THe present occasion heere offered, hath mooued mee (good people & beloued in our sauiour Christ) among other places of holy Scrip­ture at this time, to deliuer vnto you the wordes of our Sauiour Christ, written by the Euangelist Sainct Mathew: in the fifth Chapiter, which putte vs in remembraunce of our way, our walke, our workes, our lights and Christian fruites, a meane to winne them that are without, and to mooue men to sounde forth the glory and prayse of God. It is high time to speake, the matter concer­neth the Maiestie of God, the good suc­cesse and furtheraunce of the Christian faith. Fulgentius writing vnto Trasi­mund king of Vandals, of the misterie [Page] of the incarnation and mediatorshippe betweene God and manne then called into question, sayth: Fulgent. lib. 1. ad Trasi­mund. Cum de Deo res a­gitur non leuis reatus est, si ꝙ ad salutem pertinet, taceatur. When the matter con­cerneth God, it is no small offence to be silent in that which toucheth saluation: Ephes. 2. Wee are created (sayth the Apostle) in Christ Iesus ad bona opera to shewe forth good workes to the honour and glory of God. I haue iust cause togea­ther with you (laying other thinges a­side) greatlye to prayse God, Psal. 66. whose watchefull eye beholdeth continuallye the wretched wights of the world, who calleth into the vinearde agayne, Math. 20. and a­gaine, the idle persons standing in the market place of the world, who graffeth of his meere mercy and fauour, the wild Oliue, in the true and naturall Oliue, Rom. 11. who fetcheth home, with his power, and carieth home as it were vpon his shoul­der, Luke. 15. the wandering and lost sheepe into the folde, and at this present this silly Turke and poore Saracene vpō his con­fession to be matriculated in the booke of the faithfull, and by Baptisme to bee [Page] sealed vp for the childe of God, and in­heritour of the kingdome of heauen. I haue againe to commend for example, to others of christian light and conuer­sation, certayne worthy persons of this land, whome this Saracene termed most worthie christians, whose light and be­hauiour, this sillye Turke beholding was (as he confesseth) the rather moued to be of their faith and religion, but of them in the end, when I shall open vn­to you the things that moued this Turk to receiue the christian faith. Moreo­uer by occasion that the Sacrament of Baptisme is presently to bee ministred, the time requireth I shoulde speake of the principles of christian religion, the rocke and foundation of this spirituall building and the corner stone, that clo­seth vp the whol, our Lord Iesus christ. But for y ^t my speache is to bee directed vnto you (good people) that are therein as I hope sufficientlye perswaded, and that this Saracene vnderstandeth not the english tongue, but as hertofore vp­pon priuate conference, and at this pre­sent also by an interpretor in the spanish [Page] tongue, hee is readie, and shall deliuer before you all, a true confession of the faith in Iesus Christ, therefore happe­lie of these thinges by the waye in the sowing of the seede of Gods word. And at this time I haue purposed by Gods helpe, to lay before you, first the origi­nall of Mahomet, that false Prophete with the nations of Mores, Saracens, and Turkes: secondly their false doctrin and wicked religion, wherewith they haue bewitched infinite soules: with a briefe confutation thereof. Lastly that which concerneth our selues, howe wee may please God, with the way & meane to winne them that are without, accor­ding vnto the rule of our Sauiour: Let your light so shine before menne, that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen. That this may be done to the glorie of God, and com­forte of our soules and consciences: I beseech you ioine with me in prayer &c.

Our father &c.

[Page]According vnto pro­mise I am to laye be­fore you these three partes.

• 1 The originall of Mahomet the false Prophet of the Turke, with the nations of Moores, Saracens, and Turkes.
• 2 The false doctrine and wic­ked religion of Mahomet and these erring nations with a briefe confutation thereof.
• 3 The way to please God, & meane to win them &c.

In the yeare of our Lord 597. (sayth Mathaeus Palmer, Math. Pal­mer. Massaeus chron. lib. 13 Volfgang-Drechsler. Chronic. de Saracen. & Turc. o­rigine. Massaeus & Drech­slerus) & in the raigne of Mauricius the Emperour when as Gregorius mag­nus was Bishop of Rome, one Maho­met was borne of the line of Ismaell the sonne of Abraham by Agar the bondwoman, hauing to his father one Abdara, and to his mother one Emma being very obscure and base Parentes, in Mecha a Citie of Arabia. His Pa­rents deceased and left him a very yong Orphane, who in shorte time by misad­uenture was taken captiue, this beeing [Page] knowne vnto his kinred, Volaterran. Geogr. lib. 12. one Abdemo­naples (saith Volaterran) an Ismaelite, bearing him great good will for his fa­uor, & forwardnes of wit, paid his raun­some, made him his seruaunt, and factor in all his marchaundize. Not long after his maister dieth without issue, his ser­uant Mahomet, matched w ^t his mistres a widowe of 50. Paul. Diac. rer. Rom. lib. 18. yeares of age called Eadigam & (saith Paulus Diaconus) his own kinswoman, so y ^t his maister being of great credit & substance & his mistres (afterwards his wife) of no lesse accōpt & also shortly after departing this life, Sabellicus. Enead. 8. lib. 6. he succedeth thē both in credit & all their substāce & by this means grew of great power. Sabellicus doubteth though hee were borne in Arabia, whether he were an Arabian or a Persian, he affirmeth y ^t both is receiued, and y ^t his father was an heathen, & his mother an Ismaelite, and consequently not ignorāt in the hebrew tōgue, not only this, but I find it repor­ted by Ludouicꝰ Carrettꝰ a cōuert Iew y ^t India, Aethiopia, Ludouicus Carrett. ad Iudaeos. lib. diuinorum visorum. y ^e kīgdō of Presbyter Iohn, & Arabia hath many Hebrewes since y ^e time y ^t king Solomō furnished y ^e [Page] Queene of Saba into her country with twelue thousand of all the tribes of Is­rael, which being dispersed throughout these countries multiplied and increa­sed exceedingly, retaining for remem­braunce amonge them, the Standard and Ensigne of their seuerall Tribe and familie. Paulus Dia­conus. Rer. Com. lib. 18. Math. Paris. hist. Anglor. in Henric. 3. Paulus Diaconus and Mathew Paris, deriueth his pedegree lineally from Ismaell, the recital wher­of I will omitte.

This Diaconus saith further, that this Mahomet for the space of tenne yeares, gaue him selfe secretely by per­swation to bewitch the people, & other ten yeares after, together with Rognes and Vagabonds that repaired vnto him with force of Armes, with Sworde and shedding of blood, hee spent in subduing of Countries. And lastly nine yeares, he openly and manifestly inioyed as a de­ceiuer, a false Prophet, and King ouer those whom he had already infected and conquered throughout Arabia, and the adioyning Regions, his raigne began in Arabia, the 15. yeare of Heraclius, the Emperour, about the yeare of our [Page] Lord 617. y ^e Ismaelites of which line he was, inhabited the wildernes of Madi­an, feeding of cattell, & lying in Tents. Isidor. Ety­molog. lib. 14. cap. 3. Sabellic. E­nead. 6. lib. 4. Isidor writeth that the coūtry of the Is­maelites was called Nabathaea, of Na­baioth the sonne of Ismael, scituate be­twene Iudaea, and Arabia, & commonly accompted for part of Arabia, of y ^e same opiniō is Sabellicus. He had the falling sickenes, which tooke him extremely, so that he groueled along the grounde, and fomed piteously at the mouth, his wife beeing of great honor and substance be­wailed her harde hap, in matching with a beggerly Rascall, and a diseased crea­ture, as Diaconus writeth. But he to­geather with his wily companions (of whom I shall haue occasion to speake herafter) hauing taught a Doue to feed at his eare, wherein hee was wont to put graines of Corne) perswaded his wife and others that he was a Prophet, that the spirite of God fell vpon him & that the Angel Gabriel, in the forme of a Doue came to his eare, and reuealed him secrets, whose presence he was not able to abide, therfore he prostrated him [Page] self and lay in a Traunce, his wife, in a while beeing therein satisfied, chatted the same among her Gossippes saying: say nothing, my Husbande is a Pro­phet. The women after their manner, whereof some of them all [...]anne keepe no counsell, blased abroade that Maho­met was a Prophet.

This once beeing broched they flocked vnto him from all parts of Arabia. He being through­ly schooled in Satans subteltyes and well seene in Magicke obserued the present oportunitye, saith Auentinus. The Romans, Auentin. Annal. lib. 3. and Persians, warred to­geather, Mahomet, with his Arabi­ans, taking at the first, part with the Romans (for the Emperor had graun­ted him, Zonaras. Annal. tom. 3. sayth Zonaras, a Region to inhabite) forsooke them, and thereby weakened that side. In a while after he espied the Persians goe to wracke, and hauing dispised the Romans, hee setteth lesse by the Persians, and setteth him selfe forth with might and mayne [Page] togeather with his Captaynes, and Lieuetenauntes called Amiraei, to sub­due Nations, and to destroye the Chri­stians, to the ende hee might establishe that false Religion deuised by him and his wicked confederates. Hee preuai­led wonderfully, and in shorte tyme af­ter his decease (when as the great Earthquake in Palaestina, Paul. Diac. and the signe [...] in heauen foreshewed the suc­cesse of the Arabians, Et omnes exti­muerunt: And all men trembled for feare) in the time of Ebubezer, and Haumar that successiuely raigned after him in Arabia, the Region of Gaza, the Citie Bostra, in Arabia, Damas­cus, Phoenicia, Aegypt, Palaestina, the Citie Ierusalem, all Syria, Antioch, Edessa, Mesopotamia, all Persia, (Chosroes the King beeing driuen a­way to saue his life) yea and in manner all Asia, was subdued by the Ara­bians, in the Raigne of the Em­perour Heraclius. I maye not for­gette the ende of Mahomet. About fortie and odde yeares of his age, and in the yeare of our Lorde Iesus 632. [Page] Volater. lib. Sigebert. Cronic. Elor. histor. Sabellic. E­nead 8. lib. 6.after the supputation of Sigebertus and Sabellicus this false Prophet departed this life after a shamefull maner. Ma­thew of Westmonaster writeth, that this Mahomet in an euening sitting vp late in his pallace, and hauing taken his fill of wine wherein one of his com­panions hadde poured some poison, felt his wonted sickenes approching, made hast forth, saying to them that were pre­sent he must needes depart, to conferre with the Angel Gabriell, and goe aside lest his glorious presence would bee an occasion of their death. Forth hee went and remembring that a soft place was best for his falling sickenes, downe hee went vpon a dunghill, groueling along with great paine, foming at the mouth, & gnashing with the teeth. And where­as hee to please the Iewes, forbade the eating of swines-flesh, the swine about the donghill, fell vpon him, wounded him sore, and had eaten him vp: had not his wife, and others of his house, heard the noise of the Hogges, and rescued the false Prophete. Anton. Cro­part. 2. tit. 13 cap. 5. Antoninus reporteth that hee was not without sundry disea­ses, [Page] which his intemperate diet brought him to: namely the Pleuresie & a kinde of Letargie, for oftentimes his sences seemed to bee taken away from him. He continued drooping y ^e space of 14. daies at length he departed this life, his belly hadde suche a swelling, that it seemed ready to burst, and his little finger bo­wed backwardes. In the time of his sickenes he commanded them that were about him, that when breath departed his bodye they shoulde not straight way burie him, for he said that within three daies he would ascend into heauen, but y ^e wicked spirit therin failed him. They kept him with a watch aboue grounde the third & fourth day: Flor histor. yea saith Flores Histor. the space of 30. daies, in great hope he wold rise, and ascend according to promise but they saw nothing, sauing that they felt, an intollerable stinche so y ^t in great disdaine (saith Antoninus) Antoninus.

In a while after, his companions suche as concealed his falshood and treachery, remembring themselues, and iudging [Page] that the disdain of Mahomet would be their discredite, and the fall of his sect their foyle, and shame, and the beastly end and death of him their destruction, they fetch him againe, Sabellic. Enead. 8. lib. 6. Naucler. generat. 22. they chest him in an Iron Cophin (saith Sabellicus, and Nauclerus) they bringe him to the fa­mous temple of Mecha, in which Citie he was borne, with great solemnitte as if he hadde neuer beene scared vpon the dunghill with swine, they conuey to the roufe of the temple mightie lodestones, they lift vp the Iron Cophin, where the lodestones according to their nature draw to them the Iron, and hold it vp & there hanges Mahomet on high. Ludo­uicus Romanus, Ludouic. Roman. Patritius na­uigat. lib. 1. cap. 12. describeth at large a certain Tombe below, builded for him as if he lay belowe. All this while you heare nothing of the Moores, the Sara­cens, & the Turkes, but al of Mahomet. Now good people heare their original. The Moores called Mauri inhabite Mauritania in Affricke, they are (sayth Isidor) of the progenie of Cham, Isid. Aetym. lib. 14. cap. 5. whose posterity Noe accursed, and no maruail [Page] cursed people receiue the cursed doc­trine of Mahomet. Sabellic. Enead. 1. lib. 5. Sabellicus writeth there were some which thought that Mauri was corruptly readde for Medi, but I take that a corrupte opinion. These people inhabiting Mauritania in Affricke, are because of their hewe and colour of the Latins called Nigritae, in our vulgar speach Nigros, and of the Grecians in the same sense for their adust, and blacke colour called [...] and [...] Moores. These recea­uing the corruptions of Mahomet, are called Saracens, and why so, I am rea­dy to declare. Stephan. Stephanus thinketh that the people in Asia are called Saracens, of Sarracca, a countrye in Arabia: This maye stande for a bare coniecture and no more. Anton. cron part. 2. cap. 5. But the pride of Maho­met it was, that first founde out the name of Saracen, to aduaunce hys faith and profession. Hee knewe him­selfe Lineally to haue descended of Ismaell, the Sonne of Agar, the Bonde-woman, yet bare hee the worlde in hande that hee came of Sara the [Page] freewoman the wife of Abraham, and called himself & his followers Saracens. Sabellicus writeth: Sabellicus Enead. 8. lib. 6. Volfgang. Drechsler. Cronic. ‘ The Grecians of spite are wont to call the Saracens, Agarens, for that they came not of Sara, but of Agar.’

But Mahomet (saith Drechslerus) ‘ Seducing the Arabians and the people of Asia called them Saracens.’ The like hath Nauclerus: Nauclerus Generat. 22. ‘ The Persians hauing recea­ued the Law of Mahomet, at his comman­dement laide aside their olde wonted name and were called Saracens.’ In this sence all Nations who soeuer that embrace the lawe of Mahomet are called Sara­cens. Lastly it remaineth that we speak of the Turkes. Theodorus Gaza epist. ad francisc. philelph. Strabo. lib. Laonicus Chalcondyl. de reb. Turc. lib. 1. Mathias â Michou de Satmat. Asiatic. lib. 1. cap. 15. Theodorus Gaza, is of opinion with Strabo, that these whom wee call Turkes, were of olde called Cyrtij, and Curti, a Scythian nation about the mount Caucasus. Lao­nicus y ^e Athenian, who wrote at large the historie of the Turkes, alleadgeth sundry opiniōs of their original. Some helde they hadde their beginning of the Tartarians, and the reason y ^t lead them therto is, that they vse the same maners and haue the same language, for they all [Page] (saith Volatteran) speake the Arabike tongue. Volater. lib. 12. Some other thinke they come of the Parthians. Again, there are that affirme them to be of Caelosyria and A­rabia. And others, that they issued forth of Turca a greate and a wealthie Citie of Persia. But all confesse that at theyr first breaking forth they were rude, sa­uage, and fieldish people. Andreas â Lacuna. de Turc. orig. cap. 1. Solymannus the Tartarian gloried (sayth Andreas â Lacuna) that hee came of the Troian bloud. Hereby some gather, that where­as the Troians were called Teucri, the worde might be corrupted, and the po­steritie called Turci, Turks, The consēt of y ^e best historiographers is, that these Turks came frō y ^e vpper Scythia, being (as it hath bene alwaies noted of them) an vnquiet nation, liuing vpon y ^e spoile breaking foorth in great troupes to rob and steale, and seeke aduentures. So writeth Mathias â Michou of them, Mathias â Michou, cap 11.13. Laonicus lib. 1. Otho Fri­singensis. & sundrie other Scythian nations. Laoni­cus sayth, that Turca signifieth a Sa­uage and fieldish man: Otho Frisin­gensis reporteth, that in the yeare 760. long after the death of Mahomet, there [Page] came of them out of Scythia, a greate number into Asia and Arabia, & beeing heathens, they ioyned with the Sara­cens in league, and receiued the Lawe of Mahomet. After these came others, so that the Saracens by their ayd grew to a wonderfull power, and the greate terrour of all Christendome. There raigned from Mahomet the false Pro­phet, Bullinger in Apocalyp. concione. 41 as kings in Arabia, to the number of 25. Amiraei, so are their Princes cal­led: the last Amiras, being the 25. cal­led Mahumet, beeing king of Persia & Media, in the yeare 870. conceiued dis­pleasure against Imbrael prince of Ba­bylon, a Saracene of his owne sect and wickednesse, so that hee endeuoured to subdue him, and conquere his countrie. Heere Sathan against Sathan, Sara­cene against Saracene, the kingdome diuided within it selfe is ready to come to naught. Volater. Geogr. lib. 7 This Mahumet, or (as Vo­lateran writeth) Maugmet, sent to Scythia for ayde against Imbrael, but it turned to his owne confusion, for hee prouiding sorrowe for an other, endu­red it himselfe. There came ayd from [Page] Scythia one Muchulet, with an infinite number of Turkes, rude and sauage people, ready of themselues to any mis­chiefe whatsoeuer. They are no sooner come, but they vanquished Imbrael of Babylon, and immediately after they sette vppon him that sent for them, namely Maugmet king of Arabia, Persia, and Media, they conquere his coun­try, and raigne in his stead. Thus were the Saracens subdued, and became sub­iecte to the Turkes of Scythia. In a while after they wanted a gouernour, they woulde no Persian or Arabian ouer them: So that in the yeare 900. Andreas â Lacuna de orig. Turc. cap. 1. as ( Andreas â Lacuna writeth) one Solymannus a valiaunt and mightie warriour, chosen by consent of them all, leauing his natiue soyle, brake foorth with a great host out of Scythia, inuaded Persia, and Asia the lesse. In the same place againe hee sayth:

[Page] Iohannes Ramus writeth, Iohannes Ramus rer. Turc. lib. 3. that among these Turks or Scythians there were 4 families, called Asambici, Candelori, Caramini, Othomanni, in the yeare 1280. which after the wearing out of the auncient houses and nobilitie, con­tended among themselues for the prin­cipalitie, and in the ciuill warres de­stroied one another. The last of them, & y ^t which preuailed, was one Othoman­nus, which in the yeare 1300. began to beare rule. He was the first Emperor of the Turkes, of him lineally vnto this day the Emperours of the Turkes des­cende. Thus the kingdome of Maho­met, and raigne of the Saracens, these Turkes (saith Ramus) hauing receiued the Lawe of Mahomet:

So that nowe the Calipha or Amiras of Babylon, the Soldan of Aegypt, the Sophie of Persia, with the Tartarians, and sundrie other nations, together with the great Em­perour of the Turkes (whose seate is at [Page] Constantinople) doe worship the false Prophet Mahomet. And this greate Turke at this day (whome God suffe­reth to raigne for the sinnes of his peo­ple) hath all Affrike (excepting the do­minions of Presbyter Iohn) a greate parte of Asia, and a piece of Eu­rope subiect vnto him. Thus muche of these nations. Now in the second place according vnto promise (beloued in our Sauiour Christ) of the false doctrine & detestable religion of Mahomet, and these erring nations. We must be wise as serpents, and simple as doues, Math. 10. we must be cunning exchaungers, we must be able to discerne the spirituall lepro­sie of Mahomet, Leuitic. 13. we must be skilfull in trying of the spirites, 1. Iohn. 4. Iudic. 12. we must learne to know Shiboleth from Siboleth (as the Apostle Iude writeth) diiudicantes, putting difference, Iud. Epist. wee must pray vnto God with Salomon, 3. Reg. 3. that of his good­nesse he will giue vs a wise & an vnder­standing heart to discerne betwene good & bad. This false Prophet Mahomet, ha­uing (as some write) an Heathen to his father, and an Hebrew to his mo­ther, [Page] and vrged of both sides (as Sabel­licus writeth) receiued nor the one law nor the other throughly, Sabellic. E­nead. 8. lib. 6 but a smack of both. He vsed the companie of Christi­ans, of Iewes, and Infidels.

Satan furnished him with three instru­ments, Fascicul. Temporum as helpers, to bring his mischie­uous intent about. The first (saith Wer nerus Roleuinke) was a Iew, a great Astronomer, & a Magitian, who opened vnto him at large the Iewish follies. The second, one Iohn of Antioch. The third, one Sergius a Monke, both abho­minable heretiks. Sabel. Ene­ad. 8. lib. 6. Euerie one plaid his part. Sabellicus writeth, that to flatter the Christians, he was baptized of Ser­gius, and that of these Heretikes hee learned with the Sabellians to denie the Trinitie, with the Manichees to establish two beginnings, with Euno­mius to deny the equal power of the fa­ther, and the sonne, with Macedonius to call the holy Ghost a creature, & with [Page] the Nicolaites to allow the number of wiues, and wandering lust. Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13 cap. 5. Sergius the Monke (saith Antoninus) perswaded Mahomet in his Alcoran, (so is the booke of his law tearmed) to commend the humilitie of Christian Monks and priests. He made him deliuer the Sara­cens a monks coule, which they vse vn­to this day. Also:

which is seene in their kind of salutati­on. Mathias â Michou addeth, Mathias â Michou de Sarmat A­siana. lib. 1. lib. 7. Laonicus de reb. Turc lib. 3. that the sect of Mahomet, vse also shauing, and this no doubt was the Monks doc­trine Laonicus the Athenian reporteth that the Turks cōfesse God to be y ^e go­uernour of all thinges, and that Iesus was the Apostle of GOD, begotten by the Aungell Gabriell vppon Marie the Virgine, which neuer knew man, and that hee was greater or woorthier then manne. Sabellicus addeth: Sabellic. E­nead. lib. 6. they commende the blessed Virgin, they al­lowe the myracles, and approoue the Gospell, as farre foorth as it agre­eth wyth the Alcoran. This is but a [Page] shadow of Religion, and a cloake coue­ring a number of blasphemies. In confessing a God, they denie the trinity of persons, in speaking of Iesus, they most wickedly with the Arrians denye his Godhead, and that he is the Sonne of God. Al, that is spoken of the virgin, the miracles, and the Gospell, by those blasphemous Turkes, though to seeme a praise, yet is it a dispraise, when as the truth is not plainely and absolutely deliuered, but maymed & mingled with falshood. The Apostle S. Iames sayth: Iacob. 2. ‘ Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet fayle in one poynt, he is guilty of al.’ The Saracens iest at the Christians, for af­firming that Iesus the great frende of God, would suffer coutumely, reproche, and endure death by the handes of the Iewes, they denie that hee suffered, or that hee died, but that hee ascended into heauen, and that the Iewes tooke an o­ther in his stead, Naucler. Generat. 22. Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13 cap. 5. & executed him (which is an olde heresie) so write Nauclerus and Antonimus, with others. Maho­met forgat here to deliuer vnto his peo­ple the testimonie of the Prophet Esay, [Page] which opened the truth of Christ: Esay. 53. ‘ He was oppressed, and hee was afflicted, yet did he not open his mouth: hee is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter, & as a sheepe before the shearer is dumbe, so hee opened not his mouth.’ It followeth: ‘ And who shall de­clare his age?’ It passeth mans reach, for he is God from euerlasting. Our Sa­uiour testifieth of himselfe, the willing minde he had to suffer, and to die, that sinners might liue. Iohn. 6. ‘ The bread which I will giue is my flesh, which I will giue for the life of the world.’ Again: Iohn. 11. ‘ I am the good shepheard, the good shepheard giueth his life for his sheepe, I lay down my life for my sheepe. Therefore doth the Father loue me, because I lay downe my life that I may take it againe. No man taketh it from mee, but I lay it downe of my selfe.’ S. Paule yeel­deth testimony also to the truth, saying: Hebr. 9. Hee offered vp himselfe without spotte to God. When Peter went about to with­stand such as came to apprehende him, he forbadde him, saying: Math. 26. ‘ What thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and hee will giue me moe then twelue legi­ons of Angels? how then shal the scriptures [Page] be fulfilled, that it must be so?’ Heere hee sheweth his yeelding and consenting mind. Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 23.25. Epipan. he­res. 24.28. That another suffred in his stead is an old damned heresie which Maho­met reuiued after the death of Cerin­thus, & Basilides. He hath forbidden his followers al pictures & images in their temples, mingling (saith Mathew Pa­ris) some hony with his poison, Math. Paris hist. Angl. in Henric. 3. Sabellic. E­nead. 8. lib. 6. y ^t rather to deceiue the drinker. He receiueth the old testament correcting therin (so pre­sumptuous is this spirit) certain errors, hee alloweth after his manner of three Prophets, Moses, Christ, & Mahomet, whome he calleth Razales. Yet imme­diately he is found contrary to himself. The Christians pray toward the East, Iacob. de Vorag. in vita Pelag. legend. 177. the Iews (saith Iacobus de Voragine) towards the West, Mahomet cōman­deth his people to pray toward y ^e south, he might haue turned himself for al his religiō to y ^e deuil towards y ^e north. The christiās haue sunday for their sabaoth, the Iews Saturday, Laonic. lib. 3. Volater. lib. 12. & Mahomet Fri­day (as Laonicus writeth) to dissent frō y ^e Hebrews & Christians (as Volateran writeth) for y ^t he was made king vppon [Page] that day, Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13. cap. 5. Naucler. Generat. 22. or (as Antoninus writeth) in y ^e honour of Venus, the Goddesse of Ara­bia, therby the rather to win that coun­try people, and so it may verie well be, for most of his religion standeth vppon venerie, as I shal deliuer vnto you anō. He taught Circumcisiō, although (saith Antoninus) it is not found y ^t he himself was circumcised. He forbad y ^e eating of swines flesh, bloud, & strangled, he com­maunded washings & purifyings, ad si­militudinem Iudaeorum, after the ma­ner of the Iews. He called himself a Pro­phet, & that he was sent of God to sup­ply y ^e imperfection of al lawes, to lace y ^e remisse, & to mittigate the seuere lawe. The Iews hearing the name of Moses, y ^e abādoning of pictures, y ^e receiuing of y ^e old testament, y ^e using of purifications y ^e doctrine of circumcisiō & swines flesh, Flor. Hist. & that he said vnto them (as Flores hi­storiarum writeth) he was y ^e promised Messias, they flocked about him, & 10 of thē continued w ^t him to his dying day, Paul. Diac. rer. Rom. lib. 18. (as Paulus Diaconus writeth.) When they had heard his doctrine, & seen y ^e maner of his diet & conuersatiō, they espied [Page] that he eate Camels flesh, & therby per­ceiued he was not the man they looked for. Then they imagined what was to be done, to bee driuen to forsake him & his religion for altogether, y ^t they iud­ged a disgracing vnto them. They kept him company, & fearing least the Chri­stian religion, by the meane of Sergius, should take much root (after their olde maner, shewing whose children therein they were) they continually pricke him forwards against the Christians. Ther are six points chiefly, wherein the Iews differ from the Christians. Ludouicus Carettus ad Iudaeos, lib. diuinorum visor. Ludouicus Carettus, a Iew conuerted to the chri­stian faith, shall indifferently reporte them for both sides, for there-upon hee stood, afore hee was throughly perswa­ded in the truth. The first is the trinity, which they denye, acknowledging one God, but denying y ^e three persons. The seconde: the incarnation of the worde, which is the diuinitie of Christ, which they confesse not. Thirdly the manner of Christs cōming (as they dreame) to destroy kingdoms, Esay. 62. Zachar 9. & to raigne here vpō earth, but he came poore & meek, riding [Page] vpō an Asse accounted among the wic­ked, whose sins he bare, Math. 21. Esay. 53. Iohn. 18. for his kingdom was not of this world. The fourth is in the obseruation of the law of Moses, y ^e ceremonies & traditions of the elders, in the which they are too much & super­stitiously addicted. The Christians af­firme the law to be fulfilled in Christ, & the ceremonies which were but for a time, to bee abrogated, & that there are no more precepts to bee kept, then con­cerne the loue of God & their neighbor. The fifth consisteth in the saluation of the soule. The Iewes say, that man is to be saued by good works, & that God wil rewarde euery man according vnto his works. The maner they mistake: heere the Papistes shew whose children they are. Act. 4. Abacuk. 2. Act. 3. Luk. 17. The Christians confesse no salua­tion, but by Iesus Christ, and that the iust liueth by faith in him, & that they are taught, when they haue doone all which they are commanded to say, they are vnprofitable seruants, & that y ^e ver­tues & workes which God crowneth or rewardeth in them, are not theirs, but his, that gaue them, & whē he crowneth [Page] them, he extolleth his own mercy wher by they are saued. The sixt & the last is the time of Christ, the Messias his comming. The Iews alledge many prophe­sies at his comming not to haue beene fulfilled, the reduction of y ^e exile, the re­edifiyng of the temple, the restoring of Sodome & Samaria into their former state, y ^e whole earth to be filled with his glory, with many other things. The Christians iustifie them all to be fulfil­led, & that the Iewes vnderstanding all the promises, grosely, earthly, & literal­ly, 2. Corinth. 3 do therin erre, & deceiue themselues: For the letter killeth, but the spirit it is that giueth life. Naucler. Generat. 22. Sabellic. E­nead. 8. lib. 6 Suidas. Mahomet espied the blind­nes of this natiō, & among other things rebuked them for denying, that Iesus was borne of the Virgin Marie, as the prophets had foreshewed. Suidas repor­teth an historie, which hee learned of a Iew, that the pharises at Ierusalem cal­led a counsell to finde out the father of Iesus. They inioined certaine women to search his mother, y ^e women affirmed they found her a virgin, then was it re­corded in y ^e famous register book of the [Page] temple, Iesus the sonne of God, and of Mary the Virgin. This condemneth both Iew and Saracen, Laonic. de reb. Turc. lib. 3. furthermore this false Prophet ioyneth with the Rechabits, he forbiddeth the drinking of wine, yet I finde that he dranke him selfe drunke therewith, & his people do it by stealth: If they bee taken they are sette alonge vppon a planke with a gagge in their mouth, & a ladell of boyling leade pou­red therein. Ieremy. 35 Math. 26. 1. Timoth. 5. Ephes. 5. After the example of our sauiour Christ, the Christians drinke wine, but according vnto y ^e rule prescri­bed: wherin there is no excesse. It is per­mitted the Saracens by this law to haue fowre wiues, Iacob. de Vorag. le­gend. 177. Laonic. de reb. Turc. lib. 3. Anton. cron though they be of nigh kin (saith Iacob) yea fiue (saith Laonicus) marrying them virgins, & to take beside as many, emptitias & captiuas. Of them which they haue bought & taken captiues, as their ability will serue to maintaine cōtrary to y ^e ordināce of God, there shal be two in one flesh. Volaterran writeth. Volater. lib. 12. Genes.

[Page] This doctrine is the sinke of Sodome, the flesh is the matter, y ^e burning lust is a preamble of the fire falling from hea­uen, & the iustice of God threatneth e­uerlasting fire & torments for such Ma­hometical Sodomits. They are ielous ouer their wiues, whose faces, when they go abroad are couered, least these fiery people be therewith inflamed. Ma­homet (saith Coelius) had 40. Coelius. wiues, & further he gloried of himselfe, Nicol. Cle­nard. 1. Epist. Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13 cap. 5. y ^t it was giuen him from aboue to exceede (saith Clenard) 10. mē (saith Antoninus) 50. men in carnall lust & venerie. An other abhominable fact he cōmitted, y ^t which a Christian pen is loth to write, and a chast mouth loth to vtter, & modest ears are loth to heare, yet y ^e filthines of this false Prophet may not be concealed, he cōmitted buggerie with an Asse. Bonfin. lib. 8 decad. Bernard in Rosar. part. 1. serm 14. Anton. vt supra Bon­finius writeth it. Again, he cōmitted a­dultery with another mans wife, which was vpō displeasure frō her husband, & fearing y ^e murmur of y ^e people, he fained y ^t he receiued a paper frō heauē, wherin it was permitted him so to do, to y ^e ende he might beget prophets & worthy mē. [Page] And herevpō the foolish law of diuorce vsed this day among the Saracens, is groūded, that a man may put away his wife three times, and so many times re­ceiue her again, after that she hath been so many times known by an other man. The Paradise this prophet deuised for his people, bewraieth his lewd disposi­tion. He promiseth them garmentes of silke, with all sortes of colours, brace­lets of golde and Amber, parlours and banqueting houses vpon flouds and ri­uers, vessels of gold and siluer, Angels seruing them, bringing in gold milk, in siluer wine, lodginges furnished, cush­ings, pillows, & down beds, most beuti­ful women to accompany thē, maidens & virgins with twinckling eies, gardēs and orchards with harbors, fountaines springs, & al maner of pleasant fruit, ri­uers of milk, hony, & spiced wine, al ma­ner of sweet odors, perfumes, & fragrāt sents, & to be short, Anton. Chronic.

Thus fleshly peo­ple haue a fleshly religiō, Iacobus de Vorag. le­gend. 177. & a fleshly pa­radise to inhabit. One thing I may not [Page] ouership which I referre to your selues either for the strangenes thereof to cast you into a dumpe or wonder, or else at the follie of the Prophet to moue you to a laughter. he saith they shal see in Pa­radise goodly Angels and these shall haue goodly eies, and one Angell shall haue as muche space betweene both his eies as is in y ^e heauens betweene sunne rising, and sunne setting. I haue not as yet saide any thing of their fasting, the same is continued the space of one mo­neth in euery yeare, and precisely kept from morning to night, Laonic. Volaterr. Anton. Math. Paris. in Henric. 3. Bernard. the Starres no sooner appeare, but they fall to fea­sting, they sitte vp all nighte, they geue themselues to surfeting, drunkennes, & venerie: this is to wash (saith Bernard) Laterem crudam, a greene tile, the more water ye poure thereon, the more durt ye make. To bee shorte (least these ex­treame follies, bee ouer tedious vnto you) this false Prophet dieth, & such ser­uice, ceremonies, and superstition, he in­ioyned his people, the same they obser­ued, Hee that succeeded him, commaun­ded Mahomets Tombe to be adorned, [Page] the corps to be worshipped, his anniuer­sary or yerely remembrance to bee solē ­nized, pilgrimage from all places to be made to the temple of Mecha, where he lieth chested, the Saracenicall pilgrims haue promise of santitye and righte­ousnesse by visiting his: Sepulchre

Many repaire thither yearely from Asia, Affricke, and Europe, for to wor­ship, and many others staying at home, deliuer them money, to offer for them, & therin repose no lesse holines. There is prouision made for these passingers two famous receptacles which we call Hos­pitalles not farre from Mecha, with all manner of Officers and Priestes to praye for the founders Soules: The manner of their worshippe you shall also heare. The Arabians receiued and learned of the Indians, to worship the Goddesse Venus, Mahomet con­firmed the same with a lawe so that in the honour of Venus, the Saracens, to this day (as I said before) keepe friday [Page] for their Sabbaoth. As the Indians worshipped Venus naked, so Mahomet commanded the Saracens, men and wo­men yearely to worship in the Temple of Mecha all naked, excepting a brieth or apporne to couer that which nature commaunded to bee kept in secrete, and therin to carry stones to throw about y ^e temple, & to stone the deuill. Omitting these heathenish abhomination and not forgetting the superstition mentioned a little before. I woulde haue the church of Rome to beholde here in the lawe of Mahomet her founder in super­stition, & shameful enormities borowed either of Mahomet, or of the Heathens his associats. The flocking to Tombs & sepulchres, y ^e worshipping of dead corp­ses, bones, & reliques, y ^e visiting Limina Petri, diriges, anniuersaries, or yearely seruice ouer the dead, praying for soules pilgrimages to saintes, and shrines of the dead, sending of money in their ab­sence, the opinion of holinesse and reli­gion therein, we neede not say it is po­pishe, nay it is Turkish and Mahome­ticall. And to the end they may be ther­in, [Page] the better perswaded let them, Laonic. rer. Turc. lib. 3. Antoninus Cron. part. 2. tit. 13. cap. 5. Cuspinian. Ludouicus Rom. patri­tius. Naui­gat. lib. 1. cap. 8. & 13. peruse Laonicus, Antoninus, & Cuspinianus with others that write thereof.

Also as in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred and three, one Ludouicus Ro­manus with a great number of Mar­chants passing by Mecha, founde the experience of Mahometicall Illusions, for when the Idolatrous Priestes of Mahomet vnderstood of the numbre of passingers which harbored not farre of (to the end there might be an opinion of holinesse conceiued of this false Pro­phet) with certain deuices they cast fire into the Aere, & at midnight ran about like madde men, crying: ‘ Mahomet the Prophet of God is a rising, O Prophet: O God. Mahomet will rise. Pardon me O God.’ In like sorte of late yeares, wee haue been acquainted with faigned mi­racles, of Romish Idolatrie shewed at the Tombes of the deade beeing the feates of Satan: winking, smiling, sweating, frowning, mouing, with o­ther Illusions, yea speaking, and ge­uing of aunswers. Bernarde came to a Church of Spire in Germany, whereas [Page] he lifted vp his eies to behold the Ima­ges of the Church, y ^e Image of our La­dy said vnto him: Good morrow Bernard, He perceiuing (saith the history) Praesti­gias Demonis, the falshood of Monkes by the instigation of the Deuill, made this aunswere: ‘ Paule forbiddeth a woman to speake in the Congregation.’ Ludouic. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 1. & 18. Lib. 2. cap. 6. The Sara­cens vse inuocation of mediatours to make intercession for them. They call vpon Abraham, and Isaac, They honor Nabi, Bubacar, Othomar, Aumar, Fa­toma, the followers of Mahomet with others. They haue Herenutes, and so­litary men, suche as vowed chastitie in the seruice of Mahomet, in whom there is great opinion of holines, but what is holines, and chastitie, without know­ledge of the true God and faith in Ie­sus Christ? all without Christ is to no purpose,

Now (good people, and beleued in our Sauiour Christ) as the deare chil­dren of God, who is ielouse ouer you & your seruice, haue great regarde vnto yourselues and the foundation ye build vpon: least your building fall. The wise [Page] builder buildeth vpon the Rocke, Iesus Christ, and that is vnremoueable. Lett your faith be fixed in Iesus Christ, the true and onely Sauiour of the world, Math. 7. then hell-gates shall not be able to pre­uaile against you. Math. 16. Mahomet vnwisely hath builded vpon the sand, his doctrine hath no sure warrant, hee hath reiected the true corner stone, that closeth the building, Iesus Christ, he hath lewdly mingled together his lome, and morter of Heathens, Iewes, and false Christi­ans, his timber warpeth, and shrinketh, beeing not seasoned with antiquitie of the truth, but with the sappe of late in­uention, his walles are but painted pa­pers, a shewe of religion, his lightes are but darkenes, wherein his followers stumble, and stumbling they fall, and falling, they plunge in euerlasting per­dition. There are reasons and argu­ments to settle our minds, and stay our consciences in the faith of Iesus Christ, and to proue that Mahomets law is no true religion. First Mahomets lawe is not warranted, or grounded vpon the only true & pure word of God, therefore [Page] Mahomets law is no true religion, hee patched togeather his Alcoron of the lawes and doctrines of Heathens, In­dians, and Arabians, of superstitious Iewes, of Rechabits, of false Christi­ans and Heretickes, as Nestorians, Sa­belliās, Manichees, Arrians, Cerinthi­ans, Macedonians, Eunomians, and Nicolaits, of illusions, and inuentions of his owne braine: and lastly for fur­ther credit he borrowed some out of the old and new Testament. God will not be thus serued, he deliuered his mind of old vnto Israell in this sort: and he con­tinueth the same God still: Deut. 12. ‘ Ye shall not doe euery man what seemeth him good in his owne eies. Whatsouer I com­maund you take heede ye doe it, thou shalt put nothing thereto, nor take ought there­from.’ Deut. 22. Againe: ‘ Thou shalt not plough with an Oxe and an Asse togeather, thou shalt not sow thy Vineyard with diuers kindes of seedes, thou shalt not weare a garment of diuers sortes, as of wollen, and linnen togea­ther.’ Wee haue commandement not so eat the pascal Lamb, boyled or sodden in water: Exod. 12. Christ Iesus is our pascal Lamb, [Page] the water is mans traditions where­with he may not be mingled, 1. Corinth. 5 wee may not Math. 6. Eccle. 13. ‘ serue God and Mammon. What fel­lowship ( saith Syrach) hath Hyena with a dogge.’ 2. Corinth. 6 saint Paule aduiseth the Corin­thians: ‘ Bee not vnequally yoaked with the Infidels’ By reason he sheweth this may not be: ‘ For what felowship hath righteous­nes with vnrighteousnes, and what com­munion hath light with darkenes? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath the beleeuer with the Infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols? for yee are the temple of the li­uing God.’ Our Sauiour rebuketh the Scribes and Pharisees for transgressing the commandements of God, Math. 15. by meane of their traditions, he pronounceth their worship vain, in teaching the doctrines & precepts of men, the iudicial sentence he geueth thereof is this: Euery plant (y ^t is all maner of doctrine) which my hea­uenly father hath not planted shalbe rooted vp. Secondly the religion of Mahomet 2 consisteth in fleshly & naturall delightes in corporal pleasures, therefore the law of Mahomet is a most wicked & false [Page] religion, the heathen Philosophers by y ^e rule of naturall reason haue found this an absurde opinion. Auicenna Metaphysic. Auicenna one of Mahomets owne secte hath misliked with this, saying, ‘ The law which our Ma­homet hath geuen vs sheweth the perfecti­on of felicity to consist in those things which concerne the body but there is an other pro­mise which is comprehended onely by vn­derstanding, and therefore the wise and sa­ges of olde had a greater desire to expresse the felicity of the soule then of the body, the which bodely felicity though it were graun­ted them, yet they regarded not, neither e­steemed it in comparison of the felicitie which is coupled with the principall veritie:’ His loose doctrine of marriages, his a­buse of fasting, and his description of Paradise (spoken of before) deliuer vnto vs that there is herein small difference between Epicurisme, Atheisme, & Ma­hometisme, Luke. 16. The glutton in the gospel that was cloathed in purple & fine white and fared delitiously euery day, sheweth vnto vs how God fauoureth & accepteth of such people. Rom. 14. ‘ The kingdome of God (saith the Apostle) Is not meate, nor drinke but [Page] righteousnes and peace, and ioy in the holy Ghost, for whosoeuer in these things serueth Christ (herein the true felicitye consi­steth) is acceptable vnto God, and approo­ued of men.’ Math. 4. Satan the schoolemaster of Mahomet shewed a glotonous disposi­tion when he would haue had the stones to be made bread. His disciple must con­tent himself w ^t the answer made vnto y ^e maister: Deutr. 8. ‘ Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery worde that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.’ Our sauiour saith: Ioh. 4. ‘ the true worshippers shal worship the father (not in corporal delights & pleasurs) In spirit & truth, (this is y ^e maner) For the father requireth euen such to worship him.’ Again an argumēt reduced of y ^e nature of God God is a spirite and they that worshippe him must worship him in spirit & truth. And y ^t I maye deliuer the whole vnto you in few wordes, perfect felicitie consisteth in knowing of God, in beleeuing in God, in louing of God, and enioying of God, warraunted by the wordes of our Sauiour. Iohn. 17. ‘ This is life euerlasting that they knowe thee to bee the onely very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ.’ [Page] 3 Thirdly y ^e law of Mahomet was esta­blished through wiles, deceit, subteltie, & lies, therfore y ^e law of Mahomet is a most wicked religion. First he hauing y ^e falling sicknes perswaded his wife & o­thers y ^t it was the power of God & the presence of the Angel Gabriell that fel him. Sergius the hereticall Monke was at hande & bare false witnes to y ^e same, saith Zonaras. Ioh. Zonar. Annal. tom. 3. He told them y ^t the tame Doue which hee taught to feede at his eare was sometime an Angell, & some­time the holy ghost. He had three leude companions to deuise & face out lies w ^t him. Whē he perceiued y ^e mē gaue eare vnto him, he framed that the Angel Ga­briell had caried him to Ierusalem, and thence to haue lifted him vp to heauen, & there to haue learned the secrets of his law. Anton. cron. part. 2. tit. 13. cap. 5. He made y ^e Saracens beleeue (saith Antoninus) y ^t before God made y ^e world there was written in the throne of God: there is no god but y ^e god of Mahomet. whē he had framed his Alcoran & boūd it vp faire he caused secretly a wild Asse to be takē & the book to be bound about his necke, & as he preached vnto y ^e peo­ple, [Page] vpon a sodain he stood amazed as if some great secretie were reuealed vnto him from aboue. He brake out & tolde y ^e people: Behold god hath sent you a law from heauen, go to such a desert there ye shal find an Asse, & a book tied about his neck. The people ran in great hast they found it so as he had said. They take the Asse, they bring the book, they honor the prophet. Touching diuorced, Auierus lib. 2. cap. 12. Ioh. Leo. lib. 3. cap. 23. Aphric. & seperated wiues, he tolde y ^e Saracens he had recei­ued a paper from heauē. He vsed south-saying & diuination the which at Fessa, a Citie of Mauritama vnto this day is called Zarragia. Bernard in. Rosar. part. 1. serm. 14 He persuaded his folo­wers that at y ^e end of y ^e world he should be trāsformed into the forme of a migh­tie Ram full of lockes & long fleeces of wool. And that all that held of his Law shoulde bee as fleas shrooding them­selues in his fleeces, and that he would iumpe into heauen and so conuay them all thither. These and suche like were his sleightes and vntruthes without warrauntize of Gods word, without reason and probable shew of truth. Fascicul. temporum. Sa­tan being coniured to deliuer the truth [Page] of the Alcoran of Mahomet saide, that therin were comprised twelue thousand lies, and the rest was truth, by all like­lihood very little: Deutr. 18. ‘ In the like respect God threatneth Israel, saying: The Prophet that shall presume to speake, a word many name, which I haue not commaunded him to speake, or that speaketh in the name of o­ther Gods, euen the same Prophet shall die. And if thou thinke in thine heart: how shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to passe that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously.’ If we apply this rightly vnto Mahomet wee shall not finde any one thing in veritie and truth the whiche hee spake that came to passe but whatsoeuer hee wroughte was tho­rough wiles, fraude, and subteltie, let his prophecie of his assention after his death bee a president for all whiche was 4 not performed. Fourthly the law of Ma­homet was thrust in by secular power & force of armes, by battels & bloudshed, therfore the law of Mahomet is a most wicked religion, Paulus Diaconus wri­teth [Page] y ^t he spent ten yeares in Armes sub­duing to his raigne, Paul. Diac. rer. Rom. lib. 18. & compelling to his religion, thereof writeth Mathew Paris in this sort: Math. Paris histor. Angl. Henric. 3. ‘ The law of the Saracens (the deuill inditing the same by the ministery of Sergius the Monke & heretick) Maho­met wrote in the Arabike tōgue, & taught them.’

Idem. Ma­homets own words vnto y ^e Saracēs are these

The Scythians from whence these Turkes came, are an impatient kind of people. Naucler. generat. 22. Whē they warred vnder Heraclius the Emperour against the king of Persia they were too too ernest for their pay. The Clark of the band, in their greedines called thē doogs, there­of rose a mutine, they made their mone vnto the better sort of their coūtry, they forsook their Emperor. This was their first fall from Christiā kings & Empe­rors wherof ther ensued great mischief. Fulgos. Egnat. Sabell. This furious & cruel dispositiō an other of y ^e same name with this false prophet, an Emperor of y ^e Turks shewed at Cō ­stantinople. Missing an aple vpō a cer­taine tree in his Orchard, he gaue com­mandement that the bowels of three pa­ges that were about him should be ript that it might be knowne which of them had eaten it. The time at this present will not serue to shewe the infinite streames of Christian and Innocent bloude these enemies of God most cru­elly shedde. There commeth to my re­membrance among other histories their [Page] doings in Poland, Iohn Her­burt. hist. Polon. lib. 7. cap. 4. where at one battell they slewe of Christians as many, as their single eares did fill nine greate sackes. These people are wild, sauage, and cruel, Mahomet made them a law accordingly, saying: Paul. Diac. rer Rom. lib. 18. ‘ He that slayeth his enemie, or is slaine of his enemie. lette him enter and possesse paradise.’ This is con­trary to Gods word, in the old and new testament, this is contrary to the rule of charitie, which slayeth not, but for­giueth the enemie. The Paradise of Mahomet must then be the bottomles pitte of Hell. Of the contrary, the true word of God, 1. Corinth. 2 and the Gospell of Iesus Christ was not plāted neither by force of arms, neither by eloquence of words, neither by enticing speach of mannes wisedome, but by the worke of the bles­sed spirite and power of God. S. Paule putteth the Corinthians in remem­braunce thereof, saying: 1. Cor. 1. ‘ Brethren, you see your calling, howe that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise, & God hath chosen the weake thinges of the [Page] world to confound the mightie things. And vile things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, and things which ar not to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should reioice in his pre­sence.’ It might seeme very strange, that 12. men, the seruants of any king or em­perour, beeing abiect persons, without weapon or armour, shoulde subdue vnto themselues from the king or emperour, the whole dominion. It might seeme very strange, that a few vnlearned & vn­lettered men shoulde confound & put to silence all subtil Logitians, al sage phi­losophers, al skilful Astronomers, & pro­found Diuines. It might seeme verye strange, y ^t a few men naked & frendlesse, should conquer the whole world. The 12 Apostles are sent forth to preach accor­ding vnto the institution of our sauiour) & cōmanded ‘ they shall possesse neither gold nor siluer, Math. 10. nor money in their purses, nor a scrip for their iurney, nor two coats, nor shoes nor a staffe,’ being simple men, vnlearned, & of one language, yet haue they cōfoun­ded the wise, cōfuted the learned, cōuer­ted all languages, & conquered y ^e whole world vnto their master Christ. This is [Page] it which Chrysostom calleth: Chrysost. in 1. cap. Act. apost. hom. 1

They woar no armor, Math. 10. they proclame no warres, they were au­thors of no seditiō, our sauiour bequea­thed vnto thē peace, they preached peace whē they came to city or house, their sa­lutatiō was, peace be in this house, & y ^e spi­rit of peace was resiant amōg thē. They cōpelled no man, as Mahomet & his di­sciples did. Tertullian writeth: Tertul. ad scapulam. Sed nec religionis est cogere religionem, quae spōte suscipi debeat, nō vi: cū & hostiae ab animo lubenti expostulētur. ‘ But it is not the nature of religiō to cōtrain reli­giō, which ought to be receiued willingly, not by cōpulsion, whē as sacrifices are required of a willing mind.’ Lactantius hath y ^e like, Lactant. in­stitut. lib. 5. cap. 20. reasoning w ^t y ^e infidels y ^t cōpelled y ^e chri­stiās to sacrifice.

He sheweth y ^e practise of y ^e Christians, and the reason thereof.

[Page]

This compulsion is to be vnderstood of Christian toward Heathen, or Heathen towards Christi­an, but when as any receiue the Chri­stian faith, vowe their seruice vnto the onely true GOD, matriculate their names in the congregation of the faith­full, and afterwardes decline, giuing themselues vnto carnalitie, raising of schisme, broaching of heresies, and fals­hoode, the whippe of Christ must be ta­ken in hand to purge the house of God, the [...]e of discipline and correction must be vsed the magistrate must draw the sworde, and execute Iustice accor­ding vnto the lawes of God, & Christi­an Princes, established and decreed for the aduauncing of pietie, and rooting out of sinne, August. ad Bonifac. Epist. 50. and all iniquity. Augustine discourseth hereof at large, and sheweth how heretikes and schismatikes by im­perial lawes and constitutions, are for­cibly to be reformed. Of olde the Chri­stians [Page] gaue almes and reliefe vnto the poore of themselues (charitie dieth) they are now taxed and seased: of olde Chri­stian deuotion moued men to fast (deuo­tion dieth) they haue now daies & times assigned them: of olde they repaired to the Church of great zeale, (zeale dieth) they are now enioined by penal Lawes: of olde being mindfull of Christs death, they frequented sundrie times to the Lordes Table (forgetfulnes is come in place) they are now called vpon, certain times in the yeare: of olde Christ was sincerely & faithfully serued, his worde purely taught, Christian Princes duti­fully obeyed (the feare of God was be­fore their eyes) but nowe a daies there is corruption crept in, papisme, idolatry, treason & conspiracie, practised by false Christians. They fall within compasse of the Lawes, they haue iustice shewed them, they are seuerely punished & cha­stised, this is no persecution, this is no compulsion to the faith, but correction for falling from the faith, this is the rule of godlinesse, which Mahomet obserued not. Fifthly, the lawe of Mahomet is 5 [Page] not witnessed and confirmed by signes wonders, and miracles, therefore the Lawe of Mahomet is a must false reli­gion. He said vnto the Saracens of him­selfe: Math. Paris hist. Angl. in Henric. 3.

There was no diuine power shewed in all his prac­tise. This Lawe was not reuealed vnto himselfe, he confessed himself to be alto­gether vnlearned, hee had three helpers, as I saide before, hee called himselfe a prophet, when as the Law and prophets ende in Iohn the baptist. And after him we are to looke for no mo Prophets, The prophets of olde arrogated not any such name or title vnto themselues, but by long tract of time, their holinesse of lifs, the wonders they wrought, and the truth of Gods word which they deliue­red, declared them to bee no lesse. As for this false prophet, his beastlines of life, his want of testimonie from aboue, his vntruthes and absurdities, deliuer his doctrine to be most damnable. Exod. 19.20. Deutr. The law of God which Moses receiued, was de­liuered after a most wonderful manner. [Page] God stood vpon mount Sinai, there was fire, there was thunder, there was ligh­tening, there was darkenes, there was the sounde of the trumpetes heard, the voice of the Lord was mighty, the foun­dations of the earth shooke, the moun­taine smoaked, and the people trembled. The prophets and seruants of God suc­cessiuely in the times and ages follow­ing, confirmed their message and em­basies with straunge signes & tokens. The birth of our Sauiour Christ, the preaching of the Gospell, the sealing vp of the same with his bloud after moste strange & marueilous sightes, declared him to be y ^e only true Messias, & sauiour of the worlde, authorised his doctrine, & confirmed y ^e faith of y ^e Christians. A vir­gin to bring forth, Angels singing glory, shepheards rūning to search a strāg star appearing, wisemen cōming frō far, the heauēs opening, y ^e holy ghost descēding, the father soūding, this is my Son, Iohn y ^e baptist pointing w ^t y ^e finger, Beholde the lamb of God: The blind, y ^e deafe, y ^e dumb, the lame, the sicke, all cured, & the deade raised to life. These deliuer vnto vs the [Page] power of the moste high and mightie God. Againe at his passion, palpable darknesse, the vaile of the temple ren­ting, the earth shaking, the rockes clea­uing, the graues opening, the deade ri­sing, and yeelding testimonie to the li­uing of the truth in Christ. Last of all, his rising from the deade, his instruc­ting of the Apostles, his visible Ascen­sion into the Heauens, and his sending of the holy Ghost according vnto pro­mise, perswadeth sufficiently in all re­spectes, that his doctrine is the moste sacred truth of the onely true and euer­lasting 6 GOD. Sixtly and lastly, the Lawe of Mahomet is a confused kinde of doctrine, patched together of contra­ries, dissenting and varying within it selfe, therefore the Lawe of Mahomet is a most wicked Religion. Sergius the Monke, Iohn of Antioch, and the su­perstitious Iewe, patched together, ac­cording vnto their variyng mindes, di­uerse doctrine, but in this they agreed, in setting downe lies and falshood. Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13 cap. 5. After the death of Mahomet (sayth Antoni­nus) the disciples of this false Prophet [Page] could not agree in the reading, Ludouic. Rom. Patri­tius. nauigat. lib. 1. cap. 12. pointing vnderstanding and expounding of the Alcoran. Some added, some diminished some maymed, and some corrupted the Lawe. The Iewes put in what pleased them best, the Heretikes vrged their o­pinions, the Heathens also pleaded for themselues, so that the Alcoran was de­spised, and of no reputation, and woor­thely. In processe of time, after greate dissention, one Elehege beeyng chosen to rayne ouer them, commaunded all coppyes shoulde bee brought vnto hym, of them all he made one booke, which is the Alcoran, that they haue at this day, and the rest he caused to be burned to a­shes. There are yet three thinges to bee considered in this false Religion, which I will briefly runne ouer. First, what 1 was the occasion of the beginning ther­of? Dissention among Prynces, and diuision among those that called them­selues Christians. Sathan espyed it, and put foorth his Seruaunt Maho­met to woorke mischiefe. Heraclius the Emperour, and Chosdroes Kyng of Persia, were at deadly enmitie, war­ring [Page] one against the other. The Scy­thian Nation fell from them both, and founde Mahomet to theyr ringe-lea­der. Againe, the Church of GOD was then lamentably diuided. Peter Arch­bishoppe of Constantinople, fell into a detestable heresie, sucked out of the schoole of Valentinus, Marcion, & Ma­nes the Heretikes. Iacobus Syrus (of him haue the Iacobits in the East their name) tooke part with Seuerus: he held that Christ neyther dyed, neyther suffe­red, but an other for him, which opini­on Mahomet followed. So that the Church was troubled with Nestorians Iacobites, Monothelits, and the Mon­kes of Benedicts order, which then be­gan to swarme like locustes vppon the earth. Not onely this, but also y ^e Church of Rome beganne to lift vp her selfe in pride & abhomination, the Pope calling himselfe vniuersall Bishop. God was highly displeased with this wickednes, and suffered Mahomet to rise as a rod or scourge to whippe his people. Wee are nowe to pray that GOD at length [Page] will be reconciled with his people, and that hee will cast the rodde into the fire. The second thing we haue to consider, is why this false religion of Mahomet 2 is so vniuersally receyued: Carnalitie and fleshlinesse is the cause. It intrea­teth of venerie, fleshlie delightes, and temporall pleasures, therefore it is be­come plausible to manie. Flor. Histor. Mathew of Westmonaster writeth:

Mathias â Michou de Sarmat. A­sian. lib. 1. cap. 5. In the yeare 1246 Innocentius 4. sent to great Cham the Emperour of the Tartarians, perswa­ding him to receyue the Christian faith, to leaue shedding of Innocent bloude, and to serue GOD in Spirite and truth.

At that time also came the Embassa­doures of the Saracens, pleadynge and vrgyng hym to the Lawe of Ma­homet, alleadging that it was easi­er, more tollerable, full of pleasures, and more fitte for Warriours, then the Christian fayth. Cham liked of the [Page] conditions, he was carnally giuen, & em­braced 3 Mahomet vnto this day. Third­ly and lastly, why is the Religion of Mahomet continued, being knowne to bee wicked, Anton. cron part. 2. tit. 13. cap. 5. carnall, and fleshly? Maho­met made it death to dispute thereof. If any speake against me (saith he)

Againe:

Sabellic. E­nead. 8. lib. 6

I am nowe comming to that which I haue lastlye promised to deliuer vnto you, to wit: that which concerneth our selues the way to please GOD, and meane to win those that are without: Math. 5. ‘ When as our light so shi­neth before men, that they seeyng our good woorks, may glorifie our Father which is in heauen.’

[Page]And I will bee the shorter herein, for that I doubt not but you haue bene here tofore by mee out of this place often ex­horted thereto. I feare mee (béloued in our Sauiour Christ) least that I haue beene ouer tedious in the premisses, I haue the longer waded therein, not ha­uing at othertimes the like occasion of­fered me to discourse of the like matter. Christian lights, Christian fruits, & ho­ly cōuersatiō, hath now moued this Sa­racen to serue the true God in the faith of Iesus Christ. He is about 40. yeares of age (as he saith himselfe) born at Ni­gropontus, of olde called Chalcides, a Citie of great fame in the Isle Euboea, & belonging sometime vnto the Duke­dome of Venice, but taken and subdued by the Turke, through the treason of one Thomas Liburne, maister Gunner of Nigropontus, in the yeare 1471. This Turke was taken captiue by the Spani­ard, where he continued in great misery the space of 25. yeares, whome the moste worthy knight S. Frauncis Drake found at Carthaginia. God shewed great mer­cy vnto this poore Turke, in calling him [Page] home (with the prodigall childe in the Gospell) by misery, slauery, and captiui­ty, & in sending him a deliuerer, not one­ly for the present sorrowes and miserye, but to his endlesse ioy & solace in Christ Iesus, blessed be his name therefore.

This Saracen beyng reasoned withall, what should moue hym at this presente to receyue the Christian fayth: made answere, that experience of the wicked world, at Nigropontus his natiue cun­try, his misery and captiuitie vnder the Spaniards, his trauaile hither, and the view of this lande, had beaten into him (as he saide) the knowledge of the true God. And further he faide, that if there were not a God in England, there was none no where. Two things (he did con­fesse) moued him to the Christian faith. The one before his comming to Eng­land, y ^e other at his arriuall. Before his comming, the vertue, the modestie, the godlines, the good vsage, & discrete go­uernment of the English Christians, & a­mong others (as he chiefly noted) he was most beholden vnto the Right worship­full knight S. Frauncis Drake, and the [Page] worhty captaine W. Haukins, tearming them most worthy Christians. After his arriual, he saw curtesie, gentlenes, frendly salutations of the people, succour for him & his cuntrimen, pitie & compassion of the English men, & withal he learned that the poore, the aged, the impotent, y ^e sicke & diseased Christians were proui­ded for, wheras in his cuntry, & wher he had bene in captiuitie, y ^e poore, & sicke, & diseased were scorned, despised, & accoū ­ted of as dogs. These things moued this sillye Saracene to the Christian faith, and thereupon it is that I haue chosen for my text, the wordes of our Sauiour tending to y ^e same purpose. Math. 5. ‘ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good woorks, and glorify your Father which is in heauen.’ Hee was demaunded why for the space of 25. yeares, beeing the time of his captiuitie in Spayne, hee receiued not the Christian fayth. His aunswere was: that hee had beene by a Frier sollicited thereto, & that he heard no more of him but the name of Christ, without instruction, or opening to his comfort any poynt of the faith (as he [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] hath bene here comfortably instructed.) And againe, that there were two things which he vtterly misliked in the Spani­ard (which disswaded him from the faith) his cruelty in shedding of bloud, and his Idolatry in worshipping of I­mages. He that will haue a view of the crueltie of the Spaniard, let him reade The Spanish Colonie, written in the Castilian tongue by a Fryer, after­wards Byshop, one Bartholmew de la Casas, and lately trālated into english. As for his idolatry, I refer y ^e shame therof to the founder, y ^e Antichrist of Rome. I am not odiously to note any Christiā nation more then other, with any parti­cular vice. If there rise any iar betwen man & wife, let son & daughter look that they make it not worse: if discord happē betwene maister & mistres, y ^e seruantes may not blow y ^e fire of hatred: if vnkind­nes grow betwene Christian kings and Princes (as at this day betweene Eng­land & Spain) It is not the part of sub­iects to aggrauat y ^e displeasure but in al dutifulnes to obey their own princes, & pray vnto God to establish peace among [Page] thē we see what y ^e Saracen cōmendeth, and moueth him to glorifie the God of the Christians, and what he discommē ­deth, and disswadeth him from the faith. Mahomet himself confessed (as it is al­leadged) and therein highly commended the christian faith: Math. Paris histor. Angl. in Henric. 3 ‘ That Iesus was borne of the Virgin Mary, that he liued without sinne among men, that he was a Prophet & more then a Prophet, and that he ascended into the heauens. Moreouer what time the sage and learned among them came to Ie­rusalem, and required the Gospell, and new Testament to be shewed them they kis­sed the booke, and had the puritie & clean­nes of the doctrin which Christ had taught, in admiration, and specially the Gospell af­ter Luke: The Angell Gabriell was sent &c. the which the learned sort of them doe reade, and often report.’ The Nigros in the kingdome of Senega, Aloys. Ca­damust. Na­uigat. cap. 16 beeing of the faith of Mahomet (saith Aloysius Ca­damustꝰ) are not malicious nether stub­bornely bent against the Christians: ‘ They are delighted with the behauiour of the Christians, and they gather our faith and religion to be the holier and the better [Page] in that we are welthier and richer then they are, drawing their reason from temporall to eternall things, they adde further that wee are highly beloued of our God, and they are so perswaded for that our God geueth his people such great riches, & beatifieth them with so many ornamentes and giftes of body and mind and that such a law cannot possi­bly be but of a good law maker.’ Cap. 25. The king of Senega was in maner throughly per­swaded to renounce the lawe of Maho­met but he feared his Nobility, and the losse of his Crowne. A nephewe of the kings earnestly intreated Cadamustus to deliuer there the word of God, Mathias â Michou de Sarmat A­sian lib. 1. cap. 5. Musda Fa. Beg. ad Eli­zabeth. An­gl. Reg. so was he in loue w ^t the puritye thereof. Cham the Emperour of the Tartarians confes­seth Iesus to be the power and spirite of the great God. Musda fa Beg, secre­tary to the great. Turke of Constanti­nople y ^t now is writing to the Queene of England as appeareth by his letters bearing date the 15. of March, and in the yeare of great Iesu (so hee writeth) 1579. sheweth the great affection his maister the Turke togeather with him­selfe beareth to this lande and of our re­ligion [Page] as it is interpreted he saith thus: ‘ We know that your soueraigne Maiesty a­mong al the Christians haue the most sound religion, and therefore the Christians tho­roughout the world enuy your highnes, whō if they could, they would hurt.’ Wee heare what the enemye reporteth of our God, of Iesus our Sauiour, and the worde of God which wee professe, Satan is dri­uen mauger of his bearde, to confesse y ^e truth, the maiesty of our God is so great that the celestiall terrestriall and infer­nall powers vowe thereto, the light, and shine of this godheade, is so cleare, that Satan with his mist and darkenesse canne not ouershadowe it, the worde of God is so cleane and pure that the ve­ry enemye canne not stayne it. What shall wee saye of the Professours of the same? we know what is required at our hands, & it is often repeated in holy Scripture: be you holy for I am holy saith the Lorde, learne of me saith our Sauiour, Again: ‘ Let your light shine &c.’ 1. Peter. 2. Peter writeth: ‘ shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darkenes into his maruelous light.’ Paul exhorteth: Coloss. 4. [Page] ‘ walke wisely toward them that are without,’ Againe wee are councelled to bee quiet medling with our owne busines, wor­king and getting our liuing with our owne hands to what ende? 1. Thess. 4. ‘ That ye maye behaue your selues honestly towarde them that are without.’ Hee also that will bee Pastor and gouernour ouer the people, must warely walke least the enemy note any bleamish in him. Therefore the A­postle writeth: 1. Timoth. 3 ‘ He must bee well reported of, euen of them that are without.’ So that neither Iew, nor gentile, Turke, nor Sa­racen, neither Hereticke or false Chri­stian whatsoeuer, may iustly charge the Christian faith with the life of the pro­fessor. Philip. 2. Saint Paul, exhorteth the Philip­pians: ‘ Doe all things without murmuring and reasoning, that ye may be blamelesse, & pure, and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a naughtie, and crooked Nation, among whom ye shine as lightes in the world.’ This kinde of Christian con­uersation shall bringe foure notable thinges to passe. 1 First the Heathens, Turkes, and Saracens, seeing this holi­nesse of life, will fall to a great wonder, [Page] & admiration, therof writeth Peter: 1. Peter. 4. It is sufficient for vs that we haue spēt the time past of the life after the lust of the gentiles, in wantōnes, lustes, drunkennes, in gluttony, drinkings, & abhominable Idolatries wher­in it seemeth to thē strange that ye run not with them vnto the same excesse of Riotte. 2 Secondly wee shall stop the mouthes of sclaunderous people, as it is written: 1. Peter. 2. ‘ For so is the will of God that by well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.’ A little before: ‘ Haue your conuersa­tion honest among the gentiles that they which speake euil of you as of euil doers may by your good works which they shall see glo­rifie God in the day of the visitation’ 3 Third­ly wee shall win them that are without as by example this seely Saracen which walked of a long time without know­ledge of the true God without the light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ, the onely sauiour of the world, and now hauing behelde the shine thereof most willingly embraceth y ^e same, blessed be God for it. Saint Peter exhorteth the wiues to obedience, his reason is to great purpose: ‘ That euen they which obey [Page] not the worde, 1. Peter. 3. may without the worde bee wonne by the conuersation of the wiues.’ 4 Fourthly God the giuer of all goodnes who with his holy spirite guideth man into all felicitie and godlines is there­by blessed and glorified. This ende our Sauiour pointed vs to behold when he inioyned vs saying: ‘ Let your light so shine before men, that they maye see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen. Ephes. 2. For wee are the workemanship of God (saith Saint Paul) created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes (as I saide before) which God hath ordained that wee shoulde walke in them:’ But more is the pittye there are byrds which defile their owne nests, there are loose Christians, Gos­pellers in word, but Atheistes in deede.

there is pride, ambition, couete­ousnes, Cyprian. dissention, debate, simonye, vsu­rye, oppression, crueltye, bloudshedding, schisme, heresie, & Idolatrye, crept in a­mong Christians. The enemy standeth without, pointing at the Christians w ^t y ^e finger, Froissart. Cron. 2. vol. cap. 40. & laughing them to skorne. Fro­issart writeth of the Turkes, & Tartari­ans [Page] in y ^e time of Clement, 7. & Vrban. 6 saying: ‘ They doe mocke the Popes whereof one is at Rome, & an other at Auignion, they say that the two Gods of Christendome warreth each against other, wherby they af­firme our law to be the more feeble and the lighter to be destroyed & condēned, they lay therto a reasō: in that they that should exalt the Christian faith are the first that mini­sheth it & destroy it.’ The Earle of Ne­uers sonne to y ^e Duke of Burgoine, cō ­ming from Turkie deliuered vnto the frenche king, & y ^e Lords of Fraunce this newes from Lamorabaqui y ^e Turke: Cap. 25. ‘ his intent is to see Rome, & to make his horse eate otes vpon Saint Peters altar, also hee saide howe our christian faith was nothing worth but corrupted by the headdes that ought to gouerne them, whereat the Turks made but a mock, wherfore he said it should bee the destruction of Christendome.’ It made Fraunce amazed, and some of the Nobility then brake out and said of the Popes: ‘ It was time to abate their pompes & to bring them to reason.’ In the time of Henry the 3. y ^e christians had geuen the Turks a great foile. The Turke offered peace w ^t most fauorable cōditiōs, & saith [Page] Mathew Paris. Math. Paris. histor. Angl. in Henric. 3. ‘ It was then saide and af­firmed for truth that the Soldane with his Nobilitie was fully determined to renounce the Law of Mahomet, which is knowne to be most filthy, and faithfully to cleaue to the christian faith which appeareth most honest so that they might quietly enioy their lands and possessions.’ The Pope by his Legate most arrogantly refused it. Being deni­ed, the Turke gathereth a great power, and saith:

The Turke preuayled, the Christians went to wracke. Fridericus the Empe­rour wrote to Henry 3. bitter letters against the pride, ambition, crueltie, ex­action, vsurie, with many other enormi­ties of the Church of Rome, calling the same, the roote and fountaine of all mis­chiefe, the Popes, Insatiabiles sangui­sugas, Insatiable bloud suckers, concluding [Page] they are to be knowne by their fruites, Mathias A. Michou de Sarmat. A­sian. Lib. 1. cap. 5. Cham the Emperour of Tartarie would not receiue the Christian faith offered vnto him by Innocentius 4, for that the Embassadours of the Turke alleadged the same to be:

This is the credite these Images haue brought in­to the Church, this was a stumbling blocke in the waye of this Saracen that he would not be baptized in Spain. Fie vpon Idolatry, filth, and abhomination. Let the Church of God bee swept, then will the Heathens, the Iews, the Turks & Saracens the sooner come in. About the yeare 1237. the Greeke-church fel from the church of Rome vpon such an occasion. A certaine Archbishop orderly elected in Greece came to Rome to be confirmed, he could not be dispatched a­fore he hadde paide a certaine summe of money, the which hee refused to doe, at his returne hee made reporte vnto the Grecians of the abuses of Rome. The [Page] two Churches iarred the space of 300. yeares vntill the late councell of Basill, where there was but a colourable re­conciliation. Germanus Archbishop of Constantinople telleth Gregorius 9. the cause of their departure, in this sort: Math Paris in Henric. 3. ‘ That, great discord, contrarietie of doctrine, ouerthrow of Canons, alteration of rites which the fathers deliuered are causes of this particion which seperateth those things which at first were vnited and ioyned with the coniunction of peace and concord, let the whole world being made one language con­fesse &c.’ A little after: ‘ And that we may touche the marrowe of the truth: Many mighty and noble parsonages would obey you vnlesse they feared your vniust oppressions, your insolent exactions of riches, your vn­lawfull seruitude, the which you extort of them that are subiect vnto you. Here hence are crueel battailes one against the other, desolation of Cities, sealing vp of Church­dores, schisme of the brethren, the priestly function ceasing, and a stay that God ac­cording vnto our duetye bee not praised vn­der the Climate of the Grecians.’ Hee writeth the like vnto the Cardinalls, & [Page] concludeth that the Aethiopians, Syri­ans, Hyberians, Lazians, Alanians, Gothes, Chazarians, all Russia, & Bul­gary, hold with the Greeke-church, and because of the aforesaide enormities, haue did Rome farewell. The Arch­bishop of Antioch about the same time calling vnto him a great number of Bi­shoppes of Greece excommunicated the Pope, and the Clergye of Rome. The Patriarch of Constantinople complai­ned at the councell of Lions to Inno­centius 4. face, what a great number of Churches there were in Greece that reiected the Churche of Rome for the abhominations thereof. Papa tacuit: The Pope said not a word. Hee might bee iustly ashamed, who glorying in the keyes locketh vp all, shutteth out suche as would come and receaue the christi­an faith, but he will neither enter, nei­ther suffer others by reason of y ^e shame­full sinnes and wickednes there raig­ning. If either Heathen, or Iew, or Sa­racen, speake of the christian faith, im­mediately he hath Rome in his mouth. Rome cannot be excused. And for that [Page] they knowe not the puritie of religion in the reformed Churches beeing cor­ners, & pingles of Christendome, with open mouth they reuile, and speake ill of al, to the great dishonor of God, and hin­derance of the preaching of the Gospel. There are many nations no doubt that if the truth were opened vnto them they would most willingly receaue the chri­stian faith, many hungring & thirsting after the knowledge of the true God. In Turkie they may not call into que­stion the incertainty of Mahomets law it is death: vnder the dominion of the Pope, they may not professe what they know for truth. much like them of whō Augustine speaketh, August. e­pist. 50. that being among the schismatickes, and heretickes, they durst not confesse the Catholique faith, least they and their houses should be de­stroyed: Many doe heare and see yet are they stopped with staines, misliking the water for the puddle of Rome: O what blessinges hath God poured vppon En­gland? blessed bee his name therefore. We maye saye, as it is in the Gospell: Many Prophets, Luke. 10. and Kinges haue desired [Page] see those things which Englād hath seen, and haue not seene them. It is to be fea­red least the vnthankfulnes of the peo­ple, the rechlesnesse in Gods seruice, Apocalyp. 2 and the want of Christian lights and works will cause God to remooue the candle­sticke out of his place, and the light of the Gospell from among vs, and deliuer it to such a nation (according vnto the parable in the Gospell) as will bring foorth fruits accordingly. Math. 21. God of his in­finite goodnesse shewe mercie vnto his Church, continue the Gospell, purge all blemishes, open the eyes of all Infidels, Iewes, Turkes, and Saracens, bring into the folde all lost and wandering sheepe, make of all nations one sheepefolde, vn­der the head shepheard and Bishoppe of our soules Iesus Christ, to whome with the Father and the holy Ghost, bee all honour and glorie nowe and for euer. Amen