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THis holy vndefiled faith which the Lorde ••••anted and set vp in all na∣tions by the Apostles, immediatly after the Apostles dysseasse, was ••ore▪ attempted, by sondrye vnclea••e per∣sonnes, whych brought vp false customes and misbeleuers, and made per••ous sectes Besydes thys also was it sore persecuted wyth the swerde of tyrauntes. But in all
such daungers the trueth ouer came and had the victory. For though the cytezins of the deuels cytye (accordinge to the dis∣positiō of theyr patriarke Cain) dyd mur thur, •• all though falfe prophetes brought vp euell counsaill, yet the cytye of God triumpheth, and the bloude of innocent Abell and his brethren, speaketh yet. But after that the persecuciō was somwhath ••rassed, and the persecuters sore and horr••¦bly punished for their bloude sheddinge (the heresies also beinge well brought downe by faythfull shepherdes) In the same rest also was oure holy fayth not a litle hurt. For rest put a waye feare, brought ydle felicite, voluptuousnes and fleshly sekynge of riches and dominyon:* 1.1 and so thorow couetousnes and ambisiō, there was pou••ed great poyson in to the church, wherby religion sore decayed.
For whyle the mynisters of the worde laboured more after riches, then to per∣fourme their office and charge, and to edt ••••e the church, they were pleased with supersticiousnes in steade of true religion Of ••••u••s then folowed it farther, that the singlenesse of fayth was forgotten, newe law••s made, the olde rytes and customes ether peruerted, or els vtterly ouerthrowē and abused: wherby men came farr•• from the doctryne and Christen ceremonies, from the waye of trueth in to er••oure foo* 1.2 ••••••ly, & partly in to ceremonies of ydola∣trye. Here of commeth it, that we ha•••• now the abhomination, of the popes
power, of pardons, of masses for the deed and quycke, of merites, power and inter∣cession of sayntes in heauen, of worshyp∣pinge their bones vpon e••th, of ydols, and vayne ornamentes, pompe & pryde of the church, of hyred syngynge and prayenge in the temple, and of the whole swarme of ydele religious. All whiche thynges with other mo•• like fondnesse, are nothing but new alteracions, peruertinges, and con∣trary to all olde ordinaunces, hauynge no grounde in gods wo••de, and are cleane a∣gaynst God, though many hardnecked people are yet in a furye and braule for such hinges, and wyll make all the world beleue, that thys theyr foolishnes altera∣cion & peruer••••nge of Gods ordinaunce, is the olde fayth. And yet wo••e they or wyll not knowe, that theyr ••abling hath very litle grounde, and that they (yf they considred the matter as it is) are very na¦ked and miserable.
And though this papisticall religiō hath endured, preuayled, & triumphed now cer∣tayne hundreth yeares, yet hath God all waye sent his ••aythfull seruantes, and had a litle holy flock of his owne, like as afore tyme in the day••s of the iudges, oft the kinges of Juda and Israel, and in the captiuite of Babilon, though it was all moost at the worst afore & at the cōminge of Christ. Like as it is also with vs, the nyer the second commynge of Christ, the worse is it in the world. Neuertheles (as I sayde afore) God all waye set forth his
worde and doth yet. Contrary wyse, the,* 1.3 pope with his multitude, and▪ Machomet with his (as it semeth and becometh very Antichristes (haue hitherto vndertaken (to suppresse the olde religion (and to set vp hys owne ordinaunce (vnknowne to oure fathers of olde tyme (to bringe it in to possession and vnder y• name of God and his holy church / to sprede it vpon all christen∣dome. For out of y• Actes and statutes of the pope and hys wanton spiritualtye and out of the lawes of Machomet it is mani¦fest (what, the one hath taken in hand and done now more then 600. yeares (and the other vpon a 900 yeares. It is cuident yet also euen now / wherto hys generall coun sayls and perliamentes do extende, But not▪ regardinge how he threnteneth ••nd fa¦ceth / and how he garnisheth hys new and wanton religions with false (but dissem∣blynge titles / boastinge of many hundreth yeares / many generall counsayles / fathers holy men / doctours / vniuersities / closters syngyng / prayeng / fasting almes geuinge* 1.4 de••plynge / and telleth suche lyke: All hys▪ bragginge set a syde let vs cast hys rely∣gion from vs & take vpon vs vnfaynedly the true olde religion / which hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde (by the which all holy m••n haue euer loued / wor∣shipped and serued God & knew nothinge vtterly of the Popes religion. And yf we must for thys cau••e be hated and persecu∣ted of the worlde: well / it happened euen so vnto all holy Prophetes before vs ly∣kewyse /
and specially vnto Jesus Christe our Lorde: whiche shall come shortly to iudgement / and vtterly destroye the kyuge dome of Antichrist / whom he now kylleth with the sprete of his mouth. Our posses∣siō is not here vpō earth / the kyngdom of heauen is our natiue countre. From thēce* 1.5 loke we for the sauyoure Jesus Christ our Lorde / which shall rayse vp oute mortall & miserable body / that he maye make it lyke hys excellent and glorified body / ator dinge to the power wherby he. maye subdue all thynges. vnto hym self. To him be▪ honoure and prayse for euer and euer.
the decay of christes religion.
What in cōueniēce▪ folowed.
The Po∣pe & Ma∣chomet stry••e a∣gaynste Christe.
Let vs do as our ol∣••est fa∣thers ha∣ue done longe be∣fore vs.
Philip. iii.