Sermon Preached 14 February 1607, Title page – To the reader
THE SERMON PREACHED AT the Croſſe, Feb. xiiij. 1607.
By W. CRASHAWE, Batchelour of Diuinitie, and preacher at the TEMPLE;
Iuſtified by the Authour, both againſt Papiſt, and Browniſt, to be the truth:
Wherein, this point is principally followed; namely, that the religion of Rome, as now it ſtands eſtabliſhed, is worſe then euer it was.
2. TIM. 3. 13.
The euill men and deceiuers ſhall waxe worſe, and worſe, deceiuing and being deceiued.
Imprinted at London by H. L. for Edmond Weauer: and are to be ſolde at the great North-gate of S. Paules Church. 1608.
Academiae Cantabrigionſis Liber
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD, ROBERT, Earle of Salsburie, Vicount Cramborne, Lord High Treaſorer of England, principall Secretarie of Eſtate: Maſter of his Maieſties Court of Wards & Liueries: Knight of the noble order of the Garter: and moſt worthi… Chauncellour of the Vniuerſitie of Cambridge, GRACE & PEACE.
RIGHT HONORABLE:
THe controuerſies betwixt G…s Church and the Romiſh, hauehave been on both ſides ſufficiently debated heeretofore: on our ſide with that plainneſs & pourefulneſs that beſeemes the truth; on the other, with ſuch cunning and ſhiftes of wit, as falſehood needes: but on both ſides with learning inough aOn our ſide by Luther. Zuinglius. Oecolampadius. Caluine. P. Martir., eſpecially in theſe later times. By this meanes the particular points in queſtion, are now either opened ſufficiently, or neuer will bee: for when two men goe to lawe, (as we and the Papiſts doe for our freehold, and title to the truth) if one declare, the other anſwer, he again replie, and the other reioin; it is not poſſible but the matter will bee brought to a cleare iſſue, if it can hauehave a full hearing and an indifferent Iudge. Who ſhould be the Iudge herein, but Gods Church, by the holy Scriptures? butBucer. Melanct hon. Iewell. Fulke. Whitaker. Reinolds. Zanchius. Beza. Iunius. Sadeel. &c. thoſe the Pope refuſeth. And then, how the Church, rather then in a free generall councel? but that the pope feares, as a theefe the Aſſiſes bSee his Bulla coenae which ye Pope himſelfe denounceth in his own perſon on the euening before good-Friday: where he excommunicates, firſt, all hereticks, as Caluiniſts, Lutherans, &c. Next, all ſuch as appeal from the Pope to a general Councel, vid. Cōſtit. pont. Rom. per Pet. Mathaeum. pag. 883.. Til then, it is reaſon that eueryevery man, as far as it cōcerns his ſaluation, be a iudge herein according to the meaſure of his knowledge: for man is a reaſonable creature, & can iudge of reaſon, when he hears it: ſo that vndoubtedly if the particular points (debated as they hauehave been) had but a full hearing, and an equall Iudge: the differences betwixt vsus would ſoon receiue an end.
But our engliſh papiſts are too blame in both: for firſt, they wilOn theirs, by Eccius. Pighius. Clictoueus. Hoſius. Harding. Bellarmine. Greg. de Valentia. Genebrarde. Stapleton. Heskins, &c. not heare both parties, nor reade our bookes, but onelyonly theirs: (Here wants the full hearing). Secondly, if they do, it is with a preiudicate conceit, that whatſoeuer we ſaie, the other are in the right; and here wants an indifferent Iudge. W…ilst it is thus, there will be no end of controuerſies.
Hereupon, wiſe and godly learnedmen, hauehave vponupon great and mature deliberation, thought it fit to ſpare the labour, (ſo often formerly ſpent in vaine), and to ſuperſede for a time from arguing any more, the matters ſo ſufficiently already debated, but ſo inſufficiently heard and iudged: and hauehave held it a better courſe, (both for their conuerſion, and ſetling of our owne) to diſcouer the fouleneſs & manifold abhominations of poperie, both for doctrine & practice: which if many that be ſeduced, did but ſee in the true colors, ſurely they would ſtrike themſelues on the breſt, & be aſhamed; & hating this darkneſs, would long & look for light.
At this end hauehave I aimed in the courſe of my poor ſtudies: and that I might be furniſhed with their own records, I hauehave ſpared no coſt to get them, nor time to peruſe them; and do proteſt vntounto your Ho. & the world, the reading of their owne books (eſpecially the lateſt of all) hath driuē me into a deeper deteſtation of popery, then any thing that euer I heard or read of it, out of our writers. wherof whether ther be cauſe or no, I dare refer my ſelf to be iudged by your Lp. or any of indifferency, vponupon ſight of theſe exceptions I here make againſt them; which were for the moſt part deliuered at the Croſſe before a reuerend & honorable audiēce: where hauing firſt diſcouered in the body of that religion xx. woundes, wide, and deep, & deadly, euen ſuch as ſtrike at the hart & life of a Church; the end I then droue at was to proue, that the Romiſh Babylon is not healed of theſe wounds, to this day.
This being done, it is ſtrange to ſee how they ſpurned at it, and me for it; affirming openly, it was nothing but a heape of lyes and ſlaunders, that I am not able to proue what I ſayd, nor dare ſtand to it, that wee are ſet vp to raile on them, and hauehave licences to lie on them, and make them odious before our people: and in the countrie they diſperſed, I was call'd before authoritie for it, and cenſured, and ſilenced for ſlandering & rayling on the catholicks and that I was ſtricken by Gods hand, with a ſtrange hoarceneſſe after I began to raile on them; and could not ſpeak, &c.
Therfore to honour the truth, and to cleer my ſelfe, but much more to ſhewe that it is no trick nor policy of our State (as it is in poperie cA book was printed in engliſh in the colledge at Rome, wherin it is affirmed that wee take Catholicks, and drawe vppon their legs bootes ful of hot boiling liquor, and vponupon their feet hot burning ſhooes: and do put them into beares skins, and caſt them to the dogs to be pulld in peeces: all this and many ſuch other ſet down in pictures.), to ſet vp men with authority to raile and lie, therby to make our enemies odious; I hauehave bin induced to publiſh what was ſaid & ſo to iuſtifie out of their own records what was affirmed of them. I ask them no fauor, I ſeek no corners, I refuſe no triall; but let me be heard, and then iudged and ſpare not. If the particularsFeuardent a learned Frier, yet liuing at Par wrot in latine 7. yeares agoe, that we reuile & reiect that praier to the holy Trinitie; Sancta Trinitas vnus Deus miſcrere nobis. Thus writes he in his Comment on 1. Pet. cap. 1. What will not he ſay, that dare ſay this? for, all our common prayerbooks, now, and thoſe in Q. ELIZABETHS, and K. EDWARDS times, doe teſtifie the contrarie. I lay to their charge be true, then how can they be the true Church? if they be falſe, I refuſe no cenſure: and wil further ſay that if theſe 20. woūds be yet heal'd, or if they can find ſuch in our religion, he that can ſhew me either of theſe I will be his Conuert.
To this end I hauehave preſumed to preſent it firſt to your Honour, and vnderunder your honorable name, to the worlds viewe, not only as a teſtimonie of the loyaltie, louelove and dutie I owe your Honour for your many particular honorable fauours; but eſpecially, for that we to our ioy do find, and the Papiſts to their grief doe feare, that God hath hath raiſed vp your Honor, in theſe declining and deſperate times (for ſo hath Poperie made them) to defeat their deuiſes, to countermine their plots, and to make them the inſtruments of their own ruine; fit therfore and worthy to be the patron of that Treatiſe, which is a diſcouerer of the…r ſpiritual impieties.
And ſurely (right Honorable) the churches hope ouer the Chriſtian world is, that God hath ordayned his Ma. of England to be the means (by the aduiſe & aſſiſtance of your Hon. & others like you wherof God ſend vsus more) to giuegive the whore of Babylō hir laſt blow, wherof ſhe ſhall neuer recouer: which most worthy worke as God raiſed vp your honorable Father (of happie memorie) to begin:Gretſerꝰ a Ieſuite was ſuffered to write within theſe 2. yeares that we rackt and tortured Garnet, euen neere to death to make him confeſſe himſelf guilty of the powder treaſon, but he did not, & ſo we hauing no proof hāgd him onelyonly for being a prieſt, and not for it. And that Ouē (his man) was puld in pieces on the racke, and when wee had ſo killed him, then wee gaue out hee had killd himſelfe wt a knife: But for the 1. wee appeale to publicke records and the worlds knowledge: and for the ſecond, there yet liue witneſſes whoſe eies ſaw the woundes and bloudy knife, and whoſe eares heard him freely and penitently confeſſe hee did it with that knife, to eſcape the racke which hee ſayde hee feared but had neuer taſted. So hath he your Lordſhip, (paternarum virtutū, (cur non etiam & dignitatū?) ex aſſe haeredē) to accompliſh and bring to perfection. The Father of merciemercy, and the Sonne of conſolation, be prayſed for euer, for ſending ſuch a father, and ſuch a ſonne, to bee the Children of the Church of England. Go on, noble Lord with courage and conſtancie, and this worke of God ſhall proſper in your hand. To this end, the ſame God aſſiſt, ſtrengthen, and protect your Lordſhip: and the bleſſed Father, for the bleſſed Sonnes ſake, double vponupon you his holy and bleſſed Spirit: wherto I am ſure all good Chriſtians will ſay, Amen, With
Your Lordſhips deuoted ſeruant in Chriſt, WILLIAM CRASHAVVE. Magna est veritas & praeualet.
The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the preſent Romiſh religion, in doctrine and in manners: & Proued in this Sermon not to bee yet healed.
1. THe Pope is a God, & the Lord God, and ſuch a head of the Church, as infuſeth ſpiritual life & heauenly grace into the body of the Church. pag. 53. &c.
2. The Pope hath done more then God: for he deliuered a ſoule out of hell. pag. 57. &c.
3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie, keeping Iuſtice to himſelfe, but committing and giuing vp his merciemercy to her; ſo that a man may appeale from him to hir, pag. 60. &c.
4. The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall ſcripture. pag. 69. &c.
5. The Chriſtian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth, then from Gods in the Scripture. pag. 71. &c.
6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit, and to be belieued, becauſe they are allowed and autorized by the Pope: and being by him authorized, they are then of as good authority, as if the Pope himſelfe had made them. pag. 73. &c.
7. Images are good books for lay men, and better & eaſier then the Scriptures. pag. 80. &c.
8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe, or a Croſſe are to be worſhipped with the ſame worſhip as God and Chriſt, with latria that is diuine worſhip. pag. 82. &c. and that we may ſpeake and pray to the Croſſe it ſelfe, as we do to Chriſt.
9. Frier Francis was like to Chriſt in all things, and had 5. wounds as Chriſt, that did bleede on good-Fridaie; yea, he did more then Chriſt euer did. pag. 96. &c.
10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences, for a hundred thouſand yeares, and giuegive men a power to redeem ſoules out of Purgatory. pag. 103. &c.
11. The Pope may annexe Indulgences for many thouſands of yeares, to ſuch beades, Crucifixes, pictures and other like toies, that are hallowed by his hands. pag. 107. &c.
The popiſh Church baptizeth bells. pag. 115. &c.
12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie, tho Chriſt ordained the contrarie. pag. 120. &c.
13. The popiſh Church alloweth many ſorts of ſanctuaries for wilfull murder. pag. 122. &c.
14. Romiſh religion publickly tolerates, and permits Stewes, and takes rent for them. pag. 132. &c.
15. By the Popes lawe, he that hath not a wife may hauehave a Cō cubine. pag. 141. &c.
16. Some men had better lie with another mans Wife, or keepe a whore, then marry a wife of his owne. pag. 143. &c.
17. Prieſts in popery may not marry, but are permitted to keep their whores, vnderunder a yeerely rent. pag. 147. &c.
18. Such Prieſts as be continent, and hauehave no whores, yet muſt pay a yearely rent, as they that hauehave, becauſe they may hauehave if they will. pag. 150. &c.
19. Their Liturgie is ful of blaſphemie, their Legend ful of lies, their Ceremonies of ſuperſtition. pag. 153. &c.
20. A generall corruption of manners in all eſtates. pag. 156 &c.
To the Christian Reader whoſoeuer, be he a true Catholicke, or a Romiſh.
TO prevent all miſconceits that might ariſe vponupon the ſo late cōming forth of this Sermon, ſo many weekes expected, I deſire thee good Reader be ſatisfied; the cauſe thereof, was a long & vnlooked for journey. And now that you hauehave it, let me deſire all men in the reading & iudging therof, to deale with that ingenuity and ſinceritie, as I hauehave endevored in the writing of it. My cōſcience ſpeakes for me, I hauehave forged no new Author, I hauehave falſified none, I hauehave corrupted none, I hauehave to my knowledge miſalledged none: I hauehave taken no proofe vpō bare report, nor hauehave I produced our men to proue what I lay againſt them: nor is there one quotation of any Authour of theirs, which I hauehave not diligently peruſed afore-hand, and the whole ſcope of the place. If any ſhould thinke of anſwere, I deſire him let paſſe all perſonall rayling, and by-matters, and come directly to the points in iſſue: which be theſe;
1 Whether the Church of Rome teach & practice in theſe xx. or xxi. points, as I hauehave charged her withall, or no.
2 If ſhe do, whether they be healed of theſe wounds as yet, or no.
3 If ſhe be not, thē how ſhe can be the true Church, which is ſo wounded, and will not be healed.
If they doe not teach and practice ſo, I will yeeld the Cauſe. And hee that can ſhew me that either ſhe is healed ſince, or beeing not healed, how ſhe can be the true Church, I ſhall willingly heare him, and thank him. I deſire all that profeſſe themſelues Papiſts, or their fauourers, not to be ſo wilfull as to condemne what they know not, but onelyonly to giuegive it reading, and then iudge as they ſee cauſe. Wright, in his Articles, layeth to our charge many ſtrange Paradoxes: as, that wee are all Atheiſts, and Infidels by our doctrine; that wee are bounde by our doctrine to doe no good workes, and many ſuch. And Kelliſon in his Survaies, thruſts vponupon vsus that wee deny Chriſt to bee the onelyonly Sauiour, and Judge of quicke and dead, and many ſuch abhominations; all which we renounce, and deteſt: yet, do what we can, we muſt hauehave them layd vponupon vsus; and our Writers & teachers hauehave their ſpeeches wrung and wreſted, beyond their meaning to make them ſound that way. I dare appeale to the iudgement of Gods Church, and all Iudicious Readers heereof, that I hauehave not done ſo with them, nor taken vantage of their words, when it's apparant they meant otherwiſe; but charged thē onelyonly with ſuch points of doctrine and practice, as themſelues cannot deny but to be their owne: and that not of one or two, but (for the moſt part) generally received. Commending it to thy reading, and my ſelfe to thy prayers, I leaue vsus all to Gods bleſſing. At the Temple. May, 21. 1608.
Thy brother in the Lord, W. Craſhawe.