De elementiaad Neronem . SEneca a graue Phylosopher , writing vnto Nero , and tracting of Cinna an ancient Roman , and publike Rebell , hee vseth these words : Periti medici vbi blanda medela non pracedat tentant contrarium . It is the vse of good Physicians that when a gentle Meditine doth take no place , they presently apply a sharper salue , and more bitter corrasiue : The like course taketh Almighty God with those that bee repugnant vnto his holy will and rebellious against his knowne truth , when faire meanes and louing kindnes cannot preuaile , then goeth he non alliciendo sed compellendo , not by alluring or enticing , them but by compelling and enforcing them , vt quod non possit per disceptatione saltem pos sit per vim , that those whom hee cannot win by louing exhortations he will bring them home by extremities : For as Isocrates an ancient Grecian saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , afflictions are our instructions , and extremitie is Gods opportunity . The prodigal child would not returne vn-his father vntill extremity compelled him , Manasses liuing in his pompe and pleasure in Ierusalem , planted groues , and set vp Idols against God and godlinesse , but being in prison in Babilon , and chained in a dungeon the Scripture saith , that he did turne his heart vnto the Lord his God and besought him earnestly : therefore saith Salomon to all things , there is an appointed time , and a time for euery purpose vnder the heauens : God hath his time to afflict vs , that we may the more earnestly seeke after him , multiplicatae sunt infirmitates , eorum postea acclerauerme : as our Sauiour saith , seeke and you shall find ? But how must we seek ? it is said we must seeke him by Prayer . Inuoca me in die tribulationis & ego exaudiam te , call vpon me in the time of trouble , and I will heare thee .

The Prophet Dauid being much afflicted in many of his Psalmes , doth often call vpon the Lord , as in the 120. Psalme ad Dominum cum tribularer clamaui : when I was in trouble I called vppon the Lord , and in the 130. Psalme , de profundis clamaui ad te domini , domine exaudi vocem meam , out of the deepe of my heart haue I called vnto thee O Lord , O Lord heare my prayer : so that as prosperity doth cause many to forget God , and to neglect their duties towards him : so doth aduersity call them home againe , and makes them more carefull to seeke after him , and to walke more warily in his wayes . And therefore , the Prophet Dauid in another place of this Psalme saith , Before I was in trouble I went wrong , but now haue I learned to keep thy lawes , and so concludeth in the seuenth verse saying , bonum est mihi quia bumili asti me , it is good for me that I haue beene in trouble . The like may I say at this time right Worshipfull and my louing auditors , it was good for mee that I haue beene in trouble , for before I was in trouble albeit I had a zeale to serue the Lord , yet I had not the true way and meanes to serue him as he ought to be serued : hauing liued as long time from the truth as from my country and friends , being from my first arriuall into this Land , deteyned in pryson , sequestred from all conuersation and society . In this my affliction and long misery I prayed both instantly and feruently to the Almighty that hee would vouhcsafe to open mine eyes , enlighten my darkenes , and incline my heart vnto his testimonies , that I might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life , for in him only , and for him only , I desired to liue and dye , refoluing my selfe that whatsoeuer shall bee fall me in this life , I will esteeme it all happinesse , for the peace of conscience and the glory of Gods most holy name .

As I was thus communing with my soule , there came into my mind that worthy precept of St. Iohn when he saith , Trust not euery Spirit , but try the Spirits , whether they bee of God or no : Likewise I did much ruminate and ponder with my selfe , the place of the Prophet Esay , where he saith ; to the Law and the Testimony If they speake not according to this Word , It is because there is no light in them . Whence I did gather , that all Seruices and Doctrines of Religion are not acceptable before God : For Faith commeth by hearing and hearing of the word of God : so that if they speake not according to this Word it is rather fancy , then faith , humane traditions , then Gods institutions , and consequently condemned by our Sauiour in the 15. of Mathew , where he expresly reprooued the Commandements and traditions of men . And St. Paul reiecteth as Bastard slippes all voluntary Seruices what apparance or outward shew of deuotion soeuer they beare .

By which and other like places , I was moued to examine my profession whether it were of Gods institution , and especiall command specified to vs , or whether God were the author of those Seruices and Ceremonies which now beate great sway in the Church of Rome : and after due examination I found out for certaine that many points of the Religion , now embraced by the Romanists are not to be found within the volume of Gods Word . When I considered this , and perceiued the weakenes of the grounds that must warrant our soules , it gaue me occasion to forsake my communion with the Church of Rome , in whose bosome I haue beene long detayned ; of whom I may iustly complaine as the Prophet Ieremy did of the false teachers in his dayes , they haue reiected the Word of the Lord , and what wisedome is then in them .

Likewise I often busied my selfe in reading of Books , treating of Religion , & such as handled matters now in controuersie : as the Apollogy of the most reuerent Father and learned Scholler Iohn Iewell , Bishop of Sarisbury , written against a friend and neere Kiseman of mine Docter Harding ; together with another no lesse reuerent then learned , Marcus Antoniuus de dominis Archbishop of Spalato , whom after I had well perused , I found such comfort in my conscience and such sollid doctrine for my soule , that I made no doubt to say with the Prophet Dauid , a domino factum est hoc , this is the Lords doing . Now the Sunne is vp , and the Clouds of ignorance are gone , the truth shineth , and the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand , therfore I may say with my Text , bonum est mihi quia humiliastime . It is good for mee that I was in trouble , for thereby I haue learned thy Statutes . But what are these Statutes ? they are the Word of God , contayned in the Law and the Prophets : which are the rule of our Life , and the square of our Faith , and the very Oracle of Almighty God , from Heauen to reueale his will vnto vs , for certaine it is that Christ came not to destroy the Law , but to fulfill it : hee swarued not from the Law and the Prophets , neither did the Apostles teach any thing vpon their owne will and discretion , but the Doctrine which they receiued of Christ , they faithfully deliuered it vnto the people , and Nations .

And this they preached at the first in viua voce : , that is , in a liuely Voyce , and afterward deliuered it vnto vs in writing , to be the foundation and Pillar of our Faith , Qui hoc credit ( saith Tertullian ) nihil habet quod vitra credat : He that beleeueth this , hath no Obligation to beleeue any thing else : and this is that which we ought to beleeue without either adding or diminishing .

I would now demand of the Pope and his Papalins , in what Gospell , in what Apostle , in what Prophet or Euangelist , or Book of Moses , they find either Pope or his supremacy ? where are his Pardons ? where is his Masse ? where Images ? together with many other his Fopperies , which now they hold to be very precious . We reade in the 20. of Exodus , that almighty God doth expresly forbid the making of any Image , to represent the Person of Almighty God , or to do any seruice and obey sance to any Picture , or representation of the creature : for first God is a Spirit invisible , incomprehensible , and Eternall , and therefore hee cannot be signified by any Image or creature , which is both corporall and momentary , and therefore God in his second Commandement forbiddeth all seruice done vnto Images : but contrary vnto this the Church of Rome doth command and allow not only the making of Images , but also doth command the seruing and worshipping of them , as by incensing them , in lighting of Candles vnto them , by kneeling before them , and by yeelding vp their offrings , and deuotions vnto them .

All which can bee no lesse then grosse Idolatry : for albeit , they do not worship their Images , as stocks and stones , but as they represent either God or some Saint : So likewise did not the Isralits , worship their golden Calfe , as the true God , but they did worship the true God in the Calfe , and yet notwithstanding , the Text saith , that they did commit Idolatry , and many of them were seuerely punished for the same , Exod. 32. so that the Idolatry of the Church of Rome is as grosse as that of the Isralites . What can bee more iniutious vnto God then to hope for helpe of him , and yet notwithstanding to pray vnto a sencelesse stock ? The faith of the Patriarkes and Prophets , & righteous Fathers from the beginning of the world , was the same as ours is , and ought to be , as the Apostle saith , that they were all baptized in the red Sea , and did eate the same spirituall meate , and iniutious vnto drinke the same spirituall drinke , as wee doe now : But was Abraham , Isaack , or Iaacob , Papists ? did they fall downe before stocks and stones ? before Idols or Images to pray or offer vnto them ? did they go on pilgrimage one to anothers Relikes to doe deuotion vnto them ? there is neither shew nor shadow of these things in the Word of God .

Chrysostome saith , that Christ , nee discessit a lege neque a Prophetis : but none of all this is to bee found in the Law or the Prophets , therefore in no wise to bee admitted .

As touching the distinction which they vse betwixt Duleiam and Latreiam , affirming that they giue to Saints onely Du●●iam ; that is , a kind of Religious Seruice , and that they giue Latreiam vnto Almighty God , intimating thereby that they both worship God and serue their Images : Our Sauiour confoundeth them in the 4 , of Mathew saying as is written , Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God , and him only shalt thou serue .

And Saint Paul perswadeth the Corinthians to turne from Idols and Images , and to serue the euerliuing God , where hee doth vse the word Duliea , for the Seruice of the true God , shewing heereby the opposition that is betwixt the one and the other , that he that serueth Images , cannot in any wise serue the Almighty God : yea God himself speaketh it plainely , in his first Commandement , to worship and serue him , only , neither will he giue his Honour to any other .

In the first precept God condemneth all false Gods , in the second all false worshiping , of the true God , as making of Images vnto God , or yeelding vnto the Image any part of deuotion which belongeth vnto the Lord . For it is not enough to know the true God , and to acknowledge him alone to be worshipped , according to the first Commandement , & yet breake the 2. by worshipping him amisse : As in setting vp of Images , and bowing and kneeling vnto them : for as the Almighty God saith in the 27. of Deut. verse 15 Cursed be the man that shall make any carued or molten Image , for it is abomination vnto the Lord , they that make them are like vnto them , and so are all they that put their trust in them . For as Nadab and Abihu , the sonnes of Aaron by offring of strange fire before the Lord , became lyable to his wrath and malediction for their presumption : so the Papists that doe adde strange doctrines and new inuented traditions to the Word of God , and seruice of the Lord do incurre his heauy wrath & continuall displeasure . And therfore we are willed by the holy Ghost to flye from them and their abhominations , least we be partakers of their sinne , end so likewise of their punishment ,

The 2. Motiue that moued me to leaue the Papists , is , because they do as it were hood-winke the people in their religion , giuing a Seruice in a language they vnderstand not , amazing them with many outward Ornaments , and huge heapes of Ceremonies , calling Ignorance the the Mother of Deuotion , and Images Layemens Books . But we reade in the Councell of Tolledo in Spaine , that Ignorantia est mater omnium errorum , Ignorance is the mother of Deuotion , but rather of Atheisme , and the roote of all errour . What should it auaile Moses to speake in Hehrew to a man of Africa , who vnderstands no Hebrew , and what may it auaile the people of other countries to heare their common Seruice in a tongue they vnderstand not : for albeit they heare with their eares , they vnderstand not with their hearts , they are not much better then Birds and Parrats which babble much , and vnderstand nothing : Therefore in the primatiue Church ; when Faith was then in learning , the prayers & other Seruice was set fourth in a common tongue , knowne vnto the people that they might vnderstand what they did professe , and to be able to giue a reason of their faith .

When Almighty God appointed Moses to open the Law for the direction of his Church , he decreed it as an euerlasting duty to all his people , that the booke of the Law shold not depart out of their mouthes , but that they should meditate therein day and night , to obserue and doe according to all that is written : But how should they meditate in them if they be vnknown to them ? and how should they know them if they be in a tongue they vnderstand not ? is not this the curse which God by his Prophet denounceth saying , I wil speak vnto this people in another language & by strange lips , so as they shal not vnderstand me : who would not iustly suspect such a church , yea & condemn it , when to maintain and continue their errour , they will haue none of the people either to search the Scriptures , or to vnderstand their common Seruice that they heare dayly ? Thus the silly Papalins are led like blinde men they know not whether , and with her fides implicita that is , to beleeue in grosse ( for their part ) they know not what are lamentably seduced . The people go to see Masse , but not to vnderstand it ; and oft-times the Priest himselfe vnderstands not what he saith , and this is done for a double end , the one is that the people may be kept still in Ignorance , and the other is , that it may bee a marke of the Popes dominion , in that they vse his language in their deuine Seruice , and so might bee thought to hold their Religion from the Popes Chaire , euen as the Spaniard constreyneth the Indians to speake Spanish , the better to reduce them vnder his Dominion . But the Prophet Dauid saith Psal. 86. Dominus narauit in Scriptur is populorum , God hath opened and declared his wayes and will in the Scriptures : but in whose Scriptures ? Hierom vpon this place answereth thus , the Scriptures of the people , so called , because they be read vnto the people , that is to say , that all may vnderstand , because the Princes of Christ which were the Apostles and Euangelists did not write them for a few , but for the whole people , not that a few , but that all should vnderstand .

Saint Paul writ long Epistles to the Corinthians , Ephesians , and Philippians , in his owne language , that all might reade and vnderstand what hee wrote vnto them : Why then may not others reade the same Epistles in their own language as the Corinthians and Ephesians did in theirs . St. Hierome , in an Epistle to Laeta , writeth thus , Let thy daughter loue diuine and heauenly Bookes instead of silkes and precious Stones , let her learne of the Psalmes to despise earthly things , let the Prouerbs of Salomon teach her to liue vertuously , let the Ecclesiastes accustome her to renounce worldly vanity , let Iob teach her patience , let her take the Gospell of Christ into her hands , & let it not depart from her , let her diligently study the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles .

And when shee hath enriched the Closset of her heart with such riches , then let her learne the doctrine of the Prophets , and the bookes of Moses . This was the practice and vse of the Church in Saint Hieromes time , and long after him , as may appeare by Saint Gregory , in his Pastoralis .

If the reading of the Scriptures may bee forbidden because some abuse them ; in the vsing : then also may the Sacraments be forbidden , because they are sometimes abused in the receiuing , which to doe were a thing much dissonant to Gods will & pernicious vnto his Church : and therfore the proposing their seruice in a strange language , and forbidding the people the reading of the Scriptures , is altogether against Gods word & the ancient custome of the Primatiue Church , and so by consequence is not to be followed by any of the children of the Church of Iesus Christ .

A third reason that moued me to follow this pious resolution was , that they hold against all Scripture , and authenticall reason Purgatory , that is , a purging fire after this life to clense our sins . Against this opinion of the Papists our Sauiour himselfe in the 16. of Saint Luke doth much confute , where he maketh mention only of 2. places ; namely , Heauen and Hell : saying , that the rich mans soule presently after death went to Hell and there was tormented ; and Lazarus soule , at his death , was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome , a place of ioy and comfort . For as Saint Ciprian saith against Demetrian , that after this life there is no place of Repentance , there is no satisfaction more to be made , life is heere either lost or won by the due worshipping of God , and the fruits of faith ; So the same Author saith in the same Treatise , that if a man in the departing hence doth sincerely acknowledge his sinnes , and truly imbrace Gods Word , thus confessing , and thus beleeuing , he hath free pardon and forgiuenesse granted him of all his sinnes , by Gods goodnesse and free mercy , and at that very instant passeth to immortality : Euen in the last moment of his life God refuseth not Repentance , and whatsoeuer is truely done , is not to late done .

And Saint Ambrose in his Booke Debono Mortis saith , that he that in this life receiueth not remission of his sinnes , shall not haue remission in the world to come .

Now if their sinnes be forgiuen in this world , likewise the punishment due to the same is also forgiuen in this world , and so there can remaine no Purgatorie to torment them in the next life . But certaine it is , that the bloud of Christ doth clense vs from all our sinnes , as Saint Iohn saith , and is the onely Purgatory , that a Christian man should hold , which doth deliuer his people as well from the punishment due to sins , as from the sinne it selfe : for as the Prophes Esay saith , our punishment was laid vpon him , and with his stripes wee are healed . Saint August . in his Sermon De tempore 232. saith , there are but 2. places , hee that reigneth not with Christ at his departure hence shall perish with the Diuell without end , so that in what stare the last day of our life shall find vs , in the same state the last day of our life shall iudge vs .

Now if this be true , as most true it is , then the propitiatory Masse so much esteemed in the Romish seruice , is but a forgery : For first it cannot be propitiatory for the dead : for as the Tree falleth so it lyeth , and as man is found in his departing , so goeth he to Hell or to Heauen . A third place is not mentioned , now if any be in Heauen , Masses cannot auaile them , for they enjoy all blisse possibly already , if they be in Hell , we read , ab inferno non est redemptio , out of Hell there is no redemption , for as the Prophet Dauid saith , a man can by no means redeeme his brother , he cannot pay his ransome to God , so precious is the redemption of soules , and the continuance for euer .

And so it is cleare , that for the dead it cannot be propitiatory , and as for the liuing it cannot benefite them , for then were it derogatory to the Passion of Christ once offered for all vpon the Crosse : whose Oblation was absolute and perfect as Saint Paul in the 5. to the Hebrewes 6.7 . speaketh , and therefore needeth not Masse , or any thing else to helpe it , yea it were grosse and damnable to suppose any imperfection in that Sacrifice and Oblation of our Sauiour once offred on the Crosse , seeing that God the Father twise spake from Heauen with a loud voyce , saying this is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased .

The fourth Reason , that moued mee to renounce my former profession with the Romanists is that , they quite contrary to the words of our Sauiour and the whole vse of the ancient Christians abuse the Sacrament of the Lords Supper , partly by adding , and partly by diminishing , from the same , when our Sauiour spake these words , hoc est corpus meum : This is my Body , hee expounded himselfe presently saying , it is the Spirit that giueth life , the Flesh profiteth nothing . These words are spoken spiritually , therefore you must vnderstand them spiritually . Saint Augustine in his Commentaries vpon the 98. Psalme saith , you shall not eate this Body that you see , neither shall you drinke that Bloud which vpon the Crosse was once shed : for our Sauior recommended vnto vs a Sacrament ( to wit ) that which you see on the Table is Bread , and that which you see in the Cup is wine , but touching that wherein your faith is to be instructed , is the Body and Bloud of Christ For as Baptisme doth change a man according to grace , yet notwithstanding he remaines the selfesame man according to visible measure as he did before , but inuisibly by grace is made another man ; outwardly nothing is added , but inwardly all is changed : So in the blessed Sacrament , outwardly nothing is changed , but there remaineth true Bread and true Wine , but inwardly by faith , we apprehend the Body and Bloud of Christ .

But these words which our Sauiour spake figuratiuely , the Papists expounds them literally , and thereby they cause the people to commit Idolatry , by adoring Bread as God : for they hold that after the words of Consecration , there remaineth no longer Bread nor Wine , but there is really and Transubstantially the Body and Bloud of Christ . But Saint Peter saith , that the Heauens must containe the Body of Christ vntill the end of the World .

Now if Christs Body bee in Heauen ; then it cannot bee in the Earth at once , and the same time : for as Saint Augustine , Tractatu 3. in Iohannem . Corpus Domini in quo resurrexit , vno tantum in loco esse potest . If they say that it is done by miracle in the Sacrament , then it should be visible , to the outward eye and sences . When Christ turned water into Wine , it was visible Wine . When Moses Rod was turned into a Serpent , it was a visible Serpent , and so if the Bread be turned into the Body , and the Wine into the Bloud of Christ , it must also be a visible body .

But if they expound these words of our Sauiour , hoc est corpus meum literally , to belong vnto all , why should they not also expound the words following literally , that when he tooke the Cup , he said , This is my bloud , should be appertayning to all aswel as the Bread . In the old Law Circumcision was called the Lords Couenant , when it was not the Couenant but a Signe thereof : For the Couenant was this to Abraham : Ego ero Deus tuus & Deus seminis tui .

Likewise the Pascall Lambe was called the Passeouer of the Lord , when it was but the signe of the Passeouer , as passing ouer the red Sea , so that it may stand with good Reason , that Christ called the Bread his Body , as hee called the Pascall Lambe his Passeouer , and yet was but a signe thereof , so the Bread is called his Body , and is but a signe or remembrance of the same : and therefore it is called a Sacrament because that in it one thing is seene , and another thing vnderstood that which is seene is Bread , and Wine , and hath a visible apparance or forme , but that which is vnderstood hath a spirituall vse and profit .

So that the thing which signifieth , is oft-times called by the name of the thing which it signifieth , as Saint Paul calleth the Rocke Christ , yet it was not Christ by substance , but by signification ; euen so our Sauiour said , This is my Body , when he gaue Bread the signe of his Body , and the Apostle said , the Rock was Christ , for that the Rocke which they spake of signified Christ . The Gospell standeth not in the words of the Scripture but in the meaning .

Therefore Saint Paul saith , that the Communicant doth eate Bread after Consecration ; for if the Bread were wholy and truly Transubstantiated into the Body of Christ , hence it followeth that euery one that doth receiue the sacrament doth also eate the Body of Christ , and consequently cannot be damned . For our Sauiour saith , He that eateth my Flesh , and drinketh my Bloud hath eternall life : & so by this rule the wicked shall be saued as well as the godly . Moreouer if Christ be present according to his humane Nature , then is it no Sacrament : for euery Sacrament is a signe , & inanis est signi visus vbi resipsa presens est the signe is to no effect , where the thing it selfe is present . And it is to be noted likewise , that the signe must haue some Analogie with the thing that it signifieth : Now the thing signified is the Body and Bloud of Christ , which is true meate & true drinke , as our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth , in St. Iohns Gospell , but the species or accidents of Bread and Wine are not true meate , nor true drinke , & by that meanes cannot giue any fit proportion with the thing signified by them . Further it is an Axiome in Phylosophy , that accidentis esse est in esse , that the being of an accident is to be in some subiect . But these accidents as colour , sauour and roundnesse , they cannot bee in any subiect and so by consequence they cannot exist in the Sacrament .