What a Faithful Man Dwelling Among Papists Ought to Do, Title page – To the reader
The Mynde of the Godly and excellent lerned man M. Ihon Caluyne, what a Faithfull man, whiche is inſtructe in the Worde of God, ought to do, dwellinge amongeſt the Papiſtes.
2. Cor. 6.
☞What felowſhip hath righteouſnes with vnrighteouſnes? What company hath light wt darkenes? How agreeth Chriſte with Belial? Or what parte hathe the beleuer with the infydele? &c.
Anno Domini M.D.XLVIII.
The Preface to the Reader.
SEnce yt Sathan was loſed oute of the botomles pyt,Apoc. 20. and (for mans vnthankfulnes towarde God for his manifolde benefytes) permytted to range through out the whole worlde, to deceyue mankynde, man off hym ſelfe naturally prone vntounto euyll, & therfore readie to enclyne to his diabolycall ſuggeſtions and temptations / wel nygh all ye whole worlde (a fewe of the lytle flocke of Chriſt onelyonly excepte,Gene. viij whō it hathe pleaſed God of his merciemercy ſo to preſerue, as he alwayes doth his church that they hauehave not bowed their knees to Baal) hath neglected and ſet naught by Goddes euerlaſtynge teſtament & goſpell which is the power of god in to ſaluation 3. Reg. 19.Rom. 1.to all them yt beleue. And wheare as they knewe there was a god, & hauehave not worſhipped him as god, nor thanked hym, but became vayne in their ymaginations, and theyr foolyſhe herte was blynded, when they counted them ſelues wyſe, they became fooles: and turned the glorie of the incorruptible God into the ſymylitude of a corruptible mā &c. Wherfore God, likewiſe, gaue them vp vntounto their hertes luſtes into vncleannes, to defyle their owne bodies in them ſelues, which turned the truthe of god in to a lie, ſo that they worſhipped & ſerued the creature more then ye creator, which is bleſſed for euer and euer.
Rom. 1And what more enſued Sainct Paul declareth, They Iuſtlie receyued the rewarde of their erroure, and as they had no regarde to knowe God, euen ſo god gaue them vp vntounto a lewde mynd, to do thoſe thynges whiche were not comelie beyng full of all vnrightuouſnes whoredome, wickednes, couetouſnes, malyciouſnes, full of enuye, murther, ſtryfe, deceite, euell cōdicioned, whiſperers, backe biters, diſpiſers of god, doers of wronge proude, boaſters, bringers vp of euyll thinges, diſobedyent to their elders, wt oute vnderſtanding, couenaūt breakers, vnlouing, ſtubburne, vnmercifull, & endued with all kynde of wyckednes.
Thus doeſt yu ſee (good Chriſtian reader) howe daungerous a thynge it is, to neglect or diſpyſe the myghtie worde of god, againſt whiche (notwithſtanding) the gates of hell can not preuayle: ſo yt in diſpiſynge or reſyſtinge it althoughe of a malycious or peruerſe mynde, thou goeſt aboute to ſuppreſſe & kepe it backe thou doſt nothing els but procure thine owne dampnation, the worde of god floriſſhinge neuertheles: for as the goſpell is ſaluation, to them that beleue it, ſo is it dampnatiō to them that beleue it not. This dothe Chriſte verifie and affirme him ſelfe, ſaying,Ihon. 12. he that refuſeth me and receyueth not my wordes, hath one all ready that iudgeth hym.
The worde whiche I hauehave ſpoken, yt ſhall iudge hym at the latter daye: for he ſhall hauehave nothynge to cloke his ſynne wythall.Ihon. 15.
Paraduenture we wyll thynke that Saynct Paul doth ſpeake thoſe thinges onelye of thoſe yt were before his dayes and ſo perſwade our ſelues that it was nothinge meant of vsus, but in leſſe then we cā proue our ſelues not giltie in thoſe and lyke offences that they in the olde lawe were plaged and puniſſhed for, let vsus not perſwade our ſelues to be cleare of lyke threatenynges. No, let vsus loke for none other thinge, but to be caſte vp of god into a reprobate and leude mynd and ſo headlonge into all fylthynes and iniquitie the iuſte rewarde of our errour whoſe ende is death euerlaſtynge.
Deut. viij.God fed ye Iſraelytes with fyne Māna ſente them from aboue, they abhorred it & wiſſhed to be at their full groſſe fleaſh pottes agayne in Egipte.Exo. 16. They were plaged for their vnthankefulnes. God hath ſente vsus the true Manna,Ioh. vi his euerlaſtynge word ye bread of lyfe we abhor it, we can not abyde it, we wolde be at ye full pottes of ye groſſe fleſſhe of mennes traditions to poyſon our ſelues. Well, ſhall we thinke to eſcape gods wrathe? Is god become a chaungelyng? will he not punyſſhe vsus, for our vnthankefulnes as he dyd them? yea trulie. For we be more worthy of puniſhment then they, ſeing we hauehave their puniſhmēt,Num. xi. for an enſample before our eyes to beware by.
God alſo brought the children of Iſrael out of Egipt by wonderfull miracle,Exod. 14. for when it was vnpoſſible by all reaſon, but ye other they ſhoulde hauehave bene deſtroyed by Pharao and his armye being behynde them: or elſe to hauehave bene all drowned in the rede ſea before them: the mightie power of god cauſed the deepe ſea to ſtande on eyther ſyde of them like a wall ſo that they paſſed through it ſafe lie, but theyr enemyes purſuinge them were drowned horſe and man. Wheare as they ought with whole herte & mind continually duringe their lyues to hauehave geuen thankes vntounto that myghtie god alone for their deliueraunce: they ſhortly after made them a goldē calfe,Exo. 32 fell down and worſhiped it, offering ſacrifyce vntounto it, ſaying. Theſe be thy goddes (O Iſraell) whiche hauehave brought the out of the lande of Egypte. This their vnthankful Idolatry Moyſes called ye greateſt ſinne and was greuouſly punyſſhed: for there enſued murder of ye Iſraelites to ye nombre of xxiij.m. Now if it can be proued, yt we hauehave ſhewd no ſuch vnthākfulnes toward god, hauehave not reſiſted his word nor cōmitted no ſuch lyke offence: then may we ſleape the more careles and feare no ſuche plages to fall vponupon vsus, for of thys we may be ſure, God will not punyſſhe vsus without a cauſe. But amongeſt many other thinges, what ſay you to thys, I pray you? We were longe in Egypte that is in the bondage and captiuitie of Pharao the deuyll, and when we could be delyuered by no power no merite or interceſſion of any creature beſyde chriſt viſyble or inuiſible / mortal or immortall / & wher as it was impoſſible to al reaſon, but other we ſhoulde be euerlaſtinglye drowned in ye red fiery ſea of hell & death being allwaies before our eyes: or els to be deuoured of the furiouſe Pharao the deuyll purſuinge vsus: God of his mere mercye (aboue all our deſert) ſente hys onelyonly begotten ſonne Chriſte Ieſus, to become verie man and dye for vsus, for in as moch as we had committed ſuche offenceGen. 2. as was forbidden in paine of deth we muſte nedes be redeamed agayn by death, and that by ſuche a one yt ſhoulde not remayne dead ſtyll, for then ſhoulde not he ouercome death but death ouercome hym: therfore muſte he ryſe again and ſo by death ouercome death.
This parte hath chriſt played alone. He died for our redemption,1. Cor. 15. 1. Cor. 1 Ephe. 1 he roſe againe for our iuſtification & ſo ouercame death ſynne and hell: and thus moſte wonderfully delyuered vsus out of euerlaſtynge thraldom and captiuite. But hauehave we alwayes aſcribed the renowne and glorie of our redemption and forgeueneſſe of ſynnes to god alone? No no but rather to maſſes ſatyſfactorie with ſondry other vayne traditions of man. To whō do we attribute, or whom do we prayſe for our daylie preſeruation from perilles and Ieoperdyes? God alone? No, our manyfeſte actes do openly reproue vsus. How many men and womē hauehave bene, when they hauehave bene in daunger / ſome of drowninge, ſome of burninge, ſome of …reakynge their neckes, and ſome lyeng ſo ſycke that to all reaſon they ſemed vn…rable, that, yf god of his goodnes preſerued them and rayſed them vp agayn, wold ſhortly after get them to one ydol or other (to whom thei had vowed their pilgrimage and offeringe) as ſome to ye ladie of Walſyngham ſome to the ladye of Grace, or vntounto ſome other foule ydoll. And where as they ſhoulde hauehave geuen glorie and praiſe to the one euerlaſtyng god, which alone delyuered thē they hauehave kneeled downe in the ſight of the whole multitude & thanked a dome ymage, worſhippyng and offering their ydolatrous ſacrifice vntounto it. Was not this ydolatry worſe thē the worſhipping of the golden calfe? yes trulie. For then ſacrifice was commaunded to be offered to god with calues, but not calues to be worſhipped: as for ydolatrous ymages were forbydden then as they be nowe. And for that the people might be yt more allured to lyke abhomynation ye prieſtes taught them for their owne aduauntage to come onelyonly in their ſhirtes & ſmockes what was this els but to ſay with ye Iſraelytes? Theſe be thi goddes (o Iſrael) whiche hauehave brought the out of ye lande of Egipte & bondage: yea and no doubt the worlde bothe hath and ſhall be plaged wt as greuous plages as they were, yf it do not earneſtly repent and forſake not onelyonly ſuche abhomination: but alſo all kynde of ydolatrie that is, all inward or outwarde worſhipping of the ymage of any thinge viſyble or inviſyble: or ſea kyng forgeuenes of ſynnes or ſaluation at any creature mortall or immortal, but only at gods mercy, & yt for chriſtes ſake.
More ouer for theſe and ſuche lyke our vnthankefulnes and offences, God had iuſtly geuen vsus vp into ſuch a lewde and reprobate mynde, that all we (a few excepte) were not onelyonly geuen headlong into all kynde of vyce and ydolatrie: but were ſo ferre gone yt we were iuſte partakers of the curſe pronounced out off goddes mouthe by the prophete Eſaie.Eſai. 5 wo be to you yt call euyl good, and good euyll, makyng derkenes lyght and light derkenes, takynge bitternes for ſwetnes and ſwetnes for bytternes. In this caſe were we. That whiche was vyce and abhomination, we toke for godlynes and vertue: And that whiche was godlynes and vertue in dede, we toke for hereſie & ſynne: for who was he yt thought it not godly to profeſſe him ſelf into an abbey frier houſe or nonry? Who was he that ſpake againſt them, and that with gods worde but he ſhoulde be hated and perſecuted? Who was he that thought but that it was hyghlie meritorious to go on pylgrimage to this or that ymage? Who was he that coulde ſpeake againſt them but he ſhould be in daunger of his life? Who durſt ſpeake againſt ye Popes hote purgatorie, but that he ſhoulde be burned to aſſhes? And as for the abuſing of the lordes ſupper whiche they called the ſacrament of the Aultare, he yt ſpake but a worde againſt it, or againſte their wycked maſſes ſatiſfactorie (thoughe it were the verie ſcripture) hangynge was to good for hym, he muſt dye moſt cruel death. But thankes be to ye eternall god for he (to the declaration of his glorie & for his electes ſake) hath ſtyrred vp men as his inſtrumentes to ſpeake, write and printe myghtelie againſt ſuche abhomination, and he hathe turned the hartes and powers of ſome chriſten Princes againſt them to ſuppreſſe them and roote out all ſuche plantes as our heauenly father hath not planted.
❧ Finally, ſeing that papiſticall abhomynations and ydolatries be now well nyghe all knowen though they be yet ſcarcely halfe lefte in many places, it is requiſite and highly neceſſarie to know how a faithfull chriſtian man, endued wt the ſpirite of god & truely taught in hys worde, ſhall behaue hymſelfe amonge ye papiſtes, were in and how ferre he may be conuerſaunt with them: namely, whether he may be preſent at their maſſe and ſuperſticious Ceremonies wtout offence in yt he, although by owtwarde geſtures as by cappynge and kneelynge ſeme to worſhippe with them, doth notwithſtā dynge in his herte worſhippe the onelyonly lyuynge god: whether he may lawfully vſe ſuche diſſimulation or not? For thy full erudition & learnyng in this behalfe although veri few writers hauehave touched this poincte (namely in the Englyſſhe tongue) here haſte thou (good Chriſtiā) this notable work of M. Ihon Caluyn a man of good learnynge and godlie cō uerſation, now firſte tranſlated into Englyſſhe: which, if thou, dilygentlie reade peruſe and marke with ſobernes, it wylfullie ſatiſfy thy mynde in this behalfe wher as certen places in ſcripture (afte… ſome mennes myndes) ſeme to beare wt ſuch diſſymulation in worſhipping thou ſhalte hauehave them moſte manyfeſtly opened vntounto the: ſo that thou ſhalt perfectly knowe, that all that be of Chriſt oughte not onelyonly to confeſſe God with ye harte inwardly, but alſo (after the councell of Saincte Paule) to confeſſe the lyuinge god with the mouthe and gloryfie hym in their bodyes profeſſynge him in all their outwarde geſture and behauiour.Rom. 10. 1. Cor. 6.
AMEN.