The consultation of Theodore Bybliander vnto hys companyons of the Christen name / how the cruell power of the Turkes is to be resisted .

The .i. Chap. ALl though I do not doute ( good Christen bretherne ) that there be many whiche bothe in theyr Godly sermons and also in their generall councells do with diligent and conuenient communication expresse all the reasons wherwith the common welthe of all Christendome might be defended from the crueltye of the Turkes / yet neuer the lesse the same consultation semeth vnto me to be so indifferently pertaynynge and commone to all men whiche do professe the name of the hye emperoure Christe / that no mannes studye ought to be taken as vayne and vnthankfull whiche gentely The autors good wyll ought not to be contemned . bryngeth forthe to a common vse what so euer councell / helpe or succurre he supposeth to haue founde ether by studye or inquysition . For seynge that in the tyme of tempestuous vpswellynges of water / or shipwrake / fyeror otherlyke calamyte of men . Right acceptable vnto vs is the good will and dilygent labor of those men and thankes worthye whiche wyllinglye do runne to helpe vs . Although in the meane tyme ther be many other sufficient and enough to preserue and deliuer vs from the parell obiected . How moch lesse wyll good and wise men refuse the office and councell of them whyche in the tymes of warre and troble / as it is euen now ( yf euer there were any wother ) endeuoure them selffe to do what they can for the publycke weale turnynge all theyer wordes and thoughtes to the helthe of the same that it myght be recouerd conserued and increased ? And therfore●o ye wyse men wiche knowe the lawes and custome of the churche my truste is that none of you The Authors first requeste . will ascrybe the vyce of pride vnto me for that I do enterprise to declare my mynde ( this boke gyuen abrode ) of the greate and moste weyghtye matter in the whiche so many excellent men of singulare wysdome / vertu / witt / and lernyng are buselye occupied . But rather will attribute it to the parte of honestye because that I retaynynge faythe in ower lorde and sauyour Iesus Christe and beleuinge his vniuersall people that is to say his catholicke church / do applye my mynde to brynge those thinges in to remembrance which I haue lerned out of diuyne scriptures and the bookes and wordes of moste wise men to be moste proffytable to the preseruation of the Christen commone welthe and namely in this tyme in the whiche the moste cruell enemye of all Europe lyenth greuously in oure neckes . Neyther truly haue I purposed with to bitter wordes The Authors purpose and intent . to persecute the Turkes affayres / dedes or maners whiche they haue done at any tyme ether to cruelly or iniustly . And so to prouoke oure men to the more hatred of that spytefull nation / seynge that vnto noble thinges godly interpryses vertu is rather required then rasshe desyre to be reuenged . Nather go I aboute to incense or moue the rulars of cyties to proclayme bloodye warre to whotly and oute oftyme agaynst the Turkes . Neyther yet wil I perswade them to take truce with the most fierce aduersaryes of true relygion . Nather of them bothewil I do in this state of thinges and as the worlde is now / all though I had greate plentye both of wyt and eloquence / the whiche beynge proued of some men ( ahlasse for sorrow ) with littell circumspection hath brought the people of Christe in to extreme daungers and moste bitter sorowe the greate and riche kingdome of Hungarie lately beinge loste : the whyche very often and alone by it selfe hathe in tymes paste strongely defended / sustayned / and repressed the moste greuous assautes of oure cruell aduersaryes : But all my purpose is wyth playne and euydent truthe ( whych thynge bothe tyme and maners dothe euer more requier ) to open the causes for the which we haue kepte warre so vnhappely these many yeres with this The thinges to be entreated of in thys boke . cruell nation . And how that by oure vyces whyche bragge and cracke in vayne the moste worthy name of Christe / and haue no dedes of holy lyuynge agreable to the same / the monarchy of Mahumet wyth hys superstytyous and damnable lawe hath growne vp after thys terrible maner . Afterwarde I will showe that it is not onely a good thynge and an honeste / but also an easy thynge and a necessarye / to cut of the causes of oure euylles and plages : And last of all I wyll declare wyth what weapons and by what meanes the enemyes of Chrystes name both may and ought to be ouercome .

Chap. ij ANd fyrst of all that the begynnynge of all these warres / captyuyte / oppressyon / and all plages whyche the Turkes haue brought vpon Christen people maye be clerely perceyued to be in oure selfe / whyche are Christen men by name onely / & not in dedes and lyuyng / it shall be necessary to compare the ordynaunces and dyscyplyne and maners of Owre maners with the Turkes muste be compared . owre aduersaryes in some parte with the vertues and vyces of owre men / takynge an example at the Apostles and Prophetes / whyche many tymes by such a compendyous waye dyd brynge the folowers of godlynes into a more inwarde knowledge of themselve / so that they might make them to beholde in the lyfe of other straunge nacyons / as it hath bene in a glasse what is foule or honeste / what is good or euell in men clokyd / cowled / and hoodyd wyth tytles of names of holynes / and how moche euery thynge consysteth in hys awne kynde / for by the demonstratyon of comparyson it is more euidently sene what so euer they wolde knowe or not knowe eyther by ignoraunce or dissimulatyon / lokynge vpon the preceptes and iudgynge them selues to fauorablely . Therfore yf it shal be knowne the same vngracyous dedes whyche we abhorre in the Turkes / or ells suche lyke / ye or greater myscheffes to be done amongste Christianes / & that frely or wythoute any punyshment . Agayne those vertues whych are prescrybed of oure master & great Emperour Iesus Christ to be more gentlely nourished & excercysed amongste the parte takers of Mahumets superstytion & enemyes of Chrystes crosse then amongste fayned & false Chrystianes : it muste nedes be graunted as I suppose this ferce and cruell nation by the ryghteous iudgemente Marke this well for it toucheth the quyck . of God to be styred vp and brought vpon vs / whiche myght reproue oure peruersite and take iuste vengeance vpon vs / because we haue contemned and troden vnderfote The pouer and vertu of the Christen relygyon . the lawe of oure god and Christen relygion . And therfore at the same relygion must I begynne to declare my mynde whose power is knowne to be very great in all degrees bothe in magistrates and The poetes do say ●e that because Or o●nothe●s has made a man of claye and 〈◊〉 ●●er 〈◊〉 from heauē●●● lyfe into hym . Iupiter sent Pandora a woman with a boxe full of alkyndes of dyseases vnto hym / but he refused it / whose brother Epsmetheus opened it / a● then all maner of syknesses flewe abrode . pryuate persons / in warre and peace and in euery age and condycion of men . The whyche also whyles it is kepte whole & inuyolate deliuereth kyngdomes / nations and cyryes and all men from euyll . But beyng corrupte / it openeth as it were the boxe of Pandora and powreth abrode all maner of myscheffein to the world . More ouer as we knowe that there is but one onely holy and true euerlastynge and lyuynge God / so do we confesse that there is but one onely holy and true relygion / whyche of Christe the sonne of God & of the virgyn Marye the onely medyatour betwene God and man is called Christiane . And it contayneth an euerlastyng couenaunte that the Lorde is oure God and we agayne hys people holy and consecrated / wyth , oute the whych felouship or cummunion of sayntes with Christe best and greateste / there is not graunted of God vnto men any felycyte or promisse of blysed lyffe . But the wrathe of God The diffinycyon of ● relygion . and all maner of calamityes with deathe at the laste and extreme miserye . Nether can I for the medyocrite or lytle quantite of my vnderstondynge in fewe wordes better defyne relygion then to be as I myght call it a lyffe or a lyuynge nature and a vertuous dysposicion put in to men by the worde of God / whiche maketh men to be truly myse good / & blyssed / for why it bryngeth moste true and sure knowlege of the greateste goodnes and also of the onely good God and his true worship and maketh vs pleasant and acceptable vnto hym / and styrrethe vp the mynde wyth holy affectyons towardes God and men : and also calleth vake oure myndes from those thinges whyche be contrarye to godes diuine plesure & therfore ought they to be taken as fylthye and vnhoneste Furthrmore it maketh constancye to growe in oure brestes / lest we taken with the loue of the vayne flatterynge kynde or shadowe of good thinges or elles with the feare of any mysfortune hanging ouer oure heades / myghte be caryed awaye / The prayse and commendacion of religion with euerye wynde from those thinges that be very vertuous and good in dede / oute of the whiche fountayne of religion floweth and cometh all offices and noble actes / and all that integryte or innocencye of lyuyng / vertu and conueniencye which is called holynes . Thys gyueth power and goodnes to the lawes . This gyueth Authoryte vnto the magistrates and maketh the people to be iustely obedient / when at the commaundement of theyer celestiall father and lorde of heauen and erthe / they gyue vnto euerye man what so euer is dew / whether it be honoure or tribute custome or rent or any other thinge . Religion alone makethe a good Kinge / a good consull / a good alderman and counceller / a good minister and doctor of religion / a good cittizynne / a good souldier a good marchant / a good husbandman / and a good workeman . Relygion coupleth men to gether with moste holy bondes / bothe the magistrates and the people committed vnto them / the parentes and the children / the husband and the wyffe / the cyttizynne with the cyttizynne to be frendes and felowes / and bindeth the souldiours to theyr captaynes & the people in whose name the batayle is holden with moste holyeste leages and othes to suffre to gether strongely and lyke men what so euer fortune chaunceth vnto them . And that I may ons in few wordes vtter my hole mynde Religion is an infinyte treasure Religion brefely di● fined . of all good thinges whyche no portion of mannes lyffe may wante no more than the bodye may be with oute the soule whiche is the onely cause wherby it moueth / or the worlde may lacke the light of the sonne . Therfor howe many so euer haue All godly men of all worldes were chrianes . benein any worlde or in any nation / good and wyse men and the frendes of the immortal god / & in conclusion adscribed and noumbred to dwell amongst sayntes They were euer Christianes whyche truly by the worde and sonne of god / by the wisdome and truthe and goodnes of the celestiall father haue by eleccion and fre gyfte obtayned bothe wisdome and goodnes and that same thinge wiche is called blyssed & euerlastynge lyffe , Nether are those men forbydden or prohibyted from the felouship of Christianes whiche were not marked with the outward badge that is to saye were not baptysed in the name of Christe or Messias / seynge that Adam and after hym the wother Patriarkes euen the moste holy men truly were called in the holy scriptures the true worshippers of the lorde and the seruantes of god / but yet not Christianes . Nether maketh it any matter by what way or by what meanes the sonne of god was declared & knowne vnto the heithen / whether it were by the scripture or prechinge of any man / as of Enoch or Moses . Whether by the contemplation of gods meruelus handyworke in any parte of the worlde declaring hym to be the moste wise and cheyfe workeman and maker of the worlde best and moste myghtye . Whether it was showed them by the reuelation of Angels or by the onely fynger and worke of god withoute , the helpe of any creature commynge from the lorde / that is to saye by the holy and coessenciall sprite of god / so that they obtaynynge by the worde of god necessarye wysdome vnto saluation dyd possesse and declare them selues in dede to be the chylderne of god & cittizynnes of the newe Ierusalem Reue. xxi . which descendeth from aboue / so that they were members of the true and primatiue church / whose names are wrytten in heauen / whiche church truly is nether ended in the spaces of tymes nor yet interrupted or cut asondre with the lymytes of places / nations / tonges & dominions .

Ca. . iij BVt for because man is composed or made of soule & body / it ought to be iudged both most profitable & also moste iuste that the inwarde religion / fayth / or godlynes be represented and excercysed in the outwarde comely gesture and ceremonyes euen as it were in a glasse and in an obscure thinge ? Aknowlegynge god The vse or abuse of Christes sacramentes / declare whither thou lou●ste ordes●i saste Christes religion with mouthe and handes and with all thy holebodye / and ( as I myght so speake ) with all thy faculties / power and goodes preachinge and praysynge hym / whom with in thy harte thou reuerently aknowledgest to be the euerlastyng fountayne of all goodnes : And as the outewarde comely gesture or honourynge of god is like or agreable to the inwarde religion so that it ought not to differ from it no not an heare bredeth / And as all godly mendo reuerently exercyse and with all diligence defende the ceremonye or sacrament instytuted of god / and as it is a cleare token of a mynde chaced awaye and forsaken of the true religion to neglecte the outewarde comely gesture action and fayer vse of the sacramentes of god / eyther to corrupte them / or when they be corrupted to wyll to defende the abuse of them . Euen so for the tyme / or as the diuersite of tyme dyd requyer there hath bene variacion made in the cerimonyes / and yet in the meane season godlines and religion ( as adpertaynynge vnto the very substance of the thinge it selffe ) was saued and preserued whole & sounde . For why wother were the sacramentes instituted of god & deliuered vnto owre firste parentes in paradyse Diuerse were the sacramentes a● diuerss tymes . as the tree of lyfe and the tree of knowlege of good and euyll where they myght exercyse religion . Whother were the sacryfyces permitted vnto the sayntes or holy men after the fall of Adam and Eue / and the reparation promysed by the blyssed seede vnto the tyme of Moses . Wother ceremonyes were delyuered by the same Moses vnto the Israelytes / the olde libertye in the meane tyme beynge lefte or reserued vnto wother nations where in the patriarchs with playne or single sacrifices did celebrate the misteries of Christe : An other maner & fourme of holy ordinaunces or sacramentes was instituted after the sonne of god beynge incarnate had perfourmed all his promisses / and by his deathe the synne of all the worlde beynge redemed and saluation repared by an euerlastynge sacrifice : ascendynge in to heauen / he had fullfilled all thinges that were promissed to the fathers & prefigured in the rites of the holy ceremonyes . For why Christe deliuered vnto the churche a fewe sacramentes in nombre / as saynte Augustine sayeth / and they were of most Saynte Augustyne . noble signification and holyeste obseruat●or . For Iesus christe owre lorde and sauioure did institute and orden the glory / the prayse or commendation of grace & the doctryne of repentaunce when he commanded his Apostles that they goynge in to Mar. xvi . Math. x. al the world sholde teache in his name repentance and fre forgyuenes of synnes & not the choppyng & chaungyng of super● stytyous tradytyons of men mixed with his pure worde . And he commaunded the same thinge to be obserued vnto the ende of the worlde / bydding them also to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goste vnto the remission of synnes and newnes of lyffe . He also commaunded his worshippers to breake the breade of his holy supper and to distrybute it amonge the bretherne and to drynke the wyne of the holy cuppe in the remembrance of euerlastynge healthe purchased by his deathe with moste large and Mat. xxv● Luc. xxii . hartye gyuynge of thankes . Fynally he wylled holy congregations to come together in his name to make supplication Ioen . xvi . vnto god the father by the name of hym what so euer good thinges we desyer to optayne or what so euer euyll thinges we wolde haue dryuen awaye / and to gyue thankes vnto the prayse of the Creator and Gouernoure of all thynges . Vnto the whyche relygyon whiche the sonne of God dyd make moste goodly / and delyuered to his people to be conserued Thinges necessarie to be required for the ●onseru● of the christen religion . and reuerently exercysed / there is diuerse thinges very necessary to be required / as apte and mete ministers to preache the worde / and to celebrate the sacramentes . There muste an honest place be appoynted where in the ministration of soche holye thinges maye iustly be executed . A tyme also is to be prescribed in the whiche the people beynge voyde of the care of erthly thinges may congregate or come together aboute soche godly and necessarye busynes . Riches and ornamentes mete and conueuient / may not be wantyng / with the whyche the temples dedicate to the lordes name maye be buylded and repared when they are in dekaye / the pore people maye be socoured / & the ministers of the Christen doctryne & the true worship of god may be kepte and norysshed . All whiche thinges for as moche as they pertayne vnto the vse of diuine administration are worthely taken for holy and halowed thinges / & in them to put / to hyde or to coloure gyle & dysceyte / is a very wicked and a theuissre thinge . But how many so euer there be / whiche haue the outewarde relygion ▪ of Christe common amonge them / whyther they do it from their harte or faynedly for some temporall proffyt / in what part of the erthe and vnder what Prynce so euer they be / they are nombred for souldiours partaynynge to the churche and the Christen people / whose heade is Christ . And of this moste Christe aloue is the heade of the churche . ample and large Kingedome / none other man can holde the ceptre / that is to saye rule and gouuerne it / then Christe the onely kynge and Prynce of all prynces whiche by the holy spryte of hym and his father / by his worde and the ministers of religion / by the rulars of the polityke ordre and lawes of the publyke weale / & also by the administration and diligent seruise of Angells and of euery creature conserueth and defendeth his people on euery syde . And as god hathe euer syns the creation of the worlde excellently declared his moste present godhed / wisdome and goodnes righteousnes and power in his outwarde churche / as in a peculiare people and cittye yea & as it were in hys owne house euen so was it done / Christe gouerninge all thinges very god and man in the vnite of person / & so we looke that it shhal be styl vnto the ende of the worlde when all his enemyes beynge ouercome Psalm. ●x & made his fote stole / he shall delyuer his Kyngdome is here taken for his electe people . 1. Cor. xij . Kingedome vp to his father that god maye be all in all . For when any people breaketh his preceptes & falleth aways from his holy lawes / by and by he threieneth And if that be contemned and will not serue / he prepareth roddes to beate & punyshe them . Agayne when men wyll know theyer fautes and aske forgiuenes makynge promysse to amende theyer wicked and moste synfull lyuing / god is euer more wonte to be easely reconcyled that is to saye he will sone forget his angre Eze. xviij and take them to his mercye . Truly the gyftes are infinite whiche Christe owre Kynge of his celestiall liberalyte doth dystrybute to hys true worshippers . Nether will he suffer any thinge to chaunce whiche shall not brynge some passynge Iere. xlvi . greate profitt to his true louers . But the enemyes of his churche he dothe destroye . Nether will he suffer them to escape vnpunisshed whyche do hys people iniuryes and despite / commaundynge his electe in the meane season to be of good comforte and to attribute the vengeaunce to hym whiche bothe can and will requite the tyrannye done vnto them with indifferent Luc. xviij iustice when he shall see the tyme to be moste for the proffit of the godly and beste to illustrate his owne glorye . But lesse I shoulde make to longe a rehersall of those men whiche haue bene plaged for theyer vnrighteousnes done agaynste the Hierom● churche / for as moche as saynte Hierome sayeth / all the persequtors of the lordes Persequtors of the churche neuer scape vnpunyshed true & faythfull congregation that euer were from the begynnynge of the worlde vnto his tyme ( that I maye holde my peace and speake no thinge of the tormentes to come in the fyer of hell ) to haue receyued also in this present worlde the scourge of vengeaunce accordynge to the dedes of theyr tyrannye commytted / we shall here be contented with .ij. examples breffely touched and compendionsly expressed . Pharao the kynge of Egypt had Pharao the kynge of Egypte neuer oppressed the people of Israel with soche moste cruell and open tyrannye yf they had not made god angrye and displeased with theyer synnes / for why ? they were not ther for so euyll entreated of the Egyptians because that god had Gen. xvi . tolde Abraham before hande that his sede whiche is to saye the posterite of his generation sholde be afflycted or plaged by the space of fowre hondrethe yeres : But for because that god dyd knowe from the begynnynge the synnes of the Israelytes & for their offences dyd therfore prophecye that they sholde so be punysshed / neuerthelesse so sone as they cryed vnto the Lorde / all thoughe they were not yet thorouly amended / god dyd not despyse their prayers / but gyuing vnto them the beste captaynes Aaron Moses & Marie / dyd brynge his people from intolerable bondage Exo. xiiij . in to libertie / & plaged the tyrante of Egypte and all hys kyngedome wyth Iulianus Apostate . moste greuous punysshement . Iulianus the Emperoure and neuye of Constantyne the greate was not admytted eyther by the negligence of Christ the prince / nor yet by any crueltye of God vnto the persecution of the church . But for because that many men dyd abuse the peace which the Lorde had restored vnto the church by the beste Prynce Constantyne / as it is easye to perceyue & beholde in the scouldynge altercation more then of harlottes / betwene the heades and Captaynes of relygyon whyche were gathered to gether at Nice by Gods diuine sufferans . The chyldren of ●rrius dyd succede their moste godly father Constantyne . And sone after the apostata Iulianus / which rather by crafte & pollyce of wytt dyd hurt the church then with cruelnes and greuous tormentes / as it was done of other tyrantes . But going forth to batayle agaynste the Persians he thretened moste cruell thynges vnto the Christen people when he sholde with victorye returne home agayne : and he vowed the Christen bloode vnto false gods / agaynst whom the church dyd fight wyth wordes / and confessyng hyr synnes & desyrynge forgeuenes of hyr offences / obtayned hyr healthe at the Lordes hande whych doth iudgement and iustice in the erth : Nether dyd god despyse the prayers of the church : for Iulianus being brought thorow the disceyte of a certen Persiane to gether with his hoste into a solytarye place / a wood or a wyldernes / receyued a deadly wounde / not well knowne whether of a man or of an angell : neuerthelesse when he sawe none other remedye but that he must neades dye / & that out of hande / the wycked tyrante was constrayned to knowlege that Christ had gotten the victory / yea and that with his awne blasphemous mouth / in so moche that the very bloude spynnynge or runninge out of hys body wyth ferce violence into the element dyd proclayme / and crye oute : O thow Iesus of Galyle thou haste ouercome me / thou haste ouercome me . Which destynye certen godly men had prophecyed before that it sholde happen vnto hym consyderinge with them selffe what fortune euer more is wonte for to folowe the persecutors of the church . Which seldome or neuer with oute blood or murder / descende vnto pluto the greate dyuyll of hell where all they be gathered to gether that haue fylled the erthe with the feare of theyer tyrannye . Furthermore it is red that when the sophister Libanius ( after Libanius the sophister . that Iulianus was gone for the agaynste the persians ) did inquire and aske of a certen scole master of Antioche what doth the carpenters sonne ? notynge verely therby & meanynge Christe ( whiche was brought vp and norysshed vnder the gouernaunce of Ioseph whiche did exercyse carpenters crafte ) he made answer with out any fere & sayde . He buyldeth and maketh for Iulianus a chiste or a costyn for to Athanasius . be buryd in / Athanasius also was wonte to call Iulianus a lyttle thynne cloude whiche shold moste swiftly passe away & be blowne ouer . But after that Iuliane was slayne / the blyndenes of the heathen was compelled to know the truthe in so moche that a certen man in the title and name of wysdome moste famous amonge them / sayde . How do the Christianes affirme theyer god to be full of pacience and a sufferer of iniuryes ? Ther is no thing more angrye / no thinge more present then his wrathe / for whyche coulde not differ his indignation and vengeaunce no not a lytle space vpon Iuliane the emperoure .

The iiij Chapt. NOw my oration & purpose maketh haste vnto the false & Antichristen shadowe of religion / for why ? as there is one god / one wisdome / one truthe & one goodnes / euen so lykewyse there is but one onely true religion / that is to saye the Christen : Neuerthelesse thorow the craft of the deuyll & the folysshenes of Diuersite of religion is the cause of greate stryfe . men / as there be many lordes and gods noumbred and counted euen so is there also many religions / and that very diuerse amonge them selffe . Nether do the lerned men and also the vnlerned dyffer more in any thinge then in religion / so that well nere a monge an infinite sorte of fourmes and fasshyons of fayned religion / euerye nation supposeth his owne to be beste / yea surely and alone by it self laughinge all other to scorne as vayne & folysshe / despise the as false / hateth & abhorrethe as wicked & damnable / and wyssheth that they were destroyed & vtterly abolysshed / so that theyer owne religion might haue the vpper hand & be spred abrode on euery side far & nere / by the meanes where of there is greate plenty of hatred sowen amongst men & moste greuous contentions / with warres in conclusion and slaughters of men and other all maner of persequtions . Whyles euery man stryueth with greteste studye to vpholde & auaunce his owne god / faythe and religion . Wherefore sathan the moste spytefull enemye of godes glorye and mannes healthe / lyethe in wayte to destroye nothinge more vehemently then the vncorrupted and syncere healthe or preseruation of religion / whiche beynge saffe hole and sounde / the kyngedome of god dothe what proffitcometh of religion beyng kepte and disproffit beynge broken . growe and floryshe and mannes felicite is greatly amplyfyed and encreaced / but contrarywyse beynge appayred or made weake / it can not be but the blissed name of god muste nedes be derkened and men wrapped aboute with innumerable euylls . Therfore the wicked spryte stirreth vp euery meischeuous corner of his wit / and proueth all the wayes to the woode to corrupt religion / & being corrupted by his suggestion and the fayned Imagynatyon of men ( whyche wythoute any respect to the worde of god do make them an ydole in theyr hart & giue th 〈…〉 vnto pleasante or acceptable worship a●ter theyr owne affections ) to restrayne / suppresse & kepe it vnder . For that I may passeouer with silence & set a syde the superstitions of the heithen : How often did the Israelytes beynge vnder the administration of the Iudges and kinges departe awaye from the religion deeliuered them of god & confirmed with wonderfull workes ? What monsterous worshippings of Cy● . x●● . Iere. ●ij . god did they receyue whiche truly didnot abstayne from the slaughter of theyr owne children & to offer them vnto ydolles ? yea truly the princes them selffe & the heades of religion and all the people ( a fewe beynge except ) did conspyre to gyther in to Iere. ● . straunge rites & customes of worshippinge false godes / & that the prophetes shold prophecye a lye / and the prestes shuld clapps with their handes / & reioyse therat / & all the people shulde be wel pleased and haue greate pleasure & delectation in thee thinges . Therfore were not godly men so greatly obeyed which went about to call them back agayne into the waye of health & to renewe or restore relygion being loste : but they were taken for seditious & wicked persons & for men starke madde & out of theyr wyttes vntyll soche tyme as the people being plaged withsome greate calamyte were brought backe agayne by the scourges and whippes of the lorde from theyr false gods and dumme ydolls vnto the true god whiche lyueth for euer and dyd chaunge theyr wickednes with godlynes / theyer mischeffe with vertu / theyer ignoraunce with knowlege . &c. How many heresyes dyd inuade the churche of Christe with in a few yeres after the lordes ascension vnto the heauens ? And yet for There is no heresye but it seduceth some men . all that there was no heresie that euer came abrode & brought forth it selffe so weake and vnresonable whiche did not drawe awaye parte of the churchis flocke far of from the truthe / so that they coulde scantly be brought agayne into the waye of helthe with the great labor of those men whiche in lernynge and lyuynge were menne Apostolyke & moste holy messengers sente from the lorde . What is more abhorringe not onely from the holye scriptures but also from all good reason then the doctryne of the heretyke called The heretyke Manicheus Manicheus whiche dyd knowlege one-while some infernal furye / an other while Messias / and somtyme the holy goste to be the Author of his secte / and he taught that there was an other God of the olde people before the incarnation of oure lorde / and an other of the Christianes synse he was / incarnate and in holy thinges he mixed soche abhominations as is not to be spoken . But what busynes / what vexation / what troble dyd he make vnto the churche whiche certen yeres dyd houlde Aurelius Augustinus wrapped and tayed as it were in a net / beynge easely the prince of all diuines ? Truly there was neuer any superstition or heresye so vtterly peruerse whiche had not some thinge All heresies agre in some pointes wyth the Christen doctryne . common or agreable with owre Christen true and catholyke religion and whiche lenethe to the sure foundation of the euerlastynge verite . Nether is there any nation so vntaughte ether ells so wylde whiche hathe not giuen some euident token All nations know that ther is a God . of it selfe that it perceyueth there is a god and a supreme and prepotent nature / by whose power cheffely the worlde is gouuerned and to whome they studye to do acceptable seruyse and to pacifye the dyspleasure of the godhed with theyr owne institutions and ceremonyes / and so to wynne his fauor . For why god loueth all men with oute the respecte of persons & is indifferent to them all / willinge them all to come to the knowlege of his truthe and to receyue healthe / and for that cause dothe he graunte in the respect of Christe his sonne by the same Christe his wisdome and vertu the vse of a thinge most & necessarye vnto a blissed lyffe / and he soweth the sedes of religion and wisdome in the brestes of men / whiche in some of them by the same grace of god whereby they were sowne and planted / grow Ma● . xlij . Sede indyfferently sowen groweth not alyke in euery grounde . and brynge forth plentyfull frute . And in an another sorte partely thorow negligence and wylde bryngynge vp / partely thorow the fraude and crafte of the deuyll / & partely by the false perswasions of men they are eyther vtterly destroyed or els beynge corrupted they do degenerate & fall oute of kynde into some superstitiō● For why wher the mynde is ones turned awaye from the ryght waye and the lygh● of Godes worde / it muste nedes wande● in derknes and errors . And some certe● true vnderstandynges or knowlege of th● nature of God and of hys true worshypp● and state of beatytude it corrupteth e●ther by puttynge to or takynge away● and some of them it planely destroyeth / some it kepeth safe and sounde . Therfo● may we fynde many men ambyguous doutefull . And ( as Helyas sayde to t● The .iij. of the kynges the xviii . peple of Israel ) halting betwene the tr● god & Baalim / that is to saye , false & fa●ned godes / so that partely they do kno●lege and confesse the true God / and do certen thynges ryght and honest and acceptable to God : and partelye beynge tayed in the nette of false opynyons they cleue vnto lyes / and commytte and do thynges contrarye to the wyll and pleasure of God . wherfore as we ought not to alowe all the dedes and sayinges of those men / whych do professe the Christen relygyon / seynge that it is manyfeste they be often tymes taken in errors and fautes : euen so is it not conuenient to condemne all the ordynaunces and lawes and dedes of them which dyffer from the Christen relygyon / yea euen in very manye and the chefe doctrynes and artycles : for whye the Prophetes and Apostles and the onely author of oure healthe doth showe and declare some thynges in the lyffe of the heathen / whych good and faythfull Christianes ought for to follow vsynge an exacte / a well tryed and moderate The tyr●● vnto the Thessalomens the ●yfte . iudgement / so that accordyng to the councell of saynt Paul / all thynges maye be tryed by the rule and squyre of Godes worde . And then at the laste let that thinge be houlden which is koowen and proued to be good and true . Nether semeth the sentence of saynt Hierome worthy to be left vntouched which he hath wrytten in the commentaryes of Aggeus the prophetyf when thow shalte see anye man to do many thinges which be good and righteous amonge many workes of synners / A notable sentence of saynt wierome god is not so vnrighteous that for the manye euylles of a fewe he wyll be for gettfull of the good . But he wyll make hym onely to reape those thinges whiche he had sowed in good erthe and to gather them to gether in to his barnes / but he that is vtterly an Apostata shall not euer more eate . But shall perysshe with hungare . These thinges did that cheife doctor of the churche wryght whiche is agreable to the sayinge of the Apostle Peter in the tenth chapter of the actes . I parceyue for a truthe that there is no respecte of persons with God . But in all people he that feareth hym and worketh ryghteousnes is accepted wyth hym . Forthermore that we maye make haste vnto owre pretendyd purposes I seme vnto my selffe very well to diffine the Antichristen religion / or rather superstition / if I say or affirme it to be a false perswasion of the godhed and blissed lyffe cummynge of the defection The Antichristen religion breffely diff●ned . or ignorauncye of the mynde beynge voyde and destitute of the worde of god by the meanes wher of many are made folysshe and euyll and vnhappye and miserable / for if a man ( the euerlastinge veryte and celestiall wisdome lefte and for saken ) go about to determyne any thinge of the moste good thing or cheifest goodnes / that is to say of the only best & greatest good god : necessite wyl constrayne him to gyue or ascrybe vnto god of mamies traditions / inuention ● or diuises whiche are abhorrynge far a way from the nature of god best and greateste / and agayne he shall take from the creator and gyue & attribute vnto the creatures those thinges whiche be partaynynge propre and peculiare vnto god onely / where of springeth an ydole and an Image is made of a straunge god : and forthwith a maner a fourme or a fasshion of worshippinge is applyed therunto after theyr priuate effections . Owte of the whiche begynninges there springeth afterwarde wother false opinions and euyll affections and wordes and dedes whiche differ from the truihe ryght and honestye . For why nothinge can be done of men right or fayer and honeste and acceptable vnto god . But as far forthe as they be neyghboures and companions of the Christen religion : Euen now dame supersticion with hir syster Idolatrie and wickednes of the mynde shyneth without the dores and doth exhybet and gyue them selffe to be playnely sene in the institutyon of their outwarde exercyse / maner / gesture and behauyoure / worship and seruyse done vnto god / when the names conuenient and agreable vnto God alone and also the honoure dew onely vnto his supreme maiestye is gyuen to his creatures / beynge called sauyoures / patrones and defenders / and in the stede of God an ymage set vp or whatsoeuer symylytude wherevnto man create and made after the lykenes of god doth bowe hymselffe . To the whiche he lyghteth candeles and burneth frankincens and other swete odors / smells and perfumes . To the which he maketh moste solemne vowes . And there be very many actions or fasshions of the superstitious worshippynge of god / whiche here to reherse were a vayne thinge . But how many so euer there be which do conspyre and agree together in doctrynes the which be agaynste the Christen religyon or be partetakers A breffe description what antichrist is / and of what membres he is campacte amonge them selfe of prophane and poluted sacramentes are iudged to pertayne to some one secte as of the Iewes / the Manicheis / the Iacobytes / the Arrianes / the Mahumetanes / & of soche other lyke : and all these sectes brought as it were into one bodye maketh one absolute and perfite Antichrist / whose heade is the The deuyl is the heade of Antichryst . dyuyll : and vnder hym be Dukes & Captaynes of the Antichristen hoste sondrye and diuerse at diuerse tymes / whych vnder the name of Gog and Magog are elegantly fygured of Ezechiel the prophet / in whome the dyuyll dwelleth or inhabiteth corporally . And as from Eze. 38. 39 Cayn whyche kylled hys brother ryghteous Abell for hys true relygyon the Gene. . iiii enemyes bothe of God and of all holy men were neuer wantynge at any tyme . Euen so the capteynes and followers of Antichriste shall neuer be lackynge vnto the worldes ende / whyche maye excercyse troble or persecute the churche of god dyuerse mayes / That Christe the Kynge of glorye may beare rule in the middeste of his enemyes / whiche shall defende his faythfull seruantes from all euyll / and shal rendre vnto his enemyes not onely temporall afflictions / but also excepte they repent in tyme eternall punysshementes in the worlde to come . But for because it wolde be a longe processe to dispute of the Antichristen doctrine and the damnable traditions of men I wyll be contended to haue admonisshed and gyuen yow warnynge that the prophet Zacharye doth represent as it were in a shadow & mistically ●he sig●ificatiō●f the fly ●●g ho●e ●●ch . ● expresse in the fift chapter by the flying dooke whiche & what maner a lernynge it is : to what men it is acceptable / with what wynges it is carryed a loste from the ertue : what in conclusion it bryngeth to passe and what ende the false doctryne of religion obtayneth .