people judge), but the very vile blasphemous bondage of Satan, invented by the devil, brought in by antichrist, confirmed and established by such as have received the Rev. xx. beast's mark, whose inheritance shall be in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. Acts v. Neither let any thing move you, that the idolatrous mass, which before was worthily banished out of the realm, is now again restored by act of parliament; but rather hear what the apostles say: "We must obey God more than men." In all Note. matters of religion the will of God is to be considered before the commandment or act of any mortal prince. Pharao was a king; yet the godly midwives obeyed not Exod. i. his ungodly commandment in killing the male children of the Israelites. Nabuchodo- Dan. iii. nozor was a king; yet the three young men would not obey his wicked proclamation in worshipping his golden idol. Antiochus was a king; yet the faithful Jews would 1 Macc. i. not observe his abominable laws in sacrificing to idols, and in eating unclean flesh. Maacha was a queen, and made an abominable idol of Priapus, and offered sacrifice 2 Chron. xv. unto it, and exhorted other without doubt to do so likewise: but so many as feared God abhorred her doings and defied her idolatry; insomuch that king Asa her son put her down because she had made images in groves, and brake down her idols, and stamped them, and burnt them to ashes at the brook Cedron. xviii. Jezabel was a queen and an abominable idolatress, promoting and making much 1 Kings of Baal's priests, and feeding them even at her own table, but imprisoning and murdering the prophets of God. She worshipped Baal, and caused many other so to do. But those that loved God abhorred her idolatry, and by no means would follow her wicked steps, but choosed rather to worship God according to his word. The prophet Helias slew all her prophets that did service to Baal; and queen Jezabel herself came 2 Kings ix. to a most miserable end. She was thrown down to the ground from an high window; insomuch that the wall was sprinkled with her blood, and the horses trod her under their feet, and the dogs came and eat up her flesh; so that there was nothing left of her but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands. Athalia was a queen and 2 Kings xi. a great idolatress. She worshipped Baal, and enticed her son Ahaziahu to do so likewise. Notwithstanding, such as feared God obeyed in this behalf neither the king nor his mother, but walked after the commandments of God. Both the mother and the son were slain miserably. The bishops, the priests, the lawyers, the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and such other were great rulers in Jewry, and they commanded the apostles that they should no more preach in the name of Jesu; but they obeyed them not, but stoutly answered: "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, Acts iv. judge ye. For we cannot but speak that which we have seen and heard." Rulers How far the are so far to be obeyed as the limits of God's word do suffer. If their laws and trates are to civil magisbe obeyed. acts agree with the word of God, they are to be obeyed: if they be contrary to the commandment of God, it is to be answered with the apostles: "We must obey God Acts v. more than men." Furthermore, if ye be afraid of losing your livings, and by that means of falling Poverty. into beggary, remember that he for whose sake ye forsake your idolatrous massing, that ye may serve him with a pure conscience according to his word, will never forsake you, nor leave you succourless and unprovided for. Sooner shall God deal with you as he did with the children of Israel in the wilderness, with Helias, with the Exod. xvi. widow of Sarepta, with Daniel, with the people whom Christ fed in the desert, as B. & Dr. we read in the history of the gospel, and with such other as unfeignedly feared God, than ye shall want any good thing. Hear what David saith: " They which seek Psal. xxxiv. after the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good." Again: "I have been Psal. xxxvii. young, and now I am old; and yet saw I the righteous never forsaken, nor their seed begging their bread on the earth." Our Saviour Christ also saith: "There is no man Mark x. that hath forsaken house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred-fold now in this life, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecution; and in the world to come everlasting life." And God himself saith: "I will not leave thee, nor forsake thee." 1 Kings xvii. Matt. xiv. Josh. i. Rom. viii. 2 Cor. xiii. Having these loving promises of God, fear ye not the loss of your livings, nor the hatred of the wicked worldlings. If God provideth for you (as undoubtedly he doth), what can ye want? If God be your friend, your buckler, and shield, who can hurt you? As St Paul saith: "If God be on our side, who can be against us ?" Now have ye heard how far the mass dissenteth from the Lord's supper. Ye have heard what manifest blasphemies and intolerable untruths be contained in the mass. Ye have heard that the mass is the invention of the devil, the nurse-child of antichrist, and the well-beloved darling of all them that have received the beast's mark. Ye have heard that no christian man can either say mass or hear mass with a good conscience. To end, ye have heard that the mass is the fountain, well, headspring, and original of all idolatry, superstition, wickedness, sin, and abomination; and that it is not God's worship, but idol-service. Considering therefore these things, if ye tender the glory of God, your own salvation, and the peace, quietness, and safeguard of our country, flee idolatry, forsake your abominable massing, and serve the Lord our God according to his holy word. So shall God bless you with all good things, both in this world and in the world to come. Fare ye well. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen." THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK. OF GOD. THAT God alone freely saveth the faithful. That God alone is to be worshipped, yea, and that according to his word, that is to say, in spirit and truth. That God alone by prayer is to be called upon, yea, and that in the name of Christ only. That we ought to obey God more than men. OF CHRIST. That Christ is the alone and only author of our salvation. That Christ is the alone and only head of the catholic and apostolic church. That Christ is the alone and only Mediator, Reconciliator, Advocate, and Intercessor of the faithful. That Christ by his blood hath not only cleansed us from original sin, but also from all other sins, yea, and that both from the pain and fault. That the death of Christ is the only and alone propitiatory, expiatory, and satisfactory sacrifice for all the sins of the world. That Christ is the alone and only teacher of truth. That Christ, as concerning his human nature, is not (as the papists dream) in every place, but only in heaven, sitting on the right hand of God. OF ELECTION. That God's election is certain and unchangeable. OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. That the holy scripture is a doctrine sound, certain, true, and in all points absolutely perfect; in the which, as in a most plentiful and rich storehouse, thou mayest abundantly find whatsoever is, even unto the uttermost, sufficient and necessary unto salvation and everlasting life. OF THE CHURCH. That the true, holy, catholic, and apostolic church doth not lean unto the decrees of men, but unto the doctrine of Christ. OF MEN'S TRADITIONS. That men's traditions, which fight with the word of God, ought to be banished out of the congregation of the true Christians. OF MAN. That all men by nature are sinners, and the children of wrath. OF FREE-WILL. That free-will without the grace of God can do nothing in matters of faith and everlasting salvation. OF JUSTIFICATION. That so many as are justified and saved are justified and saved only by the alone and free mercy of God through faith. OF FAITH. That faith alone justifieth before God. That the true and christian faith is not idle, but fruitful and plenteous in doing good works. OF GOOD WORKS. That good works justify no man before God. That good works ought diligently to be done of all true Christians. OF THE CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. That the Christians are enfranchised and made free through Christ Jesus from the ceremonies of Moses, from the choice of meats and days, from the curse of the law, from the tyranny of Satan, from the power of sin and death, from the wrath of God, &c., and that they also, for the same Christ's sake, are endued with everlasting righteousness, light, life, and glory. OF THE CROSS. That the true Christians are seldom free from the cross in this world. That the cross is laid upon the true Christians by God himself, and cometh not unto them by fortune or chance. That the cross ought to be borne of the true Christians patiently and thankfully. That pleasures and joys, yea, and those true, sound, perfect, and everlasting, follow the cross. [BECON, III.] 19 |