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1 What the reason of man perswadeth to be done, in the matter of religion.
2 Argumentes against good zeale and good intention.
3 The papisticall church this day, is worse thē the externall church of the Iewes, in the dayes of the Prophets & Christ.
4 What fruite bringeth the good zeale of man.
THe blinde reason, witte, and vn∣derstanding of man (which is but the desires and appetites of the fleshly man) is the cause why wee misknowe the good and perfite order, to doe good workes, taught vs in the scriptures: neglecting the worde of god, & following our own will, which teach∣eth vs good zeale, and good intention. This our reason affirmeth good, and thin∣keth that God shall approue the same, according to our desire, whiche is but flesh (I meane of the whole man, and all that is in him) But the spirit and word of god teacheth vs to walke in the spirite, & not to performe the desires and lustes of the fleshe. For the flesh euer contendeth against the spirite: and the spirite against the flesh. Therefore we are commanded to fight valiantly against the desires of the fleshe: and to absteine from the lustes and appetites thereof: and to fol∣lowe the will of God, which is to walke in the spirite, and clothe vs with Christe Iesus.
This order the Apostle teacheth Galath. the 5. chapter, Romanes the 8. chapter & 13. And S. Pet. in his first epistle the 2. chapter.
O miserable, blinde, & ignorāt mā why doest thou neglect the good worke of god, to inuēt a good worke of thy owne making: thinking there through to please god: saying, thou doest it of a good zeale and intention, which is asmuch to say as, that thy minde, and intentione are good in the selfe. And because thou thinketh the same good, God after thy iudgement, should approue the same as good. Thou art deceaued, because thou vnderstandest not the Scriptures, or will not vnderstande the same. It is written that the whole thoght of man, and all the cogitations of his hart, is ready giuen and bent vpon euill, at all time. And also the witte, vnderstanding, and conceat of man, and the thought of his harte, are prone, ready, and inclined to euill from his youth head, and yoūg age. And Dauid sayeth, The Lord knoweth the cogitations
of mans hart, that they are vaine. Nowe my hartes, where will yee finde your good zeale, and good intention: either is it euill of thee self, or els God is false, the whiche can not bee: yee may call it good, but God who hath better know∣ledge thereof, then ye haue, by his word testifieth all that is in you to bee but e∣uill, as he hath declareth by the mouth of Moyses, cōmanding that we do not that thing, which wee thinke good, but that thing which hee hath commanded vs to do: that should we do: and neither adde to his word, nor take therefrō, but walk in the way, the which the lord hath cōman∣ded. This showeth thee, that thou should not followe thy good zeale, and inten∣tion, thinking therethrough to please god: or fulfill his will, the which thou can not fulfill, but by his worde. For all man of them selues, are but Lyers, and full of vainitie.
Great is the differēce betwixt the will of god, and the will of man. The thought of god, and the thoughtes of man. The
wayes of god, and the wayes of man: as saith the Prophete in the persō of god: my thoghts, & cogitatiōs ar not yours: nor your ways mine: but as the heauēs ar exal¦ted aboue the earth: euen so ar my wayes & cogitations frō yours. This is no other thing, but to teach vs to follow the will and commande of God, and not ours who hath declared in his scripturs plain∣ly, what we should doe, & leaue vndone that we neede to seeke no further. So do∣ing we shal procure the blessing of God, if wee take his erudition and teaching: as Dauid sayeth: Blessed is the man, whom thou (O Lord) instructeth, and of thy Law teacheth him. And if we will fol∣lowe our own teaching, doing workes of our owne intention (the which wee think good) we shal procure the plagues and punishmēts threatned by the Proph Ieremie the 19 chap. because we doe the thing, which he hath not commanded: nor spoken to vs: nor yet hath ascended in his hart. Trust well the people thoght they did a great excellent worke to God
and sacrifice to please him, when they spared not their owne children, to kill & offer sacrifice vnto god, of their innocēt bloud. This was their good zeale, and good intention. But they had no com∣mand of god for them: and verily yee haue lesse for you, to make such sacrifice, as yee doe dayly: to deceaue the poore people, and to purchase to your selues great riches, goods & possessions. There∣fore I exhort you by the mercy of God, to cast away that good zeale, & intētion: & follow the word of god, as he hath cō∣māded you in the scripurs, for they beare witnes of him: & show to mā what is his wil: seeke no further, nor confound not the works of God with thy vain thoghts.
Through the vaine cōceate of mā vsed in these words (good zeale & intētiō) haue al the abuses, now ruling in the church of god, risen. That the sayings of the Proph. [ 3] spokē to the people of Israell, are cōplete this day in the Church of Christ: and may be said to vs, as they were said to the Iew∣es. Euē as the theef is ashamed whē he is
taken: euen so is the house of Israel asha¦med: they, & their kinges, their princes, preists & Prophets: saying vnto the tree or stocke, thou art my father: and to the stone, thou hast be gotten me. They haue turned their backe to mee (sayeth the Lord God) and not their face. And in the time of their trouble, and affliction, they shall say: Rise, and deliuer vs, then shall the Lord say vnto them, where are thy gods which thou hast made thee? let them arise and deliuer the, in the time of thy trouble. Thy gods were verily in nomber according to the nomber of thy cities, o Iuda, what? wilt thou con∣tend with me in Iudgement? yee haue all left me, sayeth the Lord.
Now I pray you, conferre these words of god, here plainly spoken, with the do∣ings of these dayes, now ruling in the church: and then yee shall perceaue the abuse of gods word. We praye cōmonly the Pater noster (that, is our father) to the Image of this, or that saint, made of tree or stone. And specially to this or that
altar, wee kneele, which is by our selues, or our predicessours foūded, vpon such a Saintes name, whose picture is well gra∣ued in a stocke or stone: And with costly colours painted: and the blessed Sacra∣ment of the body and bloud of Christ (after their maner) offered dayly to this or that Saint: and called his messe, for do∣ing of the which, there is not a syllabe in gods word, for you: but the contrarie ex∣presly commanded: both that yee should haue no grauen Images, nor worshippe them: nor yet inuent any maner of wor∣shpping of god: But as god hath cōman∣ded by his word. And for your defēce, ye haue onely these wordes (good zeale & intention) the which is expresly cōtrarie the first commandement of god: for euen as we are forbidden and inhibite to haue strange gods: So are wee inhibite to haue strange worshippings of god.
Blessed be god, the matter is so patent and plainely set forth in these dayes, con∣cerning the said vaine workes, inuented by man, to the confusion thereof by the
godly men: which laboure day and night in his Scriptures to the edification of Christs chosen litle flocke, that it is not needful, to abide long vpō the discussing of these matters: but onely to remit you to the Scriptures, and the saide godly de∣clarations made therevpon: against the superstitious worshipping of Saintes: go∣ing in pilgrimage, purgeing in purgato∣rie, hallowing of water, or other elemēts foundatioun of masses, to publike or pri∣uate idolatrie, offering or sacrifices ma∣king, not commāded in the word of god, choise of meats, forbidding of mariage in the church of god, and abominable a∣buses of the whole Christian religion, by the shauen, oincted, or smeared preists bishops, monkes, and friers, hauing one∣ly there vocation of man, and by man. Therefore we let the specialities of them passe, and referre the same to thy iudge∣ment (good reader.) Thankes be to god these abuses, and groundes are not vn∣knowen: & we will passe forward to the knowledge of the workes commanded
vs to doe, and work by the scriptures of god, as the fruites of faith.
All men depēding vpon his own rea∣son, is de∣ceaued.
The cōfu∣tation of good zeale, & good in∣tētion.
Gen. 6. Gen. 8. Psal. 43.
Deutr. 12.
Ier. 11.
The cō∣mande∣ment of god, con∣trarie our good zeale.
Psal. 115.
Esa. 55.
Mich. 6. All which man shold doe is conteined in the scriptures
Psal. 93.
Who doth workes not com∣māded by God in his scrip∣tures in∣curris his maledicti∣on. Ier. 15. & ••9.
4. Reg. 21 2. Cro. 33. The fruits of good zeale.
Ier. 2. The wordes of Ieremie ar true this day.
〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••2. & 11.
Exod. 20. Leuit. 26. Deu. 5.
Psal. 80.96. & 113.
Strange worship∣ping of God, is not con∣teined in the scrip∣tures.