk, and four times into blood. Then they add. Ad Thome memoriam quater lux descendit, & in sancti gloriam, cereos accendit. For the remembrance of Thomas light descended four times, and lighted the wax candles unto the glory of the saint. Then they pray. Tu pro Thome sanguine, quem prote impendit, fac nos christ scandere, quo Thomas ascendit. For the blood of Thomas which for thee he did spend, cause some of us, O Christ to climb thither, where Thomas did ascend. And after that to Thomas himself they pray thus: Opem nobis O Thoma porridge, rege stantes, iacentes erige, mores, actus & vitam c●rrige, & in pacis nos viam dirige. Reach forth thy help, O Thomas unto us, governeus standing, raise us up lying, correct our manners, our works, our life, and direct us into the way of peace. Afterward they salute Thomas, thus: Salve Thoma virga justice, mundi iubar, robur ecclesiae, plebis amor, cleri delitie, salve gregis tutor ecclesiae: salve tue ga●dentes glory. Good morrow Thomas the rod of justice, the sunbeam of the world, the strength of the Church, the love of the common people, the delight of the clergy. Good morrow O governor of the flock thy Church: save them that rejoice in thy glory. Besides many foolish and ridiculous things in these words that I have noted concerning the foresaid Thomas, who seethe not also many horrible and outrageous blasphemies, in that that many things proper only to God and his Son Christ jesus, are attributed unto him whereby he is made even equal with God and with Christ jesus. In the feast of relics, first reading these words, Matth. 5. at that tim● jesus seeing the multitude, went up into a mountain, and when he was set his disciples came unto him. Then they make this gloze upon them: Mons in quo sedit dominus mystice significat, maiora precepta justitiae, quia minora erant queiudeis data sunt, etc. Mystice etiam sessio domini incarnatio eius est, etc. that is, the mountain in which the Lord did sit, doth mystically signify the great precept of justice, because they were the less which were given unto the jews. The sitting also of the Lord is mystically his incarnation. Is not this clerkly done? 3 In the fift and sixth lessons of S. Margaret's day there is this history in effect. S. Margaret being in close prison for the christian faith, prayed unto God that cum inimico latente facie ad faciem haberet conflictum, that is, she A notable fight of S. Margaret. might fight face to face with the secret enemy. Arising therefore from prayers she saw a terrible dragon, ready to swallow her up with his jaws: but by making the sign of the cross, he broke in the mids. After she saw an other devil sitting like a black man, and having his hands bound to his knees: but she took him by the hair and laid him all along upon the earth, and set her right foot upon the crown of his head. Then she prayed, and suddenly light shined from heaven in the prison: and the cross of Christ was seen even to heaven, and a dove sitting upon it, say, Blessed art thou, O Margaret, the gates of paradise do look for thee. Then giving thanks to God, she said to the devil, enarra mihi naturam tuam. Tell me thy nature. The devil said, Take away thy foot from the crown of my head that I may tell thee. This being done, the devil said, I am as one of them whom Solomon shut up in a brazen Solomon a conjuror. devils may be locked up in vessels. vessel: and when the Babylonians came, they thought that it had been full of gold and broke it open, and by this means we flew out, and ever sithence we have laid snares for the just. After these and many other things the virgin said unto him, Avoid O tempter Satan. Then the earth opened her mouth and received him. 4 In the seventh and eight lesson next another tale of the said Margaret. following is added this history of the said virgin Margaret. The governor Olymbrius having grievously tormented her, commanded her to be bound hand and foot, and put into a great vessel of water. The virgin prayed that that water might be made a fountain of baptism unto eternal life. Then was a great earthquake, and a do●e came from heaven, and set a crown of gold upon her head. By this sight, five thousand men were converted, besides women and children, all which by the commandment of Olymbrius were beheaded: and he seeing her constancy commanded her in like manner to be put to death. Being brought forth therefore to the place of execution, she desired the hangman to give her leave to pray. This granted, and her prayer made, that every one that should write her sufferings, or read it, or hear it, or make mention of it, might merit pardon of This maketh well for me that writ this history, so also for all them that shall read it, etc. his sins, etc. This prayer (I say) made to this effect, and more largely, there were great thunders, and a dove came from heaven, saying, Blessed art thou, O spouse of Christ Margaret; behold Christ hath granted all thy petitions, come therefore into the rest of thy heavenly country. Then she lifting up herself, bad the hangman execute his master's commandment. But he said, God forbidden that I should kill thee. She answered, if thou dost it not, thou canst have no part with me. Then he trembling, cut off her head, and falling at the feet of the virgin, he gave up the ghost. 5 Many other like fabulous things are reported in the same book of other the like saints: as of Saint Osmond, Saint Kenelm the King of the seven sleepers, of whom they The 7. sleepers. read likewise for a lesson in the church, that they fleeing persecution, and laying them down in a cave to sleep, continued there sleeping 362. years. Likewise of Saint Oswald the king: of Saint Laurence: Saint Dionis. and his fellows: Saint Edward the king: of Saint Wenefred the virgin: of these, I say, and many other the like saints, many fabulous things are there reported, which I might here have added: but having been long already in these service books, I dare not presume further upon he patience of the reader. For this cause also I forbear further addition of many most foul and blasphemous prayers in the feast of the exaltation of the cross, the rather also because I have noted the like before. 6 Now it may be, some will here object against these things thus gathered out of their service books, that albeit it be most true indeed that sometimes there have been such prayers and such pardons annexed unto them, yet now the church of Rome hath utterly disclaimed and revoked them, and likewise reform such books as now especially they use. To this I answer first, that if there be any such revocation and reformation of the foresaid ridiculous toys and horrible blasphemies, because they were ridiculous and blasphemous, then thereby it is granted, that the time hath been when the Church of Rome was a foolish and blasphemous Church, and their religion likewise foolish and blasphemous. For otherwise, what needed they to have revoked such things or to have made any reformation of them? Secondly, I demand where this revocation and reformation is. They will perhaps wonder at this demand, sith I myself have before named their late book entitled, officium beatae Mariae virginis nuper reformatum, & pij quinti pontificis maximi iuss●● editum, that is, the service of blessed Marie the virgin lately reform, and by the commandment of Pius the fift high priest published. They will perhaps refer me to this book itself, as pretended to be reform; and especially to the preface thereunto prefixed by the said pepe Pius, wherein is a kind of revocation of some former services of the virgin. 7 Touching the book itself, I do only repeat my answer before made, namely that this book is but only said and pretended to be reform, and not reform in truth at the least of the substantial points most to be regarded. This is manifest by such ridiculous & blasphemous prayers, as I have before noted out of the same book, still remaining therein. Therefore in setting this title before the book, The service of the Virgin lately reform; they do but as many a false tailor doth with the garment which he hath marred in making: and as some careless cooks with the meat which they serve unto their master's table, not thoroughly roasted or boiled. As the tailor being blamed for the fault of the garment, promiseth to mend it, & taking it home with him, bringeth it again facing out the owner that he hath mended it, when he never did any thing more unto it then at the first, at least to any purpose: and as the cook being rebuked for his negligence, oftentimes notwithstanding sendeth in the meat the second time as better roasted or boiled, when either he never did put it again on the spit or into the pot, or if he did that yet it had never a turn more nor any more seething: even so the church of Rome being justly blamed for the gross and foul blots of their former service books, have taken it again into their shop or kitchen, but yet returned it unto us, or rather unto their mistress and lady, only giving this word reformatum, reform, that is, facing us or rather their mistress and lady, omnia esse bene, that is, that all things are well, when in truth the chief and most principal absurdities and blasphemies do yet remain. 8 Concerning the preface unto the former book so pretended to be reform, I grant that therein seemeth to be a kind of revocation or disannulling of some former service The ancient popish service books before mentioned, are not now disannulled or revoked by the church of Rome. books, but not of such service books, as out of which I have gathered the things before set down. For in the same preface, after the revocation and disannulling of their former service books which it doth revoke and disannul, followeth a very large exception of three branches: the first, is of books printed in the latin tongue: the second of books whose institution was expressly approved and allowed by the Apostolic see: the third of books that had been in use for two hundred years before. The revocation therefore and inhibition is only of books published in the vulgar tongue, whose first institution was not allowed by the apostolic sea, and which had not been used above two hundred years. 9 Now the books out of which I have gathered the former stuff, are not within the compass of the said inhibition, but do still remain in force by the former exceptions. For although the titles and pardons prefixed to the prayers in them contained be in the english tongue, yet the prayers themselves and the other subject matter of the said book is all in latin. Again their first institution was allowed by the Apostolic see: otherwise they would never have had such public use and sufferance, especially in Cathedral churches as they had. Lastly although some few prayers (as one in king Henry, and an other the pardon whereof was granted at the instance of Queen Elizabeth wife to king Henry the seventh, and a few more perhaps (although I say some such prayers of late edition, are here and there inserted, yet as touching the principal substance of the books, that they have been in use, far above two hundred years, it may evidently appear to them that will compare the divers books of divers impressions together. Wherefore as I have heard that some great men in their last will and testament, have sometime made a gift unto their wife of all their household stuff, all their plate, all their golden chains and bracelets, all their rings and jewels whatsoever, and yet afterward have excepted so many of the former things, and given them to their other friends, that their former gift to to their wife, hath not come to any great value, notwithstanding all the former great words: even so, although the foresaid pope Pius the filled, see me at the first to make a large Inhibition, yet the exceptions following make the former inhibition in a manner nothing worth: because there were scarce any former service books, which might not challenge their former use and allowance, by some of those exceptions. Now further although in the same new book above mentioned, Pius quintus do also admonish all constantly to believe, that in some former books not within chose former exceptions comprised, many feigned prayers are interlaced, sub falsis & confictis sanctorum nominibus, under false and counterfeited names of saints, and that there is no certain authority of the church for indulgences and pardons of sins granted unto them that say many of those prayers so interlaced; although (I say) this admonition be given by that holy father, yet this maketh not against those prayers and titles by me before expressed. For many of them are made to God or Christ jesus himself o● to the virgin Marie; & the other (at least for the most part) to such saints, as whose names are not counterfeited, but most certainly known to be such saints as the Romish church hath always worshipped. This therefore shall suffice to have noted out of their books of common service. THE THIRD PART. NOw I come to note something likewise out of some of the principal popish Doctors. Here I will do as the merchant doth in selling his wines unto the vintner. For as he giveth not a taste of every vessel, but only assuring the vintner the rest to be like unto those whereof he giveth a taste; so likewise will not I give the reader a taste of every popish vessel (for that were infinite to me to write, and to him to read) but only I will deliver him a taste of some few, that thereby he may see what all the rest are, being of the same vintage, or at the least of the grape of the same country. But what? do I compare popish books to vessels of wine, which is in price with all men, and which is said to delight God and man? judg. 9 13. nay rather I may compare them to vessels of filthy and fusty vinegar, whereby many have been & are deceived, as the which they have bought in stead of most wholesome and delectable wine. As therefore a faithful friend that would have his friend to take heed of being so deceived, doth not give him a taste of every such vinegar cask, but only of some and those of the best, assuring him that such or worse are all the rest: so likewise will I give the reader a taste of the doctrine and writings of the greatest and most famous popish writers, whereby he may know the other to be like or worse. Here first I will begin with the works of one Bernardine de Bust●: and that all men may know that this man was no obscure person, but of high account for an exceeding profound clerk, and his work likewise in as great reckoning in the popish Church, before I go down into the cellar itself to give a taste of the liquor in the vessels therein, I think it not amiss to point the reader unto that, which for the drawing of customers to buy the ware itself, is written as it were upon the do●e. 2 This writing is double. The inscription, or title written (as it seemeth by the author himself,) and the approbation, allowance, and commendation thereof by other. The first written with great letters, that all that pass by may read the same, as it were running (as the Prophet speaketh in an other matter) is this. Mariale eximij viri Barnardini de Busti, ordinis seraphici francisci, de singulis festivitatibus, beat virgins per modum sermonum tractans, omni theologia copiosum, denique utriusque juris authoritatibus, applicatum, & arte humanitatis effectum in omnibus allegationibus promptissimum. that is in english. The marial of the renowned man Bernardine This work setmet● to have been published anno dom. 1480. as appeareth by the date of the Apostolic writing of Po●e 〈…〉 tu●●he 4. forth allowance o● the service o● the virgin therein contained. see the 49. lease 〈◊〉. of Busti, of the Seraphical order of Francis, entreating by way of sermons, of all the feasts of the blessed Virgin, flowing with all divinity, and finally with the application of authorities of both laws, replenished also with the skill of humanity, and most ready in all allegations. In this title the word marial signifieth only a work made in commendation of the virgin Marie, as it is manifest by the whole book following For although the whole book being in a large quarto, and printed with a small letter contain 407. leaves, which is above a hundred sheets of paper, yet through the whole book is God scarce named, except only for the further magnifying of Marie. The word Seraphical, is taken for Seraphim, which signifieth burning or shining, attributed in the scriptures to angels, to signify their excellency. Yea the Papists making nine degrees of angels (as we shall afterward he are) do make the Seraphims the highest degree of all. Therefore this tittle here attributed to this Bernardine, doth signify that he was not only such a doctor as they accounted angels, but also such an one as they esteemed angelical and excellent in the highest degree. All the rest of the words in this inscription, put us in great hope of most profound learning of all sorts in the work itself. 3 Thus much for the inscription. The approbation of the work by other is set down in the end of the table, thus: Quia secundum constitutiones, etc. for ●on●it the whole latin, as being too long. The english thereof is this: Because according to the constitutions of the Order of Minority friars, especially of observants, no new work ought to be printed, except it be first diligently examined and allowed by some learned and approved brother, specially thereunto appointed by the general prelate of the same Order. Therefore the most reverend father friar Angel of Clanasi beyond the mountains, by his l●tters hath deputed the venerable father friar Dominike de Ponzon of the same order an apostolic preacher, to see and diligently to examine the work under written: who having diligently read the same, hath not only allowed it, but also exhorted the author thereof to cause it to be printed, writing unto him these verses underwritten, Bernardine ideo Bustina, a gente vetusta, te tulit omnipotens veneranda ad septaminorum, etc. The rest of the verses for brevity I omit. The sum of all is, to encourage him to publish the learned work, and to assure him of everlasting praise thereby throughout the world. After these verses follow other of the same author to encourage all men to the reading of the book. By these things we see in what account both the man and the work is with the popish church. 4 In the work itself there are first of all nine sermons for the immaculate conception of the virgin Marie, that is, to prove her conception without sin. All these are so impious and blasphemous, that I cannot tell what special thing almost to note, except I should set down the whole sermons. The chief matter itself of these sermons being so injurious unto Christ jesus, and so contrary to all the scriptures, which with full consent condemn all flesh of sin (Christ himself only excepted) how can the sermons themselves be free from impiety? Notwithstanding even of these first nine sermons I will give the reader a taste, that thereby he may discern the great divinity, and other learning, both of the foresaid author, and also of the popish church which so allowed of them. In the first therefore, the partition thereof being learnedly made into three parts: 1●. oppositionis, 2●. responsionis, 3a. confirmationis, in the beginning of the second leaf; afterward in handling the third of those parts in the 7 leaf, at the letter L. he layeth this ground, that bonus fil●us tenetur diligere matrem, a good son is bound to love his mother, & eam ab omnibus periculis & damnis secundum suampossibilitatem liberare, and to deliver her from all perils and dangers according to his power; then he setteth up this piece of building upon the foundation, Concludendum est, quod ipse cui omnia futura erant presentia, a cunctis malis & damnis peccati originalis eam volverit prescruare, ut boni silij debitum adimpleret, etc. that is, it is to be concluded that he to whom all things are present, would preserve her from all evils and dangers of original sin, that he might perform the duty of a good son. Is not this learnedly concluded? Nay what boy seethe not how doltish and blockish an argument he maketh? For first of all, Christ was not the son of the virgin Marie till he was conceived and borne of her: therefore neither was he bound to perform any duty unto her till that time. Secondly Christ was not the son of the virgin, as he was God, but as he was a man, and the mediator betwixt God and man. As he had no father according to the flesh, so he had no mother according to the Godhead. Again by the same argument he might have concluded, that Christ should also have preferred her to the uttermost of his power in earthly things: for this is also the duty of children as well as to keep their parents from evils. Lastly so also he might have proved the virgin's mother and other friends to be conceived without sin. For children are not only bound to their next parents, but also to their forefathers, and other kindred to keep them from all evils, & to help them touching all good things what lieth in them to do, and so in the end it would follow that no flesh is conceived in sin. For by progression we should come at length to the first parents not of the virgin only, but also of all mankind, etc. 5 The second sermon being made of these words, psal. 87. 1. fundamenta eius in montibus sanctis, her foundations are in the holy mountains, and this scripture spoken of the Church generally being applied unto, and chosen to speak particularly of the virgin Marie: this second sermon (I say) is divided into the very same three parts that we have heard of the former. Notwithstanding to show his learning and rhetoric, he calleth these three parts by other names: Prima (saith he) dicetur argumentationis. 2. satisfactionis. Note his rhetorical copia verborum. 〈◊〉 3. probationis. The english of these parts, as likewise of other such words of art afterward, I leave to the learned reader. In the second of those parts, thus he writeth in the 9 leaf at the letter P. Licet propter peccatum originale, clausa sit ianua regni celestis, tamen no● seq●●tur necessario, quod quicunque absque peccato original● moriebatur an●e passionem Christi, deb●●et illam nitare, quod sibi esset aperienda. N●m Hieremias & johannis Baptistam utero matris sanctificate, mortui sunt sine peecato originali, & non intraverunt tamen ianuam r●gni celestis. that is, Although by original sin the gate of the kingdom of heaven be shut, yet it doth not follow, that whosoever did die before the passion of Christ without original sin did enter therein; because it was to be opened unto him. For leremie and jeremy and john the Baptist borne without original sum. john the Baptist being sanctified in the womb of their mother, died without original sin, and did not enter into the gate of the kingdom of heaven. 6 The third sermon is upon a text out of the Macchabees. This sermon he also divideth as the former: but still he showeth his eloquence, as though he had a well of words in his head. For thus he setteth them down: The young scholar may do well to note the great variety of Synonimons in this doctor. Here for brevity I have omitted certain authorities quoted out of their popish distinctions. 1. dicetur contrarietatis 2. veritatis. 3. stabilitatis. In the third part of this sermon thus he writeth, Cum papa sit Christi vicarius, etc. & gerat vicem dei in terris ex quo sequitur quod habet plenitudinem potestatis, etc. & illud quod facit presumitur facere authoritate dei, etc. ideo ipso approbant aliquid & nos approbare debemus. Immo ipsitis sententiamagis est standum quam sententie totius mundi. that is in english: Sith the pope is the vicar of Christ, & God's vice gerent upon earth, from whence it followeth that he hath absolute authority, and that which he doth is to be presumed that he doth by authority of God; therefore that which he alloweth we ought to allow, yea we are to stand more to his sentence then to the sentence of all the world, etc. Then upon those premises he concludeth the approbation of his service, made for the immaculate conception of the virgin, etc. whereof I will also give the reader a taste after that I have delivered him the taste of these nine sermons. 7 The fourth sermon hath the three parts of the former sermons, but set down with new words (it a inexhausta erat huius doctoris eloquentia) thus: 1. dicitur impugnationis. 2. defensionis. 3. corroborationis. In the first of these he maketh this objection against the immaculate conception of the virgin. Omnis homo qui per concubitum viri & mulieris natus est, est in peccatis conceptus. Every man that is borne by the copulation of a man and a woman is conceived in sin. This he proveth as by the testimony of Augustine in the first place, so also in the second place, by the testimony of our Saviour Christ, Math. 7. every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but an evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Then he addeth, that forasmuch as the parents of the virgin were evil, therefore it must needs follow that she was conceived in sin. How doth he answer the former argument in the second part of the sermon, which he calleth defensionis? Alas poor signie, he is so troubled with it that he cannot tell what in the world with reason to say to it. For first he saith that God that gave that law, that all that were borne of sinful parents should be conceived in sin, might cha●ge that law about some particular person; and this he proveth by the testimonies of certain former schoolmen: then he addeth that the former testimony of Augustine applied to confirmation of the former argument, is to be understood with this caution, nulla special● gratia interueniente, cui oppositum fuit in casu nostro: that is, no special grace coming between, whereof the contrary is in our case. But this contrary he only affirmeth without any proof at all, yea without any one word more. Then he addeth an other answer to the testimony of Augustine, as fearing the former not to be sufficient. vel dicere possumus quod Augustinus loquitur, de his qui concipiuntur interueniente concupiscentia parentum, quali modo non fuit concepta matter dei: that is, or else we may say that Augustine speaketh of those which are conceived with the concupiscence of their parents, in which manner the mother of God was not conceived. How also doth he prove this? forsooth he referreth us to the second part of the work, and the first sermon thereof, and third part of the first sermon. And what have we there? verily nothing but a long tale out of the Legend of the virgin Marie, to this effect. That her parents loachim and Anna having lived for the space of xx. years without issue, did at the last vow that if God A pretty tale of the manner of the virgin's conception. would give them issue, it should be the Lords. Afterward according to their yearly manner, coming to the feast of the dedication of the temple, joachim offered his offering. But the priest rejected it, and rebuked him for presuming to come to the altar, being 〈◊〉 man under the curse of the law, for want of issue. joachim being put to this shame, returned not home but went a side to his shepherds, where having stayed a while, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and comforted him, telling him that the former reproach was not well objected against him, because God was a revenger of sin, not of nature: and that when the womb of any is shut, God doth it that he might open it the more miraculously, and that that which is so borne, might be known to be divin● muneris, non libidinis, of God his gift, no● of lust; this that angel proveth by the examples of Sara, Rahel, and mothers of Samson and Samuel. In fine the angel telleth him that his wife should have a daughter, which should be called Marie, and that she should be sanctified from the womb, and that according to their vow she should be the Lords, not living abroad with other men and women, but keeping always in the temple, and that she should also bring forth a son which should be called jesus, and which should be salvation to his people, etc. This is the sum of that matter whereunto he doth refer us. Now what proof is this of that whereunto it is applied? First of all, this is taken but our of the Legend of lies: and if it had been 〈◊〉 truth, would not the Scripture as well have mentioned the same, as it doth matters of far less importance? Again though it should be granted for a truth, yet it maketh no more for the conception of the virgin, without lust of her parents, and without original sin, then for the like conception of Isaac, of all the children of Rahel, of Samson, and of Samuel. And by the same argument might all those be proved to have been conceived without original sin, as well as the virgin Marie. Lastly if this tale were truth, then either the parents of the virgin Marie broke their vow, or the virgin herself did not like of it, or both. For the scripture teacheth no such thing, yea it teacheth the contrary, namely that Marie lived not in the temple continually at jerusalem, according to the former word of the angel, and vow of her parents, but at Nazareth in Galilee, many miles distant from jerusalem, Again if there had been any such vow of the parents of the virgin, or any such revelation of the angel, would the virgin have betrothed herself unto an husband? or could she so do without actual sin. And if the angel had before told her parents, that she should be conceived by the holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, whom she should call jesus, would she have so wondered at the second declaration thereof by the angel Gabriel to herself as she did? Luk. 1. 3. would she have said, how shall this be seeing I know not a man? Thus much for the learning of the great doctor in his fourth sermon of the immaculate conception of the virgin. 8 For his fift sermon, he seemeth to take four texts: 1. certain words of Anselmus, Candor est lucis eterne, etc. 2. certain words Four texts for one sermon. of Ambrose, quid nobilius dei matre, etc. 3. certain words of Ecclesiasticus, chap. 44. pulchritudinem candoris eius admirabitur oculus. 4. certain words of Solomon (but I cannot tell where) candour est, etc. then proceedeth to the parts of his sermon, saying, Super quibus verbatres considerationes faciemus. primadicitur ostensionis. 2. testificationis. 3. appellabitur figurationis. Are not these parts (O ye learned readers) learnedly set down? and may not the learn dost of you all, learn some what by this old learning? yea but mark as great learning also in the handling of every one of these parts. For he telleth us touching the first part, that the conception of the virgin without sin, may be proved by 14. arguments. O wonderful; had not a just dozen been sufficient, especially with one odd argument to have bound up the rest together? But what are these 14. arguments? they are thus set down. 1. dicetur appellationis. 2. equationis. 3. concessionis. 4. filiationis. 5. salutationis. 6. verificationis. 7. verisimulationis. 8. approbationis. 9 presumptionis. 10. nobililationis. 11. subiectionis. 12. parturitionis. 13. liberationis. 14. superationis. Suitable also to these terms of arguments, is the matter itself. For to omit other things, thus he expoundeth and handleth the seventh argument. Sexta (saith he) dicitur verificationis. ut enim verificentur, verba que dicuntur, in missa beat virgins & habentur proverb. 8. necesse est dicere illam sine originali peccato conceptam. Ibi enim dicitur in eius persona. Dominus possidet me in initio viarum suarum. quod non esset verum, si in conceptione sua fuisset beata ●irgo a diabolo per peccatum possessa. Nihil enim potest per duos dominos sub perfecto domino possideri. that is, The sixth reason is said to be of verifying. For that the words may be verified, which are said in the mass of the virgin, and are also in the 8. of the Proverbs, we must of necessity say, that she was conceived without original sin. For there it is said in her person, The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, which were not true, if the blessed virgin had been possessed of a devil through sin in her conception. For nothing can be kept in perfect government by two lords. Who seethe not how foolishly and blasphemously he apply that to the virgin Marie which is spoken of wisdom? Might he not have eased himself of much labour about the immaculate conception of the virgin, and by the same argument have as well proved her not to have been conceived at all, but to have been eternal? it cannot be denied. For in that place Solomon speaketh of the eternity of wisdom, by wisdom also understanding Christ jesus himself, the wisdom of his father. Yea this Bernardine himself also doth so understand wisdom, in his sixth sermon de anunciatione Marie, leaf 189. the first side and 35. line. The like learning the same seraphical clerk showeth in the third part of that sermon, where he proveth the immaculate conception of the virgin by 12. figures. The first whereof he maketh the first woman in the first creation, Gen. 3. inimicitias ponam inter te & mulierem & semen tuum & semen illius & ipsa conteret caput tuum. I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, she shall bruise thy head, etc. Where (according to their manner) most falsely and impiously that which is spoken of Christ, they apply to the woman, saying she shall bruise, for he shall bruise. The third sign they make the ark of Noe. The fourth the ark of the old testament, Exod. 25. the fift certain words out of the 24. of Ecclesiasticus, (Vbi (saith he) in persona virginis dicitur, Quasi palma exaltata sum, etc. I am exalted as a palm etc. The sixth out of the same place, 〈◊〉 quasi plantatio rose in Hiericho, and as it were the planting of a rose in jerico. The seventh out of the same place, quasi myrrha electa, etc. as precious myrrh. The eight out of the song of Solomon, chap. 2. 2. Vbi (saith he) celest: s sponsus inquit de sponsa sua virgine benedicta, Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter fi●●a●. where the heavenly bridegroom speaketh of his spouse the blessed virgin; like alilie amongst the thorns, so is my love amongst the daughters. Where that which is spoken of Christ his whole Church, they interpret only of the virgin, so making her both the mother and also the wife of Christ. The ninth figure they take out of the same song, chap. 6. Que est ista que progreditur, quasi aurora● that is, according to their translation, Who is she that goeth forth in the morning? Here also they commit the same fault that before. The tenth they take out of psal. 192. dies diei eructat verbum, etc. that is (as they speak) day speaketh unto day. The 11. figure is out of the same psalm, vers. 4. in sole posuit tabernaculum suum; that is (as they also interpret) he hath set his tabernacle in the sun. The 12. out of Num. 24. orietur stella ex jacob, there shall arise a star out of jacob. Who reading all these things, will not admire their monstrous learning? 9 The sixth sermon following is of the same stamp, divided into these three parts: 1. dicitur rationabilitatis. 2. authoritatis. 3. 〈◊〉 ultima appellabitur exemplaritatis. The reasons of the first part are ten: 1. mendationis. 2. perfectionis. 3. reportationis. 4. concursionis. 5. demonstrationis. 6. figurationis. 7. medicationis. 8. locationis. 9 destinationis. 10. affirmationis. 10. For the 7. sermon he taketh his text out of Gen. 1. God said let there be light, and there was light. This and that which followeth, and God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness; that also joh. 1. 5. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. All this, I say, he and many other whom he nameth (if he lie not, for I cannot examine all his authorities) apply to the virgin Marie. Then he cometh to the division of his sermon, where of again he maketh the three parts thus: 1. dicetur fundationis: 2. operationis. 3. fructificationis. The arguments of the first are as followeth. 1. gratificationis. 2. desponsationis. 3. preseruationis. 4 optationis. 5. punitionis. 6. mediationis. 7. exaltationis. 8. evitationis. 9 similationis. 10. actionis. 11. liberationis. 12. debellationis. 13. coniunctionis. 14. deviationis. 15. renelationis. In the handling of the fift of those arguments, thus he writeth: Si beata virgo fuit conceptain peccato originali, sequitur quod ipsa fuit plus odita a deopro illo tempore, quam Ca●● aut Iudas vel quicunque alius damnatus, quod est impium & nefarium d●cere. & probatur predicta conclusio, sequendo doctrinam predictorum doctorum, etc. Nam quanto pena includens culpam est maior & gravior, tanto talis peccator a deo magis oditur, sed pena virginis fuit maior, quia plura bona perdidisset, & non propter aliud nisi quod deus ipsam in peccato concipivoluisset. Igitur ●llo tempore illam deus plus quam alios odio habuisset. Non enim est aliud odium dei quam subtractio gratie. Sicut dilectio ipsius dei nihil aliud est, quam gratie communicatio, etc. that is: If the blessed virgin had been conceived in original sin, it followeth that she was more hated of God than Ca●n or judas, or any other that is damned, which is impious and wicked to say. And the former conclusion is proved by following the doctrine of the foresaid doctors, etc. For how much the punishment, including the fault is greater and heavier, so much the more is such a sinner hated of god. But the punishment of the virgin had been greater, because she should have lost more good things, and for no other cause● then because God would have her conceived in sin. Therefore at that time God should have hated her more than others. For the harred of God is nothing else but the withdrawing of grace, as his love is nothing else but the communicating of his grace. These things shall suffice for a taste of those nine learned sermons, the which in truth have almost as many blaphemies as they have words. THE FOURTH PART. 1 AFter those sermons followeth officium beat virgins, that is, a service for the blessed virgin. This service consisteth of many dishes of meat made ready for the virgin by the former cook. But before this service, according to the manner of Princes, is sounded a trumpet of great commendation, by no meaner person than the most blessed father Pope Sixtus the 4. For the foresaid service being presented to his holiness, The service must be honourable that hath such a trumpet sounded before it, & that by such a trumpottour. that he might appoint some other of his wisest and gravest divines to examine the same, and upon examination taken to be trumpettours for the proclaiming of the praises thereof, he answered that he himself would do it. Having therefore examined it, he allowed it, first by his word of mouth commanding it to be published, and secondly by a short apostolical writing, ratifying and confirming the same, with these word● in the end of that ●a●ification and confirmation, for the better credit thereof, Non obstantibus constitutionibus & ordinationibus apostolicis, ceterisque contrar●is quibuscunque. The meaning whereof is this, that no other constitutions and ordinations apostolical, neither any other contrary services whatsoever, should let or hinder the same, leaf 49. B. Then followeth a● other solemn commendation of that se● vice in the inscription or title thereof: and after all this solemnity cometh ●he serui● itself to the table, the first dish where is this: 2 Dixit dominus dominemee, sede a dextr● innocenty me: that is, The Lord said unto m●● lady, sit thou on the right hand of my innocency. Again, Laudate pueridominā super omnes gentes in conceptu gloriosam. O childre● praise ye the lady above all nations, glorious in her conception. Again, Letatus sum in 〈◊〉 que dicta sunt mih●, concepta est hody regina ce●●. I rejoiced in those things that were said unto me, to day is conceived the queen of heaven. Again, Laudate Hierusalem dominam, quia non fecit taliter ulli nationi, sicut fecit dilectissime matri. Praise the Lord, O jerusalem, because he hath not dealt so with any nation, as with his most beloved mother. 3 The second dish is this. Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum, antequam quicquam faceret a principio. ab eterno ordinata sum, & ex antiquis antequam terra fieret. nec dum erant abyssi cum ego tam concepta eram. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing at the beginning. From everlasting was I ordained, from of old before the earth was made. There were no depths, and I was now conceived. 4 Betwixt these dishes and those that follow, our lady must have a little music, and there is the hymn or song: Gaude matter salvatoris magni vell●s Gedeonis; Rubus igne qui non uris verum templum Salomonis. Sponsa dei, stella maris porta celi tu v●caris; Mundi salus sevientis caput cedens Holofernis. Mare sicco call transis currus mergens Pharaonis; Inque S●on dominaris pulsis inde jebuseis. Asuexi regis sceptrum Caput tangens virgo tuum; mori fecit laqueatum Aman sanctis inimicum. Babilonis rex in predam non abduxit te captivam; Philistei nec Golie es transfixus pugione. Sicut suum sol nitorem nunqunaem per dit nec decorem; Primipatris sic tu labem nullam sentis nec fetorem. Tu soloccasum nesciens junaque semper rutilans; Tusydus lucem pariens, delicti nubes profugans. Nunllus in te con●identes unquam vidit infelices; Vere tibi nam devotus est necesse sit beatus. Ad te ergo nos clamantes in hac valle lacrymantes; Adnuptias eternales fac venire triumphantes. Rejoice of jesus mother dear Thou fleece of noble Gedeon: Thou bush that burnest not with fire, Thou temple of true Solomon. Of God the spouse, of sea the star, Of heaven the gate thou called art. To raging world thou didst give health, To Holofernes deadly smart. In sea thou walkest as on dry land, Drowning Pharaoh with his rout: In S●on also dost thou reign, By chase jebusites thence out. The sceptre of king Assuere, Touching, O virgin, head of thine; Did cause proud Haman hanged to be, Who against thy saints did still repine. Of Babylon the king in pray Did not away thee captive lead: No Philistine Goliath stout, With sword could kill or lay the dead. As sun his brightness doth not lose, But still his beauty keepeth well: So thou of first father no stain Dost feel, or any filthy smell. Thou art the sun that goest not down, Thou art that moon which still giust light: Thou art the star which always shines, Thou clouds of sin drivest out of sight. None such as once do trust in thee, Did ever see unhappy man: But he to thee that is devout, Must blessed be as any can. To thee therefore we loud do call, And in this vale with tears do cry: That to the eternal marriage We may once come triumphantly. 5 Then followeth an other dish with an other fit of mirth: after which follow many other dishes, which they call by the name of lessons, because they were to be read upon the several days of the feast of the conception of the virgin, as we read certain portions of scripture for several lessons of several days. These lessons I had thought to have set down both in latin and english for the better credit of them, but because I see they would be too long I will therefore make choice of some of the most dainty of them, and those also I will set down but partly in latin, and wholly in english for brevity sake. 6 This therefore following was the fifth lesson for the second day of the feast of her conception. Beatus Bern. post mortem suam, etc. that is in english, Blessed Bern. an abbot after his death appeared all shining to one of his brethren. Now all his apparel being The word translated brethren, may also be trā●●ted ●riars, etc. white in his breast only there seemed a spot of a very black colour. His brother enquiring where he had received that black spot, he answered; I thought good to appear unto thee with such a spot, because whilst I lived, I was in an error, thinking the mother of our In quadam exti●● non vir● opinions Lord to have received the Original stain. Therefore my son, tell unto the faithful people, what things thou hast seen. 7 The sixth lesson for the same day is this, In revelationibus beate Brig●tte habetur, etc. that is in english. In the revelations of b●essed Bridgit it is reported, that a certain chaplain of hers, a famous doctor of sacred divinity named Mathias, entreated blessed Bridgit, Si benedicta virgo Maria ab originali fu●● vi●io detur pata. saying. I beseech thee, O daughter, vouchsafe to reveal unto me, if the blessed virgin Marie were defiled with original sin. Blessed Bridgit answered, I did once desire the most pure virgin to show me the manner of her most holy conception, and she answered; Know that I coming of my parents joachim & Anna● was preserved from all pollution of sins. The foresaid brother hearing these things, presently laid aside his opinion, and yearly preaching, he did most devoutly celebrate the feast of the immaculate conception. 8 For the fourth lesson of the third day of her conception, they read this: Legitur in quodam beati dominici opusculo, quod cum regularis esset canonicus, etc. that is, It is read in a certain work of blessed Dominick that when he was a regular Canon in the Bishopric of Tholossa, he disputed with certain heretics, which affirmed many conclusions contrary to truth. Now amongst other opinions they preached this unto the people, namely that the virgin was not preserved from original sin. When blessed Dominicke saw that he could not persuade them the truth, he took this order with them; that both sides should put their conclusions together in a burning oven, and Taliter cum ●is convenit. that those should be accounted for true, which should not be consumed by the heat of the fire. They put therefore their conclusions in the midst of the fire, amongst many other things, saying that the virgin Mary was defiled with original pollution. Blessed Dominick affirmed the contrary. Presently therefore the devouring flame consumed the false conclusions of the heretics. But the most true sayings of blessed Dominick, remained in the mids of the burning flame, for three days together without any hurt at all, and no sign of fire appeared in them. 9 For the fifth lesson of the same day they read this tale following. In regno Vngarie quidam This might well herfor the papists have a thousand ways to poison and secretly to murder their own catholic King's▪ yea and their own pope's. Might not they therefore much more secretly take away the life of one that so openly oppugned such a chief principle of their religion. theology magister, etc. that is, In the kingdom of Hungary a certain master of divinity, preached before the King against the conception of the undefiled virgin, saying, that she was sanctified, but not conceived without stain: who so soon as he had thus unreverently spoken these things, received the punishment of this boldness, and presently gave up the ghost. In the city also of Tholosa a certain friar feared not to preach in like manner. But having ended his sermon, he came to a certain chapel to say mass. In this chapel there was an image of the glorious virgin graven in marble. When therefore the f●ier presumed to go up to the altar, the blessed mother of God the virgin showed him a very terrible and angry countenance, and turned ( a Was this possible in the lady of pity. Here seem to want these words, from sin: but this defect is in their latin itself. ) her face from him: and so she continueth to this day. 10 For the sixth lesson of the same day, they read this, In ducatu Subaudiensi juxta montem sancti Bernardi, etc. that is, In the duke high of Subaudia, by the mount of S. Bernard, a certain friar seeing the women going to the preaching of the conception, rebuked them, saying, that the most pure virgin was not in her conception preserved by her beloved son: and he addeth, If it be so, I desire this miracle to be showed upon me by the blessed virgin, that I may die before the evening. So therefore it came to pass. For in the same hour the other friars found him hanged by the feet and dead. 11 In the fourth days service for the fourth lesson, there is a trim tale of a very eloquent friar in Tholosa, who for preaching against the conception of the virgin, was presently rend in sunder & devoured of a wolf, etc. 12 In the fift and sixth lessons for the same day, there is a long tale out of Anselmus for justifying the immaculate conception of the virgin. This tale being too long to set down word for word, I have thought good to set down the sum only thereof in this manner. The Danes taking it grievously that William the Conqueror had taken England from them, and that so they were as it were deprived of their inheritance, made all preparation that might be for expelling the ●aide William and his forces. William the Conqueror therefore hearing thereof, sent one Elfinus a man of excellent wit, abbot of the monastery of Rheims, into Dansk to inquire the truth. This Elfinus having dispatched his master's business, in his return homeward, was with his whole company in great danger upon the sea. In the mids of which danger, having commended themselves to the blessed Virgin, and expecting nothing but death, suddenly amongst the waves near unto the ship, they did see a very * Venerabilem virum pontisiciali insuls decoratum conspexere. The devil can transform himself into the likeness of an angel of light, much more into the likeness o● a bishop. reverend man, adorned with a Bishop's mitre, who said unto the Abbot thus, Vis periculum evadere? vis sanus ad patriam redire? wilt thou escape this danger? wilt thou return in safety to th● country? To whom when the abbot had answered with tears, that that was his desire, than he that had so appeared spoke further. Scias (in quit) me ad●● a domina nostra Dei genetrice M●ria directum, quam dulciter reclamasti: & si dictis meis obtemperare volveris, sanus cum comitibus tuis euades sevientis periculum maris. Promitte ergo Deo & mihi, quod conceptionem purissime virgins Marie solenniter celebrabis & celebrandum predicabis. that is. Know thou (said he) that I was directed unto thee by our Lady Marie God his mother, whom thou hast sweetly called unto: and if thou wilt obey my sayings, thou with all thy companions shall safely escape the danger of the raging sea. Promise therefore unto God and unto me, that thou wilt solemnly celebrate and preach to be celebrated the conception of the most pure Virgin Marie. When Elfinus had promised to perform that before enjoined him, presently the sea was calm, and he with his company safely arrived in England. 13 For the service of the fifth day, and for the fourth and fifth lessons they read these toys following. For the fourth lesson this, In pago gallico canonicus erat quidam, etc. that This miracle is the 60. example in the book of miracles: yet some difference there is betwixt the narration of it there & here. is, In a country parish of France, there was a certain man, by order a canonical priest, which was wont with no small affection to sing the night hours of the blessed Virgin. This priest in a certain village joined himself in fornication with another man his wife. Once therefore having satisfied his sacrilegious lust, when in the dead of the night he made haste to return to the town in which he abode, being desirous to cross a certain sea, and entering alone into a ship, in sailing he began to sing the hours of the blessed Virgin the mother of our Lord. Now whilst he said the invitation, Ha●le Marie full of grace, the Lord be with thee, and he was now come to the mids of the stream, behold a multitude of devils Whether of these speak truth? Bernardine that saith he had deserved this, or the virgin which rebuketh these devils, as having dealt unjustly therein? threw him and his boat headlong to the bottom of the sea, and so took his soul (as he had deserved) unto torments. The third day cometh God his mother Marie accompanied with innumerable lights of the saints, unto the place where those malign spirits did vex him with divers torments, ( a Estque talibus iniquos demones conu●●iis all●cu●a. The virgin is not afraid to go down to h●ll itself and chide and rate the devils at their own doors and in their own houses. ) and with these reproaches spoke unto those unjust spirits. Why do ye unjustly afflict the soul of one that served me? The devils answered, we (said they) ought to have it, because we found it occupied in our works. If (said the virgin) it be his whose works it did, then certainly it is manifest to be mine, because it sang my matters when ye took him: wherefore ye are guilty of a great crime, because ye have dealt so unrighteously towards me. 14 Then it followeth in the fifth lesson, His itaque dictis, demon●busque huc illuc fugientibus, etc. that is, The devils having heard these things, and taking them to their heels, some this way and some that way, the most holy virgin reduced the soul of that priest unto his body, and the man being raised from both graves she took from the bottom of the sea, and brought him to the port. But he being full of joy and exceeding gladness, presently fell down prostrate at her feet. My very good Lady (said he) and most gracious virgin▪ what shall I give unto you for the great benefits you have bestowed upon me? I pray thee, said Marie God his mother, fall no more into the sin of adultery, and declaring the feast of my immaculate conception, procure it to be kept yearly with all solemnity. After that the most blessed virgin had said these Ad ●thereas polorum sedes (angelis com●tata) prorexit. a lofty phrase. words, she departed (being waited on by the angels) into the heavens. But that canonical priest living an heremitic all and single life, told what things had befallen him to all that were desirous to hear: and his whole lifetime he ceased not with special solemnities to celebrate the conception of the virgin. 15 Many other the like iunkats follow in the same book, which I do the rather here omit, because I purpose in the end of this book, to be so bold with our lady, as to make the reader a short banquet with a few of the choicest of her miracles, which I hope I may the better do, because I think they have stood so long upon the table before her, and she hath been fed so often with them, that now she careth not greatly for them: or if she make any account of them, yet there is such great store, that if there be never a blab and pickthank to tell her, she will not greatly miss the taking away of a few of them: or if she do it, yet such is her liberality and bounty, that she will not grudge them: yea such is her power and authority, that she can quickly command new dainties as good as those for her service. THE FIFTH PART. 1 NOw therefore leaving the service of the Virgin, I will here add some things out of the rest of the book, namely out of the sermons following of her Nativity, etc. But first I will remember this one thing, before those sermons in the 57 leaf, and second side thereof. O pulcherrima virgo, vulneravit formosit as tua cor divinum: attraxit puritas tua creatorem, ad uterum tu●m. that is, O most fair virgin, thy beauty What unchaste words are these to be spoken unto the chaste virgin. hath wounded God his heart▪ thy purity hath drawn the Creator unto thy womb. Then follow the sermons of the Nativity of the Virgin. 2 The first of these sermons hath these three parts or mysteries. Primum (saith he) appellabitur necessitatis. 2. nobilitatis. 3. iocunditatis. The necessity of the virgin he showeth by three reasons: 1. reedificationis. 2. successionis. 3. subventionis. In the third reason he hath these words, Sicut per mul●erem peccatricem a diabolo deceptam, etc. that is, As by a sinful woman deceived and overcome of the devil, mankind was lost and dejected from his state: so on the contrary by a woman being innocent, pure, and most hol●, A mon●●trous blasphemy. and conquering the devil, it ought to be restored and repaired. Otherwise the father himself of lies the devil should have gained by his lie; which ought not to be. For none ought to have profit by a lie, according to those things which are noted C. 1. ff. etc. In the third part of the same sermon, thus he writeth: Exal●abat Adam videndo lignum The virgin Marie is the ●ree of li●e which Adam did see in paradise. vite, scilicet Mariam disponi ad fructum producendum vite eterne in medio paradisi that is, Adam rejoiced to see the tree of life, to wit, Marry prepared to bring forth fruit of eternal life in the mids of paradise. A little after are these words: Ipsa est fenestra celiper quam ●eus oculo suo misericord●e nos respecit. The virgin the window of heaven. She (he meaneth the virgin Marie) is the window of heaven, by which God with his eye of mercy doth respect us. Aga●ne presently after, dicere autem potest virgo benedicta, que est ost●ar●a, etc. that is, But the blessed virgin which is the door keeper of paradise, The virgin is the door spoken of joh. 10. 9 may say that which is, joh. 10. I am the dore● if any man enter in by me he shall be saved. Therefore, O ye sinners which are banished men from your heavenly country, enter in by this gate. Go ye that are sick to the physician. Come ye fatherless to your parent. Proceed ye that are blind to the light. Make haste ye afflicted unto comfort. walk O ye virgins after the glass of chastity. Make speed O ye mothers unto the mother of God. 3 In the beginning of the next sermon, he saith, ipsa virgo beata deum iratum placat, quia est nostra advocata. The blessed virgin pacifieth God being angry, because she is The virgin our advocate. our advocate. To the same effect and somewhat more largely he writeth in the third part of the sermon. Sicut ipsa mediant sedata est lis, que est inter deum & homines, ita etiam per ipsam terminantur questiones inter homines & diabolu●. As by her mediation the controversy And our mediator both with God and the devils. between God and men is compounded, so also by her are questions determined between men and the devils. This he proveth by a most forcible argument, namely by one of the miracles of the virgin, touching that great sinner which in a vision was drawn A great disputation in hell betwixt the virgin and the devil. to the judgement of God, where the devil by many allegations proved him to be his: but always by the virgin Marie wisely answering, he was foiled. But at the last, the devil objected against him, that the evil things which he had done, were more than the good things: when therefore at the commandment of the judge, both his goodness and his evils were laid in a pair of balance, and the skoale towards the left hand in which were his evils did overwaie the other, on the sudden the glorious virgin put her hand to that skoale where were his few good works, and drew it down to the ground, and by this means made it overwaie the other Tune diabolu● confusus abscessit. skoale. So the devil went away with shame, etc. In the same part he saith that the virgin is the book mentioned in the right hand of God, Rev. 5. 1. In the same part he saith again, Hec benedicta virgo non tantum est liber generationis, etc. that is, This blessed virgin is The virgin is the gospel of Saint Matthew, etc. not only the book of the generation of jesus Christ the son of God, but she is also the book of the generation of all that are to be saved. And therefore we may also justly say that which is written, Act. 17. namely, that we are her generation. For the blessed virgin is our mother. 4 In the fifth sermon he showeth ten conditions of the virgin Marie, which he saith every spouse of every great Emperor ought to have. These he setteth down by these terms. Prima (saith he) dicetur, integritatis. 2. virtuositatis. 3. generositatis. 4. formositatis. Dainty latin. 5. gratiositatis. 6. fecunditatis, sive fertilitatis. 7. copiositatis. 8. timorositatis. 9 pudorositatis. 10. & ultima appellabitur honestatis. If I should note all things worthy to be laughed at, etc. I should cause all his whole book to be new printed. Omitting therefore a thousand and ten thousand absurdities and blasphemies in that great clerk, I will hereafter note the most principal. 5 In this third sermon of the nomination of Marie, in the end of the fourth excellency of her name, thus he writeth. Quarto (saith he) licet ad ipsam appellare, si quis a dei justitia se gravari sentit, etc. that is, Fourthly it is lawful to appeal unto her, if any man feel himself oppressed with the justice of God, which The court of Marie above the court of God. O horrible blasphemiel was signified in the 5. of Hester, where it is said, that when King Assuerus was angry with the jews, Queen Hester came to appease him. To whom the King said, Although thou shalt ask half of my kingdom it shall be given unto thee. This Empress therefore figured the Empress of heaven, with whom God hath divided his kingdom. For whereas God hath justice and mercy, he hath reserved justice to himself to be exercised in the world, and mercy he hath granted to his mother. And therefore if any feel himself grieved at the court of God's justice, let him appeal to his mother's court of mercy. 6 In the fourth part of the book, and ninth sermon of the graces of Marie, he affirmeth, that she was able to heal diseases only by her word leaf 143. and anon after, Marry able to heal diseases by her word only. She knoweth the Mathematics and alother things. that she hath all Mathematical knowledge, yea that she knoweth all things. For thus he writeth. De scientiis quoque Mathematicis quod in beata virgine fuerunt, probari potest secundum Albertum, etc. that is, Concerning the mathematical sciences that they were in the virgin Marie, it may be proved by Albertus, etc. for she was most perfect according to affection, therefore also according to understanding. Sith therefore she loved all things that were to be loved, it is to be concluded that she knew all things to be known. The same he amplifieth afterward by an induction of the particular mathematical sciences, applying many sentences of the scripture & Apocrypha to the virgin Marie, which are spoken only of the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God. In the same sermon in the beginning of the 145. leaf thus he writeth, Beata virgo non solum totum hominem sanum facit in anima & corpore, etc. The blessed The virgin healeth the whole man, both in this life and after death. virgin doth not only make the whole man sound in soul and body, and cureth all incurable diseases (as appeareth before) but also after death she worketh cures, and putteth death itself to flight, and whom she cureth she healeth to immortality. Therefore she excelleth all in the gift of healing, and therefore she saith in the 8 of the Proverbs: He that findeth me findeth life, and shall receive favour of the Lord. 7 In the first part of the 6. sermon of the Annunciation of the virgin (which is long after the former) which part he calleth Determinabilitatis, in this part, I say, he telleth such a tale, as would make an horse (as we speak) break his bridle to hear it. The tale itself is very long, but the sum thereof is this, The fathers which died before Christ's coming in the flesh, being in Limbo, and weary A notable tale. of that place, because it was so long ere he came that should fetch them thence, at length consulted among themselves, and at the last agree to send an embassage unto An embassage by the fathers in Limbo sent to God in heaven. God to entreat the hastening of Christ's coming. In this embassage they send these 20; 1. Abel, 2. Not, 3. Abraham, 4. Isaac, 5. jacob, 6. Moses, 7. josua, 8. David, 9 Solomon, 10. Eliia, Elisha, Ezechia, and many other tarried perhaps at home to keep Limbum. Isaias, 11. jeremy, 12. Malachias, 13. Aggeus, 14. Zacharias, 15. Abacuc, 16. job, 17. Ezechiel, 18. Daniel, 19 * on the 19 name there is some error. Ezechiel, 20. Ecclesiasticus. Every one of these urge God with several arguments. Some with sentences of scripture, some with verses of Virgil, Ovid, and such like Poets, and some with the authority of the civil and canon law. But the devil understanding of this embassage, went also himself before God, and pleaded hard against the former ambassadors, reasoning mightily from the justice of God, etc. for their The devil said, Absit à Deo impietas. continuance still in Limbo. God therefore (not that he needed so to have done, but that he might give an example of righteous judgement) consulted with the angels what was to be done. Then was there great silence in heaven for half an hour, that they might the better deliberate what to say. The half hour being ended, every order of Angels spoke largely their mind for the fathers in Limbo. Then God having heard all their allegations, gave sentence, approving the counsel of the angels, and rejecting the suggestions of the devil. Therefore he answered the ambassadors of the fathers very graciously, telling them that he shortly in mercy would think upon them. The ambassadors hearing this were filled with joy, as it is said of the jews, Hest. 8. Then the three persons of the Trinity consulted together, and concluded the sending of Gabriel to the virgin Marie, etc. This briefly is the sum of the tale which that great doctor Bernardine doth handle far more largely, writing so largely thereof, as being written again in latin without any abbreviations, would fill two sheets of paper. And was it not pains think you well taken? yes, yes, without all doubt. For so we see more touching the sending of the angel Gabriel to the virgin, then is contained in all the Scripture, or then agreeth with any truth. An hundred such merry tales their are in the same book, the which I forbear to mention, thinking this to be sufficient for a taste of the rest. 8. In the tenth sermon of the same matter, at the 209. leaf, about the letter K, he commendeth the humility, fortitude, and bountifulness of the virgin most highly. For referring us to some one of his former sermons, thus he writeth: Probatum est quod super omnem creaturam fuit humillima atque fortissima, Yet for all that she feared when Gabriel spoke unto her: but who ever read that the angels feared any other creature. ●deo quod vicit mundum, etc. that is, It was proved that she was most humble and valiant above every creature, so that she hath overcome the world, God, and the devil. Also she was most bountiful: for she hath given the world unto God, and the kingdom of heaven and God himself unto man. 9 In the second sermon of the visitation of Marie, leaf 234. at the letter V, thus he speaketh to the virgin Marie: Profecto si fas est dicere, tu secundum quid maiora fecisti deo, etc. that is, Truly if I may be so bold as to speak, thou in some respect hast done greater things The virgin hath done more for God, than God for her and all mankind. for God, than God himself hath done for thee, or for all mankind. I therefore will speak that, whereof thou in humility hast held thy peace. For thou didst only sing. He that is mighty hath done great things unto me: but I sing and say, that thou hast done greater things to him that is mighty. For God form man of the clay of the earth, but thou most blessed virgin hast brought forth God of thy most precious blood, and hast covered and clothed him with thy most pure flesh so that thou mayst say that of Ecclesiasticus, chap. 24. I have caused light to rise in the heavens that will never go out, and have covered all flesh as it were with a cloud, and thy most pure flesh excelleth all things in the world. Again God brought up man with the fruits of paradise, but thou hast nourished God himself with thy breasts full of heaven, of which milk one drop is of more value, than all the trees in paradise, or then all the fruits of the whole world. God also hath clothed man with a garment of skins, but thou glorious virgin hast wrapped the son of God in thy clouts, and afterward didst put upon him a seamless garment, which is far more better than all the coats in the world. 10 In his second sermon, de festo nivis, leaf 290. after the letter N, thus he writeth: Cum beata virgo sit matter dei, etc. that is, Sith the blessed Virgin is the mother of God, and God her son; and every son naturally is inferior to the mother and her subject, and the mother preferred unto and above the son: it followeth that the blessed virgin God inferior to the virgin. is above God, and that God is her subject in regard of the humanity taken from her. In the same sermon the beginning of the 292. leaf thus he writeth, Legitur quod predicantibus Apostolis, etc. that is, We read that the Apostles preaching but not being able to convert some, they sent them to the blessed virgin who admiring the beauty of the mother of God and her most wise speeches, were converted to the faith. In the same sermon leaf 294. a little before the letter I, having compared, Marry to a ladder, and called her the ladder of heaven, he bringeth in Bernard speaking thus to the Virgin, C●● profecto scalae Dominus innixus est, etc. that is, The which ladder God used, because God The virgin a ladder between God and mano. would not have us to have any thing that should not pass through the hands of Marry, & that none of our works are acceptable unto him, except it be offered by the hands of Marie. Therefore that little that thou wouldst offer unto God, provide tho● deliver it into the hands of Marry, if thou wilt not have the repulse. Then he addeth his own words, Hoc etiam patet exemplo quod legitur in Chronicis nostris, etc. that is, This also is manifest by an example that is read in our Chronicles, namely that on a certain day S. Frances did see two ladders, one red upon which Christ stood, and an other white on the which was the virgin. And when as by the admonishment of blessed Frances, the brethren assayed to ascend by the red ladder, whilst they began to go, many fell backward and could not ascend. At which thing S. Frances did grieve with weeping to whom Christ said, Cause thy brethren to run to my mother The virgin a better ladder for heaven than Christ. and to the white ladder, that they may ascend by it: which when the brethren did, they were entertained of the virgin with a cheerful countenance, and then with ease they went up to heaven. 11 In his second sermon of the 9 part of the book with this title, Maria terra, leaf 303. at the letter R, thus he writeth, Si quis querat quareoum diabolus tempore Toby 7 seven ros Sare strangulaverit, etc. that is, If any man The word eum is superstitious, or else should be cum. ask why the devil in the Time of Tobia did strangle the seven husbands of Sara for their sin, as it is Tob. 2. and yet now doth not kill all whom mortal sins do give into his hands: I answer, that this proceedeth from hence, that God hath given unto men this most mighty virgin, which hath in her hand The virgin given to keep men from the devils, etc. a rod of iron to drive away all infernal beasts, and to put to flight the devils themselves. Wherefore he saith unto her in the 2. psal. Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel. And this power of the glorious virgin, is figured in the 7. of Exod. in the rod of Aaron, which was turned into a serpent, and devoured the rods of the enchanters. In the same sermon leaf 304. he apply many things spoken of the power of God, of Christ, etc. to the virgin. As, Thou canst do all things. If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Thou art The virgin is omnipotent. stronger than all. He hath delivered me from the mighty adversary. All things are possible with thee. Neither is there any thing that is not in my power. Thou rulest the raging of the sea, and the surging floods thereof thou dost mitigate. God hath given him power over the things that are in the earth. In jerusalem is my power. Thy dominions is to the ends of the whole earth. His authority is an everlasting authority from generation to generation. We have heard the fame of his power, and wonderful is his power. All these things that I say, and many other the like, partly blasphemously and partly foolishly he apply to the virgin Marie. In the end of that sermon, he apply many things also to her, that are spoken of the book The virgin is the book of life, etc. of life, exhorting such as desire to attain unto eternal life to study this book day and night. In the same sermon leaf 308. a little before the letter G, thus he saith, Beat igitur virgini quae omnes demones superavit & debellavit, dici potest illud Isaij, vulnerasts dracones: & illud Apocal. 20. Apprehendit draconem antiqaum serpentem. that is, To the blessed virgin therefore which hath overcome and subdued all the devils, may that be said of Esai, Thou hast wounded the dragons: and that in the 20. of the Revelation, She took the dragon that old serpent. Again in the same sermon leaf 309. Habet etiam solicitutudinem in custodiendo, quia sub alis, etc. that is, She is also very careful of keeping because she keepeth us under her wings, and protecteth Her two great wings. us from the snares of the devil, for she is that woman to whom are given two great wings, Revelat. 12. one is the wing of mercy, under the which sinners do fly, that they may be reconciled unto God: the other is the wing of grace, under which the just do stand, that they may be preserved in grace. 12 In the fourth sermon of the same 9 part, all (almost) spoken in the scripture of light, is applied to the virgin: so also that which is spoken of the city of God. 13. In his first sermon of the Assumption of Marie, thus he saith, Omnis natura a deo est facta, & deus est ex Maria factus. Deus omnium factor se ex Maria fecit, etc. that is, Every nature is made of God, & God is made of Marie. God the maker of all things made himself of Marie. 14 In the second sermon of the same matter leaf 363. he telleth us, that the virgin standing at the feet of her son, desired him to show her the order of the Angels and Saints in heaven, because (said she) Moses & alij prophet de hoc nihil dixerunt. Marie desireth to know more than Moses and the prophets had taught. The nine orders of Angels. Moses and the other prophets have said nothing of this matter. To whom the son showed first touching Angels, that there were nine degrees or orders of them, and that every order was ten times more excellent than other. 1. of angels, 2. of archangel's, 3. principalities, 4. powers, 5. virtues, 6. dominions, 7. thrones, 8. cherubins, 9 seraphims. Here note before I proceed any Repugnance between Bernardine and other Papists. further, let the reader observe that this agreeth not with that which some other Papists writ of this matter. For he saith that Christ himself showed these things unto his mother: but other Papists, and namely Saint Vincent in his sixth sermon for the ninth Lord's day after the feast of the Trinity, saith that Dionysius learned this divinity of Paul, and that to Paul it was first revealed, when he was rapt up into the third heaven. After that Christ had showed his mother these orders of the Angels, than he proceedeth to show her further the several places of the Saints, which were these ●t first, that in the first order of Angels before mentioned, are placed those which shall repent of their sins. In the second order of Archangels shall be placed, they that over and above their repentance shall have actual devotion, which he saith is more than repentance. Thirdly that with principalities shall be placed, they that are merciful in corporal and spiritual works. Fourthly that with powers shall be placed, they that are patiented, and which bear much adversity patiently. Fifthly that with virtues shall be placed the peacemakers, and they that as much as in them lieth have peace with all men. Sixthly they with dominions shall be made blessed, prelate's as well ecclesiastical as secular. Beatificabuntur prelati, tam ecciesiastics quam seculares. seven that with thrones shall be placed, they that perfectly forsaking the world shall observe wilful poverty. Eightly that with Cherubims shall be placed the wise teachers of souls, which shall not only live well themselves, but shall also by their wisdom and doctrine bring other to eternal life. Ninthly that with Seraphims shall stand they that shall be perfect in burning love above all other, as the Apostles and other like unto them. When she had heard all this she said further, Et ego fili in quo ordine collocabor? And in what order, O son, shall I be placed? He answered, because thou art perfecter than all the former, therefore thou shalt not be in any of the former orders, but shalt be exalted above all angelical spirits. Name due cathedre & sedes fulgentissime sunt nobis preparate in celo, etc. for there are two chairs and seats most fulgent, (or bright) prepared for us in heaven. One for me wherein I shall sit as king of heaven, and an other for thee at my right hand, wherein thou shalt sit as the Queen of Angels, and of all the Saints, which was figured 3. King. by Bathsheba & 1. King. 2. Solomon, etc. These things are much more largely set down by him in his book, then by me in this place, because I hasten to an end. Now who seethe not the vanity and folly of these mysteries? 15 In the first sermon of her coronation, leaf 381. thus he writeth: O igitur regina nostra serenissima etc. that is, O therefore our The virgin's kingdom universal and everlasting. most excellent Queen, thou truly mayst say Ezr. 1 that, The Lord hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And we may say unto thee that Tob. 13. Thy kingdom is throughout all ages. and psal. 144. Thy kingdom is for all ages. Psal. 145. 3. and Dan. 2. A kingdom which shall never be broken. Come therefore and take thou the kingdom over us. judg. 9 for of thy kingdom may that be said, psal. 105. And his kingdom shall rule over all. and Luc. 1. And of his kingdom there shall be none end, etc. 16 In the second sermon of her coronation, O how much ado is there of the great singing in heaven by the angels and saints, etc. every one having a several anthem? leaf 386. Afterward he telleth us that she was crowned with three crowns, as the Emperors are wont to be crowned. One crown is of iron, in signum fortitudinis, in token of her fortitude and strength; the second was of Her three crowns. silver, ratione purit at is, in regard of her purity; the third crown where with she was crowned, was of gold, ratione superioritatis & sufficienty, in regard of her superiority and sufficiency. In the same sermon leaf 391. he saith, that in glory she doth as much excel the nature of angels and men, both being joined together, as the circumference of the firmament doth in greatness exceed his centre; that is, (to speak more plainly) that her glory is as much greater than the glory of the angels and of men, as the whole highest heaven is greater than the earth. In the same lease thus he speaketh unto her, O femina ab omnibus & super omnia benedicta, etc. An heap of the virgin's titles. that is, O woman of all, and above all blessed. Thou art the nobility and preservation of mankind. Thou art the breadth of merit, and the perfect power of all things created. Thou art the only mother of God. Thou art the Lady of the whole earth, and the Queen of the world. Thou art the dispenser of all graces. Thou art the consummation of the whole world, and the beauty of the holy Church. Thou art out worthy satisfaction before the giver of all gifts. Thou art the incomprehensible greatness of all virtues, gifts, and graces. 17 It were infinite to note the cithe only of the foolish and blasphemous speeches concerning the virgin Marie, contained in that one book so highly allowed by the Pope's holiness. To omit therefore the gathering of any more out of this Bernardine, I come now to the sermons of Saint Vincent. THE SIXTH PART. THis Vincent was no obscure person, but like wise of great account in the Romish Church. For he is not only called by the name of a Saint, but also in the beginning of his Estivall sermons, he is called Divini verbi preco, interpres & professor subtilissimus, that is, a most subtle or sharp preacher, interpreter and professor of the word of God. In the end also of the same book, he is called Iluminatissimus & acutissimus sacre theology professor, a most illuminated and acute professor of sacred divinity. Let us therefore see what precious ware this great merchant hath in his shop. 2 First it is to be observed that as Bernardine did, so doth this man also begin all (or at the least most of) his sermons with a devout salutation of the Virgin. Touching the special matter of his sermons, it is as followeth. In his first sermon for Easter day, he noteth chief and principally three points, wherein consisteth (as he saith) all the practice of the blessed resurrection of Christ. These three points he setteth down thus, Resurrectio Christi fuit celebrata affectuose, demonstrata gratiose, publicata virtuose. The resurrection of Christ was celebrated with great affection, showed with great grace, published with great power or virtue In the same sermon speaking of the virgin Marie he saith, that she had prepared against the resurrection of Christ, cameram a chamber, and Camara is used for a cham●er by the same author, ●erm. 2. pro Dominic. 1 post fe●●●●●nnitatis. cathedram a chair: and that she said, Hic sedebit filius meus, & hic loquar et. Here shall my son sit, and here will I speak unto him. What word is there of any such thing in the Scripture? Then he addeth, that when Christ and his mother met, and Christ was set in the chair, he told his mother what he had done in hell, how he had bound the devil, & showed her the holy fathers which he had taken from thence, who did to the virgin great reverence. Then he setteth down particularly the words of Adam and Eve, of the Prophets and Angels, etc. to the virgin Marie. 3 In his sermon for the fourth holy day of Easter, having read his text which he said was the gospel for that day, and having saluted the virgin, he addeth these words: In sacro evangelio sunt quatuor moralia circa apparitionem quam fecit Christus discipulus suis, scilicet, Occasio necessilosa, Operatio miraculosa, Cognitio virtuosa, Refectio gratiosa. I leave the english to the learned. 4 His first sermon for Dominica in albis he maketh on this text joh. 20. Post dies octo iterum venit jesus. After eight days came jesus again. These eight days he doth thus interpret in the beginning of the 19 leaf. Hic octo dies sunt opera penitentialia, quibus completis iterum venit Christ us. Primus dies est peccatorum cognitio. 2. cordis contritio. 3. oris confessio. 4. vite oorrectio. 5. iniuriarum remissio. 6. debitorum restitutio. 7. fame reparatio. 8. eucharist communio. that is, Here eight days are the works of penance (or rather repentance) In his first sermon for the 14. Lord's day after Trinity, he speaketh often penitential works. which being complete Christ came again. The first day is the knowledge of sins: the second the contrition of the heart: the third the confession of the mouth: the fourth the amendment of life: the fifth the remitting of injuries: the sixth the restoring of debts: the seventh the repairing of credit: the eight the receiving of the eucharist or communion. Is not this a subtle, a lightsome, and an acute or witty, and sharp manner of interpreting the scriptures, according to the titles before given to this Vincent? and was he not well worthy to be sainted for such interpretations? but let us see further. 5 His fifth sermon for the same day is upon these words, Noli esse incredulus sed fidelis. Be not faithless but believe, joh. 20. Entreating of these words, thus in the beginning of that sermon he writeth: A principto mundi semper fuit necessarium ad saluationem, habere fidem, etc. From the beginning of the world it was always necessary to salvation to have faith, etc. but diversly, quoniam tempore legis naturae, etc. because in the law of nature that explicit faith was sufficient, which might be What faith Saint Vincent maketh always necessary to salvation. had in the natural understanding with out any books, namely to believe, first that there was one God, which may be known by natural understanding, as the power of a lord is known by the building of a great house. Secondly, that he is a just god & a rewarder, etc. Then for the time of the law of Moses, he saith that it was necessary to believe three articles of faith, namely the former two, and for the third, that God would send his son to be a saviour of the world. And he addeth, Alia secreta fidei non tenebantur scire, nisi magni literati. The other secrets of faith none were bound to know, but only the great learned men. Lastly now in the time of the law of grace, he saith that men must believe the 12. articles of faith, etc. Who seethe not but that by this doctrine, before the law of Moses a man might be saved, first only by natural understanding without any other grace, yea without the help of any book: secondly without any faith at all in Christ even to come. And then what needed the Lord, Gen. 3. 15. and often elsewhere before the law of Moses to have made any promise of Christ jesus? yea how is it said that Abraham believed and it was accounted unto him for righteousness? yea that Abraham did see the day of Christ and rejoiced? 6 In his third sermon for the first Lord's day, post octa: Paschae, thus he writeth, Nota quod Christus in cruse, etc. leaf 33. that is, Note that Christ upon the cross did especially sustain sorrows in five parts of his body; namely first in his whole body, when it lay upon the hard & heavy cross; 2. in nailing of his right hand; 3. of his left hand; 4. of his right foot; 5. of his left foot. Here let the reader note, how wittily this great Saint Doctor maketh the whole body of Christ a part of his body. 7 To pass by many other things, for his first sermon of the body of Christ, leaf 97. he taketh this text, Ego accepi a domino quod & tradidi vobis. I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you. Then he showeth his auditors where he had this text, verbum istud habetur textualiter, 1. Cor. 11. etc. In the beginning of this sermon he hath some pretty things indeed worth the observation, as that he saith, that the heart of man is not to enlarge itself to believe more, nor the mouth to speak, nisi quantum habemus ex sacra scriptura, but as much as we have out of the holy scripture. And again, The holy scripture is the mouth of god, having two lips, namely the two testaments: the upper lip is the new testament; & the neither the old testament. But presently he returneth to his old fashion, & showeth the common learning of those times, adding, Inter cetera mirabilia & secreta huius sacramentisunt quing, principalia, etc. 1. est mutatio substantialis. 2. operatio sacerdotalis. 3. habitatio sacramentalis. 4. perreptio sensualis. 5. receptio usuoelis. that is, Amongst other miracles and secrets of this sacrament, five are principal, etc. The 1. is a substantial change, the 2. the priestly operation, the 3. a sacramental dwelling, the 4. a sensible perceiving, the 5. an usual receiving. In handling the second of these, and magnifying the operation of the priest, by the place from whence he fetcheth Christ into the sacrament; he setteth down first divers places from whence Christ is not drawn into the sacrament, namely, nor out of the air, nor out of the sphere of the fire, nor out of the heaven of the moon, nor out of the heaven of Mercury, nor out of the heaven of Venus, nor out of the heaven of the sun, nor out of the heaven of Mars, nor out of the heaven of the stars (O wonderful eloquence:) at last he showeth that he fetcheth him out of the highest heaven. Then he addeth his rhetorical acclamation, Ecce operatio sacerdotalis: behold the priestly operation or working. Then followeth this goodly similitude. Sicut quod quando virgo, etc. For as when the virgin Marie being saluted by the angel Gabriel, did give her consent and said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, Luk. 1. at the last word heaven was opened, and the son of God descended into her womb, and the angel and the virgin did worship him in the womb, and as the mouth of the virgin opened heaven: so doth the mouth of the priest, and that in a more excellent manner, (it shall not offend the virgin Marie if I speak the The priests work in the mass, greater than the virgins in conceiving of Christ. Habuit dicere octo verba. Neither the virgin nor Christ spoke any latin. truth) because the virgin to open heaven had to say eight words, the 1. Behold, the 2. the handmaid, etc. till she had said all, for than was heaven opened and she conceived: but the Priest speaketh five words only, and when he speaketh the last word. to wit, Meum, then is heaven opened, and Christ is in the host. Again the virgin Marie did open heaven but once: but the priest every day and in every mass. Again he descended into the virgin's womb but little, not so big as an aunt, and passable also and mortal: but into the host he descendeth as great as he is in heaven, and as he was upon the cross, neither passable nor mortal, but glorious and impassable. 8 Near unto the beginning of the next sermon, leaf 99 thus he writeth, Sicut Christus fuit elevatus & crucifixus inter, etc. As Christ was lifted up and crucified between two thieves: so the host being consecrated is lifted up by two hands, the right and the left, which signify the thieves. And as then the body of Christ was white by shedding A fit and excellent smiliuda forth blood: so the host is lifted up white. The former of these similitudes is very apt, especially if in the application thereof, and likewise in the interpretation thereof of the two hands of the priest, he had said which are, and not which signify. For they are indeed two thieves robbing God of his glory, and men of many a penny. 9 In the beginning of the fourth sermon of the body of Christ, he showeth how the mass is remembrance of Christ's death. This he showeth thus: Altar significat crucem, etc. The altar signifieth the cross: the reason is, How the Mass is a remembrance of Christ's death. because on the altar the body and blood of Christ are sacramentally consecrated: so upon the cross he was really sacrificed. The cup or chalice signifieth the sepulchre of Christ; because as in the chalice the body and blood of Christ is contained: so in the sepulchre the body of Christ was really contained. By the cover is understood the stone which was laid upon the door of the sepulchre to cover it: so is the cover to the chalice. By the corporal wherein the body of Christ is put, are understood the linen clothes in which the body of Christ was wrapped. Is not this trim stuff? what word is there in the scripture of an altar at the first institution of the supper? Again here is no mention at all of the host: neither is the host put into the chalice, as the body of Christ was laid in the grave. How also will they prove that the cup that our Saviour blessed at the first institution of the supper, had a cover? Lastly the linen clothes whereof they speak, were not used in the first supper, neither at the suffering of Christ, but after his death, for the burying of the body, when the soul was departed from it: neither was the body of Christ wrapped in linen clothes by the Apostles whose successors they boast themselves to be, but by joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. 10 His first sermon for the first Lord's day after the feast of the Trinity, is upon these words, Habent Mosen & Prophetas, audiant ●llos. Here he exhorteth his auditors to salute the virgin, and saith, First let us present to the virgin Marie the ie well that she most jocale. loveth, namely, Hail Marry, etc. then he showeth what things are contained in the text. Sctendum quod evangelium hodierum, etc. We must know that this days gospel doth declare 4. things very necessary to be known for our avisement. Et sunt haec, Mundanalis Auisamento. conversatio, Divinalis retributio, Infernalis dispositio, Scripturalis confirmatio. And they are these, Worldly conversation, divine retribution or rewarding, infernal disposition, scriptural confirmation. 11 The text of his second sermon for the same day is this, In domo patris mei habeo quinque fratres. In my father's house I have brethren, Luk. 16. Then he addeth, that for declaration of the word House, we are to know that the whole generality of creatures, as well heavenly as earthly, is called the house of God. The reason whereof he maketh to be this, namely, that as in the palace of a great prince, above are chambers, Who ever saw any such palace? beneath a stable for cattle, and underneath within the earth a prison for malefactors: so in the house of God, above, that is, in the highest heaven are chambers, to wit, By this reckoning Christ hath no friends in the world. the 9 orders of angels, where dwell the friends of Christ, etc. beneath in the world dwell beasts, servitors, and clients; but the prison for male factors, is in the heart of the earth, namely the infernal perpetual prison. After Where is purgatory now become? this because his text speaketh of five brethren, he showeth five fraternities in the house of God, which are these, Fraternitas humanalis, & ista venit per naturam. Fraternitas spiritualis, & ista venit per gratiam. Fraternitas demonialis, & ista venit per culpam. Fraternitas angelicalis, & ista venit per amicitiam. Fraternitas divinalis, & ista venit per misericordiam. An human fraternity or brotherhood, and this cometh by nature. A spiritual fraternity, and this cometh by grace. A devilish fraternity, and that cometh by offence. An angelical fraternity, and this cometh by friendship. A divine fraternity, and this cometh by mercy. 12 In his one sermon. In octava corporis Christi, he saith, that he found that Christ said two masses in his life time. One secretly with Christ said two masses in his life time. Solenniter in pontificalibus. his disciples when he ordained this sacrifice, the other solemnly and in his pontificalibus on good friday. Of this he writeth thus, leaf 109 Altar fuit crux, mitra fuit, etc. His altar was the cross, his mitre the crown of thorns, his rings on his hands were nails, his sandals on his feet were nails, his red hood Such hoods would soon weary the popish priests. was of his blood, his staff was the spear, the deacon was the thief on his right hand, the subdeacon the thief on his left hand, his acolytes or waiting men the virgin Marie and The thieves in higher office than the virgin Marie and john. john the Evangelist. Who will not wonder to hear these toys? yea, who will not smile, or rather laugh right out? for what can be more childish and foolish? 13 In his first sermon for the second Lord's day after Trinity, in the same book the second side, having laid the foundation, he cometh to build (as he saith) quatuor cameras, four chambers. Which are, Largitas gloriosa, Charit as gratiosa, Equitas rigorosa, Pietas copiosa. the english of which terms I leave to the learned reader. 14 In his second sermon for the same day, Three villages in the other world. lease 112. he saith that he found three villages in the other world according to the scriptures, much differing in conditions. Prima est superius celestialis & glortosa, Secunda inferius infernalis & tenebrosa, Tertia est in medio purgatorialis & dolorosa. The first is above celestial or heavenly and glorious, the second beneath infernal and dark, the third in the mids purgatoriall and painful. 15 In his fourth sermon for the same day he noteth three ways, after which men go Three ways of● going to heaven. to heaven, leaf 155. Aliqui, saith he, vadunt currendo vigorose, Aliqui vadunt ambulando spaciose, Aliqui vadunt tracti rigorose: that is, Some go running stoutly, some go walking largely, some go being drawn rigorously or violently. 16 In his next sermon he telleth us that he hath found in holy scripture, that by defect of love towards God, quatuor mortes venerunt generi humano, etc. four deaths have come Foore deaths of mankind. unto mankind, etc. Prima mors spiritualis quam debemus fugere. Secunda corporalis quam debemus providere. Tertia gehennalis quam debemus precavere. Quarta eternalis quam debemus horrescere. The first death is spiritual which we must avoid, the second corporal which we must foresee, the third of hell fire which we must take heed of, the fourth eternal which we must fear. The 2. last he doth thus distinguish, making the third of the soul only till the day of judgement: the fourth of soul and body for ever after the day of judgement. 17 His text for the 7. Lord's day after trinity is this, Misereor super turbam, etc. I pity quiae triduo me sustinent. Poterit habere abundantiam & provisionem de omnibus sibi necessariis. the multitude because they have sustained me these three days. His text divided, etc. he saith, quilibet cuiuscunque sit status, etc. Every one of what degree soever, may have abundance and provision of all things necessary for him, is he sustain Christ three days. Then he noteth 7. degrees of men, 1. Dominium, Seven degrees of men. temporalium, of temporal lords. 2. prelatorun, of prelates. 3. religiosorum, of religious persons. 4. clericorum, of clerks or learned men. 5. coniugatorum, of married persons. 6. viduarum, of widows. 7. virginum, of virgins. Then he noteth three days to be three virtues, which every one of those degrees of men ought to have. 1. est justitia generalis, generali Three virtues necessary for every degree of men. justice. 2. modestia personalis, personal modesty. 3. reverentia divinalis, divine reverence. These are for temporal lords; for prelates he noteth these three, presidentia spiritualis, spiritual presidence. Providentia pastoralis, pastoral providence. Sanctimonia personalis, personal sanctimony. For religious persons he setteth down these three, Paupertas apostolicalis, apostolical poverty. Castitas angelicalis, angelical chastity. Obedientia universalis, universal obedience. The fourth triduum, that is, the fourth 3. days he maketh these three, Diligenter officiare, to setue diligently. Devote celebrars, to celebrate devoutly. Honest conversari, to live honestly. The fifth three days he maketh these three virtues, Amor cordialis, cordial or hearty love. sides coniugalis, marriage faithfulness. sedulitas doctrinalis, spiritual devotion. Afflictio corporalis, bodily affliction. Miseratio fraternalis, brotherly compassion. The seventh three days are these, Verecundia in fancy, bashfulness in the face. Silentium in voce, silence in voice. Obedientia ad parents in opere. Obedience in work to parents. To all those that have these three virtues, he saith that Christ will say, Misereor super hanc turbans, quodecce iam triduo sustinent me, etc. 18 In his fourth sermon for the 9 Lord's day after Trinity, he noteth four occasions Four occassons of falling into sin. whereby devout persons fall into sin, leaf 160. B. Prima est per diabolicalem tentationem. 2. per familiarem affectionem. 3. per deliciosam conversationem. 4. per negligentialem operattonem. The first is by devilish tentation, the second by familiar affection, the third by delicious conversation, the fourth by negligent working. 19 In the next sermon but one he saith, that as in an apple there are certain houses wherein are the kernels: so in the four parts of the earth there are four chambers. Prima Four chambers in the earth. est infernus perversorum. 2. est limbus pueronun. 3. est locus purgandorum. 4. est l●mbus patrum. leaf 136. A. The first is hell for the froward, the second the limb or well of children, the third is the place of them that are to be purged, the fourth is the limb or well of the fathers. Where find they this divinity in the Scripture? 20 In the second sermon for the 11. Lord's day after Trinity he saith, that he found the souls of purgatory to have four conditions Four differences between us and them in purgatory. very differing from us so long as we live in this world, leaf 174. A. Prima est stabilit as in gratia. 2. est securit as de gloria. 3. acerbitas de pena. 4. paupert as nimia. The first is stability in grace, the second is security or certainty of glory, the third sharpness of punishment, the fourth extreme poverty. By the two first of All in purgatory, are beggars. these, that is manifest that in my former treatise I have said in the seventh argument thereof, namely that in peoperie there is no sound joy and comfort. For what sound joy and comfort can there be without stability in grace, and certainty of glory? verily where these things are doubted of, there can be nothing but fear. 21 HIs text of his first sermon for the 14. Lord's day, leaf 189. is this, Are there not ten clensied? Luk. 17. In the end of this sermon he delivereth us this deep point of divinity. In his 1. sermon for Dom. in all is he mentioneth but & penitential works. As (saith he) this word Innocentia or obedientia hath ten letters: so this word penitentia. Because as the form of baptism, Wherein innocency is given to the party baptized, consisteth of ten words, and obedience in ten commandments: so doth penance in ten works of penance before mentioned: therefore our theme saith, Are there not? that is, ye acertenly there are ten, to wit, that are clansed by the works of penance. 22 In the next sermon, that text being Go show yourselves to the priests, after the reading thereof, thus he writeth For love of this word, I have sought in the scripture, as well in the old as in the new testament, how many ways God hath observed for healing the leprosy: and I find he hath cured it 5. ways. Primo per ablutionem corporalem, by bodily washing. 2. per tactum manualem, by touching Five ways of curing the leprosy. with the hand. 3. per ostensionem visualem, by visible showing. 4. per absconsionem sinualem, by bosom hiding. 5. per separationem personalem, by personal separation. The third of these he saith that his text speaketh of. Unto the fifth he apply the words of God unto Moses touching Miriam, after that he had stricken her with the leprosy, Let her be shut out of the host seven days, Numb. 12. where, upon the words seven days, he noteth that by them are understood seven things, wherein standeth perfection of religion. These seven he setteth down thus. Obedientia generalis, general obedience. Paupertas apostolicalis, apostolical poverty. Cast●tas angelicas, Seven things in which standeth the perfection of religion. angelical chastity. Devotio in officio, devotion in service. In ore silentium, silence in the mouth. Penitentia corporalis, bodily penance. Et patientia virtualis, and virtual patience. Will not any man think all this to be profound divinity? 23 In his fourth sermon for the 16. Lord's day after Trinity, leaf 209. A. he hath these words, Transeuntes primam & secundam custodiam, etc. When they had passed the first Act 12. 10. and second watch, they came to the iron gate, that is, to purgatory, because as iron is harder and wood; so the pains of purgatory is harder than iron, and the pain of purgatory exceedeth the pain of this world. But there is comfort for them, that this purging time being finished, they enter into the city of paradise. Wherefore it followeth in the foresaid authority, which opened unto them by it own accord. Is not this as profound divinity as the former? what comparison is there betwixt the iron gate where by S. Peter had no pain, and purgatory, of the pains whereof S. Peter in purgatory. the Papists do so often complain? Again if the iron gate were purgatory, than Peter went through purgatory. Will the Popes bear this that Peter whose successors they all boast themselves to be, should pass through the fire of purgatory? Again how doth this similitude agree with itself? for Peter had first been in prison, and being released out of prison, he came unto, and passed through the iron gate, whence it is evident that Peter had been in the hardest condition before he came to the iron gate: but this great and learned Doctor telleth us the contrary, namely that the pains of purgatory are greater and harder than all former pains. Lastly this iron gate was hard by the city, whereby he understandeth paradise or heaven: but purgatory is as far distant from heaven as the earth, yea somewhat further than the upper part of the earth, because by their doctrine it is within the earth. 23 In the 2. sermon for the 19 Lord's day he hath this sweet latin, the english whereof I do omit, as not being greatly material. Modo in unaparva summa, ego epilogavi omnes rationes, quibus elevatur & excitatur cor creature ad confidendum in creatore, & sunt septem. Prima est fidelis integritas. 2. cordialis puritas. 3. lachrymabilis ubertas. 4. timoralis serupulositas. 5. misericordialis largitas. 6. doctrinalis sedulitas. 7. virtualis firmitas. 24 The like latin is in the first sermon for the next day, where he setteth down haec tria puncta multum notabilia. Primus est humilitas divinalis. Secundus est perversitas humanalis. Tertius est indignitas meritalis. 25 The text of his third sermon for the 22. Lord's day is this, Patientiam habe in me, etc. Have patience towards me, and I will pay thee all, Math. 16. In the end of this sermon thus he writeth, Sciatis quod modo poterimus, etc. that is, Understand that if we can pay him with ten works he will be content; which is signified in this word patientia, wherein are ten letters: because as we have offended against the ten commandments, so we must satisfy with ten penitential works. Here to omit the divinity of the doctor in this place, let the reader observe how foully he was deceived in Arithmetic, even in numeration. S. Vincents arithmetic faileth him in numeration. For if he had remembered to have taken a stick (as men speak) to have told the letters of patientia, he should have found but nine. If any shall answer that he meant the accusative case patientiam, as it is in the vulgar latin text, I object again, that he himself saith not so much, but plainly setteth down the nominative case patientia: and further to the latin word, which is arbitrary according to the mind and understanding of the translator, I oppose the original Greek word (which is most authentical) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, where are twelve letters. 26 Thus much shall suffice for a taste of such sour liquor as is in S. Vincents vessel; yea let this suffice for a taste of all the rest. Such as we have seen these two Doctors to be, such for the most part are the other popish writers of that age, and of these times of popery. I had indeed thought to have given the like taste of some other of their writings, but because I think this already given to be sufficient (if not more then sufficient, except the matter were sweeter and pleasanter) I will therefore here spare the further pains of myself and of the reader. 27 These things I have thought good thus to write, for the avoiding of all advantage against me by any actions of slander, for objecting so much ignorance (besides the blasphemies) to those times wherein popery did wear the garland. If I had not thus laid down their own words, it may be many would have thought, that there had not been so high blasphemies, neither so foul and gross absurdities with such rudeness and barbarism, as by these few things I have showed, and might have showed more largely, if I had had convenient leisure, & had thought the patience of the reader would have borne the reading of more such unsavoury stuff. 28 By these blasphemies thus discovered, far beyond the opinion (I think) of all that understand not the latin tongue, & that have not been acquainted with these deep mysteries of the iniquity of popery, I wish all christians, that as now they see popery to be more blasphemous than ever they had thought it to have been: so For ever here after they hate all popery both the head and the tail, both the substance and all the accidents, with a more perfect hatred than they have done. 29 And because I do verily think, that many papists themselves did never imagine so high abominations to be contained in popery, as having been learned to believe as the Church believeth, that ignorance is the mother of devotion, and such other like principles, and having not therefore ever truly understood the substance of popery: I do therefore also again earnestly exhort them, as they love God's glory, which now they see altogether impaired & disgraced by popery so for the time to come, they loathe this religion as much as ever ignorantly they have loved it: and that they think it as beastly, as filthy, and abominable, as ever hitherto, they being deceived have esteemed it reasonable, amiable, and acceptable in the sight of God. 30 All such as love learning, let them in like manner abhor this Romish religion. For although now all kind of learning do flourish by the means of the gospel: yet if ever popery prevail as it hath done, and recover the former strength (as I hope it shall never do) doubtless all learning will whither and decay again. In the time of the Apostles, & in the age of the primitive church, the gifts of God's spirit did much more abound then now they do: yet as popery spread itself over the face of the earth, so those gifts decayed, until there was as much barbarism, as popery. Let the like therefore be feared if popery should again ascend the stairs of her former dignity. 31 If any shall object against these things that I have noted out of popish writings, for the disgrace of popery, that in many of our books like wise there are some vanities & absurdities: I answer that though this should be An answer to an objection touching the former popish testimonies. granted, yet first the matters are not so blasphemous, so gross, so rude, and so ridiculous, as these that I have noted, & a thousand yea ten thousand the like. Secondly the number of them is not so great. Thirdly the persons that have written such vanities, are not of that credit in our whole church as these and other are with their Church. Fourthly our men's books are not published by such high authority & solemn allowance, as the books before mentioned and other the like writings of theirs have been. THE seventh PART. IT remaineth now, that according to my promise, I make the reader a little banquet with some of the Virgin's miracles. Herein I will be the briefer, by how much the larger I have been in the former. I will not therefore take all, neither the largest dishes, lest I should leave her table bare: but I will only make choice of the least but yet the daintiest iunkats, that so the taking of them away may be the less espied. Yet what need I fear the missing of any thing from her table? her power is such, that as they say of the cross upon which Christ suffered, that whatsoever is taken from it, yet it is not diminished, but remaineth as ample as it was at the first: so we may like wise say of these her iunkats, that though we should take neverso many of them, yet her table would be nothing the barer. And therefore whereas the book, or rather the closet and storehouse of her miracles (for so it is called, Promptuarium discipuli de miraculis beat Marie virgins) containeth but 99 miracles, this may well be added unto them for an other to make up the whole hundred, that whatsoever a man taketh away, yet her table remaineth as fully furnished as at the first before any dish was touched. And that no man may think these miracles to have been of mean account in the popish Church, let him first understand that both they were solemnly read in the churches for lessons in their public service, upon such festival days as they did observe unto the virgin; as also the great divines of the popish Church did commonly allege them in their sermons for authorities to prove and confirm many of the points of their religion. Both these things I have made manifest. Again, the gatherer together of these miracles, in his prologue to the whole work, doth commend the dainties following to be Omni melle dulciora, sweeter than any honey. What is this but to compare them with the written word of God, which is in like manner commended? psal. 19 10. 2. Now for the manner of setting down these miracles, I will for the more brevities sake altogether omitthe latin (except now and then some special word or phrase which I will put in the margin) and content myself only with the english faithfully translated. And in case the whole miracle be very long, I will only set down the sum thereof briefly. The contents of each example or miracle shall be placed in the margin. And all this I will do so faithfully, that no Papist whatsoever shall be able justly to charge me with any false dealing. 3 To come then to the miracles themselves, I will pass by the first and second example, and begin with the third, the text whereof is this. There was a certain woman of honest conversation, who although being Marie delivereth a woman from damnation, whichin her confession wittingly concealed a great sin. married she did wear a secular habit, yet she lived a regular life. Notwithstanding in her youth she had committed a great fault, which for shame she durst not tell any man. When she confessed herself to the priest, cloaking Palliato crimine sic conclusit. Reddo me culpabilem. her sin thus she concluded. Of all that I have said or not said, I yield myself guilty, and saying this, oftentimes she sighed grievously. The priest perceiving this, did cunningly Calide tentabat● 〈…〉 ● try to draw from her that which lay hid: when he could not, he admonished her to reveal her conscience to the Prior of the next Monastery; and he advised him warily Et ipsc caute eum investiga●e persuasit. ● 〈…〉 ● to ask her: but neither could he wrest any thing from her. Notwithstanding this woman was wont dailybefore the altar or the image of the blessed virgin, with weeping to open her foresaid fault. At the last when she died in this manner, and her daughter which dwelled in a village some what far of, was looked for at her burial, she at the length coming with howling and mourning, and her hair spread abroad, embraced the body of her mother, and cried out, Alas mother why dost thou forsake me a wretched creature? then with her lamentation she moved the standers by: and the soul of her mother presently returned, and waking as it were out of sleep, said, The Lord commanding I am revived: One raised from ●he dead to confess vn●o a priest a sin before concealed. take away the things wherewith I am covered, and let me arise. When she was thus set at liberty, a priest was called for, and the fault opened. And she testifying that by the intercession of the blessed virgin she was delivered, said unto all them that flocked unto the miracle, I being delivered to the tormentors was drawn to punishment: but the blessed virgin succouring me said, and asked them that did lead me, why they durst presume to lead her handmaid, and bade them quickly Et vs cito donec a domino sententiarer me deponerent ai●. So the devils were very hasty to take her before sentence. to let me go, until I had sentence of the Lord. The which being done, she coming to her son prayed, saying, I pray thee, O son, let not that soul be damned, which did so often bewail her sin before me. To whom the Lord said, thou knowest mother, that without confession she cannot be saved: but because I can deny nothing unto thee, let her return and confess, and so she shall be delivered. An angel therefore being presently sent, hath brought me back again. Having therefore made my confession I will return. Quo dicto figuans se, capite in sevetro inclinato spiritum exhalavit. This said, she signed herself & bowing her head unto the beer, she gave up the ghost. 4 The next miracle is said to be the third: but here the memory of the author or of the printer failed. For the former was the third. And so by this means there is an error in the number of the miracles following. For they are said to be but ninety nine, whereas indeed if they had been numbered, they are a just hundred, besides that which before I spoke of, namely, that take we away what of, namely, that take we away what we will of them, yet the number will be perfect. Now although this error have escaped the writer or the printer, yet I will follow the same, that if it should please the reader to try my faithfulness by having recourse to their own book, he might the sooner find that which he seeketh for. The sum of this twisethird miracle is this. 5 A certain woman with a strange dream, when she did awake was deprived The wife of a soldier having lost her wits, is helped by the virgin. of her sense, so that she thought that the faith which before she had, was betwixt her paps and did continually issue out. Her friends being full of heaviness for this misfortune, took her and lead her through the place of the Saints, to try if by any means they could recover her. So they lodged in a Church of the holy Trinity, but the holy Trinity would not restore health, but reserved the gift for the virgin, etc. Then was holy water made adjured with many conjurings, but the woman A woman the worse being put into holy water. put thereinto was the worse and madder than before. At length the year coming about, and the feast of the Purification of holy Marie approaching, she was brought to a certain Church built in the honour of the virgin, and in fashion far unlike other Churches, yet good enough for the Eremite Satis tamen congrua ad habitandum heremitis. to dwell in. Whilst therefore she lodged here at the foresaid feast, she was made as whole as if she had never been evil, etc. 6 The fourth example is of a certain monk that being much overcome of wine, The virgin delivereth a drunken Monk that had been devout unto her. and afterward recovering his senses, returning home ward was met withal by the devil: first in the likeness of a great bull, secondly in the likeness of a foul dog, thirdly in the likeness of a cruel lion. But always a certain fair virgin with her hair hanging over The Papists make the virgin a friend to drunkards. her shoulders, being present chased him away, and the last time took the monk by the hand and signed him with the cross in his forehead, and bade him go to an other monk and confess his sin, and do whatsoever he should enjoin him, etc. The fifth miracle is as followeth. 7 There was a notorious and most wicked thief minding nothing but the service A certain thief did fast the vigils of Marie, and he could not die without the sacraments. of the devil: yet this good he had, that he did devoutly fast the vigils of blessed Marie with bread and water: and when he went about his theft, he saluted her with the devotion that he could, desiring her that she would not suffer him to die in his mortal sin. Now when being taken he was hanged, for three days he hung and could not die. He called therefore to them that passed by that they should bring him a priest. The priest coming with the judge and the people, he was taken from the gallows, saying, that the blessed virgin had sustained him. So he was set at liberty, and a while after he finished his life laudably. 8 To omit the 8. next miracles, the sum of the 14. is this. A certain devout woman Marie delivereth the son of a certain woman from captivity. Inconsolabiliter flebat. had a son taken captive in war. She therefore wept most uncomfortably, and made many prayers for her son to the virgin Marie. At length profiting nothing, she said unto the virgin, O blessed virgin Marie, I have often entreated thee for the deliverance of my son; and thou hast not heard me: therefore as my son is taken from me, so The woman crieth quit with the virgin. will I take thy son from thee, and I will put him in custody as a pledge for my son. Then taking the image of the child out of It was high time for the virgin to help this woman to her son that she might recover her own. the lap of Marie, she went home, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and shut it diligently in her chest. And behold the night following blessed Marie appeared to the captive young man and delivered him. So upon his return, his mother restored the image of jesus to Marie, etc. 9 The fifteenth is somewhat like the former, in this manner. A certain Matron very devout to the virgin, had a little daughter which she had put forth to nurse (as it seemeth) Marie delivereth a little girl from a wolf. in a village next by. It fell so out, that as this infant was playing in the street, a wolf came and ran away with it, neither could any man stay the wolf or save the child. News of this being brought to the mother, as she sat at the table, she arose and went into the chapel and took the image of our Saviour out of the bosom of his mother, and with many tears broke forth into these words: Thou shalt never Nunquom rehabebis filium tuum, nisi mihi restituas filiam meam. have thy son again, except thou restore me my daughter. Upon this the virgin commanded the wolf, and presently some following the wolf recovered the child, etc. So the woman restored the virgin's son, etc. 10 The sum of the 16. example is this Marie preserveth a child from fire. A certain woman that daily saluted the virgin with ave Maria, one day having none to send to the field with her husband's dinner, she was constrained to go herself. Having therefore a little son, she left him at home, and saluting the virgin with an Ave, she committed him unto her keeping. In her absence, her house and all therein being burnt, at her return with many tears she expostulated the matter with the virgin. Then they sought the child, and found him altogether without hurt. 11 Here passing by the six next, the 23. Marie delivereth an innocent woman from death. is this. A certain adulterer had an honest wife and much devoted to the blessed virgin: but the miserable adulterer did hate her exceedingly. By the inconstancy of her husband, she came to such want, that she was constrained to nurse the child of a certain soldier. The adulterer for envy of his wife, came very secretly and cut the child's throat, & departed early. When the woman awaked, and would have given the child suck, she saw his throat cut. Then she broke out into so great a cry, that all in the lodging did awake. But this was unknown to the father and all in the city. The woman apprehended is brought unto judgement: and when she was judged to die, having no body to speak for her, she looking up to heaven, said, O Marry, thou knowest mine innocency: to thee I commend myself. These words ended, Metibi recommendo. there came one lady which did bear a fair boy, and with these words spoke unto all; Stay yourselves, O judges: because this Sustinete vos judices. boy shall be judge this day. Then presently the child said unto the judge, So ought judgement to be of a murderer; let the person murdered be brought, and let the answer of the woman be heard. All men marveled at the wisdom of this child, and presently the child killed was brought. Then said the child in judgement, judge tighteously, O ye sons of men: and he said to the child murdered, In the name of the Lord arise, and name him that killed thee. Immediately the child that was killed arose, and having never spoke before, than he began to speak, and with his finger did show the murderer. So the woman was dismissed and the murderer apprehended. In the mean time the lady with her child vanished away: and the adulterer being bound to an horse tail most miserably died. 12 The sum of the 25. miracle is this. In a certain monastery of Nuns, there was a very devout virgin named Bettres, which for her devotion being Wardness, Beatrix facta nutrix. did discharge this office so much the more devoutly, by how much the more freely she did it. At length a certain priest enticing her to filthiness, she withstood him a long time. But being in the end overcome, she came to the altar of the blessed virgin which there was Patroness, and resigned her keys, as not being able any longer to abide the tentation: so she secretly followed the priest. But within a little time he forsook her, by which means she came to great poverty; and being ashamed to return to her cloister, she became a common whore: and having lived many years publicly in that sin, at length she came unto the gate of her Monastery in a secular habit, and asked the portresse whether she knew Bettres sometime Wardness of that Monastery. To whom the portresse answered that she knew her well, and that she was a good lady (or mistress) and holy, and that without rebuke she had lived in Domina proba. that monastery from her infancy to that day. Notans sed non obseruans. The virgin supplieth an harlot's place for 15. years. All which time the whole church of Rome erred in praying to her in heaven, she being here in earth. This Bettres noting these words but not observing them, would have departed. But the mother of mercy appeared unto her in the shape of a woman, and said, I have supplied thine office for fifteen years of thine absence: now return into thy house & repent, for no man hath known thy going out. For in her form and habit, the virgin the mother of God had executed her office, etc. so she was restored. 13 The 27. in sum is this. A certain soldier a young man, dwelling with an other soldier by whom he was maintained, being A quo infeuda. tu● erat. in his flourishing age, but flourishing more in virginity, by envy not with standing of the devil, began to be grievously tempted and to burn in lust towards his mistress. This in modesty he concealed a whole year, but at the last overcoming shame, he opened his desire unto her. She being honest & faithful to her husband repelled him, whereby he was the more afflicted. Then with tears making his temptation known to a certain Eremite, this holy man faithfully answered, Fiducialiter respondit. Sound counsel against tentation. that he would give him sound counsel, which was, that for a whole year he should salute the virgin every day with an 100 ave Maria. The young man willingly performed this, and when he had done it the last time, as he came out of the Church, he saw a most beautiful Matron far excelling all the glory of man, getting upon his horse and holding the bridle. He marveling what she should be, she answered, doth my person please thee? then he said that he had never seen one fairer than her. She answered again, I will be thy wife, come unto me and I will give thee a kiss: she said also, Now is The Papists make the virgin to love kissing. the marriage begun; such a day before my son, it shall be finished. By this word he knew her to be the Lords mother. From that hour he was freed from the tentation: and he reported all this to the Eremite, who rejoiced greatly, and said he would be at the marriage. The day coming, and the Eremite being present, the foresaid soldier being in an agony gave up the ghost: and so entered agonizans spiritum exalavit. the heavenly brid-chamber to celebrate the promised marriage. 14 Now because I promised to make the reader but a short banquet, with these iunka●s: A man delivered from condemnation for offering one candle to the virgin. I will therefore pass by many other, and come to the sum of the 49. which is this. A certain soldier a young man, much given to the world, had a devout wife that prayed often to the virgin Marie for his conversion. Now in a certain night, her husband in spirit was brought to the judgement of God, and there accused of all his sins. And being forsaken, the judge asked; if there were none of the saints whom he had honoured at any time. The virgin Marie answered, that once in reverence of her he had given a great wax candle; so at her request he was discharged. When therefore the devils would have laid on him, with a burning candle he burned the, combussit eos, & viriliter se defendit. and manfully defended himself. Thus with fear and trouble he laboured & sweat mightily in his bed, and so howled that his wife invenit ontem haspidam quasi corticem de arbore. heard him. In the morning therefore she found his skin rough, as it had been the bark of a tree, his hairs long, grey, and hard, and suspecting adultery, she cried out. The servants running to their weapons, he awaking could not speak, but made an horrible noise as if it had becne an ox. At last recovering himself, he reported the whole matter, and was converted, etc. 15 The 50. miracle. There was a certain man in name only religious, but to all things a drop of Christ's blood weigheth more than all the sins of the world. that concerned religion hard and negligent. This man not with standing accustomed himself to piaie unto the virgin, and once a daic to say an 100 Av●● Maria. Being brought unto extremity, and taken into a transe, the Duclus ad extrema, raptus est ad extasin. devils presented him to the highest judge, craving sentence that he might be judged as their own. God therefore knowing his sins many ways, said he should be damned. In the mean time came the blessed virgin, offering The virgin bringeth a writ of error to reverse the former judge meant of her son. the rolls in which were contained all his Ave Maria: desiring her son the second time to proceed to judgement. But the devils brought many books of his sins: so on both parts the books were put into the balance, but his sins weighed heavier. Then the blessed virgin seeing that she did not profit, did most devoutly make supplication to her son, saying, Remember, dear son, of my substance thou tookest substance, visible, palpable and passable: and therefore give me one drop of thy blood which was shed for sinners in thy passion. Then said he, It is impossible to deny thee any thing: yet know that one drop of my blood waiethup all the sins of the whole world. Take therefore that which thou hast asked. The which she taking put it into the skoales, and it overwaied all the sins of the foresaid religious man, as if they had been but light ashes. Then the devils departing confounded, Tanquam savillam. cried, saying, The lady is too merciful to Christians, therefore we fail so often as she putteth herself into the conflict. His soul therefore was brought again to the body, and he recovering told all these things, and Monkery a reward of lying. was made a monk. 16 Like unto the former is the 51. the The virgin a friend to encrochers. sum and effect where of is this. A certain secular man occupied in country business, as he was many ways evil; so in ploughing of his ground he would encroach upon his neighbours, and steal from them. Not with standing he had sometime the virgin in his mind, and did often devoutly salute her. When he was dead, the devils gathered themselves together hoping to have his soul. The angels also were present, & she wed the good things that he had done: the devils like wise brought forth his infinite evils. Here upon they triumphed, as thinking they had gotten the day: but one of the angels pleaded that he was wont with great devotion to salute the virgin. The unclean spirits hearing these things left his soul, and went away ashamed. So was his soul delivered from the power of his adversaries. 17 The 53. example is of one that having learned of a virgin, that every one that fasted How good a thing 〈◊〉 is to fast on saterdays in the honour of the virgin. on saterdays in honour of the virgin Marie, should never die without the sacraments, did therefore observe the same: and being beheaded, his head when it was cut off cried, Confession, confession. The 54. is like unto this. 18 The 57 A certain soldier did daily salute the blessed virgin Marie with an ave One saved only by saluting daily the virgin Matir, without doing any other good thing. Maria, when he arose in the morning, and at night when he laid him down to sleep. He did no more good, and by the grace of the virgin he was saved. Like unto which is the 45. example of a notable thief that never had done any good thing, but only fasted on saturday to the blessed lady, and provided her one mass, yet by the grace of the virgin he spoke five words at his end, by which he was saved. The like is also in the 60. example, of a certain priest that was a notorious sinner, and drowned as he went about his sin, or after he had committed it: and yet saluting the virgin he was saved. But this was mentioned before in the service of the virgin made by Bernardine de Busti. Lastly, like unto the former is the 72. example, which is of a grievous sinner that never had done good, but only saluted the virgin every day: and yet being dead, and challenged earnestly by the devils to be theirs, the virgin Marie rescued her, and saved her. 19 The sum of the 78. example is this. A priest desireth to see the virgin's beauty. A certain priest of Paris very devout to the Virgin, entreated earnestly to see her beauty. At length he was certified by an angel that his prayers was heard by the virgin, and that on such a day and hour she would come unto him, and he should see her but withal that afterwards he should be blind. The priest was glad of this ridings, and willingly accepted the condition. But after the departure of the angel, he began to think with himself, that if he should lose both his eyes, he should be utterly undone, a miserable person, & a beggar, as being unfit for any thing. Therefore he determined with himself to behold her but The priest coseneth the virgin. with one eye, and to shut his other eye, and that if he might keep the sight of one eye, that would be sufficient. When the day appointed came the virgin appeared, and he put his hand before one of his eyes, and with the other did behold her, seeing so much of her beauty and glory, as can be expressed with words, or thought in heart. So he lost the The beauty of the virgin. sight of one eye: not with standing he was so ravished with her beauty, that he greatly lamented that he had not beheld her with both his eyes, and reproved himself for shutting of one eye, wishing that he were wholly blind, so as he might see her more fully. Wherefore he prayed more earnestly, that he might see her the second time. The angel therefore was sent again to certify him of the second coming of his lady. The priest said, that if he had a thousand eyes, he could be content to lose them all for ever, upon condition that he might see her again. Then the angel signified that he should see her again, and that he should not only enjoy that eye which already he had, but also have the other eye restored. And so it came to pass: whereby we may consider how excellent the beauty of the virgin is, and how delectable a thing it is to behold the same with our eyes. 20 The 83. example. A certain painter painted the devil with horns and other Marie upholdeth a painter from falling. members as foully as he could, to make him the more horrible: but he painted the image of the blessed virgin Marie, so comely and so fair as he could with divers colours. The devil therefore was very angry with it, and envied it: and in all haste came to the painter, and questioned with him, saying, Why hast thou made me so horrible and evil favoured, and the blessed virgin Marie so fair and so comely? He answered, because the thing was so in truth, as the picture made, showed. The devil being angry, upon a certain day would have thrown the painter down headlong from a lost, where he painted the image of the blessed virgin Marie: and he broke the confregit ligna in quibus stabat. scaffold whereon the painter stood. But as the painter was falling, presently the image of ut casum petijt. the most goodly virgin put forth her hand to the painter, and held him strongly that he If her image be so strong, how strong th●n is herself? might not fall: & so kept him from the devil. 21 The sum of the 84. miracle. In a certain church built to the honour of S. Michael, in a mountain called the tomb of Michael, there was the image of the virgin made of wood, with a vail on her head in manner of a mitre. This church by lightning was once set on fire and burned. But when The image of the father and the son no doubt were in that Church: might not they also as well have been preserved? the fire came to the place where the virgin's image was, as though it feared the image, it did not so much as touch the same: yea the white vail upon her head had not so much as any savour of fire. 22 The 93. in sum is this. A certain ignorant priest that knew no mass but the An ignorant priest suspended by a bishop. lady's mass, being complained of to the Bishop, was by him suspended from saying mass afterward. By this means therefore being after this in great necessity, and praying for help to the virgin, she bade him go The virginpatronizeth an ignorant priest: why then do puritans condemn such ministers? to the Bishop, and will him in her behalf to restore him to his office. The priest objected that he was poor and a despised person, and that therefore he should not be heard, neither have any access to the Bishop. Yet go (said the virgin) and I will make the way for thee. But, said the priest, he will not believe my words. She answered, thou shalt tell him The virgin too kind to do so much for a priest that had so little faith. for a token, that in such an hour and in such a place, as he was sewing his sackcloth, I held it on one side and holp him; then will he presently believe thee. In the morning therefore this priest went to the Bishop with this message. The Bishop hearing it marveled, and admitted him again to his place. Let these dishes suffice the reader for a banquet: by these he may discern the rest. THE EIGHT PART. I Have not gathered these, neither written any other thing of the devotion of the papists towards the virgin, to disgrace her: far be it from me, and from all other christians: whom God hath commended as blessed, him or her must no man disgrace. Yea, as God hath pronounced her blessed above all other women, in regard that he honoured her with being mother to our Saviour: so must all men yield her that prerogative. Not with standing as we must not deny her any thing that God hath granted her; so also must we take heed, that we be not more liberal unto her, than God himself hath been. Especially we must beware, that we make her not rich with the spoils of God. And this is the great fault of the Papists, both towards the virgin & also towards her saints, yea towards them that were never sanctified: yea sometime towards such, as whom they can not prove by good demonstration, ever to have been in the world. All these they think that they never honour sufficiently, till they take the crown from God's head, and from the head of his son Christ jesus, & set it upon their head. And so, as they do most extreme wrong to God & to Christ jesus: so also they do not honour, but highly dishonour them, whom they pretend most to honour. For what greater dishonour can there be then mockery? and what greater mockery is there, then to give to any person greater honour, then of right belongeth unto him? 2 As this is manifest of them by many other things, so especially the same appeareth most evidently by these miracles which I have here set down, & by many other partly contained in that book from whence I took these, & partly dispersed in other books, & not comprehended in the former. For we have seen how they make the virgin a patroness of many notorious sins & impieties. We have seen how they make her to make more account of one ave Maria, and of one wax candle offered unto her, then of all duties belonging unto God, in as much as she hath saved them (as they say) that have honoured her, though they had committed never so many, and never so great and heinous sins against God. We have seen how they make God to be mutable, in as much as he hath at her word oftentimes reversed his own sentence, & saved them whom before he had condemned. Finally we have seen, how flatly they contradict the Scriptures in most of these miracles: for the Scripture expressly Luk. 16. 26. saith, that betwixt heaven and hell is such a great gulf or distance, that they which would go from one place to an other can not: but they make this to be an ordinary matter, both for the virgin Marie, & also for the angels, yea likewise for the souls of men. 3 Further concerning those miracles, which the Papists so falsely ascribe unto the virgin Marie, they are to be considered, not only as a part of the matter of popery: but also as a means and chief pillar whereby especially the worship of the virgin in popery, hath been upholden and maintained. The same is likewise to be said of the like miracles of their other saints. For wherefore have they read them, and preached them in their churches? hath it not been to keep the people in the more devout worship of them, and to make them to think them half as good at the least, as God himself? verily it can not be denied. 4 Now what use are we to make of all these things thus added to my former treatise? The use of the addition. Are we only to laugh at them, and to make ourselves merry with them in a carnal manner? It may be some will make none other use of them; it may be some will buy this whole book, only for that purpose: but truly such shall greatly pervert my meaning. We may indeed (as before I have said in the treatise) laugh at them in some sort, so we do it in an holy manner with the spirit of Eliah, as he scorned the foolishness or rather extreme madness of the priests of Baal: but besides this, we are to apply these things many other ways, which I will only briefly note, leaving the further consideration of them to the godly reader. 5 First therefore, sith all these things do most lively show the extreme folly, & high abomination of popery: how ought all papists to be ashamed of their religion? How ought all Protestants that sometimes have been papists, to be grieved for their popery? How ought they likewise to mourn for any of their friends, yea for any other yet remaining in that estate, & yet shut up in the shadow of death? How joyful likewise and thankful aught we to be, that God hath opened our eyes to see these things, that he hath not sent his angel only into our houses (as sometime he did into the house of Lot, to take him & guide him out of Sodom, before fire came from heaven to destroy that city) but also hath given us his holy spirit in our hearts, & thereby delivered us from so ridiculous, so gross, & so horrible a religion. 6 Further we see by these things, how dangerous it is not to believe the truth, and how blockish we are, if we be left unto ourselves. Verily there is no error so foolish, so absurd, so gross, so abominable, & so monstrous, but that if God do forsake us, if he take his spirit from us, if he leave us to ourselves, we are ready to believe it as truth; yea to be zealous therein; yea far more zealous, than any of Gods own children are in the truth. 7 O therefore let us not deceive ourselves: late us hate popery as such a monster ought to be hated: let us make that account of the truth, & give such credit & obedience thereunto, that for our contempt & light account thereof, God neither give popery any return again unto us. Let us earnestly pray, let us keep watch by night & ward by day, let us always with all carefulness look unto ourselves, let us take heed of all jesuits, seminatie priests, yea of all papists, and likewise of all other means, whereby we may be entangled with this filthy & sottish religion, and be drawn thereunto. Let us delight in the communion & fellowship of all them that love the truth, and are able to confirm, strengthen, & help us forward in this religion which now generally we profess; using all other good means commended unto us for the same end. Let us take heed, not only of the main stock of popery; but also of every bough, branch, twig, yea of every leaf; for there is dangerous (if not deadly) poison in th● lest patch of popery. And as the whole substance of popish doctrine was not hatched all at once, but now one egg laid laid and then an other; now one chicken, and then an other; now one opinion and then an other; until all the whole brood was come forth: and when it was thoroughly hatched & brought forth, it had not all the stature, nor all the feathers, nor all the strength the first day, but crept and got up by little and little: so the devil being still as subtle as he was, and seeing popery now to be banished, and grieving that it is forced to live so long in exile, therefore daily laboureth (as alas by too great experience we daily see) by little & little again to win us thereunto. Privately indeed in many places of this land (and it is to be feared in too many. I pray God also that it be not in too great places, and with too great persons) he laboureth, where the whole body of popery doth remain, there to uphold it; and where it is not, there also wholly to bring it in again. For we see many now to be Papists, even of both sexes, yea some to be recusant papists, whose fathers: were little more then borne in the beginning of the reign of her most excellent Majesty. But although Satan the old adversary, where he thinketh he may be bold, and where he hath fit instruments to work by, hath in some private places, even in this flourishing time and bright light of the gospel, drawn some to the whole doctrine and religion of popery: yet he will not as yet be so bold as to attempt this publicly. Notwithstanding he goeth about it by degrees, & by little & little tunning (as it were) and filling his vessels here & there, one with strong popish drink & an other with small, that is, one with a main point of popery, & another with a small point; yea not only tunning & filling them there with, but also tapping & broaching them so filled, & giving of the drink of them by whole cans to other to drink. And this he doth according to his old subtlety, hoping the more easily to bring in & to broach all again & so to make all drunken again with the cup of fornications that is in the hand of the whore & strumpet of Rome. 8 Wherefore in the fear of God, & in the tender love that I bear unto the souls of all, I do admonish all to take heed of this evil. Whatsoever hath been accounted popery, & by good reason showed to be repugnant to the truth, & common consent of all churches reform held as erroneous & heretical: let all diligently take heed they never conceive any good liking thereof again. If we fear any more to embrace all popery, let us take heed that in the mean time we never entertain any one opinion thereof, though never so little. If we fear to be drunken with the strongest drink, or with many cups of popery, let us refrain from tasting thereof. For as with them that delight in strong drink, one cup draweth on an other; so also may we fear it will be with them, which begin to smell of any one point of popery. It is dangerous, it is dangerous to drink in any one error of popery, though never so small, especially to persist in the liking thereof & to say when we have tasted it, This is good: and most dangerous it is to commend the same to other, & to make them to drink of the same cup with us: all this is very dangerous, whither we do it for some good liking of the thing itself, or in regard of our own estimation, or in any other respect whatsoever. For we may fear, lest the Lord harden our hearts, even to like of those errors which as yet our souls abhor. 9 I writ not this to gall or gird at any, or to disgrace any one particular person (my heart hateth all such hatred, & delighteth in love & peace, & as well in the credit of other, as of myself) but in a general love, I do generally admonish all to take heed in this behalf. The Apostle speaketh in the like general manner, not admonishing some only, but also every one to take heed, least at any time there should be in any an evil & unfaithful heart to fall away Hebr. 3. 12. from the living Lord. Yea after that he had testified unto them that he was persuaded good things Hebr. 6. 9 of them, & such as did accompany salvation; yet he speaketh as generally, exhorting them to take heed that no man did fall away from the grace of Hebr. 12. 15. God. Adding further as a special means to take heed thereof, that they should not suffer any root of bitterness so much as once to spring up amongst them: where by the root of bitterness all men know he meaneth errors and heresies. Finally he addeth these reasons, fitst that such roots or root would trouble them, & secondly that it would defile them. There is none therefore so strong in the grace of God, but that he may fall (though not finally as hath been showed in my treatise) if he be secure, & take not great heed 〈…〉 himself. There is none so well 〈◊〉 with the sweet & precious liquor of God's truth, but that he may become bitter, by suffering such bitter roots to spring up in his heart. There is none at such peace with men and with his own conscience, but that he may be disquieted, disturbed, and troubled. There is none so well was washed & cleansed by the pure water of God's holy spirit, but that he may be polluted & defiled. There is none therefore that may think this mine admonition of taking heed unto himself, to be superfluous and needles for him. 11 To conclude, I do again in all humble manner beseech all whomsoever, both all the reverend fathers & governors of our church, & also all other my learned and good brethren, as well remaining under our mother's wings in the Universities of Cambridge and Oxenford, as also already called forth to labour in the ministery of the word in particular churches, all these, I say, I do humbly beseech, & earnestly exhort, to be fervent in spirit in behalf of the truth, and with all zeal to uphold, defend, maintain, and daily in the places where we live, and in the hearts of the people over whom the holy Ghost hath made us overseers, to further, to increase, and to enlarge that sound and wholesome doctrine, which hitherto hath been taught by us, and heard like wise and in some measure received by those amongst whom we have laboured. THE END.