sentence, is itself condemned and crucified, and shall never rise again to them that be in Christ Jesus, and promises without limitation, remission of sins, "To all that believe in his name," &c. Acts x. 43. And likewise in another place, the scripture speaking absolutely, saith, "Sin shall not have dominion over you," and addeth the reason why, saying, "Because ye are not under the law but under grace," Rom. vi. 14. Adding this lesson, not that sinners should sin more because they are under grace, but only that weak infirmities might be relieved, broken consciences comforted, and repenting sinners preserved from desperation, to the praise of God's glory. For as God forgives not sinners, because they should sin, so neither does infirmity of falling diminish the grace of Christ, but does rather illustrate the same, as it is written, "My strength is made perfect in weakness," 2 Cor. xii. 9. And again, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound," Rom. v. 20.

In remission of sins, therefore, these four things must concur together: first, the cause that works (which is the sacrifice of Christ's body); secondly, the promise that offers; thirdly, faith that apprehends and applies; fourthly, the repenting sinner that receives. And although sins do daily grow, which daily provoke us to crave remission; yet, as touching the cause that works remission of our daily sins, and the means which apply the said cause unto us, they remain always one and perpetual; besides which no other cause nor means is to be sought of man. So that to them that are repenting sinners, and in Christ Jesus, there is no law to condemn them, though they have deserved condemnation; but they are under a perpetual kingdom, and a heaven full of grace, and remission to cover their sins, and not to impute their iniquities, through the promise of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And therefore is the doctrine of them wicked and impious, first, who seek any other cause of remission, than only the blood of our Saviour; secondly, who assign any other means to apply the blood-shedding of Christ unto us, besides only faith; thirdly and especially, who so limit and restrain the eternal privilege of Christ's passion, as though it served only for sins done without and before faith, and that the rest committed after baptism, must be done away by confession, pardons, and satisfactory deeds. And all this rises because the true nature of the law and the gospel is not known, nor the difference rightly considered between the times of the one and of the other. Neither, again, do they make any distinction between the malediction of the law, and the use of the law. And therefore whensoever they hear us speak of the law (meaning the malediction of the law), to be abolished, thereupon they maliciously slander us, as though we spake against the good exercises of the law, and gave liberty to carnal men to live as they like. Whereof more shall be said (by the Lord's grace) as place and time shall hereafter require.

OF FREE-WILL.

Concerning free-will, as it may peradventure in some case be admitted, that men without grace may do some outward functions of the law, and keep some outward observances or traditions: so as to things spiritual and appertaining to salvation, the strength of man not regenerate by grace, is so infirm and impotent, that he can perform nothing, neither in doing well nor willing well. Who, after he be regenerated by grace, may work and do well, but yet there still remains a great imperfection of flesh, and a perpetual conflict between the flesh and the spirit. And thus was the original church of the ancient Romans first instructed. From which we may see how far this later church of Rome has degenerated, which holds and affirms, that men without grace may perform the obedience of the law, and prepare themselves to grace by working, so that those works may be meritorious, and of congruity obtain grace. Which grace once obtained, then men may, (say they) perfectly perform the full obedience of the law, and accomplish those spiritual actions and works which God requires, and so those works of condignity, deserve everlasting life. As

for the infirmity which still remains in our nature, that they do not regard nor once speak of.

OF INVOCATION AND ADORATION.

Besides these uncatholic and almost unchristian absurdities and departures from the apostolical faith, let us consider the manner of their invocation, not to God alone, as they should; but to dead men, saying that saints are to be called upon as mediators of intercession; and Christ as the mediator of salvation. And they affirm moreover, that Christ was a mediator only in the time of his passion. Which is repugnant to the words of St. Paul, writing to the old Romans, (chap. viii. 34,) where, speaking of the intercession of Christ, he says, "Who is on the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us," &c. And if Christ be a mediator of salvation, why need we then any other intercession of saints for our petitions? For salvation being once had, what can we require more? Or what more does he want to be obtained of the saints, who is sure to be saved only by Christ? And then in their devotions, why do they teach us thus to pray to the blessed Virgin: "Save all them that glorify thee," &c. if salvation belong only to Christ? unless they purposely study to seem contrary to themselves.

Hereto also pertains the worshipping of relics, and the false adoration of sacraments, that is, the outward signs of the things signified. Add to this also, the profanation of the Lord's Supper, contrary to the use for which it was ordained, in reserving it after the communion, in setting it to sale for money, and falsely persuading both themselves and others, that the priest merits both to himself that speaketh, and to him that heareth, only by the mere doing of the work, though the party that useth the same hath no devotion in him.

OF SACRAMENTS, BAPTISM, AND THE LORD'S SUPPER. As touching the sacraments, their doctrine likewise is corrupt and erroneous.

First, they err falsely in the number; for where the institution of Christ ordains but two, they have added five other sacraments.

Secondly, they err in the use; for where the word has ordained those sacraments to excite our faith, and to give us admonitions of spiritual things, they contrariwise teach that the sacraments do not only stir up faith, but also that they avail and are effectual without faith, as is to be found in the writings of Thomas Aquinas, Scotus, and others.

Thirdly, in the operation and effect of the sacraments they fail, where, contrary to the mind of the scriptures they say, that they give grace, and not only do signify, but also contain and exhibit that which they signify, to wit, grace and salvation.

Fourthly, they err also in application, applying their sacraments both to the quick and the dead, to them also that be absent, to remission of sins, and releasing of pain, &c.

In the sacrament of baptism they are to be reproved, not only for adding to the simple words of Christ's institution divers other new found rites and fancies of men, but also where the use of the old church of Rome was only to baptize men, they baptize also bells, and apply the words of baptism to water, fire, candles, stocks and stones, &c.

But especially in the Supper of the Lord their doctrine most filthily swerves from the right mind of the scriptures, from all order, reason and fashion, and is most worthy to be exploded out of all christian churches. Touching the which sacrament, the first error is their idolatrous abuse by worshipping, adoring, censing, knocking, and kneeling unto it, in reserving also and carrying the same about in pomp and procession in towns and fields. Secondly, also in the substance thereof, their teaching is monstrous: they say there is no substance of bread and wine remaining, but only the real body and blood of Christ, putting no difference between calling and making: because Christ called bread

his body, therefore, say they, he made it his body, and so of a wholesome sacrament, they make a perilous idol : and that which the old church of Rome did ever take to be a mystery, they turn into a blind mist of mere accidents to blear the people's eyes, making them believe they see that they see not; and not to see that which they see, and to worship a thing made, for their Maker, a creature for their Creator; and that which was threshed out of a wheaten sheaf, they set up in the church, and worship for a saviour; and when they have worshipped him, then they offer him to his father; and when they have offered him, then they eat him up, or else close him fast in a pit, where, if he corrupt and putrify before he be eaten, then they burn him to powder and ashes. And notwithstanding they know well by scriptures, that the body of Christ can never corrupt and putrify; yet for all this corruption will they needs make it the body of Christ, and burn all them which believe not that which is against true christian belief, Acts ii. 27.

OF MATRIMONY.

The order and rule which St. Paul set for marriage is manifest in his epistle to the Corinthians, where, as he prefers single life in such as have the gift of continence, before the married estate; so, again, in such as have not the gift, he prefers the married life before the other; willing every such one to have his wife, because of fornication, 1 Cor. vii. 2. Furthermore, how the apostle allows a bishop to be the husband of one wife, (so he exceeded not after the manner of the Jews, which were permitted to have many), and how vehemently he reproves them that restrain marriage, his Epistles to Timothy do record, 1 Tim. iii. 2, and iv. 3. Moreover, what degrees are permitted by the law of God to marry, is to be seen in Lev. xviii. Also how children ought not to marry without the consent of their parents, is apparent by manifest examples of the scriptures.

Contrary to these ordinances of the scripture, the new catholics of the pope's church repute and call marriage a state of imperfection, and prefer single life, be it never so impure, pretending that where the one replenishes the earth, the other fills heaven. Furthermore, as good as the third part of Christendom, (if it be no more), both men and women, they keep through compulsory Vows from marriage, having no respect whether they have the gift or no. Such ministers and priests as are found to have wives, they not only remove out of place, but also pronounce sentence of death upon them, and account their children illegitimate. Again, as good as the third part of the year they exempt and suspend from liberty of marriage; they extend the degrees of forbidden marriage further than ever did the law of God, even to the fifth or sixth degree; which degree, notwithstanding they release again when they choose for money. Over and besides all this, they have added a new found prohibition of spiritual kindred, that is, that such as have been gossips, or godfathers and godmothers together in christening another man's child, must not marry together; and, finally, in this doctrine of matrimony, they gain and rake to themselves much money from the people, they augment horrible crimes, they nourish adultery, they fill the world with offences, and give great occasion of murdering infants.

OF MAGISTRATES AND CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

We have seen before what rules and lessons St. Paul gave to the old Romans concerning magistrates, to whose authority he would have all human creatures to be subject, and how they are the ministers of God, having the sword given unto them, wherewith they ought to repress false doctrine and idolatry, and maintain that which is true and right, Rom. xiii. 1. Now let us survey a little the pope's proceedings, and mark how far he transgresses in this, as he does in almost all other points, from true christianity.

1. The pope, with all his clergy, exempt themselves from all civil obedience.

2. They arrogate to themselves authority to ordain and constitute, without leave or knowledge of the magistrate.

3. Yea, they take upon them to depose and set up rulers and magistrates whom they choose.

OF PURGATORY.

The paradoxes, or, rather the fancies of the later church of Rome, concerning purgatory, are monstrous, neither old nor apostolical.

1. They say there is a purgatory, where souls burn in fire after this life.

2. The pain of purgatory differs nothing from the pains of hell, but only that it has an end; the pains of hell have none.

3. The painful suffering of this fire fretteth and purgeth away the sins before committed in the body. 4. The time of these pains endures in some longer, in some less, according as their sins deserve.

5. After which time of their pains being expired, then the mercy of God translates them to heavenly bliss, which the body of Christ has bought for them.

6. The pains of purgatory are so great, that if all the beggars in the world were seen on the one side, and but one soul in purgatory on the other side, the whole world would pity more that one, than all the others.

7. The whole time of punishment in this purgatory must continue so long, till the fire have clean fretted and purged away the rusty spots of every sinful soul there burning, unless there come some release.

8. The helps and releases that may shorten the time of their purgation are the pope's pardons and indulgences, sacrifice of the altar, dirges, and trentals, prayer, fasting, meritorious deeds out of the treasure-house of the church, alms and charitable deeds of the living, in satisfying God's justice for them, &c.

9. Lack of belief of purgatory brings to hell. Many other false errors and great deformities, heresies, absurdities, vanities, and follies, besides their blasphemous railings, and contumelies, may be noted in the later church of Rome, wherein they have made manifest departure from the old faith of Rome, as in depriving the church of one kind of the sacrament, in taking from the people the knowledge and reading of God's word, in praying and speaking to the people, and administering sacraments in a tongue unknown, in mistaking the authority of the keys, in their unwritten tenets, in making the authority of the scripture insufficient, in untrue judgment of the church, and the wrong notes of the same, in the supremacy of the see of Rome, in their wrong opinions of antichrist.

But because these, with all other parts of doctrine, are more copiously, and at large, comprehended in other books, both in Latin and English, set forth in these our days; I shall not travel further herein, especially seeing the contrariety between the pope's church and the church of Christ, between the doctrine of the one, and the doctrine of the other, is so evident, that he is blind that sees it not, and has no hands almost that feels it not.

For, whereas the doctrine of Christ is altogether spiritual, consisting wholly in spirit and truth, and requires no outward thing to make a true christian man but only baptism, (which is the outward profession of faith), and receiving the Lord's Supper. Let us now examine the whole religion of this later church of Rome, and we shall find it, from top to toe, to consist in nothing else but altogether in outward and ceremonial exercises; as outward confession, absolution at the priest's hand, outward sacrifice of the mass, buying of pardons, purchasing of obits, worshipping of images and relics, pilgrimage to this place or that, building of churches, founding of monasteries, outward works of the law, outward gestures, garments, colours, choice of meats, difference of times and places, peculiar rites and observances, set prayers, and number of prayers prescribed, fasting of vigils, keeping of holidays, coming to church, hearing of service, extern succession of bishops, and of Peter's see, extern form and notes of the church, &c. So that

by this religion to make a true christian and a good catholic, there is no working of the Holy Ghost required. As for example, to make this matter more plain let us here define a christian man after the pope's making, whereby we may see the better what is to be judged of the scope of his doctrine.

After the pope's catholic religion, a true christian man is thus defined; first, to be baptized in the Latin tongue (where the godfathers profess they cannot tell what), then confirmed by the bishop; the mother of the child to be purified, after he be grown in years, then to come to the church, to keep his fasting days, to fast in Lent, to come under the priest's blessing, that is, to be confessed of the priest, to do his penance, at Easter to take his rites, to hear mass and Divine service, to set up candles before images, to creep to the cross, to take holy bread and holy water, to go on procession, to carry his palms and candle, and to take ashes, to fast in the ember days, rogation days, and vigils, to keep the holidays, to pay his tithes and offering days, to go on

pilgrimage, to buy pardons, to worship his Maker over the priest's head, to receive the pope for his supreme head, and to obey his laws, to have his beads, and to give to the high altar, to take orders if he will be a priest, to say his matins, to sing his mass, to lift up fair, to keep his vow, and not to marry, when he is sick to be absolved and anointed, and take the rites of the holy church, to be buried in the church-yard, to be rung for, to be sung for, to be buried in a friar's cowl, to find a soul-priest, &c.

All which points being observed, who can deny but this is a devout man, and a perfect christian catholic, and sure to be saved, as a true, faithful child of the holy mother church?

Now look upon this definition, and tell me, good reader, what faith or spirit, or what working of the Holy Ghost is required in all this doctrine? The grace

of our Lord Jesus give the true light of his gospel to shine in our hearts. Amen.

HAVING thus prepared the way, let us now (by the grace of Christ our Lord) enter into the matter: that as we have set forth the state as well of the primitive as of the later times of this church of Rome; so now we may discourse of the Acts of every age by itself.

First, To declare of the suffering time of the church, which contains about three hundred years after Christ. Secondly, The flourishing and growing time of the same, containing other three hundred years.

Thirdly, The declining time of the church, and of true religion, other three hundred years.

Fourthly, Of the time of antichrist, reigning and raging in the church.

Lastly, Of the reforming time of Christ's church, in these later three hundred years.

In treating of all which things, our chief purpose shall be, not so much to intermeddle with outward affairs of princes, or civil matters, as specially minding to prosecute such things as appertain to the state of the church; as first, to treat of the establishing of christian faith, then of the persecutions of tyrants, the constancy and patience of God's saints, the conversion of christian realms to the faith of Christ, namely, of this realm of England and Scotland: to declare the maintenance of true doctrine, the false practice of prelates, the creeping in of superstition and hypocrisy, the manifold assaults, wars, and tumults of the princes of this world against the people of God. Wherein may appear the wonderful operation of Christ's mighty hand, ever working in his church, and never ceasing to defend the same against his enemies, according to the verity of his own word, promising to be with his church while the world shall stand.

In the treatment of all which things, two special points I chiefly commend to the reader, as most requisite and necessary for every christian man to observe and to note for his own experience and profit; as first the disposition and nature of this world; secondly, the nature and condition of the kingdom of Christ; the vanity of the one, and establishment of the other; the unprosperous and unquiet state of the one, ruled by man's violence and wisdom, and the happy success of the other, ever ruled by God's blessing and providence; the wrath and revenging hand of God in the one, and his mercy upon

the other. The world I call all such as be without or against Christ, either by ignorance, not knowing him, or by heathenish life, not following him, or by violence resisting him. On the other side, the kingdom of Christ in this world, I take to be all them which belong to the faith of Christ, and here take his part in this world against the world; the number of whom, although it be much smaller than the other, and is always hated and molested of the world, yet it is the number which the Lord peculiarly doth bless and prosper, and ever will. And this number of Christ's subjects it is which we call the visible church here on earth. Which visible church, having in itself a difference of two sorts of people, so is it to be divided into two parts, of which the one stands of such as are of outward profession only, the other which by election inwardly, are joined to Christ: the first in words and lips seem to honour Christ, and are in the visible church only, but not in the church invisible, and partake the outward sacraments of Christ, but not the inward blessing of Christ. The other are both in the visible, and also in the invisible church of Christ, who, not only in words, and outward profession, but also in heart do truly serve and honour Christ, partaking not only of the sacraments, but also of the heavenly blessings and grace of Christ.

And many times it happens that between these two parts of this visible church there grows great variance and mortal persecution, insomuch that sometime the true church of Christ has no greater enemies than of her own profession, as happened not only in the time of Christ and his apostles, but also from time to time almost continually, and especially in these later days of the church, under the persecution of antichrist and his retinue.

At the first preaching of Christ, who should rather have known and received him, than the pharisees and scribes? And yet, who persecuted and rejected him more than they? What followed? They in refusing Christ to be their king, and choosing rather to be subject to Cæsar, were by their own Cæsar destroyed. Whereby is to be learned, what a dangerous thing it is to refuse the gospel of God.

The like example of God's wrathful punishment is to be noted no less in the Romans also. For when Tiberius Cæsar, having heard by letters from Pontius Pilate, of the doings of Christ, of his miracles, resurrection and