History of the First Ten Persecutions · Patrick Simson
History of the First Ten Persecutions, Dedication 3 – To the reader 3
History of the First Ten Persecutions · Dedication 3 – To the reader 3
TO THE MOST NOBLE, VERTVOVS, AND ELECT LADIE, LADIE MARIE, COVNTESSE OF MARRE: P. S. wisheth grace, merciemercy, and eternall felicitie.
WHatsoeuer thing I hauehave hitherto written (Most noble Ladie) concerning controuersies of Religion, it is of that nature, that incase no further were added, it would bee the more easilie comported with: for manie of the Romane Church, condiscende vntounto this, that worshipping of Images is not necessarily required, nor an essential point of Christian Religion: Neither can they find one example in all the Booke of God of Inuocation of Saincts: Purgatorie is an opinion, whereinto they themselues much differ: and they talke of it sometimes with derision and mocking words. Reade the History of Thuanus, what was thought Histor. Thuan. li. 3of the soule of Francis the first, P. Castellanus was in one opinion, the Doctors of Sorbone in another, Mendosa as a courtesant in the third opinion, assuring himselfe, that if king Francis soule went to Purgatory, it stayed not long there, because it was neuer his custome in his life time to stay long in one place. But now (Madam) the course of the History hath led me so far forward, that I must touch the very apple of their eye, and enter into their most holy place, and declare, that their seruice, which they count most holy, is but vile abomination in the sight of GOD: And their doctrine concerning the Vicar of Christ, the successour of Peter, and the holinesse of the Masse, and the plurality of their Sacraments added to Baptisme, and the Lordes Supper, is but like wind: And wee are warned by the Apostle Paul, that wee should no more bee children, wauering and carrie… about with eueryevery winde of doctrine: for false Ephes. 4. 14doctrine is justly compared to winde in the baddest quality of it: Sometimes it is easterne, cold, stormy, & withering, so that the eares of corne (blasted with the easterne wind) are counted thinne, and empty eares: Euen so, false doctrine exicateth & dryeth vp that appearance of sap & Genes. 41grace that seemed to be amongst people.
The Romane Church in our dayes bring vp their disciples, as the harlots of Heliopolis in Phaenitia brought vp their children before the dayes of the good Emperour Constantine. These children afore-saide knewe not their Fathers, for they were strangers: and the Harlots of Heliopolis had liberty to prostitute themselues to the lust of strangers: so it came to passe, if children had bene procreated in this libidinus copulation, the stranger was gone, and the procreated child depended onelyonlyvponupon the mother, for hee knewe not his father: Euen so, in the subsequent Centuries, the Romane Church disacquaint their children with the voyce of God, sounding in Holy Scripture. It is now enough to beleeue as the Romane Church (the mother of all Churches) beleeueth: and the chaire of Rome, in matters of Faith, it cannot erre. But wee must depende vponupon the voyce of God our Heauenly Father, who hath begotten vsus by the vncorruptible seede of His word, who 1. Pet. 1. & 2hath also fostered vsus with the sincere & reasonable milke of His word, who hath anointed vsus with the Balme of Gilead,Ierem. 8. 22who maketh glad His owne citie, euen with the waters of His own Sanctuarie. The lowde sounding trumpet Psalm. 46. 5of vaine and railing wordes, wee leaue to the aduersaries of the trueth: for that is their armour, wherewith they fight against the Gospell of Christ. Yet let them vnderstand, that God hath hanged vp a thousand shields in the towre of Dauid, euē all the targats of the strong men. Cant. 4. 4Thus leaning vponupon the strength of the armour of God, I set forward to the Historie and Treatises, beseeching the Lord of His vnspekeable fauour and grace to blesse your Ladiship, and all your Noble house for euer,
Amen.
Your Lad. humble seruant PAT. SIMSON.
A CATALOGUE OF ALL THE TREATISES contained in the nine CENTVRIES.
CENTVRIE I.
Of
Antiquitie.
Heresie.
The foundation of the Church.
CENT. II.
Of
Scripture and Tradition.
The doctrine of Deuils.
Succession.
CENT. III.
Of
Purgatorie and prayer for the dead.
The reliquikes of Saincts.
The supremacie of the Bishop of Rome.
CENT. IIII.
Of
Inuocation of Saincts.
The authoritie of Councels.
The Monasticke Life.
CENT. V.
Of
Mans free will.
Originall sinne.
Iustification onelyonly by faith.
CENTVRIE VI.
Of
Worshipping of Images.
Pardons and indulgences.
Diuers errours that crept in in this Centurie.
CENT. VII.
Of
The vniuersall Bishop.
The Antichrist.
The Sacrifice of the Masse.
CENT. VIII.
Of
Trans-substantiation.
The Sacrament of Pennance.
The Sacrament of Confirmation.
CENT. IX.
Of
The Sacrament of extreamevnction.
The Sacrament of orders.
The Sacrament of Matrimonie.
TO THE READER.
LIke as in the Tabernacle of GOD all things were holy, and that thing that was within the vaile, and hidden from the eyes of the people, was moste holy. In the Court there was an Altar of brasse: in the Sanctuary there was an altar of gold: but in the most holy place, there was an holy Oracle, sounding the blessed will of God from aboue the propitiatorie: To the which Oracle neither the brasen Altar nor the golden Altar could bee compared: yea, both heauen and earth is not worthie to bee compared vntounto the Oracle, and word of the Lord. Euen so (good Christian Reader) vnderstand, that when the history leadeth you to a consideration of the mystery of iniquity: then you shall see a beginning, and a progresse of vngodlinesse, vntill in end the Antichrist is permitted to sit in the temple of God, and to extoll himselfe against all that is called God, or is worshipped. 2. Thes. 2. 4And when ye reade this horrible defection of the visible Church, let not your heart bee troubled: this was fore-spoken by the Apostle, and this be…ued to come to passe. So that thou mayest see the great power of the wrath of God, punishing the contempt of His trueth, & His holy Couenant. Albeit we be filthy beasts, nothing regarding that precious treasure of the L…es Couenant: yet the Lord is vnchangeable, and like vntounto Himselfe, and Hee counteth more of the worthinesse of His holie Couenant, than of the pompe and glorie of all the kingdomes of the world: Whom like as He destroyed in the dayes of Noah with a flood of waters, because they prefirred Genes, 6the concupiscence of their flesh to the religion of God: Euen so, in the last age of the world, Hee suffered the hearts of men to bee ouer-whelmed with the floods of horrible ignorance, because they reuerenced not as became them the holie Couenant of the Almightie God. Let vsus learne to reuerence our God, euen when Hee is clothed with His red garments, & when He casteth all Nations like grapes into the Wine-presse of His wrath. The …ai. 63.Lord vouchsafe vponuponvsus such measure of grace out of His rich treasure, as may teach vsus to reuerence not onelie the workes of His merciemercy, but also the workes of His justice, at the Angels did, who cryed, Holie, holie, holie, Lord God of Hostes, euen at that time when a sentence of induration and reprobation was going foorth from the Tribunall of God, against the vnthankefull Iewes. God teach vsus our duetie in all thinges,