A declaration of the recantation of john Nichols (for the space almost of two years the Pope's Scholar in the English Seminary or College at Rome) which desireth to be reconciled and received as a member into the true Church of Christ in England. 1 Esdr. 4.38, 41. Magna est veritas & pravalet. Tertul. de virginibus. Whatsoever savoureth against the truth, is an heresy, be it never so ancient a custom. 1. Peter 2.17. Fear God: Honour the King. Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty. Anno 1581. Februarii. 14. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE decorative border incorporating the royal English blazon or coat of arms ❧ Illustri Equiti, clarissimoque Regiae Maiestatis Londini Castrorum praesidi, custodique insigni, praestanti, ac nobilitate verae sapientiae, & virtutis insignibus decorato, Domino Odoeno Hopton, domino suo obseruando, johannes Nicholaus gratiam & pacem a Deo patre, & a Domino nostro jesu Christo. PATER ille coelestis (vir praestantissime, omni pietatis, atque religionis genere perpolite & exculte) sic mei pestilentis papistici erroris tabe penè consumpti, & ab omni ferè virtute remoti tandem misertus est, ut ex densissima mortis caligine, atque profunda ignorantiae abysso, me sibi ingratum & inobedientem filium eruere dignaretur: atque in suae ecclesiae, Luk. 15.20, 21. nullis idololatriae sordibus maculatae, gremium revocare non negaret: & omnimoda bonarum literarum eruditione refertos, satisque sanctitatis notis cumulatos viros excitaret, qui suo fraterno labore & industria, contenderent quàm maximè possent, in Christi evangelicae veritatis agnitionem me demùm vendicare: quorum incorruptis, nullis hypocrisews involucris, & integumentis, documentis, praeceptisquè involutis imbutus ac instructus, quorum (inquam) consilio fretus, & suffultus, (divina illa gratia animum meum ad bonitatem disponente) non ambigo, neque animi pendeo, me posse causam meae religionis suscipere, tueri ac defendere, in conspectu illorum adversariorum, quos aliquandiu diurna consortij familiaritas mihi non ignotos fecit. Ea sunt Dei omnipotentis in me collocata beneficia, quae enumerando percensere, & explicando consequi non est mearum virium. Aliquando fedissimae orationis, vanitatis & ignorantiae seruituti mancipatus eram: iam verò omnis mendacij & inscitiae obscuritate nocteque fugata, clarissimum mihi veritatis lumen affulget: ingenium meum antehàc adèo depravatum, & a verbo Dei alienum erat, ut maiori delectatione, atque vehementiori desiderio, hominum commentitias traditiones citiùs approbarem et amplecterer, quàm professionem illam Catholicam, quam Christi Apostoli tradiderunt, martyres suo sanguine effuso confirmaverunt, & fideles hucusque conseruant, amplexibus exciperem, sinuque foverem: Nunc verò ingenio meo Spiritus sancti flame accenso & inflammato (depulsis mentis erroribus, quibus constrictus & irretitus fueram,) Sathanae imposturas intelligentia & ratione comprehendo, falsae opinionis tenebras ab oculis depello, (auxilio divino mihi suffragante) & salutarem evangelii veritatem magno cum amore prosequi incipio. Ante hoc conversionis meae tempus, verbo Dei aures erant mihi clausae, ut illud audire abhorrerem, atque reclamarem, in me caecitas ita dominatum habuit, ut fulgentes Christi evangelii radios videre aspernarer. jam ductore Spiritu sancto, atque atroci conscientiae vulnere stimulatus, animaduerto Papistarum fabulas prorsus incerto niti fundamento, illorúmque religionem non modò nulla afferre conscientiae multis delictis obrutae & circuncessae efficacia medicamenta, verùm etiam altiùs tela infligere, animam, (vitae primam causam) diris infaustísque vinculis atque compedibus arctare & constringere, & planè apertéque Deo eiusque verbo vim inferre. Turpia illorum idola, crassissimi errores, blasphemiae infinitae, superstitiones detestabiles, vanissima commenta, ac denique vitae inaudita & horrenda turpitudo, atque dedecus ob oculos mihi versantur. Meditor itaque atque cogito quantis quamque varijs astutijs & blandimentis, homines cuncti doli fraudisque expertes, immunesque, versuti Papistae alliciunt atque titillant, ad suam pernitiosam doctrinam amplexandam. Ad hos praefatos homines deludendos, & in sempiternam fraudem conijciendos, in angelos se lucis transferunt, & eam vitae exteriorem pietatem prae se ferunt, qua faciliùs incautorum hominum mentes circumuenire queant. Sed plus gloria & praedicatione sua bona opera (si bona dici possint) efferunt, atque extollunt, quàm veritas concedere possit. Non verentur illi (omnibus pudoris velis rewlsis, cunctoque dei altitonantis timore deposito, omnique charitatisnota relegata & in exilium pulsa) dicere illos coelitum dignitatem, moribus & institutis, atque vitae sanctimonia consecutos. O impudentes Pàpistas, mendacij sordibus illinitos, & omni animi funestae pravitati succumbentes, atque à fide Christiana, & charitate fraterna auersos! Quotus enim quisque inter vos vitam non degit belluinam? Quis Dominum timet? Quis illum diligit? Quis pietatis ruinas edere formidat? Quis inter vos (ut brevi comprehendam) fontem aquae vitae non deserit, & cisternas sibi fodit maximè dissipatas? jere. 2.13. Si quorundam Papistarum vitam, omnium scelerum, libidinúmque maculis notissimam, Latinis verbis explicare conarer, Latinae linguae rudes nihil inde fructus perciperent, quia quod diceretur, neutiquam intelligeretur. Qua de causa operaepretium me facturum duxi, si nuda ac impolita (bona tamen cum fide, animóque syncero) exarata narratione benevolo Lectori satisfacerem, lingua nostra Anglicana narrando & exponendo ea, quae vidi atque audivi à viris fide dignis inter illos gesta. Praeterea nostros sacrificulos Romani Pontificis (filii perditionis) mandato missos & delegatos in hanc florentissimam Angliae Insulam ad pervertendos huius terrae accolas, & veritatis splendori insidiantes, quo studio perpetuò tenebras moliuntur in hoc regnum reducendas, quas huic solo suo paterno minas comminantur, atque quibus convitijs optimos quosque viros insectantur, in hac epistola dedicatoria silentio praeteribo. De Papistis satis hoc in loco verba fecisse videor, & hinc te (vir clarissime, religione, justicia, liberalitate, caeterìsque heroicis animi dotibus nobiliter stipate & vallate) hac oratione crasso filo mihi scripta affari liceat, cui inter homines mortales plurimum debere, ac cui ob tuam erga me charitatem, ad extremum vitae anhelitum me obstrictum sentio, devinctumque fateor. (Blanda absit verbo vanitas.) Quem laborem pro me, cùm verae Ecclesiae septis non tenebar inclusus suscepisti, omnibus patefaciam, cùm fueram carceribus detentus, eò quòd in Papistarun partem propendebam, (& in Seminario Anglicano, Romae duos (plus minus) annos sedem collocassem, quàm saepe me ad te accersi vocaríque fecisti, quàm mansuetè humanitérque mecum semper egisti, quàm salubre mihi consilium impertitus es, ut Papisticae idololatriae faecem exuerem! nonne concionatores permultos, non vulgari doctrina praeditos ad me accedere voluisti? ut si qua possent ratione, me coelesti evangelii veritati reconciliarent atque devincirent. Plerosque mihi insuper libros suppeditasti, quibus nonnunquam lectis, immenso Dei beneficio, magnam inde utilitatem salutiferam mihi (parvo temporis interiecto spatio) comparavi. Habito identidem sermone cum peritis, atque crebris concionibus auditis, ex indubiae veritatis inimico (Deo adiuuante) dum in his inclusus corporis compagibus fuero, verum meipsum praestabo amicum, & ad studia sacrarum literarum animum applicabo, quarum praesidio, Papistarum fraudes detegere, & furta convincere valeam, & omnibus (Deo meis conatibus auspicante) demonstrabo, quod sit illis artificium, quo priùs persuadent quàm doceant, ubi autem veritas docendo potiùs suadeat, quàm suadendo doceat. Ambros. in 1. cap. ad Rom. Declarabo cunctis istos se non putare reos, qui honorem nominis Dei deferunt creaturae, & relicto Domino, conseruos adorant, sibique persuasum habent Deum sine mediatore inexorabilem esse, & prorsus ignorant ad reges per tribunos & comites eundum esse: quia homines utique sunt reges, & nesciunt quibus debeant Rempublicam credere. Ad Deum autem, quem nihil latet, omnium rerum merita novit, ad promerendum suffragatore non est opus, sed mente devota. Vbicunque enim talis locutus fuerit ei, procul dubio respondebit illi. Sed adversarij nostri, etsi videant scripturas sacras suae sententiae oppositas, confiteri tamen nolunt se in tetra erroris caligine versari. Quare haec Sancti Hilarij verba in illos haud indignè quadrare videntur: Hilarius de Trinitate li. 6. cap. 84. Gravis & periculosus est lapsus in multis, etsi enim se intelligant, tamen pudor exurgendi autoritatem sibi praesumit, ut quod errant, prudentiam velint existimari, quod cum multis errant, intelligentiam asserant veritatis. Et unde illud quaeso? Ex contemptu certè scripturarum, & ex insolenti superbia qua inflati sunt. Si circundarent sibi quasi murum firmissimum, scripturarum doctrinam, nunquam tàm citò ad illorum interiora irrumpere posset hostis. Tunc omnes errores, & idola, & similitudines veritatis comminuerent atque dispergerent, & adeò iudicarent immunda, ut ea (menstruatae mulieris) sordidissimo sanguini compararent. Si cord non ficto divinum auxilium compellarent, sibique nihil inaniter arrogarent, Dominus supernè intrans in corda sua, claro suo lumine mentes illorum illustraret, rationi (animae formae) iubar suum infunderet, detegeret occulta, doctorque fieret eorum quae ignorarent, tantum si illi ea quae ab illis sunt, auferre vellent. Sed omnia haec media, quibus possent salvari, tanquam si nulli essent usui, respuunt spernuntque, qua de ratione illorum salus valde désperanda est. Concedat Deus Optimus Maximus ut resipiscant, & veritatem agnoscant, dum huius lucis usura, & hoc vitae curriculo fruuntur, atque omnia figmenta, quae multis simplicibus aditum ad coelorum regnum penitùs intercludunt, seponant, atque abijciant, & Sancti Davidis verborum recordationem oblivio nunquam deleat, Psal. 34.13, 14. quae in Hebraico textu sic se habent. jamim oheu chaiim hecaphets hais mi tou liroth vsephatheca, merag, lesconecha Netsor: Mirma Middabber. id est, Quis ille vir qui vult vitam, diliget dies ad videndum bonum, custodi linguam tuam à malo, & labia tua à loquendo dolum. Et Beatus Paulus: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, id est, 1. Cor. 6.20. 1. Pet. 1.19. Empti estis pretio magno, glorificate igitur Deum in corpore vestro, & in spiritu vestro, quae sunt Dei. Temerè fortassis magis quàm prudenter hanc epistolam, nullis verborum phalaris flosculísue Ciceronianis exaratam, tuae amplitudini dicare conabar, sed meae temeritati tua ignoscat humanitas, atque dignetur, ut sub tuo patrocinio & tutela, haec brevis recantationis meae declaratio in lucem aspectumque omnium intrepide prodeat, & impiorum malevolentiam flocci pendat, quibus nocendi voluntas non deest, sed officiendi potestas abest, & declinata recumbit. Ne epistola haec longior sit quàm par est, diutiùs tuam amplitudinem detinere nolo, sed ut hoc meae erga te qualecunque obseruantiae monumentum benevola manu excipere ne grauè tibi ducas, mirum in modum posco & imploro. Dominus jesus te tuosque (vir magnifice) muneribus suis ornet, augeatque, & in multos annos Ecclesiae suae conseruet & retineat: Serenissimam verò Reginam Elizabetham, (quam exteri plerique omnibus laudis ornamentis efferunt) protegat, & longaevam in terra faciat, ad gloriam Dei propagandam, & ad comprimendam & confringendam inimicorum suorum audaciam, denique ad consolationem nostram: Nobilissimòs Proceres, adeoque omnes huius regni potentissimos ordines defendat, & omni benedictionum genere cumulet, & ad verae pietatis, & regni Christi propagationem perducat. Amen. Tuae amplitudini addictissimus & humilimus servus joannes Nicholaus. The preface to the gentle Reader. GOD that is my record, and searcher of all men's hearts (good Christian Reader) knoweth, jer. 11.20. & 17.10. & 20.12. 1. Chron. 28.9. 1. Sam. 16.7. Psal. 7.10. Esay. 29.13. that with unfeigned heart I greatly wished this declaration of my repentance, & desire to be received to the true Church, to be imprinted, for two principal causes: the one, to certify my dear country men of my reconciliation to the true Church, the other of my disposition to do them good hereafter, when it shall please God to increase me with greater knowledge, and to manifest how it hath pleased Christ our Saviour the head shepherd, Heb. 13.20. to call me away by his instruments the faithful and godly, from the whore of Babylon, Apoc. 18.9. from the school of error and from the temple of heresy, to the City of righteousness, the true Church, his undefiled spouse. I doubt not but that the godly and unfeigned lovers of the glorious and comfortable Gospel of jesus Christ will hearty rejoice and give God thanks, that it was his divine pleasure to bring me a lost sheep into his fold, Mat. 18.12. Luk. 15.4. & to him make their prayers in my behalf, that he of his bountiful mercy will vouchsafe to grant me continual perseverance therein even unto the end of my life, that I may never serve from his heavenly truth unto blindness and error, Psal. 125.5. wherewith once seduced by false prophets, I was holden captive. But now having the assistance of God's holy Spirit, the truth of his sacred word, and perfect love of the faithful on my side, I pass not what wicked Papists speak or do against me: their immoderate and uncivil bitterness proceeding from the furious and stormy passions of their poisoned hearts I may well lament, but restrain I can not: therefore I say, Let the Papists here in England fret and fume, and say of my name what evil or slander they can devise, let them write their letters to Rheims in France, and from thence to Rome with the post, and certify all the English Scholars there, that the Pope's scholar their own companion and fellow student is revolted from papistry, hath left the Pope in plain field, and quite denied him, protested against his blasphemies, and renounced the devilish dregs of all his Idolatry. So soon as these letters shall come to view, Robert Parsons sometimes of Bailyol College in Oxford. they will name one Father Parsons jesuite a Prophet, or Soothsayer, for that he at Rome in the English Seminary in a certain exhortation made to the scholars, prophesied that one or other of that company (my self being then present amongst them) should degenerate from their faith, and be the overthrow of that college: he confirmed also the proof thereof by example, beginning with Christ and his Apostles, Mat. 26.16. Luk. 22.4. joh. 6.71. & pyking out judas one of the college of Christ that forsook his master, and then from the college of the Apostles he named Nicholaus that revolted. Acts. 6.5. Apoc. 2.6. Now will their divines declaim in the refectory pulpit of my sudden sequestration, and estranging from their brotherly society. The trial and experience of their rash judgement, hatred, and envy, mocking & scoffing, had & pronounced against others, giveth me sufficient notice that I shall incur their like railing, and misreport. I know that I cannot be void of their imagined slanders, in judging me to be the first begotten son of the devil, I cannot escape their sinister exposition of all things to the worst: wherefore I must arm myself with patience, and seeing through God's goodness I am reduced from the miserable captivity of blindness and error, to the true understanding and knowledge of God's holy truth, I need take no great thought for their conceived choler, slanderous speech, and railing words of Satan's prompting, sithence they have dealt so maliciously with my betters. And as for their holy father the Pope's curse with book, bell and candle, it shall not grieve me at all, neither will I take one unquiet nap for all his banning and cursing: and seeing I have renounced his Popish church, wherein I neither heard the word of God sincerely taught, the Sacraments rightly administered, nor the Name of God duly called upon: Seeing that (I say) I forsook the idolatrous church of Rome, and have so gone from it, Dan. 6.23. & 3.26. as Daniel went out of the lions den, and the three children out of the furnace, and am come to that Church, wherein the most earnest Papists themselves can not deny (if they will say truly and as they think in their own conscience) but all things be governed purely and reverently in this true Church of Christ, I have a desirous mind to profit my loving countrymen, according to the Talon which God of his bountifulness shall give unto me, in preaching unto them his holy word, in exhorting them unto watchfulness and prayer against Romish doctrine, which is builded upon false miracles and traditions of men, being the fantastical devices of their busy brain for lucre and ambition sake: finally in warning them unto amendment of life, that both by their faith and conversation God's name may be glorified. If thou art a member of that church the spouse of Christ, whereof he is head, and not Antichrist, the Bishop of Rome, it needeth not then (good christian Reader) much to entreat thee to take in good part this unlearned declaration of my reconcilement made as it were ex tempore, myself being in prison and wanting books, to the great impediment and hindrance of this my discourse. The benevolence of the Papists I seek not, for if I should, it were but in vain, I can not obtain it, for that I have with upright conscience made a true rehearsal of such things as I have seen at Rome, yet not all, nor the twentieth part thereof, but here one thing, and there another, and so few things in all: and this I add in the end, if they can not afford one good word by me, yet for good fellowship sake let them then say, Requiescat in pace, but let it be a solemn dirge for Aristotle's soul, who never knew the true God, but ever lived in gentility & blindness of the truth, that he may be delivered out of Purgatory where they hold him to be, so that we may have conference with him, & know of him whether it be substantial & true divinity such as he taught and set forth in writing, or else whether it be Plato his divinity, who was an Heathen or Gentile, and which of them is best: and as for the divinity which Christ preached, and was delivered by the Apostles, and received of the faithful, they are not acquainted with. God evermore inflame and direct me with his holy Spirit, that the zeal of his truth may thoroughly pierce and possess my heart, that I may safely walk in the ways of righteousness & holiness all the days of my life, & utterly abandon & detest all hypocrisy, & idolatrous superstition. I. N. A declaration of God's benefits towards me a wretched sinner. How provident a patron, and bountiful a father the Lord of life hath been unto me his unthankful and rebellious child, his sundry and manifold benefits do testify, and this my unfeigned reconciliation to the true Church doth verify the same, yea the continuance of his loving kindness was herein principally declared: for whereas mine own natural corruption wrought daily in me the banishment out of his favour, and the danger of reprobation, he notwithstanding in consideration of my frailty, never withstood to help me in all dangers both bodily and ghostly, and to pluck me out of the pit of perdition, whereinto the heinousness of my offences haled me by violence. Oh gracious God, how shall I a sinner, conceived in sin, and brought up in iniquity, worthily advance the excellency of thy love? who shall give me a heart to conceive this thy kindness? whence shall I have utterance to sound out thy mercy? Of myself (because I am a vessel of wrath subject to sin, death, hell & condemnation) I can not conceive so perfect a work: thou therefore which art the everlasting fountain of all goodness, jer. 2.13. jam. 1.17. give it me, oh give it me, and I shall have it, and in the having of it I shall magnify thy Name, extol thy power, & marvel at thy mercy. Thou hast had special regard to my frail estate, and safety of my soul. I had once lost the precious pearl of thy blessed Gospel, Matth. 13.45, 46. which is the true jewel of all christian joy, but by thy gracious gift I have found it again, in consideration whereof, Christian duty bindeth me to take the sacrifice of thanksgiving, Psal. 116.12, 13. and burn the same upon the altar of an humble heart, that the redolent & perfumed incense thereof ascending up into heaven, Psal. 51.17. may be acceptable to thy divine Majesty, whose special delight is in such a sacrifice and oblation. A discovery or laying open of my zeal in Popery, and how I preached before that Antichrist of Rome, and also of the causes of my most happy conversion to the truth. IT is not yet a twelvemonth past (good Christian audience, & well-beloved brethren in our saviour Christ) since that, before some of you now prisoners, and then my scholefelowes, I preached, as you know, commanded by our superiors at Rome, in defence of the romish Religion, which now (God be thanked therefore) (being reduced by the godly and daily counsel of the right worshipful Sir Owyn Hopton Knight, Lieutenant of her highness Tower of London, the strong & pith thy persuasions of learned Preachers, which through his means and permission, had access unto me, and the hearing of their fruitful sermons, confirmed by the true and lively word of Christ jesus) I utterly detest. How earnest I was then in persuading the English Students to embrace Papistry, and in exhorting you sometimes my Scholefellowes, (as the Pope's Apostles,) faithfully to do your message, constantly to take the cross of Christ upon you in all troubles and afflictions, and courageously to abide martyrdom, I think you have in remembrance. About half a year past, Anno. 1580. I was also requested by the Perfect or Master of the English Students, named father Peter jesuite, a spaniard borne, to make a Sermon in the Latin tongue, upon the festival day of Peter ad Vincula, certain English Doctors of the city, and some of the Pope's Chapel, with other strangers being present at dinner. I preached then contrary to the true Religion, against faith, the buckler of our defence, the Tower of refuge, the enemy of desperation, the comfortress of the afflicted, and the perfect way to salvation. I preached also repugnantly to maintain popish idolatry, against the heavenly Gospel, the new Testament, and last will of our Saviour Christ. Thus did I wilfully fight against God's word, albeit my conscience cried within me day & night, This is not the right way to get eternal life, thou must worship God, Apoc. 22.9. and not a stock or stone. Well, it pleased God of his merciful goodness to visit me with grievous sickness both of body and mind, two days after I made this Latin Sermon, which was the Wednesday after S. Peter ad Vincula his day. August. 5. Truly then lying very sick in my bed, and more like to die, then live, conscience so pricked and disquieted me, that I feared condemnation: my conscience always suggesting, and as it were telling me, Papistry to be an idolatrous and superstitious religion. Yet for all that, I thought that religion to have been best, although I disputed often against the same, insomuch that many of my scholefelowes suspected me to have been an heretic (for so term they Protestants. Act. 24.14. ) One of you that was prefect of our chamber in the English Seminary, may easily gather that I was no true lover of the Gospel, when as I so sharply spoke, and preached against the professors thereof. And how unwisely I slept, in the coldest time of the year the last winter, upon hard boards, forsaking my bed, 1. Reg. 18.28. Luk. 18.12. how I scourged myself with whipcordes, and how I fasted twice in the week: you may conjecture by this, that I was a Papist, which would seek so to shorten mine own life: you know also, how I took thereby a vehement cough with continual spitting, which since your departure grew to a dangerous disease, whereof I thank God I am now recovered. My Confessor did advise me to such and so extreme discipline and correction of my body, as had I still followed his directions, I had been dead ere now, and put in the grotte, for graves have they none at Rome, but Vaults. If this be good or wholesome counsel for a man so to correct himself, that he shall be the cause of his own death, judge you. But I left those superstitions, and suffered reason to rule my will, before it was too late, and having recovered my health, I presented myself before the Pope, and obtained leave to go to Rheims, for that the air there was more temperate. I had before that time made an Oration & a Sermon in the Latin tongue, presented before the Pope and four Cardinals, and before all them that were with the Pope in the Consistory. If you my brethren yet prisoners within the Tower, deny the assertion thereof, yet to your shame, and my credit, they that shall go to Rome for pleasure sake, may safely go to the Pope's Protonotary, dwelling fast by Saint Peter's church in the inquisitory palace, or to any of his clerks, and there make inquisition of my name, which is registered in three great paper volumes, of such as are always present, writing in chambers, to whom all men without danger may resort: where, turning to my name, they shall find the Sermon and Oration containing ten sheets in Paper, for the which the Pope gave me great thanks, and so did the Cardinals, with all the rest. Moreover (which I had almost forgotten) being before the Pope, I had a wallet for four Priests, and a Doctor, & others, full of Agnus this, Grana benedicta, Medellas', Crosses, and Beads, with other trasshes: and forasmuch as I had never before that time seen the Pope blessing wallets, I did hold the wallet before him, and would have had him to hold it upon his lap, and so to have blest it with his red cap. Well, I never drew back my hand from him, until extraordinarily he had blest it three times, which before that time as I think, was never seen. So that England is happy, which hath gotten such a wallet, with so many blessings, whereby (perhaps) they may deliver their Grandsires apace out of purgatory: it is a strange thing to see what virtue may be thrust into a wallet. O unwise people that trust to such trasshes. If I had money plenty, I would get you a thousand blessings, but God bless us all from such hypocritical benedicities. Well, concerning my journey, I forsook France, & came not at Rheins: but travailed thorough Germany, and arrived in England, and was within eight days taken prisoner, and brought to the Tower: and being there kept in prison for Papistry, I thought it good to consider the estate of my religion, not fearing the death of the body, Matt. 10 28. Luk. 12.5. so much as the condemnation of my soul, to burn in hell fire for ever, if I held not true religion, although that others in their books should write me a holy Martyr. Thus in prison with a sorrowful mind, a careful thought, and a troublesome conscience, I spent the time, where with sobbing tears and hearty prayers, I craved of GOD, that he of his merciful goodness, would vouchsafe to assist me in all troubles and persecution, that valiantly I might be able to fight under his banner, stoutly to overcome the subtle assaults of the devil, Mat. 10.38. & 16 24. Acts. 5.41. 1. Pet. 3.14, 15. 2. Tim. 2 11, 12. prudently to despise the deceitful promises of worldly felicity, manfully to abandon the frailty of the flesh, and joyfully to take up the cross, and follow Christ, even to the death, the death of martyrdom. It pleased God, hearing this my foolish petition, & knowing me to be seduced by false prophets, (I say not, ne dare say, such as you my brethren are,) for that I hope you have determined to recant your wicked religion: but I do, and may boldly say, such as you were before your apprehension, and imprisonment here in the Tower. Well, I say, it pleased God of his goodness, knowing me to be in error, to lighten mine eyes, that I might clearly see the abominable Idolatry, the pernicious superstition and vain ceremonies, which are used & practised in all Countries, where Antichrist reigneth, who is an enemy of God, a robber of his honour, a false seducer of the people, a disturber of common weals, a corrupter of God's holy word, a Coziner of princes, a setter down of new laws & strange commandments, otherwise then our master Christ in his blessed word doth allow: & briefly, a great stumbling block of offence to infinite thousands of the true lovers of the Gospel, an open persecutor, & a bloody butcher. When my heart was prepared to perceive the fickle foundation of this unsavored religion, I recanted from the bottom of my heart, and bewailed that ever I was a Papist: but afterwards somewhat comforting myself, I craved, and do crave, and shall with Gods help ask mercy and forgiveness, for all my idolatrous crimes and faults committed against his divine majesty. I shall become of a Rebel a true subject, of an enemy of the truth, an embracer thereof. I will study and endeavour by God his grace during my life, that his wrath and indignation worthily deserved, may be pacified, & that I may be found acceptable in his sight at the dreadful day of judgement, Rom. 2.16. Apo. 20.12. when every man shall give an account of his Stewardship. I will moreover do what I can to reform the judgement and conscience of our Adversaries, and to bring the enemies of the Gospel to the love thereof. Rom. 6.16, 18. But it is not in him that willeth, neither in him that runneth, but in God that showeth mercy. There shall want no diligence in me by gods help, in this my first sermon after my recantation, to have you my brethren brought into the way of salvation, who yet hitherto (as it seemeth) either ignorantly or wilfully wander from the same. I have chosen a Theme fit for my purpose to discover the errors and vanities of your religion. But before I enterprise to discourse o● my text, I think it most needful to make my prayer to God, that I the preacher may with a pure mind, fervent zeal, wholesome doctrine and bold utterance, instruct you that be here present, and that you the hearers may diligently mark, & obediently follow that which is taught, that you may hear God's word with reverence, & practise the same in your life & conversation, that I may preach to the honour of God, to the extolling of his benefits towards us miserable wretches, to the edifying of his church, to the enlargement of his holy kingdom, to the advancement of the truth of his sacred Gospel, to the extirpation of sin, to the abolishing of Papistry, to the reformation of you that be infected therewith, to the plucking down of Babylon, & finally to the building up of the walls of jerusalem. In which prayer I commend to your good devotion the whole estate of Christ his church militant here on earth, etc. The recantation of john Nichols a Seminary man, & lately the Pope's Scholar, made in the Tower of London, the fifth day of February, 1581. & the 23. year of her majesties most blessed reign, before Sir Owyn Hopton, Knight, with divers other Gentlemen Citizens of London, and many others. Where also were present certain of the same sect, and lately his fellows and companions. Matth. 7.15. Cavete a falsis prophetis, qui veniunt ad vos induti vestibus ovium, sed intus lupi sunt rapaces. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. IN this parcel of scripture, good Christian audience, and well-beloved brethren, we have three things worthy to be noted. The first is a caveat, warning, or watch word given by our Master Christ, when he saith, Cavete a falsis prophetis? Beware of false prophets. False teachers of men's traditions, Romish Priests, crafty seducers, he biddeth us take heed of such deceitful jugglers. In the second point or comma, he telleth us their outward habit, by the which we may distinguish and know them from true Prophets, when as he saith, Qui veniunt ad vos induti vestibus ovium: Which come to you in sheeps clothing. In the third point, which is the shutting up of the sentence, he showeth us their inward habit, Sed intrinsecus sunt Lupi rapaces: But inwardly they are ravening wolves, devourers of the flock. These three points or divisions will I handle, God willing, in order, as the text giveth me occasion. Our ancient adversary the serpent (dearly beloved in our saviour Christ) was never more busy to seek the destruction both of body and soul, the time never more dangerous to fall, the people never so lewd & prone to sin and idolatry, the Papists never so vigilant to deceive their own countrymen, as in these our latter days, whereof Christ prophesied: neither seek they only to spoil them of their goods, but also to pluck them from the truth and ready way to salvation, unto wicked error and idolatrous superstition, and from the perfect path that leadeth to life everlasting, unto the lamentable way of endless torment & utter destruction. Wherefore my brethren, if you have the fear of God before your eyes, if you have the love of truth dwelling in you, if you have an especial care to save your souls, yield not to the serpent's persuasion, take heed of false prophets, consent not to the doctrine of Romish priests, the Pope's Apostles: For sayeth one, Dum Romani sacerdotes quam maxime possunt, enituntur multa praedicare, quae saluti animarum convenire videantur, non pauca praedicant, quae ad perennem animarum perniciem ducunt: Whiles that the Romish priests endeavour as much as they may, to preach many things, which seem to agree to the salvation of souls, then teach they not few things which tend to the perpetual destruction thereof. The first point of their devilish doctrine, in seducing the blind and ignorant people, is this, To tell us, that we leave this article of our Creed unbelieved, Credo sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam, I believe in the holy Catholic Church, if we acknowledge not the Roman church to be the holy catholic Church. As though that were true. In the judgement of all the learned and godly, the Catholic Church is dispersed over the face of the earth, not tied or united to any proper place as Rome, or person as the Pope. The Council of Nice, in time passed committed the charge of the Catholic Church, to three principal patriarchs, Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, which afterwards came to Constantinople. Nilius in his book de primatu Romani Pontificis, of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome, saith, Quandoquidem quaedam provinciae spectant ad ecclesiam Romanam, aliquae ad Episcopum Alexandria, & aliquae ad Episcopum Constantinapolaeos, iam non magis subditae sunt Romano Episcopo, quam Romanus Episcopus subditus sit illis: Primacy by limitation. Forasmuch as certain countries are limited to the church of Rome, certain to the Bishop of Alexandria, and certain to the Bishop of Constantinople, they are now no more under him, than he under them. I gather by this Council of Nice, which all Papists of Rome do allow, that the Church of Rome was not only accounted Catholic, but also the Church of Alexandria was taken to be Catholic, & in like manner the Church of Antioch. I am certain you will not deny the Bishop of Rome ever heretofore to have been, & as yet to be Pope, therefore I infer the Bishop of Alexandria, and the Bishop of Antioch to be Popes, & Christ's Vicars, and so consequently to be three Popes, and three Christ's Vicars. Have you taught our English men so, that there be three Popes, & three Catholic churches, and are you put in prison therefore? No, no, I know it is otherwise. I take you to be hirelings. Pope Gregory the xiii. Greg. 13. of that name, or rather by his right name, Hugo Bon companion, Hugh goodfellow, hath bribed you with his money, that you should preach him to be Pope alone, and none other. Is this pretty stuff, ut amor nummi esset casus multorum, that the love of money should be the fall of many? I will speak a little more touching your Catholic church. Athanasius saith, Roma est metropolis Romanae ditio nis, Rome is the mother church (not of the whole world) but of the province of Rome. I will not speak of England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Denmark, Polonia, Suetia, Bohoemia, of Germany, Helvetia, Prussia, Russia, Lituania, Pomerania, Austria, Rhetia, Vallis, Tellina, etc. where the Gospel flourisheth. But is your church the mother church? and hath your Pope government and jurisdiction over the churches in Asia and Africa? It is well known that there is Christianity in Asia, Africa, Armenia, Aethiopia, Cyprus, Constantinople and other places, where the Pope dareth not once peep, for all his pontificality at Rome. And in respect of all Christian assemblies & faithful members, wheresoever the church is called Catholic, that is meant universal. So that your church and all churches are to be tried and known not by your erring councils, canons, constitutions, decrees and glosses, but by the word of God, which is the touchstone of truth. Ireneus saith, Lib. 3. cap. 11. Columna & firmamentum ecclesiae est evangelium & spiritus vitae. The pillar and buttress of the church is the Gospel and spirit of life. August. de unitate Eccle. lib. 3. cap. 3. Augustine unto the donatists saith, Sunt certe libri dominici quorum authoritati utrique consentimus, utrique credimus, utrique seruimus: ibi quaeramus ecclesiam, ibi discutiamus causam nostram: There are verily books of our Lord, unto the authority whereof each part agreeth, each part believeth, and each part regardeth, Church to be sought in the scripture. there let us seek for the church, and thereby let us examine and try our matters. This I thought good to note here, lest that any of this faithful congregation should at any time be carried away with the bare name of your catholic church. Now moreover you seek to prove your church by antiquity, multitude, succession of person or place, none otherwise then false coiners, who will not have their money known by the fineness of gold, or by the touchstone, but by the weight, by the sound, by the coin, and by the colour which they may easily counterfeit. Therefore they allege antiquity unto us, following that which was spoken unto job by one of his friends, job. cap. 8.8. Consul quaeso priscam aetatem, et compara te ad pervestigationem maiorum illorum: Ask for the ancient generation, and prepare thyself to seek for the fathers. job. 32.7 Provecti aetate loquentur, et annosi notam facient sapientiam: Days shall speak, & the multitude of years shall teach wisdom. To whom I could answer by job himself, even in the verse next following, 9 verse. Magistri semper sapientes non sunt, neque senes omni tempore intelligunt judicium. The masters are not always wise, neither do the old men always understand judgement. Profectò spiritus ille in mortali, 8. verse. et afflatus omni potentis efficit eos intelligentes: It is the spirit of God, & not years, that aught to speak in man. August. ad Pet. Diac. cap. 34. If antiquity should prevail, why then (I pray you) is the Church compared to a little Bark or Ship, which the more she is upon the sea, the more she leaketh: unto a house, which with age decayeth & falleth to ruin: to a City and the policy of it, which is corrupted from time to time, if it be not brought back to the first institution: & to a man's body, whereunto years do bring all kinds of evil: to be short, age is even as sickness itself to the most healthful and temperate body in the world. I say then that antiquity alone ought to make us think, that in the Church there is a great sickness, and much filthiness, & that even for this cause alone, without any longer confutation, it is requisite to bring a broom to purge it, and to call for a Physician. So far is it off, that for these things a man should maintain your Church to be pure & holy, as you do. Furthermore I demand, how you will answer unto Saint Augustine, entreating upon the threescore and fourth Psalm, who saith, That jerusalem began by Abel, and Babylon by Cain. The promise was made by Isaac, and the bastardise by Ishmael. Who were the elders? If antiquity were a mark of the truth, how would you have answered unto the jews, who told Christ that they were the children of Abraham, john 8.33. who was the first father of the believers? They had their Genealogy from the creation of the first man, they did allege the covenants that were made between God & them. Notwithstanding, Christ being sent unto them according to these promises, under the shadow of this antiquity, they maliciously called him the carpenters son, a Samaritane, Matth. 13.55. john 8.48. Mark 1.27. one that had the devil, & a preacher of Novelty. And there is great likelihood, that if some of you Papists had been them there, seeing at that time they used the self same arguments, you would have helped to have crucified him. Furthermore, what will you answer unto the Greek Churches, the Armenians, Ethiopians, etc. founded by the Apostles, and as old as the church of Rome, yea and elder too, seeing that the Church of Christ, as we know, took her beginning from the East to the West? If antiquity be a mark of holiness and purity, they are holy and pure: and if they be holy and pure, than the latin Church in comparison of them, is most unholy and impure. If they be Heretics and impure, than it followeth that antiquity is not a mark to prove the holiness or verity of the Church. How then? shall we reject antiquity? nay rather, we embrace it with all our hearts, so that it be agreeable to God's word. Tertullian de Virginibus velandis, saith, Consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignorantia vel simplicitate sortita, in usum per successionem corroboratur, & ita adversus veritatem vendicatur. Sed Dominus noster Christus veritatem se, non consuetudinem cognominavit. Viderint ergò, quibus nowm est, quod sibi vetus est. Haereses non tam novitas, quàm veritas revincit. Quodcunque adversus veritatem sapit, hoc erit haeresis, etiam vetus consuetudo: Custom either of simplicity, or of ignorance, getting once an entry, is enured & strengthened by succession, and then is defended against the truth. But Christ our Lord calleth himself truth, and not custom. joh. 14.6. Let them take heed therefore, unto whom the thing seemeth new, that in itself is old. It is not so much the novelty of the matter, as the truth that reproveth an heresy. Whatsoever savoureth against the truth, is an heresy, be the custom thereof never so old. Victi ratione opponunt consuetudinem, quasi consuetudo sit maior veritate. Being overcome with reason, they defend themselves with custom, as though custom were better than the truth. We may not prescribe of custom, but we must overcome with reason. Custom without truth is the mother of error. Istud non est curandum quod aliquis ante nostrum tempus fecit, sed id praecipue nobis curae debet esse, qd a Christo factum est. Non est imitanda nobis hominum consuetudo, sed dei veritas expectanda: That is, We must not regard that which any other hath done before us, but we must regard that which Christ hath done, which is before all. For we must not follow the custom of men, but the truth of God. Again he saith, De seipso ad Pompeian. epist. 9 Mos sine veritate, est vetustas erroris. Et dixit dominus, Ego sum veritas: & non locutus est Dominus, Ego sum consuetudo: Custom without truth is an old error. And the Lord hath said, I am the truth, and not, I am custom. Ignatius sayeth, Ignatius ad Philadelph. Canon. consuetud. dist. 11. Quem non audire est manifesta perditio: Whom not to hear is manifest perdition. See then how the most ancient send us always to learn the truth of him, which is most ancient of all. Thus much briefly touching antiquity or custom. Now let us come to multitude. It is said expressly, Exod. 23.2, Exodus. 23. Ne insistito vestigiis potentiorum ad mala: Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil. Also, Mat. 7. Lata est porta, & spatiosa via quae ducit in exitium, multique sunt qui ambulant per medium eius. Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Contrariwise, Luke. 12. Ne time, o parue grex, nam visum est patri meo dare vobis regnum: Fear not, my little flock, for it is my father's will to give you a kingdom. Moreover, we see how that all the world was brought to one Noah, and afterwards came to Abraham, than God chose one people of Israel, the least (as it is said) of all peoples, and finally of all people's the least part, that is to wit, Christendom: which for this cause he calleth a little flock, so far forth, that S. Augustine saith, That the Church was sometime in one Abel, & in one Enoch. August. super Psalm. 128. Wherefore multitude ought rather to be presumption, than a mark of the true Church. Forasmuch also as man by nature is always more prone to evil, then to any goodness, if multitude should take place, than Paynims should be happier than we be, for that they surpass in number. For whereas there is one that believeth in Christ our Saviour, you have a thousand that believe him not. What a multitude is there of Turks, of jews, and other infidels? Also in Noah his time, what a multitude there was that would not acknowledge God, nor follow his commandments, nor give credit to Noah his preaching, but with one consent conspired against him, mocked him, & his religion, Gen. chap. 6. The Samaritans were more in number, than they of the tribe of juda. And in juda and Israel, the multitude of the idolaters was the greater. For the Prophet Elias made his complaint, that he was left alone, & that all the rest had forsaken their living Lord, and given themselves to idolatry: and as you may read in jeremy 4. 1. King. 22.6, 13, 24. There arose up 400. false Prophets, who swerved from God's law, and followed their own imaginations, against one good Prophet Micheas. And the Prophet's cry, jerem. 18.18 Omnem populum seductum fuisse, a regibus usque ad Sacerdotes & Prophetas: That all the people were deceived, even from the Kings, to the Priests and Prophets. In the Church of Christ also, number & multitude shall have as small room: for even at the beginning thereof, Esa. 53.1. joh. 12.38. Rom. 10.16. it was said, Who hath believed our word? and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed? Anon after the death of our Saviour, the Schoolmen hold, that for one instant, the church stood in the Virgin Mary alone. In the time of Arrius, almost the world throughout, was of the Arrian heresy, and few besides Athanasius, with five of his company, professed the true faith. Theod. lib. 2. cap. 16. Wherefore the Emperor of the Arrians said, That four or five persons with their Athanasius, would trouble the peace of the world. To whom Liberius the Bishop of Rome answered, That his solitude or fewness did not any whit diminish the word of faith. As for the declining estate of the Church, we are given to wit, That when the son of man shall come, before whose coming Antichrist shall seduce the world, Neque fides, Matt. 24.12, 37. neque charitas inventa erit in terra, & isti dies erunt tanquam dies Noah & Lot: There shall neither faith nor charity be found on the earth, and those days shall be as the days of Noah & Lot, etc. The Eclipse then of this Moon shallbe as it were universal, all the whole earth being put between the Church & the sun. And therefore if we shall find no other direction in such darkness, than the multitude, we shall have no part with that little number. So much for multitude, whereof the Papists make great account. Now will I speak a little of Succession, which you, my brethren, take to be a very substantial argument of the truth. But Christ saith in the 23. of Matthew, In cathedra Mosis sedent Scribae & Pharisaei: By order of Succession, the Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses chair. Annas and Caiphas touching Succession, were aswell Bishops as Aaron and Eleazar. Of Succession S. Paul saith to the faithful at Ephesus, Scio quod post discessum meum intrabunt lupi rapaces, ex vobis ipsis exurgent viri perversa loquentes: I know that after my departure hence, ravening wolves shall enter and succeed me, and out of yourselves there shall (by Succession) spring up men speaking perversely. Therefore S. Jerome saith, Non sanctorum filii sunt, qui tenent loca sanctorum: They be not always the children of holy men, that (by succession) have the places of holy men. Notwithstanding the Pope himself will say, as it is before alleged, In Papasi desint bona acquisita per meritum, sufficiunt quae a loci praedecessore praestantur: If the Pope want good things by his own merits, the good things which he hath (by Succession) of Peter his predecessor, are sufficient. And the gloze upon Petrus fecit Papas haeredes bonitatis suae: Peter made the Popes, heirs of his goodness by Succession. And again, Papa recipit a cathedra sanctitatem. The Pope receiveth his holiness by succession of his chair. Such affiance sometime had the Scribes and Pharisees in their succession: therefore they said, joh. 8.33, 53. We are the children of Abraham. Unto us hath God made his promises: art thou greater than our father Abraham? john 9.29. As for Christ, we know not from whence he came, or what can he show for his succession? And when our Saviour went about to reform the abuses and errors, they said unto him, Matt. 21.23. john 2.18. By what power dost thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? where is thy succession? Upon which words Beda saith, Beda in Matth. 21. Intelligi volunt diaboli esse quod fecit: They would have the people understand (for that he had no solemn succession) that all that he did was of the devil. Cyrillus Carena in Luc. 39 And Cyrillus frameth their words in this sort, Tu ortus ex juda, commissos nobis fasces usurpas: Thou being of the tribe of juda, (and therefore having no right unto the priesthood) takest upon thee the office that is committed unto us. Likewise Chrysostom imagineth the Pharisees thus to say, Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 39 Tu de sacerdotali familia natus non es, Senatus tibi hoc non concessit, Caesar non donavit: Thou art not of the house of priests, the Council hath not granted it thee, the Emperor hath not given it thee. Thus to maintain themselves in credit, (for that they had succession, and continuance from Aaron, and sat in Moses chair) they kept Christ quite out of possession, Matt. 23.2. and said unto him then, even as you my brethren say now unto us, Who ever taught us this pernicious doctrine before? what ordinary succession of persons, and vocation have we? what Bishop admitted us? who confirmed us? who allowed us? Therefore (good christian hearers) let not these the Papists great words much abash us. The Scribes & Pharisees in the like cases used the like language long ago. But let me ask you a question. How can you show any demonstration or probability, that the succession of your church is lawful? If there were any church that could allege succession of persons, it were the church of the jews, for they were of the house of Aaron, from the father to the son, and besides them none might sacrifice. Moreover to them it was promised, that they should continue so for ever. And in deed, when the Prophets exhorted them to reformation, they had no other thing in their mouth, but this, Lex a Sacerdote non peribit, neque consilium a sapiente, neque verbum a propheta: The law shall not perish from the priest; nor the counsel from the wise, nor the word from the Prophet. But the spirit of the Lord answered them, Quomodo dicitis, Sapientes sumus, jere. 8.8. & lex jehovae penes nos est? utique ecce ad falsitatem operatur stylus, ad falsitatem operantur legis periti: fecerúntne sapientes ut erubescerent? consternatíne sunt & capti? ecce verbum jehovae spernunt, eccuius rei sapientia inesset eyes? How say ye, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? For it is in vain, that the pen is made, and that there is a scribe: wise men are confounded, and seeing that they have rejected the word of the Lord, what shallbe their wisdom any more? In like manner when the jews boasted to jesus Christ, that they were of the seed of Abraham, john 8.44. I know it well (saith he) but the devil is your father. And in very deed this successive and hereditary wisdom crucified Christ, and rejected salvation offered unto them, as also this self same succession (although it be only pretended) worshippeth Antichrist, and entertaineth her own perdition. Moreover I demand what these allegers of succession would have answered to the Arrians, Samosetans, Nestorians, etc. who had their beginning continued from the first Bishops even to themselves, and namely to Nestorius and Samosetanus, both which were lawfully called to the patriarchal churches, the one to Constantinople, and the other to Antioch? Also, what will you answer to the succession alleged by all the Greek and east churches? To be short, to the reformed churches of England, Demmark, Swethen, a great part of Almaigne, through all which there is at this day this succession from Bishop to bishop, from Pastor to Pastor? If you will allege the Pope's succession, we deny it you, & it is another question. If simply succession, you have lost your cause. If your doctrine, than we gain this point, that the simple succession of persons without the succession of doctrine, is nothing worth. With this sentence of Pope Adrian the fourth, I end to discourse any further of antiquity of persons, Succedimus, non Petro in pascendo, sed Romulo in parricidio: We succeed, not Peter in feeding, but Romulus in killing. And so is it truly: for you shall have no Pope, that teacheth the people how to live in the true fear & love of God, but such an one as persecuteth and killeth the Christians, that cheerfully embrace, and comfortably receive the glad tidings of the Gospel. Thus being commanded to instruct the ignorant, and to feed them with the heavenly word of God, he practiseth tyranny against them. Wherefore this is an evident sign (that if we should seem to grant, (which in no case is to be granted) the succession of Peter unto your Bishop of Rome) that he doth far degenerate from the diligence of Saint Peter, who had more care to save souls, then to become rich & famous in the face of the earth: yea, to have all men subject unto him, even Emperors and kings to kiss his foot. Your Pope doth alter from the doings of S. Peter, for Saint Peter never warranted to any man the possession of heaven for moneys sake: but your Pope, like a good peddler, setteth all things to sale, and he that bringeth most, shall in heaven bear the greatest sway. Wherefore these words of Baptista Mantuanus are true, speaking of the unhappy state of Rome: — venalia nobis Templa, sacerdotes, altaria, Sacra, coronae, Ignis, thura, preces, coelum est venale, Deusque: Amongst us in Rome, churches, priests, altars, masses, crowns, fire, incense, prayer, and heaven are set to sale, yea God himself amongst us may be had for money. Budaeus saith, Sanctiones Pontificiae non moribus regendis usui sunt, sed, (propemodum dixerim) argentariae faciendae autoritatem videntur accommodare: The Pope's canons serve not now to guide men's lives, but, (if I may so say) they serve rather to make a bank, & to get money. Bernard of Clunice sayeth thus, Roma dat omnibus omnia dantibus. Omnia Romae cum pretio: Rome giveth all things to them that give all things. All things at Rome will pass for money. Yea even in the Pope's own Decretals, you shall find it noted thus, in sexto de elect. & electi potestat. fundamenta in margin, Roma est caput avaritiae, ideo omnia ibi venduntur: Rome is the head of all covetousness, & therefore all things there are set to sale. Yea Thomas Becket himself (whom you call a saint, (& whose festival day about Christmas time you keep with great solemnity, Gul. Neub. lib. 2. cap. 15 & 25. & a few of his bones you keep in such reverence, that God himself is not honoured so much) when for his wilful disobedience, & treason committed against his prince, he had fled for aid and secure to Rome, and saw that nothing would be wrought there without money) wrote thus thereof to the Bishop of Menze, Mater Roma facta est meretrix, & prostituta est pro mercede: Rome our mother is become an harlot, and for money and meed layeth herself to sale. To be short, you know that our fathers long sithence were wont to say, Curia Romana non captat ovem sine lana: The court of Rome will not take the sheep without the fleece. john 2. Matth. 21. Christ sometime thrust such buyers, sellers, brokers and coarsers out of the Temple: but contrariwise, you have received in buyers and sellers, and thrust out Christ, and so have turned the house of God into a den of thieves. Saint Paul saith thus unto the people of Ephesus, Argentum & aurum nullius concupivi: I have desired no man's gold or silver. Upon which words, in the gloze it is noted thus, Per hoc lupi cognoscuntur, qui talia concupiscunt: Hereby they that desire such things, are known for wolves. Saint Jerome saith, Hierom. 1. quaest. 1. lib. Nunquam divinatio. Quia Prophetae pecuniam accipiebant, prophetia eorum facta est divinatio: For that the Prophets fell to taking of money, therefore their prophecy was become a soothsaying, that is to say, it was of the Devil, and not of God. This I say, that according to your dealing, he that is poor, is not like to go to heaven, but the rich is sure to be saved. Now you allege succession of places, not far unlike to the jews, who will enclose orbem in urbe, the whole world in one city: but we see that God hath chosen many out of jerusalem, & the Church is not tied thereunto, & God hath suffered by his righteous will, many Christian churches to be turned into the temples of the Turks, as that of Ephesus, founded by S. Paul, & S. john, & that of Bonne in Barbary, where Saint Austin preached, etc. And further it is said there expressly, Glossa communis in eum versiculum, Apocal. 12.8. etc. that the Church of God for a long time, by reason of the persecution of Antichrist, shall retire herself into the wilderness, as the common gloze itself doth expound. If ever there were church that might allege succession of place, it was jerusalem, for of it was said, Deut. 12.11. 2. Sam. 7.10. 1. King. 8.29 Dominus in hoc Templo in aeternum habitabit: The Lord will evermore dwell in this house. Also, ●. King. 21.7. Psal, 132.14. Elegi 〈…〉 hanc domum, ut nomen meum 〈◊〉 in perpetuum maneat: I have chosen this house, to the end that my name may dwell there for ever. And therefore the Priests had no other answer to all the Prophets that reproved them, but this, Templum Domini, jere. 7.4. Templum Domini: The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord. But see what the Lord himself answereth unto them, Ite (saith he) ad locum meum in Shiloh, ubi habitavit nomen meum a principio, etc. Go, and see Shiloh, I have chosen it from the beginning for my house: now see what I have done unto it for the wickedness of my people, I will do even so to the place, which I have given unto you, and to your fathers. But if you will that I dwell there, amend your ways, & turn from your evil deeds. Now therefore I say, if God hath forsaken his own Temple, for the iniquity of the Priests, even then, when he had none besides erected in the whole world, must we tie ourselves to the church of Rome, or to any other place, where all the climates of the world are equally his temple? I can not but marvel, why any of our country men should take the church of Rome, to be the mother church of all churches, and the same to be an article of our faith. We are not expressly commanded by the word of God, to acknowledge the church of Rome, Caput mundi, the head of the world: neither is it expressed in holy scripture, that we are condemned, if we believe not at all the traditions of men: but the Scripture manifestly doth Esay 29.13. Matth. 15.3. Colos. 2.8. forbid us to believe them. If you can find one only text of the scripture, that willeth and commandeth us to believe in the Roman church, as having prerogative over all churches the world throughout, I will be on your side to the death. But no such place, I am certain, you can show in the whole Bible, that the Roman church is the holy Catholic Church, which all men (of what country soever they be) must acknowledge to be chiefest. It is not sufficient to claim succession of place, it behoveth us rather to have regard to the succession of doctrine. Bernard. in Concil. Rem Bernard saith, Quid prodest, si canonice eligantur, & non canonice vivant? What availeth it, if they be choose in order, & live out of order? So sayeth Saint Augustine contra Donatistas', August. lib. 6. 1. q. 3. Vocatur canes. Ipsum characterem multi lupi & lupis imprimunt: The outward mark, or right of a Bishop many give to wolves, and be wolves themselves. Therefore the ancient father Ireneus giveth us this good counsel, Eyes qui sunt in ecclesia praesbyteris, obedire oportet, qui successionem habent ab Apostolis: qui cum episcopatus successione charisma veritatis certum, secundum beneplacitum patris acceperunt: It becometh us to obey those Priests in the church, which have their succession from the Apostles, and together with the succession of the bishoprics, according to the good will of God the Father, have received the undoubted gift of the truth. Saint Cyprian being likewise charged for dissenting from his predecessors, answereth thus, Cyprian. lib. 2. Epist. 3. Si quis de antecessoribus meis non hoc obseruavit & tenuit, quod nos dominus exemplo & magisterio suo docuit, potest simplicitati eius venia concedi: nobis vero ignosci non potest, qui nunc a Domino admoniti & instructi sumus: If any of my predecessors have not observed and kept the same that our Lord hath taught us both by his example and commandment, his simplicity may be pardoned: but we (if we do the like) can hope for no pardon, being now admonished & instructed of our Lord. Compare the use & order of our churches (my brethren) with the Primitive church of God, and you shall easily see the right of our succession. S. Cyprian sayeth, (ad Pompeium contra Epistolam Stephani) Si canalis aquae quae copiosè priùs & largiter profluebat, subitò deficiat, nun ad fontem pergitur? etc. Hoc & nunc facere oportet Dei sacerdotes praecepta divina servants, ut in aliquo si mutaverit & vacillaverit veritas, ad originem Dominicam & Euangelicam, atque Apostolicam traditionem revertamur: & inde surgat actus nostri ratio, unde & ordo & origo surrexit: If the pipes of the conduit, which before ran with abundance, happen to fail, do we not use to search to the head? etc. The Priests of God keeping Gods commandments, must do the same: that if the truth have fainted or failed in any point, we return to the very original of our Lord, and to the tradition of the Gospel, & of the Apostles, that from thence we may take the discretion of our doings, from whence the order itself and original first began. Thus much touching succession of place. Now I exhort you brotherly to be reconciled to the true church of God, I mean the Church of England, wherein you find not so many idolaters, Necromancers, heretics, adulterers, Sodomites, church-robbers, perjured persons, man-killers, Runagates, monsters, sycophants, Clawback's, slandering tongues, scribes and Pharisees, as you may easily find in the church of Rome. Boast not of the succession of your Pope. S. Paul saith, Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh (not by succession, but) by hearing, and, hearing cometh (not of legacy or inheritance from Bishop to Bishop, but) of the word of God. They are not always godly, that succeed the godly. Manasses succeeded Ezechias, and jeroboam succeeded David the Prophet. By succession, the Turk this day possesseth and holdeth the four great patriarchal Sees of the church, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Dan. 9.25. Matt. 24.15. Mar. 13.14. Luk. 21.20. By succession, Desolation shall sit in the holy place, and Antichrist shall press into the room of Christ. Thus much (well-beloved brethren) touching succession of place. Now I will speak a little in confutation of your forged miracles, wherewith you seek to oppugn the true church of Christ, and defend your wicked church of Antichrist, polluted with all manner of detestable idolatry and cursed superstition. There are two manner of miracles, Miracles. the one true, the other false. Miracles are counted false, when either they be not that which they seem to be, or if they be, they are not supernatural, but are done by virtue of nature, and that, the Angels either good or bad, three manner of ways may bring to pass. For sometime the force of nature which they best know, they accommodate to the matter, of which conjunction with efficient causes follow the effects, and that suddenly, which effects are of the beholders, thought to be miracles. The devils know, that frogs, worms, or serpents be engendered of putrefacted and rotten things, so that there be put heat in certain degrees, in consideration whereof, (seeing that it is not a hard thing for them to do these things which by nature may be wrought) it is the easier to deceive the weak of belief. And by this means S. August. de Trin. lib. 3. Augustine thought (as he writeth in his third book of Trinity) pharao's Magicians sometime to have done the same. Moreover the conjunctions of the spirits, of blood and of humours, do much disquiet men's bodies, from whence proceed the sights or visions of things, which are in those things conserved in the same motion, before they come into the fantasy or imagination: and by the same reason and order wherewith the spirit is troubled, it joineth them together, which thing appeareth in such as be Phrentique. We are not bound of necessity to believe all such miracles whatsoever, without exception. Alexander of Hales sayeth, Par. 4. quaest. 53. Mem. 4. ar. 3. solut. 2. In sacramento apparet caro, interdum humana procuratione, interdum operatione diabolica: In the Sacrament itself there appeareth flesh, sometime by the conveyance of men, sometime by the working of the devil. Likewise saith Nicholaus Lyra, Lyr. in 14. Dan. Aliquando in ecclesia fit maxima deceptio populi in miraculis factis a Sacerdotibus, vel eis adhaerentibus propter lucrum: Sometime even in the church the people are shamefully deceived with feigned miracles, wrought either by the Priests, or else by their companions for lucre's sake. Miracles be not evermore undoubted proofs of true doctrine: therefore Saint Augustine saith unto the Manichees, Miracula non facitis, Aug. lib. 13. quae si faceretis, tamen ipsa in vobis caveremus: You work no miracles, and yet if you wrought any, at your hands we would take heed of them. jere. 23. The Prophet jeremy saith, Seduxerunt populum meum in mendaciis suis, & in miraculis suis: They have deceived my people by their lies, and by their miracles. Aug. in joan. tract. 23.13. saith, Contra istos (ut sic loquar) mirabiliarios cautum me fecit Deus meus, dicens, In novissimis temporibus exurgent pseudoprophetae, facientes signa & portenta, ut in errorem inducant (si fieri potest) etiam electos: praedixi vobis. Ergo cautos nos fecit sponsus, quia & miraculis decipi non debemus: My God hath warned me to beware of these miracle mongers, saying, In the last days shall rise up false prophets, working signs & wonders, to the end (if it be possible) to bring the elect into error: behold, I have forewarned you. Therefore the bridegroom hath willed us to beware, for we may not be deceived, no not by miracles. S. Chrysost. In Matth. Hom. 49. saith, In fine temporis concedenda est potestas diabolo ut faciat signa utilia, ut iam ministros Christi non per hoc cognoscamus, quia utilia faciunt signa, sed quia omnino haec signa non faciunt: In the end of time power must be granted to the devil to work profitable miracles, that then we cannot know the ministers of Christ, by that they work profitable miracles, but by that they work no miracles at all. S. August. saith, Non dicat, Ideo verum est, quia illa vel illa mirabilia fecit, vel iste vel ille, aut quia homines ad memorias mortuorum nostrorum orant, & exaudiuntur: aut quia illa vel illa ibi contingunt, etc. Removeantur ista vel figmenta mendacium hominum, vel portenta fallacium spirituum: Let no man say, Therefore it is true, for that this man or that man wrought this or that miracle, or for that men make their prayers at the tombs of our dead, and obtain their desires, or for that these miracles be wrought there, etc. Away with these things, they may be either the jugglings and mockeries of deceitful men, or else illusions of lying spirits. Again saint chrysostom saith, In Matth. Hom. 49. Per signa cognoscebatur qui essent veri Christiani, qui falsi: Nunc autem signorum operatio omninò levata est, magis autem inveniuntur apud eos qui falsi sunt Christiani: In old time it was known by miracles, who were the true Christians, and who the false: but now the working of miracles is taken quite away, and is rather found among them that be false christians. Neither is the Gospel of Christ preached this day utterly without miracles. The blind see, the dumb speak. Your idols are fallen. Your great Babylon is come to ground. These things my brethren, (if you have eyes to see) are no small miracles. Saint Chrysost. saith, Chrysost. in. 1. Cor. hom 8. The conversion of the world is a miracle. Saint Aug. De verbo Domini secund. Matth. Serm. 18. sayeth, Modo caro caeca non aperit oculos miraculo Domini, & cor caecum aperit oculos sermone Domini: Now a days the blind flesh openeth not her eyes by the miracle of our Lord, but the blind heart openeth his eyes at the word of our Lord. And again, Ibid. Modo aures corporis surdae non aperiuntur: sed quàm multi habent clausas aures cordis, quae tamen (verbo Dei penetrante) patescant. Now a days the deaf ears of the body be not opened: yet many they are, that have the ears of their heart shut up: which ears notwithstanding are opened by entering of the word of God. Therefore I may rightly say to you with other words of Saint Augustine de civitate Dei, Lib. 22. ca 8. Quisquis adhuc prodigia ut credat inquirit, magnum est ipse prodigium, qui mundo credente non credit: Whosoever yet requireth miracles to bring him to the faith, is himself a great miracle, who seeing that the world believeth, remaineth still in unbelief. Matt. 27. 4●. Whereas the Pharisees said of Christ, Let him now come down from the cross, & we will believe him. Saint Jerome in Matth. 27. saith unto them, Etiamsi de cruse descenderet, similiter non crederetis: Yea, although he should come down from the cross, yet would you not believe him. But it were a world to behold the glorious countenance of your miracles, your crosses can speak, Popish miracles. your idols can go, your images can light their own lamps, your holy water is able to calm the sea, to chase away mice, & to make barren women to conceive. If you doubt hereof, confer with Master Cope, Dial. 1. Pag. 18. whom (as I think) you knew alive, & were present at his burial at Rome in the English Church: you knew him a Canon of S. Peter's church at Rome, and one whom Cardinal Hosius greatly esteemed. But now both Hosius and Cope are dead. Confer also with that worthy Prelate the Bishop of Verona, your holy father Lypomanus. I am sorry, well-beloved, that you are so ready to approve your miracles with false reasons, and unstable grounds: howbeit such religion, such miracles. Saint Hierom sayeth, Ad Algasiam. Mendacium Antichristi Christi veritas devorabit: The truth of Christ shall devour and consume the falsehood of Antichrist. The heathen had their devilish miracles in the temple of their false gods, & in effect true, as may appear by all their histories. Read Titus Livius in many places. Et M. Cic. 1. Divinat. Simon Magus, who would be acknowledged as Christ, wrought miracles. So much touching your miracles. Touching revelations & visions, which are a kind of miracles, we have the plain text which decideth this matter: Cum surgens in medio tui Propheta, somnians somnium, ediderit tibi signum aut prodigium, (quamuis eveniat signum illud aut prodigium, quod praedixerat tibi) dicendo, Sequamur deos alienos, quos non noveras, & colamus eos, etc. If there shall arise (sayeth the Lord in Deut. 13.) amidst thee a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and that the sign or miracle which he hath told thee come to pass, & thereupon would turn thee away to strange gods, etc. thou shalt not hear him, etc. There are then both Prophets and visions true in effect, and yet false in their end, and the trial of them (as we may see by this text) is the doctrine. Likewise when Saint john (to the end to keep us from false prophets) exhorteth us to prove the spirits, 1. john 4. and by and by he addeth, Hereby shall you know the spirit of God, Every spirit that confesseth that jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, etc. that is to say, Prove the spirits by the doctrine which they preach. Therefore Saul & Caiaphas have prophesied, but (as Saint Augustine sayeth) as Balaams' ass once spoke, August. lib. 2 ad simpli. quaest. 1. & yet for all that, they might have once spoken the truth: for the devil himself (to colour his lying) sometimes speaketh the truth. How weak (my brethren) your revelations be, and how small credit ought to be given thereunto, there is no man but should know. At Rome you have them that receive revelations daily, as for example: A poor man there is in the city of Rome (of whom I doubt not but you have heard) who maketh men believe, that our blessed Lady, with her guard of heavenly maids, saluteth him, and hath conference with him daily. This man is no otherwise then a Saint counted among the jesuits. The Pope hath him to pray for him, the people regard him as a holy holy man. This man helpeth the citizens, to bring the wood from Tiber side to their houses: of his gain he reserveth nothing else, but that which is sufficient for meat, drink & cloth: the rest he giveth to the poor. Father Hieronimus jesuite, repetitour of the Logicians in the English Seminary at Rome, reported that there was there dwelling, an old woman (I will not otherwise call her, for I deal gently & mildly with you) which would (as he said) tell him every thing that he had done in his life time, and when he came to her house at any time, she would tell one of her maids (not having seen him) that there was such a fellow coming unto her house. She also foretold him, that he should become a jesuite. He reported in like wise, how the Pope in divers matters consulted with her. He praised this woman out of measure, & said how she was greatly in favour with God, who revealed such hidden & secret mysteries unto her. He commended thereby the happy state of Rome, that there should be such in that city, as were worthy to receive these revelations & visions: he counted her a Saint. No doubt, if one that I knew at Cowbridge in Wales, in the Town where I was borne, had been there, they would have taken him as a Saint, and familiar fellow with Christ. For, (when he was alive, as he wandered the country) he made men believe, that he would tell them their fortune, what things had before chanced in their time, & things that should happen afterwards even unto their dying day. But this man (as he was wont to say) took his revelations from the Pharies: But the Romanists affirm, that their revelations come from God, or from some Angel or Saint of heaven, where as in very deed, if a man had the strait examination of them, I am persuaded they would confess, that they have their revelations from the Phairies, or from the devil, as the other had, whereof mention is made. Moreover, there was a rich man in Lombardy, that had the like revelations, but far more excellent than the other: upon consideration whereof he sold all that he had, and gave it to the poor frankly. For it was revealed unto him in a vision by Christ & his Apostles, and the same also confirmed with the bodily presence of our blessed Lady, that he should be Pope of Rome, and should translate the See of Rome into the city of Jerusalem. This man, not able to read, presumed to preach, and gathered unto him twelve Apostles, who (at his commandment) preached in likewise. They had many followers, and such as believed him, so much the sooner, for that he told them, that he had received a revelation. He was presented before Cardinal Bromeo Cardinal of Milan, who examined him: and when he had told this vision, he was dismissed, and set at liberty. They counted not this man an heretic, for crediting such false revelations, making himself Christ, & choosing to himself twelve Apostles. Oh my brethren, deceive not yourselves, & seek not to deceive others that mean you no hurt. It is but in vain to swim against the stream. It is not wisdom to maintain an error known. I am sure your consciences are burnt with hot irons, speaking and maintaining lies in hypocrisy. Oh give not yourselves over into reprobate & wilful minds, despise not the wisdom of God within yourselves. Seek not to be offensive and grievous to any which be of the Church of Christ. Do what you can, God's truth is mighty, & shall prevail. Dagon shall fall down headlong before the Ark, the darkness shall flee before the light, & the more fiercely man's wisdom shall withstand, the more glorious shall God be in his victory: the more you do falsely slander the faithful and true meaning ministers of God, the greater shall their reward be in the heavenly kingdom of Christ. If you take my conversion to the true church, to be outwardly and not inwardly, and the same to be spotted with hypocrisy, I may be sorry, not for myself, (as though I were such a one as you take me to be, for GOD knoweth it is nothing so, his name be praised therefore:) but for your rashness in judging that which you know not. It is God that is the searcher of men's hearts, and none other. If I recanted, either for fear of punishment, or for preferments sake, you mought count me then (if it were so, as it is not) to be far worse than a Turk or Pagan, who never received the truth. How can I be a Protestant outwardly, and a Papist in heart, with a mind to be saved? You know, that according to your own papistical laws, no man dare in common assembly deny the Pope's authority, and afterwards to name himself the member of that church of Rome. I am sure that no man is a true christian, which with his lips doth profess Christ, and with his heart doth flatly deny him. As I do acknowledge that there is a God, a Trinity in unity to be worshipped, who hath most gloriously beautified the heavens, most plentifully enriched the earth, most Angelically created man, who hath ordained the heaven to maintain life and light, the earth to secure and sustain nature, all creatures living in land and water, to supply his wants, nothing to be reckoned & named, which he hath not most liberally given unto man, as appointing him lord and sovereign, but them his vessels and servants. Against hunger, (lest we should famish) he hath provided nourishment, against thirst, (lest we should perish) he hath ordained savoury liquors. Against cold, (lest we should die in our nakedness) he hath given us clothing. As I acknowledge the omnipotency of God, and confess the unmeasurable greatness of his goodness & love towards man: so do I verily, from the very bottom of my heart, detest your Popish religion, & embrace the undefiled truth of Christ's Gospel. I call God to witness, that what I have already spoken with my lips, that do I establish in my mind. I beseech you all, (such as have forsaken the Pope) sometimes to pray for me, that it would please God to make me a profitable member of his church, and steadfast in the faith of jesus Christ, even unto the end of my life. So much for Antiquity, Multitude, succession of persons or place, miracles and revelations. God of his mercy grant you, my brethren, true repentance. Now good Christian audience, and well-beloved brethren, I will speak a word or two touching the images, which Papists allow, and have in their churches. The scriptures in sundry places plainly forbidden any image to be made. The Lord warned the people of Israel, Deut. 4.15. that they should remember that they saw no image in the day that the Lord spoke unto them in Horeb, out of the mids of the fire. Isa. 40.18. And in Isaiah, Cui assimilabitis Deum, aut qua similitudine illum exprimetis? To whom then will you liken God, or what similitude will you set up unto him? And again, the Lord confirmeth the same, Isa. 44.9. to the 19 saying, Quis audebit effingere Deum, aut fusile aut sculptile facile, quod nihil prodest? Who hath made a god, or melted an image, that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all they that are of the fellowship thereof, shall be confounded, for the workmen themselves are men: let them all be gathered together, and stand up, yet they shall fear, and be confounded together. I can not a little marvel, that among you, my brethren, (I mean the Papists) that Dominicke Asotus, writing upon the Epistle to the Romans, the first chapter, Rom. 2.21. durst so boldly affirm, that in the same commandment of God, the Christians were not forbidden to make images, representing the form of man: for (said he) the law there only maketh mention of birds, of fourfooted beasts, & of creeping worms, whereas in very deed they are straightly charged not to make the images of male or female. Moreover it is expressed in the Psalm, Psal. 115.4, 5, 6, etc. Os habent, & non loquuntur, pedes habent, & non ambulant, aures habent, & non audiunt, nares, & non odorantur: They have a mouth, and speak not, they have feet, and walk not, they have ears, and hear not, they have noses, and smell not. The Carpenter is blamed in Isaiah, Isaiah 44.13, 14. which of one part of the hewn tree, maketh an image, of the other part he maketh fire, and upon the same he baketh bread, he carveth and laboureth much, that he may express the similitude of a man. By all these places it doth manifestly appear, that the images of men are utterly forbidden, which are instituted to a religious end: And yet you (though you know that all manner worshipping of images is forbidden by express testimonies of the holy scripture) must have them forsooth, (as you say) for books unto such as can not read. What think you in making the image of God the father, and God the holy Ghost? You know God is a Spirit: john 4.24. whereof it followeth, that you can not express his form, with lineaments, with paintings and colours. It is written, john 1.18. 1. Tim. 2.16. 1. joh. 4.12. that no man hath ever seen God. Why then, if he can not be seen, or if he possess inaccessible light, how can he be pictured? or how should a picture make him to be seen? Moreover, God is unmeasurable and infinite, but the things which are painted, graven, or molten, are measurable & finite. Likewise, Images are made of men, that the absent, after a manner may be thought present: but God is every where, neither is he absent from any thing. It is written in the Psalm, Psal. 139.7, 8, 9 Si ascendero in coelum, tu illic es. Therefore it behoveth us, not to make God present, with images, seeing he is always present, & to all men. The image should with apt similitude express that which is to be represented. How doth the image of God the father rightly & truly represent him, whereas he hath no beginning? The images are made by man, and have a beginning. Who can set forth the quantity of God and his wonderful works, how he is never idle, but evermore doing that which tendeth to the salvation of man? Contrariwise, images sleep, and do nothing at all. Moreover God is altogether wisdom and knowledge: whereas your images feel nothing, and understand as much. Saint Paul sayeth, Acts 17.29. that we must not think the Godhead to be like gold or silver, or stone graven by art. God that made the world and all things therein, Acts 7.48. seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life and breath, and all things. Fortunate do I think those stones to be, whereof images are made, and put upon your popish altars, because they are had in such reverence and honour amongst you, whereas other stones not unlike unto than, lie in the streets, are trodden with feet, and spit upon. Papists objection. You object unto us the authority of the Scriptures, and say, It is lawful to paint God in the form of man: which you seek to prove by the seven. of Daniel, Dan. 7.13, 22. I beheld (sayeth the Prophet) till the thrones were set upon, and the ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hears of his head like the pure wool, his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. In Ezechiel, speaking of God, Ezech. 1.5. is expressed the figure of man. Isaiah sayeth, Esay 6.1. that he saw God sitting upon a Throne. Moses also with the seniors saw God, when he sat in his Throne or tribunal seat. Exod. 33.20, 23. And in the mount he saw God in the form of man departing. Seeing these things now uttered were seen of the Prophets, why then is it unlawful for us to paint God with colours and carving? I answer thus unto your objection, The diversity of bodily members, which is ascribed unto God in the holy Bible, hath showed in a mystery, that the Divine nature should take upon it the human nature, and likewise it signified mystically, that God should take upon him flesh, and become man. Yea (to let this answer go) I say, it was the goodness of God, wherewith he so applied himself unto our infirmity, that whereas we could not understand his nature, GOD appeared so in the sight of man, as though he had been man himself. By his eyes he described providence, by his arms, strength, by his hands, workmanship, by his nostrils, wrath, and many things of like sort. And whereas you say that it is lawful for us (for the expressing of God) to use the like lineaments, colours, and carvings, it followeth not. To GOD there is no law given which he ought to observe, neither are all things lawful to men, which he justly and rightly hath done. Exod. 7.5. God revengeth him on his enemies, Gen. 22.2, 10 he giveth commandment to the father to kill his son, Exod. 11.2. and he willeth the hebrews to take with them the goods of the Egyptians: which things if men should do or command, they could not clear themselves of a great offence, committed against God. The Lord hath delivered a law to men, and to himself hath he given no law: for seeing that he is the Author of the law, he may thereof except what he list. Wherefore it is to be granted, that he hath done nothing without consideration and infinite judgement. I would gladly be brief: therefore I refer you to the chapters which speak against Images. Read Exod. 20.4. Levi. 9.4. Num. 33.52. Deut. 4.15. Psal. 115.4. Psal. 135. Esa. 40.18. jerem. 10.5. Ezech. 6.6. Heb. 2.18. Wis. 13.10. Baruc. 6. Act. 17.42. Rom. 14.3. 1. Cor. 5.11. 1. Cor. 6.6. Gal. 5.19. john 4.5, 21. You see, my brethren, in how many places the scripture doth forbid us to have images, yet you will have them, though God say nay, if your holy father the Pope doth allow them. Let us see now what the ancient Doctors and grave fathers have said by your images. Tertul. in lib. de Idololatria. Tertullian in his book of Idolatry, sayeth, God hath forbidden an image as well to be made, as to be worshipped. As far as making goeth before worshipping, so far is it before that the thing be not made, that may not be worshipped. Some man will say, I make it, but I worship it not, as though he durst not worship it for any other cause, but only for that same cause, for which he ought not to make it: I mean, both ways procure God's displeasure. Nay rather thou worshippest the image, thou givest the cause to other to worship it. Some one or other that maintain idolatry, will say, And why then did Moses make the image of the brazen Serpent in the wilderness? Num. 21.8. The old idolaters found out and used the same, above fourteen hundredth years ago. One & the same God, hath by his general Law both forbidden any image to be made, and also by his extraordinary & special commandment he hath bidden an image of the serpent to be made. If thou be obedient to the same God, thou hast his Law, Make thou no image: but if thou have a regard to the image of the Serpent that was made afterward by Moses, then do thou as Moses did, Make not any image against the law, unless God command thee, as he did Moses. Origen. libr. 7. contra Celsum. Origen saith, We make no image of God, as knowing him to be invisible, & without body. Again he sayeth, Ibid. lib. 4. contra Celsum. The mind of the Law was this, that they should in all things so behave themselves, as the truth required, and that they should beside the truth, counterfeit nothing, representing the shape of a man or woman. Cyprian in lib. de Idolorum vanitate. Cyprian saith, Images were first drawn, thereby to keep the countenance of the dead in remembrance, upon occasion whereof, things grew at length unto holiness, that at the first were taken only for solace. Again, Ibid. tract. 1. in Demetrian. what dost thou bow thy captive body before foolish images, & earthly counterfeits? God hath made thee upright: and whereas all the beasts of the earth are depressed in shape, bending down to the groundward, thou hast a lofty state towards heaven, and to God thy countenance is erected. Then look up thither, thither cast up thine eyes, seek God above, that thou mayst want hell below: lift up thy doubtful heart to high and heavenly things. What dost thou throw thyself with the devil, whom thou servest, into the pit of death? Clement saith, Clement to james the supposed brother of our Lord. The devil by the mouth of other, is wont to bring forth such words, We to the worship of the invisible God, worship the visible images. And this is most certainly false. For if you will truly worship God's Image, you should (by being beneficial unto man) worship the true image of God in him. What honour of God is this, to run about the counterfeits of timber and of stone? and to worship the shapes that are without soul, & despise man, in whom is the true shape of God? Arnobius in his eight books against the Gentiles: We neither worship, nor wish for crosses: you that consecrate wooden gods, peradventure worship your wooden crosses, as parts of your gods. If you had not this image, should Christ be ignorant that he were served of you? Will you think that there is no honour done him? Then doth he receive your servings and worshippines by certain trains, by other put in trust, & before he, to whom the worship is due, have any feeling of the matter, you do your sacrifice unto the image, and send him but the scraps from another man's board. And what can be devised more injurious, slanderous, & uncourteous, then to acknowledge one God, and make thy suit to any other thing? to hope for help of God, and power out thy prayers to a senseless image? Is not this (as the Proverb saith) to have a quarrel to Alfonsus, & fight with Ferdinando? and where thou seekest for advise of men, to ask the sentence first of porkelings, and of asses? Is not this an error? Is it not properly a madness, in trembling wise to make thy humble suit to a thing that thou madest thyself? And whereas thou dost know, and art assured, that it is thine own workmanship, the fruits of thine own fingers, to fall groveling upon thy face before it? Very children know, that your images have eyes, and see not, mouths and speak not. Wherefore then doth the holy Ghost so often teach us, and admonish us the same thing in the Scriptures, as if we knew it not? For that the very shape and proportion of a man set aloft, after it once beginneth to be adored and honoured of the multitude, it breedeth in every man that most vile affection of error, that although he find there no natural moving or token of life, yet he thinketh some god or godly thing is within it, and so being deceived, partly by the form that he seethe, and partly by the way of authority and credit of the authors & makers of it, whom they take to be wise, and partly also by the example and devotion of the people, whom they see obedient to the same, he thinketh that the image being so like a living body, can not be without some living thing underneath it. Lact. sayeth in plain words, Non est dubium, quin religio nulla sit, ubicunque simulachrum est: Out of all doubt, there is no religion, wheresoever there is an Image. S. Aug. speaking of the image of God the Father, sayeth thus, Tale simulachrum Deo fingere, nefarium est: To devise such an Image of God, it is abominable. Theodorus the Bishop of Ancyra saith, Sanctorum imagines & species ex materialibus coloribus formari minimè decorum putamus: manifestum enim est, quod vana sit huiusmodi cogitatio, & diabolicae deceptionis inventum: We think it not convenient, to paint the images of saints with material or earthly colours: for it is evident, that it is a vain imagination, & the procurement of the deceitfulness of the devil. To like purpose writeth Epiphanius, Estote memores dilecti filii, nec in ecclesias imagines inferatis, neque in Sanctorum coemiteriis eas statuatis, sed perpetuò circumferte Deum in cordibus vestris. Quin etiam neque in domo communi tolerentur. Non enim fas est Christianum per oculos suspensum teneri, sed per occupationem mentis: My dear children, be ye mindful, that you bring no images into the churches, & that you erect up none at the burials of the Saints, but evermore carry God in your hearts, nay, suffer no images to be, Mark well no not in your private houses. For it is not lawful to lead a Christian man by his eyes, but rather by the study or exercise of his mind. For this cause Epiphanius saith, The superstition of images is unfit for the church of Christ. It is a world to see, how well-fevouredly, and how towardly touching religion, these men agree with the fathers, of whom they use to vaunt. They be your own good, and yet you see, how they speak against your images. If time should permit, I were able to recite many such places out of the fathers, in confutation of your worshipping such vain images. You do not only allow images to be had in churches, but also you cause them to be devoutly and reverently honoured, and that with the same honour that is due to God himself. One of the Bishops of the council of Nice saith, Venerandas imagines recipio & adoro, & id perpetuò docebo: I receive and worship the reverent images, & this will I teach. Another saith, Sacras imagines perfectè adoro. Qui verò secus confitentur, eos anathematizo. I do perfectly adore the holy images, and I accurse all them that hold the contrary. Another saith, Non sunt duae adorationes, sed una, ipsius imaginis, & primi exemplaris, cuius est imago: There be not two kinds of adoration, but one, which is as well due to the image, as to the pattern of the image. Saint Augustine saith, Sic omninò errare meruerunt, August. de consensu Euangel. lib. 2. cap. 20. qui Christum & Apostolos eius non in sanctis codicibus, sed in pictis parietibus quaesierunt, nec mirum, si a pingentibus fingentes decepti sunt: So were they worthy to be deceived, that sought Christ and his Apostles, not in the books of holy Scripture, but in painted walls. Neither may one marvel, if the feyners by Painters were deceived. In Epist. joan. Episcop. Hier. The old father Epiphanius saith, It is a horrible wickedness, and a sin not to be suffered, for any man to set up any picture in the church of the christians, yea though it were the picture of Christ himself: yet you store all your Temples, and each corner of them with painted and carved images, as though without them religion were nothing worth. Thus (good brethren) you see both scriptures & fathers against you. Forsake then your worshipping of images. Now will I speak a little, after what manner they worship images at Rome. I have seen, and so have you, that on every altar in Rome, there are set up either Idols or images. In S. Peter's church, they have the image of S. Peter in brass, holding out his finger to bless them as they pass by: before the which image the people fall down, and make their prayers unto it, kiss his foot, and touch it with their Beads. I would ask you once again, why they paint God the Father, and God the holy Ghost. Even because lay men (when they see God to have a body) should think God the father, & God the holy Ghost to be men, as we be. Their priests in Italy for the most part are altogether unlearned. I demanded of some of these Italian priests in the Italian tongue, whether God the father and God the holy Ghost had bodies. They answered, Yea. Well then, seeing their priests are ignorant in these things, you may persuade yourselves that the simple countrymen are likewise ignorant. Father Pais reader of scholastical divinity at Rome, in the Roman college (being demanded of Doctor Allen) whether it was as lawful to worship the thing that represented, as well as the thing that was represented by the Image: This grave & learned Father answered, it was lawful to worship the timber, whereof the Image was made. If this be not idolatry, that a man should worship that thing which is more fit for the fire or for some other purpose, then to be worshipped, them there is no idolatry worthy to be named at al. Thus much briefly touching images. God give you a heart to conceive the truth. You worship the pillar upon the which the cock crew, when Peter denied his master Christ. Why do you thus? What, do you make the cock a saint? The Romans have made them a cratch or manger, representing the ox & the ass, & also the birth of Christ, to the which workmanship of man, they fall down and worship. Can you show me a reason, why you should kneel before these stones, or why you should kiss them, and touch them with your beads? What, have you canonised the ox and the ass Saints, & do you say in your Litanies, Sancte bos, & Sancte Asine orate pro nobis: Saint ox and Saint Ass, pray for us? Why do ye worship the thirty pence, which judas took to betray his master Christ? What, do you count the thirty pence holy Relics, for that judas had them, or for that they came from the chief priests? What, do you make judas the traitor a Saint, or the chief priests of the Scribes and Pharisees holy men? The relics of Saints are worshipped, as bones etc. they fall down likewise on their knees before them, they cry unto them, they touch the box with their beads, they see not the bones being wrapped in silk, and put in a box, or in the altar, in boards, or in Crystal. The beads touch not the bones, but the outward box. The priest may beguile the people, putting in the box the bones of a dead horse, or the head of a fox, in stead of the Saints bones: for the people seethe not what is in the box, or wrapped in silks. Why do the poor men for their asses bring offerings to stations, as candles, torches, and such like? And why do the poor Romans bring their asses to Churches, & cause the priests to say a few prayers over them, and sprinkle holy water upon them? Belike, they think to get a room or place in heaven for them, & s to ride upon Asses in heaven, or else to get indulgences of the Pope for their asses. In deed they are (as the Prophet David saith) sicut equus & mula quibus non est intellectus: Psal. 32.9. They are like horse & mule, who have no understanding. If I should recite all those Idolatrous practices, which I have seen at Rome, a whole day were not sufficient to tell them: but by these few things laid down, you may gather the rest to be as bad, or rather worse. Now I will speak a little of the wickedness of Rome, which you count holiness, and make our Englishmen that were never there, believe so. First I will begin with your Cardinals, the pillars of your Church. Have they not beautiful boys, with whom they commit the sin of Sodom, Gen. 19.5. as I have heard by the Romans, and by a Gentleman who served to Cardinal Sforsie, who travailed by land with me, from the city Ancona to Venice? Have not these young cardinals pretty wenches in their palaces, whom in the day time they call either their sisters or cousins, & in the night time make them either their bedfelowes or concubines? And do you not know, how that there was a young Cardinal a Prince, burnt at Rome not long since, by a common quean of the stews, & took from her the french disease, wherewith he died miserably? Do not your priests at Rome, without shame & punishment, openly in the sight of all men go to the stews? I have seen them with mine eyes, (as I walked the streets) embracing the Queans. O if a minister here in England should commit such abomination, and scape unpunished, how would you cry out against him and against the Magistrates! Yet to see your own priests so to do, & your Magistrates to suffer it, you hold your peace, you seem to allow it. What shall I speak of your Monks? Was there not at Rome a whole monastery of such as bear a silver cross in their hands, & are appareled in blue, full of women, that went in habit of those monks, and were they not spied at the last, and escaped unpunished? Be these the holy men that have renounced the world, and have vowed chastity? Now of the lay men, because I will not stand to discourse upon every thing that I recite. How do the citizens live? Was there not lately a great rich citizen, that had a place to the which resorted many young Roman Gentlemen, who committed the sin of Sodom one with another, and were they not spied out at the last, and did not they all scape punishment, except one poor man which died for all? And did not the Romans say, that he died wrongfully, for that the sin of Sodom was but a trick of youth? Count you me that a light offence, Gen. 18.20. & 19.13. that crieth up to heaven to God for vengeance? Moreover, have not the Romans six streets full of Curtizants, and harlots, who pay a yearly tribute to the Pope? And be there not throughout all Rome Queans, who lay out of their windows carpets, and their gowns, which is a sign to them that pass by, that there they may have a woman for money? At Shrovetide, what horrible abuses are there practised at Rome without punishment! Do not men go in women's apparel, and women in men's apparel? The Gentlewomen out of their windows throw rose-water, which is a token to them that pass by, that there they may defile their bodies one with another. What murder is there, insomuch, that no man can sit in his waggon without danger of his life? These words of Petrus Bembus are true, Roma est sentina pessimorum hominum: Rome is the sink of pestilent varlets. I would not for a great deal of money, but that I had seen Rome: otherwise I should have stood in doubt, lest I had misreported aught of them, but what I saw, that speak I, and testify, and cry with Mantuan, Vivere qui sancte cupitis, discedite Roma: Omnia cum liceant, non licet esse bonum: Ye that desire to live godly, depart from Rome: for when all things are lawful there, it is not lawful to be honest. Peradventure now, you will say that the Pope is a holy man. Although I am indebted unto him 50. or 60. li. in money, yet will I not, neither can I but speak the truth of him, unless I should sin, (which God forbidden.) Hath not this Pope, at his haven city Ancona, prised & taken away the merchandise of the Turks merchants, for that one of the Turks had offended one of his servants? The Pope perceiving the merchandise to be of great value, took an occasion thereby to deprive the merchants of their merchandise. The emperor of the Turks wrote a letter to the Pope, desiring him to restore the goods again to his merchants: the Pope refused so to do. Wherefore the Christian merchants were in like sort dealt withal at Constantinople. At Macerata, the Pope put a County out of his possession, and gave it to his own son james, whom (of a beggar) he hath made a Marquis, able to spend by the year, thirty thousand crowns, and is richly married to a Duke's daughter: He gave the county for his possession, not half so much as it was worth. There was also a monk, who came from the Indians, who at Venice refused a hundred thousand crowns, for two precious stones which he brought with him, who thinking to please this Pope now living, & to get a greater reward, presented the precious stones before this Pope Gregory, who taking the gems or precious stones, in stead of reward, committed the Monk to prison, alleging nothing against him but this, that he forsook his cloister, or monastery. Master Alet (whom you know) hath reported this to be true: for he knew this said Monk, as he reported to two Gentlemen of the North that had been at Jerusalem, and to me, and to three other scholars. Thus much touching his iniquity. Now I will not speak of the Pope's pontificality, how he is carried on men's shoulders, how the people kneel before him, how the trumpets sound, how the ordinance or double canons are discharged, and how the people cry out, Vivat papa Gregorius: (Let our dissembling Antichrist) Let Pope Gregory live and reign over us. You feign (my brethren) that there is a purging place for the souls after this life, wherein they abide and suffer the self same punishment which is in hell, and are in no better case (to speak of the torments) than they of hell. But herein they are far happier than the damned, for that they of purgatory are sure to be saved, and they of hell, are sure never to find end of their miserable condition. You say, that such as be in purgatory, may be released, and delivered to heaven, by the prayers and dirges of such as be on earth. That there is such a place named as Purgatory, you seek to prove by the Scriptures. First out of the book of the Maccabees, where it is read, that good and profitable it was to pray for the dead. From hence you go to Zacharie the Prophet, where it is said in the ninth chapter, Eduxisti vinctos tuos de lacu, in quo non erat aqua: Thou hast delivered thy prisoners out of the dungeon wherein there was no water. Also in Ecclesiastes the 4. De carcere atque catenis interdum quis progreditur ad regnum? Who at any time cometh from prison, and from fetters unto the Crown? You allege the Psalm, Transivimus per ignem & aquam, nosque in refrigerium eduxisti: We have passed both fire and water, and thou hast brought us to a refreshing place. Out of the new Testament you bring this place, where it is said, that the sin of the holy Ghost is not forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Ergo (say you) in this life sins are forgiven, & also in the life to come. And out of Saint Matthew you object, Take him, and bind him hand and foot, and cast him into utter darkness, and there let him stay until he hath paid the uttermost penny. Ergo (say you) he meaneth Purgatory. Also you object the history of Lazarus and the rich glutton. You allege moreover this place of the Apocalypse, where it is said, that nothing impure and defiled with sin, shall be admitted to that holy city of the Lord. And you think that these words of S. Paul do serve to your purpose, that all knees must bow to God, that be in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. Finally, you bring forth this place of the Apocalypse, that every creature in heaven, in earth, and under the earth giveth praises unto the Lord. You think that these, and such like places of Scripture do make greatly for your purpose. But it is known, that amongst you Papists there be divers opinions touching purgatory. Some say that it is a true opinion, and an article of our faith, to teach, and believe, that there is a purgatory: Others there be, who not so firmly and constantly affirm the same, but they either suspect, or think that there is such a place. First, I will show, that Purgatory belongeth not to any article of our faith, neither is it a necessary thing to be credited. Secondly, I will declare, whether the suspicion and opinion of purgatory standeth with reason, and is just. I answer unto them, which say it is a necessary opinion, and an article of our faith, to acknowledge that there is a purgatory: If it were a certain and firm article of our faith, it should then most evidently so appear out of the testimonies of the scriptures. For we do not descend into their sentence, which be fathers, or will make men the authors of the matters of religion. It should be a reproach unto the holy Ghost, if we should persuade ourselves, that whatsoever they writ, doth tend to our salvation, and that the salvation of our souls doth stand upon their words. What thing soever appertaineth to our salvation, the same by the virtue of the holy Ghost is expressed in the Scriptures. Saint Paul to Timothy saith, 2. Tim. 3.16, 17. that the whole scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to teach, to convince, to correct and to instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect unto all good works. If you do contend to set forth any good work, or any thing necessary to be credited, which may not be confirmed by the scriptures, I would take that to be neither good, nor profitable, if the Scriptures do not plainly allow the same. We must not believe your words to be true, whereas you say, The Apostles have not taught all things, which touch the salvation of man. This will I grant in political, but not in spiritual matters, that it should be true, which you say, that all things are not contained in Scriptures, which belong to the government of a common weal. But to prove that the scriptures wrote sufficiently touching our soul's health, Tertul. de praescrip. Tertullian in libro de prescript. saith, Foelix ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum sanguine profuderunt: Happy is that church which hath received the whole doctrine confirmed with the blood of the Apostles. Our saviour Christ saith, Quae audivi a patre meo, omnia feci nota vobis: Those things which I have heard of my father, I have revealed unto you. Moreover, that I may return to my matter, often it is doubted of Purgatory. The Greek church in the council of Florentine long stood in doubt. And the common places of the scripture, which are brought forth, to prove this opinion, let them expound them no otherwise then the proper and lawful interpretation doth require, and there shall then be left no place to prove Purgatory. Saint Cyprian in his first treatise against Demetrian saith thus, After we be once departed out of this life, there is no more place of repentance, there is no more effect or working of satisfaction, life is here either lost or won. Everlasting salvation is here provided for, by the due worshipping of God and the fruits of faith. Saint Augustine saith, de civitate Dei. lib. 21. cap. 13. Quidam nullas poenas nisi purgatorias volunt esse post mortem: Some men will have no punishment to be after death, but only the pains of Purgatory. Even in Paul's time there were some, 1. Cor. 15.29 that being alive, were baptised for the dead. And by the Council of Carthage. 3. canon 6. it appeareth, there were some that used to thrust the sacrament into the mouth of the dead body, meaning thereby (as it may be thought) to procure some relief of the soul: The words be these, Placuit ut corporibus defunctorum Eucharistia non detur. Concil. 3. Can. 6. Dictum est enim a domino, Accipite, & edite: Cadavera autem nec accipere possunt nec edere: We think it good, that the Sacrament be not given to the bodies of the dead. For our Lord sayeth, Take and eat: but dead bodies can neither take, nor eat. These were ancient errors in old time, as it is easy to be seen. As for the fantasy of purgatory, it sprang first from the heathen, and was received amongst them in that time of darkness, long before the coming of Christ, as it may plainly appear by Plato and Virgil. Plato in Timaeo. Virgil. Aeneid. 6. in whom you shall find described at large, the whole common weal, and all the orders and degrees of Purgatory. Saint Augustine de civitate Dei, lib. 7. cap. 7. sayeth, The old heathen Romans had a sacrifice, which they called, Sacrum purgatorum: A purgatory Sacrifice. You will say, The Apostles of Christ have taught us purgatory, (not by any word that ever they wrote, but) by tradition. This is as true, as that S. Peter said Mass in Rome with a golden Cope, & a triple crown, unless perhaps some man will think, whereas S. Paul saith, Homines privati veritate, existimantes quaestum esse pietatem: They be men void of truth, thinking that their gain is godliness: or whereas Saint Peter saith, 2. Pet. 2.3. Per avaritiam fictis sermonibus negociantur de vobis: Through covetousness, by feigned talk, they make sale of you: that by these words, they gave us warning of the very form and doctrine of your purgatory: for better authorities than these be that I reckon, you can lightly find none. And whereas you tell us out of some heathenish fantasy, that sins can not be washed away, but by long space of time, and pain in purgatory, Saint Cyprian saith, In eodem articulo temporis, cum iam anima festinet ad exitum, & egrediens ad labia expirantis emerserit, poenitentiam clementissimi Dei benignitas non aspernatur, nec serum est, quod verum est: In that very moment of time, even when the soul is ready to pass, and is even at the lips of the party ready to yield up the spirit, the goodness of our most merciful God refuseth not repentance, & whatsoever is truly done, is never too late. Saint chrysostom sayeth, Latro in cruse, neque uno die opus habebat. & quid dico uno die? Neque brevi hora: tanta est Dei erga nos misericordia: The thief on the cross needed not so much as one day to repent himself. What speak I of one day? No, he needed not one hour: so great is the mercy of God toward us. Saint August. Epist. 80. sayeth, If any man depart hence without repentance, Imparatum inveniet illum dies Domini, quem imparatum invenerit suae vitae huius ultimus dies: Him shall the day of the Lord find unprovided, whom the last day of this life findeth unprovided. Saint Ambrose saith in his book de bono mortis, Qui hic non accipit remissionem peccatorum, ibi non erit: He that here in this life receiveth not remission of his sins, shall not be there. And S. Jerome in Lamentationes jerem. lib. 1. cap. 1. Thou shalt not go forth thence, until thou have paid the last farthing, saith thus, Significat semper non exiturum esse, quia semper soluat novissimum quadrantem, dum sempiternas poenas terrenorum peccatorum luit: Christ's meaning is, that he shall never come out, for that he must evermore pay the last farthing, whiles he suffereth everlasting punishment for his sins committed in this world. So sayeth Saint August. de sermone Domini in monte, lib. 1. Donec soluas novissimum quadrantem, miror, si non eam significat poenam quae vocatur aeterna: Until thou pay the last farthing, I marvel, but it meaneth that pain, which is called everlasting. Hereby, my brethren, I think it may partly appear, that you maintain your painted fire and paper walls, with painted authorities and paper reasons. Verily the Christian people of the East church of God, which sometime was as great & as famous as the Church of the West, notwithstanding they believed in God, and his Christ, & knew there was both hell & heaven: yet in your Purgatory they had no skill. One of your Doctors saith, Alphonsus de haeresibus lib. 8. de indulgentiis. Vsque in hodiernum diem Purgatorium non est a Graecis creditum: Until this day, of the Grecians, or of the East church, Purgatory was never believed. Therefore you can not justly say, that your fantasy herein was evermore accounted universal, or catholic. Augustine in Psal. 85. in deed sometime sayeth, There is such a certain place, sometime he denieth not but there may be such a one, sometime he doubteth: sometime again he utterly denieth there is any at all, and thinketh that men are therein deceived, by a certain natural good will they bear their friends departed. But yet of this one error hath there grown up such a harvest of those massmongers, that the masses being sold abroad commonly in every corner, the Temples of God became shops to get money, and silly souls were borne in hand, that nothing was more necessary to be bought. In deed there was nothing more gainful for these men, then to sell masses for the dead. Your own Roffensis sayeth, Nemo nunc dubitat Orthodous, an purgatorium sit, de quo tamen apud priscos, vel nulla, vel quam rarissima fiebat mentio: sed & Graecis ad hunc usque diem non est creditum, quamdiu enim nulla esset cura de purgatorio, nemo quaesivit indulgentias: No Catholic man now doubteth of Purgatory, whereof notwithstanding among the ancient Fathers, there is either no mention at all, Mark well. or very seldom, yea even until this day the Grecians believe it not, for so long as there was no care of purgatory, no man sought after pardons. So much for Purgatory. Now I think it not amiss (my brethren) somewhat to speak against your praying for the dead. First I will disprove your praying for the dead by scriptures. Then after, I will confute the same by the authority of the Doctors. To begin with Scriptures, I cite the 2. of Samuel 12.22. While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, who can tell, whether God will have mercy on me, that the child may live? But now being dead, wherefore should I now fast? Can I bring him again any more? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. Psalm 49.7. A man can by no means redeem his brother, he cannot give his ransom to God, so precious is the redemption of their souls, and the continuance for ever. Ecclesiastes 9.5. The dead know nothing at all, neither have they any more reward, for their remembrance is forgotten, and they have no more portion for ever, in all that is done under the Sun. All that thine hand shall find to do, do it with all thy power: For there is neither work, nor invention, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. Also 1. Thessalon. 4. I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope: 1. Thes. 4.13. for if we believe that jesus is dead, & is risen, even so them which sleep in jesus, will God bring with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves one another with these words. Thus much for scripture. Now will I allege the ancient testimonies of the Fathers. Cypr. serm. de mort. Cyprian in his sermon of mortality saith thus, Seeing that we know, that our brethren, which be delivered out of this world, by the hand and calling of the Lord, are not lost, but sent before: we must not here take on us black gowns, sith that they have already there put on white garments: we must not give occasion unto the Paynims, that they may deservingly, and by good right blame us, or lay to our charge, that we do lament, and bewail them, as perished and lost, whom we do affirm to live with God, and so to prove with the testimonies of our hearts, and break the same faith that we do profess and set forth by our communication & talk. Again he in his first treatise against Demetrian, When we be once departed out of this life, there is no more place of repentance, there is no more effect or working of satisfaction, life is here either lost or won, everlasting salvation is here provided for by the due worshipping of God, and the fruits of faith: then we shall be without the fruit of repentance, & grief of pain. In vain shall weeping be, & prayer shall be of no force or effect. Augustine in his first book and 12. chapter of the time: August. De temp. Therefore all these things, that is to wit, the looking unto the corpses, or caring for it, the condition of the burying, and the pomp of the funerals, are rather for the comfort of the living, then for the aid and help of the dead. If costly and precious burying do profit the ungodly, vile burying, and none at all shall hurt and hinder the godly. The multitude of servants did in the sight of men make excellent and glorious funerals unto that rich man that was all clothed in purple: but the ministry of Angels made much more excellent and noble funeral in the sight of God, unto the poor silly creature that was full of scabs, blains and sores: for they did not lay him in a tomb of marble, but did carry him into the bosom of Abraham. Likewise in his first treatise upon the Epistle of john, Whereof do Schisms come? Hereof they come, when men say, We are righteous, we do pray, we do obtain. Hierom in his 13. quest. and 2. chap. We know that in this world we can be helped one of another, either with prayers, or with counsel: but after we be once before the judgement seat of Christ, neither job, Daniel, nor Noah be able to pray for any body, but every man shall bear his own burden. The council of Toledo. 3. cap. 22.23. qu. 2. cap. qui divi. We do bid & command, that they which depart out of this life by the divine calling of the Lord, be carried forth to their graves, only with Psalms: for we do altogether forbid the same prayer of funerals, that they be wont to sing commonly for the dead. Item senten. 4. distinct. 45. Neque. He that prayeth for a Martyr, doth wrong unto the Martyr. Against praying for the dead, I thought it sufficient to speak thus much. Now I will speak a word or two of praying to Saints. First the Scripture forbiddeth it: for it is written, Psalm 80.11. Give us help against trouble, O Lord, for vain is the help of man. Psalm 115.17. The dead praise not the Lord, neither they that go down into the place of silence. Esay 63.16. Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel knew us not, yet thou, O Lord, art our Father, and our Redeemer. Now for the first. If the help of man be in vain, why then do you pray unto saints? And, If the dead praise not the Lord, to what end then should they be prayed unto? If Abraham and Israel (who were counted holy in the sight of God) knew not of them that were in earth, shall we think that other Saints have pre-eminence above the rest? No, no, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. jere. 15.1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet mine affection could not be towards this people. Thus sayeth the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord. Ezechiel 14.14. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and job were among them, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, (sayeth the Lord) yet I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God but me, for there is no Saviour besides me. Esther 14.3. O my Lord, (thou only art our King) help me desolate woman, which have no help but thee. Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that are weary & laden, & I will ease you. john 14.6. jesus said, I am the way, and the truth. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. To the first. If God's wrath kindled against his people could not be pacified at the intercession of Moses and Samuel, who were saints, how can you persuade yourselves, that Saint George or Saint Gregory, or any other Saint may be heard of God praying for you? To the second. Here is commination of God pronounced against them that put their trust and confidence in man. But you put trust & confidence in saints, who interpretively be men. Ergo this curse toucheth you. These holy men, Noah, Daniel, and job can do no more but save their own souls, they can not with their prayers procure the salvation of other men's souls. These three were Saints, and in favour with God, as others be, they had the view of the glorious majesty of God as others have: Ergo I infer, If there could no help be found in them, than you may be assured, no help is to be found in others. To the third. God telleth us there is no other Salvation besides him, but you (my brethren) hope to be saved through the clemency of your patrons that be Saints: wherefore I conclude, that you break the commandments of GOD, when he sayeth that none can save you, but he alone. To the fourth. The desolate woman took GOD only to be her king, (& not some Saint or other) her shield, her buckler, her defence, her comforter & helper. In this her distress & need, she ran not unto some Saint to crave help at his hands, but unto God himself, who was most ready to grant her requests. Therefore you are much to be blamed, that you will not follow the allowable examples of others. To the fift. Christ biddeth us, when we are driven to any straits, or are grieved with any kind of troubles, to make our prayers unto him, and not unto Saints, for he maketh no mention thereof: and he promiseth that our petitions shall be acceptable in his sight. Seeing that of his bountifulness he willeth us to come unto him, why come you not to him, why go you unto others? O stubborn and froward generation, O unthankful, and disloyal subjects! You will not come when as you are bidden, you will not receive God's gentleness of himself offered, but seek to crave of his servants, against his will and pleasure. To the sixth. Christ telleth us, that no man can come to the Father but by him. If no man can come to the Father, but by Christ, Ergo in vain do you then make your prayers unto Saints. Act. 4.12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for among men there is given none other name under heaven, whereby we must be saved. Rom. 10.14. How shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? james 1.5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, which giveth to all men liberally. Every good giving, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the father of lights. You see in these places of scripture God telleth us plainly, we cannot be saved (by any other, neither by this Saint nor that Saint) save only by jesus Christ. Thus much out of the scriptures. Now let us see what the Doctors speak against your praying unto Saints. First I will begin with Augustine in his second book and 8. chap. against the Epist. of Parmenian. Saint Paul maketh not himself a mediator between God and the people, but requireth that they pray all one for another, being all the members of Christ. If Saint john would say, This have I written unto you, that you sin not, and if you sin, you have me your mediator before God, and I will entreat for your sins, as Parmenian (the heretic) in a certain place, made the Bishop a mediator between God and the people: what good and faithful christian man could abide him? Who would look upon him, as the Apostle of Christ? or rather who would not think him to be Antichrist? Also upon the 108. Psal. All prayer, that is not made unto god by Christ, not only doth not put away sin, but also is turned into sin. Item in his 3. book of free-will. We are not commanded to go to any creature that we may be made blessed, but to the creator & maker of all things, of whom (if we be persuaded otherwise then the truth is) we are deceived with a damnable error. Item in his book of the spirit & the soul, 29. cha. The souls of them that are dead, are there where they do not see, neither hear what things are done, or chance in this life: Such is their care for the living, that they know not what we do, even as our care is for the dead, that we know not what they do. Item, in his tenth treatise upon john. My mother whom you have called blessed, therefore is blessed, because she hath kept the word of GOD, and not because in her the word was made flesh. Item, in his book of the remission of sins, the 14. chap. The Apostle said truly, Be you followers of me, as I am of Christ He never durst say, Be you justified of me, as I am justified of Christ. None is just, but Christ justifying. Therefore he said, He that believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Who is so bold therefore to say, I justify thee, which may not be said of the Saints, but of the holy of holiest, that said, Believe in God, joh. 14.7. believe also in me? Again in his first treatise upon the Epistle of john: From hence cometh schisms, when men say, We are righteous, we make holy the unholy, we do justify the wicked, we do pray, we do obtain. Item in 84. treatise upon john. Though we die brethren for brethren, yet the blood of no Martyrs is shed for the forgiveness of sins, which thing Christ hath done for us. Ambrose upon the 1. chapter of the Romans: But we obtain God's favour, from whom nothing is secret, as knowing what every man is meet to have, we need no spokesman, but a devout mind, for whatsoever such a one speaketh unto God, God will answer him. Chrysost. in his 2. hom. of the woman of Canaan: Tell me woman, sith thou art a wicked and sinful woman, how dared thou go unto him? I know (saith she) what I do. Behold the wisdom of the woman, she prayeth not unto james, she entreateth not john, she goeth not unto Peter: she did not get herself to the company of the Apostles, she sought for no mediator: but for all these things, she took repentance for her companion, which did fulfil the room and place of an advocate: and so she did go to the high fountain. Item in his sermon of going forward of the Gospel: There is no need of a Porter, of a Mediator or minister, no need of Advocates with God, nor of any running, and gadding about for to speak fair unto other: for although thou be alone, and without an advocate, and pray unto God by thyself, thou shalt obtain thy petitions. cyril in his book of right faith: He was taken up into heaven: but as God he is showed to grant the petitions of them that worship him, if they make their prayers in his name. For why is it more meet to give Saints their ask, and to grant them their petitions, then for him, which is only by his own nature, & truly God? Leo Bishop of Rome, in his 81. Epistle: Although the death of many Saints hath been precious in the sight of the Lord, yet the kill of no Innocent, hath been the propitiation for the world. The righteous received, but gave no crowns, and out of the valiantness of the faithful are graven examples of patience, not gifts of righteousness. For their deaths were every one singular to himself, and none of them did by his end pay the debt of another, forasmuch as there is our Lord Christ, in whom all are crucified, all dead and buried, and raised up again. Erasmus in his book called the Preacher: If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God, and not of the Saints. So much against praying unto saints. Here in the first part of my declaration, I have (as you know) declared a true report of the wickedness of Rome: I began with the Cardinal's lives, proceeded to the Priests, Monks, and citizens, and ended with the Pope. Seeing you know these reports to be true, for your own salvation return to the truth. Be not obstinate and froward in your false opinion. You are courteously and gently entreated, yet are you never the better, but rather the worse, like Frogs that keep a great crooking & stir against the light of the Sun: so do you against the glorious and comfortable beams of Christ his Gospel. Be satisfied with truth, and abuse not the merciful lenity of our gracious Sovereign, lest that the lords discipline be restored, which shall restrain your spreading poison, and avoid the hazard which otherwise should happen, not only to the church of God among us, (which might not thrive amidst such pestilent & cumbersome weeds) but even to the endangering (which the Lord of glory turn from us) of this flourishing common weal, & her majesties most royal person, crown & dignity. Your malicious & cursed practices, as cockatrices, have brought forth & hatched great dangers to the common weal already. If you should be set at liberty, without recantation escape unpunished, winked at, favoured and spared: greater mischief shall ensue your treasonable practices, to the ruin and desolation of this blessed land, which God of his mercy turn away from us. What pestiferous books have our English fugitives thrust forth unto us, defacing Gods holy truth, the Queen her royal Majesty, many of her honourable counsel, and sundry of her loving and faithful Subjects? Have they not also procured Antichrist, Pope Pius Quintus, to excommunicate our Redoubted Sovereign, & all them that content themselves, christianly & quietly to live under her government? But an undeserved curse hurteth not. About Midsummer last was twelvemonth, they renewed these bulls of excommunication, granted by this Pope Gregory, under the colour & name of Pius Quintus published. There were five hundredth copies printed at Rome, as two of you (my brethren) can verify the same, and how they were published, as I heard at Rome, in the English Seminary at Rheames, and were put fast to pillars in the city. These Bulls of excommunication were scattered throughout all Italy, Spain, & part of Germany. In these bulls of excommunication, (forsooth) they have discharged (if their discharge should be credited) her highness Subjects from their loyalty & obedience to her Majesty, their natural Prince. Have not their Bulls pronounced her Majesty to be no lawful Queen, whom God hath placed over us? Have not their attempts been the seed of rebellion? and have they not caused, and do cause to this day, many to practise secretly her grace's destruction? The loyalty of Papists. One of your Readers in Divinity positive, I am certain, before two hundredth scholars, and not so few, as one of you may testify the same, most impudently and devilishly spoke, that it was lawful for any man of worship in England, to give authority to the vilest wretch that is, to seek the death of our sovereign Queen. But God who hath defended her, still preserve her: And then let K. P. who threateneth, and Antichrist, Pope Gregory an Italian borne in the city of Bolonia, who provoketh, join their powers together: yet she shall prevail, to their shame, & to her honour. Father Pais a Spaniard borne, reader in scholastical divinity in the Roman college at Rome, said in the presence of three hundredth scholars at least, these were his words, Bona Papae voluntas trita & manifesta est, & eius crumena parata, sed R. P. aut metus subtrahit, aut potestatis defectus vetat, ut suum in Angliam exercitum ducere non audeat. That is, the Pope's good will is tried and known, and his purse ready, but K. P. either fear withdraweth, or power forbiddeth him that he dare not venture, to bring his Army of Soldiers into England. But least that I be too tedious to my hearers, of this first part I will make an end, beseeching you my brethren to become loyal and faithful to your natural Prince, forsaking your superstitious Idolatry and cursed religion, your pompous glory, and proud hierarchy, and thus much for the first part. The second part. Qui veniunt ad vos vestitu ovium, etc. Which come unto you in sheeps clothing, etc. In this place (being the second part of my division) when the holy Ghost biddeth us: Beware of false prophets, he addeth also a note or mark, to know them by, in these words: Which come unto you in sheeps clothing. In the first words, which come unto you, there is also given us one mark of a false prophet, that is, to go before he be sent, in the last words, In sheeps clothing, is showed, that when false prophets come, it is but with flattery & dissimulation. For to come in sheeps clothing: is nothing else, but to feign himself a sheep, that is, to make thyself holy, whereas thou art nothing less, to name thyself a follower of Christ's holy word, whereas thou art obedient to the traditions of men, to name thyself a Prophet, whereas thou art not, to name thyself a teacher of the truth, whereas thou art a maintainer of lies: to resemble a sheep in outward show, but inwardly to be a Fox. What a false prophet is, you may know if ye read these places of scripture that follow, to wit, Esa. 56. jerem. 6.23. Ezech. 22.34. Philip. 3.4. and the 2. to Timoth. 3. Titus 1.2. Pet. 2. Luk. 16. Rom. 16. For whiles they give themselves unto covetousness, (and that under a colour of godliness,) what can otherwise fall out, then that which S. Peter saith, With feigned words they should make merchandise of God's people. 2. Pet. 2.3. So did the false Prophets amongst the jews: so did their sacrificers, Matt. 15.5. with them, as our massmongers have done with us. What manner worshipping of God have they feigned? what snares have they laid? namely Indulgences, purgatory, watchings, masses for the dead, works of supererogation, & in fine to that pass they brought it, that obscured the grace of our redemption, wherewith all such as believe, by jesus Christ are freely redeemed, and get eternal life. No man thinketh amongst the Papists, but they either deserve eternal life (by reason of their own works:) or else if their outward works fail, to be damned for ever. This is that same diabolical perdition, with the sway whereof, a great part of Christendom is carried headlong. And the cause hereof is, that men have itching ears, and therefore procure unto themselves heaps of teachers, 2. Tim. 4.5. to feed their fond humours, men are high-minded, self-willed, lovers of themselves, being wedded to their own ways, and married unto their own devices, they leave the law of God, and follow after the traditions of men. What (I pray you) is the cause, that there be so many papists in England? is it not, because the true preachers are not believed? The truth offendeth them, the Scriptures mislike them, they are delighted with falsehood, and content to stay themselves upon men's inventions. Precepts are given, & yet the precepts of God are not regarded, ensamples abound, and yet the ensamples of the constant & faithful martyrs of God are derided and scoffed at, the wholesome counsels of the godly either are lightly contemned, or else heard with so small profit, that they enter in at the one ear, and go out at the other. Is it then to be marveled, if Christ suffer these pretenced prophets, (the Papists I mean) to seduce them from his truth? read 1. of the kings 22.22. In Achab the like hath been done before, and in Ezech. 13.10. & 22.28. we read of them that builded with untempered mortar. Seeing then that they will not give credit unto God's word, and therewith be contented, God is not to be blamed, if (that these false prophets deceiving them with an outward show of holiness) he give them up to strong delusions, 2. Thess. 2.11 that they fall from the truth to error, from light unto darkness, from heaven to hell. Such as teach them the truth, are despised, and others that instruct them in the dregs of idolatry, are esteemed and had in great reputation. These false prophets, that they may bring these carnal men unto perfection: they tell them how their forefathers lived, when they embraced papistry, how that in coming to Churches, they were very diligent, in worshipping of images they were devout, how painful in visiting holy places, how liberal unto the poor, how merciful to the afflicted, and lastly, how careful they were to keep God's commandments. Where be all these good works (say they) what is become of them? Now one man seeketh to beguile another, one man speaketh evil of an other, their devotion to the church is waxed cold, charity towards the poor is more than frozen. etc. And whereof (say they) proceedeth this heap of all mischief, the ripeness of this impiety what root hath it, springeth it not from the corrupt doctrine of the newe fangled Preachers? Unto all these supposed cavils, and most manifest slanders (for other are they not, but slanders and those mere supposed) I answer, whereas they speak of the godly lives of their forefathers (if their lives had been holy) these their good works, whereof they boast, were not undoubted marks of true religion. For read the histories of the Gentiles, let the lives of the old Philosophers both Greeks and Latins be perused: and it shall not be able to be gaynesayed, that for the civil state of their life, and the moral virtues, they lived as uprightly as ever your forefathers did: yea, and that in such excellency, that some of them were even beautified by the names of the virtues themselves: as Socrates the Constant, Plato the religious, Regulus the promise keeper, Cato the sober, and such like: yet neither did their lives prove their religion to be true, neither was heaven able to be scaled by so short and weak a ladder. As for that they blame the lives of them that profess the Gospel, & thereupon infer that they have no true religion, they speak more (by their leaves) than truth will warrant. For the imperfections of God's children, and the sins of particular men, are not available to disherit them of true religion: Gen. 9.2. & 19.33. 2. king. 11. & 12. Matth 26.72.74. as the drunkenness of Noah, the incest of Lot, the adultery & murder of David, the backsliding of S. Peter, etc. do declare, of whom to say they sinned, & therefore they were not in the right way, were to conclude very impertinently, & without all rule of reason. Now whereas upon this weak supposal grounded upon an untruth, ye misreport of the preachers of England, saying, that they allow all licentiousness of life, it is clean contrary, for they diligently exhort the people to amendment of life: they condemn not good works, no, they commend them highly. herein truly you and they do differ: they make works to follow faith as the fruits, according to that S. August. August. de fide & operibus. cap. 14 & epist. 106. sayeth, Opera sequuntur justificatum non praecedunt iustificandum: You make works the ground and faith the roof, putting the cart before the horse, and heat before the fire. The Queen goeth before, & her handmaids follow, not that she is not able to go without them, but that as necessarily to the Majesty & Royal port of a prince such attendance is necessary: so is it in faith, and works. You my brethren say that good works are necessary, thereby to merit heaven and deserve salvation. But as the scriptures are flat against you, even so are the doctors also, none of them do bear with you, they all bear against you. We teach the people truth, you fables. We preach faith, and yet exhort unto good works, you seek more for the husk then for the kernel. We are not such as Cardinal Hosius misdeemeth us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, naughty and evil preachers, neither preach we any thing that God's word alloweth not. How your Elders and our forefathers lived, it standeth you in hand to consider of: they put their sons into monasteries, & their daughters unto Nunneries, what they did they have answered, if they did well, they are pardoned by mercy in the promise made unto Abraham: if evil, no man shall have a crown but he that fighteth lawfully. yet herein ye offer them a great deal of wrong, that as blind guides leading them into by-paths, robbing them of their inheritance, spoiling them of the truth of God's word, ye put the sheep to answer for the blindness of the shepherd. That they lived in ignorance it can not be denied, it was not of faith, Rom. 10.14. for it was not grounded upon the written word of God: They did as they were taught, if they had been taught better, better would they have done, yet is it not fit that we should condemn any man's servant whether he stand or fall. Neither is their early rising to Matins, to their compline at midnight, their going bare-legged and barefoot, their fasting and wilful poverty, their hard lying, their whippings their going in sackcloth, their long praying in the streets, nor all other the like practices able to draw us from the truth. nay what will ye answer when God shall ask you, Esa. 10.12. Mat. 15.9. Why did ye worship me with men's traditions? who hath required this at your hands? Read the book entitled, Hierosolomitanus peregrinus, you shall find, that the Turks live more austerely in their Monasteries and abroad, then ever any of you did. It were too long to rehearse their outward godliness, they fast and pray as you do, they build Temples, they maintain hospitals, they visit the sick, they pray in the night time more than you do, and the day time they spend either in prayer, or in some good work. They cloth the naked, feed the hungry, harbour the harbourless, they follow you in all points of good works, yea, and they far surpass you. For proof hereof, I refer you to the reading of their Histories. yet will ye not say (I think) that the Turks for all their good works are like to be saved. If this were a good argument, that by good works men are saved: then could I reason thus: The Turks do good works, But they which do good works shallbe saved: Ergo the Turks shallbe saved. And whereas you say, that they did well which make their daughters nuns. For (say you) they serve God and our Lady: if their service be good & commendable, seeing that they attribute and apply that unto our Lady, which (in David's Psalms) is spoken of God the father and the son, judge you. For when they pray, they pray after this manner, In te domina speravi, miserere mei domina, dixit dominus dominae meae, sede matter mea a dextris meis, etc. In thee O Lady have I trusted, O Lady have mercy upon me, the Lord said unto my Lady, sit my mother at my right hand, etc. In such sort, that these blasphemies, which they call our Lady's hours, were the chief devotion of those that were most devout. Now seeing the blessed virgin was put in Christ's place: I ask what remaineth for him? and if, because she bred him and bore him, and brought him forth, she accomplished the salvation of those that call upon her, what then was there, that he should deliver himself to death for us? But let me (I pray you) speak a word or two, concerning the doctrine of these false prophets, which teacheth a man to be justified by his good works. If I should justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me (saith job: job. 20. ) for if I would be perfect, mine own mouth shall condemn me, we have been all as an unclean thing (saith Esay) & all our righteousness is as filthy clouts. Esa. 64.6. When ye have done all those things which are commanded: (saith our Saviour) say then, We are unprofitable servants, we have done but that which was our duty to do. And there is none righteous, Rom. 3.10. no not one: by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, and all these words come from the mouth of God. But seeing ye will hardly admit the testimony of God's word, without the witness of men: go to, let us see what say the fathers in this behalf? I do scarcely (saith Origen) believe that there can be any work, Origen. lib. 44. cap. 4. that may of duty require a reward. Basil. In Psal. 32. basil saith that he trusteth not in his own good deeds, nor hopeth to be justified by his works, he hath the only hope of his salvation in the mercies of God. And Saint Jerome, Hierom, in isaiah. cap. 64. If we behold our own merits, we must be driven to desperation. The time will not serve to handle this matter at large, therefore I end this part, beseeching all those that love the Gospel unfeignedly, to take diligent heed to such false Prophets, as come unto them in sheeps clothing, feigning themselves holy, and by their holiness think themselves justified. The third part. Sed intrinsecùs sunt lupi rapaces. But inwardly they are ravening wolves. Although our English popish Priests, (that come from Rome, or else from Rheimes in France, to this our native soil) tell us that they have taken great labour, passed many dangers, yea and hazarded their own lives to save our souls from eternal damnation, and endless misery, they are not to be believed for all these their brags. They are ravening wolves, they seek the everlasting confusion both of our bodies and souls. What do they teach, but false doctrine? do they not seek to persuade us to worship stocks and stones, yea (which is worst) to worship that idol in the Sacrament? They teach more, than they are well able to perform. How can they prove, that Christ is really & transsubstantially in the sacrament of the altar? This is the effect and force of all their arguments: Christ spoke it, when he said, Hoc est corpus meum, This is my body. They will have no Tropical figure herein to be expressed, for that Christ said and promised, that he would speak no more in parables. This argument is nought, if you say, that Hoc est corpus meum, be a parable. If you say, that Christ promised to use no more figurative speeches, you are far deceived. For he used a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this phrase, Hic est calix novi Testamenti, quem si biberit quispiam, etc. This is the cup of the new Testament, which whosoever shall drink, etc. You know no man can drink the cup: wherefore here is Continens pro contento, the thing containing, for the thing contained. If Christ used a figure in this phrase, Hic est calix, etc. Why should he not in like wise use a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this phrase, Hoc est corpus meum? Fe The death of Christ is not really present in the Sacrament. ri But the blood of Christ is present in the Sacrament, as his death is present. Amb. de sac. 4. cap. 4. o Therefore the precious blood of Christ is not really present in the Sacrament. The Minor proposition is proved out of Ambrose, in his fourth book of the Sacraments, and fourth chapter, recepisti suae mortis similitudinem, sic bibis similitudinem sui preciosi sanguinis: As thou hast received the similitude of his death, so dost thou drink the similitude of his blood. Dis The true natural body of Christ is placed in heaven. am But the true natural body of man, can be but in one place. is Therefore the true natural body of Christ can be but in one place, and at one time in heaven. Luk. 24.51. Act. 1.9. The Mayor is proved thus, jesus receptus est in coelos, & sedet ad dexteram Dei, etc. jesus was received up into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of GOD the Father. Matt. 26.11. Pauperes semper habetis vobiscum, me verò non semper habebitis: The poor have you always with you, but me shall ye not have always. joh. 12. Desero mundum, & eo ad patrem: I forsake the world, and go to my Father. Multi dicent in eo die, Ecce, Matt. 24.23. Mar. 13.21. hic est Christus, & ecce, ibi: Many will say in that day, Lo, here is Christ, and lo, there he is. Whatsoever is in many & divers places at once, is God. The body of Christ is not God, but a certain creature. Therefore the body of Christ can not be in many places at once. Da Every quantity (that is) every body that hath length, breadth, and thickness, is contained in one peculiar place. ri Christ's body hath length, breadth and thickness, and is a quantity. o Therefore Christ's body is contained in one peculiar place. The Mayor is proved out of cyril in his third book of the Trinity, pag. 245. quicksands quid intelligitur habere corpus, hoc indubiè est in loco, & in magnitudine & in quantitate. Et si sit in quantitate, evitare non potest circumscriptionem, hoc est habere suum locum: What thing soever is understood to have a body, that without doubt is in a place, in magnitude and in quantity. And if it be in quantity, than it must needs be in some peculiar place. Fe No natural body can at one and the same time have contrary and divers qualities. ri But to be in one place local, in another not local, in one place with quantity, in another without quantity, in one place finite, in another infinite, is to admit contrary qualities to a natural body o Therefore the body of Christ can not be in one place local, in another place not local, in one place with quatitie, in another place without quantity. We must so defend the humanity of Christ, that we destroy not his divinity. If we assign to Christ's body plurality of places, we destroy his divinity: wherefore we must not assign to Christ's body plurality of places. The mystical signification that you have imagined of your shows and accidents, that the forms of bread and wine outwardly represent the spiritual nourishing of the soul, is vain and fantastical, without the witness of any ancient Doctor, or father, & is confirmed only by the authority of the Pope himself. For what manner of feeding is there in these accidents and holy forms, or how can that thing that feedeth not the body, represent unto us the spiritual feeding of the soul? The matter is plain enough of itself, and needeth no cavil. The signification and substance of the Sacrament is to show us, how we are fed with the body of Christ, that is, that like as material bread feedeth our body, so the body of Christ nailed on the cross, embraced & eaten by faith, feedeth the soul. The like representation is also made in the Sacrament of Baptism: that as our body is washed clean with water, so our soul is washed clean with Christ's blood. Therefore S. Aug. saith, Nisi Sacramenta similitudinem quandam earum rerum, quarum Sacramenta sunt, haberent, omninò Sacramenta non essent: If Sacraments had not a certain likeness and representation of the things whereof they be sacraments, then in deed they were no Sacraments. This representation Rabanus Maurus lib. 1.23. expoundeth thus, Quia panis corpora confirmat, ideò ille congruenter corpus Christi nuncupatur, & quia vinum sanguinem operatur in carne, ideo refertur ad sanguinem: Because (not the accidents or forms of bread) but bread itself confirmeth the body, therefore it is conveniently called the body of Christ. And because wine worketh blood in the flesh, therefore it hath relation unto the blood. so likewise saith Druthmarus in Matth. cap. 28. Vinum laetificat & sanguinem auget, & ideo non inconuenienter sanguis Christi per hoc significatur. This I speak briefly of the sacrament of your Mass. Read the old and new Testament, & mark if you find any one word directly, or indirectly, secretly, or plainly, which speaketh nigh or far, of the sacrifice of your Mass, which is in controversy between us. Contrariwise, see if you do not find therein from line to line, that Christ is the only sacrifice once offered up for all: that there is one only washing in the blood of Christ, that there is one only God, to be called upon in the only name of jesus Christ. If you find there the doctrines which we condemn, then in heart & voice condemn us, and cry faggot & fire against us. If not, recant then, & be sorry for your errors, cry God & the Queen mercy. Be sorrowful that you have miscalled our sovereign Lady, and that you have said you would burn her bones, and burn all them of her most honourable counsel, that favoured not your cursed attempts, either alive or dead: Many of whose names I could rehearse, but for certain causes I will put the first letter of their names. let L. serve the room of a Lord, and S. of a Knight. B. for a Bishop. etc. L.K. who is dead, L. T. who is alive, E. L. alive, E. B. alive, E. W. alive, E. H. S. F. K. S. F. W. S. H. S. M. R. of L. Ar. B. of C. M. D. of C. and all such as have punished (or favoured not) their idolatrous religion. B. of L. M. D. of P. L. D. of Yor. L. B. of Win. who is dead, B. of Salisb. D. of Salisb. M. I. F. preacher at London. D. H. at Oxenford. D. F. preacher at Cambridge, with divers others, upon whom you said, you would show no mercy. A man had need to take heed of such, as yet you are, who make men believe (for all this their spite and malice towards their own native soil, which they greatly wish to be destroyed with fire, sword, & famine: this am I able to verify by such as are already converted to the truth of Christ his Gospel, and yet I have omitted many things of their hatred & practices against this Realm of England) that they hazard their lives to save our souls from hell, whereas in very deed, they have wrought (as much as lieth in them) our eternal damnation, and so inwardly are ravening wolves. what do they teach our Englishmen, but that the Pope is supreme head, & that, if they will be saved, they must acknowledge the Pope to be sovereign Lord? This they teach without proof of scripture. Saint Cyprian saith, Cyprian de simplic. praelat. & in senten. Episc. & in lib. 1. Epist. 5. unum esse Episcopatum, cuius quilibet Episcopus tenet suam partem integram sine division. Praeterea nullum sui temporis vocasse aut fecisse seipsum Episcopum Episcoporum, aut tyrannide suos sibi subiecisse socios. That is, that there is but one Bishopric, of which every Bishop holdeth his part wholly without any division. Also, that none of his time either called or made himself Bishop of Bishops, either made through tyranny his companions subject to his obedience. Also he complaining that profane men, & Schismatics withdrew themselves to the Bishop of Rome, sayeth that there were none that did so, but certain desperate and wicked fellows, persuading themselves that the Bishops of Africa have less power than the Bishop of Rome. Saint Chrysost. sayeth in homil. 83. in Matt. cap. 23. Quicunque Episcoporum primatum in terra desiderabit, confusionem in coelis reperiet, et qui caput omnium esse contendet, non computabitur in numero servorum Christi: Whosoever (saith he) of the Bishops shall desire supremacy in earth, he shall find confusion in heaven, and he that shall desire to be the chief, he shall not be reputed in the number of the servants of Christ. Lo here, the fathers of your own Church say, that the Pope is not supreme head. As for scriptures, read them thoroughly, and you shall not find one only text to ground your supremacy upon. Wherefore (good brethren) seeing that your own Doctors speak against you, be reconciled with me that am converted by God's grace, and the industry of his instruments, the right worshipful sir Owyn Hopton knight, the Queen's majesties Lieutenant of this tower of London, & divers godly preachers. Be with me reconciled, I say, and let us with one accord embrace the truth, and become loyal and obedient subjects to our sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, who so graciously & favourably dealeth with us, that, whereas (forsaking our country, & submitting ourselves to the government, or rather tyranny of an Italian priest) we have deserved the heavy wrath of our loving Queen to be punished with death, by our recantation our trespass may be forgotten, life granted, & we brought into favour again. Wherefore, my loving brethren, (considering the promise of the bountiful clemency of our gracious Queen, ready at all times to pardon our rebellious and traitorous offences committed against her Majesty, and the daily labour that this right worshipful knight sir Owyn Hopton by name taketh, to convert us to the truth of the Gospel) recant, recant, cast not away wilfully your bodies and souls to endless pain: shorten not your days, which God hath lent you here upon earth to do good, and make not an end of them in a bad cause. Allow not the Pope's supremacy, canons of council, decrees of fathers, constitutions of men, rites and ceremonies, pardons and indulgences, invocation of saints, merits by works, pilgrimage, masses, diriges, trentals, images, pictures, relics, altars, shrines, lives of feigned saints, false miracles, visions, dreams, fantasies & such other trashes without warrant of God's word, as it appeareth to the world in your sermons & Romish postils. And in fine, be not Pharisees, set not light by the Gospel of jesus Christ, forsake not the law of God, to follow after the traditions of men. In vanum mihi serviunt (saith our saviour Christ in the Gospel of saint Matthew 15.) cum nihil, aliud docent quàm traditiones hominum: In vain do they serve me, while they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the commandments of men. Say not, that there be seven sacraments, seeing the Church of God receiveth but two, numero paucissima, August. de doct. Christi. lib. 3. cap. 9 & ad januar. Epi. 118. of the smallest number, (as Augustine writeth) which are Baptismus trinitatis nomine consecratus, & communicatio corporis & sanguinis ipsius: Baptism hallowed in the name of the trinity, and the communicating of his blessed body and blood, figured in the old Testament by the circumcision and the paschal lamb. Repent (my brethren) repent, and cry to God for grace and mercy. Let it never grieve you to return from these princes of darkness, the devil and the Pope. And in deed what have you seen in the court of Rome? Christ in exile, and Antichrist reign in his stead, Beelzebub the judge, wolves let lose, and the lambs in the stocks. Ah good God, who shall deliver the world from this oppression? who shall gather together the sheep? who shall reprove and convince the wicked pastors? Shall there never be a limitation and end of this intolerable mischief? How long shall the Pope and his shavelings, who have neither faith, godliness nor truth, deceive thy poor sheep? How long shall the son of perdition reign over thy flock? who being but a man, lifteth up himself above Kings, yea above Angels, and above the heaven of heavens, and hath caused men to dispute that he is not * Pope Innocentius. De transl. C. quanto. Prohoem. Clement. Glossa: Papa stupor mundi. The Pope is the wonder of the world. simply a man, but a partaker of the divine nature with Christ, and that he hath the fountain & root of the spirit of Christ in him. To be short, whereas thou, O Christ, hast submitted thyself under heaven, earth and hell, he will command kings, angels, Gloss. extrau. de sede ad Apostolatus. Distinct. 40. C. si Papa. devils & all, under colour of the key of the word, which thou hast delivered to thy ministers. I ask, (thou being God, and made man for the salvation of the world) how it can be that this man, which maketh himself God, should be any other, than that son of perdition, come for the perdition of the world. Thou that hast been wounded for our transgressions, and smitten for our iniquities, & with whose stripes we are healed, govern, help, and secure thy flock: let Antichrist perish, and be discomfited by the breath of thy holy mouth, and abolished by the brightness of thy blessed & wished coming. Come Lord jesus, come quickly, for thy name's sake. Let all the people say, Amen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. FINIS. ¶ Imprinted at London, by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty. Anno 1581.