Marginalia1555. Decemb.All straunge religion and Idolatry is counted whoredome with the Prophetes, and that more detestable in the sight of God, then the aduoutrous abuse of the body.

Therefore the Princes of the earth in the reuelation of S. Iohn, be said to go a whoring, whē they are in loue with false religion, and follow the same. How then by any meanes may a Christian man thinke it tolerable to be present at the Popish priuate MasseMarginaliaNot lawfull for a true Christian to come to the Popishe Masse. (which is the very prophanation of the Sacramēt of the body and bloud of Christ) and at other idolatrous worshyppynges and rites, which be not after the word of God, but rather to the derogation therof, in settyng mans traditions aboue Gods preceptes, since God by his word iudgeth all straunge religion, which is not accordyng to his institution, for whoredome and aduoutry?

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

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A living or benefice to which John Ponet as bishop of Winchester had the right of appointment.

Moreouer, we can doe no greater iniurie to the true Church of Christ, then to seeme to haue forsaken her, and disalow her by cleauyng to her aduersary: whereby it appeareth to others which be weake, that we allow the same, and so contrary to the woorde, doe geue a great offence to the Church of God, and doe outwardly sclaunder (as much as men may) the truth of Christ. But woe be vnto him by whom any such offence commeth. Better it were for him to haue a mylstone tyed about his necke, and to be cast into the bottome of the sea. Such be traytours to the truth, like vnto Iudas, who with a kisse betrayed Christ. Our God is a gelous God, and cannot be content that we should be of any other then of that vnspotted Church, wherof he is the head onely, and wherein he hath planted vs by Baptisme. This gelousie which God hath towardes vs, will cry for vengeaunce in the day of vengeaunce, MarginaliaA lesson for large consciences.agaynst all such as now haue so large consciences to doe that whiche is contrary to Gods glory, and the sinceritie of his word, except they do in tyme repēt, and cleaue vnseparably to the Gospell of Christ, how much soeuer at this present both men and women otherwise in their owne corrupt iudgement, do flatter themselues. God willeth vs to iudge vprightly, and to allow and follow that which is holy and acceptable in his sight, and to abstaine from all maner of euill, & therfore Christ commaundeth vs in the Gospell to beware of the leauen of the Phariseis,Marginalia
Marke. 8.
Reasons prouing that true Christians ought in no wyse to participate with Papistes. which is hypocrisie.

S. Paule to the Hebrues sayth: MarginaliaHeb. 10.if any man withdraw him selfe from the fayth, his soule shall haue no pleasure in him: therfore he saith also: That we are none such as do with draw our selues into perditiō, but we belong vnto fayth, for the attainment of lyfe. S. Iohn in the ApocalypsMarginaliaApoc. 13. telleth vs playnly, that none of those, who were written in the booke of lyfe, do receiue the marke of the beast, which is of the Papisticall Synagoge, either in their foreheades, or els in their handes, that is, apparantly or obediently.

MarginaliaEphe. 5.S. Paul to the PhilippiansMarginaliaPhil. 2. affirmeth, that we may not haue any fellowshyp with the workes of darknesse, but in the middest of this wicked and frowarde generation we ought to shyne lyke lightes vpholdyng the worde of truth. Further hee sayth, Marginalia2. Cor. 6.that we may not touche any vncleane thyng: Whiche signifieth that our outward conuersation in forreine thynges, ought to be pure and vndefied as well as the inward, that with a cleane spirite and rectified body, we might serue GOD iustly in holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of our lyfe.

Finally in the. 18. of the Apocalyps,MarginaliaApoc. 18. GOD biddeth vs playnly to departe from this Babylonicall Synagoge, and not to be partakers of her trespasse. S. Paule to the ThessaloniansMarginalia2. Thes. 3. commaundeth vs in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ, to withdraw our selues frō euery brother that walketh inordinately, and not according to the institution which he had receaued of him.

Ponder ye therfore well good brethren and sisters, these scriptures which be written for your erudition and reformation, wherof one iote is not written in vayne: whiche be vtterly agaynst all counterfaite illusion to be vsed of vs with the Papistes in their fantasticall religiō, and be aduersaries to all them that haue so light consciences in so doyng: MarginaliaThe place of Math. 5. expounded.and if they doe not agree wyth this aduersary (I meane the word of GOD) whiche is contrary to their attemptes, he will (as it is signified in the Gospell) deliuer them to the Iudge, whiche is Christ, and the Iudge will deliuer them to the executioner, þ^t is þ^e Deuill, & the Deuill shall committe them to the horrible prison of hell fire (where is the portion of all hypocrites) with sulphure and brimstone, MarginaliaMath. 24.with wayling and gnashyng of teeth world without ende. But yet many will say for their vayne excuse: God is mercyfull & his 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, & yet but vpō such as feare

him: for so is it writtē in the Psalmes: MarginaliaPsal. 102. 146.The mercy of God is on thē that feare him, and on such as put their trust in him. Where we may learne that they only put their trust in God, that feare him, and to feare God, is to turne frō euill and to do that is good. So that such as doe looke to be partakers of Gods mercy, may not abyde in that which is knowen to be manifest euill and detestable in the sight of God.

An other sorteof 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 wicked. But such must learne of Christ to geue to Cæsar that is Cæsars, MarginaliaLuke. 20.and to GOD that is due to GOD, and with S. Peter,Marginalia1. Pet. 2. to obey the hygher powers in the Lord, albeit they be euill, if they commaunde nothyng contrary to Gods word: MarginaliaObedience to Magistrates, what, and how farre.otherwise we ought not to obeye their commaundementes, although we should suffer death therfore: as we haue the Apostles for our example herein to follow, who aunswered the magistrates as we ought to do in this case, not obeying their wicked preceptes, saying: MarginaliaActes. 4.Iudge you whether it bee more righteous that we should obey men rather then God.

Also, MarginaliaDaniell. 6.Daniel chose rather to be cast into the denne of Liōs to be deuoured, then to obey the kynges wicked cōmaundementes. MarginaliaMath. 15.If the blynd lead the blynd, both fall into the ditch. There is no excuse for the trāsgressiō of Gods word, whether a man do it voluntarily or at cōmaundement, although great dānatiō is to them, by whō the offence cōmeth. Some other there be that for an extreme refuge in their euil doings, do run to Gods predestination & election, saying: that if I be elected of God to saluation, I shalbe saued, whatsoeuer I do. MarginaliaAgainst such as sinne wilfully vpon hope of election.But such be great tempters of God & abhominable blasphemers of Gods holy election, & cast thē selues downe from the pinacle of the tēple in presūption, that God may preserue thē by his aūgels through predestination. Such verily may reckē thēselues to be none of Gods elect childrē, that wil do euill that good may ensue: MarginaliaRom. 3.whose damnation is iust, as S. Paule sayth. Gods predestination & electiō ought to be with a simple eye considered, to make vs more warely to walke in good & godly conuersation according to Gods word, and not to set cocke in the hoope, & put all on Gods backe to do wickedly at large: for the elect children of God must walke in righteousnes & holynes after that they be once called to true knowledge: For so sayth S. Paule to the Ephesians:MarginaliaEphe. 1.That God hath chosen vs before the foundations of the worlde were layd, that we should be holy & blameles in his sight.

Therfore S. Peter Marginalia2. Peter. 1.willeth vs through good workes to make our vocatiō & electiō certaine to our selues, which we know not but by the good workyng of Gods spirite in vs, accordyng to the rule of the Gospell: & he that cōformeth not him selfe to the same in godly conuersation, may iustly tremble and doubt that he is none of the elect children of God, but of the viperous generation, and a child of darkenes. For the children of light will walke in the workes of light and not of darkenes:MarginaliaProuerb. 24. though they fall, they do not lye still.

Let all vayne excusations be set a parte, and whiles ye haue light, as Christ commaundeth, MarginaliaIohn. 12.beleue the light and abyde in the same, lest eternall darknes ouertake you vnwares. MarginaliaIohn. 3.The light is come into the worlde, but (alas) men loue darkenesse more then the light. God geue vs his pure eyesalue to heale our blyndnes in this behalfe. O that men and women would be healed, and not seeke to bee wilfully blynded. MarginaliaHeb. 6. 10.The Lord open their eyes, that they may see how daungerous a thyng it is to decline from the knowledge of truth, contrary to their conscience.

But what sayd I conscience? MarginaliaLarge conscience.many affirme their conscience will beare them well enough to doe all that they do, and to go to the Idolatrous Church to seruice: whose conscience is very large to satisfie man more than God. And although their conscience can beare them so to doe, yet I am sure that a good conscience will not permitte them so to doe: which can not be good vnlesse it be directed after the knowledge of Gods worde: and therefore in Latin this feelyng of mynde is called Conscientia, which soundeth  

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Signifies (OED).

And therfore if our cōscience be led of her selfe, & not after true knowledge, yet we are not so to bee excused, as S. Paule beareth witnes, saying: Marginalia1. Cor. 4.Although my cōsciēce accuseth me not, yet in this I am not iustified. Marginalia1. Tim. 1.And hee ioyneth a good cōsciēce with these 3. sisters, charitie, a pure hart, & vnfained fayth. Marginalia
Charitie.
Pure hart.
Fayth vnfayned.MarginaliaGood conscience.Charitie keepeth gods cōmaūdements, a pure hart loueth & feareth God aboue all, & vnfayned fayth is neuer ashamed of the professiō of the Gospell, whatsoeuer damage she shall suffer in body thereby. The Lord which hath reueled his holy wil vnto vs by his word, graūt vs neuer to be ashamed of it, and geue vs grace so earnestly to cleaue to his holy word and true church, that for no maner of worldly respect we become partakers of the woorkes of hypocrisie, which God doth abhorre: so that we may be found faythfull in the Lordes Testamēt to the end both in hart, word, &