before the lambe, & the smoke of their tormēt ascendeth vppe euermore. Marke well heare good Christians who is thys beast and worshippers, that shallbe partakers of that vnspeakable torment. Thys beast is none other but the carnall and fleshely kingdome of Antichrist, the Pope wyth his rable of false Prophetes and ministers, as it is most manifest, the which to maintayne their highe titles, worldly promotions and dignities doo wyth much cruelty dayly more and more set foorth and establishe their owne traditions, decrees and decretals, contrary to gods holye ordinances, statutes, lawes & commaundements and wholy repugnaunt to his sincere & pure religion and true worshipping. Now what do they els but worshippe thys beast and hys Image, which after they had once already escaped from the filthines of the world, Marginalia2. Peter.through the knowledge of the Lorde and the sauioure Iesus Christ, are yet agayne tangled therein, and ouercom, vsing dissimulation vnfaithfullye for feare of their displeasure, doinge one thing outwardly, and thinking inwardly an other. So hauing them in reuerence vnder a cloke and colour, Marginalia3. Ihon.to whom they oughte not so muche as to saye god spede: and adioyninge them selues to the malignaunt congregation MarginaliaIhon. 10. Esech. 16.which they ought to abhor as a den of theues & murtherers, & as the brothell house of most blasphemous fornicatours, whose voyces being contrary to Christes voice (if they were of his flocke) they would not know, but woulde flee from them: as he himselfe being the good shepeheard of our soules doth full wel in hys holy gospel testify. MarginaliaIhon. 10.Agayne, what do they els I pray you, but receiue the beastes marke in their foreheads, & in their handes, whych do beare a faire face & countenance outwardlye in supporting them as other doo, MarginaliaMark. 18. Luc. 9.being ashamed openly to confesse Christ & his holy gospel. But this fainednes & dissimulatiō Christ & his gospel will in no wise allow, of whom it is said: whosoeuer shalbe ashamed of me and my wordes in this adulterous & synful generation, of him also shal the sonne of man be ashamed, when he shal come in the glory of his father with his holy angels. MarginaliaMalach. 1. Hebru. 6.Therfore sayth almighty god by his prophet Malachy: cursed be the dissemblers. Ye were once lighted and tasted of the heauenly gift, & were becom partakers of the holy gost, & tasted of the word of god, & of the power of the world to come. And our sauiour Christ saith: MarginaliaLuke. 6. 1. Ihon. 2no man that putteth his hand to the plow & looketh back, is apt to the kingdom of god. Therfore s. Iohn thapostle vseth this for a manifest token, þt the back sliding from the true teachers of gods woord declareth euidently, that they be not of the nōber of them. For saith he, they went out from vs, but they wer not of vs: for if they had ben of vs, no dout they wold haue cōtinued with vs. but it might appeare þt they wer not of vs.
[Back to Top]Surely, so long as we vse dissimulation, & to play on both handes, we are not in the light. For whatsoeuer is manifest, þe same is light, as thelect vessell of god S. Paule wytnesseth. MarginaliaEphes. 5.Wherfore (good christiās) for gods most dere loue deceue not your selfs through your own wisdom, & through the wisdom of this world which is folishnes before god, Marginalia1. Corin 3.but certify and stay your own conscience with the sure truth & faithfull woord of god, & with the infallible testimonies of holy scripture. For althoughe gods mercy be ouer al his workes: MarginaliaPsal. 3. Hebr. 3.yet it doth not extēd but onely to them that hold fast the confidence & reioycing of hope vnto the end, not beinge wearye in well doyng, but rather waxe euery day stronger & stronger in the inner mā. Marginalia3. Corin. 4. Therfore in þe reuelation of s. Iohn, wher it is intreated of the beast & his image, it is also said: here is the suffrance of saints, & here ar they that kepe the cōmaundements & the faith of Iesus Christ. Whereby almighty god doth shew plainlye that he doth vse those wicked men as his instruments for a tyme, to try the patiēce & faith of his peculiar people, without the performance wherof we cā haue no part among the liuing, but as it is said in the same reuelatiō, the fearful shal haue their parte in the lake that burneth wyth fire and brimstone, which is the secōd death. But peraduenture ye wil obiect & say vnto me: what shal we do? shal we cast our selues hedlong to death? I say not so. But this I saye, that we are al bound (if euer we looke to receiue saluation at gods hand) in this case wholye to be obedient to his determinate counsel and foreknowledge, Marginalia1. Cor. 12.expressed by the gift of the spirite in holy scripture, & then to cast al our care vp on him, MarginaliaRom. 18who worketh al in al for the best, vnto them that loue him, & thus he geueth commaundement saying: Come awaye from her my people, þt ye be not partakers of her syns & that ye receiue not of her plages. MarginaliaApoca. 18. Now who hearing this terrible voice of god, which must nedes be fulfilled, wil not with al spede & diligēce apply him self to do therafter, but such as wil presūptuously tempt him? And as touching them, the wise man saith: MarginaliaEcclesi. 3.he that loueth peril & daunger, shal perishe therein: but they that be of the faith of Abrahā, euen as he dyd so wil they in all assaies & tryals be obediēt to the heauenly voice, MarginaliaPsal. 36. howsoeuer it semeth contrary to their own natural wyl & carnal reason, according to the sure word of faith which saith: hope thou in þe lord & kepe his way: hold the stil in the lord & abide patiently vpō him. MarginaliaCor. 6.Let not thy Ielousy moue the also to do euil. Come out from amonge them, and ioyne not your selues to their vnlawful assembles: yea do not once shewe your selues with the least part of your body to fauour their wycked doinges, Marginalia1. Cor. 6.but glorifye God (as most righte is) so wel in your whole bodye outwardlye, as in-
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