doctrine and Religion in the Church, for that it shall make against their dignitie, pompe & pleasure? Why do not their adherents also, and such as take their part, plainly say that they will retaine still thys present state of the Churche for their owne profite, tranquilitie, and maintenaunce? Thus to confesse, were true and plaine dealing.

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MarginaliaThe cloked hipocrisie of false Papistes.Now, whiles they pretende hypocritically a false zeale and loue to the truth and sincere Religion, they come in w^t their blinde sophistications, wherwith they couer their errours: for their Articles set forth in thys act be erroneous, false & impious, how glorious soeuer they seme outwardly. Wherfore it were to be wished that these bishops would remember Gods terrible threatning in the prophet Esay  

: MarginaliaEsa. 10.Wo to you (sayeth he) which make wicked lawes. What wil you doe in the day of visitation and calamitie to come? &c. MarginaliaEsa. 5.Woe vnto you that call euill good, &c.

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Now to come more nere to the matter which we haue in hande: this cannot be denied, but that long and horrible darkenes hath bene in the church of Christ. MarginaliaMans traditions counted for Gods seruice.Mens traditions not onely haue bene a yoke to good mens consciences, but also (which is much worse) they haue bene reputed for Gods holy seruice, to the great disworship of God. There were vowes, thyngs bequeathed to churches, diuersitie of garments, choice of meats, long babling prayers, pardōs, image worship, manifest idolatry committed to saints, the true worship of God and true good workes not knowen. Bricfly, little difference there was betwixte the Christian and heathen religion, as stil is yet at Rome, to this present day, to be sene. The true doctrine of repentance, of * remission of sinnes, whych commeth by the faith of Christ, of iustification of faith, of the difference betweene the lawe and the gospell, of the right vse of the Sacramēts, was hid and vnknowen. The keyes were abused to the maintenance of the Popes vsurped tyrannie. Ceremonies of mens inuention were much preferred before ciuile obedience and dueties done in the common wealth.

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MarginaliaThe filthy life of the Clergy, for lackee of mariage.Vnto these errours moreouer was ioyned a corrupte life, full of all lecherous and filthy lustes, by reason of the law forbidding Priestes to marrie. Out of thys miserable darknes, God something hath begon to deliuer his church through the restoring againe of true doctrine. For so wee must needes acknowledge, that these so great and long festred errors haue not ben disclosed and brought to light by the industry of man, MarginaliaThis restoring of the Gospell is onely of God and not of man.but thys light of the Gospel, is onely the gift of God, who nowe againe hath appeared vnto the Church. For so doth the holy Ghost prophecie before, how in the later times the godly should sustaine sore & perillous conflicts with antichrist, foreshewing that he should come, enuironed with a mighty and strong army of Bishoppes, hypocrites and Princes: that he should fighte agaynste the truth, and slay the godly.

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And that now all these things are so come to passe, it is most euident, and cā not be denied. The tirannie of the byshop of Rome hath partly brought in errors into þ^e church, partly hath confirmed them, & nowe maintaineth the same with force and violence, as Daniel well foreshewed. And muche we reioyced to see you deuided frō him, hoping and trusting well that the Church of England would now florish. MarginaliaBy the 6. Articles all errours and traditions are maintayned.But your Byshops be not deuided from the Romish Antichrist: his Idolatrie, errours, and vices, they defende and mainteine with tooth and naile: for the Articles nowe passed, are craftely picked out. The confirme all humane traditions in that they establish solemne vowes, single life and auricular confession. They vpholde and aduaunce not onely their pride and authoritie, but all errours wythal, in retaining the priuate Masse.

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Thus haue they craftily prouided that no reformation can take any place, that their dignitye & wealth may still be vpholden. And this to be the purpose of the bishops, experience it selfe doth plainly teach vs. Nowe what man will not lament to see the glory of Christ thus to be defaced? For (as I sayde before) this matter concerneth not onely these Articles whyche be there enacted, but all other Articles of sound doctrine are likewise ouerthrown, if such traditions of men shalbe reputed as necessary, and to be retained. For why doeth Christe say  

? MarginaliaMarke. 7.For they worship me in vaine wyth the precepts of men? or why doth S. Paule so oft detest mennes traditions?

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MarginaliaGod will not be worshipped but after his worde.It is no light offence to set vp new kindes of worshipping and seruing of God without his worde, or to defend the same. Such presumptiō God doth horibly detest, which wil be knowen in his word onely. He wil haue none other Religions inuented by mans deuise: for els all sorts of religions of all nations might be approued & allowed. MarginaliaProu. 3.Leane not (sayth he)  

to thine owne wisdome. But he sent Christ, and commaundeth vs to heare him, & not the inuention of subtile and politike heads, which apply religion to their own luker and commoditie.

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Furthermore, priuate Masses, vowes, the single life of Priestes, numbring vp of sinnes to the Prieste, wyth other thinges moe, being but mere ordinaunces of men, are vsed for Gods true seruice and worship. For although the Supper of the Lorde was truely instituted by Christe, yet the priuate masse is a wicked prophanation of the Lords supper. For in the Canon what corruption is cōtained in this, where it is said that Christ is offered, and that the worke it selfe is a sacrifice which redemeth the quicke and the deade?MarginaliaAgaynst priuate Masses & the Canō of the Masse. These things were neuer ordained of Christ: yea manifold wayes they are repugnaunt to the Gospell. Christ willeth not him selfe to be offered vppe of Priestes,MarginaliaChrist but once offered neither can the worke of the offerer or of the receiuer, by any meanes, be a sacrifice. This is manifest Idolatry, and ouerthroweth the true doctrine of faith, and the true vse of the Sacraments. By faith in Christ we are iustified, and not by any worke of the Priest. MarginaliaThe true vse of the Lords Supper.And the Supper is ordained that the Minister should distribute to others, to the intent that they repēting for their sinnes, shoulde be admonished firmely to beleeue the promises of the Gospell to pertaine vnto them: Heere is settte a plaine testimonie before vs, that we are made the members of Christ, and washed by hys bloude.

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And thys is the true vse of that Supper, whyche is ordained in the gospel, and was obserued in the primatiue Churche 300. yeares and more, from the which we oughte not to be remooued. MarginaliaSacramentes ought not to be remoued out of their right vse.For it is plaine impietie to transferre the Lordes institution to any other vse, as wee are taughte by the seconde commaundement. Wherefore these priuate Masses, for asmuche as they swarue from the right institution of Christ manifold waies, as by oblation, sacrifice, application, and many other ways besides, they are not to be reteined but to be abolished. Marginalia1. Cor 10.Flie (sayeth S. Paule)  

from al Idolatrie. In these priuate masses muche Idolatrie is committed, which we see our bishops now so stoutly to defēd: and no maruell. For in the latter times þ^e scripture plainly sheweth that great Idolatrie shall raigne in the Church of God. As Christ himselfe also signifieth, saying   : MarginaliaMath. 34.When ye shal see the abhomination of desolation, which is foretold of the Prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, he that readeth, lette him vnderstande. And Daniel the 11. chapter   . MarginaliaDan. 11.And he shall worship the God Maozim in his place, and shall adore the God whom his fathers knew not, with gold, siluer, and precious stones. Both these places speake of the masse.

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Thys kinde of worship and horrible prophanation of the Sacrament, God abhorreth. For howe many sundry kindes of manifest impiety are here committed in this one action of the Masse? MarginaliaWhat impiety is in the Masse.First, it is set foorth to sale. Secondly, they that are vnworthy, are compelled to receyue whether they will or no. Thirdly, it is applied for meritorious and satisfactorie for the quicke and the deade. Fourthly, many thynges are promised thereby, as prosperous nauigation, remedies against diseases both for manne and beast, wyth other infinite moe. These be most manifest and notorious abhominaiions. But besides these, there be other also no lesse to be reprehended, whych the simple people doe not so plainly see. Such worshipping and seruing of God is not to be set vp after the phantasie of men.

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Wherfore they do wickedly when they offer sacrifice to God without his commaundement. For when of this woorke they make a sacrifice, they imagine that priuate Masses are to be done, because God would be worshipped after this sorte, And we see that Masses are bought with gold and siluer, great riches and sumptuous charges: also the Sacrament to be caried about in gold and siluer to be worshipped, whereas the sacrament was neuer ordeined for any such purpose. Wherfore seeing the commandement of God biddeth, flie from Idolatry, priuate Masses are not to be maintained. And I maruell what they saye that such priuate Masses are necessarily to be reteyned, MarginaliaNo priuate Masses vsed in the olde tyme.when it is euident that in the olde time there was none such. Shal we thinke that thinges perteining to the necessary worship of GOD, could so long be lacking in the primatiue Church 300. yeares after the Apostles and more? What can be more absurde and against all reason?

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We see these priuate Masses to be defended with great labour and much a doe: of some, for feare lest their gayne should decay: of some, because they would serue the affection of the vulgare people (whiche thinketh to haue great succour therby, and therefore are loth to leaue it) rather then for any iust cause or reason to lead them. But howsoeuer they do, a most manifest & euident cause there is why these priuate Masses ought to be abolished. For first their application vndoubtedly is wicked: neither doth the work of the priest merite any grace to any person, but euery one is iustified by his owne fayth. Neither againe would God haue any man to trust vpon any ceremony, but only to the benefite of Christ. And most certaine it is, that the application of these Masses for the dead, is ful of great errour and impietie.

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