A Motive to Good Works, Section 3
The third Section.
Wherein is contained a briefe rehearsall, of such workes as the Papists doe account to bee good workes, and of great merite, and desert before God, though they bee repugnant and contrarie to the word of God, and therefore cā they merit nothing but damnation in the iustice of God.
THE Papists account it a worke of infinit merite, and vnspeakable deserte, to persecute the Church of God, to murther, and kill his Saintes, to massacre his children, and to shedde innocent bloud. That this is true, I refer you to the registers and records of all ages and times that hauehave bene since the beginning of the worlde to this daie, but especially in that famous ecclesiasticall cronologie of Actes and Monumentes of the Church, made and published by that reuerend Father, and learned diuine, master Iohn Foxe, wherein you shal finde almost infinite millions of blessed martyrs, which hauehave bene murthered, and put to most cruell death by these bloud-thirstie Papists, yea, in fiue yeres space, to wit, in the daies of Queene Marie, you shall finde welneere, if not altogether one thousand men, women, & children of all ages, degrees, and sexes, to hauehave bene, some hanged, strangled, murthered, burned, racked, and otherwise most cruelly tortured, and put to death for the testimonie of Iesus, and for the word of God.
If you list to hauehave further profe, I refer you to that most perfidious, cruell, and more than barbarous massacre of Paris, wherein were murthered and put to the swoord, aboue fortie or fiftie thousand protestants within the compasse of one month, throughout the whole realme of Fraunce. And yet was this bloudie crueltie and slaughter of Gods Saintes so much applauded of the Pope, that hee not onelyonly dispensed with the murtherers, but also graunted them pardon, and indulgence of all their sinnes, besides large promises of rewardes made to the perpetrators thereof, as also bone fires, banquettinges, and feastinges throughout all the Citie of Rome for ioy, as though it had beene the yeere of Iubelie, or the creation of a newe Antichrist. And heerein they doo but theyr kinde. For it is the badge of the Church of Antichrist, and the cognisaunce of the synagogue of Sathan, to persecute, murther, and kill the Church of God. It hath bene so from the beginning, and shall bee so (as Iohn in the Reuelation most prophetically speaketh) to the end of the worlde.
Cain was a figure of theyr bloudie Church, who persecuted his brother, euen to the effusion of his bloud. Esau was also a type of theyr Antichristian Church, who persecuted Iacob, threatning his destruction, and which no doubt hee had perfourmed, had it not beene wisely preuented by his mother. Ishmael was the like, who persecuted Isaac. Pharao the verie same, who persecuted the Israelites. And truely this is a notable, and an infallible marke, to knowe the Church of GOD by, from the synagogue of sathan. For the badge of the Church of God is to bee afflicted, persecuted, and to hauehave theyr bloude shedde.
Contraryly, the marke of the Antichristian church is to persecute, to kill, to slaie, to murther, and shed bloud to the end. It was neuer read in any age or time, that the church of GOD dyd euer persecute, or shedde bloud, but was alwaies persecuted, and had theyr bloud shed by the synagogue of sathan: and yet for all that, (which is myraculous) the Church of God hath, doeth, and euer shall flourishe and increase still more and more, maugre the heades and spite of all Papists, and schismatikes whatsoeuer. Yea, by how much the more they goe aboute to suppresse it, by so much the more it increaseth dayly: much lyke to the Palme tree, which, the more waight it hath layde vponupon it, the broader it spreadeth his loppes and branches on euerie side.
True therefore is that saying of an ancient father, Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae, The bloude of martyres is the seede of the Church. And therfore would I wish all Papists to leaue off from murthering the poore Saintes of God anie longer, for this, if for no other cause, yet for that they shall neuer bee able to preuaile against them, no, they are so inuinsible through the might of Christ, who raigneth in them, and strengthneth them, that the gates of hell cannot preuaile against them, nor death itselfe ouercome or vanguish them, but euen in the middest of the raging flames they triumph ouer it. The Papists also thinke it a worke of inestimable merite before God, to laie violent handes vppon the Lordes annointed, to kil and murrher Emperours, Kings, and Princes, & when they hauehave done, they are canonized Saintes for theyr labour. A fit guerdon for such a facte. For as a holy writer sayth, Multi adorantur per sanctis in hoc mundo, quorum animae in inferno sepeliuntur, Many are worshipped for Saintes vppon earth, whose soules are buryed in hell. Such Saintes are these whom the Pope doeth thus canonize. Good king Dauid inspired with the spirit of God, was of another mind when he sayd, God forbidde that I should laie violent handes vppon the Lordes annoynted. The Apostle Paul was indued with another spirite, when he sayde, Omnis anima potestatibus supereminentibas subdita sit. Let euerie soule (hee sayth not one soule, or some soules, but euerie soule) bee subiecte to the higher powers, his reason, for there is no power but of GOD, the penaltie or dannger of those that doo resist, and those that doo resist (sayth hee) the power, they resist the ordinaunce of GOD, and purchase to themselues eternall damnation.
Then I woulde aske these murthering Papists, if they that doe but resist the power, doe purchase to thēselues damnation both of bodie and soule, oh then what doo they purchase, that not onelyonly doo resist, but also murther and kill the Lords annoynted? And yet theyr delight is in nothing so much, as to imbrue theyr cruell handes in the bloud of kings and princes. For example. What Emperours hauehave they poysoned, yea, in the verie wine of the challice? What Kings and Princes, what Peeres and Nobles hauehave they most cruelly murthered in sundrie partes of the worlde? Did they not most trayterously murther the good Prince of Orenge with a dagge? The late famous King of France with a double poisoned knife, by the subornation of a Iacobine Frier? Doe they not now also by all meanes possible, by all plots and deuises, seeke and practise the death of him who at this present is the most lawfull king of France? HaueHave they not murthered two or three of the late kinges of Scotland? And to come neerer home: HaueHave they not practised & attempted the murthering of our gracious soueraigne Queene Elizabeth, by infinite waies & meanes, and by innumerable plots and deuises? As first by sending in a number of Iesuites and seminary priests starke roagues and plaine traytors, into her Maiesties realme, to withdrawe the heartes of the people from theyr allegeance, and to raise vp warres, and commotions in euerie place? And when these deuises and driftes dyd not, take effect according vntounto theyr expectation, then they suborned and hired a sort of desperate, graceles, and reprobate villaynes to kill her Maiesties royall person, as namely, Parry, Sommeruile, Arden, Throgmorton, Babington, with 13. moe of his collegues, and confederates, besides many moe, which heare to recite were but superfluous. All whiche notwithstanding (Gods name be praysed for it) receyued such condigne punishments for theyr deserts, as I pray God all Traytors against their Prince and Cuntrey may do.
They hould it also for a principall good worke, and of great merite, to take armor, and to rayse vp warres for the mayntenance, inlarging, and augmenting of their pretenced, conterfeite Catholike Church, or rather most diuelish antichristian synagogue of Sathan. And therefore is the Pope, with his Cardinals, Abbots, Friers, Monks, and all other consorts of that viperous generation, sworne at their creation, that they shall to the vttermost of theyr powers defend, mayntayne, and inlarge (as they falssely call it) Saint Peters patrimonie. And to this end, doth the Popes vnholie holynes sende abroade hys bandogges the Cardinalles, hys curre dogges the Abbots, and Monkes, and his spanyels the sneaking Friers, into eueryevery cuntrey, to perswade Kings and Princes, to take Armes agaynst such, and such, for such and such causes as he hymselfe shall frame in the forge of hys owne brayne. And the better to effect hys purpose, hee sends them, eyther some lowsye indulgence, or else some beggerly pardon or other in a Bull of leade, and that of all their sinnes for euer; or else hee sends them some scalde relique or other, and if that wyll not serue, sometymes he sends them a goodly oyntment, called rubrum vnguentum, which wyll worke more then all the rest. And when hee hath thus set them together by the eares, then commes hee as a rauenous Gripe, and deuoures eyther the one, or both of them at hys pleasure. And thus rageth hee eueryevery where, through-out Christendome, so that in my conscience, the Pope, with the rest of hys broode, are the very authors of all the warres and bloudshead in all Europe at thys present, and that for the inlarging (forsooth) of Saint Peters Patrimonye? What warres hath hee raysed heeretofore in Spayne? What warres hath hee, and at thys present doeth hee manage, and maynteyne in the Kingdome of Fraunce, in Flaunders, and in the lowe cuntreys, in Germany, in Italy, and sundry other places of the world, it is vnpossible to number the infinit millions of Gods saints, that he hath murthered, and beene author of theyr murthers, what warres he hath raysed, what tumults he hath caused, what rebellions, insurrections and commotions he hath stirred vp throughout all Christendome, and all to maynteyne his paunch, his honor, his glory, his renowne, his dignitie and estimation in the world. And yet all will not serue, for (thanks be to God) he cums tumbling downe eueryevery day. And the more he striues to be honored and magnified in this world, the more is he hated of God, and detested of men.
The Pope and Papists also accoumpt it a good worke to set vp stewes and brothell houses, whether eueryevery man may resort at his pleasure, and that sana conscientia, with a safe conscience, as they say, and inioy his whore or whores as many as he list, and no man may say blacke is his eye, or Domine, cur ita facis? because forsooth the Pope hath dispensed with him in a wanyon. And as though this were no sinne, but rather a good worke, (for so he and they all accompt it indeede) he tollerateth Buggery, Sodometry, and other filthy sinnes for money, which are not once to be named amongst the children of God. And this is his reason. Is it not better (sayth this vile beast) for me to tollerate them, receyuing yearely a million or two of gould for them towards the maintenance of the Church (or rather his owne carren carkasse) than they to commit them secretly, without my tolleration, I receyuing nothing therfore. But how light soeuer they esteeme of whoredome, the word of God condemneth both it, and the doers thereof to hell. Was not Sodoma and Gomorrha consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen for this filthie sinne of whoredome & buggery, and yet thinke they to escape free? The whole world (eyght persons only excepted) was drowned in that great and vniuersall deluge for the same sinne of whoredome. The citie of the Sichemites was wholy destroyed, and put to the sword for the same sinne also. There were slayne of the Beniamites in one day 25000. for the defiling of a Leuites wife.Iudic. 20.35.46. Nu. 25.8.Zimri and Cosbi were both slayne for their whoredome together, by Phinehas, whose fact so pleased God, that hee turned away hys wrath from the rest of the people, that they were not destroyed. Besides examples, the Apostle Paule sayth, that neither whoremongers, adulterers, nor incestuous persons, shall enter into the kingdome of heauē. The Apostle Iohn saith, mariage is honorable amongst all mē, and the bed vndefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God shall iudge. But this winde shakes no corne as the Papists say, for the Pope cā easily wipe away al this, & a thousād times more with a word. What? am not I Christs viccar generall, and Peters successor? HaueHave not I claues regni caelorum? the keyes of the kingdome of heauen? hauehave not I potestatem soluendi, & ligandi, power to bind & loose? In a word, am not I God, & can not I forgiue sinne at my pleasure? Oh blasphemous mouth, God shall destroy thee with the breath of his mouth. The very Iewes shal rise vp in iudgemēt against thee, & cōdemne thee, who sayd, Can any mā forgiue sin, … God alone?
They thinke it also a good worke, and of great merite, to gad vp and down the cuntreys on Pilgrimage, to this place and that place, to this hee Saint and that shee Saint, yea, although it be as farre off as Rome, Constantinople, or Ierusalem is hence, the further, the more merite, to visite Bethleem where Christ was borne, the holie Sepulchre where he was buried, the holy Crosse wherevpon he suffered, the nayles that were driuen into his handes and feete, the speare that was thrust into his side, his bloud that was shed when he hanged vppon the Crosse, the milke of Maries brests (or else they lye) the cratch or manger wherein Christ lay, with infinite the like supersticious reliques too long to be recited heere. To all which must be attributed a diuine worship, with kneeling before them, praying vntounto them, belieuing and trusting in them, and aboue all (for this is the chiefest work they shoote at) offering vntounto them (as it were a sacrifice to Baal) gould, siluer, iewels, and precious stones of infinite varietie. These things although they doe the idolls no good (for so I will not feare to call them) yet doe they serue to inritch these ambicious and greedie Priests, who dayly gape for such prayes. And truely, but that the iudgements of God are a deapth without bottome, hys counsayles vnsearchable, and hys wayes past finding out, I would wonder that any man could be so blinded, or besotted, as to trauayle so many hundred myles, nay, so many thousand myles sometymes (in the meane tyme not regarding hys or theyr poore wyfe and children at home how miserably so euer they lyued) to thys Saint, and that Saint, to thys Idoll and that idoll, as though one were better than an other, or, that one could helpe better, or more than an other. Therefore it is true which the Apostle by the holy Ghost vttereth of such men, where he sayth, when men will not belieue the truth, then God geueth them ouer to a reprobate sence to belieue lyes. Alas, did they, or doe they thinke, that these idolls can doe them any good, eyther heare theyr prayers, relieue theyr necessities, or graunt theyr petitions? No, no, this was but the subtiltie, or rather playne knauerie of the couetous Priests to get money withall, although to the destruction of theyr owne, and infinite millions of Christian soules besides. Full well was it sayde therefore of the heathen Poete, Oh auri sacra fames, quid non mortalia pectora cogis. Oh cursed louelove of money, what wickednes is there in all the worlde which thou wilt not cause a man to doe for the louelove of thee? This caused the holy Ghost to denounce, that couetousnes is the roote of all euill. Oh remember what the Apostle sayth, Godlynes is great riches, if a man be content with that that hee hath. Forget not what hee telleth you in an other place, those that studie to be rich in thys world, fall into diuers temptations, and snares of the Deuill. Seeke therefore to be ritch in God, and not in the transitorie vanities of thys lyfe, whiche vanishe away lyke a scumme or bubble, before a man hauehave any vse or fruition of them. Deceyue the world no longer with your bableries for filthy lucre sake, repent and turne to God, for hee is mercifull, and would not your destruction.
Agayne, the Papists accoumpt it a wonderfull good worke to make and erect Images, and Idols in Churches, and crosses in high wayes, to creepe to them bare foote and bare legged, to kneele before them, to adore and worship them, to pray to them, to trust and belieue in them, to aske and looke for all good thyngs at theyr handes, to offer to them, and in summe, to attribute all diuine honor and worship to them, being notwithstanding stocks and stones, dead and insensible creatures, and which (as the Prophet sayth) can neyther heare, see, smell, taste, nor vnderstande, no nor so much as stirre out of theyr places. If they be ouerwhelmed with dust, they can not so much as make themselues cleane, or if they be throwne into the fyre, they can not ryse vp agayne: and therefore not without cause doth the Lord pronounce accursed, both the image, and the image maker. And as for crosses, I see neyther reason, nor scripture for them, why they should be set vp eyther in Churches, Churchyards, high wayes, or any place else. Oh but say the Papists, it doth a man good to looke vppon that engine whereupon Christ dyed: But if they wyll needes hauehave crosses to gaze vppon, let them looke vppon eueryevery Christian man, and woman, who (theyr armes being spread abroade) doe resemble most liuely both the crosse, and also Christ himselfe, a thousand tymes more truely, than these idolatrous counterfeite crosses of wood, and stone. And because they shall see the small, or rather the no necessitie at all of these crosses amongst vsus Christians, I will shew the originall of them, how, and vppon what grounds, and for what causes they fyrst came vp. The heathen people, and infidels, denegers of the faith, & professed enemies to Christ Iesus, reproched the Christians, and cast in their teeth, that their Sauiour, and theyr Messias in whome they trusted, was hanged vppon a crosse betweene two theeues, as the most notorioust malefactor of all, to his, and theyr perpetuall approbrie, ignominie, and shame for euer, as they most blasphemously affyrmed. The Christians heerevpon to shewe that they were not ashamed, neyther of Christ Iesus, nor yet of his crosse, caused to be set vp as well in Churches, and Churchyards, as also in high wayes, streetes, and lanes, diuers and sundry crosses; which custome hath continued, and descended (as it were by succession) from them vntounto vsus at this day. Now who seeth not heereby the small necessity of them amongst Christians? For at this day there be none that doe vpbrayd vsus, that our Sauiour in whom we belieue, was hanged vppon a crosse, and therefore, the cause of the erection or setting vp of crosses being ceased, let the crosses themselues be remoued also. For certainly the continuance of them in high wayes, or elsewhere, doth mayntayne a notable branch of Popish idolatrie, and superstition amongst vsus, whilest some when they passe by them, will geue them the right hand, put off theyr caps, make obeysance, and worship them (as that archtraytor & seducer of Gods Saints Campion did, passing along the crosse in Chepe side. Others (forsooth) wyll kneele before them, creepe to them bare foote, and bare legged, & offer to them. And others that wil not seeme so grosse, wil yet make a thousand crosses on their forheds, & brests, being of this mind, that the signe of the crosse, hath power to defend any one, not only frō all corporall enemies, but also frō all the diuels in hell. And therfore as it is a moment of great superstition, so I pray God it may be remoued from amongst vsus. But if it be obiected, that it keepeth in our mindes, the remembraunce of Christ, and of hys death, which he suffered vponupon it: I answere, we hauehave no warrant out of the booke of God, to keepe any such superstitious crosses amongst vsus, to any such ende. For the word it selfe was geuen vsus to that end, to keepe in memory, and (as it were) to paynt out vntounto vsus the death and passion of our Sauiour Christ, and not such Popish trash. To that end also were the Sacraments left vsus, with the ministerie, and preaching of the Gospell of Christ, and therefore their obiection is scarse worth the answering.
The Papists also holde it to be a work of vnspeakable merit, for a man or woman, eyther before they dye, or else at their death, to giuegive the greatest part of their goods & lāds (the more, the more merite) to popish priestes, though in the meane time, theyr wife, children, and whole familyes goe a begging all theyr lyfe long) to Monkes, and Fryers, with the rest of that filthie generation, to the ende, they may pray for them whē they are dead, to saie masses, trentalls, diriges, de profundis, Ladies psalters, and I can not tell what riffe raffe else for them: bearing them in hand, that their souls & the soules of al their friends, parēts, kindred, and aliance, shall not onelyonly bee releeued, but also cleerely delyuered thereby out of the pains of purgatorie, which otherwise shoulde lye there broiling in firie flames seauen yeeres for euerie sinne that euer they cōmitted in this life, either in thoght, word, or deed. Which if it were true, (as it is most false and blasphemous) I could not blame men, though they gaue all they had, and more too, to the Priests. But alasse, who seeth not the vanitie of this fonde opinion of Purgatorie? If Masses, Diriges, trentals, de profundis, Ladies psalters, and such pelting trash, could redeeme vsus from paine and punishment after this life, and place our soules in ioye and blisse, I praie you then what is left to the bloud of Christ to doo for vsus, iust nothing at all. And why died Christ, if we might hauehave bene redeemed by corruptible money, lands, or pessessions, as the Apostles, Saint Paule and Saint Peter doe reason? What can be more derogatorie to the death of Christ, and the efficacie of his bloud, than this? You were not redeemed, (sayth Paul) from your sinnes, neither by golde nor siluer, but by the precious bloud of that immaculate lambe Iesus Christ. And doeth not the apostle Iohn thunder out vntounto vsus, The bloude of Iesus Christ doeth cleanse vsus from all sinne. And as for the ridiculous opinion of purgatory, it is so foolish a thing, that I am ashamed to bestow anie labour in confuting of it, as hauing indeede neyther ground out of the word of God (no, nor so much as one sillable sounding that waie) nor anie approued or autentike writer, excepte out of such apocryphas, as Ouid, Virgil, and other heathen Poets. And yet for all that, the Papists hauehave gayned as much, (I suppose) by the broching of this fraibugge, or scar-crow Purgatorie, since it was first hatched, as all christendome is worth besides. But to proceede.
The Papistes also holde these to bee singular good workes, yea, the chiefest of all, to heare Masse deuoutly euerie daie, to worshippe Saintes, to obserue and keepe precisely all holy dayes, Saintes daies, anp feastiuall dayes, (as they call them) to giuegive frankely to begging Friers, Nunns, and Ankresses (which were a sort of secluses, or rather plain prostitute whoores, mued vp in cloisters, celles, vautes, and holes, vnderunder ground, onelyonly to serue the Monkes, and the Abbots turnes at theyr need, whereof I could giuegive you a thousand instances, if it were not from my purpose) to mumble vp a great rabble of Pater nosters, Creedes, Aue Maries, and the like vponupon their beads, to contribute liberally to the making and christning of bels (and to bee god-fathers and god-mothers to them) to the buying of waxe candles, tapers, & lyghtes, to buy coapes, challices, surplesses, and other vestmentes of the Church, to giuegive soule-cakes (for so they shame not to cal them) or rather foole-cakes agaynst all soules daie, for the redemption of all christen soules, as they blasphemously speake. They account it also a worke of great merite, to disple, to whip, & scourge themselues with whippes made of ropes endes, of cordes, and some of wyre, with lyttle rowels of spurres at the ends, wherewith (forsooth) they must whippe themselues naked, till theyr bodies appeare all full of bloudie gores, and in so doing, they merit the deuill and all, I should say heauen and all. They account it also an excellent good worke, and of great merit, to lie al night vponupon the boords, or the bare ground, to weare shirts of hayre, to fast with bread and water, to carry candles, tapers, and palmes vp and downe the church, and round about the Church-yard, to see and worship theyr little God of the pix, that hangs so pretily in a string, like a Bee in a boxe, to receiue holy bread, and holy water, to goe to shrift, where euerye one must confesse his sinnes to the Priest, and receue absolution, but specially the women, who many times hauehave theyr absolution giuen them, with a Friers taile. These, with infinite the like, are the good workes of the Papists, wherby they trust to gain heauen, and to merite euerlasting life whether God will or no. Yea, they will hauehave it by merit, and not by merciemercy, and therefore God is bounde to giuegive it them, ex debito, and ex opere operato, of duetie, in regarde of their workes, and not ex gratia: and good reason, if it bee so, for doeth not the Apostle affirm, that to him that worketh, is the hire giuen of duetie, not of fauour. Nowe they doe all, and more too (or else they lie) which God hath commaunded them, and which is more, they hauehave not onelie workes inough of their owne, to saue themselues withal, but also workes of supererogation, which will helpe at a dead lift, if need bee, to sell or giuegive to others, and therfore they must needs (as I say) come to heauen, whether God will or not: but God grant mee, and all that appertain to him, eternall life for his mercies sake in Christ, and let the Papists challenge it stil by their workes, merits, and deserts. And truly, I cannot but wonder, that the Papists should be so blinded, as to think, that anie workes at all (much lesse these, hauing no warrant at all out of the worde of God, but rather quite contrarie, & vtterly repugnant) shuld merite and deserue the kingdome of heauen, and euerlasting life, being indeed such as Christ speaketh of. In vaine doo they worship me, teaching for doctrines the ordinances of men. But to conclude this point. The Apostle saith, whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne, but these works of the papists are not of faith, and therefore are sin. And to proue that they are not of faith, I reason thus. Whatsoeuer hath not his grounde and warrant out of the worde of God, is not of faith, but these workes hauehave not anie ground out of the word of God, and therefore are not of faith. Therefore would I counsell all Papists to abandon theyr workes, especially these which I hauehave recited, to the deuill theyr author, from whome they first came, and to do those workes, which God hath in his holy word commanded, and which in merciemercy (but not in merite) he hath promised to rewarde at that daie. And nowe because neyther they, nor anie else shall bee ignoraunt, what those good workes bee, which God hath commaunded vsus to doe in his holy word, I will decypher forth vntounto them (though not all) yet some of them, in as fewe wordes as I can.