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 A Treatise of the Cohabitacyon of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull. 

 Wherunto is added. 

 A Sermon made of the confessing of Christe and his gospell / and of the denyinge of the same. 

 Anno M. D. LV. 

 Apocal. 18. 

 Come awaye from her my poeple / that ye be not partakers of her synnes / that ye receyue not of her plagues. 

 In this furst treatise theys thinges ar contayned. 

1. The question of Cohabitacion. 

2. Christiãs maye not be present at popishe masses andsupersticions. 

3. The masse is a prophanaciõ of the lordes supper. 

4. The dutie of princes is to mayntain pure Religion amonge thersubiectes / and what inferior Rulars must do when they becommaunded contrarie by their superiors. 

5. A confutacion of the reasons which ar made to proue theCohabitacion lawfull. 

6. How the Iues ar to be handeled of christians. 

7. The papistes ar heretikes. 

 Whether the dwellinge together and familiar conuersacion of the godly withe the godles / the faithfull withe the faythles / the professor of Christes gospell withe the papiste be lawfull or no. 

 [[Reasons prouing that it is lawfull. ]]

The reasons bi whiche many do persuade them selues / and othersalso / that yt ys lawfull / for the faythfull to haue famylierconuersation / and to dwell together withe the vnfaythfull, aretheise. 

 [[1]]

Christe Iesus dyd go vnto the feastes and dyners of publicansand synners / and was there accompanyed and famyliarlieconuersaunte with them. In lyke maner beinge bydden of thephariseis to dyners / he went. 

 [[2]] [[1. Cor. 7. ]]

Also S. Paule dothe byd / that the faythful whiche is ioyned inmariage withe the vnbeleuer sholde not be separated / yf thevnbeleuer will dwell withe the faythfull. 

 [[3]] [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

Againe he teacheth / if any of them whiche beleue not byd you toa feaste / and if ye will go / what soeuer ys sett before you /that eate / &c. In an other place he likwise sayethe:

 [[1. Cor. 5. ]]

I wrote vnto you in an epistle / that ye sholde not cõpaniewithe fornicatours. And I meant not at all of the fornicatoursof this worlde / or of the couetous / or of extorsioners / or ofthe Idolatrors / for then muste ye neades haue gone owt of theworlde. But nowe I haue written unto you / that ye companye nottogether. If any that is called a brother / be a fornicatour /or couetous / or a worshipper of Images / or a rayler / or adrunkard / or an extorsioner / with him that ys suche / see thatye eate not. 

 [[4]] [[Genes. 12. ]]

Abraham beinge called to go owt of Chaldee / ys commaunded totrauayle in those countries / in whiche the people werealtogither vngodlye and wicked Idolatrours / that ys / in thelande of Canaan / and in Egypte. 

 [[5]] [[Genes. 13. ]]

Lot refused to continewe in the housholde / and familiarcompanie of Abraham / and did chose to dwell amonge theSodomytes. 

 [[6]] [[4. Reg. 5. ]]

Naaman the Sirian / after that he was healed of his leprosie /dyd returne to his Idolatrous nation. 

 [[7]] [[Marc. 5. ]]

Christ our Sauior dyd not reteyne with him all those whom he dydheale / but commaunded some of thẽ to returne vnto their ownfamyliars / countrymẽ / and kinsfolkes (which yet were wicked /and infidels) among whom they sholde publishe and declare / whatthe lorde hade done for them. 

 [[8]]

The Iues both by the ciuile ãd canon lawes ar not only permittedto lyue among the christians / but also to haue their synagoges:and tribute is taken of them. 

 [[9]]

Some heretiques haue libertie giuen them by ciuile lawes / todwell amonge the faithfull: for the lawes do not apoynte themall to be punished by deathe. We reade that the Nouations hadetheir Churches and congregations / permitted in Constãtinople /in the tyme of Constantine the greate / ãd Theodosius / whichewere moste godlie Emperours. 

These are the reasons by whiche many do persuade them selues andothers / that yt ys lawfull for the godlie and faythful / todwell together and to haue familiar conuersation withe thewicked and vnfaythfull /

 [[The disposition of the Tretise. ]]

To proue that their persuasions are false and vntrulie gatheredof thes places / I muste propounde certayn diuisions: whichebeinge done / I shall put forthe certayne propositions orsentences In the prouinge of which to be true / ye shallplaynlye perceyue howe these places alledged / are abused ofthem to maynteyne their false opinion. 

 [[The furst Diuision]]

Firste / I muste deuide betwene the estates and sortes of men:Some sortes of men / are Magistrates and rulers: some other besubiectes and of the comen sorte of people. 

 [[The secõd Diuision]]

The second diuision shalbe of cohabitation or dwellingtogether / of which one kinde ye free / that ys / where men benot compelled to cõmunicate withe wicked superstitions / vngodlyrites and Idolatries. 

An other kinde of cohabitation / or dwellinge together there iswhich ys not free / and that ys where men are compelled tocommunicate withe wicked supersticions / to be presente atIdolatries / and so to defyle them selues. 

 [[The thred diuision. ]]

The thirde diuisiõ shalbe of the godlie and faithfull men themselues / whiche are thus familiarlie conuersaunte withe thevnbeleuers. Either they are learned stronge and able to confessethe doctrine of truithe in religion / and to reproue and cõuincethe false: orels they ar vnlearned / weake / and vnable tostande in the confession of the truithe / and reprouinge ofvntruthe. 

These three diuisions shall suffice. Nowe will I put forthecerteyne sentencis and propositions. 

The firste sentence and proposition / shalbe of those which inestate and condicyon are priuate mẽ and subiectes: Of thatcohabitatiõ and dwellinge whiche ys free. And of those men whichare learned ãd stronge: of all wich I make this proposition. 

 [[The furst proposition. ]]

Priuate men and subiectes / which ar learned and stronge /dwellinge in that place where they be free and not compelled tocommunicate withe wicked supersticions / they maye befamyliarlie conuersaunte / dwell ãd liue together with thevnbeleuers This maye they do / but yet vnder certeyn cõditiõs /and obseruinge certeyn rules. 

 [[1]] [[Rules to bekept. ]]

Of which the firste ys this / that they do teache thosvnbeleuers with whom they do liue and are familiarlieconuersaunte / and do instructe them in the truithe / trulyeteachinge them and earnestlie callinge them / vnto the knowledgeof the truithe / and faythe in Christe. And this they muste notleaue of to do so longe as they be dwellinge and familiar withthem. To the end also that they maye do this the better / yt ysnot vnlawfull / but moste conuenient for them to shewe themselues frendlie / gẽtill / and louinge unto the vnbeleauerswithe whõ they are familiarlie conuersaunte / and dwellinge / Sothat theise maye perceyue that the faythfull do loue thẽ: els ysyt to be feared that they shall do no good withe them. For thatdoctrine ys moste redylie receyued of the hearer / which cõmethfrom him / of whom the hearer ys persuaded / that he ys hysfrende / and that he louithe hym indeede. 

 [[2]]

The second thinge that the faythfull must take heede of / ãdRule which they must obserue ys this: That they do lyue an holylyfe / and that amonge the vnbeleauers their conuersacion be sogodly / graue / comely / and agreing with their profession /that in no wise they do gyue any offence through the wickednesof their lyfe: for yf by their lyfe the vnfaythfull shuld beoffendid / then shuld their mynistery be vnprofitable to thevnbeleuers / for that by their euell doings they shuldouerthrowe what soeuer they labored to builde vpp in wordes. 

 [[3]]

The thred thinge that theise men must take heede of / and Rulewhich they must obserue is. That they do not communicate / withthe vnfaythfull in their supersticiõs and idolatries / nor ietdo so mutch as outwardly to seame to allowe them. Thys ys not tobe doone in ony wise / no not in hope therby to wynne thevnbeleauer from hys supersticion / and Idolatrie:

 [[Ro. 3]]

For this Rule of the holy ghoste doth euer remain certain /Euell things ar not to be doone / that goode maye comme therof. This vnchaungeable rule must not be broken. 

 [[4]]

The fourth and last thing that theise men must take heede of /and Rule which they must obserue is this. That they haue notther familiar conuersaciõ with the vnbeleuers for their owncause / as for their pleasure and recreacion / or for their gaynand profite / but only in respect of wynnynge them to thegospell of christe. Neither ys this conuersacion and companie /contynually to be hadd and kept with the vngodly andvnbeleuers / but so long as ther is goode hoope of wynninge /and conuerting thẽ to the gospell of christe. For yf thevnbeleauers shall shew themselues so obstinate in their euell /that they giue iuste cause to despaire of ther amendement / thenar they vtterly to be forsaken / and no conuersacion or cõpanieis to be hadd with them / farther thẽ the necessitie of lyfeenforcith either partie. As yff the vnbeleauers shuld be in suchextreme necessitie / that they could not be releaued but at thehand of the faythfull: or yf theise shuld be in thatnecessitie / that they could not otherwise obtain thingesnecessarie but of the vnfaithfull. Also in byinge and sellingthinges necessarie for the lyfe / as garmentes / victuals / andsuch like: Agayn in such thinges as cyuile estates / andcondicions do require / as of princes and Rulars to demaundelawfull defence / and to obey them in thinges lawfvll: tofathers / maried folke / masters / ãd such lyke / to do thosduties which ar appointed in godds worde. In theise thinges tovse the vnbeleauers / or to minister vnto them / ys notvnlawfull. 

Thus and in thys manier / yt ys lawfull for a priuate mã / whichis lerned / ãd constãt in godds truithe / being in that placewher no man ys compelled to be partaker of wickedsupersticions / to dwell together / and vse familiarconuersacion with the vnbeleuers and vnfaythfull / as theisenamed Rules and condicions / do appoint and suffer. And so haueye this proposiciõ declared and opened / The same ys cõfirmed /by the example of Christ our Sauiour. He dyd resorte to thedyners / and feastes / where scribes and pharisees / publicanesand synners were / to thys ende onlie / euen to teache them andto winne them vnto the Gospell. So saieth hierom. 

 [[Hiero in Matt. Cap. 9. ]]

The lorde dyd go vnto the feastes of synners / that he mightehaue occasion to teache them and that he mighte gyue spirituallmeates to them which dyd bydde hym: and after speaking howchriste went ofte to feastes / Theare ys (saithe he) no otherthinge reported / but what he dyd / and what he taughte there. That bothe the humblenes of the lorde in goinge to synners / andthe power of hys doctrine in conuertinge the penitents / mightebe declared. 

After the same maner / the prophetes in the olde tyme wereconuersaunte with the Idolatrous people. So were the Apostlesfamyliarlie conuersaunte with the vnbeleuinge Iues / and wentalso emõgest other vnbeleuing nations and men. 

 [[Act. 17. ]]

S. Paule when he came to Athens / dyd not thinke skorne sofamyliarlie to behaue him selfe that he went in to the templesof their Idolls / and verye curiouslie searched the corners ofthe same / he dyd viewe their altars / the titles andinscriptions of ther altars / so that he founde owte thattitle / _Ignoto Deo_ which was an altar dedicated vnto thevnknowen God / wherof he dyd take occacion to make that same hyssermon in which he preached Christe vnto them euen as yt wereowt of their own bokes. 

And thus / I thinke / that this our proposition / (which of ytowne selfe ys plaine and euident ynoughe) ys sufficientlieproued. Namelie thys / that a priuate man / learned / andconstaunte in the truithe / beinge in that place where no man yscompelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / maye befamiliarlie conuersante with the vnbeleuers / so longe as in hysconuersation he doth obserue and kepe / the conditions beforemencioned. 

 [[Cõuersation vuith men excõmunicate. ]]

Here I thinke good to adde / as yt were by the waye ofadmonicion / that kepinge these rules and conditions / yt yslawfull for the godlie to be conuersaunte with them which beexcommunicate / euen to call them in to the waye of godlynes /and not to communicate with them in any euill or synne. 

 [[The secũd proposition. ]]

Nowe will I put forthe an other proposition or sentence / whicheshalbe of those persons whych be of a priuate estate and aresubiectes / of that cohabitacion which ys fre wher no man iscompelled to communicate with wicked supersticions / ãd of suchemen as be vnlearned in the knowledge of gods truithe / weake infaythe / and therfor vnable to make a christian confession oftruithe. Thys collection agreeth with that which I gatheredbefore / of which I made my former proposition / sauinge thatwheras there / with the priuate estate and free dwellinge

 [[Ignoraũnce in men is intollerable. ]]

/ I coupled men that were learned and stronge to confesse thetruithe / heare I do adde in the place of them / men vnlearned /vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe. But herin thinckenot that I do alowe suche ignoraunce and vnablenes in men. Sucheignoraunce in men is sharply to be reproued / for ther is noneso veri an idiote / so simple and vnlearned amonge Christianes /but he ys bounde in conscience to be able to rendre an accompteof hys faythe / ãd also to be somwhat able to teache andinstructe others / yea and to saye somwhat for the truthe / inall the principall poyntes of the christian faythe / which hemay do yf he be but meanlie instructed in the Catechisme. Butbicause / partlie throughe the peruersnes of the ministers whichdo not their office to instructe men / partlie throughe thenegligence of men which do not their dutie in seekinge to beinstructed / suche ignoraunce there is / I admytt therfore intothis my collection those ignoraunte / vnable / and weake men. And so I make this proposition. Those men which are of a priuateestate and condition / dwellinge or beinge in a place where theybe not compelled to communicate with wicked supersticions. Andare them selues vnlearned and vnable to confesse and defende thetruithe / maye not vse famyliar conuersation with thevnbeleuers. 

These men ar not in that condition that the learned be / of whomI dyd speake before / for they cannot teache the vnbeleuers /yea they be not able to defende the gospell of christe from theblasphemie of the vnbeleuers / neither can they deliuer themselues frõ suche false snares as the vnbeleauers shall laye forthẽ: Wherfor they must not haue familiar conuersaciõ with them /through which they shall thus throwe themselues into perill /and ieoperdie: Except that they can assure themselues of suchstrẽghth / that they shall not yealde vnto the wickednes of thevnbeleuers. Otherwise / if they shall happen to dwell togitherin one place with the vnfaithfull: Lett thẽ take goode heedethat they do lyue an holy lyfe amonge them: And for the rest /let them so far as the necessitie of lyfe / and ciuilebusinesses and affaires shall suffer them / vtterly abstayn fromthe companie of the vnbeleauers. 

 [[A question. ]]

But heere risith a question: Whether that such a weake andvnlearned man / maye learn ony of the liberall artes / orphilosophie / of such a master as is an vnbeleauer. 

Vnto which I answer: that forbicause to lern such artes of anvnfaithfull master is not of such necessitie as can not beauoided / therfor the man that ys weake in faithe must not lernthem of hym. Yt is a very daungerus thinge / to vse them whichar vnbeleauers as Masters and teachers: for often tymes in themyndes of the hearers ther arisith a gret admiracion andestimaciõ of the teacher / and it maye easilye com to pas at thelẽghthe / that they shall thincke and Iudge that theise teachersar not deceyued in Religion / bicause they be of an exacte andperfect knowledge in these liberall sciences / ãd philosophie. This (I saye) may happẽ of it that men ar wont to attributemutch vnto their teachers. Yea that it may be so / I will proueby the cõtrarie. Origen by teaching the Mathematicalls / andsuch sciences / did bring many mẽ to the knowledge of christe. For furst he dyd begyn to reade among them such sciences withwhich they wer delighted / In which he being expert / dyd shewvnto his hearers suche connynge / that he dyd forthewith gettamonge them great estimacion / and so the more easili drawe themvnto the doctrine of christe. Augustine likewise cam toMillaine / to heere Ambrose / bicause he was counted anexcellent Rhetorician. And so whilst he desirusly herd hym / atthe lenghth by hearinge he was tourned form the sect of theManichees / vnto the true catholiques. As therfor by lerning ofthese sciences of godly teachers / the vnbeleauers haue beeneconuerted vnto the faithe of christe / euen so / yea mutch moreeasilie it maye comme to pas / that they which ar weake andvnlearned / may vnder vnbeleauinge masters / be drawn fromchriste to vngodlynes. 

Wherefor seing that this can not be doone without great perilland daunger / that such a weakling shuld vse an vnfaithfullMaster / I thincke that he shuld abstayn alltogether from suche. 

Sum do heere obiect and saye / that S. Paul to the Corinthiansdoth appoint no such Rule condicion not exception / as I hauespoken of / vnto the weake and vnlearned: but he playnly saith. 

 [[1 Cor. 10. ]]

If ony of them which beleaue not / do bidd you to a feaste / andyf ye will go / whatsoeuer ys sett before you that eate / &c. Inwhich wordes he teachith / that it is lefte vnto our own will asa fre thinge to go / or not to go. I answer / that ye mustmarcke well thos wordes of Paule / (and yf ye will go. )

 [[Hovv theise vvordes, and if ye vvill go, ar to be vnderstonded. ]]

He doth not grant vnto euery mans will thys libertie / andfredom / but vnto a goode and a right will he gyuith libertie togo. For yf a man wold go thether to drincke droncken /glotonusly to fill the belly / or to gyue the tongue to filthieand vncomly talke / without doubt that man shuld syn / euen forthe wickednes of hys will / and for hys corrupt entent andpurpose. Euen so / yf a man dowbted hys own strenghth /and dyd certaynly perceyue that he could not profite them thatshuld be there / and yet wold go thether / vndowbtedly with asafe cõscience and with a goode will he could not take thatthing in hãde / for he can not direct hys doing to the glorie ofgodd / as he ys cõmaunded to do. Wherefor though Paul expresselydoth not adde that rule / yt folowith not therfor / that yt isnot to be added: yea that yt ys to be added I will proue byother places of the Scripture. And to thend that we do not herindepart from Paul / the same thing / and doctrine of will /

 [[1. Cor. 7. ]]

he teachith in the . 7. Chapter of the same epistle: wher heentreating of gyuyng or not gyuinge a virgine to mariagesaithe / That he doth well which keapith his virgin / ãd thatpurposith it surely in his harte / (addinge this condiciõ)hauing no neade / but that he poure ouer his own will: for if heshuld do otherwise then his daughter either wolde / or then hernecessitie required / then shuld he neither will / nor do well. Thus to do a goode worcke / or to make an acte prefect / ytsufficithe not to take heede that it be not euell of nature / orrepugnant vnto gods worde / but vnto this ys also required /that we do go about the same with an vpright and perfect myndeand will. S. Paul / therfor / doth not simply permitt thisgoing / but with certayn circumstances. Which ar / to go with agoode will to enstruct the vnfaythfull: Agayn to go with anassured purpose / not to be, ãd taste of such strẽghthe / thathe shall not be ouerthrown. And thus this proposicion remaynithtrue / that the man whiche ys weak and vnlearned / must separatehimself frõ the company and famyliar conuersacion of thevnbeleauers / so mutch as cyuile and naturall businesses andaffaires will suffer / and as the necessitie of lyfe shallrequire (as I saide before). Lykewise all houshold duties andoffices appointed in gods worde must be obserued / els shall heoffend / for as Paule saithe:

 [[1. Timo. 5. ]]

He that prouidith not for hys / and especially for them of hysown howshold / the same hath denied the faithe / and ys worsthen an Infidell. And to proue farther / that this vnlearned andweake man must abstayn from the familiar companie of thevnbeleauers / yea thoughe they be most deere vnto hym / thatRule doth serue / which Christe our Sauiour gyuithe sayinge. 

 [[Matt. 5. 18. ]]

If thy hande or fote offend the / and hinder the / cut yt of /and cast it from the / &c. If thyn eye offend the / plucke ytout / and caste yt from the. We ar not commaunded in thisplace / to cut of the outward membres of our bodie / as Origen(yf it be true that sum do report of hyme) dyd vntruly thincke /but as the sownd interpretours do write / thos frends andthinges / which ar most nighe and deere vnto vs / Theise ar theywhich must be cut of plucked out / and cast awaye from ourfamiliaritie and companie / when they do plucke / ãd separatevs / from the true waye of saluacion / or be such a hinderauncevnto vs as puttinge impedimentes and lettes in our waye / dohynder vs from walking in gods lawe. Chrisostom entreating thismatier / writithe. 

 [[In Ioan. Hom. 15. ]]

If the membre which ys misioined vnto the bodie must be cut of /ar not then euell frends mutch nore to be cut of? And agayn / hesaith / If we do cut of that membre which ys rotten / andincurable from the bodie / for feare les yt shuld corrupt theother partes therof / (which we do not bicause we do neglectit / for who yet did euer hate his own fleshe, but to saue therest) how mutch more is this to be done to them which ar euellioyned vnto us? Which yet we must not do as thoughe we diddespise thẽ / but to prouide that our helthe and saluaciõ be notbrought in daũger by thẽ, after that we do see that we can notprofite them at all. To this also belõgith the lawe whichchriste did giue:

 [[Matth. 18. ]]

That he which will not heere the brethern admonishing him / Anddoth contemne the voice of the churche when it reprouith / andcorrectith hym: he is then to be estemed and taken as anethnicke / and a publicane. 

 [[1. Cor. 5. ]]

Which thing Paule puttith in practise when he biddith / that theCorinthians shuld excommunicat the fornicator / les that alitill leauẽ shuld soure the whole lumpe of dowe. To the samepupose he usith the vearse of the poete Menander. 

 [[1. Cor. 15. ]]

Euell wordes do corrupt goode maniers. Ther Paul teachith thatthe true doctrine of the Resurrection was greatly hinderedamonge the Corinthians / which wer but newly turned vntochriste / bicause they dyd to lightly gyue eare to the vngodlyargumentes and reasons of philosophers / or rather ofheretiques / which did contend and stryue agaynst that doctrine. No man can sufficiently consider / how the bewitching of wickedtales / and talkes / do shake and hurt the tender conscience ãdweake faithe / of the foeble ãd weake brother. Wherfor it ismost necessari and profitable to admonishe them which ar weake /that they do abstayn / and withdrawe them selues / from thefelowshipp and familiar companye / of the vnbeleauers. Thephisicions / do cowncell when a contagius disease hath enfectedany nigh place / that thei which as yet ar sownd and notenfected / shuld not cõme vnto them that be enfected alreadyeand sicke / bicause that in the bodies of men / and thetemperatures / and disposicions of the same / ther is such acommõ passion and suffering / that the infection doth easily gofrom them that be infected / vnto the other. And though theywhich do not take heede and keape thẽ selues from thatinfection / do not presently feale the poyson and force therof /yeat inasmutch as by lytill and litill the infection / andpoyson receyued doth growe / not long after they ar sure tofeale the force and strenghthe of it. Seing this is so / andeich man maye worthily and godly take heede to auoide thediseases of the bodie / mutch more diligẽt heede is to be takenof all men / that they do not frõ ony man or place gett vntothemselues infecting vices of the minde. Our Nature / anddisposiciõ through our naturall and birthe syn is now socorrupt / (as both the holy scripture doth warn vs / ãd infiniteexamples of dayly experiẽce do teache vs) that we neade not todowt at all / but that we shall easily receyue the poison / andinfectiõ of other mẽs synnes / if we do not fle farr from them:And as with no great labour they will cleaue vnto vs / so afterthey be ons crept and roted vnto vs / thẽ hardly and not withoutgreat payn and labor / will they be thrust out agayn. 

 [[In Ioẽm. Hom. 56. ]]

Wherefor Chrisostom in the afore named place semith to say well. If (saithe he speaking of the vnbeleauers and wicked) we couldemake them better / and not hurt our selues / all thinges wer tobe doone: but whẽ we can not profite them / bicause they beincurable / and such as will not be amended / and yet we hurtour selues / they ar vtterly to be cutt of. And to the end thathe might the more strongly confirme his saying / he alledgiththat sayinge of Paul:

 [[1. Cor. 5. ]]

Put awaye the euell from among yowe. Which wordes of Paule arnot to be vnderstonded of the synne / for the greke word is inthe masculyne gendre / τὸν πονηρον / and therfor he meanith byit / the wicked man. The same wordes I will now sumwhat bend /vse / and turn / vnto the profite of you that be weake / andthus saye vnto yowe. Put awaye your own selues from the euell menthat ar emongst you: for seing ye ar but priuate men / andvnlearned / and therfor can not put away the euell from amongyou / yet your selues ye may ridd / and conuey awaye from beingemongst the wicked / and the euell men. 

Morouer it happeneth that whilest the weake and vnlearned dothus familiarly accompanie the vnbealeuers / They cã not chosebut they must heare many subtill reasons and see many otherthinges which do mutch make against the true religiõ that theydo profes: Which thinges when they se and be not able todisproue and confute / They do it not: And so they rõne into twomischeifs. The furst is / That they ar as it wer witnesses ofthe blasphemie / and of the reproche that the vnbeleauers do tothe truthe: the seconde / that they maie happ to haue summestinge left sticking in their concience / with which they shalbelonger / more greuusly and daungerusly tormented / thẽ eitherthey thincke of or do feare. Let vs heere therfor the wise mãwhich doth saye. 

 [[Eccles. 13. ]]

Who so touchithe pitche shalbe fyled ther with all / and he thatis familiar with the proude / shall become lyke vnto hym: Takenot a burthẽ vppon the / aboue thy poure / neither ioyne thowthi self to hym that is more honorable / and ritche thenthiself. These words of the wiseman / do for two causes belongto our purpos. Furst / bicause that they do teache / that othermens synnes ar lyke vnto pitche / which doth stycke vnto thefingars and garments of them that do touche it. Agayn / thateich man shuld well trie and consider his own poure andstrenghth. Vppõ which cowncell / I do gather two thinges. Furst / that the infirme and weake must not ioyn themselues infamiliaritie with the wicked / for wickednes will then cleauevnto them: Secondly that eich man must so well consider / andiustly trie his own poure and strenghth / that he doth notouermatch himself. 

The churche of godd in all ages hath felt by experience thatmutch euell hathe happened through this familiar companie / andfelowshipp keapt betwene the weake in faithe and knowledge / andthe vnbeleauers. In the Primitiue churche forthwith afterchristes ascension / because the Iues which wer conuerted vntochriste did lyue a great while with thos gentils which haddreceyued the gospel / ther begon a very Iuishnes. For the Iuesdid enforce the ceremonies of Moses lawe / myngling thẽ withthe doctryne of the gospell / through which they did infectmany congregacions of the christiãs so sore / that scarsely andhardely at lẽghth could that euell be roted out: Yea that euellhath so preuailed / that euen vntill our tymes / in Spaynnamely / and in sum other places also / ther be many which donot only holde still the ceremonies of Moses lawe with theprofessiõ of christe / but they do thincke them to be necessarievnto Saluacion. They emongst the Spaniards which be of thismynde / ar called Marrani. And vnto this daye the churche ofIndia is enfected with the same vice. But let the examples ofthe holy scripture / I praye you / teache vs euen the same. TheIsraelites which wer captyues in Babilon / by the space of 70. Yeares / when they hadd libertie gyuen them furst of Cyrus /then of Darius / thos two most noble Kinges to return / they didnot all forthewith return / but a great nũber of thẽ / suchnamely as wer weaker in the lord thẽ other / being delightedwith the commodities ãd pleasures of their houses / feildes andtraffique of merchandize / did abide still amonge the chaldees:Which men how sharpely they wer reproued of Esdras / Nehemias /Zacharias / and other prophetes / it dothe playnly appeare inthe scripture to them that liste to seake and knowe it. How theIsraelites wer infected throughe that conuersacion which theyhadd with the Egiptiãs / it appearith playnly by this / thatwhilest they wer in the desert / when as yet the wonderfullbenefites of godd wer euen before ther eyes / they did fall frõthe lord their dilyuerer vnto Idolatrie / and vnto that kinde ofIdolatrie / which they wer acquaynted withall in Egipte. Therthey hadd seene howe the Egiptians worshipped an Oxe /

 [[Exod. 23. ]]

they therfor violently trauailed with Aarõ when Moses wasabsent / that he shuld make thẽ a calf to worshipp: which whenhe hadd doone / thẽ began they ioyously to crye: Theise ar thegodds / O. Israell / which brought the out of the lande ofEgypt. Agayn / when by the desert wild and barren places /

 [[Numer. 25. ]]

they wer comme to the coastes of the Moabites / and began towaxe more familiar with them then became the poeple of godd /through that familiaritie they wer brought to this / that notonly they did cõmitt most vile whordom with thos beastly womẽ /but also that they sacrificed vnto their most shamefull Idoll /Baalpeor / and suffred themselues to be coupled vnto hissacrifices. For which they suffred many miseries and calamities. 

 [[Math. 26. ]]

Peter likewise / when he cãme into that wicked court of thecheif prest and was ther conuersant emongst thos damsels andvngodly seruantes / most miserablie did he denie ãd forswearehis master christe our Sauiour: which his fault / after hedeparted frõ thence / he did bewaile with abundaunce of teares. By these histories ye may playnly see / what happenith vnto theweake through that familiar conuersacion which they haue withthe vnfaithful. 

 [[Esaiæ 6. ]]

Esaye the prophet / when he did se the lorde sitting vppon hisseate of glorie / with his Angels about hym most purelypublishing his prayse / though he semith not to thincke hymselfgreatlye gyltie of ony notable cryme or fault / yet cryeth heout / O wo is me / &c. I dwell amonge a poeple that hathvncleane lyppes. This man of godd truly did thincke / that hehadd gotton no small corruption and infection / bicause he haddlyued long with an vncleane poeple. 

The histories of the heathen do teache vs the same thinge. Alexander that gret and mightie kinge of Macedonia / who by theforce of armes / and most notable victories / hadd subdued thegreatest parte of the whole worlde / Euen he hymself wasouercomme with the maniers of the Persians. 

And vppon whom of right / as vppon a conquered poeple / he shuldhaue laied lawes / to haue brought them to that seuere kinde oflyfe which the Macedonians vsed / euen he as a mã cõquered ãdouercõme of ther maniers / suffered hymself to be so shamefullymisused / that he did take vnto hym their kinde of araye / theirlowse delicacie / their pompe and pride / and set. Furthe hymselfto be worshipped of thẽ as godd. And so being corrupted he didallow that fall from the maniers of the grecians / through whichhe did sustayn great reproche amonge the wise / and mutchehatred amonge his souldiours / ãd that not vnworthilie. Besidsthis / we must knowe / that if these men do without ony Rule orgodly end keape such companye / and be familiarly conuersantwith the vnbeleauers / except that in theise the fruite of theirconuercion do quickly appeare / and of the other also it be byall meanes ernestly sought / both in the reprouing of theirvnbeleif / ãd in alluring them to the truithe / It doth happenthat ther conuercion is hindred by such companie andfamiliaritie. For whilest the vnbeleuers do se that thefaithfull do lyue so frendly / and familiarly with them / theydo iudge forthewith that their supersticion / and vnbeleif / isnot so wicked a thinge / nor yet a thinge so to be abhorred ãdcondẽned / as it is reported / yea thus maye they be brought toimagin / that they maye be saued though they do perseuere / andcontynue in their vnbeleif. For if it wer otherwise (shall theythincke) theise goode and godly men / wold not be thus familiarand frendly with vs. 

I do omitt to speake of this / that many other of the brethernther ar / which by the example of this conuersacion / dopersuade themselues that they maye do euen the self samethinge / and so do beare with the wicked / and do wincke attheir euell / bicause that they haue seen other men do so beforethem And thus it commith to pas / that by the example of summen / this euell spreadith it self abroade so that in the end /our faith and Religion / is euẽ layed forth for the wicked andvngodly / to mocke / and contempn. 

Often tymes also that thing happenith / which we reade to hauehappened in Pauls tyme / amonge the Corinthians /

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

that the brethern by this conuersaciõ / ar brought to bepartakers of the wickednesses / vile custumes / and Idolatriesof the vnfaithfull: Which familiar conuersacion / dothe not onlycouple them with the vnfaithfull / but it is a meane to makethem Idolatrours: for thauoiding of which / Paule cryeth out inthe same place:

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

fle Idolatrie. I do likewise passe ouer with silence / that wherour weake and vnlearned brethern / do thus ioyne themselues infamiliar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / it can not be butbetwene them and the vnfaithfull / sumtyme ther will happencommunicacion of Religion: And thẽ though it happ so thatthrough want of learninge / our weaklinges do not slyppe andfoile them selues / Yeat bicause they can not dissolue / andanswer vnto the arguments / and subtile reasons of theaduersaries aptly / ther arisith then contentius stryfes betwenthem / and not only this / but euel speakings / reproches / andhatreds / which thinges ar so farr from edifying / that they doaltogether hynder and lett it: furthermor in these conflictes ithappenith / that our weaklinges at lenghth are putt to silence /so that they neither speake to confes the truithe / nor toreproue that whiche is fals: Now consider heere what a libertiethese men do lose: which christian libertie is in free boldenesin speakinge / to reproue that which is fals / as to confesgodd / and his truithe. This libertie of free speaking andconfessing / no christen man ought so to gyue ouer / but that hein all his talke shuld and might vse it. 

But in this cõpanie of vnbeleauers / these weaklinges do not /yea darre not vse it / les they in ther sayings / shuld besnatched vpp / ãd put to shame. Yet truly no men / nor onycompanye of men shuld cause a christian to caste awaye thisfredom and libertie. 

 [[2 Cor. 6. ]]

For our purpose also makith that sayinge of S. Paul. Set yourselues at large / for what felowshipp hath righteousnes withvnrighteousnes? Or what companie hathe light with darcknes? Orwhat concorde hath christe withe Beliall? Either what parte hathhe that beleauith / with an Infidell? Or how agreith the tẽpleof godd / with Images? These wordes ar so playn that they needenot to be expownded: In which / this conuersacion of which wenow do entreate / is most simplye / and playnly forbidden. Thefigures and ceremonies of Moses lawe ar taken awaye / but yetthe thinge figured / which is as I might saye / the strenghth /the pythe / and foundacion of them / doth remayn. 

 [[Numer. 15. ]]

Which thinge being true / I maye thẽ aske this question. Thelorde commaunded that the Iues shuld make gardes in thequartiers of their garmẽts / ãd to put vppon the garde /a ribande of yelow silcke / &c. My question now is. Whi thelorde did commaunde / that the Iues shuld differ from thegentils / not in circũcision only / but euen in their garmentsalso? Euen for this cause verily / that they shuld be taughteuen by their gardes also / that they wer gods peculiar people /and that they shulde separate themselues from the gentils / thatthey shuld not be conuersaunt with them / neither shuld theyioyne themselues in familiaritie withe them / farther then thenecessitie of either of the lyues did require. The Iuishe gardeswe do reiect / but this which is ment by the gardes we both doand must retayne. In many places the lorde commaunded the Iuesalso that they shuld not return into Egypte / and that theyshuld not aske healpe of the Egiptians / nor of the Assirians:Which he did partly to this end / that through such familiaritieas then must haue beene betwene them and their healpers / theIsraelites shuld not be infected withe their vices. The booke ofthe Iudges / doth playnly inough teache vs this will andpleasure of godd. 

 [[Iudic. 2. ]]

For the Israelites did synne greuusly in this / that they didput to tribute thos Idolatrus nacions / ouer whom the lorde haddgyuen them uictorie / and did couenant with thẽ / that theyshuld dwell amonge them in peace / which thinge godd hadd diuerstymes expressly forbidden them to do / commaunding that theyshuld vtterly destroye the inhabitãtes of that lande: This hedid partli bicause / that through this they shuld not be broughtby the Cananites / into the daũger of Idolatrie. Now the causebeing such with these weake / and vnlearned men / of whom I nowdo speake / they must likewise take goode heade to obserue thatrule / which the lorde appointed vnto the Israelites. Itappearith playnly / that this commãdement of god was kept longetyme amonge the Iues: for they did not vse ony familiaritie /nor keape companie withe the Samaritans which did not trulyworshipe the lyuynge godd / no not in christes tyme /

 [[Ioan. 4. ]]

as it appearith by the talke that he hadd with the woman at thewell. Morouer as the goode fathers in olde tyme / did esteme itas their singular ioye / when they might be familiarlyconuersant with the godly / so how mutch they sorowed Whẽ theycould not be so conuersant with the people of godd / and ingodds house / Dauid is witnes: Who when he fledd from the faceof Saul his persequtour / did mourn / and in the psalmes withmost heauie complaintes / doth lamẽt / that he was compelled tobe conuersant amonge straungers / such as did not knowe thelyuyng godd / and to be as it wer an exile from godd / and hispeople. So shuld the companie hadd with the vnfaithfull / beheauy and bitter to the faithfull. 

 [[Daniel 1. ]]

Daniell and his thre felows / might haue lyued / vppon theKinges table / and haue eaten most fyne and delicate meates /but they did rather chose to lyue together with potage / andwater / and vtterly to forsake thos pleasures / and delicacies /then they wold defile them selues with the meates of thevnbeleauers. Moses also / as it is writon in the epistle to thehebrues /

 [[Hebr. 11. ]]

might if he wold haue beene taken for the Sonne of Pharaosdaughter / and so to haue beene in greate hoope of obtaynyngethe kingdome of Egipte: but all this sett a parte / he did choserather / forsaking all theise thinges / to go vnto hisbrethern / which wer in miserable bondage / seruinge andlaboring in claye / and bricke: Which thing to do / as it was agreate triall of his faithe / so the doinge of it doth commend /and sett furth his faithe / and shew what loue he hadd to beconuersant with the people of godd. They which do not folowethese examples / do shew how litell they do regarde the glorieof godd / and the communiõ and felowship of sayntes / which theywill not gayne nor redeame with losse / no thoughe it be ofneuer so litill: And in this preferring of their own gaynewelthe and commoditie / aboue the glorie of godd / and thefelowlie communion of the godlye / they do most wickedly. 

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

Do we (saithe Paule to the corinthians) prouoke the lorde? Ar westrõger then he? Theise weake brethern / which do not trie theirown strenghth to fele their weaknes so / that they might seekethe encreace of strenghth in them selues / but being weakeindeede / both dare and do thus desperatlie committ themseluesvnto this familiar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / they dotempt godd / and do after a sort prouoke hym / as thoughe theywolde becõme stronger than he. 

Many more reasons might I bringe to proue this proposicion true. That a priuate man / being in a place wher he is not compelledto communicate with the supersticiõs of the vnfaithfull / and isvnlearned vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe / mustnot ioyne in familiaritie / nor be familiarly dwelling andconuersant together with the vnfaithfull. But bicause I dosuppose that it is sufficiently proued by the reasons which Ihaue alledged / I will now prepare myself to an otherproposicion. 

The thred proposicion shalbe / of Priuate men and subiectes /which ar lerned and stronge / and of them also which ar weakeand vnlearned / of that dwelling which is not fre / wher as menar compelled by lawes / and Tyrannye to communicate and to bepartakers with the wicked in their supersticions and Idolatries:And of theise I make this proposicion / and sentence. 

 [[The thred proposicion. ]]

Priuate men and subiectes be they learned or vnlearned / strongeor weake / which ar dwelling and abyding in that place wher menar compelled to communicate / and be partakers witheIdolatrors / and to be present at vnlawfull supersticions andIdolatries / defiling thẽselues with vncleane Religiõ / maye notdwell together nor be familiarly conuersaunt / they may notioyne in societie with suche Idolatrors: I saye / that thiscohabitacion / and familiar dwelling together is vnlawfull /vngodlye / and not to be kept in ony wise: But in this case afaithfull man must either flye / or dye for the truithe / thathe be not compelled to defile himself with Idolatrie. Ther istruly but one truithe / and that same must be holden with a purecõscience / neither must it be forsakẽ for the pleasure of onyman. 

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

S. Paul saith to the Corinthians: flye ye Idolatrie. Then do menflye Idolatrie / when either they do depart frõ the place wherIdolatrie is cõmitted / or when abiding still in the sameplace / they do gyue their lyues and suffer deathe bicause theywill not cõmitt Idolatrie nor allowe it with ther presence. Paultherfor teachith by this sayinge / that in no wise the faithfullshuld come at the Idolatries of the vnfaithfull / but flye frõthem: which sentence is so playn to the vnderstondinge of themost symple / that it neadith no exposicion at all. The lawe andthe prophetes / the olde Testament and the newe / ar full ofsuch sentences / ãd cõmaundementes / which do forbidd straũgeworshippinge of godd and Idolatrie. 

 [[2. Mach. 7. ]]

Call to your mynde the historie of the Machabees / which I donot recite as thoughe I wold gyue to that booke ony lykeautoritie with the Canonicall scriptures, but bicause thehistorie is rehersed not only ther / but also in Iosephus / andthe examples of them ar profitable for vs / therfor I do alledgethem. That godly Mother hadd rather haue the whole fruite of herbodie to be miserablie destroyed / thẽ ons to taste of swynesfleshe. 

 [[Gen. 2. ]]

Swynes fleshe / and Adams apple / of their very nature ar not soto be abhorred / for eiche of them is a goode creature of godd. But forsomutche as vnto them godd hathe ioyned his worde toforbid the tasting of them / therfor euen as Adam could not eatethe forbidden apple / so could not they eate swynes fleashewithout committing of greate synne: which rather then they woldedo / the poore babes offer themselues to the deathe / and thegodly mother doth most stronglye therto encorage thẽ and mostconstauntly abide the same herself. 

In the church of christe ther haue beene innumerable martirs /as Eusebius / and others do write / which haue most constantlyabidden deathe / bicause they wold not depart from the Religionof christe / nor file thẽselues with Idolatrie: They wold notput one grayne of franckinsence vppon the altars of the Idols /nor throwe one floure / nor ons bowe the knee before them / butsuffered rather deathe. 

 [[Matth. 10. ]] [[Luc. 12. ]]

They hadd this alwais before ther eyes: Feare not hym thatkillethe the bodie / &c. And that he speakith of killing thebodie / is likewise to be vnderstonded of taking awaye of goodesãd ritches: But he is to be feared / which after that he hathtaken awaye bothe lyfe and goodes / can throwe the soule intoeuerlastinge fire / feare hym. 

S. Paule to persuade the Corinthians that they shuld abstaynfrom meates offered vnto Idols / vsith theise reasons:

 [[1. Cor. 3. ]]

Bicause they wer the Temple of godd. They wer the membres ofchriste / and therfor they might not become the mẽbres of anIdoll. Bicause they wer partakers of the lords table of whichthey could not be partakers and of the table of Deuels also. Andthe same thing that Paule said vnto the Corinthians / do I alsosaye vnto these our brethern of whom I do entreate. 

 [[Daniel. 3. ]]

Daniel his thre felows did gyue themselues / to be thrown in tothe burnynge fornace / rather then they wold worshipp the kingesgolden Image. But theise thinges must now be applied vnto theisemost vnhappie Daies / in whiche / wher poperie rulith / thegodly which do dwel togither with the vngodlie / the professoursof christes gospell / I meane / With the papistes / ar compelledto be at ther Masses / and most vile and filthie Idolatries andsupersticions: vnto them doth this proposicion reatche / and ofthem therfor I do playnly affirme / and saye this /

 [[It is not lawfull to be present at the popyshe Masse and supersticions]]

That it is not lawfull for thẽ to be present at the popisheMasses / at popishe superstitions and jdolatries. It is to wellknowne / that many fondlye do flatter / and indeede deceyue themselues / imagining that it is lawfull for them to be present atthis popish pelf. Againste whom with all ther clokes I vse thissayinge of Paule / flye ye Idolatrie. But here they resiste andsaye / that this sayinge and suche other as before I hauealledged / are to be vnderstanded of the sacryfices done vntoIdoles / and false goddes / and not of such supersticions as arenowe growen and vsed in papistrie / As of masses / and suchlike / for in the sacrifices of the gentils what so euer isdone / yt is done vnto Idolles / But here in the masse thatwhiche ys done is done as a worshippe vnto god / for the name ofgodd is caled on: It hathe the begynynge of Christes ordinaunceand institution, although that some nowghtie men abuse it:wherfore / seinge theis do thus differ from the other / theiscan not by these sentences / and like reason be forbiddẽ tothem / as Idolatrie was to the Corinthiãs: This they saye. Buttheis mẽ shuld considre and wel vnderstande / that theris noowtwarde worcke wiche is to be estemed as a worshippe andseruice of godd / but only that which is apoynted and ordeynedby godds worde so to be / which ordinaunce in the worde if itwante / it is vtterlie nothinge ells but mans inuention what soeuer it be: for worshippings of god and goddes seruice are theynot / but only when they haue godds worde to beare and warrauntethem. God can not be truly worshipped with out faithe, for iffaithe be not in the worshippe that is done vnto god / thatworshippe the lorde dothe abhorre / as the Prophet Esaie dothewitnes. Incẽse is an abhominable thinge vnto me / I maye notawaie with your newe moones. &c. I hate your holie dayes / &c. Thus dothe god reiect the seruice apointed in his worde /because it was done without faithe. If the seruice and worshippeof God taughte in his worde maie be done with out faithe / andtherfore displease god / mutch moore these worshippinges whichhaue not their ordinaunce in godds worde ar done withe outfaithe / therfor do displease godd: for faithe hathe no place atall where goddes worde is not: now these inuentions of men bethey neuer so glorious to the eye / they be not ordeyned ingodds worde / they can not therfor be doone in faythe / they cannot please god /

 [[uuhat so euer is not of faith is synne. Ro. 14. ]]

yea god dothe abhorre them / and accompte them as anabhomination / because they be not so done / in faithe I meaneIn faithe they be not done / because they are not taughte ingodds worde / for where ther is no worde of god there is nofaithe / and where no faithe is / there is no worshippe ofgodd / but a filthie hypocrisie / and stinking abhomination. Nowe let the papistes shewe that ther masse is a worshippe ofgod / taughte in his worde / whiche we saie plainlie that theycan not do / let them do it therfore if they can / and when theyhaue do yt / then will we saye with thẽ: But vntill they hauedone it / their masse shall remaine a filthie and stinkingeabhomination before the lorde / and suche a thinge as the lordedothe deteste and abhorre. If so be that we will do honour andworshippe vnto men / we are accustomed principallie to obseruewith what thing they are moste delighted / which thinge afterthat we haue perceiued / we do it / and then do we thinke tohaue bestowed our labour wel when we haue done it: God isdelighted onlie with that seruice which he hathe set forthe inhis worde / wherfore he that will do godd acceptable seruice /muste do that which his worde teachethe / and in suche wise asit techethe / els as the lorde by the Prophet Esaie sayeth / hedothe detest and abhorre their sacrifices. 

 [[Isay. 1. ]]

And to proue that the masse with all such popishe baggadge isverye Idolatrie / I neade not to bring mani reasons / for thisone thing dothe easelie teache it. There is no true god thatwilbe worshipped with this popishe seruice: for the true liuingegod hathe in his worde plainlie apointed the maner howe he wilbeworshipped / in wich word this masse / and their popishe pelf isnot taughte / but they ar cleane contrarie and repugnaunte vntoit: wherfore whẽ the wicked papistes do their popish seruicevnto a god (they saye) it is plaine that they do not worshippethat true lyuinge godd / whõ the holy scripture teachith vs toknowe and worship / but sum such other godd as they haue faynedin their fantesie to be their god / such a one as is delightedwith these their seruices: But seinge that in verye dede thereis no suche true god at all / as they do Imagine / the god thenwhom they serue is but a newe god / fantasied and inuented intheir owne myndes: wherfore by righte their god maye and must becalled / an horribe Idoll / their masse likewise with allpopishe seruice done vnto him / abhominable Idolatrie / And theywhich do such popishe seruice vile Idolatrors. But wher as theysaye that those thinges wich be done and spoken in the massehadde their begynnynge of the ordinaunce of Christe, and that bythe wikednes of men they are corrupted: This sainge helpethe notat all / for in these thinges / it is not the begyñynge that isto be consydered only / or that can make them good onlie /seinge they are swarued from the truithe / but nowe theirnature / and vse vs to be tried / whether they do agree with theverie worde of god or no. 

 [[numer. 21. ]]

what thinge hade a more pure begynynge euen by goddescommaundement then the brasen serpent? It was erected god bothwillinge and commãdinge it. It was sett forthe with miracles /for whosoeuer dyd beholde it he was deliuered from the bytingeof deathlie serpentes /

 [[4 Reg. 18. ]]

But this not withstondinge when mẽ dyd worshippe the sameserpent and offered incẽse vnto it / the godlie dyd so abhorreit / that Ezechias that most holy kynge not regardinge at allthe begynnynge of yt / dyd breake it in peces / and vtterliedestroyed the worshippinge of yt / Therfore it is not sufficiẽtto cõsider the begynnynge of a thinge / but howe the ordre andvse of yt dothe agree wyth the firste institution andordinaunce. This acte of Ezechias is praised in the scripture. And wolde to god that we hade now an Ezechias wich wold sohandle the masse. Ffurthermoore our men wolde haue this thingeto be consydered in them / that thoughe they go to the masse /yet they haue no mynde to decline ãd departe frome god / butthat they worshipp hym ther: vnto this I answer / that theIsraelites when they dyd compell Aaron to make them a calfe toworshippe / they hade not indede that mynde that they wolde fallfrõ the true lyuynge god / so that they wolde no more confessethat he deliuered them out of Egypte / but this only was theirmynde they wolde not reteyne that worship of the inuisible godwhich was deliuered them in worde / but they wolde worshippe thetrue God vnder some signe / and visible form and shape / whichesholde represent vnto them the liuinge God their deliuerer: Andthat shape or forme they moste desyred to haue / wich they hadeseene the Egyptians vse to represente vnto them their god: Theyvsed the form or shape of an oxe / the very same forme wolde theIsraelytes nowe haue: And as the very heathen men mighte hauesayde that they worshipped the one only true liuinge god theAuthor and maker of all thinges / whose maiestie was shewed /figured / and set forthe vnto them by those diuers signes / andformes / which they dyd worshippe: As that the signe of Mineruadyd set forthe his wisdom: the signe of Mars his mighte andpower: the signe of Iupiter his Iustice and goodnes: So woldethe Israelites haue their god and deliuerer set forthe vnto themin the shape of a Calfe / not that they mynded to turne awayefrom him / or to denye him (as they thoughte) but because theywolde worshippe him as it pleased their fantesie. But we mustenot apoynte the manier and ordre of godds seruice after ourmynde and iudgment / or as they cõmonlye saye / after the goodeintent of men: for this doinge in the Israelites god did notlike / but for yt he punyshed them grevouslye: Nether dyd Mosesalowe it / for he knewe that god wolde not so be worshipped. This cloke therfore must haue no place in this matier. But wemuste see whether god will haue suche worshippe and seruice /whether goddes worde teachethe yt / whether it be clothed withthe worde of truithe / which if it haue not / then dost thou notworship the true god with that worshippe which pleaseth him. Ieroboã thought mutch after this sorte /

 [[3. Reg. 12. ]]

for his mynde was not to drawe the people awaye from theworshippe of the god Iehouah / but he feared les if they sholdecustomablie go to the temple at Hierusalem / the people woldefall from his kingdom and ioyne themseues agayne to the house ãdstocke of Dauid: wherfore he sekinge his owne profite / sayde /that it was not nedefull that they sholde go vp vnto thetemple / and to the Arke of the couenaunte when they woldeworship the true god: for the same god which was representedvnto thẽ by the Arke of wodde ãd the tẽple / mighte euen aswellbe represented vnto them by these newe signes and golden calues:There is no chaunge but euẽ of the forme and owtwarde shape: foras at Hierusalem by the Arke / so here by the calues the liuingegod sholde be represented: And what makethe yt matter what thesigne be / so the worshippe be all oone: Therfore the sameworshipp that ells they sholde do at Hierusalem / they mightemore commodiusli do yt in bethel / and dan. So that he dothenothynge ells / but establishe this owtwarde worke / in wich hewolde haue thẽ worship the true god: but he hade no warraunte ingodds worde for it / and that beinge absent / ther is nothingein his acte remayninge but mans worcke / supersticion / andIdolatrie: so is it iudged. And therfor none of his subiectesshuld haue herckned to hym. So now / when Tiraunts / Kinges /Queenes / Bisshopps / and such other as ar the soudiours ofAntichriste / the Pope I meane / do compel and constrayn menvnto such vile and vngodly supersticions as the popishe broodhaue and do sett upp, althoughe they do pretend a goode wellwilling mynde vnto their poeple and countrith (as thei saye) andthat all shalbe for their wealthe: And thoughe they do alsosaye / that theise thinges ar of an auncient begyñynge andcõtynuance: Yet indeed they ar but popishe Idolatrours / and toIdolatrie do they trayn men. Therfor their subiectes must notherken vnto them neither obey them herin / But do rather asS. Paule teachith. 

 [[Ephes. 5. ]]

Haue no felowshipp with their vnfruitfull works / but ratherreproue them. He callith theim their worckes, for gods worckesthey cã not be called / bicause they do differ / ãd swarue frõhis worde: with thẽ (saithe he) haue no felowshipp What then isto be doon in that case? We must (Paule saith) reproue theim. And that so oft as neede shall require / to reproue theim withgreate libertie and boldenes: So farr must we be fromdissemblinge with them / that we must (he saithe) reproue them. If thou be a preacher / preache against them: If thow be noone /yet speake against them / reproue them / and condemn them. Butour men do saye / That it wer very perillus to do thus: for then(saye they) shall we be burned / or hanged / we shall loose ourgoodes / londes / and promocions / I heare you well. And do yoweon the other part consider this as well / that ther is not oneof vs all which hath receiued christendome vnder such acouuenaunt and condicion / that with it he shuld haue and holdein safetie his lyfe / his ritches / and dignities withoutperseqution: it is saide vnto vs / and in this case as a lawelayed vppon vs all /

 [[Math. 16. ]]

that Except we do renownce and vtterly forsake all our thingesand take vpp our crosses and folow christe / we can not be hisdisciples / and except we do lose our lyues we shall not sauethem. 

This verily / this must we determyn with our selues / this mustwe appoint our selues vnto / to do and abide this must we casteour acompt / To this euery christian must be so readie andbent / that he shuld not doubt / no not deliberate or takeaduise of this matier. 

 [[Ciprian. ]]

That example of Cyprian is to be sett before our eyes: When hewas brought vnto the place wher he shuld suffer deathe / Themagistrate being very desirus indede to deliuer hym fromdeathe / sayde vnto hym. Now I do gyue the space to deliberateand aduise thi self well / whether thow wilt thus Wrechedlydye / or obey / and be let go free. To whõ this godly mãanswered. In so holy a thinge / ther is no deliberacion oraduise to be taken. This readines must euery christian haue inthis case to beare the crosse ãd to followe Christe as Christesdisciple. Trulye they whiche be not this wise mynded / but tosaue their lyues and goodes do defile them selues with masses /and wicked supersticions / art greuouslye punished for it euenpresentlie:

 [[a greuus punishement. ]]

firste their owne conscience dothe miserably torment thẽ. Secondlie the light of goddes truithe which was opened vntotheir mynde is by lytell and lytell put owt. Then the loue ofthe truithe and the hate of falshode waxeth colde in them. Fourthly their mynde becommith nomore displeased or vnquietedfor the euill that they do / but they begynne to please themselues in this their euill and dissemblinge / yea ãd do goaboute to persuade others ũto the same. Laste of all they begynto hate thẽ which do not harcken to their aduise and counsell /which is to do as they do / yea and they stirre vp againste thẽsharpe persequtiõ / for so moche as in thẽ lyethe. This hathebene the moste vnhappie ende of many. But this is not the end ofall their miserie / as ye may well perceyue / if ye do considerwhat is appointed to be their perpetuall porcion / which shalbepayed them full truly in the laste daye. Let them therforebeware of this bottomles pytt which feare to breake theirneckes. But some there are which in this their dissemblinge arewonte to defende thẽ selues after this sorte: we do not theisthinges (saye they) with our hartes / we do only thus behaue ourselues in bodie / and in outward behauiour. To whom I do answer:god he is the lorde of harte and bodie / as he requireth theworshippe of the harte / euen as iustlie and seuerlie dothe hecommaunde the owtwarde worshippe of the bodye: for theseowtwarde doinges are a kinde of confession / and therfore as menowght to be sounde and vprighte in the beleif of harte / soowght they to be in owtwarde cõfessinge and expressinge of theirgodlynes and religiõ. The doinges of men be as it were a tongue:The tongue dothe confes the thinge that lyeth in the harte bywordes: so doinges do giue a confession therof in dede: As hetherfore which denyethe with tongue is a denyer of Christe / sohe that in owtwarde worckes and doinges denyeth Christ / isiustlie called a deniar. Of whom Christe doth saye. 

 [[mat. 10. ]]

he that denyeth me before men / him will I denye before myfather which is in heauẽ: wherfore as the tõgue owghte not inthe confession of godlines and religion to differ from themynde / so muste not the owtwarde doinges of the body disagreefrom the same. And vnto these men this also I saye / withpaule /

 [[Rom. 10. ]]

that the belefe of the harte doth iustifie / but the mouthe andowtwarde doinges do make the confession vnto saluation / Andtherfore Christe dothe saie /

 [[mar. 8. ]]

he that is ashamed of me before men / of him will I also beashamed before my father which is in heauen. Morouer I wold itwer well knowen vnto these men / that it is no true faythe whichdoth not breake forthe in workinge that worke which dothe agreewith faithe. As is writen of Christe / who verylie soughte theglorye of his father / The zeale of thy house hathe eatẽ me /This zeale dyd not lye in Christes brest only / but it brakeforthe into wordes / as it apeareth by his sermons / and intodeedes also / as yt apeareth ther / wher he withe a whippe dyddryue the byars and sellers owt of the temple:

This is a zeale / which only deseruyth the name of a christianzeale. And euen the same I saye of faythe. What zeale thẽ / whatfaithe / what studie or care for faithe is it / that these mendo bragge of / that they haue shutt vp so close in their brestesthat it breaketh not forthe into wordes and dedes? As This truechristian zeale / and their dissemblinge can not be together inoone man / euen so true and lyuely faith can not lurcke in sucha dissemblinge breste. Ffurthermore / there are two kindes ofworshippe due vnto god / an inwarde / and an outwardeworshippe / The inwarde worshippe is of the mynde / that is whenwe beleue goddes truithe / and do thinke of god true and worthyethinges / The owtwarde worshippe is of the bodye / which isdeclared by those owtwarde signes that do belonge to the trueworshippe of god / In lyke maner there are two kindes ofIdolatries / one is inwarde / which is the Idolatrie of themynde / that is when a man dothe not thinke well / nor beleuetrulye on the true lyuing godd / but dothe fayne vnto him selfethroughe false doctrine / either a straũge god in his ownemynde / or straũge worshippinge of god: An other is outwardewich is Idolatrie of the bodie / and that is whẽ we do bestowethe worshippe wich is only due vnto god vppon creatures / Andwhẽ we do owtwardlye worshippe god other wise then he wilbeworshipped. 

Truly Theise dissemblers do not giue to god this worshipp ofmynde and bodie which is due vnto him / but the Idolatrie ofmynd and bodie they do commytt / bothe because they owtwardliedo ioyne with papistes in their Idolatrie / and because in theirmynde they do persuade them selues that it is lawfull for themso to do. We thinke / (saye they) as you thinke / and in ourhartes we do reteyne the truithe / and so our mynde is pure. Butyour bodyes ye do giue ouer to the deuill and to Idolls. 

 [[1. Cor. 6. ]]

Thy bodye / sayeth Paule / is a membre of Christe / why doestthow make yt the membre of an harlot? here they will sayeagainste me / that Paule spake this of whordome / I grauntethat: But the prophettes do teache vs that the moste vile andhorrible whordome is Idolatrie. Hieremie / Ezechiel / ãd theother prophettes do speake so against the Iues and theirChurche / that they name it to be euen like an harlot whichhathe opened her legges vnd[er] euerye tree that hade anybowghes to Idolls and vngodlye Idolatries. Wherfore if thow mayenot make thy bodye the membre of an harlot, thow muste not makeyt the membre of an Idoll. This collation betuene whordome andIdolatrie is playne and true / taughte by the prophettes andPaule. Morouer howe vayne this ther excuse is / that sayingedothe sufficyentlie declare / in which the lorde pronounceth. 

 [[3. Reg. 19. ]]

I haue lefte me seuen thowsand in Israell / of which neuer manbowed his knees vnto baal / nor kissed hym with his mouthe. Hesayeth not / which thinke well in their mynde / which do beleuewell / but he sheweth the signe of owtwarde worshippinge / thatis to bowe the knee / and kisse. Which doth teache that ther isrequired vnto the true worshipp of godd / not a pure myndeonly / but the owtwarde sygne / token / and doinge ofworshippe / and seruice. The lorde our god is not content withhalfes / he will not part stakes with the dyuel. 

 [[Esay. 45. ]]

All knees (saith the lorde) shall bowe vnto me. God will notparte so / that he shall haue the mynde / and the dyuell thebodye. All is myne / saythe the lorde / and I will haue all ornone / I will haue bothe the obedience of the harte and thebowinge of the knee: Which worship by these thy dissemblingesthou takest from god / and so thou dost robbe him of his honor /and bestowe it vpon Idolles / euen popishe masses. But thousaiste / I despise the Masse / and all Idolatrous poperie in myharte: why then doest thou prostitute thy body vnto yt? My myndeys pure thou saiest: yee / but god will haue mynde and bodyepure. If this thy reason and excuse were of any force / thenmighte the Corinthians haue sayde to Paule / why doest thou soreproue vs? we also by the grace of god do knowe that there isno Idoll. A true opinion we kepe in our mynde of godd histruithe / let god be cõtent with that / and in the meane tymeour bodies shall serue for our cõmodyties. 

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

But paule telleth them plainlye that they do communicate withdeuills. The meates offered to Idolls of their owne nature werepure / yet when the corinthians do eate them with the Idolatrorsin ther Idolatrie / then they become (saith paule) partakers ofthe table of deuilles: when ye then be present at a Masse /which is an Impure thinge / and do ther as the papistes do /mutch more iustly is it sayed of you / that then ye ar partakersof thos deulishe dragges which ar in the Masse. Again our men doobiecte and saye: It is not we that haue corrupted theisthinges / we wolde be gladde to haue them pure and incorrupte:ther impuritie must not be adscribed vnto vs. I answer: An othermans synne shall not indeede be imputed vnto the / for eche manshall beare his owne synne: but yet this thinge I do reproue inthe / that thou dost communicate with wickednes: This is thysynne / here thou art defyled. And for this shalt thou beiudged. Paule sayde vnto the corinthians:

 [[1. Cor. 10. ]]

Ar not they which do eate of the sacrifice / partakers of thetemple? what saye I then? that the Image is any thinge? or thatit which is offered Images is any thinge? Naie. But this Isaie / that the thinges which the gentills do offer / they offerto deuels and not to god. I wolde not that ye sholde hauefellowshippe with the deuills: ye can not drincke of the cuppeof the lorde / and of the cuppe of Deuels / ye can not bepartakers of the table of the lorde and of the table of deuels. Thoughe corrupcion of meates offred vnto Idols is not to beimputed to all them that be partakres of them / (which wer notindeede corrupt of thẽ selues (as I saide), but when they weroffred vnto Idols that made them corrupte) yeat the verayecommunicating and eating of them with Idolatrors is a faultiustly layed to their charge / from which they shuld haue keaptethemselues aswell for the honor that they do owe vnto godd / asfor the conscience which they ought to haue to edyfie other men. If it wer not so / whi did paule thus rebuke the Corinthians?Yea whi wolde not our holy martirs of the primitiue churchecommunicat and be partakers in the Sacrifices of the heathẽ? Themartirs might haue saide / we knowe that an Idoll is nothing /and to offer vp sence to them is but an owtward thing / we do itbut in bodie / our spret and harte is pure / and that we do /against our will we do it &c. They veryly did know no sucheexcuse / but they cõsidered that godd required this / that theyshuld outwardly confes hym / and reproue / and fle fromIdolatrie: And therfor aswell for their duties sake towardegodd / as bicause they wold not offend the brethern by theirexample / they did gyue their lyfe in the quarell without makingony such blinde excuses. 

These men do saye further that the Masse is not to be lickenediustly vnto the Idolatrie of the heathen / for that was directlyforbidden of godd / so is not the Masse / saye they: for thougheit hathe sumwhat swarued aside / yeat is it the Instituciõ ofchriste. But to the contrarie I do saye / that the Masse is sofarr swarued from the ordinaunce of christe / that it hathenothing agreing with christis Institucion / yea and that it ismost directly repugnãt ũto it / A very Idoll / wherinmassemũgers do committe very vile Idolatrie. And this will Iproue by diuers reasons. Ffurst of all. The Supper of theLorde / as it was delyuered of christe shold be a publique and acommon worcke and action: for Christe our Sauiour made it withhis Apostles. But nowe in the Masse / ther commithe forthe onesacrificing preste / disguised with straunge araye / and he dothall thinges alone / the rest stonde still loking / heeringe /and holding their peace. If paule did worthely and Iustly saye /when the Corinthians did not tarie and loke one for an other /that they did not then eate the Lordes supper / then ther is notthe Lordes supper eaten / wher one tarieth not for an other sothat they maye eate all together: And how shall we then saye /that the Masse is the Lordes supper / wher one only sacryficingprest doth eate and drincke vpp all alone? surly it can not beso called: for to be, and not to be the Lords supper / arcontrarie / Paule saith / it is not the Lords supper / wherforcall your Masse by what name ye will / the Lords supper it isnot / for paule is to be beleaued before all massingemarchauntes. 

They saye morouer that in their Masse / they do offer vpp thesonne of godd vnto the eternall father for the synnes of thequicke and the deade: And this they do call the principall pointof their masse. But in the Laste Supper of the Lorde thatScacrifice and oblaciõ was not made / but vppõ the crosse / asthe scripture witnessith. And as for this their offerẽge /ffurst / paul doth denie it in most playn words in the epistleto the hebrues /

 [[Heb. 9. 10. ]]

wher he sayeth that all oblacions for synne wer consummate andfinished / and all thinges made perfect by that one onlyoblacion / which christe Iesus our Sauiour in his own parsonmade of hymself vppon the crosse. The worde of godd teachithe /that christe was but ons only to be sacrificed and offered /And that Sacrifice no more to be made: for if it wer often tobe made / then the furst was not perfect / But the furst wasperfect / Therfor ther must be no repeating of it. The papistesdo saye / that they dayly offer christe for to take awayesynne / and that this Sacrifice must be dayly repeted of them /The scripture denieth this playnly: And thus ye do se that heereis a playne contradiction. 

Again The supper of the Lorde was not instituted to the end thatsuch a sacrifice for synne (as they fayne) shuld be made of it /but that in the vse of it the communicantes shuld be put inmynde / and made partakers of that only propiciatorie sacrificewhich christe offered ons only for all euer vppon the crosse. And therfor ther Masse / in which they wold worcke suchmarueyles / and the Lordes supper ar vtterly vnlyke. But herethey will reply and saye. 

The fathers do speake thus of this Sacrifice / We graunteindeede / that the fathers do often tymes speake so as thoughethat the lorde wer offered in this administracion of theSacrament / or sacrificed: But they vsed this worde / Sacrifice, improperly / for by that kinde of speaking they didonderstonde / the offringes of praise / and sacrifices ofthanckes made and gyuen for christes sacrifice done vppon thecrosse / This they called to sacrifice. Our sacrificing prestsar not content with this / for they will haue their own worcketo be an vnwonted worcke / belonging to them alone / whichneither the scriptures / nor the fathers do teache: ffor tooffer this Sacrifice of whiche the fathers do speake /partayneth not to the preist alone / but to the whole poeplethat stõdith by / and doth cõmunicate / And so it is a commonoblacion and sacrifice of all / not of the preiste more then ofthe poeple / but this only that the preist both in wordes andaction / doth go before the poeple. 

 [[de Ciuitate dei. Lib. 10. Cap. 6. ]]

Augustine doth saye / that the churche is offered in thatofferinge which it doth offer. For all which do communicate /they do offer them selues vnto godd / and do testifie that theirwill is / to abide in christe. 

The papistes do holde also that the breade is turned into thesubstaunce of christes bodie / and that ther remaynith nothingbut the qualitie and accidẽce of breade as whitenes / &c. Forthe substaũce / saye they / is christes bodie. But the scripturesaith that christe in his laste supper did gyue breade vnto hisdisciples /

 [[1. Cor. 11. ]]

and paule callith it breade also / yeat in the Masse thepapistes saye that it is otherwise. 

The vse of the breade and wyne by christis instituciõ is only /that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke therof in theremembrance of christe / But the papistes in their Masse do mostshamefully abuse them both. For wheare as the worde of goddsaythe:

 [[Deutron 6]] [[math. 4. ]]

Thow shalt worshipp the Lorde thy godd and hym only shalt thowserue / They in ther masse do lyfte vpp the breade and wyne /and euen in the rowme of godd they sett them furthe to be adoredand worshipped of the poeple: now how farr this differrith fromthe vse of christes supper eich man may se. Yea what can be morevile and filthie Idolatrie / then to adore and worshipp a peaceof brede ãd cupp of wyne / as godd? Be not offended that I dovse theise bare names. I do confes / that whosoeuer acording tothe Lordes Instituciõ doth cõmunicate with the cõgregaciõ anddothe eate the breade ãd drinke of the cupp of the Lorde /beholding the deathe of christe with Lyuely faithe / the sameman is in sprete ãd after his manier / made partaker of the bodyãd bludd of the lorde. Contrari wise if thow do not vse thebreade and wyne acordinge to the ordinaunce of christe / butgase vppon them / then ar they nothinge els to the / but breadeãd wyne: But if in a popishe Masse / or in the popishe hãging /heauing / carying / or handelinge of them / thow do worshippthem / thẽ ar they vnto the a false Idoll / ãd thow indeede afilthie Idolatror. If therfor thow wilt be partaker of the bodyand bludd of christe in the holy supper / then eate the breadeand drincke the cupp as the lorde hathe instituted. Godd woldhaue the poeple in the vse of the holy Supper to ascend vppwardeinto heauen in mynde and affectiõ / that they might ther cleauefast vnto christe. And therfor the true ministers of the churchedo labour to the vttermost of their poure / thus to lifte vppthe poeples mynde into heauen / that they shuld not seekechriste in the worlde / that they shuld not thinck ony fleshlyor earthely thinge of hym: Theise men clean contrarie in theorder of their Sacrament and Masse do miserably detayn thepoeple in the earthe / bynding and holding them to the visiblesignes. 

 [[1. Cor. 14]]

The apostle commaundith that thinges shuld not be doone in thecongregacion in a straunge tongue / except ther wer anInterpretour / that the thing being vnderstonded of all / thehearers might saye / Amen / and that the edifyinge of them shuldbe sought. Now theise men in their masse do all in the Latentongue / which is to the common poeple vnknown / and they dodefend this theyr doing euen against the worde of godd. But itis most certayn that christe our sauiour in his administration /and after him all his apostles and disciples which wer hebrues /vsed theyr vulgare hebrue tongue / the Grecians also their greketonge. And euen vnto this daye the Sclauonians in their churchesvse their vulgare and commen speache. 

Those wordes of our greate and singuler consolation / in wichthe partakinge of Christes bodye and bloude is promised / thepapistes in their Masse speake secretlie / they whisper them sothat euen they which knowe the Latine tonge cã neither heare thẽnor vnderstande them. And so do they rumble them vp to theirowne selues as thoughe the people were vnworthie to heare thẽ:But christ in his super spake thẽ openlie. And so the grekechurche ãd the Churche of India / do yet speake thẽ with ãaudible voice And the aunciẽt manier was / as Ambrose andAugustĩe amõg other of the fathers do testifie that the peopledyd answer vnto those words. Amẽ. But as I suppose the papistesdo thus murmure ãd speake these words in secrete / bicause theywolde not haue their Lies knowen / for they do saye / Take yeand eate / and this so oftẽ as ye do / do yt in the remẽbraũceof me. But who taketh / or to whõ do they giue? The wordes bespokẽ to the people: And yet they thẽ selues do eate and drikevp all alone / and do distribute vnto no mã ells. Is not this tomake a lie? To lie alwaies is takẽ to be an euill thĩge / butbefore god to lie / is a moste shamles and wiked thinge: whodothe eate (o ye lyyng papistes) or who doth drinke wyth you? Ifye do distribute at any tyme to ony other ye do yt not when yeyour selues receyue / but ye chose for them an other time / yeaand another kinde also / for to thẽ ye do minister but thebreade onlye. Thus ye se that all theise thinges which thesemassers do in their masse / ar contrarye to the institution ofChriste. Ther masse then and Christes supper ar not lyke. 

The papistes saye that by their Action (I meane ther handelingof ther breade and wyne) they do applie vnto others the profittof Christs bloudie sacrifice and passiõ. Of a Sacramẽt they sayethat they make sacrifices to profit the quicke and the Deade. And this do they ĩ ther masse. But the scripture teacheth / thatthere is but one only propiciatorie sacrifice / able andauaylable to take awaie synnes / whiche Christe Iesus offered inhis owne fleshe vpon the Crosse. And that euerie man musteapplie vnto him selfe by liuelie faythe the benefite of thatsame sacrifice of christe / as the scripture teacheth likewise /that eche man is iustified by his own faithe, and that eche manin his owne righteousnes or vnrighteousnes / doth liue / or die. It teachithe also that christe did institute the sacrament onlyto this end that the congregacion shuld eate and drincke it inthe remẽberaunce of that same his Sacrifice. And that eiche onein the drincking therof shuld apply vnto himself by faithe / thefruite of that Sacrifice. Now compare the doctrine of thescriptures and of the papistes in this pointe together / andthou shalt se that their Masse is contrarie to christesInstitucion. But as they haue / so still will they saye:

That aswell the liuing as the deade be helped by this their acteapplied at their pleasure. If they wolde saie that thei profytothers by praier / that were tollerable. But they go further andsaie / that ther verye massinge worcke it selfe / hathe so mochevertue / power ãd strenghthe in it / that it shall profit notonly all kyndes of mẽ / but all such creatures ãd beastes forwhom they do say ther masse / bicause in it they do applye thebenefite of christes passion: but ye must vnderstõd whẽ they bepayed for ther labor. This is an horrible error in no wise to besuffered / for as I sayed / ther is but one only sacrificepropiciatorie to take awaye synne / which one sacrifice eicheone of vs must applie vnto our selues by liuelie faythe / Andthis applyinge faithe is the only gifte of god: But on thisgrounde buylde they their purgatorie and mutch other such pelf /by which they do pycke mens purses. They saye ther Masses alsoin the honor of this / or of that saincte. And of what saintes?suche verylie whose histories are not certaynlie knowen / andare of none authoritie / yea many of thẽ are no better thenpoetes fables / of whõ not vnworthelie we doubte whether they besainctes or no: But be it that they were true sainctes / yetthis their doinge is moste cõtrarie to christes ordinance / forChriste did institute his supper to this ende that it sholde bevsed in the remembrance of his deathe and not of other mens /weare they neuer so holye. 

In their masse they haue also diuers and sundrie rytes ãdcustoms / clothes / signes / gestures / tornes / remouinges / ãdblissinges / of and with the breade ãd wine / but christe vsednone of all theis in his supper: And what they do meane by thesethinges the poeple doth not knowe / neither can the priestesthem selues for the most part tell what is ment by them: for ifye aske the meaninge of them / either cã they saye nothinge atall / or if they do saie owghte / they do not saye all onethinge / but thinges that be moste cõtrarie / wherby a mã maieiudge that there is no truithe at all in their wordes. But herethey do saie. Thinkest thou that the foolishe vnlearned peoplein the olde Lawe dyd vnderstand all the legall ceremonies? no itwas not requisite / no more is yt nowe: To this I answer /Althoughe that all the poeple dyd not knowe what was mente bythem in the olde lawe / It sufficed yet that they hade the wordeof god for them / Nowe do yee shewe vnto vs the worde of god fortheise your signes and it shall suffice vs. 

Agayne the godly and lerned preistes could shew what was ment bythe rites and ceremonies of the lawe / and that by the word ofgodd: but ye can do neyther of theis: for ye haue enuented theistoyes in your own braynes: signes ye do call them but ye do notknow what thinges they do signifie. And therfor as in rites yourMasse doth differ from christes supper / so whẽ ye saye yourpleasure of your rites / ye ar not to be beleaued: for faithhath no place where goddes worde doth not shew it selfe. I saidethat massemungers in their masse do committ Idolatrie. Theirbready god hanged vp in a pix / and their Images / vnto whichthey turne them selues and do make their moste vncleane seruiceand sacrifice do proue this true: Neither do they accompte itsufficient to behold theis their Idols when they saye theirMasses / but also they so offer vnto them / they cense them /they bowe the knee vnto them: let them nowe denye whilest theywill that they do not worship the breade / nor the Images / yetthis worship they do them / This kinde of worship (I saye) whichis giuen customabilie vnto god alone / as the lawe of godteacheth. But seing they giue this vnto these Idols / are theynot Idolatrors? yes truly. And howe thẽ dare ony christian bepresent there / to vncouer the heade to bowe the kne to offerand do such like thinges with them?

They saye that ther Masse is christes Institution / And our men(of whom I now haue spoken) do saye that the Masse hath sumaffinitie with christes institucion of the holy supper. 

But I saye that the olde heathens myghte wyth more coloure oftruithe / excuse and defende their sacrifices by that maner /then these men maye do their masse. Ffor verylye the sacrificesof the heathen haue lesse departed from the maner which thefathers vsed in sacrificinge before the lawe giuẽ / which alsothe lorde approued in the lawe / thẽ these massers do frome thesupper which Christe / and the Apostle paule hathe prescribed. In bothe their sacrifices was the inuocation of god / a Temple /an Aultar / slayne sacrifices / sacrificinge priestes / sleyngeof beastes / sheddinge of bloude / salte / wine / oyle / mele /an holy feaste / holy garmentes / washinge / censinge / fyer /singinge / prophecies / and suche other thinges / all which torepeate it were to longe: let our Massers (if they can) shewe somany thinges which Christe did in the holye supper: Which thingeif they can not do / then let them cease to boaste that theirMasse is the institution of Christ and the Apostles / from whichit differethe so farre that if the Apostles and fathers of theprimatyue churche were nowe here to beholde this masse / theysholde not knowe it to be the lords supper / but wolde surliemarueyle at suche a monstruous mahometrie. 

I omytte also that in and with their Masse they haue manyAnniuersaries yearemyndes / diriges done for the deade: But TheLord did not institute ony of them. If they saye that Cyprianand others of the fathers do speake of suche Annyuersaries:I answer that those of which the fathers do make mencyon / werenothinge els but thãckfull remẽbraũces of the Martirs departed /in which they did gyue thancks to godd for thẽ. They also intheir Masses do call vppon the saintes and holy men departed /which is a thing most contrarie to true godlynes / and vtterlyvnknown and vnpracticed in the administracion of the Lordessupper. 

And to be shorte all their thinges which they do in theirMasses / they do choppe and chaũge / they bye and sell and settthem furthe to most vile and filthie gayne. Wherfor / my mostLouing Brethern take ye diligent heede / les whilest ye pretendto worshipp godd in your going to Masses / and to entreate hymto be mercifull vnto yow / ye do not most mightyly kindle hiswrathe against you by hearinge of theise Masses: which as yeplaynly do se / ar nothing els but a shamfull deuise sett vpp todeface the deathe of christe / a pestilent practise fownde outto ouerthrowe the true vse of the Lordes supper / and anIdolatrie inuented to infect the poeple and to make themIdolatrors. Whearby eich man may easily iudge / how great asynne it is / to be partaker of a Masse. 

But notwithstondinge all this which is spoken / yeat theise menwhiche thincke that they maye dissemble at the Masse / cease notto saye / That thoughe the Masse be not the Lords supper / butan Idolatrie / yet is not the presẽce at it so earnestly to beforbidden / seing that such thinges haue been graũted vnto theInfirmities of mẽ: If a man do aske them wheare:

 [[Naman. ]]

They do bringe forth the Example of Naaman the Syrian / and byit they will neades haue it made Lawfull vnto them tocommunicate with wicked supersticiõs. 

 [[4. Reg. 5. ]]

for he prayed Heliseus / saye they / that he might be suffred tokneele in the temple of Rymmon that Idoll / whẽ the kinge didworshipp / and leane vppon his arme. Whom the prophet answered /goo in peace. And that / saye they / which was permitted vntoNaaman / whi do ye forbyd vnto vs? ffurst theise men shuld weyewith them selues / whether that we only haue redde this Exampleof Naaman / or not. So we thincke that the holy Apostles andMartirs of the olde churche which wer occupied nighte and dayein the holy scriptures / did not consider this acte and Example?Truly they wer not ignorant of the historie / yet did they neuerknowe this vnderstandinge of it: for if they did / whi thenwolde they not folow this example / especially when they mighttherby haue saued their lyues?

But these holy and godly learned men did see that thinge in thishistorie / which our men do not consider / namely this / thatNaamã now newly cõuerted to the faithe was a smoking flaxe whichwas not to be putt out / a weake and shaken reade which was notto be brosed in peices / and that as yet he was very weake / forhe was not yet prepared and readye to denye and forsake hymselfand all that was his for goddes sake. He thought that it mightcõme to pas that he shuld together with the knowledge of theLyuing godd / easili holde and keape still his old place /office / and dignitie / if he coulde happen to haue that / whichhe desired of the prophet: And when he did well perceyue thatthis was his infirmitie and synne / it trobled himso thattherfor he desired the prayers and helpe of Heliseus: he desiredhym / that if he shuld happen to fall into this euill / yeatthat he might be fauored / that he mighte finde mercie / ãd thatHeliseus wold praye that the Lorde wolde forgyue hym. Who dothat ony tyme aske forgyuenes for that which he accõptitheLawfull? forgyuenes is asked for synnes only / Naaman therforacknowledged this his acte to be a synne: And if I so fall (quodhe) then praye the Lorde to forgyue me. This place therfor dothmake most against our men / and euen the same wayes which theygo about to excuse their facte / by the same it is most playnlyproued to be synne. Let them aknowledge therfor in their doĩgethat thinge / which Naaman the Sirian did. And let them begg themercie of godd / and the prayers of godly men / that the samething which they haue euell doone / and do / maye be pardonedthem. Neither did Eliseus / as our men do thincke / graunteNaaman licence or libertie to do so as he hadd sayde / but onlyhe saide vnto hym / goo in peace: which manier of speaking was akind of takinge leaue vsed in that age. And as for any otherthinge ther can none be gathered out of thos wordes / onles itbe this that he promised to do that which Naaman required: goothy wayes (saithe he) I will do as thow desirest / I shall prayefor the. The prophet doth not reiect hym / if he shuld fall intothis euell. As we do not vtterly reiect nor shutt theise mẽ frõgrace which thus do fall: Yeat must we sharply reproue theirdoinges that they may acknowledge their fault and synne / andvnfaynedly lament and repẽt the same. And we ought also hartilyto praye that they may be raysed vpp agayn. They do obiect alsocertayn wordes out of the Epistle of Ieremie / which is ẽtitledBaruch. The wordes ar theise. 

 [[Bar. 6. ]]

Now shall ye see in Babilon godds of golde / of syluer / ofwodde / and of stone / borne vppõ mens shulders to caste out afearefulnes before the heathẽ / But loke that ye do not as theother: be not afrayed let not the feare of thẽ ouercome yowe. Therfor when ye do see the multitude of poeple worshipping thembehinde and before / saye yee in your hartes / O Lord / it isthow that oughtest only to be worshipped / Of theise wordes ourmen do gather / that it is sufficient for them when they arpresent at Idolatries / Masses / and popishe supersticions / tosaye in ther harte / O Lord it is thow that oughtest only to beworshipped. In answer to these men: furst I saye / that thisbooke entitle Baruch is none of the Canonicall scriptures: Andtherfor no man is bownd to the doctrine of it. But admit thebooke wer of sufficient auctoritie / Then theise men mustvnderstonde / that the prophet doth not gyue the Iues leaue tocomme vnto the temples of Idols / that ther they might bepresent at vngodly Idolatrie / bowe ther knee / and so make vppthe matier / with sayinge in their hart to the true and lyuynggodd / O Lord / it is thow that oughtest only to be worshipped. But he gyuith the Iues instruction against Images which wercaried about / ãd Idolatries which wer vsed in those places wherthey were exiles: ffor the Maneir of the Babilonians was / notonly to haue Images in ther temples / but also to haue them settabroode and caried openly vppon mens shulders. As it is notvnlike that the Image of Nabugodonosor, which beinge dedicatedin the feilde of dura, was caried aboute the whole Regiõ withMusicall Instrumẽtes ãd sõges / at the sownde of whichwhersoeuer the Image was seene / commaundemẽt was gyuẽ vnto allmẽ that they shuld worshipp it: which Daniels felows wolde notdo. Of theise thinges I saye / that epistle entreatithe /playnlye to warne the godly / that they shuld not adore / norworshipp thos Idols thoughe that the heathenishe poeple did sobothe before them / and behind them / but when they did see thisIdolatrie / detesting it / they shuld then saye / O lord / it isthou to whome worshipp doth only belõge: he saied not / bowe theknee with thẽ / and saye in your hartes / o lord / it is thou&c. But when ye do see these Idols and Idolatrye / say so. Theseseyngs and suddayn meetings in the cytie streetes ãd fieldes /could not be auoyded / and therfor the godly were to beenstructed and admonished / how they shuld behaue them selues inthat case. 

But our men / as they are veraye bolde to abuse the scripturefor their purpose / go on further and aske / how it happenedthat Daniel was not throwen into the fierie fornace with hisfelowes?

 [[Daniel. 3. ]]

seing lyke punishement was appointed vnto all men which did notworshippe. They will of necessitie haue it graunted themtherfor / that Daniel did dissemble / (as they now do) and thattherfor nothing was done vnto hym: And that thinge which Danieldyd / they thincke that they maye do. I aunswer our men thus /that they do not reason well to saye / He was not punished /therfor he was ther and worshipped / they do out more in theconsequẽt / then is in the antecedẽt / and so to reason is tomake a subtill cauillacion / taking that to be a cause which isno cause. For there might be many other causes / wherfor Danielwas not likewise punished: happilie the Image ãd he did notmeete together: or yf he did meete it / men did not mark what hedid: or els though men marcked that he did not worshipp / yet hewas not accused: or yf he were accused / yet through thesingular fauour which the King did beare vnto him he wasdelyuered from punishmẽt. It must not then forthewith folowe /that Daniel for feare of death did present himself before thatIdoll / and did dissemble his Religion / doing there as otherIdolatrors did: this we must not iudge of Daniel /

 [[Daniel. 6. ]]

seing in the lyke quarell / he was not afrayde to be thrown vntothe lyõs. Now seing there may be many other causes why he wasnot caste into the fire with his felowes / why do these menchose vnto them selues this one cause? and that such a one / asis sclaũderous vnto that holy man / of which in the holyscriptures / there is not so much as a suspicion contayned. Yetthey do thinke that they do not vnaptly saye for themselues /and defend their cause / when they do alledge that out of theActes of the Apostles:

 [[Actor. 21. ]]

where mencion is made howe that Paule / through the councell ofthe Elders of the churche of Hierusalem / did take on hym a vowewith other foure men / and did purifye hymself after the manerand custumme of the Iues. Yf (saye they) suche an Apostle dydtake thys lybertye to vse in Iurie the ceremonies which were nowabrogated / euẽ we also maye vse / and comme vnto the rites /and ceremonies now vsed in our countrithe. For the bettervnderstõding of this matter we must first well consider what thesomme of Paules preachinge was:

 [[Rom. 3. ]]

We do suppose (saith he) that a man is iustified by faith /without the workes of the Lawe. 

 [[Gal. 3. ]]

And as many as are vnder the deedes of the Lawe are subiect tothe curs. 

 [[Abac. 2. ]]

Agayne the Iuste man shall lyue by his faithe. 

 [[Rom. 1. ]]

This is the somme of Paules doctrine / wherby it doth appeare /that Paule did not vtterly condẽne the obseruing of theceremonies of the Law / but only whẽ it was done with thisminde / as thoughe that Iustification did not cõme therby. Andthe same his meaning he vtterith most playnly to theGalathians / where he saithe. 

 [[Gal. 5. ]]

As many of ye as are circumcised / ye are fallen from the graceof Christe: for Christe shall not profite you at all: ye aregone quite frõ Christe / as many as are Iustified by the Lawe /As yf he wold saye / These thinges of theyr owne nature do notalienate and separate vs from Christe / but only when they bedone with this mynde and purpose / to be Iustified by them: Takeawaye this opinion / and this euell hurtefull purpose beingremoued / then Paule cõmendeth these worckes / and all otherciuyle ordinaunces cõmaunded / and appoynted to that Nacion: hecondẽneth them not / but so farre as they wer iustly and notsupersticiously vsed / he did leaue thẽ in theyr place /

 [[Gal. 3. ]]

ãd did not hinder the obseruacion of them. As he dyd alsowrite / that in the Lord / there was neither Iue nor gentill /neyther bonde nor fre. 

 [[Gal. 6. ]]

And that in Christe Iesus / neyther circumcision auaileth anything at all / nor vncircumcision / but the obseruing of thecommaũdements of God / or a new creature. 

 [[1. Cor. 7. ]]

And againe yf any be called being circũcised / let him not addevncircũcision. If anye be called vncircũcised / let hym not becircũcised. Let euery man abyde in the same estate / in which heis called. All these indifferẽt thinges / might somtyme be wellobserued / somtyme be as well left vndone / as most serued foredifying in godd. Of which vse and obseruacion of thẽ

 [[1. Cor. 9. ]]

Paule doth speake / when of him self he saieth: I am made allvnto all mẽ / that I might wynne manye: Vnto the Iues / I ammade as a Iue / to thẽ which are without the lawe / as though Iwere without a lawe. This sentence he hath also confirmed byexamples:

 [[Actor. 16. ]]

For when he was required to circũcise Timothie / because thatthe custumme which was yet in force might be kept / he did it:But when they wolde enforce him to the ouerthrowĩg of thechristiã libertie / that he shulde likewise circumcise Titus /

 [[Gal. 2. ]]

In no wyse wolde he gyue place vnto them / no not for the spaceof one houre / and because (saith he) false brethren came in /to espie out / or to betray our libertie. S. Paule did obseruethese thinges then / when it might be done without an euellmynd / when no hurte shuld ensue of it: The cause ãd end whyPaule did it / was to auoide the offendinge of the beleauingIues / les yf he did it not / they shuld therby be alienated andturned awaye from Christes gospell / which they had newlyreceyued. But we must not compare these ceremonies of the oldlawe with the Inuencions of men / they can not be iustlycompared with Massing: They were plainly taught in Goddesworde / but these masses and popishe Idolatries are thrust vntovs by the subtiltie of the deuell / and craftye deceyuing of mẽ. They were thinges indifferẽt / and as such thinges might be wellvsed. But these are thinges vtterly euell and can not be wellvsed. They after Christes ascenscion into heauẽ wer notforbidden / and therfor might be obserued / so long as theTemple and common welth of Israel did cõtinue and the citie wasvndestroyed / and vntill the full reuelinge and preachinge ofthe gospell was had / vntill by it the churche of Christe /which was to be gathered of the Iues and gentils / were well /and fully vnited and knitt together. 

 [[Aug. Epistol. 19. Ad Hieron. ]]

Neyther wer those ceremonies / as Augustine saith / suddenly andwithout honor to be buried and throwen awaye. But these masses /and such popish supersticions / which are farsed full withIdolatrie / alwayes haue beene / are / and shalbe forbiddẽ. Those thinges might therfor be keapt and obserued for a tyme /so that men did not vse them with that mynde (as I sayed) to beiustified by them. Wherfor yf thow wilt consider the matier itself / that is / the nature of the acte / Paule can neither betherin reprehended / nor yet can these dissemblige Massehauntersvse his well doinge as a defence for their euell doinge: butmuch les can this be done / yf thou wilt searche out the mynde /councell / and entent of Paules doinge. Bothe these thingesthese mayntayners of massehaunting do want. For furst they areoccupied in a thing which is contrary / and repugnant to Goddsworde / as it is already declared. Secondly / in thys theirdissimulacion they do only seke themselues / for to thend thatthey maye retayne their riches / dignitie / and estimacion byfalling to poperye they offend the weake and drawe them by theirexample from Christe to Antichrist / wheras Paule did herinobserue thinges commaunded in Goddes worde / and thẽ to thisende only / les the beleauing Iues shuld fall backe frõ Christ /and that he might the more easily drawe others / which yetbeleaued not / to the gospell of Christe. Furthermore these mendo saye / that they by their dissimulacion will auoide offence. For (saye they) yf we shuld so vtterly forsake the Masse as yewolde haue vs / we shulde be taken as wicked mẽ ãd euell doers /ãd so shall we geue great offence in out countrithes. I graũtethat these men do seke to auoyd offence / but what offence? euẽthe offẽce of the world. They will not offend / but whom?Tyraũtes / ãd such as ar the very limmes of antichrist. And why?les they shuld procure against thẽselues theyr wrath / poure /and tyrãnie. But this is that offence / which Criste sayethshuld not be auoided:

 [[Mat. 15. ]]

Let them alone (saith he of the Phariseis) They are blinde ãdthe leaders of the blinde. Heere we must consider which be euelloffences / and such as are to be auoyded indeed. Euẽ those Isay / which are an Impediment to the setting forth of thegospell / which do offend and hinder mẽ / be they simple / orwicked / that they do not embrace pure doctryne / and turne vntoChriste. Now beholde / I pray the / by cõming to the Masse /what offence thou doest gyue? The Idolatrous ãd supersticiouspeople / ar they not offended by this thy doing? Yeas verely. For when they do se the haũte their masses / they say / thesegospellers do cõme to our masses / which they wold not do yf ourmasses wer so euell as thei call thẽ: wherfor we may perseuereãd cõtinue in our old purpose. And on the other parte / theweaker brethrẽ / which are but newly turned / ãd not farrentered into the knowledge of Christ / whẽ they do se thesebetter lerned professors / enseyng bearers / and chief men inthe scole of Christ comme to the masse / they are taught to dothe lyke: and wher before they wer perswaded not to comme atmasses / now they thincke that they were then deceyued / andthat it is but a fonde precise scrupulositie so to abstayn frommasses: and it cometh to pas / that where they shuld go forwardein the waye of truth / now they do go backe. Thus both thewicked and the godly / are offended by thy example: It is playnetherfor that vnder the cloked colour of auoyding of offence /these men do fall into the very offẽce gyuing. They say morouer:It is nedefull to cõdiscende vnto the weake: for there are manywhich are not persuaded that the masse is naught / and therforare neyther ready to forsake their countrie / nor to dye in thequarell / whiche men yf they shulde perceyue that we did notcome to masse / they wold not gyue then any ear or credite vntovs in the other matiers and chief pointes of religion: wherforewe must gyue and yealde somwhat vnto their infirmitie / as Pauledoth teache the Romayns. This they saye. 

 [[Rom. 14. ]]

But what will Paule / I praye you / that we shuld yealde to theweake? This verily / fyrst that we shuld not please our selues:Agayne / that we shuld not so lyue after our own mynde / that weshulde cõtemne their saluacion. We do graunte therfor that somthinge is to be gyuen vnto the infirmitie of the weake brother /but euen with Paule / we will not suffer that to be done / butin thinges indifferẽt. But those thinges which of them selues areuell and forbidden of Godd / must not be done in respect of anyman. 

 [[Rom. 3. ]]

For that same Rule doth stonde certayn which gyueth leaue to nomã to do euell that goode maye comme theron. To abstayn / or notto abstayn from meates / was then a thing indifferẽt. In suchthinges they which be stronger must beare with the Infirmitie ofthe weaker: but meate eating ãd Massehauntinge are not lyke /for this is no thing indifferẽt / but manifestly euell / as itis sufficiently proued / and therfor it is not to be done inrespect of bearing with any man that is weake. But are the weakealwayes to be borne with all in thinges indifferent? no truly /we must not alwayes yealde to the weake but only whylest they betaughte: And when they do vnderstonde the thing that is taughtthem / and yet do wauer and doubt of a wilful scrupulositie /their infirmitie is no longer to be norished nor born with all:For we must not so beare with them / that out libertie shal bein subiectiõ to their frowardnes / nor that therby we do hurteothers by our example. 

Agayn they obiect and saye: Yf we shuld do as ye wold haue vs todo / then must we eyther flye out of our coũtrithe / or elsforthwith shall we suffer death and so the congregatiõs shalbeleft vtterly desolate / ther shall be none lefte to teache andnorishe those afflicted mẽbres which shall remayne in ourchurche: Better it is / that by our bearing and dissemblinge /ther do remayne yet sum leight / then that by doing as ye woldhaue vs all together shuld be putt out. 

 [[1. Cor. 15. ]]

If sum do remayne ther / it wil brust forthe at lẽgthe / and alitill leauẽ will soure the whole lũpe of dowe. &c. Truly forall this goodly clooke / it is easily perceyued that throughthis dissẽbling the edifying of the churche is hindered and notfurthered. These men pretẽde with Athlas to beare vp heauẽ withetheir shulders / but they do ouerthrow altogether: Godd doth semore thẽ we / in the thinges which shall happen to the churche:We must obeye hym in seruyng hym ãd his churche with thecõfessiõ of truthe. The issue / and succes / let vs cõmitt vntohym to whom the churche doth belonge: And let vs do thatwherunto we ar called. The churche shall be destroyed thẽ / thowsayest: Let God care for that / he will well prouide for that /let vs not doubt. Wel maye theise mẽ be answered / as the lordeanswered Peter / whẽ he called hym / sayinge:

 [[Ioan. 21. ]]

folowe me: Peter made a staye at it and asked hym what Iohnshuld do. If I will (saith Christ) haue hym to tarye / what isthat to the? do thow folowe me. So if thow aske in this case /what shall then be done with the churche? I aunswer / what isthat to the? Do thow the thinge wher vnto thow art called. Besids this oftẽ tymes the doctrine of the gospell is more settfurth / and better receyued / when it is mayntayned by deathe /and fleinge / then when by words only it is propownded andtaught: for then men are taught by deedes / as before they werby wordes: Haste thow confessed the gospell in wordes? This thenremayneth for the to do: die / or flye for the gospell so shaltthou cõfesse the same indede. And Let vs not feare the desolatiõof the churche / for wher one of our brethern dyeth / or flyethfor the doctrine / in his rowm shall rise vp a great sorte. Butif we stãd and continue in dissemblinge / thẽ is the light ofthe truithe put owt / nether is there any cõfession made indede. 

They bringe in also the examples of Zacharie / Iohn theBaptist / the virgin Marie / and Ioseph / which in the coruptedand infected tymes whẽ they lyued dyd cõme vnto the seruice ofGod in the Tẽple of the Iues / The same thing maye be permittedto thẽ (they thincke) and that yt is as lawfull for thẽ topartake ãd vse the ceremonies in the popish churche be theyneuer so corrupt. True it is that ther were many wickeddoctrines and euill opinions at that tyme emongest the scribesand pharisees. But yet the estate of thẽ was far otherwise / thẽit is in our tyme: They hade corrupted the doctrine of the lawand of iustificatiõ. They were couetous / That thing which theydyd / Was done with out fayth / and therfor abhominable beforeGod / yet the rite and maner of sacrificing apointed by Goddeslawe was not chaũged / for the same beastes were offered whichthe lawe dyd cõmaũde / the same daies were obserued / andceremonies / and therfore it was lawfull to vse thẽ inasmoche asthey hade the worde of Godd for thẽ. And eiche mã that so vsedthẽ receyued accordĩg to the measure of his faithe. For thecorrupte doctrines / sentẽces and manieres of the priestes /Bishoppes and scribes / dyd not hurte at all the prophettes andgodlie men which wer thẽ selues cleare frõ thẽ / of a contrariemynde to thẽ / in all thinges thinking according to Goddsworde / yea dyd also reproue and sharplie rebuke those thinges:which thing Augustine dothe witnesse as he is allegded. 23. Q. 4. Ca. Recedite. And in many other places there. Let oursacrificinge priestes do the same vnto vs at this daie. Let thẽcelebrate the lordes supper and vse other ceremonies / so as byGodds worde they be apointed / thẽ we will not draw backe atall / but vse thẽ / thoughe they thẽ selues thincke corruptlie /and liue more wickedlie / we shall bewaile / we shalladmonishe / we shall reproue / we shall accuse thẽ / and theyshall beare their owne synne. Their synne shall not hurte vs /nether will we absteyne frome the sacramentes for theirnowghtines / but vse thẽ. In which doĩge we shall not cõmunicatewith their wickednes / for we shall vse the rite and ceremonieas the lorde cõmaũded / and instituted. And this thing mẽtChrist whẽ he saide. 

 [[Matth. 23. ]]

The scribes ãd pharisees do syt in Moses chaire / what they bydyow do / that do / but as they do / see that ye do not. SoChriste commaunded the leper whom he hade clẽsed to go vnto thepriest. 

 [[Luc. 2. ]]

The blessed virgin likwise she might well after the birthe ofour sauiour Christ offer the payre of Turtles or too yongepigeons / because it was so commaunded in the lawe. By thisexample our men can not heare masse / because it is a thingecontrary to godds worde: But let these papists giue vnto vs thesacramentes / as Christe dyd institute them / and we shall vsethẽ / and yet neuerthelesse reproue their wickednes. Nowe ourmen beinge thus at all pointes answered / and ouercommed / doflye to this atlenghth. Thoughe saye they it be a synne to go toMasse and suche popishe pelfe yet it is but a light synne / andnot se seuerely to be reproued. What (say they) we do manythinges which we shuld not fo. But God forgyuithe thẽ. &c. Tothe last I aunswer: The goodnes of Godd which doth forgyuesynnes vnto them that be truly penitẽt / doth not diminishe atall the gretnes of the synne. Wherfor I will aunswer only / tothat they saye / that it is but a light synne. Which thingewhilest they do saye / they do not thincke this withthemselues / that all synnes haue their proper wieght andburthen. For doinges and the nature of thinges done ar not to beconsidered simplie of themselues, but they ar to be weyed bygodds worde and laws / by which they ar forbiddẽ: By it / wickedactes and the doinge of them ar to be iudged: And seing that thepoure of the lawe and worde of god is all one in allcõmaundmentes / by it / the weighte / burthẽ and greatnes ofsynne cõmitted / is to be weyed considered and iudged. 

 [[Iacob. 2. ]]

S. Iames therfor in this cause doth saye. He that hathe obseruedthe whole lawe / and dothe offend in one / is made giltye ofall. Which sayinge truly is harde and sharpe / but most true /and teachith all men that they shuld not extenuate synne. Butthis place of Iames / is not to be vnderstõded / as thoughe thatall synnes wer equall and like. 

 [[August. Epist. 29. Ad Hiero. ]]

That doth Augustine truly and playnly denye: He saith that theStoickes do go about to proue it / when they saye / that allvertues are cõioyned and knitt together / so that he which hatheone of them hath all / and he that wãtith one wãtith all. Forwisdome (saye they) is not fearefull / nott intemperate / nutvniuste / therfor it hath ioyned with it the vertues which becontrarie vnto these vices: And likewise iustice / strẽghthe /tẽperaunce and other vertues are not vnwise / but are ioynedwith wisdome / wheruppon they do conclude / that all vertues areconioyned and knitt together. Theise thinges / saith Augustine /

 [[Iaco. 3. ]]

do not agre with the holy scriptures / which do witnes. 

 [[1. Ioan. 1. ]]

That in many thinges we do all offend / and If we saye that wehaue no synne / we do deceyue our selues and ther is no truithein vs. Wherfor seing that we synne in many thinges / and insynnynge we cã not haue that vertue which is cõtrarie to thatsynne which we do committ / and yet it may be that he whichfallith in one synne / many be cõstaunt in other vertues / theopinion of theis philosophers is fals. As for example: Be it /that one be of an hastye nature / or do exceade measure ineatinge / and yet he gyuith euery man his own / and will gyuehis life in Godds cause: though this man be fearce / andintemperate / yet is he called a iust mã / and a stronge man. S. Augustine doth also putt awaye the similitude of thestoicks / whiche is. That the man doth die in the waters / ifthey be but half a handfull ouer, his heade / aswell as he ouerwhos heade they are / ten / or twentie cubites. This is no aptesimilitude / saith he / therfor let vs take an other more fittefor our purpose / of light namely and darcknes. Certaynly whenone is in darcknes / the more he dothe departe and go out of itand drawith nighe vnto light / he begynnith the better to seesumwhat / and so though that yet he be compassed with darcknes /yet is he sumwhat partaker of the lighte. But he that wull knowemore of this matier / let hym reade that Epistle of Augustyne:Wher he prouith playnly / that all synnes ar not like / as theStoicks did thincke: Now to return to our place / which we didrehearce. He that offendith in one / is giltie of all. Ther isno obseruacion of Godds Lawe to be receued with an exception /as thoughe we might chose one parte of it to obserue / andseparate or sett asyde the other parte at our will and pleasureto neglecte it. The commaundemẽtes of the lawe ar conioyned ofthe lorde and knitt together / and so gyuen vnto vs: We must notnow disseuer / and separate thẽ as we lust / but withoutexception we must obserue the whole lawe. We must consider andloke vppon the Auctoritie of the lawe gyuer / which is Godd / Itis of force aswel in one cõmaundement / as in the rest. Thisdoth Iames seame to meane / when he saith:

 [[Iacob. 2. ]]

He that hath sayde / Thow shalt not committ adulterie / the samehath sayde / Thow shalt not kill. As if he shuld saye / he is noles contraried in any one of theise commaundemẽtes / then in another. And therfor (to adde this by the waye) let them welconsider what they do which do profes to receyue the gospell /and yet they do refuse ecclesiasticall disciplyne: Wheras thelorde / which hath reuealede and opened the gospell vnto vs byChriste / doth appoint discipline to be a parte therof. Theisemen do synne against the whole lawe. The papistes do also synneherin / which do preache their parted righteousnes / asmeritorius of congruitie. But to returne / this is alsomanifest / that he that synnith in one / is therfore giltie inall / for that as now by lust and tentacion / he is caried intosum one transgression / and so dothe synne / euen in like maniershuld he offend in an other euill / if he wer assaulted in thesame sorte / and whith that same violence of tentacion. AndAugustine in the place before alledged. Doth saye. That therforehe is made giltie of all / bicause he synneth against charitie /vppon which the obseruacion of the whole lawe is grownded. To beshort therfor / when we do thus fall into synne / we must notlightly tryfle it of and excuse it / sayinge that it is butlight / and small: for synne is not to be considered of thematier / and manier of the action only / but of the forcepoure / and dignitie of Godds worde which doth forbidd it. Andyet les I shuld seeme to be to rigorus and strayte in thismatier of massehauntinge / let ther be hadd a consideracion / ordifference of the matier / and doinge. 

And truly I can not see / how this kinde of synne and doinge cãbe iudged to be light / or small / seing that it is atransgressiõ committed against the furst table of the lawe / inwhich the worship due vntto Godd is cõmaũded which worshippbeing sownde and safe in a mã other vices and synnes ar the moreeasily corrected: And agayn this being corrupted / all otheractes are most vnacceptable vnto Godd. Whordõ by Godds lawe isto be punyshed by deathe / yet is it a synne but against the. Ii. Table. And what shal we thincke then of spirituallwhordome? how seuerely doth Godd iudge it? how sharply ought itto be punished? If therfor thow dost consider the commandementwhich thou breakest / it is of God: If the matier / it isaganist the furst table and therfore thys synne is the moreheynus and weightie. Besids this / our men do counte this Massehauntinge a fault to be either contemned / or not so depely tobe considered in theim bicause they do not synne with mynde willand affection / but as it wer compelled and of necessite. But Iaske them / what manier a violence and compulsion this isthroughe which that necessite commithe of which they make theirexcuse? Truly they can not saye that it is ony other / thenbicause they wolde not ronne into the daunger of the losse oftheir Goodes / their estimacion and lyfe. 

 [[Aristote. Ethi. Lib. 3. ]]

This is then no absolute necessite but such a one as risith ofther own corrupt affection and will, wich prouith that theiraction is volũtarie. As Aristotle in his Ethicks doth saye ofthe losse which shippmen do suffer in a tempest / which do castout of their ship al their Goodes whẽ they be in daunger ofshipp wracke: They seame truly to be compelled to do it / andyet willingly they do it / and therfor they are sayed . To do. Bicause that withe deliberacion and aduise / they do determin /both with iudgemẽt and will / rather to abide the losse of theirgoddes / thẽ of their lyfe. Which thinge as the mariners dowisely determyne / so our men do folishly / which for the louethat they beare to their lyfe / bodie ãd goodes do not chose toabide the losse of thẽ all / in refusing to come to thesedetestable masses / to gayn therby lyfe / and saluacion euerlastinge. And so do they cõmitt doble synne. Furst they synnewillingly. Thẽ they do prefer earthly thinges before heauẽly /outward thinges before inward / the bodie before the soule /their Goodes before God: Which is not done but of such / as arthe very childrẽ of the world. Of affectiõ verily / though theydo saye nay / they do that which they do / but of thatinordinate affection which they do beare to their riches. Wherfor this is no iust excuse which they make. For as wellmight the Corinthians / euen by the very same reason / hauesayde to Paule. If we do comme vnto these feastes wher themeates offered vnto Idols are eaten / we do it not with thatmynde as thoughe we allowed such sacrifices / but we arcompelled therunto / for if we shuld auoide theise solemnefeastes / we shuld be taken as sedicius men / euell citizens /vncourteous / we shuld loose our frends / ãd most profitablehealp and defence / Yea and paraduẽture our goodes andcountrith, Paule hearith noone of all these thinges / but dothsharply reproue thẽ / as in the furst epistle which he wrotevnto thẽ it doth appeare. 

 [[Exod. 32. ]]

Aarõ also by the same reason might haue excused the making ofthe goldẽ calf / and sayed / I did it not with my mynde / I wascõpelled / and if I hadd not folowed the mynde of the poeple /they wold haue stoned me. &c. But Moses / who did well perceyuethat this was not of an absolute necessite / but did rise ofsuch a corrupt grownd and matier as neither righteousnes dothsuffer to be receyued / neither Godd doth admitt / he cõdemniththe act / ãd doth sharply reproue Aaron for it. Thise men oughtalso to thincke this: That the masse is as it wer the signe ãdsure marke / the pleadg / ãd seale / by which the papists doknowe who be theirs / frõ others. For whether a mã gyuithalmos / whether he prayeth / whether he lyueth a chaste lyfe /and so forth / they passe not at all: This only they doregarde / whether he hearith Masses: which thĩg if they perceyuethat he doth / for the which they thĩke that mã to be ther own /ãd on the other parte / to abhorr the Masse and not to heareit / is euen the begynninge of fallinge from ther kyngdõ / andfrom Antichriste. Wherfor we may call Massehearinge / Thepublique profession of poperie / the badge of the most vile andfilthie Idolatrie which is vsed in our age. In this therfor / ĩwhich papistes put so mutch confidence / that they make therofthe very marcke wherby the godly are known from their men / noChristian must dissemble. For if he do / then doth he publiquelyprofesse hymself to be a papist / which is euen to denieChristes gospell: And this to do / is so greate a synne / as nomã cã extenuate by ony blind cloke or reason. But thow wiltsaye: Ther be greate daungers / of which I am in presentieoperdie / and I shall also sett mi self forthe to other mostheauy daũgiers / except I be partaker and do cõmunicate withpapists in the Masse / and such popishe Idolatrie. I grant thatther are daungers / such is theyr Tyrannie. But remember thou /That Godd hath forseene all theise daungers before / and alsohath shewed that they shuld comme / of which though he wer notignorante / yet did not his wisdõ chaunge his lawe to haue themauoyded: He commaunded / and doth / that Idolatrie shall not becõmitted but that mẽ shuld flye from it / which commaundement hewyll haue kept what soeuer perill dothe cõme theron. Wherfor letvs cast our care vppon hym which hath gyuen vs thiscommaundemẽt / for he which doth know righte well / that theiseeuels are ioyned with the obseruinge of his commaundementes / hewill care for them which for rightuisnes shalbe persequuted. Truly the violence / and nature of persequution and daungiers isnot such / that it can chaunge Godds lawe: neither that he willhaue his lawes chaunged for them. Let persequutions be howsoeuerthey be / yet Godds lawe remaynith vnmoueable. Let vs not seekethen to deuide and part ourselues / and our seruice / betwenGodd ãd the deuell / as thoughe we wold gyue our mynde ãdaffectiõ vnto Godd: ãd in poperie and supersticious Idolatriesto gyue our bodyes doĩges / and outward actiõs vnto the deuell. 

 [[1. Cor. 6. ]]

Our mynde is Godds seate / our bodie is his Tẽple. 

 [[Mat. 22. ]]

Gyue therfore to Godd / that which belongith vnto hym. Thinckewhat thow lust of doing and dissemblinge for thy commoditie:Yeat this Rule / and certayn Canon of the holy ghost must noweither rule the /

 [[Roma. 3. ]]

or herafter in Godds iudgement cõfownde the. Euell thinges arenot to be done that Goode shuld come theron. 

Now seing that we haue sufficiẽtly spoken of priuate men andsubiectes / in and through all the partes and membres of ourdistictions and diuisiõs / it remaynithe that we shuld entreateof Princes: for so at the begynning we ordered our diuision. 

 [[Of Rulers and Princes. ]]

Of Rulers and princes / I make this diuisiõ / Some there arewhich be chiefe princes / suche as do not depẽd and hange onother / of whõ the Ciuilians do saie / that they haue a mereRule. Other are vnder Rulars and such as be of lesse authoritiethen they / which do depende and hãge on the higher princes /either by the right (as they saie) of fee / or ells because theyare their officers / and mynisters / that is to saye (as they becommonlye termed) their deputies / lieutenaũtes and executoursof their office. I will firste speake of the higher / absolute /and mere Rulers: And of them

 [[A question]]

I will both aske and answere this questiõ: Whether it be lawfullfor thẽ to suffer and permite in their dominiõs the free andfamiliar conuersatiõ and dwellinge togither of the vnfaithfullwith the faith full:

 [[The answer]]

I thinke that it is lawfull / but yet so that they muste takehede of certeyn thinges / and obserue ans kepe certeyn Rules andconditions. 

The firste is / that they do not enforce nor compell theirfaithfull subiectes to ioyne with the vnbeleauers in theirassẽbles / nor in such vnholy kyndes of worshipp of Godd as arecõtrary to Godds worde: for then shold they not be Goddsministers / as they are taughte to be in the epistle to theRomains /

 [[Rom. 13. ]]

but rather the ministers of the deuill / of Antichriste / and oftheir furie. Then sholde they be a feare vnto them that dowell / and not to them that do euill / neither sholde theypromote the worke of God / but the tyranye of Antichriste. 

The secõde is / they muste not graunte nor suffer / thevnfaithfull to vse their supersticions and wicked Idolatrieswhich are cõtrarie vnto Godds worde. For it is not sufficient /that they do not compell the godly to wicked supersticiõ andIdolatrie / but also they muste forbidde the same to the wickedIdolatrours: For not doinge of this Salomõ is greatlie accused:

 [[3. Reg. 11. ]]

Indeed he did not compelle the Iues to worshipp Idolles / butyet did he permit and suffer his wyues and concubines, wich werestraungiers, to haue their Chapells amonge the Iues / in whichthey worshipped Astaroth / Chamos ãd such idolls / For whichcause the lorde was so angrie wyth him / that as he suffered histrue worshippe to be parted ãd diuided / as he suffered seruiceto be done partlie to God and partlie to Idolles. Euẽ so was hiskingdõ diuided / parte of it came vnto his sõne / ãd parte toIeroboã the sõne of Nabat. And agayn for doing of this / Achaz /ãd other wicked kĩges wer reproued of the prophetes. Magistratesare apoĩted to be the defẽders / ãd executours of the firsttable of the lawe as well as of the secõde: with what obseruatiõthẽ of iustice cã a magistrate graũte or suffer Idolatrie to bevsed? It is writõ that he hathe the sworde to punishe euillthĩges and vices. If it be his part to punishe theues / ãd notto permitt them / the same must he do to Idolatrours. Or ells wemust saie that Idolatrie is no such synne ãd vice as theft is /or that with other vices it is not to be punished. And thattheis prĩces maye do this the better / they muste thẽ seluestake hede that they be cleare frõ these Idolatries ãdsupersticiõs. Augustine writĩg againste the donatistes dothe ĩmanye places notablie intreate ãd hãdle this sentẽce of thepsalme. 

 [[Psal. 2. ]]

And nowe ye kĩges be wise be warned ye that iudge the earthe. Serue the lorde wyth feare. &c. It is reasõ ãd semyng faithe hethat kinges sholde serue the lorde / neither is it spokẽ ofkinges in respecte that they are mẽ / for so are they boũde toobserue cõmen lawes euẽ as other mẽ are / but as kĩges they beadmonished to vse their power giuẽ thẽ of God / ãd their swordto defẽde the catholike truithe / and to represse the wickedwhich do oppugne the church ãd truithe of Christ: wherfore it isnot lawfull for prĩces to graũt vnto the wicked and vnbeleuerstheir euill and vngodlie Godds seruice and Idolatries / but theymuste maynteyn to their power / those holy rites ãd ordinaũcesof godds seruice which do agree with the worde of God / ãdforbid those which are cõtrarie to yt. I do not saie that theymust be to curius in ceremonies / as many are / which wolde thatĩ any wise all rites ãd ceremonies sholde be throughli ãd in allplaces of oone sorte / ãd manier: But this theis princes sholdprouide / that the ceremonies vsed in ther churches sholde notbe contrarie to godds worde / yea and that they sholde mostneerely agre therwith / ãd shuld make for godly edyfyinge anddecẽt and comelye ordre in the churche: But of their liknes / ãdthat ĩ all places the rites / ãd ceremonies shold be of oneforme / I do not thinke it a thing worthie the labor. For whatmatter maketh it if some men do receyue the sacramẽt stõding /other sittinge / other kneling. And if in some places whilestthe bretherẽ do cõmunicat / a place of the scripture be redd /or some psalmes be sõg of the people / or other songes ofthankes geuing. Nether is it any great matter / when a corps iscaried to the buriall / whether that mẽ do followe the hearceholdĩg their peace / or singing of psalmes / or suche otherthinges as maye edifie them that do stãde by. These thinges areto be lefte so free that in the churches suche maie be vsed / asshall seme most meete for the edyfyinge of the people. Yea Isuppose that this varietye and chaunge in rytes / andceremonies / dothe not a lytell profyte ãd helpe to bring in atrue opiniõ of ceremonies / and to haue it kepte also: that is /that mẽ shuld beleue that all those ceremonies which the holiescripure doth not apoint / are not necessarie vnto saluaciõ /but maye be chaũged accordinge to the estate of tyme / ãd asshall serue for edifyĩg / as they shall thĩk Godd which haue intheir hand the orderinge the churche. That moste worthie commenwealthe of the venetians / which haue vnder their dominions /many Cities and places in Grece / they do in eche of them permitand suffer the rytes / and ceremonies / bothe of the Grekechurche / and of the Latin churche / for those wise men dothincke / that the dyuersytie in outward ceremonies which arenot taught in Godds worde is not hurtefull. I do not alledg thisto allowe all such ceremonies as they do permitt in thosplaces / but only to shew that they thincke it not a matter ofnecessite to haue all one forme of ceremonies: The verie samethinge before thẽ did Augustine iudge as in his epistles toIanuarius / and Cassulanus it dothe apeare. 

The thirde thinge is / that the princes and rulers which dosuffer these vnfaithfull mẽ to dwell ĩ their dominions sholdeprouide that they mighte be taughte the truithe: and in thisbehalfe they muste not neglect them: for as the princes dodeclare their gẽtilnes in suffering thẽ to dwell in theirdominions so this their pacience muste be directed to the glorieof God: And howe can that be soughte in theis vnbeleauers / ifthey be suffered to abyde in their noughtie opinion withoutteachinge: Surely by thys meanes in processe of tyme they bemade no whit the better / but a greate deale worse then theywere before. 

The fourth is / that these princes take Godd hede / that by thisdwellinge and cõuersation which they do graunte vnto thevnfaithfull / they do not infecte the poeple cõmitted to theircure and chardge with their scabbe of vnbelefe ãd errour. Charytie is to be shewed vnto straungiers indede / but yet notso that they muste hurte the poeple amõg whom they lyue. Andthis shal the princes remedie very wel / if that they do notalways beare with the corrupt blindnes of the vnbeleauers /but after sufficient teachinge do compell them to embrace truereligion. I say that when they haue prouided that thesevnfaithfull haue bene taught a good whyle and truly instructed /they must then enforce and compell them vnto those holye andpure rytes and worshippinges of Godd which are commaunded in thescriptures: for princes and rulers must not alwayes / nor yet tolonge suffer theyr cytyzens and subiectes / to lyue withoutexercise of godlynes and vertue. The ende of policallgouernemente is / that the subiecte both sholde lyue infelycytie / ãd also in the practyse of godlynes / because thatgodlines and the true worshipp of God is the chefest of allvertues. 

But some man will obiecte against me / and say / yf so be thatthe vnfaithfull be not yet persuaded / they shall then embracetruthe against theyr conscience / which thinge yf the princecompell them to do / then he compelleth them to synne. Here mustwe make a difference betwene the thinge that of it selfe issynne / and that which is so by chaunce / by some fortune / orsome other thinge that happeneth / per accidens, as theLogicians do saye: for whẽ the Magistrate / in the matter whichnow we haue in hãd / dothe propounde vnto these his subiectes /the thing that is right / goode / iuste / and cõmaunded of God /prouidinge to haue them taughte therin / and they will not betaughte / yf then he enforceth them owtwardlye to vse none otherorder in religion then is commaunded of Godd / and to forsakeall other / he doth that which is iuste and appertayninge to hisoffice. But that synne is entermingled in this matter / truly itis not throughe the faulte of the prince / but it is of thevnbeleif of these men / of whiche the prince can not be iustlyaccused / when he hath diligẽtly done his part / that they sholdbe well instructed. Morouer them which do obiecte this consider/ that by the same reason that they accuse these princes we mayaccuse God: for he doth propounde his lawe / which is mosteperfyte to be obserued of all men. Shuld men saye? we are weake/ our nature is corrupte and infected / neither can we do thesethinges as thou dost commaunde them / And why dost thou thenenforce this lawe vpon vs? If we do cõtrarie to that which thoudoest commaunde / verely we synne / and yf we go not about to doit we synne / we shall synne also yf we go aboute to do thatwhich thou commaundest / for we want of perfection / neyther dowe obey as we sholde do: wherfore do what we will / we shall notauoyde synne: vnto this the Lorde wolde aunswer. The thingesthat I do propounde to be obserued of you are iuste and perfect/ no man can accuse them of wickednes / But in that ye are weakeand do fall / and faile in fulfilling of my lawe / the faultemuste not be layed vnto me / for it is of your own malice andcorruptiõ / and not through my faulte / for the which I maye notwithdrawe my holy commaũdements / Yet thus I haue prouided helpefor you / Beleue in my only dearly beloued sonne / and lokewhat so euer ye wante / wherin soeuer ye do fayle / and notfulfyll my commaundementes / it shall not be imputed / nor laidto your chardge vnto euerlasyinge deathe: yea your endeuoyrs andyour doinges / although they be not fully perfect ãd absolute /yet will I accepte thẽ well / they shall please me / and I willallowe thẽ. Euen so shall the good prince and Magistrate saye:The thinges which are conteyned in Goddes worde / suche thingesas are comlye and do edifie / do I require of you / yf yourmynde and conscience do go agaynst them / ye can not impute itvnto me / I haue laboured and done my parte that ye sholde notbe ignoraunt / and miserablie perish in ignoraũce. I haue causedyou to be sufficiently instructed / and nowe will I procedeexhorting / admonishinge / and demaundinge of you obedience inthese thinges: do you reade the holye scriptures / heare theteachers and pastours / ãd pray the Lorde to open the eyes ofyour harte and mynde. Thus in aunswering to this obiectiõ I shewwhat a goode prince in this case may and must do. That thingealso is not to be passed ouer of which Augustyne maketh mencion/ that he hymselfe was somtyme of this opinion / that nothingsholde be violẽtlye done agaynst heretiques / but that theyshold only be taughte / But his mynde altered after that he wasadmonished by some wyse Bishoppes / howe certeyn cities / whichsomtyme were altogether corrupted with the errour of theDonatistes / were cõpelled by the violence of the lawes of goodEmperours to receyue the catholike faith / ãd these at lẽgthwere so syncerelie tourned vnto the truthe / that they dyd gyueto God moste hartye thãckes for that violent enforcement /sayinge that nowe thoughe they might safelye / yet by no meaneswolde they retorne any more to suche pernicious and hurtfullopiniõs. The prince therfore / after that he hath gyuen themsufficient instruction / yf he shall enforce these men vnto theembracing of such rites and ceremonies as are good and godlyeindede / he shall do no hurte at all but muche good. I do meanethat this sholde be practysed only vpon suche as be cityzens /and naturall borne subiectes / or suche as beinge straungersborne / do as denizens dwell in theyr domininiõs / ãd so bypriuiledge haue the benefite of theyr coũtrithe: Otherwyse yfthey be but straũgiers which do passe through their countrithe /or such as do come either to bye or to sell marchaundize / thereis no suche violẽce to be shewed towardes thẽ. And yet thisthing they must take heade of euen in thẽ / that they do notseduce their people ãd subiectes which are of a good iudgement /that they do not infect them with vice and errour. TheIsraelites / as I thincke / ar in this pointe to be folowed. They did admitt no straunger to be as a Iue / or proselyte /neyther did they gyue vnto any the libertie of their countrith /except he did fyrst circũcise himself / admitt Moses lawe / didcõmunicate / and became partaker with them in theyr Sacrifices /submitting himself to their discipline: Which thinge / seing itwas well and diligently obserued of them / why shuld not ourprinces do euen the same? That they shuld suffer no Citezen /nor subiect / eyther naturall / or straũger born / but that theyshuld compell and enforce hym / to receyue such religion / andobserue such rites and ceremonies / agreing with Godds worde /as they by common autoritie haue establyshed. Now will I speakeof those princes and Rulers / which ar vnder these chief Rulers. Whome I do deuide into two sortes. Eyther they are such as haueIurisdiction / poure / and auctoritie / which commeth to them bydiscent frõ theyr Auncetours / or els committed vnto them ofEmperours / Kinges / and common welthes: Eyther els they haue noIurisdiction nor Rule ouer others / neyther by discent fromtheyr auncetours / nor by commission from other higher princes /but only are taken and estemed as men of worshipp / for theauncientnes of their house and blud / or for their riches. Thislast sorte do not differ at all in a maner from priuate men / ofwhom I haue spoken before / for these are mere subiectes as theyare. Therfor (I do suppose) that the former Rules / appointedvnto priuate men and subiectes are to be committed vnto thẽ / tobe obserued of thẽ / in such maner as I haue before declared. But of this other sorte of Princes and Rulers / of which some byright of inheritaũce / some by vertue of office committed vntothem / are Rulars and gouernours of countrithes / cities andplaces. Of these I do saye and pronoũce this / That in matterswhich do belong to Godd and true Religion / they ought to do noother things / but those / which I haue already shewed that themuste do / which are meere / absolute / and the hygher princesand Rulars. For it is not lawfull for them / no not at thecommaundement of theyr hygher Princes and Lordes / to compellthose subiectes ouer whom they haue rule / to recyue wickedReligion and supersticion / neyther to permitt the vnfaithfullin the places where they do beare Rule / to haue theyr vngodlyIdolatries and supersticions. This must thei not do / no thoughethey were (I saye) therunto cõmaunded by theyr hygher princesand Lordes / of whom / and vnder whome / they haue theyrauctoritie. But yf thou wilt saye / that they must obey theyrhygher poures / I will graunt that / but (as the sayinge is)_vs[que] ad Aras_, that is vntill they do come to matters ofReligion / and vntill they do commaunde in Religion thingescontrarie to Goddes worde and truthe. For when they shallcommaunde that which is against Godd / and is hurtefull to theconscience of mã / these magistrates must not obey thẽ. Forthese vnder Rulars are called into a parte of the cure andcharge of the goode gouernemente of the countrie / by the forceof theyr dignitie and office:

They must not therfor putt those thinges in execution / whicheare agaynst Godd / and are hurtefull to theur countrye: Yea theyought both to persuade by reason / and to defende by poure thecontrary. 

The Lacedemonians / when they whiche hadd ouercomme them / diddemaunde of them such thinges as were against the ciuile lawesand libertie of their citie / They answered / If ye do commaundevs to do thinges which ar more weightie and greuous then death /we wyll rather dye then do them: Thus ought these vnder Rularsanswer theyr higher Lordes / when they do commaunde them to dothinges which are to the defacing of Godds glorie ãd truth / andto the wounding and vnquieting of the consciences of thesubiectes / whiche thinges are more weyghtie and greuous thendeath indeede. In Cyuile thinges they may gyue place to thevniust commaundementes and decrees of theyr hygher Lordes / butthat ought they not to do in the cause of Godd / and pureReligion. The Machabees at such tyme as the Iues were vnder therule of the Macedonians (Antiochus / Demetrius / and Alexander /I meane) which princes did leade the people awaye from the trueworship of God / and from the seruice taught in hys worde /wolde not obeye them. But that house and tribe of the prestescalled _Asmonei_, whiche in dignitie were nexte vnto the houseand stocke of the Kinges / and bare the chief Rule nexte vntoit / les that the true worshippe of Godd commaunded and taughtin the lawe / and which hadd bene retayned and vsed in theyrcountrye / shulde be thus leafte and forsaken / they did Rebellagainst thos kinges as the hostorie doth witnes. But if thishistorie for the insufficiencie of the auctoritie of the bocke(which yet is a true historie / as Iosephus also doth witnes)will not suffice to proue this matier: Then let vs consider whatIoiada the bishopp did in the dayes of Athalia:

 [[4. Reg. 11. ]]

She hadd by violence obtayned the kingdomme / ãd so was she thesupreame ordinarie poure: But yet he sturred vpp a commotionagaynst her / And he brought the Sonne of Asa / Kinge Ioas /I meane (who was saued by hym frõ her bluddy sworde) into thekingdome: For he knew that by Goddes worde the kingdome wasgyuen to the house of Iuda / He perceyued also that she wentabout to haue all good Religiõ / and true godlynes / vtterlyouerthrowen. Therfor as she had vniustly shedd innocẽt bludd /euen so he most iustlye commaunded that she shuld be slayne. 

 [[4. Reg. 18. ]]

Kinge Ezechias also / was in subiection to the King of theAssyriãs / for Achaz his father hadd submitted hym selfe vntohym / and did not only paye hym tribute / but also for hispleasure did chaunge Godds Religion: for whẽ he wente to Damascoto meete this Kinge / he commaunded that an altar shuld be madeat Hierusalẽ / after the patrone and fashion of that which hehadd seene at Damasco. This Kinge Achaz his sonne / godlyEzechias / perceyuinge that these thinges whiche his father hadddone / were repugnant and contrarye vnto Godds worde / hurtefullalso to the consciences of his subiects / he (I say) did fallaway frõ the Kinge of the Assyrians / which yet was now hissuperior and hygher poure. Indeede he soughte fyrst to pacifiehym with gyftes / which thing when he coulde not do / then tothe vttermost of hys poure he dyd defende hym self / and hispeople agaynst hym. Neuertheles in this matter sedicion muste beauoyded so much as may be / and these princes must not vnder thecolour and cloke of Religion / seeke theyr own gayne and honor:but here only let thẽ resiste / that nothing be done contrary toGodds worde / and not for those thinges which are done to hindertheyr ambicion. Of this corrupt affection yf thei be cleare /and only for Religions sake do resiste the wicked proceadingesof theyr hygher princes and Lordes / let them not thincke thatthey do herin anye vnrighteousnes at all. But yf one willobiecte and saye: Thys maye not be / for all men are commaũdedto obeye the hygher poures. I answer /

 [[Rom. 13. ]]

It is true indeede that the holy scriptures do commaunde / thateuerye soule shulde obeye the hygher poures / but so farr as byGodds word it is lawfull to obey / and no further. For the holyscriptures do likewyse say / that the Rular is not any feare tothem that doth good / but to them that do euell. Wherfor seyingthese princes / in this case by theyr endeuour and laboure / dopromote that which is goode / they do well and not euell: and soought they for this doinge to be without fear of the hygherpoure / because that herin they do not resiste agaynst them /with that Resistaunce which is forbidden. Wilt thou (saith he)be without feare of the poure? do well then / and so shalt thoube praysed of the same: If these princes and rulars do defendegodlynes and religion / they do good / then by the iudgement ofGoddes worde they are without feare of the poure / and dodeserue prayse of theyr hygher poures and lords. But yf thou doeuell (saith Paule) then feare the poure / for he beareth notthe sworde for nought / but is the minister of Godd to takevengeaũce on them which do euell. Thus doth this place arme themyndes and cõsciences of these inferior princes of whom Ispeake / that they shulde note feare theyr hygher poures / whenfor the defence of Goddes religion / they do resiste and notobeye theyr wicked commaundementes. Yf any will now thus sayeagaynst me. He that hath the kinglye and supreame auctoritie /vnto whom by othe I do owe obedience / commaundeth thesethinges / and therfore I must obey. I answer that thou arte notboũd herin to keape any such othe or promis. For when hecommaundeth those thinges whiche are agaynste God / he dothe notthe office of Goddes minister / to him thẽ therin thou dost oweneyther faith nor obedience. Agayne yf thou wilt aske / By whatrighte may these vnder rulars and inferiour magistrates / thussett them selues agaynst the hygher princes / which haue theverye supreame right and poure to defende pure and godlyeReligion / and the true faithe. I aunswere. That the electoursof the Empire / and the Princes of Germanie / and the frecityes / do it by the Imperiall poure and righte / whiche iscommitted vnto them: And that the Magistrates and Rulars whicheare in kingdoms / they do and darre do it / by the Kinglye poureand right lykewyse committed vnto them. For Emperours andKinges / and such hygher poures / haue therfor chosen and takedthese vnder Rulars and officers / as it were into a parte oftheyr Rule / to be theyr helpers / in administringe and orderingtheyr businesses and charge / to the ende that Iustice mightflorishe so muche the more. And euen so from the begynningepoure and Rule was gyuen vnto these / that they shulde rule thecommon wealthe / for that part therof / whiche was committedvnto them / iustlye / vprightlye / and godlye. Wherof theEmprour in the Code doth saye / that yf he shulde commaunde anyethinge agaynste righte / he wolde not that any suche decree ofhis shulde auayle in iudgementes. The very same thinge is to besayde / where a kinge or suche which do retayne the supreameauctoritie / do commaunde or determyne anye thynge againsteright. Not vnworthy is Traianus the Emperour therforecommended / who when he delyuered the sworde to a Rular in hisEmpire / sayde: If I do cõmaunde Iuste thinges / vse this forme / but yf I do require vniust things / vse it against me. Buton the contrary part / Gregorie the great / Byshopp of Rome /can not in this behalfe be praysed / but dispraysed / andaccused: Who seinge that the lawe whiche Mauritius the Emperourhad made was vniuste / which was / That no man entangled withthe matters of the common wealth / or which was appointed to thewarrs / might be made a priest or a mõck / he wrote to theEmperour / That after that he hadd seene hys lawe / he waswonderfullye afrayed and astonied / And therfor he desireth hymto diminshe somwhat of the rigour of the lawe or els to chaũgeit altogether: But yet he added / That as touchinge hymself /after that he hath now done his office in admonishing hym / nowfor the obedience which he doth owe vnto him / he wolde publishehis lawe / as he hadd commaunded. Thys acte surely can not / butbe reproued in this Busshopp. Agayn here thou wilt happily saye. What yf the hygher Prince wil not allowe me to do myne office /or doth reuoke this parte of myne office? Truly no man cã takethat frõ thyne office / which God hath cõmaunded the to do init. No mã can discharge the of that dutye / wherewith Godchargeth the in thyne office / do thou the dutye that longeth toit. Many there are which do thincke / that when this dealingeand doinge of the inferior magistrate agaynste the hygher Rularsis thus straitly required / That Godds Religiõ is not to bepromoted after this manier by thẽ / but rather / that they dosufficientlye the thinge which belõgeth vnto them / yf they doforsake theyr office / and gyue ouer their Rule and auctoritie. So do not I thincke / Thy dignitie and office is not so lightlyto be gyuen ouer. Thou dost gyue ouer thyne office / becausethou wilt not strayne thy self therin to promote the glorie ofGodd: And this is to depart and fall from thy vocacion: whichthou oughtest not to do / especially whẽ thou dost playnly see /that thy roume and place / shalbe bestowed vpon those / which arwicked and both do / ãd will oppresse the kingdom of God. Thesemen must abyde therfor in theyr offices / so lõg as they be notputt out of them by the higher poures / and strõgly must theydefend the glorie of God in them. 

Now when I on this maner do entreate of these thinges / I do notmake or shewe an easye waye to sturre vp sedicions. But thisonlye I do seke / and care for /

 [[Matt. 22. ]]

That those thinges which do belonge vnto Godd / shuld be gyuenvnto Godd: and those thinges which are belonging vnto Cesar /shulde be gyuen vnto Cesar. If the worldly substaũce and ritchesof men were required and asked by the hygher poures / I woldcouncell to gyue thẽ. But in those thinges which do belonge vntothe worshipp of Godd / I say / that thei must not yealde to thewicked requestes of theyr hygher Rulars and lordes: here is noplace to be gyuen to thẽ / but in our owne ciuile matters wemust yealde / yf to yealde in them be not agaynst Goddes lawe. 

 [[3. Reg 21. ]]

In which case Naboth is to be excused / which wolde not grauntehys vyneyard to the Kinge: He dyd it not of couetousnes / or ofto great a desyre which he dyd beare to the thinges of theworld / but because he dyd knowe that in gyuing awaye of hisvineyarde so / Goddes lawe shulde be broken / by which he haddappointed / that the feeldes and possessions amonge the peopleof Israell /

 [[Num. 33. ]]

shuld remayn in theyr tribes and kindreds / as they were iustlydistributed at the beginning. This lawe of God wolde Kinge Achabhaue broken / and therto required he the cõsent of Naboth /which he with a good and a safe conscience could not do / andtherfor wold not. But halas / sorow it is to behold / how thatthere are many Dukes / Earles / and such princes / from whome yfan Emperour or a Kinge wold take their dominions / landes /lordshipps and inheritaunce / they wold leaue nothing vndone /yea they wold do all that they could do / to defend their own /and do resiste their vnrighteous doinge: But when the kingdom ofGod is assaulted by tyrauntes, and the gospell and bequest ofthe bludd of Christe taken violently and wretchedly away fromthem / and frõ the children of Godd which are committed to theyrtuition and defence / they will do nothing at all. Yea when theyare required of theyr hygher poures / as ministers of theyrfurie / to destroye and ouerthrow the gospell / then theyneyther sturre nor speake anye thing at all / but do as they arebiddẽ. In theyr own cause they can fight / and rebell / but inGoddes cause / they are as it were no princes nor Rulers. Wherbywe can not thincke any other thing of them / then this / Thatthey do not at the hart esteme the gospell of Christe. 

 [[A confutation of the places alledged. ]]

Nowe this is remayning / that I sholde answer vnto those reasonswhich were put forthe at the begynning to proue that thedwelling together of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull islawfull / and confute them. Firste / the example of Christ isset against vs / which dyd eate and drinke familiarlye withscribes / pharisees / publicanes / and synners. We musteremembre that Christe was not only stronge / but the chiefeheade of all them shich be stronge. He coulde so profyte themwhich were euell / that theyr euill shuld not hurte him / andtherfore might vse familiaritie with the wicked. Euen so thereis no cause to the contrarie / but that they whiche be learnedand constante in the truthe / suche as can profit thevnfaithfull by their cõuersation and familiar being with them /and not be hurt by it them selues (as we haue admonished before)may be conuersaunt with the vnbeleauers and wicked. 

The seconde place is /

 [[1. Cor. 7. ]]

Paule wolde not that the faithfull maried vnto an vnbeleuersholde departe / yf the vnbeleuer will dwell together with theother. This I do also acknowledge / as befor I haue said: forvnto thẽ / al necessary businesses / especially those which areordeyned of God / are to be done. And yet in that place which ishere alledged / Paule is not so to be vnderstanded withoutexception / as these mẽ do iudge: for yf the vnbeleuĩg mariedparson / shold cõtinually moue the faithfull to Idolatrie / orsholde not cease to blaspheme Christ / and prouoke the other tocõmit like blasphemie / so lõg as thei did liue together / thisioynt life in mariadge were not to be cõtinued: for this werenot to dwell together / but to conspire together against Christ:Paule therfor speaketh of suche cohabitacion as is laufullwithout suche soliciting or mouinge to euell and blasphemye. 

An other sentence of Paule is broughte which he writeth to theCorinthians /

 [[1. Cor. 5. ]]

where he teacheth that all couetous parsons / euill speakers /dronckardes / whoremũgars / and such lyke are not to beauoided / for then sholde they haue gone out of the worlde. 

But he wold / that we sholde kepe our selues frõ thẽ / whichbeing called brethren / are infected with these vices. Asconcerninge this place / we must consider the mynde and purposeof Paule. Firste he dyd perceyue that for the necessitie of lyfeit coulde not be that the faithfull shulde auoyde the companieof all which at that tyme were vnbeleuers / for the greater partof men at that ceason was without Christ / and they beingeauoided of our men / coulde not therby haue bene made thebetter / But into thẽ which before were bretheren / bothe soroweand shame was dryuen / when they dyd see that they wer nowshonned of the godlye / to whome as they were before rightedeare / so with them they were familiar. And by this meanes thechurch was not euill reported / neither for clokinge of euillamong themselues / nor for to seuere separatinge themselues fromthem which were not yet conuerted: seing that they lyued withthe vnbeleuers / partly for the necessitie of lyfe / partlye toturne them to the gospell of Christ: wherfore this sentence dothmake nothing at all agaynst those thinges which we haue alreadyespoken. 

Moche lesse maketh that for them which they do bringe in /

 [[Gene. 12. ]]

that Abraham did becomme a straungier amõg the heathẽ andIdolatours: first that which Abraham dyd / euen by the callingeand commaundmente of God he dyd it. Againe he was of sucheknowledge and constãcie in the truithe that he coulde beconuersaũte whith the vnbeleauers with out hurtinge of himselfe / and wyth moche profyting of thẽ. For he caryed aboutewith him the name of god ãd his holy ãd true worship / whitherso euer he wẽt. And the very same thing / maie we answer of Lot. 

 [[5]] [[Gene. 13. ]]

For if Lot went to Sodome / with a Good mynde to teache thẽ truefaithe and godlie life / he owght not to be accused therfore /for it was well done / yea it was the prouidence of God towardsthe Sodomyts / that they mighte be better taughte / and ernestlycaled vnto repẽtance. So dothe God admonishe before hedestroieth. So Abraham was sent amonge the Cananites. On thissorte to go amõge the wicked / and vnbeleuers is lawfull andlaudable. But if Lot went to Sodõ only because the pleasauntecommodytie of the place pleased him / he dyd not wel. Neitherindede dyd his going thither happen luckelie / for he was ledawaye captiue / so that he was in nede to be rescued again byAbraham. 

 [[Gene. 14. ]]

And likewise when God burned the Cytie / he was compelled euenagainst his will to forsake it. 

Of Naaman I shall not nede to speake nowe /

 [[6]]

for of him I haue spokẽ inough before. 

 [[7]]

I suppose lykewise that the cause is opẽ and plaine inoughe /wherfore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sentfrõ him to their own coũtrie / and kindred / to publishe anddeclare and amõge thẽ / what hade happened vnto thẽ. This noweremayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / andheretikes. For these too kindes of mẽ do in all places this dayeliue amonge / and do dwell togither wyth the Christians. 

 [[Of the Iues]]

As concerninge the Iues / there be certayn reasons why they areto be borne withall and suffered. Of which Augustine / amongeothers / doth make mencion in many places. Furste / they aboueall other sortes and nations of men hadde the promise made vntothem. Neither are they all yet vtterly to be despayred of / forthe roote remaynethe into the which they maye be ingraftedagayne / and nowe and thẽ some of them / thoughe not many inNombre / do come vnto Christe. Paule saithe to the Romains /

 [[Rom. 11. ]]

that partly blindnes is happened is Israel / as if he woldesaie / not vpon all / not for euer. And afterwarde he saieth /when the fulnes of the gentyles ys comme / thẽ all Israellshalbe saued: vnto that ende therfore the lorde saueth / andpreseruith them vnto this daye. And that thou sholdest notthincke that this place is to be vnderstanded allegorically ofthe spirituall Israel / Paule teacheth it as a mysterie / ãddothe recite the prophecie of Esaie /

 [[Esa. 59. ]]

in which it is sayd: That then all the iniquite of Iacob shal betaken awaie. Besids this they are called ennemies / but yetbeloued for the fathers. 

 [[Quest. Euãg. Lib. 2. Quest. 33. ]]

And Augustine expoundinge the historie of the prodigall sonne /saieth / that he dothe represent the gentiles /

 [[Luc 15. ]]

for as he went into a farre countrie / so the gentyles dyddeparte so farre frome God / that they worshipped Idolls as by apublike order and custome cõmenlye receyued: But the eldersonne / by whõ the people of the Iues is signified / went notfarre awaie / but was in the felde / not in his fathers houseverylie / which is the church / but in the fielde / for the Iuesare occupied / and cõuersaunte aboute the letter of thescriptures / they vnderstãde them whith an earthly and fleshymynde: And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: Atthe begynning he wẽte not into the house / but at the last heshall entre / and be called also:

 [[Lib. De fide rerũ inuisib. Cap. 6. ]]

And alwaies Augustine bringith this sentence to persuade men tosuffer the Iues / which is writẽ in the 58. Psal. 

 [[Psal. 59]]

as he nõbred the Psalmes. Sley them not / lest my poeple doforget / but scater thẽ abroade. &c. The sonne of God praieththe father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne anddestroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Othercountries and nacyõs / being subdued of the Romaynes receyuedtheir lawes and rytes / and so became Romains / but the Iuesalthough that they also were ouercomme of the Romaines / yetwere they neuer made Romaĩs / neither ĩ ordinaũces / lawes / norreligiõ. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they cã) euẽvnto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scatteredabrode / neither do they forget the lawe of Godd / the haue it /not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / ãd theydo also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circũcisiõ and otherordinaũces / by which they are knowẽ from others. But they offerno sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusalẽ. And thus it semeth that the lorde hathe sett vppon them asigne / as he dyd vppon Cain / which slewe his brother Abell. 

Neither is this their dispersion amonge all the nacions of theworlde vnprofitable for vs. They are braunches brokẽ of / and weare grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we dobeholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of God towards them /and his grace towards vs: And we muste take hede / that we benot lykwise cutt of through vnbelefe / for the which they werebroken awaie. Ther is another cõmoditie besydes this thatcommith of this their dispersiõ which is / that they do kepe ourbokes / the holy byble I do meane. These they do carye aboutewith them / they reade them / and thoughe they beleue not /because they are blinded / yet do they cõfesse that thesewrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in theirmynde / yet the bokes which they haue and do reuerẽce / are ourwitnesses. Wherfore I cã not maruayle ynoughe at those mẽ whichdo persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and theHebrewe bibels / and do burne them / whẽ as Augustine in hisboke / _De doctrina Christiana_, dothe bidde /

 [[Lib. 2. Ca. 11. ]]

that we sholde go to the truithe of the Hebrue tonge / if we dodoubte in any place of our translations. The selfe same thingedothe Hierome teache in manye places. But they saie that thesebokes are corrupted of the Iues. Heare I thinke good to answerwith Hierome. Either saithe he they dyd this before the commingeof Christe / and the preachinge of the Apostles / or after: ifbefore / it is maruell that when Christ / the Apostles / andPaule / dyd reproue moste shãfull faultes in the Iues / thatthey wolde haue kepte in silence so greate and haynous asacriledge as this: surelie if it hade bene so / they wolde hauereproued yt. But if it was done after Christes ascẽsiõ / theywolde thẽ chieflie haue corrupted those places which do makemẽciõ of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostilesdid alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the samesense and meaninge of thẽ is in their bible in which they wererecyted of Christe / and his Apostles (for aboute the wordesthey were not so curious) wherfore it is not lyke / that theyhaue corrupted any other places at all in the holy bokes of thescripture. Yea if a mã dothe iustly beholde thẽ / he shall seethat they haue many moo testimonies and sentences for vs / moreplaine / I saye / then our cõmen translatiõ hathe / as in the. 2. Psal. Kisse the sonne / where ours hathe / laie holde ofknowledg. In like maner the whole . 53. Of Esaie / which dothemoste plainlie prophecie of Christ / remaynith vncorrupt. Thebokes therfore are not corrupted. Yea they coulde not hauecorrupted those bokes thoughe they wolde / but it shuld beeasyly espied: for ther be of them many moste awncient in wrytenhande / which haue bene kepte moste diligentlie of Christians. But let vs retourne to the profyt that Augustine speaketh of. Many mighte thinke / that those thinges which are spokẽ of theolde people were vayne and fayned / and likwise those thingeswhich we do tell owte of the prophettes / excepte they dyd seethe Iues thẽselues yet liuinge / and remayninge / with theirbokes / which do beare witnesse to the thinges that we dospeake: wherfore though the Iues be blinded in mynde / and inharte are our enemyes / yet euen them and their bokes we hauemoste plaine witnesses of out faithe. Aske thẽ of the prophetteswhom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte them to be true. Askethem of the vnderstandinge of thẽ / in yt they are ignoraunte /because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges /that witnesse which is gyuen of a mãs enemie is of greatestweight / and makith most for him: Of suche witnesses truly thelorde hathe prouided good stoore for his churche. For we hauenot only the bokes of the Hebrues to make for vs / but also theverses or rydles of the Sibylles / which were of an heathẽpoeple. It is not to be thought / that our elders fayned thosverses: for Sibylles bokes were euen commune / in all menshands / in the tyme of Eusebius the bishoppe of Cesarea / ofLactantius / and of Augustine. All which do vse / and alledgthem. But if they hade alledged false and counterfett verses /the heathen mẽ which then excelled in knowledge / and were verymany also in numbre / they wolde haue reproued theym as vayn menand lyars. If then men wyll gyue this vnto the verses of theSibylles that they be vncorrupte / moche more is it to be giuento the bokes of the Hebrues. Thus hath it pleased the lorde todefende and arme his churche / yea euẽ with the testimonies ofhis aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge theChristians / both for the promis which they haue of the saluaciõto comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities whichthey do carie with them / such as I haue rehearsed. And for thiscause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they hauetheir Synagoges graunted vnto them: As in the NouellisConstitutionibus of Iustinian / and in the Decrees / it dothappere: But this is permitted vnder such condicion that theyshuld not haue moo Synagoges then they hadd before / norgreater: Yet maye they repaire them that fall into decaye: Thiswas graũted to them / bicause that in their cõgregacions / theris no impiete / nor wickednes committed: They do but reade onlythe bookes of the holy scripture / and do publiquely praye. Inwhich thinge yet the Magistrates and Bushopps / do euell / whichdo not diligẽtly serche / take heede / and prouide / that theydo nothinge els in their congregations indeede / then that Ihaue spoken of: for they shuld by al meanes take heede / that intheir publique and cõmon prayers / exhortations and readingesthey do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and Godd. Whichthynge seing they do not / both the Magistrates and the Bushoppsare in greate fault. Vnto Turcks this ought not to be graunted /that they shuld gather them selues together in congregations todo their Godd seruice / bicause that in the same they readeneither the old Testament / nor the newe / but only their ownblasphemus and filthie Alcorane. Morouer the Iues shuld beforbidden the practise of their exchaũges / and their vsuries. For not without mutch dishonesti and shame / do they afflictemany poore Christians therwith. But Christian Princes and Rularsdo take tributes / and gret taxes for these gaynes of vsurie andshamefull couetusnes of the Iues / so farr ar they fromforbidding them these wicked practises. Agayne Christian princesdo not prouide to haue the Iues which do dwell vnder theirdominions taught in Goddes truithe: which indeede is an euillnegligẽce in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues tocomme vnto the godly sermons of the Christians / and that oftentymes. Els if they be left in this point neglected / they dowaxe dayly wors and wors / and lytill yea no hope at all is therto be hadd of their conuercion. Theise princes are likewisebownd to take heade that the Iues do not corrupt the Christiãs /which ar vnder their Rule / that they do not seduce them andbringe them into Iuishnes. Neither shuld the weaker sort ofChristians haue ony familiaritie with them / but only suchChristians as be learned / and constant in the truithe. And thatfor such causes / as I haue alledged before. Last of all it ismeete and conueniẽt / that they shuld be known from theChristians by their araye / or som suche outwarde signe / lesony man at vnwares shuld be conuersaunt with them / as thoughthey wer Christians. And thus mutch of the Iues shall suffice. Now will I entreate of Heretikes. 

This worde Hæresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / αἱρεῖν, whichsignifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For heretikes dochose out / vnto thẽselues sum doctrine which is contrarye to theholy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the same. Vnto thiseuell they are brought / either bicause they do not know the holyscripture / either bicause that though they do knowe them yetthey do contemne and despise them either els bicause they doapplye thẽselues to get sum honor or riches by this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith. 

 [[Lib. De vtilit. Credẽ. ]]

He is an heretike which either enuentith / or folowith fals andnew opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to getthimself glorie ãd autorite. But of Heresie I will make thisdefinicion. 

 [[Vvhat heresie is. ]]

Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / of certeyndoctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge /either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holyscriptures / to gett therby aduaũtag / or honors. There arefoure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall causeis / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiallparte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. Forhe that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not anHeretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresieis / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust orcouetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtaynehonors / ãd riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse whichfolowith the preachinge of the gospell / ãd as Paule saith /

 [[Phil. 3. ]]

Theyr belly / is their god. Augustine hath also this diuisiõ. 

 [[Quest. In Matth. Quest. 11. ]]

Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise thẽ theysaie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which fordiuersitie in opiniõ do diuide and separat the church / forσχιζειν, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere /and cõtinue in that schisme. 

 [[Lib. 2. Contra Cresco. Cap. 7. ]]

But in an other place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ frõschisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppondiuersitie of sentẽces. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be /onles they which do make it do thinke and holde cõtrariethinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme. 

 [[1. Cor. 11. ]]

Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theisetoo wordes for one thinge. Nowe that ye se what Heresie is /consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no?They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea ãd sumother ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes dodiffer from vs only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not inthe doctrine of faith. But how farr theise mẽ do err from thetruithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnlyproue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayneHeresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe. 

 [[1]] [[The Papistes are heretiques. ]]

Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke outvnto themselues this doctrine: That a man is not iustified byfaithe only / but by goode worcks also. Which doctrine iscontrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus. 

 [[Rom. 3. ]]

We holde that a mã is Iustified by faithe / without the deedesof the Lawe. Agayn he saith. 

 [[Gal. 2. ]]

We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of thelawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Pauledid thẽ withstõd / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of theIues / also he writith thus. 

 [[Rom. 10. ]]

For being ignorant of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about toestablishe their own righteousnes / they were not obediẽt to therighteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise tworighteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnesof faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the oneexcludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking ofIustificatiõ he saith. 

 [[Rom. 11. ]]

If it be of grace / thẽ is it not of worcks / if it be ofworcks / thẽ is it no more grace. To the Philippians he playnlysaith /

 [[Phil. 3. ]]

that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can notiustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge /which truly he wold not haue done / if they hadd such poure andvertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / thatmen before regeneraciõ are euell / and then must this sentẽce ofChristes stõde true. 

 [[Mat. 7. ]]

An euell tree cã not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can itbe / that they wich are deade as cõcerning righteousne / can ofthẽ selues go ony thinge forward vnto their new birhte:

 [[Ephes. 2. ]]

And we all wer such / euẽ deade throughe synne / and thechildren of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues dothwitnes /

 [[Hebre. 11. ]]

That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to theRomayns Paule saith. 

 [[Rom. 14. ]]

That what soeuer is not of faith is Synne. This is the doctrineof the scripture cõcerning this matier. The papistes (as Isayde) so teache cleane contrarie doctrine / and do obstinatlydefẽd it / notwithstõding that they be admonished of their errorby the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom /Augustin / and others / by the godly Coũcels / as Africanum /Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therofby vs / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by theformer definitiõ of Heresie / they are proued heretikes. 

An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That theworcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of theirown worthines vnto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfillthe lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / butthey adde. That men can do more goode worcks thẽ the lawe ofGodd requirirth. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / topreache the gospell frely / mẽ are not commaunded by ony exprescõmaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatlydefend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that

 [[Rom. 8. ]]

The afflictiõs of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie /which shalbe shewed vppon vs. He speakith heare of the best kindof worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche mandothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breakingof theis two comaundementes. 

 [[Deut. 5. ]]

Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with allthy soule / and with all they mighte: lykewise of the same othercommaundemente. 

 [[Exod. 20. ]]

Thou shalte not luste / Ther is none amõg mortall mẽ / that dydeuer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe:

 [[Esa. 64. ]]

that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe thefloures of a woman. And Christe wolde haue vs all / yea euen theblessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye /

 [[Mat. 6. ]]

forgyue vs our trespasses. 

 [[Iacob. 3. ]]

Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne. 

 [[Ioan. 1. ]]

Iohn saythe. And if we saie we haue no synne / we do deceyue ourselues. 

 [[2]]

This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuallsynnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing morethen we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles /and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preachthe gospell frelie / do more thẽ the law cõmaundeth / as Isayde: But this is not true / for they which haue the powre toliue a sole and chaste lyfe / ãd do know that in this kinde oflyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in thepreachinge of the gospell of Christe thẽ otherwise. They arebownde to take it on thẽ ãd to lyue in it. For if they do ytnot / it is certeyne that they loue not God with all theirharte / bycause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that theymighte do / to the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like isto be saide of thẽ / which mighte preache the gospell frelye /and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdõ ofGodd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothethincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holiescripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with anobstinate mynde they are heretikes. 

 [[3]]

They do chose vnto them selues also an other doctrine / whichis / that they which be regenerat / muste alwaies doubte oftheir saluatiõ. But Christ / the Apostles / and the wholescripture / do teache cleane contrarie /

 [[Ioan. 6. ]]

he that beleuithe in me (saith Christe) hathe euerlasting life. If he hath it / howe cã he doubte of yt then?

 [[Act. 10. ]]

And it is writen in the Actes. To him giue all the Propheteswitnesse / that all they which beleue throughe his name / shallreceyue remissiõ of synnes. 

 [[Rom. 8. ]]

And to the Romains / whõ he hath called / them also beiustified / whom he iustified / thẽ he also glorified: But herethe papistes haue this shifte / A mã muste not doubte of Godspromises (they saye) but he muste doubte of the infirmitie ofhis fleshe / that he can not do those thinges which are to bedone / to obtayne the promises of Godd. 

 [[Rom. 4. ]]

Butt we be admonished by Abrahãs example / that we sholde not inbeholding of our imbecyllitie / fainte in faith / nor fall frombeleauinge certainly the truithe of the promises: he considerednot the barren wombe of Sara / nor his own old and effoebledbodie / he stackered not at the promise of God throughvnbelefe / but became strõge in faithe / and dyd giue glory vntoGod / knowinge that he was sufficientlie able to performe thosethĩges which he promised. &c. 

 [[Rom. 4. ]]

Therfor by faithe is the enheritaunce gyuẽ that it might come ofgrace / that the promise mighte be certaine and sure: for if thecertayntie of saluaciõ did hãge on our merytes ãd worthines ofour worckes / it should alwaies stumble / and be in daũgier ofouerthrowe. Thus the papistes do spoile men of healthfull hope /ãd make mẽ doubt / if not despaire / which is not to be done:for that nature of hope maie not be inuerted which Pauleteacheth

 [[Rom. 5. ]]

to be suche / that it dothe not make a man ashamed: if then wedo certaynlye hope and loke for life euerlastinge / we shall notbe deceyued: and seing it is the holye ghoste that bearithewitnes vnto our spret /

 [[Rom. 8. ]]

that we are the children of Godd / surly his witnes we may notreiect / without cõmitting gret offence. 

 [[Exod. 20. ]]

I am sayth Godd / The lorde thy Godd / this will he haue themthat be his to beleaue:

 [[Roma. 5. ]]

And whosoeuer beleauith this / hath the quiet peace of aiustified consciẽce / and knowith hymself to be in safetie / forGodd is his iustifier / and who shall condẽne hym / whom Godddoth iustifie. 

 [[Roma. 8. ]]

Against al theise manifest testimonies of the holy scriptures /theise men do teache their contrary doctrine / and do obstinatlydefend it / wherfor they are heretiques. 

Moreouer they do teache that euery mã must satisfice for hyssynnes in this lyfe / which if he do not / then must he go topurgatorie: And that by the poure of the Keyes committed vntothem / they can turn the euerlastinge punishment in to atemporall. 

 [[Psal. 32. ]]

If therfor satisfaction be not made whilest a man is in thislyfe / he shall do it / when he is goone out this lyfe. Butagainst this / the holy scriptures do teach. 

 [[Rom. 4. ]]

Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgyen / and whossynnes are couered. What blessednes / I praye you shuld thisbe / if they which be reconciled vnto Godd / shuld be bownde tosustayne such paynes and punishmentes. When a Synner doth repent(saith Godd by the prophet)

 [[Ezech. 18. ]]

The synnes that he hath done / shall not be thought vppon. ButGodd will thincke vppon them / if it be true that either a manmust satisfice / or go to pugatorie / if Godd wil so sharplypunishe them by such paynes as they saye are in purgatorie. Itis writon in the reuelacion. 

 [[Apoc. 14. ]]

Blessed are the deade which do dye in the lorde / euẽ so saieththe spret / that they rest from their labours. They which do dyein the lorde / that is the beleauers / how do they rest frõtheir labours / if it be so that they must yeat be vexed inpurgatorie? Christe our Sauiour when he did forgyue synnessayed. 

 [[Luc. 7. ]]

Thy faithe hath made the safe: go thy wayes / synne no more. 

 [[Ioan. 5. ]] [[Luc. 23. ]]

To the theif he saied. This daye thow shalt be with me inparadise. 

 [[Phil. 1. ]]

Paule desired to be loosed / and to be with Christ. Howchauncith it that there is no mencion made of purgatorie? In theold lawe / ther wer sacrifices ordeigned / for princes /prests / for the Nazarites / for the lepars / for gelousie / forthe synne of ignoraũce / and many such lyke. How happened itthat ther was no sacrifice appoĩted for the dead? The churchtruly (as we also do graunte) hath keyes cõmitted vnto it. Andtheise are / the preachinge of the gospell /

 [[Mar. 16. ]]

that is the forgyuenes of synnes to thẽ which do beleaue inChriste / and the threateninge of condemnaciõ / through whichheauen is shutt againste the vnbeleauers. One key is thepromis / an other key is faith / by theise two keys heauẽ isopened to the penitẽt. Theise keyes Christ did delyure whẽ hesayed: goo in to the whol world / ãd preach the gospell to euerycreature / he that beleaueth ãd is baptised / shalbe saued. Those ministers do occupie these keyes which do preach thegospell. But here is no menciõ made of altering of Goddesiudgements / nor of turninge of punishmentes. Christe oursauiour / by that one sacrifice of his bodye / ones offered forall euer / did worcke perfect saluaciõ / and made a perfect andconsummate ende of sacrificing for synne: where then is theirenuented satisfactiõ for synne? Yea who doth not see / that thistheyr doctryne doth withdrawe frõ Christ / the fulness of thathis satisfactiõ with which he satisficed for vs? when they dosaye that it is not sufficient / except we do adde ours also. And this theyr wicked errour they go about to colour / becausethe olde fathers vsed oftẽ times this worde / satisfaction. Butthey will not see / that the fathers mẽt therby / to satisficethe churche / when they were receyued publiquely torepentaunce / and not to satisfice to Godd. Except thow wiltsaye that to satisfice is nothing els / but when one doth makehimself approued vnto an other man. For euen so are we saide tosatisfice to Godd / when as after our cõuercion and turning tohis grace / we do lyue godly for his pleasure / to aproue ourselues vnto hym / as his childrẽ. Thus satisfactions / aresignes of the forgyuenes of synnes and of true repẽtaũce. But(as I sayde) theise mẽ do both thincke / and teache otherwyse /and do defẽde obstinatly theyr error / they will not besatisficed by the word of God / wherfor they are heretikes. 

They do teache furthermore / that it is lawfull in thecongregacion to do the holy seruice / in a tongue that is notvnderstõded. And this they do indeede / and defende theyrmisdoinge / neither being admonished will they amende it. 

 [[1. Cor. 14]]

Paule doth forbidde the christians the vse of those tongues inthe congregacions / which euen by miracle were bestowed vponthem / except they did interpretate and expoũde that which theyshuld speake in them. And all Paules reasons are grounded vponthe edifying of the cõgregacion / whiche aboue all thinges weought to seeke in the holy meetinges and cõgregacions. But thereshalbe no edificacion at all / when that thing which is spoken /is not vnderstonded of the people. Paule saith. My brethren yf Ido come vnto you speaking with tongues / what shall I profiteyou / excepte I speake to you / eyther by reuelaciõ / or byknowledge / or by prophecying / or by doctryne. But thesesacrificers / lyke men that can do mutch more then Paule / theydo come with a straunge tong / which the congregacionvnderstondeth not / and yet neuertheles they bragge that they domuche profite the congregaciõ. Paule will rather speake fyuewordes / to the enformacion of others / then ten thousand wordeswith tongues: Our sacrificers cleane contrary / will ratherspeake a thousand / yea an infinite number of wordes in astraũge tongue / then a very feawe / the meaning of which mayebe vnderstonded. Paule proueth his sentence and minde / euen bythinges that haue no lyfe / as by a trompe / and harp / and leswe shulde be one to an other as barbarus / and aliauntes / butthis is of no force / nor auctoritie with the papistes. For ourpurpose we haue the example of Godd himself / which dyd speakevnto the Iuishe people in their naturall tongue. The grekechurche did receyue the doctryne of the gospel of the Apostles(whiche were Hebrues) in their naturall greke tongue. And asfrom the beginninge the Hebrues in theyr congregacions haue vsedtheir naturall Hebrue tongue / so haue the Grecians their greketongue / and so at the begynning the latin churche vsed theirnaturall latine tongue also: Only these heretiques (the papistesI meane) are delighted with a straũge tongue. 

 [[In nouel. Constitu]]

Iustiniane the Emprour determineth / that all thinges shulde bespoken openlye and plainlye in the Temples / that they mightebothe be hearde and vnderstonded / But this the papistes regardenot. Wherfor seing they cã not / nor will not / be moued fromthis their opinion / which is so absurde and repugnant to theholye scriptures / to the order of the catholique churche / tothe lawes of the Emproure / without all doubt they areheretiques. 

They do teache that the sacrament of the Lordes body and bludd /shuld be ministred in one kinde only / when it is gyuen to thepeople. It is most manifest and playne / that Christe ourSauiour did otherwyse institute it / euen to be mynistred inbothe kindes to all communicauntes. These sacrificers therforein taking awaye of the cupp frõ the people they do committ mostshamefull sacriledge. We bring in agaynst them the Institucionof Christe: But that can they not abyde to heare of. Yeat lesthey shulde seame to saye nothing / They saye / That the Lorddid delyuer it in bothe kindes vnto prestes onlye / that is tohis Apostles. And yet when they themselues do mynister it vntoprestes whiche do not saye Masse / they do gyue but the onekinde only. But they haue nothinge to aunswer vnto Paule

 [[1. Cor. 11. ]]

(who writinge to the hole churche of the Corinthians / whichwere not prestes only (as the papistes call them) but acõgregacion bothe of men and women) dothe delyuer the holysupper vnto them in bothe kindes / as he receyued it of theLorde / heere haue they nothing to saye. And vnto this madnessome of these masters do come at lenghth / That they saye thatthe holy communion is not to be called the Lordes supper / forwher is it (saye they) called the supper of the Lorde?

 [[Dotor VVeston. ]]

Forsothe Paule / the scoler of the holy ghost / calleth it so. 1. Cor. 11. Yea they aske farther / where the scriptureteacheth / that this holy sacrament shulde be gyuen vnto women /

 [[Lyberall to Women]]

as thoughe they wolde be counted of fauour and of theirliberalitie / to gyue a communiõ vnto women /

 [[1. Cor. 11. ]]

and not because Godd in his worde hath appointed the sacramẽt ofhys bodye and blud to be delyuered vnto women as well as to men. In the holy scripture it is writen / Let a man proue hym selfe. In this worde man is man and woman comprehended. No saith aDoctor the greke worde is / ἀνηρ which signifieth the mankindeonly:

 [[Maister Latymers answer therfor is true. ]]

Thys Doctor lyeth lowdly / for the greke worde / in that placeis ἄνθρωπος / which signifieth bothe man and woman. Thescriptures also do teache /

 [[1 Cor. 10. ]]

that the holy communion doth partayne vnto all them / which arone breade / and one cupp: wherfor except they wyll excludewomen out of the bodye of Christ / and shew that they be not ofthe churche of Christe / how shall / or can this papist /depryue them of the holy communion? Especially seinge it isplaynly taught / that in Christe there is neyther man / norwoman / neyther onde / nor fre / but all are one in Christe. 

 [[Gal. 3. ]]

But to returne to their sacriledge / in which thei do take awayone parte of the sacrament. Of this thefte the institution ofthe Lorde / the Epistle of Paule / the custome ãd manier of theprimatiue churche / which was to mynister this holy supper inboth kindes / dothe accuse them / which dyd continue euen vntillthe tyme of Thomas Aquinas / and vnto this daye it continueth inall the Easte church / wherfore seing tht in this thinge alsothey are so obstinate / they can be none otherwyse estemed butas heretykes. 

They haue also another most pernicious and hurtefull doctryne /of the calling vpon the dead sainctes / and worshippe / andadoration / to be gyuen to theyr Images. 

 [[Deut. 6. ]]

The holy scripture sayth / Thou shalt worshipp the Lorde thyGod / and hym onlye shalte thou serue. But they denye that theydo worshippe the Images: They maye denye it in wordes / but intheyr dedes they do testifie cleane contrarye. They fall downebefore them / they praye to them / thei crie and call on them /they cense them / they light vp cãdels before them / what dothey more to God hym selfe? They leaue no peculiar thinge vntoChriste / to aske of him / which they do not aske of somesaincte / They do gyue titles / and names vnto the sainctes /especiallie to the blessed virgin Marie / which do belonge vntoChriste alone. Thou quene (saye they) of mercie / our aduocate /our lyfe / our sweetnes / ãd our hope. Certaynlie these thingesdo belonge to Christe onlye / vnto him therfore alone shouldethei leaue these thinges vntouched / and withowt diminutiõ. I speake not this / as though I dyd not thinke / that the mosteholie virgin were worthy of singular praises / But euen she herselfe will not be made equall with Christe. They do furthermorecrie owt of all corners at all their altars vnto theirsainctes / as thoughe they were present euerie where. But thispresence belongithe to god onlie / neither is it communicated toany creature. 

 [[Acto. 4. ]]

Again it is writẽ in the holye scripture: That ther is noneother name vnder heauen / but the name of Christe onlye / wherinwe muste be saued. 

 [[1. Ioan. 2. ]]

And Iohn doth saie: If we synne / we haue an aduocate wyth thefather / Iesus Christe the rightuous / and he is thepropiciation for our synnes. But theis heretikes make manyaduocates. Esaie confessith and saieth. 

 [[Esa. 63. ]]

Abraham hathe not knowen vs / And Israel hathe forgotten vs. Andtherfore (saith he) these are not to be called vpon / we mustnot truste in them / but in God onlye / and that vnto him weemuste flye. We are commaũded also in moste plain wordes / thatwhat so euer we aske / we sholde aske it in the name of IesusChriste /

 [[Ioan. 16. ]]

and not in the name of other sainctes / as theise men do. Butcontrary to this true doctryne they do stifflie maynteyne theirwicked error / therfor are they verylye heretikes. Here I dolet passe their masse / in which they make their mishapen Goddof breade / throughe their art of transubstantiation. They settvpp their sacrifice for the quicke and deade / the verieabhomination and God Maozim: which thinges they do defẽde wythmoste peruerse obstinacie. But howe contrarie they are to theworde of Godd is not nowe again to be repeted / seinge that alytell before / in this matter I haue sayde sufficiẽtlie. But ifI wolde spẽde more tyme here / I mighte reherce many otherdoctrines of the papistes in which they do shãfully swarue frõthe truithe of Godds worde. And of their errours they will notchaũg any thing at all which prouith them to be obstinateheretikes. But this that I haue writõ is inough / and inoughagaine to proue that thei are heritikes. Now let thẽ saie thatwe dissent but in ceremonies. But I saie that we dissẽt indoctrines. Let the papistes saie that we shold not haue departedfrõ thẽ / but I saie / they shoulde not then haue departed frõthe truithe. Augustine wolde not graũte vnto Cresconius /

 [[Aduersus Crescon. Lib. 21. ]]

that the controuersie betwene the Catholikes and thedonatistes / was a lighte and small contention / and schisme:But he saieth that they defended an heresie / and that mostehorrible / euen this that they did rebaptize. And yet baptismereiterated dothe nomore differ from the worde of God / thenthese errours of the papistes / which I haue repeted. 

Wherfore Christian princes / whilest they do suffer them intheir dominions / they owghte no otherwise to suffer them / thenvpon suche condicyons as are aboue rehersed. That is / that theydo compell no man to partake their wicked Idolatries. That theydo not permitt them to haue their rites and supersticiousceremonies. That they take hede / that they do not corrupteothers which do beleaue truly / and be of good iudgemẽte. Andlast of al / after that they haue bene cõpetentlie taughte / toenforce them outwardly to embrace sownde / and holye rites / andceremonies agreinge with Godds worde. Thou wilte saie happelie /if it shoulde be so / their condition sholde be more miserablethen the condicion of the Iewes / and Turckes / whom we do notcompell to receyue our Religiõ. I graunte / but yet this sholdebe iustlie done. And that for theis causes. Firste bycause theIewes are not Citizens in our common welthes / but receyuedvnder this condicion / that it is lawfull for them to vse theirowne lawes / so lõge as they will: wherfore if they do notbehaue thẽselues well / or they do not please vs / they beturned awaie and caste owte / as oftẽ tymes they haue beenehandeled. And not without iuste cause / when their conuersationhathe beene hurtfull. But these papistes are our citizẽs /therfore they must be otherwise handeled / and seinge they doconfesse Christe / they are to be enforced to his pure and truereligiõ. Again the Iues can not do so moche hurte as theseIebuzites maie / for all men / for the moste parte / do shonneand deteste the Iue / But these are subtile sorcerers / whichvnder the cloke of the name of Christ / and ciuilefamiliaritie / maye deceyue many: furthermore there is a promiseof the saluatiõ of the Iues / to be shewed ĩ the latter age /The lyke peculiar promise of papistes ther is not. And yet I donot speake this / as though I dyd condemne the counsell of manygood prĩces / which haue cast the Iues owt of their countrye /for good iuste and laufull causes. Their acte I do allowe. Butto returne vnto theise heretiques the papistes / we are boundeto praie for them / and seinge they do dwell amonge vs / wemuste obserue the aforenamed rules / In vsinge or not vsingefamiliaritie / and being conuersaunte with thẽ / which I dydgiue / of being conuersaunt with the vnfaithfull and wicked / inwhich sorte I do place them. And if any of them do returne tothe truith / and will embrace the true Religion of Christ / theyare not to be rebaptized. For though a Christian ought not todemaunde baptisme in the popishe churche / yet the baptismewhich they haue hetherto vsed we acknowledge it to be such thatit is not to be reiterated of them whõ they do baptise. Augustine writinge of baptisme /

 [[Cõtra donat. Lib. 5. Cap. 23. ]]

againste the donatistes / sayeth that when they retorne / thehãdes only are to be layde on them: and that les is sholdeapeare / that they were before without fault. Also that theholye ghost maye by praier be begged to cõme vpõ them / whosesingular gifte the vnitie of the true churche is. This ceremonietrulye is laudable / but yet seinge it is not appointed to thispurpose in the holye scripture / it maie be omitted: because wedo se that the cheifest vse of it (as the apostles vsed it) wasin the institution of the ministers of the churche. Suche ofthem as haue bene byshopps / and elders / maie be receyued intotheir degrees / and offices / if they do returne vnto thetruithe: but this must be done / so as shall seme mosteprofitable to the flocke / and churche of the lorde. If theyhaue suche giftes as maie serue for the edyfying of thechurche / And if by their ministerie / the truithe of thegospell and the saluation of the people which was committed vntothem maye be propmoted more then by the ministerie of other /and aptelie / and as profitable. They maie be restored to theirplace / ãd degree. The order of which matter is lefte vnto theiudgement of the churche of God. But if they remayne obstinatein their euill / and do continue peruerters of the godlyedoinges of the magistrates / and pestilent corruptors of thepeople: Then the magistrates maie / and owghte to vse the swordeagainste thẽ: for he bearith the sworde to take vengeaunce onthem that do euill / and therto is he minister of God. 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 A Sermon of the true confessinge of Christe / and the truithe of the gospell: and of the foule denyinge of the same / made in the conuocacion of the clergie at Zurich the 28. Daye of Ianuarie in the yeare of the lorde 1555. 

By H. B. 

Our lorde Iesus Christ hath forsayed that ther shuld bepersequutions / and cheifly in the later tymes / through whichsum shuld be despolied of their goodes / sum also thrown out oftheir dwellinges / and other shuld be shut vpp in prisõ / agaynthat other shuld be fried in the fire and put to otherpunishmentes / and executed with infamus deathes / And that forthe lord Christe himself / and for the doctrine / and confessiõof the truith of the gospell. The same lord did then alsoforsaye / that not a few shuld fall from the truithe known. Allwhich thinges truly we haue herd and seene fulfilled / not inthis tyme only / but in tymes long passed. For ther are sumwhich at this daye do openly / and that without shame / curs andbydd adew to the truith of the gospell / which with demas doembrace this present worlde. There are other / and not afew /which do themselues also denie the truith known / and yet wyllnot be accompted to be forsakers of it. Thy do stayne themselueswith dyuers glosses and colours that they might not be known ofthe godly and more simple sorte of men. One faynith that he dothnot go out of Egipt and Babilon / bicause he may wynne many vntoChriste: when as in the meane tyume he doth both withdrawehimself from Christ / and doth cõfirme manye that be weaker menin the filthes of babilon so that they do not at ony tymethincke ernestly of true repentaunce. Other do fantisie thatther is no neade opẽly to cõfes religion / but that the inwardbeleif of the hart doth suffice: And if it be of vrgẽt necessiteto confes ony thinge openly / yet that the confession sufficithwhich is made amonge the brithern which are well known andcompanions in Religion: Neither that the confession amonge theaduersaires is straitly required / which shall put them indaũger of lyfe. And therfore thou shalt finde sum men ofexercise which cã conningly dispute of papisticall ceremoniesand make meruailus interpretacions of theim / laboring by allmeanes to proue that the godly by the partaking of them neitherare defiled / nor yet that the religiõ of the gospell is denied. Thus wittye and subtill doth that trembling feare / and gretdesire of this world make them. Truly when the tyme serued thatthey might lyue without daũger in rest and quiet at ease / theythen wold neuer haue thought / no not so mutch as dreamed ony ofthis matier / Yea of theis thinges they wold haue bẽ loth buteuẽ to haue spokẽ / as thinges playne cõtrary to simplicitie /and true religion. But now when the lord hath sent amonge themthe fire of persequution or rather of probatiõ / and they do sethat either they must flye out of their countrie / or that theymust put ther lyfe in extreme ieoperdie / and yet haue no willto leaue either ease or their riches / or to committ themseluesto daũgers / they turn themselues into all formes / and craftylycreping backe by clokinge and dissemblinge they do seeke wayes /by which they may slypp awaie out of the conflict. Which when ithappenith as they wold haue it / thẽ without all doubt / therlyues / their substaunce / and goode estimaciõ do vtterlyperishe. For this cause I thincke that I can not entreate a moreprofitable mater and more meete and necessarie for this ourworld /

 [[The argument and matter. ]]

then of the true cõfessing of Christe and the truithe of thegospell / and of the foule denyinge of the same. This matiertruly is copius / and most ãple / wherthrough I doubt nothing atall but sum of you be all redy made afraide with the largenes ofit / which do consider the end of the sermon by the begynning /and of the mater it self: But I will at this present touche butcertayn pointes of this matier hauing cõsideraciõ of the tyme /and especially of you / reuerend fathers and beloued Brethern inChrist. The lord gyue me grace omitting thinges not necessarie /to prosequute only all thos thinges which be necessarie. Thosshameles men / which affirme (without doubt against their ownconsciẽce)

 [[The cloke of them that deny true religion. ]]

that ther is no neade at all of the outward and daũgerusconfession among the aduersaries of the religion of thegospell / they do wrast the ordinaunces of Godd to make a clokefor their malice. And they saye / that Godd will not haue holymariages broken / or that the honor due vnto parẽts shuld bevndoone / that Godd will not haue the gouernmẽt of polities orhowsholds disturbed / ãd to be short that he will not haue amans death and destruction. For what encrease shall happen tothe glorie of God by the vnrecouerable miserie of me and myhoushold? what profyt shuld come of my chaynes / or of mypouertie vnto my neighburr? And who is it that knowith not thatall thinges which we do are to be referred to the glorie ofGodd / and to the profit of our neighburr? Yea and if I beburned / or cast into exile for the confession of the gospell /do I not take miself awaie frõ myne by deathe / before my tyme?Do I not throw all myn with me into extreme pouertie andbeggerie? And thẽ after all by goodes be loste I am compelled tobe burdenus vnto others. The towardlynes of my Sonnes shalbebrought in daunger. The chastitie or my wyfe and doughtersshalbe brought into hazarde. For they being pressed with mosthard necessitie shall learne by euell artes to gett necessariesfor their lyfe. And who will thĩcke that Godd doth allowe theisethinges? who doth so mutche cõmend the faith of mariage / thegodly bringing vp of childrẽ / and an howshold wel ordered /that Paule his apostle fearith not to saye, [[1. Timo. 5. ]]

That if ony prouide not for his and specially for theim of hishoushold / the same hathe denied the faith / ãd is worse than aninfidell. Wherfor les I shuld be constrayned to confession / andso denie the faithe / I retayne faith in my harte / and byholding my peace I do dissemble for a tyme / I do not vtterlydenye nor throw awaye all Religiõ. All theise thinges (I say)they do most wickedly wraste against their naturall and godlyesense / to defend their desires / and to retayne their wordlycommodities. 

 [[Confession is necessarie]]

But against all theis we do sett the sentẽce of our lord andSauiour Iesus Christe / which is neither darcke nor doutfull /that by it all the subtilties of theise mene maye at ones beconfuted / and vanishe awaye. In the gospell of Mathewe heconfirming the mynds of his disciples against the thretts andterrors of this wicked world / amõg other thinges /

 [[Matth. 10. ]]

Are not (sayth he) two lytle sparowes solde for a farthinge. Andone of them shall not lyghte on the grownd withe out yourfather: yea euen all the heares of your heade are nombred. Feareye not therfor: ye are if more value then many sparowes. Eueryone therfor that shall knowledge me before men hym wyll Iknowledge also before my father which is in heauen. Butwhosoeuer shall denye me before men / hym wyll I also denyebefore my father which is in heauen: the same lord in thegospell of Marcke /

 [[Marc. 8. ]]

Whosoeuer (saythe he) shall lose hys lyfe for my sake and thegospell He same shall saue it. For what shall it profyte a man /if he wynne al the worlde and lose his owne soule? or what shalla mã gyue to redeme hys soule wythall agayn? Whosoeuer therforshalbe ashamed of me ãd of my wordes / in this aduowtrus andsynfull generation: of hym also shall the sonne of mã be ashamedwhẽ he commith in the glorie of his father withe the holyangels. Theis wordes of the lorde are playne / ãd spokẽ withoutony darcknes. The lord requirith of eiche one of vs that sympleand open confessiõ which we make before men / and that such menas are synnars and adulterars / the emenies / I saye / of Godd /and of all true religiõ. For such men do the prophets also callfornicatours and adulterars. He requirith / I saye / that weshuld cõfes hym and his worde / That is / that we shuld simplycõfes that he is Christ / and that we shuld not denye ony thingof his worde either by out wordes or deedes. 

 [[Examples of true confession, Mat. 16. ]]

We read that Peter did confes Christ the lorde sincerely andwith a true cõfession when he answered vnto the lorde / whichasked and sayed. But whõ saye ye that I am / he answered. Thowart Christe the sonne of the lyuinge Godd. 

 [[Ioan. 6. ]]

Agayn whẽ many did fall from the lorde for that sermon in whichhe declared in the Synagoge of the Capernaites / that he onlywas the foade of lyfe / and for that cause the lorde saide tohis disciples: Wyll ye also go awaye? Peter answered / andcõfessing the lorde with a notable cõfession he said / lorde towhom shall we go? Thow hast the wordes of eternal lyfe / And webeleue and are sure / that thow art Christe the sonne of thelyuinge Godd. Such like cõfession absolute and true doth theblessed apostle and Euangelist Iohn commẽd vnto vs sayinge. 

 [[1. Ioan. 4. ]]

Dearly beloued / beleue not euery sprit / but proue thesprites / whether they are of Godd or not. For many falseprophetes are gone out into the worlde. Hereby shall ye know thespirite of Godd: Euery sprite that confessith that Iesu Christeis cõme in the flesh / is of Godd. And euery sprite whichconfessith not that Iesu Christe is come in the fleshe is not ofGodd. And this is that spirite of Antichriste / of whome ye haueherde / howe that he shuld comme and euen now alreadi is he inthe worlde. Furthermor this true and catholike confession / dothso attribute all out whole lyfe and saluaciõ vnto the lordeChriste / that it doeth take the same from al other meanes andthinges with which mãs doctrine hathe ony part: wherfor it isnot sufficiẽt only to haue cõfirmed the part affirmatiue (asthey call it) except thow do also expres the negatiue / and dostso ascribe vnto Christe our lorde all the thinges of our lyfeand saluaciõ / that all men may vnderstõd that thow dost clymeto him al the partes of our saluacion / and that thow dost notgyue ony part therof to ony other. For we do fynd that the lordIesus did teache such a confession / and that his apostles madethe lyke. For whẽ the lorde in the gospell of Iohn speakĩgplainly inough hadd sayed. 

 [[Ioan. 10. ]]

I am the dore / by me if any mã entre in / he shall be safe andshall go in and oute / and finde pasture. A thefe cõmith not butfor to steale / kyll / and to destroye: I am come that theymight haue lyfe / and that they might haue it more abũdantly:I am the goode shepeherd / a goode shepeherd gyueth his lyfe forthe shepe. Yet was he not contẽt with theis though thy be mostplayne wordes / but he ioyned also a Negatiue / with a mostpitthie asseueraciõ / sayĩg: Verely verely I saye vnto yowe hethat enterith not in by the dore into the shepefolde / butclymbeth vp some other waye / the same is a theife and amurtherer. He likewise saith playnly in the same chapter /A goode shepeherd goeth before his shepe / and the shepe folowehym bicause they knowe his voice. Yea forthewith he addith thisalso / A straunger will they not folowe / but wil flie frõ him /for they know not the voice of straũgers. Agayn in an otherplace /

 [[Ioan. 14. ]]

I am the waye (saithe he) the truthe and the lyfe: Yet he notbeing content wyth this so playn a doctryne doth adde agayne theexclusyue and saithe / No mã commith to the father but by me. Wherfor Peter thought it not inoughe that he sayde in that fullsenate of Hierusalem / That Christe is that Rocke which doth byhis dethe and resurrection establishe and preserue thebeleauers /

 [[Act. 4. ]]

onles moreouer he had Vindicated to Christ alone all thingesthat concerne saluaciõ / and taken the same awaye from others /saying. Neither is there saluacion in ony other: For among menvnder heauen ther is gyuen none other name wherin we must besaued. After which manier likewise saĩt Paul doth proue that

 [[Roma. 3. ]]

faith in Christ through grace doth iustifie / neither doth hesaye this only /

 [[Ephe. 2. ]]

but he doth also remoue all that which might seeme to gyueiustice vnto men / the lawe I meane and worckes / sayinge. Weknowe that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe /

 [[Gala. 2. ]]

but by the faith of Iesus Christe. And we haue beleued on IesusChrist that we might be iustified by the faythe of Christe / andnot by the dedes of the lawe / bicause that by the dedes of thelawe no fleshe shalbe iustified. And in an other place the samePaule: Behold (saith he) I Paul saye vnto yowe /

 [[Gala 5. ]]

that if ye be circũcised / Christe shall profite yow nothing atall. I testifie agayn to euery man which is circumcised / thathe is bownd to keape the whole lawe. Christe is become but invayn to yowe / as many of yow as are iustified by the lawe arefallen from grace / we loke for and hope in the spirite to beiustified thorow faithe. Theis cleare examples of Christ and theapostles / and doctrine of the sincere and sounde confession ofChriste do suffice to yow reuerend and godly hearers. Out ofwhich we do gather / that their cõfessions are neither full /nor sincere / which do confes that indeede Christe is thiersaluaciõ and rightuisnes / their preist and sacrifice / theiraduocate and mediator /

 [[Imperfaite confessiõs. ]]

yet so that it notwithstõding they do gyue the very same / andcõmunicate them to synneful men / to thinges also and meaneswhich are in no place instituted nor approued of Godd. And noles corrupt is their confession also / which do confes wyth themouthe that Godd alone is to be adored and worshipped / thatChriste is the only preiste and true aduocate with the father /but yet in their deedes they do denye that same confession oftheir mouthe / bowinge their knees to Images / worshippingecreatures / callinge vppon their patrons and fayned saynts ofheauen. 

 [[The hole doctryne of Christe is to be confessed. ]]

But the Apostles did not only confes Christe himself / but alsoall Christes doctrine / all Christes wordes / the whole gospell(I saye) of saluacion: of which Christe is the only Marcke. Andtherfor when the preistes and senators of Hierusalem did forbiddthe apostles that they shuld nomore preache the gospell / theyãswered hartily and playnly: whether it be right in the sight ofGodd to herken vnto yow more thẽ vnto Godd / iudge ye. 

 [[Act. 4. ]]

For we can not but speke that which we haue seene and herde. Andwhen they were shutt vp in prison for free preching of thegospell / and wer in daũger of their lyues / they are delyueredof the angell / of whõ by the cõmaundement of Godd they doheare. 

 [[Act. 5. ]]

Go and stande and speake in the temple to the poeple all thewordes of this lyfe. Therfor all thos thinges which are cõtaynedin the holy gospell / and holy scriptures / must be confessed ofthem which are faithfull indeede: for all thos are the wordds ofGodd / and the wordds of saluacion / And all thos do sauer ofChriste and do bringe vnto Christe. 

 [[Ioan. 1. ]]

In whom only it hath pleased God the father that all fulnesshuld dwell / in whõ (as Paule doth witnes)

 [[Colos. 1. 2. ]]

we are made perfite so that we want nothinge / as agayn thelorde himself doth testifie:

 [[Ioã. 4. 5. 7. ]]

he that eateth or drincketh me shall not be hungry or thrustiefor euer / but he shall haue in hym self the healthefull watersof euerlastinge lyfe. Yf we do knowe / beleaue / and vnderstondetheise thinges let vs gyue glorie to our only Sauiour Christe /and not gyue it awaye vnto other / But let vs frely confes hymonly / and alone / in mouth / and deedes / to be our saluacioniustice sanctificacion absolution or rather perfectiõ / thepeace of our soules / and lyfe euerlasting. But the lord dothsett denying against confessinge. Ther are diuers kinds ofdenyinge / which beinge but lightly rehersed it shall againappeare what is the sowndness and simplicitie of confessinge. Furst Christe and Godds worde is denyed / when our redeamerChriste / and the worde of lyfe is opẽly blasphemed in playnewordes / whẽ he is not acknowledged to be the only Sauiour / ãdwhen the due dignitie and auctoritie of the scriptures is notadscribed vnto them. Then by silence also is Christe andChristes worde denyed / namely whẽ vppõ occasion offered we donot deffende the glorie of the name of Godd and of the truytheknown againste the ennemis of Godd and sclaunderers of the wordeof Godd. 

 [[A. Neuter. ]]

For in this case it is lawfull for no man to be a / neuter / asthey call it. In the most auncient lawes of Solon which were atAthens grauen in postes of woode / the which also ons made byhym the Athenienses ordeygned vnder great religiõ and punishmẽtthat they shuld contynue for euer: one lawe Aristotle dothreport to be writon in this sence. That if throughe discorde thepoeple shuld be deuided into too partes / and eich partie shuldtake armour / then he which did not ioyne himself to the onepartie / but slipp asyde separated from the common euell of thecytie / he shall lose howse / countrithe / and goodes / and bean exile and a banished mã. Mutch les is it lawfull for themwhich haue professed the name of Christe / and are signed withholy baptisme / in that fierce fight betwene Christe andAntichriste to slippe a syde / and to ioyne himself vnto neitherpartye. That same newtralitie doth seame truly to be wisdõ tomany childrẽ of this worlde / but indeede it is folyshnes / yeait is a very denying of Christ / by which they do excludethemselues out of that heauenly countrithe / they spoilethẽselues of all spirituall riches / and make themselues exilesand banished men. 

 [[Math. 26. ]]

For Christe and his truithe is denyed either by dissemblinge: aswhen Peter was charged by the mayde that he was one of the nũberof the disciples / ãd he answered I wote not what thow sayest. He knew verily what she sayed / but being bewitched with acertayne feare / he fayned that he knewe not the thĩg which hedid know very well. Euen so truly at this daye many do saye thatthey are more simple then that they can vnderstond thedissension in religion and gyue answer of all controuersies: Butthey do vnderstond so mutch as sufficith: yet for the ieoperdieswhich be at hand / or for sum vayne feare / they do fayne thatthey do not vnderstonde. Neither wer it necessarie for euery oneto answer to all darcke or hard thĩges / which thing they whichare well exercised can not do / it sufficith to confesse thosthinges which be opẽ and playne. Ther is also a coloureddenyinge whẽ we playyng the foxes with foxes do cõfes verelysumwhat of our religion / yetwe do so enwrapp it with suchdarcke wordes and doutfull sentẽces / that vnto thẽ which aremost subtill and conning in quidities / it shall not playnlyappeare what we do thincke. But the cõfessiõ shuld be simple /and playne. 

 [[Glorie is to be gyuẽ to Godd. ]]

In making of it Godd / and not Man were to be considered. Manmaye be deceyued / but no man cã deceyue Godd. And also we arecommaunde to render vnto God his glorie franckly before men. ButI do not see how thow haste glorified Godd before men / whenthow dost so temper thy confession that it sumwhat sauerithindeede of the truithe of the gospell / and yet they which besuperstitius shall not see their supersticions vtterlyreiecrted / nor their errors condemned by thy confession / butmaye iudge that thou dost yet holde on their syde. Agayn many doconfes Christe in wordes and his gospell frely / and openlyinoughe / but euẽ they themselues do forthwith defile andouerthrow this Christiã and gospellike cõfession withvngospellike deedes. I do speake nothing heere of thos synnesand wickednesses by which they do vnhallow the doctrine of ourSauiour / but of thos supersticius ceremonies and wickedcõgregacions with which they do cõmunicate / by which communiõor partakinge indeede they do denye that which they did cõfesbefore. For he which doth cõfes by mouthe that they which dodepart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not (throughe themediacion of Christe) comme into Iudgment / but do strayte wayepasse from the bodily deathe vnto lyfe euerlasting / euen as thedoctrine of the gospell doth enstruct vs / and we do playnlyconfes in the articles of the apostles Crede / this namely thatwe do beleaue the forgyuenes of synnes / the rising again of thefleshe / and lyfe euerlasting: And yet so sone as ony of theirelders or familiars do depart out of this worlde / they gostrait to sacrificing prestes / ãd do demãde of them churcheassemblees / supplicacions / dirges / weake myndes / trẽtalles /to be short / yearemynds / ãd prayers and sacrifices expiatoriefor the deade / to whom he doth ioyne hymself / and doth obseruethos rites / hath he not playnly denyed in deede that which hehadd confessed in worde? He that doth confes that Christe wasons only offered for the synnes of the whole world / ãd that heis not therfore to be offerred any moore / And that the holySupper is a remembraũce of this only and euerlasting sacrifice /and not the sacrifice it self / and yet neuertheles doth go vntother gods seruice / which do stoutly asseuere that they do offervp Christ in substaũce for the synnes of the lyuing ãd thedeade: doth he not by goĩg to and cõmunicatinge with thisseruice / denye that which by speaking and professing he haddcõfessed? Theis truly are wayes of denyinge / which they do notfully vnderstonde which are almost persuaded / that Religiõ isbut a playe / and as it were a slipper fitte for euery foote. Theis mẽ do knowe how to rule all religiõs vnder a certayncolour of holy concord / but indeede for earthly cõmoditie /that among whõ soeuer they do lyue like vnto a Cameleon they dotake vnto themselues their coloure and ceremonies / being mutchmore changeable than Protheus / of whom it is but folly tobeleaue / that they do passe for ony religiõ at all. But let vspasse ouer theise vnstable chãgelinges / and establishe ourmynds / that they be not lewse nor waueringe / but being knyttevpp and cõfirmed in the lorde / they maye haue sum suretie andstablenes of the sure and stable worde of Godde / which we mayboth in mowthe and deedes confes / and in which we may finallyreste. That maruailus and heauenly and therwith thõderingeprophet Helias /

 [[3. Reg. 18. ]]

howe longe (saithe he) halte ye betwene two opinions. If thelorde be Godde folowe hym: but if Baal be he / then go afterhym. Euen so truly our lorde hymself doth saye in the gospell /that no man can serue two masters. Let vs therfor forsake allother Godds and religions / and cleaue only to our Godde / whichis the father of our lorde Iesus Christ / and let vs stickefaste in the only Christen religiõ / which is delyuered vnto vsin the holy scriptures. For it is euerlasting and most certayne. 

 [[It sufficith not to confes Christe amonge the brethern. Mat. 10. ]]

But if it be sufficient to confes Christe and his gospell amongeour felows and brethern in religion / wherto I praye you willtheis our men refer thos wordes which do go before this place ofconfession in the gospell? Behold I send you forthe as shepeamõge wolues. &c. They shall delyuer yow vp to the cowncellesand shall scourge yow for me. &c. But whẽ they delyuer yow vpptake ye no thought how or what ye shall answer: for it shalbegyuẽ yow / euẽ in that same houre / whal ye shall speake. &c. Feare ye not thẽ which kyll the bodye / but are not able to kyllthe soule. He which doth denye that all theis sayinges must bevnderstond of persequutors / he saithe that darcknes is lighte. Yea and in Marc he doth playnly saye. 

 [[Marc. 8. ]]

Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes in thisaduoutrus and synefull generacion / of hym also shall the sonneof man be ashamed. He requirith therfor a confession of thetruithe not only in the companye of the godly / but also in thecompanye of the vngodly and persequutours / howsoeuer it beioyned with the ieoperdie of lyfe and of all the substaunce. Thelord speaking in the boke of the reuelacion with the church ofpergamos /

 [[Apocal. 2. ]]

I knowe (saith he) where thow dwellest / euẽ where Sathans seateis / and thow keapest my name / and haste not denyed my faythe:And in thos dayes in which Antipas was a faythfull witnes ofmyn / which was slayne amõge yow where Sathã dwellithe. In whichwordes truly the confession made in persequution is allowed /made I saye in that place / wher Sathan did beare rule / whereuen very then Antypas thaty notable Martir of Christe was slaynfor confessinge of religion. Otherwise when all thinges arequiet it is not so harde a thing to confes the name of Godde. For if so be that the lord will not haue vs be ĩ ieoperdie ofbodie goodes and lyfe / if it seme to be euill and a synne for aman / as it wer to procure deathe to hymself by the confessingeof truithe / wherfor dothe the lorde (I praye yow) exhorte thoshis disciples / that they shuld not feare them which do kill thebodie / and can not kill the soule? Whi doth he by playne wordessaye / as it wer prouoking vs to martirdome?

 [[Marc. 8. ]]

Whosoeuer will folow me / let hym forsake hymselfe / and take vphis crosse / and folowe me. For whosoeuer will saue his lyfeshal lose it. But whosoeuer shall lose his lyfe for my sake /and the gospelles the same shall saue it. He addith forthwithewordes which do make for the contempt of thos thinges / forwhich theis men do thincke that in religion silence maye be keptand dissimulacion vsed / sainge. What shall it profite a mã / yfhe wynne al the worlde / and lose his owne sowle. Therwith alsodoth he adde through what thinge we do lose our soules / that isthrough Shame. For he saithe. Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamedof me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and synefullgeneracion / of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed whenhe commithe in the glorie of his father withe the holy Angelles. Therfor Paule that chosen vesell of Christe / and a mostfaithfull teacher of the churche / who gyueth euell councell tono mã / neither leadith he ony man from the true waye / it is(saith he) a true sayinge:

 [[2. Tim. 2. ]]

for if we be deade with hym / we shall also lyue with hym: if webe pacient / we shal also raigne with hym. If we denye hym / heshall also denye vs. The same Paul to the Hebrues /

 [[Heb. 10. ]]

Call to remẽberaunce (saithe he) the dayes that are passed / inthe which after ye hadd receyued light / ye endured a greatfighte of aduersities / partely while all men wondered and gaseday yowe for the shame and tribulacion that was done vnto yow /partely while ye became companions of them which so passed theyrtyme. For ye became partakers also of the afflictions whichhappened thorow my bondes / ãd toke in worthe the spoyling ofyour goodes / and that with gladnes / Knowing in your selues /how that ye haue in heauẽ a better ãd an enduring substaunce. Caste not awaye therfor your confidence / which hath a greaterecompense of rewarde. For ye haue neade of pacience / thatafter ye haue doone the will of God / ye might receyue thepromise. For yet a very litill while / and he that shall comme /will comme / and wyll not tarye. But the iuste shall lyue byfaithe. And if he withdrawe hymself my soule shall haue nopleasure in hym. It is not we that withdrawe ourselues vntodamnaciõ / but we partayne vnto fayth / to the wynning of thesoule. This truly is a sownde and wholsome doctrine / to cleauefaste vnto this / is to pleas Godd / and to glorifie hym / addealso to promote the saluacion of the brethern. 

 [[The deathe ãd persequution of the sainctes doth glorifie Godd. ]]

Therfor whils theise men do replie / what shuld come to theencrease of glorie of Godd / or what commoditie shuld comme toChriste of thos my labors and daungers which I shuld sustaynefor religion? wittingly and willingly they do disproue thedoctrine of the apostle / which doth playnly witnes / not intheis places only which we haue alledged / but in many othersalso / that both Godd is glorified by our sufferinges ãdcalamities which we do sustayne for religions sake / and alsothat the weake brethern are therby edified / of whom it iscertayne that by dissemblinge and denyinge of Religion they beoffended / confirmed in ther errours / and indeede destroyed. For that most excellent prophete Dauid /

 [[Psal. 116. ]]

Righte deere (saithe he) in the fighte of the lorde / is thedathe of his sainctes. And sainct Peter saith Dearly beloued /

 [[1. Pet. 4. ]]

maruayle not that ye are proued by fyre / which thynge is totrye yow as though sum straũge thinge happened vnto yow / butreioyce / in as mutch as ye are partakers of Christes passions /that when his glorie appearith / ye maye be mery and gladd. Ifye be rayled vpon / for the name of Christe / happie are ye /for the glorie and the sprite of Godd restith vpon you. On therparte he is euill spoken of / but on your parte he isglorified / and so furthe. And sainct Paule dothe pronounce thatit is a most greuus synne of ony mã do offend the weake by hiseuell example. Thy brother doth perish (saithe he) for whomChriste died. When ye synne so against the brethern / and woundethier weake conscience / ye synne againste Christ. Again we aresaied in the scriptures to haue saued hym whom we haue by soundedoctrine and our goode example / either reteyned in the waye ofthe lorde / or haue brought hym backe that wẽt astraye. But if agreater regarde vs to be had of wife / childrẽ and houshold thenof pure religion / so that for that regard / religion seemeeither to be dissembled or denyed: Yf it be euill for religionssake to dissente from them that be of kindred and alliannce /yea and for religion to depart from a lawfull wyfe / and insum / for faithe to disagree with all frẽdes and familiars /shall we saye that the lorde did teach euill / which sayed inthe gospell?

 [[Mat. 10. ]]

Thincke not that I am come to sende peace vnto the earthe. I came not to send paeace but a swearde. For I am come to sett aman at variance against his father / and the doughter againsther mother / and the doughter in lawe against her mother inlawe. And a mãnes foes shalbe they that are of his ownhousholde. For frõ hence forthe ther shalbe fyue in one howsedeuyded / thre against two / and two against thre. 

 [[Luc. 12. ]]

The father shalbe deuided against the sonne / and the sonneagainst the father. This not spokẽ as though that dissension initself did pleas Godd the autor of all peace / but bicause hewill haue that peace which stondithe vppon euell and wickedthinges broken / and haue vs all conioyned in that which is holyand goode. And therfore we do not allowe whẽ mariagesfrẽdshippes and leagues are broken without necessitie / andvnder an vntrue pretence of religion. Agayn we do dissalowe thoswhich are kept againste the cõmaundement of Godd with playnehurte of true religion / and open denyinge of the faithe. Allpersons must bende themselues to peace and concorde so far asthey maye / with retayninge of sowndnes in religiõ: But whẽ itcan not be retayned / let none thincke that to keape peace withthem he must cõmitt Idolatrie. 

 [[1. Cor. 7. ]]

And therfor the Apostle of Christ saith: If any brother haue awyfe / whiche beleauith not / if she be contẽt to dwell withhym / let hym not putt her awaye. &c. But if the vnbeleauinge dodeparte let hym depart. A brother or a Syster is not insubiectiõ to such. But Godd hathe called vs in peace. Euen sotruly it is an vnnatural thinge not to norishe the children / orto neglect the aged parẽtes / or to forsake frendes andfamiliars. Godds worde doth euery wheare commaũde that we shulddo reuerence and dutie to them to whom by the lawe of Godd / andman / we owe it. In which sense we do willingly admitte thatsayinge of the Apostle. That he which doth not prouide for themwhich be of his howshold / both denieth the faith / and is worsthẽ an infidele. We do acknowledg that they are deuels and notmen whosoeuer they be / which do wickedly disturbe wel orderedpolicies / ãd howsholdes. But yet in all theis we do alsoacknowledge this / ãd we se it taughte in the whole scripture asfor an vndoubted truithe / that the lord Godd is better thẽ alltheise / that the couenant and bonde of religiõ doth excede allother bondes in the world. And that the lord doth both so willand cõmaũde / that we shuld esteame him aboue all thĩges / ãdloue hym aboue al thinges / and that when he speakith we allshuld holde our peace / that there we shuld not thincke at allof coloured expositions and excuses / but only of symple andplayne obedience / such / as we reade that Abraham shewed vntoGodd / whõ Godd

 [[Gen. 12. ]] [[Heb. 11. ]] [[Gen. 22. ]] [[Heb. 11. ]]

commaunding hym / did go out of his countrie into a straungelande / and when he did not refuse to sacrifice vnto the lordehis only Sõne / withough suspicion of crueltie. Truly in thehold gospell the lord dothe saye. 

 [[Luc. 14. ]]

If a man come to me / and hate not his father / and mother / andwyfe / and childrẽ / and brethern / and systers / yea and hisown lyfe also / he can not be my disciple. And whosoeuer dothnot beare his crosse and comme after me / can not be mydisciple. They truly which haue beene content to beare this iokeof the lords / haue neither lost themselues / yea thoughe theyhaue beene slayne of persequatours / nor yet their familie /which they dyd leaue in trobles and penurie of thinges. For byteachinge of experience and witnessing of histories / we hauelerned / that Godd by such miracles as haue beene done at thegraues of martirs hathe witnessed / that they which wer killed /wer not loste but saued, that they wer not deade but lyuing. Furthermore we cã not say nay but that Godd hathe blessed thefamilies of such slayne martirs / and that he hath moued thehartes of goode men which haue receyued thos abiects andmiserable persõs into their custodie / so that they wantednothinge. Besids this the godly do knowe that in this world theymust honger / and that they must be exercised with diuersaduersities / that they may be made like vnto the image ofChrist who was himself in all pointes tempted for vs /

 [[Heb. 4. ]]

lyke as we are / but yet without synne. But now this remaynithas yet to be discussed / which theis men do take as for anoracle / and most euidẽt truithe. 

 [[Wether it sufficith to kepe faith in the harte, and not confesse it with mouthe. ]]

That it is sufficient if a mã do keape the true faithe in hisharte / and that ther is no farther neade of outwardconfession / through which thow shuldest be drowned in the deapeof afflictions. Yf it doth suffice to beleaue in harte / and theconfession with the mowthe seme not necessarie / wherfor I prayeyou Hath the lorde sayed? Euery one which confessithe me beforeMen. &c. Beholde he saythe before Men. But faith which stickithstill in the harte is not brought forth before men. Yea it isnot to be called a confession / when faith doth lurcke in thehart. For Confession doth properly bringe forth that which dydlye hidden wythin. The Apostle therfor taking from vs all doubtin this controuersie. 

 [[Rom. 10. ]]

The worde (sayth he) is nyghe the / euen in thy mouthe / and inthy harte. This same is the worde of faythe / whiche we preache. For if thow knowledg with thy mouth that Iesus is the lorde /and beleaue in thy harte that God raysed hym vpp from deathethow shalt be safe. For to beleaue with the harte iustifieth /and to knowledge with the mowthe maketh a man safe. What canstthow desire to be more playnly and euidently spokẽ in thismatier? Thow dost clearely heare that thow takest awayesaluacion if thow dost cut of the confession of the mouthe fromthe beleif of the hart. Yea and the beleif of the harte is thatnature that it cã not lye hydd / but must of necessite breakeforth to be confessed with the mouthe. Yf the confession of themouthe neadith not / neyther then shall ther neade onypreachinge of the truithe. But the Apostles / bushopps andfaithfull martirs of Christ / whẽ they preached euen amonge thewicked / haue most bitterly condemned Idolatrie / and alldoctrine and worshipp which doth not agre with the holygospell / and affirmed that the gospell only dothe teache thetrue worshipp of Godd. By that confession of mouthe they didglorifie Godd / they did disanull Iudaisme and paganisme / anddid erecte many holy congregracions throughe the worlde / whichby holdinge their peace and keapinge the true faith within theirharte they shuld neuer haue edified. Wherof euery man seith thatthe confession of the mouthe is allwayes necessarie / and thatit is required of euery one of vs. The notable examples also ofthe excellent seruauntes of Godd cõtayned in the scriptures doteache the same. 

 [[1. Reg. 19. ]]

That same gret prophet of Godd Helias was ones of that myndethat he only of all the true worshippers of Godd was lefte alyuevppon the earthe. But he hearith euẽ of the lord hymself / whichsayeth / I haue lefte me seuen thousand in Israel / of whichneuer mã bowed his knee vnto Baal nor Kyssed hym with hismouthe. Heere is nothinge spoken of the secret faithe of theharte / but of the outward fruites of true faithe. For theis weroutward thinges / to bowe the knees vnto Baal / and to kisse hisImage with their mouth. It is saied that they did not theisthinges / and therfor are they taken for true and verayworshippers of Godd. The lorde / if he hadd thoughte that whichtheise our men do thincke / he might haue made mencion of thefaithe of the harte without the outward confession / especiallyseing thos tymes wer so daungerous that Helias himself did flieinto the wildernes. But the lord doth praise in his faithfullthe outwarde confessiõ / which was made in worcke / rather thẽin wordes. Wherfor we must shew forthe the faith of the harteboth by deedes and wordes / after the exeample of theise seuenthowsande confessors whom God doth praise. We must not goo vntovnholy assemblees / we must not bowe our knees nor vncouer ourheades before Idolls / we must not kisse thos thinges / whichare contrarie to the gospell. 

 [[Dan. 3. ]]

Yf ony other in the whole world / thos the princes (of whommencion is made in Daniell) might haue coloured ther Idolatrie /but they chose rather to submitt themselues to cruelpunishment / then to bowe their knee before that Image which thekinge did sett vpp to be worshipped. Their men of ours wold hauesayed. It shalbe better to kepe faithe in the harte for theprofitinge of many / then rashly to poore it furthe to the hurteof an infinite number. For so longe as we are safe / themiserable captiues shall receyue gret and many benefites: Yeaand also we priuely may promote the truithe in the princescourte. But by this same vnceasonable confession / confusion ofall thinges shall euen at ons ouerwhelme all theise thinges. Andwith out doubt they wold haue added that the Image which thekyng hadd sett vp was not altogether to be deputed amõg prophanethinges / forbicause that the true God had shewed the kinge avisiõ or an Image / which did conteyn great misteries of thekingdome of Godd / after the forme of which Image /Nabugodonozor hadd caused this Image to be made and graued /which Image the faithfull for the cause might beholde andreuerence as the worke of Godd. But thos valieant / and gloriousMartirs do make mentiõ of no suche thinge /

 [[Dan. 3. ]]

and though they did knowe the kinges mynd well inough in thismatier / yet they do playnly saye to the kinge. Be this knownvnto the (o kynge) that we wil not serue they goddes / nor doreuerẽce vnto that Image which thow hast sett vpp. Neither didthey only vse this libertie of speache before the kyng / butwillingly they offered ther bodies to all daungers / yea euẽ tomost fearfull fires. 

 [[Dan. 6. ]]

Daniel also did not thĩcke that Godd was religiusly inoughworshipped and serued with the inwarde faithe of the harte /except he had added the outward confession also. For when thoshethen princes did laye snares for hym / of which he was notignorant / and therfor might peaceably haue prayed to the lordewithin his walles at home / yet wold he not dissemble in thismatier. For what doth the scripture saye? This / that whenDaniel perceyued what the kinge hadd cõmaunded / he wẽte intohis howse / and the windows of his wall towardes Hierusalẽ stodeopen. There kneled he down vpon his knees thre times a daye / hemade his petition and praised his Godd / and so opened he hisconfession to Godd. This same most holy prophet of Godd mighteseme to be beside hymself thus willingly to procure euill tohymself / and as it wer without neade to prouoke the enemies ofReligion against hym: but the scripture doth not settfurth vntovs ony error / no vncõsideratnes or rashe boldnes in thismatier / but doth teache vs playnly to yelde vnto Goddconfession in deedes and in wordes. Vnto theis examples of theholy scripture we will now adde other thinges which do agre withthem (for thos thinges which do diagre from the scriptures wepasse litill or nothing at all / what autoritie so euer theyhaue amonge mẽ)

 [[Ecclesiast. Hist. Lib. 6. Cap. 28. ]]

This we will do out of the Ecclesiasticall historie. Eusebiusentreating of such things as Origen did / makith mencion thatOrigen did mightily oppugn a new heresie which did springe vppin his tyme / it was called the heresie of Helchesaites / and atlẽghth he did happily extinguishe it. He shewith that they amõgmany other things did holde this heresie / that if a man diddenie in persequution he synned not at all / forbicause that hewhich is stable and confirmed in his harte / although he dothdenie with the mouthe for necessitie / yet as touching the hartehe abidith in faithe. By which wordes truly euery man mayperceyue that the same pestilent errour is brought agayn as itwer out of hell / in our age / and se that he ought cheifly tobeware of it as of an heresie condemned. The same Eusebius inthe viij. Booke doth sett furth notable exãples of many martirsof Christe which did frely confes the truith / out of whom Iwill recite vnto your godlynes theise few thinges / wich withoutdoubt will be acceptable vnto all. They whos mynd (saithe he)was more readie and their faithe more stronge / sufferedtorments. Sum wer beaten with whippes / other were tormẽted withirõ houes / sum other wer burned with fierye plates / of whõmany indeed being weried did gyue ouer. But other did abidepaciently euen to the end. Sum of the persequutours them seluesverely / as thoughe they hadd vsed pitie / did bringe many ofour mẽ to the wicked sacrifices / and made a noise as thoughthay hadd sacrificed / when indeede they hadd not sacrificed. Ofsum other whẽ they hadd not so mutch as come nighe the vncleanesacrifices / they did crye out / that they had alreadysacrificed ãd did now depart. Which wer only faultie (I prayeyou marcke theise wordes) in this / that they did with silencebeare the fault which was obiected against them. Sum being takenvpp half alyue were thrown awaye as thoughe they hadd beenedeade. Sum beinge drawn out by the feate / were accompted amongethem which hadd sacrificed. Other cryed out that they wereChristians / and dyd glorie in the confessinge of thathealthfull name. Many also with a greater confidence didtestifie that they neither hadd / neither wold sacrifice euer. Whos mouthes and eyes the tormẽtours did forthewith beate / tocause them to holde ther peace / and they wer with violencethrust forthe as though they hadd done the thinge. For so theenemies of godlynes did mutch esteame it / if at least wise theydid but seeme to bring to pas that which they wolde. Many otherthinges like vnto this / might I add / partly out of theTripartita historia / partly out of Eutropius. But theis aresufficient: And theis do plainly and euidently inough proue /that the lord doth require of true Christiãs / a true and playneconfession of the mouthe / yea euen in the gretest daũgers andfuries of the persequutors and therfor that theise tenderlingesdo most manifestly err / which do thincke otherwise / only tosaue their filthie paunche. 

 [[Of ceremonies. ]]

It remaynith now right Reuerend fathers / and most dearebrethern in Christe that I shuld breifly touche also theis mensreasoninges of popishe Ceremonies / which I said at thebegynning they do wittyly handle to persuade thẽselues / andothers / that no man by the partakinge of them doth eitherdefile himself / or by it denie the religion of the gospell. Andsurly it is well known that the name of Ceremonies not beingnarowly weyed / hath bewitched the eyes of many / not only inthis but in other controuersies of religion. It is therfor to beknown that Ceremonies are nothinge els but holy rites. And ofCeremonies sum are called diuine which are instituted (I saye)of Godd himself / sum other are called humayne / such as areinuented by mãs will. 

 [[Diuine ceremonies. ]]

But of the dyuine or ceremonies of God / sum belonged to theolde poeple / of which the writinges of the prophetes andapostles do beare witnes that they wer abrogate in Christe. Sumdo belonge to the new poeple that is to Christiãs / which weredelyuered vnto them of Christe by the Apostles / and thos trulyvery fewe / as of holy assemblees / of sacramentes / and certaynecclesiasticall obseruaciõs / which are declared in the writĩgesof the Apostles. 

 [[Humaine ceremonies. ]]

Of ceremonies enuented by man ther is almost neither measure norend. For they wer enuẽted and established at dyuerse tymes / ãdthat by diuers and sundry autors / and they were so delyueredand instituted of them / that they do not only not consent withthe holy scriptures but they be contrary to thẽ / insomutch thatthey do deface and corrupt the ordinaunces which Godd hathinstituted / and do put them out of place. Of this kinde is thatchurche deckinge and dressinge / in which Images haue the cheifplace. Of the same sorte also is Massinge / straunge apparell /synging / and feastes appointed to saintes which be in heauen /and other innumerable of this sorte. All which truly thepapistes do adorne with the title of ceremonies / which whẽ thesimple and such as haue litill knowledge do heare / they doImagine sum holy thinge as thoughe that all theis thinges weresent down out of heauẽ from the lord Godd hymself to be kept. But heere we do admonishe men that they must stey sumwhat / andmust sumwhat more diligently make difference betweneceremonies / and must more narowly loke / whether that theisceremonies (of which we do cõtend) be of Godd or of man. Eueryman knowith that none in defiled by such ceremonies as are ofGodd. And he which denieth that a man is defiled by humaynceremonies / he seith nothing at all. For though I do not againvrge that which I saied euẽ nowe / that thos humayn ceremoniesare contrary to Goddes worde / and do defile Godds ordinaunces /corrupt them and hyde them / can that be obscure or vnknown toony mã which our lord Iesus Christe doth playnly with expressedwordes bringe out of Esaye?

 [[Mat. 15. ]]

They do serue me in vaine / teachinge the doctrines andpreceptes of men. 

 [[Tit. 1. ]]

Again that which Paule doth affirme that they be commaundementsof men that tourn awaye the truthe? And that the holy Martir ofChriste propownced?

 [[Cypriani epist. Lib. 1. Epist. 8. ]]

It is adulterus / it is wicked / it is sacrilegus / whatsoeueris instituted by mans furie to violate the ordinance of Godd. And for this cause the godly will not call theis ordinãces onylõger / ceremonies / simply / but rather mans institutions / andsupersticions / which are reiected and forbidden of Godd. Wherfor howsoeuer theis men do beautifully set furth and adorntheise thinges / yet shall they neuer bringe this to passe /that the goddly will beleaue that it is lawful for thẽ tocõmunicate with supersticiõs / and such institucions as areforbiddẽ of God: Neither will the godly beleaue but that theisthinges are forbiddẽ / except the papistes shall proue by playnetestimonies of the scripture that they are so instituted of Goddas they do vse them. Which thinge when it can not be proued ofthem / nor yet at all of ony other of the papistes / sum of ourfalse gospellers do turn thẽ selues hither / that they saye thatPaule also did vse forbidden ceremonies /

 [[Paul circũcised Timothee. ]]

and that the prophetes of Godd did reproue the sacrifices /which they neuertheles did partake without synne. And if we dograunte thẽ this altogether / how can they (I praye yow) helpeor sett furth their cause? We reade that Paule vsed ceremoniesinstituted of Godd / circumcision and sacrifices / but theis mendo contend for ceremonies instituted by men. Paul did onscircũcise his Timothie /

 [[Actu. 16. 18. 21. ]]

and did ons ore twis take on him a vowe / and that for certaynand weightie causes. But theise men couet to waxe old in theirsupersticions / and haue no lawfull causes to do so / exceptthow wilt call that lawfull which cõmith of the affectiõs of thefleshe. Without doubt Paule wold not haue one ore two of hisactes to be sett against his whole doctrine. But whi do they notrather folow Paule in that /

 [[Gal. 2. ]]

when he refused to circũcise Titus? seing like causes areministred vnto them by thos which go about to spoile thẽ oftheir libertie / ãd brĩg thẽ into bõdage. 

 [[Hovv the prophetes reproued Sacrifices and vver also partakers of thẽ. ]]

We do saye that ther were two sortes of the Sacrifices amõg theold poeple of Israel. Sum of them are redd to be instituted ofGodd / which the poeple sum tyme abused / or els did not vsethem with true faithe / which thing the prophetes did reproue /and not the Sacrifices thẽselues / of which they did partakereligiusly and without synne: Euen as we reade that Paule didworthely partake the supper of the lorde / although he dothreproue the abuse of the supper in the Corinthinians. Othersacrifices ther were enuented by man / such were the sacrificesof Baal / and of Ieroboam / and thos which were done in thehilles. Theis truly the prophetes did reproue / but it is notredde that they did communicate with the same. This exampletherfor is of force against them which will excuse themselues bythe example of the prophetes / in that they do partake suchsacrifices as are instituted of man. 

 [[Hovv sum do thincke that they may be at Masses, ãd hovv thei vnderstõd the masse. ]]

Forthewith thẽ they saye / what is it to me though papistes doabuse the Masse? In their abuse I do call to mynd the true vse /and I cõme vnto it with an other mynde and vnderstondinge thenthey do saye it. For when I see the breade and cupp / I do notthincke vppon the transubstãciation which the pope hath fayned /but on the sacrament of Christe. And therfor when I am at masseI do not regarde what ceremonies be ther / ore what the ministeris / but I do remember the very institution of Christe and I dospitiually receyue that / wich he doth saye that he dothcorporally offer and receyue / for the lyuinge and the deade. And seinge I know that the vertue of the sacramẽt is not of lesforce for the varietie of ceremonies / ore the vnworthines ofthe ministers / I do suppose that I / which do well vse an euellthinge / am neither defiled / nor yet that by this my spirituallcõmunicating I do denie the gospell. By theise wordes a man woldiudge theis men to be madd / except he do consider that it isnot they which do thus speake / but feare / and desire / whichare affections playnly most trobled. They do simply acknowledgethat papistes do abuse the supper of the lorde / but yet (theysaye) that they themselues do wel vse their abuse / forbicausethey do come enstructed with an other meaninge then the papistesdo it / not to heare a popishe masse which the papistes saye /but to receyue the supper of the lorde / the self same whichthey in their masse do thĩcke abhominable. I do not know whetherther cã be ony greter absurditie spokẽ. Thow maiste saye thattheis mẽ haue learned an arte which hetherto no man couldeattayne / to robb a naked man of clothes / to wringe water outof a pumeise stone / and to bidde a man to get fishe in theaire / that is / at a table wher no meate is sett furth at all /to fare delicatly and to be filled. But go to / let them frelyprofes before them with whõ they do thus cõmunicate / that theybe of that mynd which they speake of / that is / that in cũmingeto Masse they will not cõme to Masse / but that in it they willvnderstõd and consider breade / yea and that they will settbefore their myndes the supper of the lorde / that they wil notcõfes the popishe transubstantiation / but that they do here inacknowledge Christes Sacrament / and that they do well receyuethat spiritually in the Masse / which the prest doth offer / andreceyue bodily for the lyuing and the deade / which thinge hebeleauith not. Will not all they forthewithe crye out / thatther holy Masse is vnhalowed / and that they which thinke so areheretikes / and that they which do cõmunicate with them areexcommunicated? Truly they wold so behaue themselues / thateuery man might vnderstond / that ther is a grete differencebetwene the Masse and the supper of the lorde / and that they doembrace the Masse / but the supper of the lord they do all wayeshate and reiect. With such a kinde of mẽ yet do theis mencommunicate / which wold thincke it a hurtefull and damnablethinge / if they shuld admitte vnto their diuine seruice / thecõpanions of the religion of the gospell with their faithe. Forthey do take the approuinge of their doctrine / to be thecondemnynge of the religion of the gospell: And they do take thecommunion in the Masse to be a certayn confession andapprobation of their religion. Who is it then which doth notse / that theis mẽ do receyue no part of the lordes supper atall in the masse / but also that by comminge to the masse theydo deny the supper of the lorde ãd the whole faithe of thegospell? Theis men saye that they passe nothing what theceremonies be / what the ministers / for that the vertue of theSacramẽt is not the wors for thẽ. But the cheif question heer isnot of the worthines of the ceremonies or ministers / but of thetrue vse and institucion of the supper of the lorde / andwhither that the Masse as it is this daye vsed (I do not nowspeake ony thinge at all of that which was vsed aboue a thowsandyeares passed) wer so instituted of Christe / and be indeede thevery supper of the lorde? Yf the Masse be that misticall supperof the lorde / it must needes be allowed of the lorde / and thow(if so be thow dost come to it in faithe) canst not but receyuetherof the foode of lyfe / forsomutch as the vnworthnes of themynister doth not hinder the. But if the Masse be not the supperof the lorde / if the supper of the lord be defaced corruptedand troden vnder fote by the Masse / truly thow shalt receyue nofruite therof / but shalt rather purchase to thy self greategilte of synne / for that the gaye glosse of the ceremonies orony worthines of the ministers shall not helpe the at all. EuenIeroboam himself wold haue beene counted to haue sacrificed tothe Godd of Israel: but yet bicause he did not sacrifice afterthe same manier which God had cõmaunded / but rather after thatsorte which he himself hadd inuẽted amd instituted / godd didnot accept his sacrifices / and thos did synne against godd andagainst true religiõ / yea and against the lawfull Sacrifices ofgodd / as many as did cõmunicate with the sacrifices of Ieroboã. For both that Ieroboã synned / ãd that he did leade Israel tosynne / the scripture doth repeate very ofte / to beate ĩ to theheade of the whole worlde / that simple obediẽce doth pleas thelorde / ĩ which we keape his ordinaunces after that manier onlywhich he hath instituted / addynge nothinge / dyminishingnothĩg / and chaũging nothĩg in them. 

I will not now reason how that the Masse doth agre nothing atall with the lordes supper / for this is euẽ to the eyes of allmen often tymes shewed in many bookes of most lerned and godlyseruantes of Godd. Yea euẽ children which are but instructed inthe prĩciples of faith / do know that Christe did institute acomõ partaking / ore communiõ / in which all the faithfull whichare one bodie in Christe are knitt together into one bodie / ãdthat the Masse is a dissipaciõ of vnitie and a priuate deuowrĩgof one lurching sacrificer. They knowe that Christ cõmaũded:Take / eate / diuide it amonge you / and drincke ye all of this. And that the Masse doth sett furth theis thinges to be gazedvppon / to be worshipped / to be caried about / and to be shuttvpp / to be hãdeled and also receyued of preistes only: Theyknow that Christe sayd: Do this in the rememberaunce of me. Andthat the priestes do saye Masse in the remẽberaunce of sayntes /that they do sacrifice for the synnes of the quicke and thedeade / and to be short that they do say masse for euerythinge / for filthie lucres sake. 

Ther were in the tyme of the Apostles certayn witty disputarswhich reasoned that it was lawful for Christians to eate meatesoffered vnto Idols. Meates offered to Idolls / were sacrificesvsed in the temples of Idolls / to be offered vnto Idols. Therfor thos faithfull men did contend / that it was laufulindifferently to communicate with the holy seruice of theChristians / and also to sytte down in the Idols feaste. Theydid add plausible expositiõs / that an Idoll was nothinge /bycause Godd was not represented by the Idoll / that ther is butone Godd / the same our true and euerlastinge Godd: Wherof itfolowed that the Idoll was nothinge / that is to say a thinge ofno valure or a very vanitie / that it could hurt no bodie / andthat the very meate offered vnto the Idoll was a thinge ofnothinge / that it did defile no man. But Paule with many wordesdoth confute that folery. 1. Cor. Cap. 8. 9. And 10. In thistenth chapter amonge other thinges he gatherith of the nature ofthe supper of the lord that a man maye not bothe be partaker ofthe supper of the lorde and of the table of Idols / and saith:Ye cã not drincke of the cup of the lorde / and of the cup ofdeuils. Ye can not be partakers of the lordes table / and of thetable of deuiles. Either do we prouoke the lorde? Are we strõgerthen he? Also the Apostles of Christe and elders of the churcheof Hierusalem in that same greate and notable coũcell ofHierusalem / which of all that euer were was most holy and ofmost auctoritie / did playnly forbidd the Gentils / which wereconuerted to Christe / thos meates offered to Idols. Yea and thelord Iesus hymself in the boke of the Reuelacion doth greuuslyaccuse and condemne them which do eate meate offered vnto Idols. This may ye se in the epistles of the churche of Pergamos andThiatira. 

 [[Apocal. 2. ]]

In the furst he saithe: But I haue a few thinges againste the /bicause thow hast there them that maintaine the doctrine ofBalaam which taughte in balacke to put occaciõ of synne beforethe childrẽ of Israel / that they shuld eate of meates dedicatevnto Idolls and committ fornication / and so furth. I thinckehere neadith not many wordes to shew wherfor I haue alledgedthies sayinges of meates offered vnto Idolls: for all the godlydo plainly see / that by like reason all diuine seruice that isvnholy / or contrary to Godds worde / with what colour so euerthey be stayned / are forbidden and condemned. They see that allsuch expositions are put awaye / by which theise fearefull mẽ /and such as do loue the worlde and worldly pompe to mutch / doleade themselues away frõ the right tracke / that they shuld notsincerely confes Christe. 

 [[The Conclusiõ and adhortation to fre confessiõ. ]]

All they which be godly do both see and perceyue that they whichdo desire to lyue euerlastingly haue neade to make a simplecleare and playne cõfession / they see that Christes name mustbe confessed / and that no man must communicate withAntichriste / how great so euer daungers do hange ouer them /and how gret so euer the aduaũtages be which are offered vntothem. They see that they must treade down the feare and desireof the fleshe. The most holy Apostle of Christe writith ofMoses. 

 [[Heb. 11. ]]

By faith Moses when he was greate / refused to be called thesonne of Pharaos daughter / and chose rather to sufferaduersitie with the people of Godd / then to enioye thepleasures of synne for a ceason / and esteamed the rebuke ofChrist greater riches / thẽ the treasures of Egypt. For he haddrespect vnto the rewarde. Whos example (most goodely indeede)that we may folowe / we must alwais haue before our eyes ãd (asI iudge) we must neuer lett slypp out of our myndes thos mostholy most true and healthefull wordes of our lord Christe /which I see neade often tymes to be repeated and inculcate:

 [[Mat. 10. ]]

Euery one that shall knowledge me before men / hym wyll Iknowledge also before my father which is in heauen. Butwhosoeuer shall denie me before men / hym will I also deniebefore my father which is in heauen. 

 [[Luc. 9. ]]

For who so is ashamed of me and my wordes / of hym shall thesonne of man be ashamed when he commith ĩ his maiestie / ãd inthe maiestie of his father / and of the holy Aungels. Andtherfor ther are in all places of the scripture most largepromises sett furthe to them which do fely confes Christe / anddeny Antichriste with a goode corage. Iohn in the boke of theReuelacion /

 [[Apocal. 6. ]]

I sawe (saithe he) the sowles of them which wer filled for thename of Iesu and the word of God. And wher as in this furstplace he hadd writõ / them which wer filled / he added. 

 [[Apoc. 13. 19. 20. ]]

And as many as worshipped not the image of the beast / nor didtake the marcke in their foreheade / or in their hande / allwhich / whom he did se in the very same place / he couplithtogether and saythe. And they lyued and reigned with Christe. Hesaith that they lyued and reigned with Christe / not only theywhich were filled / but they which abiding in the constaũtnesand confession of true faithe / did not worshipp the image ofthe beaste / nor receyued ony markes of it. The blessed ApostlePaule doth proue that we do receyue more in the rewarde ofsufferinge / then it is that we do heere suffer ĩ the afflictiõit self /

 [[Rom. 8. ]]

saying: for I suppose that the afflictiõs of this lyfe / are notworthie of the glorie which shal be shewed vpõ vs. Who is it thẽthat will not labor with all his poure to come vnto so greate anexcellẽcie / that he may become the frend of Godd / andforthwith ioye with Christ? that after famin and banishemẽt ortormẽtes and punishemẽtes / which are but earthely / he mayattayn vnto heauenly rewardes? Yf it be a glorius thinge forworldly souldiours to returne in to ther coũtrie triũphing afterthey haue vanquished their enemie / how mutch more worthi a thĩgis it for vs / after our fleshe the world and deuell beingeouercõme / to go again with triũphe into paradise? And to offervnto Godd a gifte most acceptable / faith incorrupte / the sowndvertue of mynd / and sincere cõfession of faithe / a notablepraise of deuotion. To cõme in his cõpanye when he cõmith totake vengeaunce of his enemies / To stond by his syde when heshall sytte down to iudge / to be made the felow heire ofChriste / to be made equall with the angels / to reioyce in thepossession of the heauenly kingdom with the patriarches / withthapostles / with the prophetes / and all confessours andmartirs. What persequution can vanquishe theis thoughtes / whichare not uain / but of force / and of poure / ĩ the holy ghoste?what tormentes can ouercome them? The mynd ons grownded in theisgodly meditaciõs doth endure stronge and stable / and that myndabydeth immutable against all the terrors of the deuell / andthe threttes of the world / and of Antichriste / that mynd I saywhich the certayn and sure faith of thinges to come dothstrenghthẽ. The eyes be shutt vpp in theis persequutions of theearthe / but heauẽ is open. Antichriste threatneth / but thelord Christe defendith. The world is taken from him that iskilled / but paradise is gyuen to him being therunto restored. Tẽporall lyfe is taken awaye / but the euerlastinge lyfe isrepayred. What a dignitie (o brethern) is it / how great asafetie / for a man to depart myrily from hens / to depart sothrough oppressions and trobles? It is a glorius thinge to shuttvpp the eyes in a moment / with which men and the world werseene / and forthewith to open the same to se Godd and Christe. But that we maye behold theis thinges in mynde and thought /that we may (I saye) night and daye meditate theis thinges / andsincely confes the holy name of Christ / and escape and treadedown all thinges which are contrary to pure confession / we mustdiligentlly praye vnto that same our heauenly father throughIesus Christe our lorde. 

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Errors and Inconsistencies

Frequent Variant Spellings: lenghth, poeple, satisficed; pix (pyx)Spacing in terms such as “whatsoeuer”, “whosoeuer” is variable

Some vowels were written with an overline-- here shown as a tilde--representing a following nasal (m or n). Although some combinationswere more popular than others, there were no absolute rules; it seemsto have been done primarily to make lines come out even. The overlinenever occurs in a partial line, as at paragraph-end. 

Corrected Errors: 3 to maynteyne their false opinion [falfe] 4. V Rule which they must obserue is this [obserũe] “ conuerting thẽ to the gospell of christe [thẽ gospell] 22. V As is writen of Christe [it writen] 27 that thinges shuld not be doone [not not] 31 whearby eich man may easily iudge [indge] 34. V They were thinges indifferẽt [_body text has “thin-” with “ges” only in catchword_] 38. V But let these papists giue [gĩue] 41. V for the which they thĩke that mã to be ther own [whith] [_spelling “whith” is a variant of “with” in this text_] 57 αἱρεῖν [αιρεῖμ, printed without breathing] 58. V and do obstinatly defẽd it [ãnd] 60. V [Sidenote: Luc. 23. ] [Lnc. ] 67 and beloued Brethern in Christ [in in] 72 depart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not [faithe-do _at line break_]

Unchanged Text, with possible correction in brackets: 8 or to make an acte prefect [perfect] 13 our weaklinges do not slyppe and foile them selues [soile] 15. V and be partakers withe Idolatrors [Idolators] 24. V thos deulishe dragges which ar in the Masse [drugges] 37 it wil brust forthe at lẽgthe [burst] [_spelling “length(e)” is also unusual for this text_] 40. V it is aganist the furst table [against] 62. V [Sidenote: Dotor VVeston. ] [Doctor]

Pre-existing Corrections: In most cases it is impossible to tell whether these corrections were made by the printer or by a later reader. Unless otherwise noted, text in brackets represents conjectural words or letters, blacked out. 

 9. V The phisicions / do cowncell [that] when a contagius disease 17. V the begynynge of Christes ordinaunce and institution, [_comma may be hand-written_] 38 vse the rite and ceremonie as the lord[r]e cõmaũded 38. V wicked actes and the do[y]inge of them 45 the corrupt blindnes of the vnbel[ea]uers [_letter “e” printed above “a”_] 54 [Psal. 59] [_printed text reads “95. ” with initial “9” crossed out and following “9” added by hand, overwriting period_] 55 Augustine speaketh of. Many might[h]e 59 to [to] the glorie of his name 66. V By H. B. [_name “Henry Bullinger” hand-written, possibly by librarian_] 75. V to keape peace with them [wit] he must 80. V ther is [[is]] almost neither measure nor end. [_two-letter word could be “is”, but there is no dot_]

Reconstructions and printing problems: Unless otherwise noted, text in brackets is reconstructed from visible parts of letters. Single letters are invisible. 

 3 [Sidenote: The furst Diui[s]ion] 9. V our naturall and [birthe] syn 12 thincke hymself greatlye gyltie of ony notable [cryme] or fault 12 being corrupted he did [allow] [_word fits visible text, but is spelled “allowe” elsewhere_] 32 when they ar present at Idolatries / [_page ends at mid-line, with sentence continued on next page_] 48. V for his plea[s]ure did chaunge Godds Religion 62. V [Sidenote: Lyberall [t]o Women] 79 if a man did denie in persequut[ion he] synned not

Page numbering The printed book numbered folios (leaves); the back (left, verso) side of each page was blank. 13: misprinted as 15 22-32: misprinted in sequence as 23-33, with correct 33 duplicated 27: misprinted as 82 (for “28” in incorrect sequence) 53: misprinted as 93

Misplaced u/v: The printed book ordinarily used “v” initially, “u” later in the word. Sidenotes used “vv” for “w”. Exceptions are listed:

 2. V But nowe I haue written unto you 4 frendlie / gẽtill / and louinge unto the vnbeleauers 5 and to obey them in thinges lawfvll 5. V [Sidenote: Cõuersation vuith men excõmunicate. ] 9 euell ioyned vnto us? ” To the same pupose he usith the vearse of the poete Menander. 14 the lorde hadd gyuen them uictorie 20. V as the popishe brood haue and do sett upp, 86 which are not uain