Display of Popish Practices, Title page – Dedication
An euident Diſplay of Popiſh Practiſes, or patched Pelagianiſme.
Wherein is mightelie cleared the ſoueraigne truth of Gods eternall Predeſtination, the ſtayd ground worke of oure moſt aſſured ſafetie by Chriſt.
Written in Latin by that Reuerend Father, Mayſter Theodore Beza, and now lately Engliſhed by VV. H. Preacher of the Goſpell.
PROVERB. 22.
His owne iniquities ſhall take the wicked himſelfe, and he ſhall be holden with the cordes of his owne ſinne.
ECCLES. 10.12.
The words of the mouth of a wiſe man hauehave grace, but the lippes of a foole deuoure himſelfe.
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Ralph Newberie, and Henry Bynnyman. ANNO. 1578.
To the right reuerende father in Chriſt, Iohn, by the prouidence of God Biſhop of London, VV. H. wiſheth increaſe of that grace which hath promiſes of this life and the life to come.
AS Satan the old antient enimie to al truth, hath not, or doth not ſurceaſe to be himſelfe, wandring without werineſſe, ſeking by al meanes, that he may at the leaſt, in ſome ſort, make full the warrantiſe of that horrible iudgement, againſt himſelf and his, where the ſmoke of tormēt aſcendeth for euer, in bruſing the heele of that bleſſed ſeede, endeuouring to diſmember that bodie of his appointed limmes, which being knitte togither in the vnitie of one ſpirite, throughe the bonde of peace, doth grow vp into the fulneſſe of one heade Chriſt Ieſus, ſtanding out in his long continued courſe of rebellion, eſpecially ayming at this marke, to darken or bedimme the day light of Gods glorie, whoſe maieſtie he can not beare, that himſelfe might ſee aduaunced in the palpable darkeneſſe of oure depraued being, wherof no time or age, ſince the worlds creatiō, amongſt what, or what ſort ſoeuer, but hauehave bene experienced at the ful, as is eaſily ſeene, if the caſe be conſidered, by diſcent in al the wayes of the worde of life, by whiche the moſt mightie and eternall maieſtie of our God, hath directed and brought downe his beloued people vntounto this gray headed eſtate, of theſe miſerable dayes wherein we be. And as he hath through all ages tofore ſeriouſly laboured, to hauehave and holde captiue in the bonde of intellerable ſeruitude and ſpirituall ſlauerie, in the palpable darkeneſſe of Egipt, the whole multitude of men, holding it the readieſt waye to winne his hoped intente, to bring vponupon them the great floud of forgetfulneſſe of Gods benefites, and in the countenaunce of an Angell of light, to ſteppe in betwixt the ſurpaſſing brightneſſe of Gods glorie, and the true acknowledgemente of our naturall being, an euident experience of that ſorowfull ſeparation betwixte God and man: ſo in theſe droſsie dayes of inaccomptable euils, he now hath encouraged himſelfe, with a bigger force, added to his malice, the long experience of his wicked wayes, and to worke out his purpoſe according to the time, hys fierceneſſe is augmented, by many thouſand degrees, as who beſtirreth himſelfe moſt, when he is neareſt the end. As the tymes of gold, of ſiluer, of braſſe, and of iron, wherof Daniell ſpeaketh, did each ſucceede and exceede others, not in ſucceſsion of time, but abundaunce of iniquitie, and fierce wrath againſt the people of the higheſt, til the ſtone cut out of the mountain without hāds ſhould aduāce the name of his ielouſie, in their ſtanding and irrecouerable ouerthrow So founde this lothſome Leuiathan none eaſier acceſſe to breake in vponupon the Lordes familie, with all outrage as ſhameleſſe ſinfull man, yea of that purple ſtrumper, and Babilonicall whore of Rome.Apoc. 27.4.5… And for his more hope of ſucceſſe, he hath of olde enforced all his endeuours to this purpoſe, that the name of the higheſt might not be knowne amongſt his people, and to ſtoppe the paſſages, and ramme vp the wayes of the worde of life. And in this caſe in the faire outſhewes of manye vntruthes, he hath promiſed beaurie, but payeth bandes, pretendeth truth,Antichriſt the …ope. Ap…. but inhaunteth falſehood, and in ſteade of the welſprings of the water of life, in the perſon of his deareſt friend, hee rendereth nothing, but the foule ſtincking and impoyſoned waters, with the wormewoode of falſe doctrine and lyes, iſſewing from the welſpring of iniquitie, the ſeate of the ſeauen headed beaſte noted with the name of blaſphemie, an habitation of Diuels, an holde of all foule ſpirites, a cage of eueryevery vncleane and hateful bird, whoſe wickedneſſe to claime, & their wiillingneſſe to yeelde, who hauehave receiued the marke of the beaſte, that hath pow…ed out to all nations the wine of the wrath of hir fornication, the high preſumed title of vndoubted iniquitie, hath brought vponupon the worlde the greate harueſt of ſinne.Sup…m …. But eternally, bleſſed bee the name of our God, who kepeth his promiſe for ouer, maketh lighte to ſhine out of darkeneſſe, and to the great comforte of his choſen, hath confounded the counſel of Achitophel, and brought our hope out of bondage. But eftſones the Romiſh Marchauntes, on their miniſters behalfe, beſtirre themſelues, bicauſe their marte is ſtaid, and their filthy dregges not warranted to ſo common ſale, as tofore they were. And leaſt the whole glorie of our deliueraunce, not ſo muche from ciuil ſeruitude, as that ſpiritual bondage, wherein Satan helde Captiue the whole multitude of men, might be aſcribed to the Lorde our God, on the behalfe of his, he aduanceth man againſt the almighty, and pleadeth the downefal of Adam too, but eyther in part or the death of Chriſt but in ſufficient, & ſo adding one iniquitie aboue the reſt, denyeth the Almightie in his being, or concludeth him in the alteration of tyme, to aſcribe to man the mightineſſe of his owne deliueraunce, and ſet him freely in the hande of his owne counſel with will auouched without impeachment. And theſe practiſes of Satan, as they are vniuerſall,…re wil a…o…bed by the …apiſt… on the D… …. and ſtande out againſt the Lorde in the furtheraunce of his Goſpel, which is by election, and auouched in time and place, when it may do miſchiefe, ſo hath myne own… experience approued true, that our warfare is not againſte fleſhe and bloud, but ſpirituall craftineſſe in heauenly things. In which, my manye conflictes with Satans craftie ones, aboute the freedome of the will of man, wherein they laboured the ouerthrow of Gods election, the ſoueraigne ſtaye of our aſſured ſafetie by Chriſt the Lord, the almightie vouchſafed me the feeling of the felowſhip of his. And as the Diuels drifte and Popes purpoſe, to deface the truth vnderunder the hande of his ſmeared Catholiques, in the diſperſed queſtions at H…luelia, was eaſilye ouerturned by the prouident goodneſſe of our God, in the happy trauell of the reuerend Father M. Bullenger of Zuri…ke, and the opprobrious ſlaunders and broched contumelyes of Fontidenius and Cardillus againſt the truth, the glorious Goſpel, the glad tydings in the bloud of Chriſt, were ſtopped of their courſe, and abridged of their hoped intent, by the praiſeworthye indeauour, and publiſhed trau…ll of Iohanes Fabritius: ſo were the blaſphemous mouthes of certain Sycophants againſt the Lord, in the perſon of that reuoumed father in al the world M. Caluin, ſone ſtopped by the reuerende in Chriſte M. Theodor Beza of Vezel, whiche his ſayd worke, whē I had pervſed to my great comfort and enablement againſt the foe, I beganne eftſoones to pittie the wante of ſuche a worthy worke to mine owne countriemen, to whome the Lorde hath not giuen the vnderſtanding of tongues, though manye and mightie bleſsings in his heauenlye truth. And leaſt I might be found to hauehave buried my poore talent in the erth, whē it might do good, or deuoyd of that Simpathie, which the people hauehave that inioy the Lord, I employed mine endeuour by all the ſpare time that I had from other neceſſarie affaires, to acquainte this the ſaid renoumed & worthy worke, with our mother tong, and that eſpecially for two ſortes of people, the one, are thoſe of the Lords ſecret ones, who yet wander in the way of ignorance, and eftſones take part with the wicked cauſe, for lacke of helpes, in that they finde no meane to withſtande the batteries of Satan in the enemie. The other are thoſe, whom god hath alredy ſealed in the felowſhip of his truth, by the teſtimonie of a good conſcience, and aſſured zeale to ſerue the Lorde in Sion, and yet want enablement to ſtande for the Lorde. But amongſt theſe eſpecially for the helpe of them, whoſe place of preſent being doeth require at their hands their better enablement to further the Lords poore ones, in the way of life, whome they hauehave wonne without warrantiſe, whoſe diligence in time to come God graunt may be ſo much, as their vnderſtanding ſmall, whom inchaunting Circe, the worlde hath bewitched, and broughte into a compaſſe beyond themſelues, and made them retchleſſe in louelove of the Lord, and as fallen vnderunder foreign and ſonke down in ſelfeloue, hauehave thruſt themſelues into the Lords ſanctuarie, the dyreful downefall and deſtruction of many ſoules, as it is written, Vbi non eſt viſio, diſsipabitur populus, where there is no preaching the people periſhe, or without walking in the warranted waye, hauehave lefte to call to the Lorde for labourers, and made ſtones breade, and in their blind liking, hauehave with Vzza ſtept to the vpholding of the Lords Arke, in the time of ſtaggering, but to their owne decay, whoſe condemnation ſleepeth not, whereof ſome in deede hauehave Vrim, but not Thummim, ſome Thummim but not Vrim, and many, none of both, whoſe ſong will be with Lyſimachus, if repentāce be not a remedie with ſpeede. That this my poore trauell mighte be ſet in warrantize againſt Zoylus, and the carping foe, to paſſe forth, for the accompliſhment of that good that is hoped for, I eftſones moſt humbly recommend it to your Honors protection, whoſe zeale for the Lords family, I hauehave eftſons experiēced to my great comfort, in the time of my being within your iuriſdiction in Lincolneſhire. The Lorde increaſe in you his manye and mightie bleſsings, & multiply vponupon you the meaſure of his grace, that as he hath choſen you into the forefront of his harueſt, and giuē vntounto you amongſt others, the chiefeſt, and eſpeciall charge to ſee his fielde furniſhed with labourers, ſo he continually make ful the meaſures of his own mercies in your hart, that the end of al and ſingular our attempts may be lyned by the word of life, to the aduancemāt of the name of our eternal God, by the faythfull furtherance of the free paſſage of his word amōg his people, that ſuch as yet wander in the wilderneſſe of moſt palpable blindnes, or ſenſe leſſe obſtinacie, for wāt of workemē wel armed with appurtināces incident to ſuch ſoucraign embaſſage on the lords behalfe, might be brought home to the vnitie of one ſimplicitie in Chriſtian profeſsion, that Gods glorie maye bee aduaunced, his Church vniuerſally profited, and your Lordſhip, with others in ſuch place diſcharged to ſtand boldely before the maieſtie of the Almightie in the day of Chriſt. VVhichWhich thing, as for many benefites receiued, I am moſt bounde, ſo I moſt humbly and hartilye craue at the handes of our eternall father by Chriſte, to whoſe merciful aſsiſtaunce and mightie prouidence (remayning to performe vntounto you al the duties that I may) I do moſt humbly committe you.
Your Lordſhips most bounden, in the Lord VVilliam Hopkinſon.