The triall of truth Containing a plaine and short discovery of the chiefest pointes of the doctrine of the great Antichrist, and of his adherentes the false teachers and heretikes of these last times.

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL Master Doctor RIVES warden of S. Ma∣ry Colledge of VVinchester in Oxford com∣monly called New Colledge, and to the residue of the members that are, or haue bin of that society.

IT is a truth generally confes∣sed, (Right VVorshipful & yee the residue beloved in the Lord) that of all feastes, that is the most sumptuous and dainty, which wisedome hath provided for * 1.1 her guests: the which consisteth of three courses, that is, of the instructions of faith, of the precepts of life, and of the rules of discipline and govern∣ment. The two first courses of this worthy feast, especially the first cōsisting of the instructions of faith, as they haue bin seasōed & served in by the Lords most skilfull Cookes and sworne servāts, and also as they haue beene attempted to be di∣stempered & even poisoned by the blacke guard of Antichrists kitchin & the devils scullery, I haue already set before the Christian Reader, which vouchsafeth to be a guest at wisedomes table, & that vnder the tast of the Right Reverend Father in God my very good Lorde the Bishop of Sarū. And now that which was then wanting of the se∣cond

service, without the supply wherof this feast might seeme to be somwhat sparing, as far forth as I haue beene credited therewith, I present vnto the church vnder the approbation of the Right worshipful M. Doctor Riues la••e chiefe over••eer of our cōmon mother the Vniversity of Oxford, and remaining still a careful Guardian of one of my speciall nurses the Colledge of S. Mary of Winchester in Oxford cōmōly called New Col∣ledge. Sir your kinde affection towardes mee of long time, and your friendly perswasion in mo∣ving mee to publish to the benefite of the church of Christ the first part of my private labours, and your advācemēt by God to the governmēt of that Colledge, (vnto the which ••owe more then vnto any other place or person whatsoever, seeing there I had my being well, wheras elsewhere I had but my bare being, or rather with my being, my being evil:) haue induced me so farre forth to pre∣sume of your favour and good will, as that I am bold to request your protection for the seconde part of these my travailes and paines. For my hope is, the more that God hath advāced you to worshippe, that the greater will bee your care to further all such meanes as doe concerne his wor∣ship:

& that you do esteeme this to be your chie∣fest worship, that you haue receiued of the ••ord not only a minde to will, but also by reason of your place, hability to perfourme many thinges that belong to the glory of God, and to the good of his church Cicero saide of Caesar that his high e∣state had nothing greater, and his nature nothing better thē that he was both able & ready to pre∣serue many. And Plinie said•• of Vespasian that the greatnesse of his honor had changed nothing in him but this that now by his advancement he was made able, as before he was willing to doe good to many And Aristotle hath set down this as a dif∣ferēce between a king & a tyrāt, that the one see∣keth the publike, the other his own private good. Lastly the Poet could say, that this was the great * 1.2 and magnificēt prerogatiue of princes, which no day could take from them, to profite the misera∣ble, and to protect the suppliant &c. Now Chri∣stian magistrates know more then these heathe∣nish perso••s did, which liued without the know∣ledge of the true God, evē that they are the Lords Leifetenantes not onely to preserue the com∣modities of their earthly kingdōms for the good of their subiects, but much more to maintaine &

establish among them the meanes whereby they may be made partakers of the kingdome of hea∣ven. And verely this is a great dignity vnto you, that God the full fountaine of all good thinges hath made you a river to water the plantes of a goodly nursery, and to minister vnto thē al such thinges as might further their growth: and a car∣full Guardian to fence and keepe them from all such things as might worke their annoy ance: that so many good trees might grow vp therein, fit to be transplanted into many places of this land, & to replenish the same with much fruite. We also, which haue bin heretofore plantes in your nurse∣rie, hope that your river wil flowe forth farre fur∣ther, and extend it selfe even vnto vs, to water vs with some of your droppes, and to bee our fence and fortification, that the fruites of faith & god∣lines that growe vpon our branches may bee the better preserved and kept, vntill they come to maturity and ripenes.

And now to come to you my foster brethren, as I togither with you expect protection and di∣rection from our common head, so as a fellowe member I am bould to put you in minde, that while yee may come to the full breast, yee desire

the sincere milke of the word, that ye may grow thereby, if ye haue tasted how sweete the Lord is, and what an honour it is to be borne of God, and how great is the gaine of faith and godlines; And that while the yeeres of plenty cōtinue, ye follow the ensample of provident Ioseph, and lay vp in the store-houses of your harts all manner of spi∣ritual graine, that when yee be called abroad to be the ••ords husbandmen, yee may bee able to sow the Lordes fielde with plentifull store of all good seede. Verely the harvest is great, and the * 1.3 labourers are ••ewe: and ye may well perceive by experience in your selues, what a labour it is to bring into tillage the vntidy soile of one soule, & to cause it to yeelde but a meane harvest: for vn∣doubtedly in this kind of husbandry especiallie is the proverbe best verified: A great harvest, and a little corne. And therefore also my brethren while ye are so neere the Lords a••mo•…•…, & ••ay fitte your selues with weapons of all sortes offen∣siue and defensiue, furnish your selues nowe with all manner of munition against the time that yee are to be sent to any speciall kind of service by a∣ny of the Lordes chiefest captaines & comman∣ders. Ye haue in place of your Honorable Foun∣der

the right reverend Father in God the Bishop of Winchester, one that hath bin of your owne society, a famous and renowned Coronell, who hath most couragiously fought the Lordes bat∣tels and hath fitted for you many notable wea∣pons, whereby yee may be able not onely to en∣counter, but also to subdue and vanquish the eni∣mie: who hath already called some of you, and is readie to cal other of you also, and to place you over no meane bandes O most reverend and re∣nowned Bilson, thou hast best deserved among al our companie to haue the preheminēce, for that thy sword hath hewen cleane a sunder manie of the strōgest & greatest Pillars of the VVesterne Babilon O lift it vp stil against the common ene∣mie: and let it be as the bowe of Ionathan & as the sword of Saule, which never returned emptie * 1.4 from the blood of the slaine, and from the fatte of the mightie. And so as all the sheves of Io∣sephes brethren did stand about Iosephes sheife, * 1.5 and did obeysance vnto it: so shal al our swordes stoupe lowe to thy sword, and shal be marshalled at thine appointment.

But to turne to you my brethren which are nowe as it were the Lordes trained souldiers,

and out of whose companie manie captaines are to be chosen for the guiding and leading of ma∣ny severall bandes: ye may behould and looke v∣pon the ensamples of your owne predecessors, even of such as haue beene of your owne society: And withal yee may somewhat respect your pay, which no doubt may bee good here, if that you endevour faithfully to performe your service, but especially you may assure your selues that you shall receiue a large allowance when ye come to appeare before the great Lord of all hostes, and the high generall of all armies. Then if yee haue fought the good fight, and kept the faith, and fi∣nished your course, there remaineth for you a crowne of righteousnes: and if this be given to e∣very good souldier, what a large portion may e∣very captaine expect?

But here by the way I would willingly put you in minde of this one thing, which is, that many fa∣mous captaines and couragious souldiers both in the bodelie and ghostlie fightes, haue beene brought to vtter ruine and decay, by leaving the pursuite of the vanquished enemie, and by tur∣ning too hastelie & greedelie after the pray. Wa•• not Hanniball and his armie made weake and ef∣feminate

by the spoiles of Capua, which could not bee daunted by all those hard labours that they patientlie endured in passing over the vnpas∣sable Alpes? And how els was the large and am∣ple Empire of the city of Rome, and of manie o∣ther great kingdōes and coūtries overthrowne? But to omitte these great commanders in bodilie * 1.6 warres, haue not the most famous captaines in spirituall services come to ruine by the same meanes? What made the high Priestes & Elders among the Iewes to destroy Christ, and to treade vnder their feete his heavenlie doctrine, but that they might retaine the favour of the Romane Emperour, & so might preserue their earthlie e∣state? And did not the latter Bishops of Rome neglect the true gift of gifts given vnto their pre∣decessors by Constantines Lord, while they laide all their plottes, howe they might most firmelie ••ease themselues and their successors of the pre∣••ended donation of the Emperour Constantine? And what made them giue over the carefull see∣king of that glorious inheritance that St. Peter enioyeth in the highest heavens, but their deepe devising how they might make the counterfeite and forged evidences of St. Peters patrimonie to

goe for currant and good? And whereof also did it proceede that they clouted and patched togi∣ther, but with all manner of worldly pollecie and cunning, such an earthly religion as they nowe professe, but that they saw it to bee most fitte for the better maintenāce of their earthly kingdome? And was not all this most significantly shadowed & drawen out vnto vs Apocal. 9. by a starre fal∣ling from heaven to earth, who giuing over the care of heavenly matters, and fastening his heart wholy vppon earthlie, became the heade of the blacke and darke kingdome of Antichrist, which can agree to none so fitly as to the Papacy, wher∣of a Bishop is the cheife prince, who is stil accoū∣ted as a most principall starre aboue al other by many that thinke themselues to bee the onely Christians? And not onelie this starre is fallen by this meanes, but also Apocal. 12. the dragon is said with this his taile of ambition & covetous∣nes to throw down evē the third part of the stars of heaven, & to cast them to the earth. Which he bringeth to passe when hee perswadeth them to vse all vnlawfull meanes to bring them to their earthly preferments & commodities, & also whē he causeth them to giue over all their former la∣boures

in setting forth and promoting the king∣dome of God that so they may haue more lea∣sure to seeke their owne, by neglecting the things that are Iesus Christs. Wherfore worthy of most * 1.7 honourable commendation & commemoration is that sinceritie that was in Wickeleife & others of those times, who went about bare-foote, and very meanely cladde, preaching the ioyfull and glad tydings of the Gospel, thinking it to be a suf∣ficient reward to haue liberty freely to publish the same, albeit it were without all earthly re∣ward. But here I pray you mistake me not: for I thinke it no way to be vnlawful for the ministers of the Gospell to enioy temporall possessions & honours: (seeing they are best worthie of them, that know how to vse them best, and are thereby made more careful to amēd their worke, as they perceive their wages to be amended:) but these things are spoken to this end, that al such as seeke after earthly vanities by al sinister meanes, & are moued therby to giue over their labours in prea∣ching and publishing the Gospell of Christ, may be cōvicted in their own cōsciences, & brought to acknowledge and to bewaile their wret∣ched estate: and that other also seeing their fall

may thereby bee made more watchfull and warie, least they bee taken in the same trappe: the which thing is so much the more carefully to bee obserued by vs all, seeing wee bee fallen into those times, wherin Christ and his Apostles haue plainely foretold vs, that the danger, wherevnto * 1.8 al shal generally be subiect, and particularly such as be of the Ministery, is this, even the loue of the earth that shall draw away the most part of men from the loue of heaven, and shall make many of Demas his place and giftes to forsake Paule and to embrace this present world, and with Iudas to sell Christ and that for a matter of no great gai••e. The faithfull indeede are the right heires even of all the blessings of their heavenly father, but yet so, that they must not be their owne carvers, but seeke for them by such meanes as hee hath ordai∣ned, being resolved to be wholy at his dispositiō, and to content themselues with such a portion as he best knoweth to be most meete for them. And what neede haue they too greedily to seeke after the temporal and transitory goods of this world, seeing their portion is fallen vnto them in a very good ground, and they haue a very goodly heri∣tage: seeing God is their Father, and Christ their

brother, and the holy Ghost their comforter, and faith their freehold, and truth their treasure, and godlines their gaine, and goodnes their goods, and righteousnes their riches, & piet•• their por∣tion, and the kingdome of God their •…•…heritāce, & heaven the haven of their eternall rest & bles∣sednes, and the gracious promises of the gospell written in their harts the authenticall evidences for their title and right vnto these and all other blessings of God. But these things are sufficient∣ly knowne vnto you, & therfore I cease any far∣ther to trouble you, most hartely beseeching the most blessed God so to water you al with the plē∣tiful streames of his heavenly graces, that when yee haue beene as good trees bearing much fruit in the dry wildernes of this barren world, ye may be transplanted by his gracious hand, and set in his celestial and heavenly paradise.

Your VVorships most assured in the Lord, JOHN TERRY.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pro••. 9.
• * 1.2

  Hoc reges habēt mag∣nificum & ingens, nul∣lus quod ra piat dies, prodesse miseris.
• * 1.3

  Matth. 9. 37
• * 1.4

  2. Sam. l. 22.
• * 1.5

  Gen. 37. 7.
• * 1.6

  Religio pe∣per••t diviti∣as & filia devoravit matrem
• * 1.7

  M^r. Foxe in his third considera∣tion given to the pro∣fessors of the Gospel
• * 1.8

  Math. 24 38 Luk. 17. 28. 2. Tim. 3. 4. 2. Pet. 2. 3. Apoc. 12. 4.