Marginalia1555. Decemb.styng felicicity. We were borne into this worlde to be wytnesses vnto the truth, both learned and vnlearned.

MarginaliaGodly counsell.Now, since the tyme is come that wee must shew our fayth, and declare whether we will be Gods seruaunts in righteousnes and holynes, as we haue bene taught and are bound to follow, or els with hypocrisy serue vnrighteousnes: MarginaliaLuke. 18.let vs take good heede that we be found faythfull in the Lords couenaunt and true members of his church, in the which through knowledge we are ingraffed: from the which if we fall by transgression wyth the cōmon sort of people, it wil more straitly be requyred of vs, then many yet do make accompt thereof. We can not serue two Masters: Marginalia3. Reg. 18.we may not halt on both sides, and thinke to please God: we must be feruent in Gods cause, or els he will cast vs out from hym. For by the fyrst cōmaundement we are commaunded to loue God wyth all our hart, with all our mynd, wyth all our power and strength: but they are manifest transgressours of this commaundement, which wyth theyr hart, mynd, or bodely power do communicate wyth a straunge religion, cōtrary to the word of God, MarginaliaApo. 3.in the Papisticall Sinagoge, which calleth it selfe the church, and is not. As greatly do they offend God now which so do, as the Israelites did in times past by forsaking Ierusalem the true church of God, and by going to Bethell to serue God in a congregation of their own setting vp, and after theyr own imaginations and traditions: Marginalia3. Reg. 31. God will not be serued after mans imagination, but as himself prescribeth.for the which doyng God vtterly destroyed all Israell, as all the Prophetes almost do testify. This happened vnto them for our ensample, that wee might beware to haue any fellowship with any like congregation to our destruction.

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God hath one catholicke church dispersed throughout the world, and therfore we are taught in our Crede to beleue one catholicke church, and to haue cōmunion therewith: which catholicke church is groūded vpō the foundatiō of þ^e Prophets & of the Prophets & of the Apostles, & vpō none other, as S. Paul witnesseth to the Ephesians.MarginaliaEphe. 2. Therfore, where soeuer we perceiue any people to worship God truly after that worde, there we may bee certayne the Church of CHRIST to be: vnto the which we ought to associate our selues, and to desyre with the Prophet Dauid,MarginaliaPsal. 21. to prayse God in the middest of this church. But if we behold thorough iniquitie of time, segregations to be made wyth conterfait religion, otherwyse then the woord of God doth teach, we ought then if we be required, to bee companions thereof, to say againe with Dauid:MarginaliaPsal. 26. I haue hated the Sinagoge of the malignant, and will not sit with the wicked. In the Apocalyps the Church of Ephesus is highly commended, because she tried such as sayde they were Apostels,MarginaliaApoc. 2. & were not in deede, and therefore would not abide the cōpany of them. Further, God commaunded his people that they should not seeke Bethell, neither enter into Gilgall where idolatry was vsed, by the mouth of his Prophet Amos.MarginaliaAmos. 5. Also we must consider that our bodies be the temple of God, and whosoeuer (as S. Paule teach) doth prophane the temple of God, him the Lord will destroy.Marginalia2. Cor. 3. May we then take the tēple of CHRIST & make it þ^e member of an harlot? All straunge religion and Idolatrye is counted whoredome with the Prophetes, and that more detestable in the sight of God, then the aduoutrous abuse of the body.

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Therefore the Princes of the earth in the Reuelation of S. Iohn, be sayd to go a whoring, when they are in loue with false religion, and follow the same. MarginaliaNot lawfull for a true Christian to come to the Popishe Masse.How then by any meanes may a Christian man thincke it tolerable to be present at the popish priuate Masse (which is the very prophanation of the Sacrament of the body and bloud of CHRIST) and at other idolatrous worshippinges and rites, which be not after þ^e worde of God, but rather to þ^e derogation thereof, in settyng mans traditions aboue Gods preceptes, since God by hys worde iudgeth all straunge religion, which is not according to his institution, for whoredome and aduoutry?

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MarginaliaNot enough to confesse God in hart, but in mouth also.Some fondly  

thinke that the presence of the bodye is not material, so that the hart do not consent to their wicked doings. But such persons litle consider what Saint Paule wryteth to the Corinthians, commaundyng them to glorify God as well in body as in soule. Moreouer, we cā do no greater iniury to þ^e true Church of CHRIST, then to seeme to haue forsaken her, and disalowe her by cleauyng to her aduersarye: whereby it appeareth to others which be weake, that we allowe the same, and so contrary to the woorde, doe geue a great offence to the Church of God, and do outwardly sclaunder (as much

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as men may) the truth of CHRIST. But woe be vnto him by whom any such offence commeth. Better it were for hym to haue a mylstone tyed about his necke, and to be cast into the bottome of the sea. Such bee traytors to the truth, like vnto Iudas, who with a kisse betraied CHRIST. Our God is a gelous God, and cannot be content that we shoulde bee of any other then of that vnspotted church, whereof hee is the head onely, and wherein hee hath planted vs by Baptisme. This gelousy which God hath towards vs, wyll cry for vengeaunce in the day of vengeaunce, MarginaliaA lesson for large consciences.against all such as now haue so large consciences to doe that which is contrarye to Gods glory, and the sincerity of hys word, except they do in tyme repent, and cleaue vnseperably to the Gospell of CHRIST, how much soeuer at this present both men and women otherwyse in their own corrupt iudgement, doe flatter them selues. God wylleth vs to iudge vprightly, and to allow and followe that which is holy and acceptable in hys sight, and to abstaine from all maner of euyll, and therefore CHRIST commaundeth vs in the Gospell to beware of the leauen of the Phariseis,Marginalia
Mark. 8.
Reasons prouing that true Christians ought in no wise to participate with Papistes. which is hypocrisy.

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S. Paul to the Hebrues saith: MarginaliaHeb. 10.if any man withdraw him selfe from the faith, his soul shal haue no pleasure in him: therefore he sayth also: that we are none such as do withdrawe our selues into perdition, but we belong vnto faith, for the attainment of lyfe. S. Iohn in the Apocalyps MarginaliaApoc. 13.telleth vs playnly, that none of those, who were written in the booke of life, doe receiue þ^e marke of the Beast, which is of the papisticall Synagoge, either in their foreheades, or els in their hands, that is, apparantly or obediently. MarginaliaEphe. 5.

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S. Paule to the PhilipiansMarginaliaPhil. 2. affirmeth, that we may not haue any fellowship with the workes of darknes, but in the middest of thys wicked and froward generation we ought to shine like lightes vpholding the woorde of truth. Further hee sayth, Marginalia2. Cor. 6.that wee may not touch any vncleane thing: Which signifieth that our outwarde conuersation in forreine thinges, ought to bee pure and vndefyled as well as the inward, that wyth a cleane spirite and rectifyed body, we myght serue God iustly in holynes & righteousnes all the dayes of our lyfe. Finally in the. 18. of the Apocalyps,MarginaliaApoc. 18. God biddeth vs plainely to depart from this Babilonicall Sinagoge, and not to be partakers of her trespasse. S. Paule to the ThessaloniansMarginalia2. Theß. 3. commaundeth vs in the name of the lord IESVS CHRIST, to withdraw our selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately, and not according to the institutiō which he had receaued of him.

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Ponder ye therefore well good brethren and sisters, these scriptures which be written for your erudition and reformation, whereof one iote is not written in vayne: which be vtterly agaynst all counterfayte illusion to be vsed of vs wyth the Papistes in their fantasticall religion, and be aduersaries to all them that haue so light consciences in so doing: MarginaliaThe place of Mat. 5. expounded.and if they doe not agree wyth this aduersary (I meane the word of God) which is cōtrary to their attemptes, he wyll (as it is signified in the Gospell) delyuer them to the Iudge, which is CHRIST, and the Iudge wyll deliuer them to the executioner, that is the Deuill, and the Deuill shall commit them to the horrible prison of hel fyre (where is the portion of all hypocrites) with sulphure and brimstone, MarginaliaMath. 24.wyth waylyng and gnashyng of teeth world without end. But yet many will say for their vayne excuse: God is mercifull and hys mercy is ouer all. But the scripture teacheth vs, MarginaliaA cursed thing to sinne vpon hope of forgeuenes.that cursed is he that sinneth vpō hope of forgeuenes. Truth it is, that the mercy of God is aboue all his workes, and yet but vpon such as feare hym: for so is it written in the Psalmes: MarginaliaPsal. 102. 146.The mercy of God is on them that feare hym, and on such as put their trust in him. Where we may learne that they onely put their trust in God, that feare hym, and to feare God, is to turne from euill and to do that is good. So that such as doe looke to bee partakers of Gods mercy, may not abyde in that which is knowen to bee manifest euill and detestable in the sight of God.

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An other sort of persons do make them a cloke for the rayne vnder the pretence of obedience to the magistrates, whom we ought to obey although they bee wycked. But such must learne of CHRIST to geue to Cæsar that is Cæsars, MarginaliaLuke. 20.and to God that is due to God, and wyth Saint Peter,Marginalia1. Pet. 2. to obey the hyer powers in the Lord, albeit they be euil, if they commaund nothing contrary to Gods word: MarginaliaObedience to Magistrates, what, and how farre.otherwise we ought not to obey theyr commaundements, although we should suffer death therfore: as we haue the Apostles for our exāple herein to follow,

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