Read Ebook: A treatise of the cohabitacyon of the faithfull with the vnfaithfull. Whereunto is added. A sermon made of the confessing of Christe and his gospell and of the denyinge of the same. by Bullinger Heinrich Vermigli Pietro Martire Becon Thomas Translator

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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 / he saith / If we do cut of that membre which ys rotten / and incurable from the bodie / for feare les yt shuld corrupt the other partes therof / how mutch more is this to be done to them which ar euell ioyned vnto us? Which yet we must not do as thoughe we did despise th? / but to prouide that our helthe and saluaci? be not brought in da?ger by th?, after that we do see that we can not profite them at all. To this also bel?gith the lawe which christe did giue:

That he which will not heere the brethern admonishing him / And doth contemne the voice of the churche when it reprouith / and correctith hym: he is then to be estemed and taken as an ethnicke / and a publicane.

Which thing Paule puttith in practise when he biddith / that the Corinthians shuld excommunicat the fornicator / les that a litill leau? shuld soure the whole lumpe of dowe. To the same pupose he usith the vearse of the poete Menander.

Euell wordes do corrupt goode maniers. Ther Paul teachith that the true doctrine of the Resurrection was greatly hindered amonge the Corinthians / which wer but newly turned vnto christe / bicause they dyd to lightly gyue eare to the vngodly argumentes and reasons of philosophers / or rather of heretiques / which did contend and stryue agaynst that doctrine. No man can sufficiently consider / how the bewitching of wicked tales / and talkes / do shake and hurt the tender conscience ?d weake faithe / of the foeble ?d weake brother. Wherfor it is most necessari and profitable to admonishe them which ar weake / that they do abstayn / and withdrawe them selues / from the felowshipp and familiar companye / of the vnbeleauers. The phisicions / do cowncell when a contagius disease hath enfected any nigh place / that thei which as yet ar sownd and not enfected / shuld not c?me vnto them that be enfected alreadye and sicke / bicause that in the bodies of men / and the temperatures / and disposicions of the same / ther is such a comm? passion and suffering / that the infection doth easily go from them that be infected / vnto the other. And though they which do not take heede and keape th? selues from that infection / do not presently feale the poyson and force therof / yeat inasmutch as by lytill and litill the infection / and poyson receyued doth growe / not long after they ar sure to feale the force and strenghthe of it. Seing this is so / and eich man maye worthily and godly take heede to auoide the diseases of the bodie / mutch more dilig?t heede is to be taken of all men / that they do not fr? ony man or place gett vnto themselues infecting vices of the minde. Our Nature / and disposici? through our naturall and birthe syn is now so corrupt / that we neade not to dowt at all / but that we shall easily receyue the poison / and infecti? of other m?s synnes / if we do not fle farr from them: And as with no great labour they will cleaue vnto vs / so after they be ons crept and roted vnto vs / th? hardly and not without great payn and labor / will they be thrust out agayn.

Wherefor Chrisostom in the afore named place semith to say well. If we coulde make them better / and not hurt our selues / all thinges wer to be doone: but wh? we can not profite them / bicause they be incurable / and such as will not be amended / and yet we hurt our selues / they ar vtterly to be cutt of. And to the end that he might the more strongly confirme his saying / he alledgith that sayinge of Paul:

Put awaye the euell from among yowe. Which wordes of Paule ar not to be vnderstonded of the synne / for the greke word is in the masculyne gendre / ??? ??????? / and therfor he meanith by it / the wicked man. The same wordes I will now sumwhat bend / vse / and turn / vnto the profite of you that be weake / and thus saye vnto yowe. Put awaye your own selues from the euell men that ar emongst you: for seing ye ar but priuate men / and vnlearned / and therfor can not put away the euell from among you / yet your selues ye may ridd / and conuey awaye from being emongst the wicked / and the euell men.

Morouer it happeneth that whilest the weake and vnlearned do thus familiarly accompanie the vnbealeuers / They c? not chose but they must heare many subtill reasons and see many other thinges which do mutch make against the true religi? that they do profes: Which thinges when they se and be not able to disproue and confute / They do it not: And so they r?ne into two mischeifs. The furst is / That they ar as it wer witnesses of the blasphemie / and of the reproche that the vnbeleauers do to the truthe: the seconde / that they maie happ to haue summe stinge left sticking in their concience / with which they shalbe longer / more greuusly and daungerusly tormented / th? either they thincke of or do feare. Let vs heere therfor the wise m? which doth saye.

Who so touchithe pitche shalbe fyled ther with all / and he that is familiar with the proude / shall become lyke vnto hym: Take not a burth? vppon the / aboue thy poure / neither ioyne thow thi self to hym that is more honorable / and ritche then thiself. These words of the wiseman / do for two causes belong to our purpos. Furst / bicause that they do teache / that other mens synnes ar lyke vnto pitche / which doth stycke vnto the fingars and garments of them that do touche it. Agayn / that eich man shuld well trie and consider his own poure and strenghth. Vpp? which cowncell / I do gather two thinges. Furst / that the infirme and weake must not ioyn themselues in familiaritie with the wicked / for wickednes will then cleaue vnto them: Secondly that eich man must so well consider / and iustly trie his own poure and strenghth / that he doth not ouermatch himself.

The churche of godd in all ages hath felt by experience that mutch euell hathe happened through this familiar companie / and felowshipp keapt betwene the weake in faithe and knowledge / and the vnbeleauers. In the Primitiue churche forthwith after christes ascension / because the Iues which wer conuerted vnto christe did lyue a great while with thos gentils which hadd receyued the gospel / ther begon a very Iuishnes. For the Iues did enforce the ceremonies of Moses lawe / myngling th? with the doctryne of the gospell / through which they did infect many congregacions of the christi?s so sore / that scarsely and hardely at l?ghth could that euell be roted out: Yea that euell hath so preuailed / that euen vntill our tymes / in Spayn namely / and in sum other places also / ther be many which do not only holde still the ceremonies of Moses lawe with the professi? of christe / but they do thincke them to be necessarie vnto Saluacion. They emongst the Spaniards which be of this mynde / ar called Marrani. And vnto this daye the churche of India is enfected with the same vice. But let the examples of the holy scripture / I praye you / teache vs euen the same. The Israelites 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 did not all forthewith return / but a great n?ber of th? / such namely as wer weaker in the lord th? other / being delighted with the commodities ?d pleasures of their houses / feildes and traffique 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 in the scripture to them that liste to seake and knowe it. How the Israelites wer infected throughe that conuersacion which they hadd with the Egipti?s / it appearith playnly by this / that whilest they wer in the desert / when as yet the wonderfull benefites of godd wer euen before ther eyes / they did fall fr? the lord their dilyuerer vnto Idolatrie / and vnto that kinde of Idolatrie / which they wer acquaynted withall in Egipte. Ther they hadd seene howe the Egiptians worshipped an Oxe /

they therfor violently trauailed with Aar? when Moses was absent / that he shuld make th? a calf to worshipp: which when he hadd doone / th? began they ioyously to crye: Theise ar the godds / O. Israell / which brought the out of the lande of Egypt. Agayn / when by the desert wild and barren places /

they wer comme to the coastes of the Moabites / and began to waxe more familiar with them then became the poeple of godd / through that familiaritie they wer brought to this / that not only they did c?mitt most vile whordom with thos beastly wom? / but also that they sacrificed vnto their most shamefull Idoll / Baalpeor / and suffred themselues to be coupled vnto his sacrifices. for which they suffred many miseries and calamities.

Esaye the prophet / when he did se the lorde sitting vppon his seate of glorie / with his Angels about hym most purely publishing his prayse / though he semith not to thincke hymself greatlye gyltie of ony notable cryme or fault / yet cryeth he out / O wo is me / &c. I dwell amonge a poeple that hath vncleane lyppes. This man of godd truly did thincke / that he hadd gotton no small corruption and infection / bicause he hadd lyued 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 the force of armes / and most notable victories / hadd subdued the greatest parte of the whole worlde / Euen he hymself was ouercomme with the maniers of the Persians.

And vppon whom of right / as vppon a conquered poeple / he shuld haue laied lawes / to haue brought them to that seuere kinde of lyfe which the Macedonians vsed / euen he as a m? c?quered ?d ouerc?me of ther maniers / suffered hymself to be so shamefully misused / that he did take vnto hym their kinde of araye / their lowse delicacie / their pompe and pride / and set. furthe hymself to be worshipped of th? as godd. And so being corrupted he did allow that fall from the maniers of the grecians / through which he did sustayn great reproche amonge the wise / and mutche hatred amonge his souldiours / ?d that not vnworthilie. Besids this / we must knowe / that if these men do without ony Rule or godly end keape such companye / and be familiarly conuersant with the vnbeleauers / except that in theise the fruite of their conuercion do quickly appeare / and of the other also it be by all meanes ernestly sought / both in the reprouing of their vnbeleif / ?d in alluring them to the truithe / It doth happen that ther conuercion is hindred by such companie and familiaritie. For whilest the vnbeleuers do se that the faithfull do lyue so frendly / and familiarly with them / they do iudge forthewith that their supersticion / and vnbeleif / is not so wicked a thinge / nor yet a thinge so to be abhorred ?d cond?ned / as it is reported / yea thus maye they be brought to imagin / that they maye be saued though they do perseuere / and contynue in their vnbeleif. For if it wer otherwise theise goode and godly men / wold not be thus familiar and frendly with vs.

I do omitt to speake of this / that many other of the brethern ther ar / which by the example of this conuersacion / do persuade themselues that they maye do euen the self same thinge / and so do beare with the wicked / and do wincke at their euell / bicause that they haue seen other men do so before them And thus it commith to pas / that by the example of sum men / this euell spreadith it self abroade so that in the end / our faith and Religion / is eu? layed forth for the wicked and vngodly / to mocke / and contempn.

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

that the brethern by this conuersaci? / ar brought to be partakers of the wickednesses / vile custumes / and Idolatries of the vnfaithfull: Which familiar conuersacion / dothe not only couple them with the vnfaithfull / but it is a meane to make them Idolatrours: for thauoiding of which / Paule cryeth out in the same place:

fle Idolatrie. I do likewise passe ouer with silence / that wher our weake and vnlearned brethern / do thus ioyne themselues in familiar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / it can not be but betwene them and the vnfaithfull / sumtyme ther will happen communicacion of Religion: And th? though it happ so that through want of learninge / our weaklinges do not slyppe and foile them selues / Yeat bicause they can not dissolue / and answer vnto the arguments / and subtile reasons of the aduersaries aptly / ther arisith then contentius stryfes betwen them / and not only this / but euel speakings / reproches / and hatreds / which thinges ar so farr from edifying / that they do altogether hynder and lett it: furthermor in these conflictes it happenith / that our weaklinges at lenghth are putt to silence / so that they neither speake to confes the truithe / nor to reproue that whiche is fals: Now consider heere what a libertie these men do lose: which christian libertie is in free boldenes in speakinge / to reproue that which is fals / as to confes godd / and his truithe. This libertie of free speaking and confessing / no christen man ought so to gyue ouer / but that he in all his talke shuld and might vse it.

But in this c?panie of vnbeleauers / these weaklinges do not / yea darre not vse it / les they in ther sayings / shuld be snatched vpp / ?d put to shame. Yet truly no men / nor ony companye of men shuld cause a christian to caste awaye this fredom and libertie.

For our purpose also makith that sayinge of S. Paul. Set your selues at large / for what felowshipp hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes? Or what companie hathe light with darcknes? Or what concorde hath christe withe Beliall? Either what parte hath he that beleauith / with an Infidell? Or how agreith the t?ple of godd / with Images? These wordes ar so playn that they neede not to be expownded: In which / this conuersacion of which we now do entreate / is most simplye / and playnly forbidden. The figures and ceremonies of Moses lawe ar taken awaye / but yet the thinge figured / which is as I might saye / the strenghth / the pythe / and foundacion of them / doth remayn.

Which thinge being true / I maye th? aske this question. The lorde commaunded that the Iues shuld make gardes in the quartiers of their garm?ts / ?d to put vppon the garde / a ribande of yelow silcke / &c. My question now is. Whi the lorde did commaunde / that the Iues shuld differ from the gentils / not in circ?cision only / but euen in their garments also? Euen for this cause verily / that they shuld be taught euen by their gardes also / that they wer gods peculiar people / and that they shulde separate themselues from the gentils / that they shuld not be conuersaunt with them / neither shuld they ioyne themselues in familiaritie withe them / farther then the necessitie of either of the lyues did require. The Iuishe gardes we do reiect / but this which is ment by the gardes we both do and must retayne. In many places the lorde commaunded the Iues also that they shuld not return into Egypte / and that they shuld not aske healpe of the Egiptians / nor of the Assirians: Which he did partly to this end / that through such familiaritie as then must haue beene betwene them and their healpers / the Israelites shuld not be infected withe their vices. The booke of the Iudges / doth playnly inough teache vs this will and pleasure of godd.

For the Israelites did synne greuusly in this / that they did put to tribute thos Idolatrus nacions / ouer whom the lorde hadd gyuen them uictorie / and did couenant with th? / that they shuld dwell amonge them in peace / which thinge godd hadd diuers tymes expressly forbidden them to do / commaunding that they shuld vtterly destroye the inhabit?tes of that lande: This he did partli bicause / that through this they shuld not be brought by the Cananites / into the da?ger of Idolatrie. Now the cause being such with these weake / and vnlearned men / of whom I now do speake / they must likewise take goode heade to obserue that rule / which the lorde appointed vnto the Israelites. It appearith playnly / that this comm?dement of god was kept longe tyme amonge the Iues: for they did not vse ony familiaritie / nor keape companie withe the Samaritans which did not truly worshipe the lyuynge godd / no not in christes tyme /

as it appearith by the talke that he hadd with the woman at the well. Morouer as the goode fathers in olde tyme / did esteme it as their singular ioye / when they might be familiarly conuersant with the godly / so how mutch they sorowed Wh? they could not be so conuersant with the people of godd / and in godds house / Dauid is witnes: Who when he fledd from the face of Saul his persequtour / did mourn / and in the psalmes with most heauie complaintes / doth lam?t / that he was compelled to be conuersant amonge straungers / such as did not knowe the lyuyng godd / and to be as it wer an exile from godd / and his people. So shuld the companie hadd with the vnfaithfull / be heauy and bitter to the faithfull.

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

might if he wold haue beene taken for the Sonne of Pharaos daughter / and so to haue beene in greate hoope of obtaynynge the kingdome of Egipte: but all this sett a parte / he did chose rather / forsaking all theise thinges / to go vnto his brethern / which wer in miserable bondage / seruinge and laboring in claye / and bricke: Which thing to do / as it was a greate triall of his faithe / so the doinge of it doth commend / and sett furth his faithe / and shew what loue he hadd to be conuersant with the people of godd. They which do not folowe these examples / do shew how litell they do regarde the glorie of godd / and the communi? and felowship of sayntes / which they will not gayne nor redeame with losse / no thoughe it be of neuer so litill: And in this preferring of their own gayne welthe and commoditie / aboue the glorie of godd / and the felowlie communion of the godlye / they do most wickedly.

Do we prouoke the lorde? Ar we str?ger then he? Theise weake brethern / which do not trie their own strenghth to fele their weaknes so / that they might seeke the encreace of strenghth in them selues / but being weake indeede / both dare and do thus desperatlie committ themselues vnto this familiar conuersacion with the vnfaithfull / they do tempt godd / and do after a sort prouoke hym / as thoughe they wolde bec?me 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 compelled to communicate with the superstici?s of the vnfaithfull / and is vnlearned vnable / and to weake to confesse the truithe / must not ioyne in familiaritie / nor be familiarly dwelling and conuersant together with the vnfaithfull. But bicause I do suppose that it is sufficiently proued by the reasons which I haue alledged / I will now prepare myself to an other proposicion.

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

Priuate men and subiectes be they learned or vnlearned / stronge or weake / which ar dwelling and abyding in that place wher men ar compelled to communicate / and be partakers withe Idolatrors / and to be present at vnlawfull supersticions and Idolatries / defiling th?selues with vncleane Religi? / maye not dwell together nor be familiarly conuersaunt / they may not ioyne in societie with suche Idolatrors: I saye / that this cohabitacion / and familiar dwelling together is vnlawfull / vngodlye / and not to be kept in ony wise: But in this case a faithfull man must either flye / or dye for the truithe / that he be not compelled to defile himself with Idolatrie. Ther is truly but one truithe / and that same must be holden with a pure c?science / neither must it be forsak? for the pleasure of ony man.

S. Paul saith to the Corinthians: flye ye Idolatrie. Then do men flye Idolatrie / when either they do depart fr? the place wher Idolatrie is c?mitted / or when abiding still in the same place / they do gyue their lyues and suffer deathe bicause they will not c?mitt Idolatrie nor allowe it with ther presence. Paul therfor teachith by this sayinge / that in no wise the faithfull shuld come at the Idolatries of the vnfaithfull / but flye fr? them: which sentence is so playn to the vnderstondinge of the most symple / that it neadith no exposicion at all. The lawe and the prophetes / the olde Testament and the newe / ar full of such sentences / ?d c?maundementes / which do forbidd stra?ge worshippinge of godd and Idolatrie.

Call to your mynde the historie of the Machabees / which I do not recite as thoughe I wold gyue to that booke ony lyke autoritie with the Canonicall scriptures, but bicause the historie is rehersed not only ther / but also in Iosephus / and the examples of them ar profitable for vs / therfor I do alledge them. That godly Mother hadd rather haue the whole fruite of her bodie to be miserablie destroyed / th? ons to taste of swynes fleshe.

Swynes fleshe / and Adams apple / of their very nature ar not so to be abhorred / for eiche of them is a goode creature of godd. But forsomutche as vnto them godd hathe ioyned his worde to forbid the tasting of them / therfor euen as Adam could not eate the forbidden apple / so could not they eate swynes fleashe without committing of greate synne: which rather then they wolde do / the poore babes offer themselues to the deathe / and the godly mother doth most stronglye therto encorage th? and most constauntly abide the same herself.

In the church of christe ther haue beene innumerable martirs / as Eusebius / and others do write / which haue most constantly abidden deathe / bicause they wold not depart from the Religion of christe / nor file th?selues with Idolatrie: They wold not put one grayne of franckinsence vppon the altars of the Idols / nor throwe one floure / nor ons bowe the knee before them / but suffered rather deathe.

They hadd this alwais before ther eyes: Feare not hym that killethe the bodie / &c. And that he speakith of killing the bodie / is likewise to be vnderstonded of taking awaye of goodes ?d ritches: But he is to be feared / which after that he hath taken awaye bothe lyfe and goodes / can throwe the soule into euerlastinge fire / feare hym.

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

Bicause they wer the Temple of godd. They wer the membres of christe / and therfor they might not become the m?bres of an Idoll. Bicause they wer partakers of the lords table of which they could not be partakers and of the table of Deuels also. And the same thing that Paule said vnto the Corinthians / do I also saye vnto these our brethern of whom I do entreate.

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

That it is not lawfull for th? to be present at the popishe Masses / at popishe superstitions and jdolatries. It is to well knowne / that many fondlye do flatter / and indeede deceyue them selues / imagining that it is lawfull for them to be present at this popish pelf. Againste whom with all ther clokes I vse this sayinge of Paule / flye ye Idolatrie. But here they resiste and saye / that this sayinge and suche other as before I haue alledged / are to be vnderstanded of the sacryfices done vnto Idoles / and false goddes / and not of such supersticions as are nowe growen and vsed in papistrie / As of masses / and such like / for in the sacrifices of the gentils what so euer is done / yt is done vnto Idolles / But here in the masse that whiche ys done is done as a worshippe vnto god / for the name of godd is caled on: It hathe the begynynge of Christes ordinaunce and institution, although that some nowghtie men abuse it: wherfore / seinge theis do thus differ from the other / theis can not by these sentences / and like reason be forbidd? to them / as Idolatrie was to the Corinthi?s: This they saye. But theis m? shuld considre and wel vnderstande / that theris no owtwarde worcke wiche is to be estemed as a worshippe and seruice of godd / but only that which is apoynted and ordeyned by godds worde so to be / which ordinaunce in the worde if it wante / it is vtterlie nothinge ells but mans inuention what so euer it be: for worshippings of god and goddes seruice are they not / but only when they haue godds worde to beare and warraunte them. God can not be truly worshipped with out faithe, for if faithe be not in the worshippe that is done vnto god / that worshippe the lorde dothe abhorre / as the Prophet Esaie dothe witnes. Inc?se is an abhominable thinge vnto me / I maye not awaie 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 worshippe of God taughte in his worde maie be done with out faithe / and therfore displease god / mutch moore these worshippinges which haue not their ordinaunce in godds worde ar done withe out faithe / therfor do displease godd: for faithe hathe no place at all where goddes worde is not: now these inuentions of men be they neuer so glorious to the eye / they be not ordeyned in godds worde / they can not therfor be doone in faythe / they can not please god /

yea god dothe abhorre them / and accompte them as an abhomination / because they be not so done / in faithe I meane In faithe they be not done / because they are not taughte in godds worde / for where ther is no worde of god there is no faithe / and where no faithe is / there is no worshippe of godd / but a filthie hypocrisie / and stinking abhomination. Nowe let the papistes shewe that ther masse is a worshippe of god / taughte in his worde / whiche we saie plainlie that they can not do / let them do it therfore if they can / and when they haue do yt / then will we saye with th?: But vntill they haue done it / their masse shall remaine a filthie and stinkinge abhomination before the lorde / and suche a thinge as the lorde dothe deteste and abhorre. If so be that we will do honour and worshippe vnto men / we are accustomed principallie to obserue with what thing they are moste delighted / which thinge after that we haue perceiued / we do it / and then do we thinke to haue bestowed our labour wel when we haue done it: God is delighted onlie with that seruice which he hathe set forthe in his worde / wherfore he that will do godd acceptable seruice / muste do that which his worde teachethe / and in suche wise as it techethe / els as the lorde by the Prophet Esaie sayeth / he dothe detest and abhorre their sacrifices.

And to proue that the masse with all such popishe baggadge is verye Idolatrie / I neade not to bring mani reasons / for this one thing dothe easelie teache it. There is no true god that wilbe worshipped with this popishe seruice: for the true liuinge god hathe in his worde plainlie apointed the maner howe he wilbe worshipped / in wich word this masse / and their popishe pelf is not taughte / but they ar cleane contrarie and repugnaunte vnto it: wherfore wh? the wicked papistes do their popish seruice vnto a god it is plaine that they do not worshippe that true lyuinge godd / wh? the holy scripture teachith vs to knowe and worship / but sum such other godd as they haue fayned in their fantesie to be their god / such a one as is delighted with these their seruices: But seinge that in verye dede there is no suche true god at all / as they do Imagine / the god then whom they serue is but a newe god / fantasied and inuented in their owne myndes: wherfore by righte their god maye and must be called / an horribe Idoll / their masse likewise with all popishe seruice done vnto him / abhominable Idolatrie / And they which do such popishe seruice vile Idolatrors. But wher as they saye that those thinges wich be done and spoken in the masse hadde their begynnynge of the ordinaunce of Christe, and that by the wikednes of men they are corrupted: This sainge helpethe not at all / for in these thinges / it is not the begy?ynge that is to be consydered only / or that can make them good onlie / seinge they are swarued from the truithe / but nowe their nature / and vse vs to be tried / whether they do agree with the verie worde of god or no.

what thinge hade a more pure begynynge euen by goddes commaundement then the brasen serpent? It was erected god both willinge and comm?dinge it. It was sett forthe with miracles / for whosoeuer dyd beholde it he was deliuered from the bytinge of deathlie serpentes /

But this not withstondinge when m? dyd worshippe the same serpent and offered inc?se vnto it / the godlie dyd so abhorre it / that Ezechias that most holy kynge not regardinge at all the begynnynge of yt / dyd breake it in peces / and vtterlie destroyed the worshippinge of yt / Therfore it is not suffici?t to c?sider the begynnynge of a thinge / but howe the ordre and vse of yt dothe agree wyth the firste institution and ordinaunce. This acte of Ezechias is praised in the scripture. And wolde to god that we hade now an Ezechias wich wold so handle the masse. ffurthermoore our men wolde haue this thinge to be consydered in them / that thoughe they go to the masse / yet they haue no mynde to decline ?d departe frome god / but that they worshipp hym ther: vnto this I answer / that the Israelites when they dyd compell Aaron to make them a calfe to worshippe / they hade not indede that mynde that they wolde fall fr? the true lyuynge god / so that they wolde no more confesse that he deliuered them out of Egypte / but this only was their mynde they wolde not reteyne that worship of the inuisible god which was deliuered them in worde / but they wolde worshippe the true God vnder some signe / and visible form and shape / whiche sholde represent vnto them the liuinge God their deliuerer: And that shape or forme they moste desyred to haue / wich they hade seene the Egyptians vse to represente vnto them their god: They vsed the form or shape of an oxe / the very same forme wolde the Israelytes nowe haue: And as the very heathen men mighte haue sayde that they worshipped the one only true liuinge god the Author and maker of all thinges / whose maiestie was shewed / figured / and set forthe vnto them by those diuers signes / and formes / which they dyd worshippe: As that the signe of Minerua dyd set forthe his wisdom: the signe of Mars his mighte and power: the signe of Iupiter his Iustice and goodnes: So wolde the Israelites haue their god and deliuerer set forthe vnto them in the shape of a Calfe / not that they mynded to turne awaye from him / or to denye him but because they wolde worshippe him as it pleased their fantesie. But we muste not apoynte the manier and ordre of godds seruice after our mynde and iudgment / or as they c?monlye saye / after the goode intent of men: for this doinge in the Israelites god did not like / but for yt he punyshed them grevouslye: Nether dyd Moses alowe it / for he knewe that god wolde not so be worshipped. This cloke therfore must haue no place in this matier. but we muste see whether god will haue suche worshippe and seruice / whether goddes worde teachethe yt / whether it be clothed with the worde of truithe / which if it haue not / then dost thou not worship the true god with that worshippe which pleaseth him. Ierobo? thought mutch after this sorte /

for his mynde was not to drawe the people awaye from the worshippe of the god Iehouah / but he feared les if they sholde customablie go to the temple at Hierusalem / the people wolde fall from his kingdom and ioyne themseues agayne to the house ?d stocke of Dauid: wherfore he sekinge his owne profite / sayde / that it was not nedefull that they sholde go vp vnto the temple / and to the Arke of the couenaunte when they wolde worship the true god: for the same god which was represented vnto th? by the Arke of wodde ?d the t?ple / mighte euen aswell be represented vnto them by these newe signes and golden calues: There is no chaunge but eu? of the forme and owtwarde shape: for as at Hierusalem by the Arke / so here by the calues the liuinge god sholde be represented: And what makethe yt matter what the signe be / so the worshippe be all oone: Therfore the same worshipp that ells they sholde do at Hierusalem / they mighte more commodiusli do yt in bethel / and dan. So that he dothe nothynge ells / but establishe this owtwarde worke / in wich he wolde haue th? worship the true god: but he hade no warraunte in godds worde for it / and that beinge absent / ther is nothinge in his acte remayninge but mans worcke / supersticion / and Idolatrie: so is it iudged. And therfor none of his subiectes shuld haue herckned to hym. So now / when Tiraunts / Kinges / Queenes / Bisshopps / and such other as ar the soudiours of Antichriste / the Pope I meane / do compel and constrayn men vnto such vile and vngodly supersticions as the popishe brood haue and do sett upp, althoughe they do pretend a goode well willing mynde vnto their poeple and countrith and that all shalbe for their wealthe: And thoughe they do also saye / that theise thinges ar of an auncient begy?ynge and c?tynuance: Yet indeed they ar but popishe Idolatrours / and to Idolatrie do they trayn men. Therfor their subiectes must not herken vnto them neither obey them herin / But do rather as S. Paule teachith.

Haue no felowshipp with their vnfruitfull works / but rather reproue them. He callith theim their worckes, for gods worckes they c? not be called / bicause they do differ / ?d swarue fr? his worde: with th? haue no felowshipp What then is to be doon in that case? We must reproue theim. And that so oft as neede shall require / to reproue theim with greate libertie and boldenes: So farr must we be from dissemblinge with them / that we must reproue them. If thou be a preacher / preache against them: If thow be noone / yet speake against them / reproue them / and condemn them. But our men do saye / That it wer very perillus to do thus: for then shall we be burned / or hanged / we shall loose our goodes / londes / and promocions / I heare you well. And do yowe on the other part consider this as well / that ther is not one of vs all which hath receiued christendome vnder such a couuenaunt and condicion / that with it he shuld haue and holde in safetie his lyfe / his ritches / and dignities without perseqution: it is saide vnto vs / and in this case as a lawe layed vppon vs all /

that Except we do renownce and vtterly forsake all our thinges and take vpp our crosses and folow christe / we can not be his disciples / and except we do lose our lyues we shall not saue them.

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

That example of Cyprian is to be sett before our eyes: When he was brought vnto the place wher he shuld suffer deathe / The magistrate being very desirus indede to deliuer hym from deathe / sayde vnto hym. Now I do gyue the space to deliberate and aduise thi self well / whether thow wilt thus Wrechedly dye / or obey / and be let go free. To wh? this godly m? answered. In so holy a thinge / ther is no deliberacion or aduise to be taken. This readines must euery christian haue in this case to beare the crosse ?d to followe Christe as Christes disciple. Trulye they whiche be not this wise mynded / but to saue their lyues and goodes do defile them selues with masses / and wicked supersticions / art greuouslye punished for it euen presentlie:

firste their owne conscience dothe miserably torment th?. Secondlie the light of goddes truithe which was opened vnto their mynde is by lytell and lytell put owt. Then the loue of the truithe and the hate of falshode waxeth colde in them. fourthly their mynde becommith nomore displeased or vnquieted for the euill that they do / but they begynne to please them selues in this their euill and dissemblinge / yea ?d do go aboute to persuade others ?to the same. Laste of all they begyn to hate th? which do not harcken to their aduise and counsell / which is to do as they do / yea and they stirre vp againste th? sharpe persequti? / for so moche as in th? lyethe. This hathe bene the moste vnhappie ende of many. But this is not the end of all their miserie / as ye may well perceyue / if ye do consider what is appointed to be their perpetuall porcion / which shalbe payed them full truly in the laste daye. Let them therfore beware of this bottomles pytt which feare to breake their neckes. But some there are which in this their dissemblinge are wonte to defende th? selues after this sorte: we do not theis thinges with our hartes / we do only thus behaue our selues in bodie / and in outward behauiour. To whom I do answer: god he is the lorde of harte and bodie / as he requireth the worshippe of the harte / euen as iustlie and seuerlie dothe he commaunde the owtwarde worshippe of the bodye: for these owtwarde doinges are a kinde of confession / and therfore as men owght to be sounde and vprighte in the beleif of harte / so owght they to be in owtwarde c?fessinge and expressinge of their godlynes and religi?. The doinges of men be as it were a tongue: The tongue dothe confes the thinge that lyeth in the harte by wordes: so doinges do giue a confession therof in dede: As he therfore which denyethe with tongue is a denyer of Christe / so he that in owtwarde worckes and doinges denyeth Christ / is iustlie called a deniar. Of whom Christe doth saye.

he that denyeth me before men / him will I denye before my father which is in heau?: wherfore as the t?gue owghte not in the confession of godlines and religion to differ from the mynde / so muste not the owtwarde doinges of the body disagree from the same. And vnto these men this also I saye / with paule /

that the belefe of the harte doth iustifie / but the mouthe and owtwarde doinges do make the confession vnto saluation / And therfore Christe dothe saie /

he that is ashamed of me before men / of him will I also be ashamed before my father which is in heauen. Morouer I wold it wer well knowen vnto these men / that it is no true faythe which doth not breake forthe in workinge that worke which dothe agree with faithe. As is writen of Christe / who verylie soughte the glorye of his father / The zeale of thy house hathe eat? me / This zeale dyd not lye in Christes brest only / but it brake forthe into wordes / as it apeareth by his sermons / and into deedes also / as yt apeareth ther / wher he withe a whippe dyd dryue the byars and sellers owt of the temple:

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