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against the church of Rome. Where is now the Holy August.comGhost, which they so stoutly do claim to themselves? Domatest Ep. Where is now the Spirit of Truth, that will not suffer cap. them in any wise to err? If it be possible to be there, where the true church is not, then is it at Rome: otherwise it is but a vain brag, and nothing else. St. Paul, as ye have heard before, saith. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is not his. And by turning the words, it may be truly said. If any man be not of Christ, the same hath not the Spirit. Now to discern who are truly his, and who not, we have this rule given us; that his sheep do always hear his voice. And St. John saith. He that is John x. of God heareth God's word. Whereof it followeth, that John vin, # the Popes, in not hearing Christ's voice, as they ought to

do. but preferring their own decrees before the express word of God, do plainly argue to the world that they are not of Christ, nor yet possessed with his Spirit. But here they will allege for themselves, that there are divers necessary points not expressed in holy Scripture, which were left to the revelation of the Holy Ghost; who being John xvi. given to the church, according to Christ's promise, hath taught many things from time to time, which the Apo*stles could not the bear. To this we may casily answer, by the plain words of Christ, teaching us that the proper office of the Holy Ghost is, not to institute and bring in new ordinances, contrary to his doctrine before taught; but shall come and declare those things which he had before taught, so that it might be well and truly understood. When the Holy Ghost, saith he, shall come, he John xvi. shall lead you into all truth. What truth doth he mean? Any other than he himself had before expressed in his word? No. For he saith, He shall take of mine, and John xtis show unto you. Again, he shall bring you in remembrance of all things that I have told you. It is not then the duty and part of any Christian. under pretence of the Holy Ghost, to bring in his own dreams and fantasies into the church: but he must diligently provide that his doctrine and decrees be agreeable to Christ's holy Testament; otherwise, in making the Holy Ghost the author thereof, he doth blaspheme and belie the Holy Ghost to his own condemnation.

Now to leave their doctrine, and to come to other points. What shall we think or judge of the Pope's in* tolerable pride? The Scripture saith, that God resisteth the proud, and showeth grace to the humble. Also it pronounceth them blessed which are poor in spirit, promising that they Matt

Matt, xiv.

76.78.

Resur. Dom.

lib. i.

Mat.

which humble themselves shall be exalted. And Christ our Saviour willeth all his to learn of him, because he is humble and meek. As for pride, St. Gregory saith. it is the root of all mischief. And St. Augustine's judgment is this, that it maketh men devils. Can any man

then, which either hath or shall read the Popes' lives, justly say that they had the Holy Ghost within them? First, as touching that they will be termed universal Bishops and Heads of all Christian churches through the Lib iii. Epist. World; we have the judgment of Gregory expressly against them; who, writing to Mauritius the emperor, condemneth John, bishop of Constantinople, in that behalf, calling him the Prince of Pride, Lucifer's Successor, Serm. 3.de and the Forerunner of Antichrist. St. Bernard also agreeing thereunto, saith. What greater pride can there be, than that one man should prefer his own judgment before the whole congregation, as though he only had Dialogorum. the Spirit of God? And Chrysostom pronounceth a terrible sentence against them, affirming plainly, that whosoever sceketh to be chief in earth shall find confusion in heaven; and that he which striveth for the supremacy shall not be reputed among the servants of Christ. Again Chrysost.sup. he saith, To desire a good work, it is good; but to covet the chief degree of honour, it is mere vanity. Do not these places sufficiently convince their outrageous pride, in usurping to themselves a superiority above all other, as well ministers and bishops, as kings also and emperors? But as the lion is known by his claws, so let us learn to know these men by their deeds. What Sabell. En shall we say of him that made the noble King Dandanead. 9. lib. vii. Ius to be tied by the neck with a chain, and to lie flat down before his table, there to gnaw bones like a dog? Shall we think that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Clement the VIth. What shall we say of him that proudly and contemptuously trod Frederick the emperor under his feet, applying the verse of the Psalm unto himself, Thou shall go upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon thou shalt tread under thy foot? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Alexander the IIId. What shall we say of him that armed and animated the son against the father, causing him to be taken, and to be cruelly famished to death, contrary to the law both of God, and also of nature? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather

Psalm lx.

the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Pascal the IId. What shall we say of him that came into his popedom like a fox, that reigned like a lion, and died like a dog? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Boniface the VIIIth. What shall we say of him that made Henry the emperor, with his wife and his young child, to stand at the gates of the city in the rough winter, bare footed and bare legged, only clothed in linsey woolsey, eating nothing from morning to night, and that for the space of three days? Shall we say that he had God's holy Spirit within him, and not rather the spirit of the devil? Such a tyrant was Pope Hildebrand, most worthy to be called a firebrand, if we shall term him as he hath best deserved. Many other examples might here be alleged; as of Pope Joan the harlot, that was delivered of a child in the high street, going solemnly in procession; of Pope Julius the Id. that wilfully cast St. Peter's keys into the river Tiberis; of Pope Urban the VIth. that caused five cardinals to be put in sacks, and cruelly drowned; of Pope Sergius the IIId. that persecuted the dead body of Formosus his predecessor, when it had been buried eight years; of Pope John the XIVth. of that name, who having his enemy delivered into his hands, caused him first to be stripped stark naked, his beard to be shaven, and to be hanged up a whole day by the hair, then to be set upon an ass with his face backward toward the tail, to be carried round about the city in despite, to be miserably beaten with rods, last of all, to be thrust out of his country, and to be banished for ever. But to conclude, and make an end, ye shall briefly take this short lesson; wheresoever ye find the spirit of arrogance and pride, the spirit of envy, hatred, contention, cruelty, murder, extortion, witchcraft, necromancy, &c. assure yourselves that there is the spirit of the devil, and not of God, albeit they pretend outwardly to the world never so much holiness. For as the Gospel teacheth us, the Spirit of Jesus is a good Spirit, an holy Spirit, a sweet Spirit, a low ly Spirit, a merciful Spirit, full of charity and love, full of forgiveness and pity, not rendering evil for evil, extremity for extremity, but overcoming evil with good, and remitting all offence even from the heart. According to which rule, if any man live uprightly, of him it may be safely pronounced, that he hath the Holy Ghost within him: if not, then it is a plain token that he doth usurp the name of the Holy Ghost in vain. Therefore, dearly beloved, according to the

1 John iv.

Matt. xxiv.

Matt. vii.

Luke vi.

good counsel of St. John, Believe not every spirit, but first try them whether they be of God or no. Many shall come in my name, saith Christ, and shall transform themselves into angels of light, deceiving (if it be possible) the very elect. They shall come unto you in sheep's clothing, being inwardly cruel and ravening wolves. They shall have an outward show of great holiness and innocency of life, so that ye shall hardly or not at all discern them. But the rule that ye must follow is this, To judge them by their fruits. Which if they be wicked and naught, then it is impossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good. Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part, as doth well appear in the story of their lives. and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets, and false Christs, which deceived the world a long while. The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride, that they never enter into his vineyard again, to the disturbance of his silly poor flock; but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world: and he of his great mercy so work in all men's hearts, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed in all places, to the beating down of sin, death, the Pope, the Devil, and all the kingdom of Antichrist, that like scattered and dispersed sheep, being at length gathered into one fold, we may in the end rest all together in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, there to be partakers of eternal and everlasting life, through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen,

AN

HOMILY

FOR THE

Days of Rogation Week.

That all good Things come from God

AM purposed this day, good devout Christian people, to declare unto you the most deserved praise and com mendation of Almighty God, not only in the consideration of the marvellous creation of this world, or for con servation and governance thereof, wherein his great power and wisdom might excellently appear to move us to honour and dread him; but most especially in consi deration of his liberal and large goodness, which he daily bestoweth on us his reasonable creatures, for whose sake he made the whole universal world, with all the commodities and goods therein; which his singular goodness well and diligently remembered on our part should move us, as duty is, again with hearty affection to love him, and with word and deed to praise him and serve him all the days of our life. And to this matter, being so worthy to entreat of, and so profitable for you to hear, I trust I shall not need with much circumstance of words to stir you to give your attendance to hear what shall be said. Only I would wish your affection inflamed in secret wise within yourself, to raise up some motion of thanksgiving to the goodness of Almighty God, in every such point as shall be opened by my declaration particularly unto you. For else what shall it avail us to hear and know the great goodness of God towards us, to know that whatsoever is

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