The Text.

And I turned me, and
saw seuen golden Candlesticks,
and in the middest of the seuen
Candlestickes, one like vnto the
sonne of man.
WHere heeretofore,
Derelye beloued
we haue by occasio~
of this learned that
Christe Iesus our
Sauiour is alwais
prese~t vnto al those which at ye hearing
of his voyce turne vnto him, &
ye figure of this Angel, rectifying the
presence of Christ, sheweth how vnpossible
a thing it is, to laye foorth
and expresse the glorye and properties
of the person & office of Christ,
by an Image made, grauen, and
paynted by man, whereby, not onely
the madnesse of the Heathen, that in
grauen Images pretended the representation

B.

and worship of god, but
also of the Papistes, who in their Imagery
pretended the like is euidently
conuinced.
It now remaineth, that we examine
why in this place the church of God
is resembled or represented by Candlesticks,
& why it may not be lawfull
to haue the vse of Candlesticks,
and other such ceremoniall figures,
now in the church of God. And this
the rather, because in this place, the
questions of these & such like, hath
broke in amo~g vs. For the deciding
whereof, the right reuerend & learned
father my L. of L. was determined
this day to haue occupied this
place, who being setted wt weightie
matters otherwise, cannot now answere
your expectations, wherefore
as it shall please God to make me able
for the time, I will speake to the
conuincing of error, and satisfying
the consciences of the troubled.
First, that the holye spirite of
God, may alwayes appeare to bee
constante and vnuariable, hee vseth
not any one similitude in this reuelation,
or in the whole newe Testament,
but he hath eyther the same or
the like in the olde, as the figures
of Candlestickes from Exodus the
xxv. Other causes maye bee giuen,
which when the Angels interpretation
shall of these Candlestickes be
handled you shall heare.
Then that it is not only vnlawfull,
but also manifestly wicked, to
bring ceremoniall fygures and
Images into the Churche, because
that all ceremoniall fygures at the
death of Christ were remooued and
cleane taken awaye, And to bring
them agayn, were as Saint Paule
sayth to denye Christe. And images
by the law and word of god are
forbidden.
But if any do pretend the Cherubs
ouer the [illegible] and the brasen serpent
to colour imagery, they do bewray
their folly and lack of vndersta~ding.
for as a particuler precept doth not

B.ii.

disanul or make frustrate a generall
co~mandement: but serueth or is applied
vnto the perticuler or speciall
parties & place, for whom & where it
is co~manded: so these Cherubs were
not seene but only by the hie Priest,
& that but duce by the yeere, and the
brase~ serpent was not erected in the
Tabernacle or temple, but in ye wildernesse,
where the firy serpents did
bite ye people, which serpent Ezechias
brake al to powder, & cast it into the
brooke Cedro~, which he would neuer
haue done, if there had any vse at all
remayned thereof vnto the people.
Therefore these thinges be so farre
fro~ the coulering of imagery in the
Church, yt they vtterly ouerthrowe
the~. Thus much for ye candlesticks.
The question among vs now in contention
is of imagery, and whether
this part of the Roodelofte yet standing
be a monument of Idolatry or
not: whyche question through the
paine iangling of some rash and vnskilful
persons are grown into these
braunches.
First that the Papists placed their
images in the Churche onely to represent
and put menne in memorye
and not to bee worshypped of the
people.
That the second co~mandment doth
not forbid the making & hauing of
images in religion, but the worship
of them only: for the which there is
pretended a translation of St. Hierome,
which hath the Text in this
maner, Non facies sculptile vt adores,
Thau shalte not make any grauen
image, to the intent to do Godly honour
thereto. There is further pretended
Lactantius de Imaginibus, and
Augustine, who should say, yau shal
not breake down images wher they
may do good as by images S. Austin
thought some good might come.
Thirdly that Idolum & Simulachrum
do far differ from that which is called
image or similitude.
Fourthly, yt this part of ye Roodloft
yet standing is no monument of idolatry.
That the defendors of these absurdities
whose opinion & iudgeme~t to
the discredit of the doctrine of ye gospel
in this place was & is take~ for Apollo
his oracles, in so much as some
here present haue sayd, that they had
rather haue their learning, who defended
these thinges, then much riches:
& many of you haue sayde, that
they be wel read in scriptures & doctours,
they haue the scriptures & fathers
at their fingers ends, so redye
are they yt our minister is not able
to answere them. That ye defendors
I say haue neither learning, reason,
nor gouernme~t of the~selues. It shal
appeare in handling of these things
both by scripture doctors, and otherwise,
as occasion offereth.
Now touching the first branche, It
shall playnely appeare that the papistes
both by decrees of Counsels,
writings of their Doctors & practises,
had Images in their Churches
not only to represent, but especially
to be worshipped. In the 2. councell
of Nice it was thus decreede, Definimus
enim omni diligentia et cura, venerandas
& sanctas imagines ad modum
et formam venerande et viuifica~tis
crucis coloribus et tessellis aut alia
quæris materia commode paratas dedicandas
et in templis sanctis Dei collocandas
habendasq3. We doe with all
care & dilige~ce decree that holy Images
worthy of worship be made
after the manner & fashion of the
worshipful & holy Crosse that giueth
life, with colours & wainscot
or any other matter conueniently
prepared be placed & had in the
holy temples of god, And in ye same
sessio~,Imaginis enim honor in προτοτυπον
resultat, et qui adorat imaginem,
in ea adorat quodcunq3 descriptu~
argumentum, Truly the honor done
vnto the image reboundeth vnto
that thing that the image doeth
represente, and hee that worshippeth
an image worshippeth
in the image, whatsoeuer is by
the image represented. And
ymmedyatelye after, in the same

B.iiii.

session,Sancta synodus exclamauit,
omnes sic credimus, omnes idem sapimus,
omnes approbantes subscripsimus,
hæc est fides Apostolorum, hæc est fides
patrum, hæc est fides orthodoxoru~,
hæc fides orbem terrarum confirmauit,
credentes in vnum Deum in trinitate
laudatum venerandas imagines amplexamur,
qui secus agunt Anathemate
percelluntur, qui sic non sentiunt ab ecclesia
depelluntur. The holy Synode
cried out amain, we al do thus beleeue,
we all so think, we all allowing
the same haue subscribed, this
is the faith of the Apostles, this is
the faith of the fathers, this is the
faith of all them that taught the
truth, this fayth hath confyrmed
the whole world, we beleeuing in
one God praised in trinitie do receiue
and imbrace Images to be
worshipped, whosoeuer do not so,
be excommunicated, whosoeuer
thinketh otherwise, let him be expelled
out of the Church. The
fourth councell of Constantinople
holden in the time of Pope Adrian
the second hath thus decreede, Sacra~
imaginem domini nostri Iesu Christi et
omnium saluatoris equo honore cu~ libro
sanctorum Euangeliorum adorari decermin,
We do decree, that the holy
image of our Lord Iesus Christe
the Sauior of al me~, shall be adored
and worshipped with equall honour
of the bookes of the holy Euangelists.
And in the ende of the
same Canon, Dignius est enim propter
congruentia~ rationis, et antiquissimam
traditionem, propter honorem qui
ad principalia ipsa refertur, et iam declaratiue
imagines honorentur et adorentur.
It is very meet both for the
congruence of reason, & the most
ancient tradition, and for the honor
that is referred vnto the principal
that images be honored and
worshipped, And in the councell of
Trident the last session, vsdem Episcopis
mandat, vt doceant sanctorum
inuocationem, reliquiorum honorem, et
imanginu~ vsum, et eos qui aliter doceant

9

impie sentire, prædicent, id quod consilioru~
præsertins vero secunde Nicie decretis
contra imaginum oppugnatores
est sanctitum. The Synode co~manded
the Bishops, that they teache
the inuocation of Saintes, the honour
of reliques, the vse of images
and they shall preach that all that
teach otherwise, are of a wicked
iudgement, the which thing is stablished
in the decrees of Counsels
but especially in the second counsel
of Nice against the oppugnors
or gainsaiers of images. And doctor
Durandus amo~g other things for ye
worship of images, hath this verse:
Effigiu~ Christi qui tra~sis pronus adora,
Thou that passest by the Image of
Christ, fall downe groueling and
worship: And a little after, Picturas
non licet frangere ea occasione quod adorari
non debent, pictura namq3 videtur
plus mouere animum qua~ scriptura.
It is not lawful to breake images
because they shoulde not be
worshipped for it is thought an
Image doeth more moue the
mynd then Scripture. Thus you
heare that imagery was placed in
the Church of Papistes to be worshipped,
whereby you may well perceiue,
how litle learning they haue,
that among you so stoutly and boldly
affirme the contrary, yea, theyr
knowledge is little worth, no not in
Popery.
To the second branch of this question,
I say it is euident vnto al men
that are not wilfully blinded that
the second commaundement doth as
sharpely forbidde the making and
hauing of images in religion, as the
worshippe of them: The commaundement
standeth of three braunches.
The firste forbyddeth the makyng
of Images in relygion: For the
Lorde in the first table doeth onely
respecte his owne worshippe, any
thynges belonging vnto hys worshyppe
and Relygyon: Wherefore
all vayne ianglynge of cauelynge
Papystes, that drawe
the vse of stamping, printing, grauing,
caruing, or paynting, to prophane
or ciuile ends, is vtterly remoued
from the meaning and interpretation
of this commaundement,
and can therefore haue no place in
this question. The second braunch
forbiddeth the worshipping of images.
The third braunch conteineth
a sharpe threatning of almightie
God against such as shall for religion
sake either make or worship an
image. For the first braunch of the
second co~maundement these are the
words: Non facies tibi scuptile, nec vllam
similitudinem eorum quæ sunt in
cœlo. &c. Thou shalt not make to
thy selfe any grauen image, nor
any likenes of any thing that is in
heauen. &c. Of the second braunch
these are ye words, yea after S. Hierome,
Non adorabis neque coles ea,
Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe
vnto them, nor before them, not
worship them. And thus doth Moyses
in ye fourth of Deutronomy interprete
the commandment, saying:
Take heede vnto your selues diligently,
for you saw no Image, nor
likenes of any thing at the time
on day when the Lorde spake with
you in Horeb, in the midste of the
fyre, least happilye you corrupte
your wayes, and make vnto your
selues any grauen image or likenesse
of anye thing. &c. Loe here
not only the Worship, but the making
is forbidden, and the making
of Images is here called the corrupting
of their wayes. Esayas after
Hierome his translation Plastœ
idoli omnes nihil sunt, All the makers
of Images are of no reputacion,
yea not only the Image, but the Image
maker is accursed. The Prophet
Dauid after Hierome his
translation saith, Similis sunt ijs omnes
qui ea faciunt, They are all like
vnto Images that make Images,
And Tertullian that is pretended
for Images, sayeth: Idolum et amfieri

13

quam coli Deus prohibet, God
doth forbid as well the making as
the worshipping of images. Quanto
precedit vt fiat quod coli possit, tanto
prius ne fiat si cole non licet, propter
hanc causam ad eradicandam, failicet
materiam idolatria lex diuina proclamat
ne fecerit is idolum; et coniungens
necq3 similitudinem eorum &c.
By how much the making of an
Image goeth before the worship:
euen so much must the making
be first auoyded if it may not bee
worshipped, therefore to the vtter
pulling vp of the matter of
Idolatry, the lawe of god proclaimeth
that you make no image
and ioyneth heereto, nor anye
similitude of thynges in Heauen.
&c. And Lactantius, Non est
dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicumq3
Simulachrum est, Nam si Religio
ex diuinis rebus est, Diuini autem
nihil est nisi in Cœlestibus rebus,
carent Religione Simulachrae.
There is no doubte, that there
is no religion wheresoeuer there
is any imagery, for if religio~ be in
diuine thinges, and nothing is
deuine, but that is in Heauenlye
thinges, then is imagery voide of
all religion. The councell of Elibertine
holden in Spayne Anno three
hundred, thus decreede agaynst Images,
Placuit picturas in Ecclesia
esse non debere, ne quod colitur et adoratur
in parietibus depingatur. It is
decreed that pictures oughte not
to be in the church, nor that which
is honoured and worshipped bee
paynted or stained vppon Walls.
And Saynt Augustine iudged that
Marcus Varro the Romane came so
muche nearer vnto Religion, by
howe muche hee abhorred Imagerye
in Religion. The Law
of Nature did teache Varro, that
God being inuisible, and withall
incomprehensible, coulde in no wise
be represented by thinges visible, &
thinges made by the skill of man of
the same iudgement was Iuuenall
and diuers others, Dicite pontifices
sayth Iuuenall in sacro quid facit
Aurum: Tell me ye Priests what
profiteth your golden Images in
Religion: In like maner Persian
& Horace, who in deriding imagery
are brought in by Lactantius and
S. Ierome.
O curas hominum, o quantum est in rebus
inane,
O carue in terras omniu~, et cœlestium
inanes.
Oh the cares of men, how void of
the vnderstanding of thinges heauenly,
oh how groueling vpon the
earth doe they vainely bend their
cogitations. And Horace,
Olim truncus eram ficulnus inutile lignum,
cum faber incertus scannum faceret
ne Priapam, maluit esse Deum,
Deus inde ego furum atq3 anium, maxima
formido. Yerewhile I was a doted
wilde figge Tree, both barren
and vnprofitable, when the
workeman was in doubt whether
he would make me a forme, a trestle,
or his God Priapus, in the
ende hee woulde haue mee a god,
from this parentage I am become
a god, a terrible scarecrowe to
theeues and crowes, Thus wee
heare by scripture and fathers that
the second commaundement doth as
well forbid the making of Images
as the worship of them, and Doctors,
Councels, yea & heathen men,
also condemne the hauing of them in
religion. The learning therefore
reading and wisedome of those that
with all boldnesse say the contrary,
ye see is nothing, and in these matters
is as little worth, but you may
see in them the common Prouerbe
verified, None is so bolde as blinde
Bayard that seeth nothing, Thus
much for the second Branche of the
Question.
That the places of Scripture reprouing
the Idolatrie of the Heathen
are not to be applied vnto the
Images of Christians, and that betweene

C.i.

idolum simulachrum and
imaginem, is greate dyfference,
whereto was aleaged Saint Paule,
Non est Idolum in Mundo, There
is not an Image in the world. Also
S. Augustine was aleaged to the
same purpose. This dystinction I
say is lewd, wicked, and Popyshe
first it is lewd and wicked, because
it is dyrectly agaynst the worde
of God, and the practise of the
true Churche of God, and misconstrueth
the meaning of Saint
Paule and falsifieth bothe the
wordes and meaning of Saynte
Augustine as you shall heare.
For betweene the Iewe and
the Chrystyan in substaunce of
Relygion, there is no difference,
they bothe haue the selfe and
the same GOD and Saluation
in Chryste Iesus as appeareth
by Adam, Isaac, Iacob, and
all others. Therefore Chryste
sayde vnto the Iewes Abraham
was gladde to see my daies,
hee sawe it, and reioyced. And
Saynte Paule bryngeth the Relygion
of Chryste from the promyses
made to Abraham. And
to the Hebrewes, hee ioyneth the
Iewe and the Christyan togeather,
in one promyse and felowshyppe
in Chryste, Christe being
as saith S Peter, the Corner stone.
Irenæus also witnesseth the same in
these words: Sinedabitatione igitur
&c. Therefore wtout all doubt or
gainsaying, ye Apostle witnessing ye
same, there is one & ye selfe same god
which iudged those things of ye Hebrewes
and sifteth out the thinges
of ye Christians yt now are. Thys
also affyrmeth Origen, Eusebius
also, & Augustine agree in ye same.
In outward things in deede as Polityque
gouernment, Ceremonyes,
Ceremonyal Lawes, and the outward
partes of the Sacrament,
there is greate dyfference, but
in signification, grace, substance
of Religyon, Morrall preceptes,

C.ii.

and commaundeth, there is no difference,
otherwise Christ Iesus, S.
Paule, and the other Apostles, had
expounded and applied them vnto
Christians in vayne, then there being
no difference in these respectes,
betweene the Iewes & Christians,
when we see the Appostles apply the
name Idole, and the hauing or making
of Images, with the detestation
as well vnto the Iew as vnto the
Gentile, we maye well see and perceiue
that the like application belongeth
vnto vs. This shall you see
in Ieremy, Ezechiell, Esay, and
S. Paule, and many other places: It
is lewde and wicked therefore to denye
the application of the scripture
by condemning the Idolatrie of the
Iew and Gentiles vnto or agaynste
the imagery of Christians in Religion.
Now concerning the abusing
of these wordes of S. Paule, Scimus
quod idolum nihil est in mundo, Wee
know that an Idole or Image is
nothing in the World, Whereby
he denieth not the being of Idoles,
or Images in substance and fourm,
but in vse, qualitie, and power, and
thereto hee addeth, and that there
is no other GOD but one, for
although there bee that are called
Gods in Heauen and in earth, as
there bee manye Gods, and manye
Lordes yet vnto vs is oure
GOD the Father, of whome
are all thinges, and wee in him,
And our Lorde Iesus Christe, by
whome are all thinges, and wee
by him. The Gentiles and Idolaters,
pretended the representation
of GOD, who is incomprehensible,
by an Image made by
man, which cannot be, and therefore
to this ende or vse there is no Idole
or Image, they also pretended
by theyr Imagerye manye and
dyuerse Goddes, whiche is also
false, and is not as Saynt Paule
sayth.
They also pretended power vnto
theyre Idoles, and that the

C.iii.

thinges offered in the presence
of their Images were sanctised and
dedicated vnto GOD, whiche is
also false, for Saynte Paule sayth,
Suche Offeringes are the Offeringes
and Cuppe of Deuils, and
thus you maye see, Saynte Paule
denyeth not the being and forme
of Idoles, but the vse, qualitye,
and power vnto them ascrybed
by menne, and vsing the wordes
of Esaye, who sayeth: an Idole
or Image is nothing: it is vayn, and
vanitie it selfe.
Habacuc sayeth: They are
Mendacia, Leasinges. Thus yee
also see, that the abusing of these
wordes of Saynte Paule, is as
lewde and wicked. And where
Saynte Augustine is pretended
to allowe of Images, and the
Matter of them to stande where
they maye doe some good, as
though this Father thoughte they
mighte doe good heere is the
Booke from whence that was pretended,
the place is cleane contrarye.
In his Sermon vppon the
eyghth of Mathewe, hee greatelye
enueigheth agaynste Idoles, saying
they call vs, the Enimyes
of theyre Idoles, so God graunte
and bring them into our power that
they maye be broken as the reste
are, but this I warne you,
when they are not in your iurisdiction,
you doe it not: for it is
the propertie of euill menne and furious
Circumcillions, where they
haue no iurisdiction to aduenture
vppon them, and desyre theyr owne
Death, they make vnprofytable
haste. You all that were latelye
presente, hearde what was
reade, When the Lande is gyuen
you in possessyon: Fyrste hee
sayeth in possessyon, and then hee
telleth what you shall doe: You
shall breake downe theyre Alters,
hewe downe their Groues, and ouerthrowe
theyre Monumentes,
when you haue authoritie, this
shal you do, where we haue no autority
we do it not, but where we haue
authoritie, we leaue it not vndone.
There be many pagans among vs,
that haue these abhommacions
within their possessions, what shall
wee goe and breake them? No,
lette vs remooue them fyrst out of
their hartes, and when they become
Christians, they will eyther
desire vs to breake them, or preuent
vs, in breaking them themselues,
And in the ende of that Sermon,
he sayth: Wee preache agaynste Idoles
and Images, wee plucke
them foorth of mens heartes, wee
are the persecutoures of Idoles, we
confesse it: What are we, the reseruers
of Idoles, in deede I brake
them not where wee cannot, I doe
it not where the Owner of the possession
complayneth, but where the
Owner will haue it done, I doe it
with thankes, and if I shall not doe
it I am guiltie.
Thus far Augustine, who is so far
from bearing with imagery that he
professeth him selfe a sharpe persecutour
of Imagerye howe skylfullye,
and howe trulye yea how
wyselye thys place of Augustine
was aleaged, for defence of the
Roodeloft iudge you, except the
aleagers wyll affyrme this rood
lofte to bee exempted from the
Prynces iurisdictyon, that hath
accordyng to the wordes of God
commaunded the ouerthrowe of
all suche monumentes. Nowe
because I haue Augustine in
myne handes and that openlye
in the Churche, and manye
of you present, it was boldelye
and rashlye sayde, that there
was as muche dyfference between
the Sacramentes of cyrcumsition,
and baptisme, as between
a newe coate and an olde. Saint
Paule teachynge vs that they
are bothe one, I wyll reade
vnto you the Iudgemente of
Saint Austine touchyng thys
matter, vppon the sixte of S. Iohn,
Sacramenta illa fuerunt in signis
diuersa, Sed in re significata paria
sunt: These Sacramentes in
signes differed from oures, but
in the thing signifyed, they are
like, and all one, and to this purpose,
in that place hee alleageth
the Apostle Saynte Paule, and
further, ad Quodvultdeum, this
Augustine who is pretended to allowe
Images doe recken them for
Heretiques that pretende the resemblynge
or representynge of
GOD by an Image, and calleth
them Antropomorphets, so
doeth Origine vppon the Romaynes,
so doeth also Epiphanius
the Bishoppe of Cipris,
who as hee wente towarde Bethell
to meete with the Bishoppe of
Hierusalem, passing by a Village
called Anablatha, hee entered
an Oratorye or house of praier,
and sayth hee inueni velum dependens

26

in foribus eiusdem Ecclesiæ,
tinctum atq3 depictum, et habens imagenem
quasi Christi, vel sancti cuiusdam,
non enim satis memini cuius
Imago fuerit: cum hoc vidissem in
Ecclesia Christi, contra authoritatem
Scipturaru~ hominis pendere imaginem.
scidi. &c. I founde a cloth
hanging in the enteraunce of
the Churche, stayned and
paynted, hauing the Image,
as it were of Christe, or of
some other Saynte, I doe not
well remember whose Image
it was, when I sawe the Image
of a manne hang in the
Churche of Christe, contrarye
to the aucthoritye of the
Scriptures, I cutte it downe. &c.
Thus you also see the
Scriptures by Augustine, by
Origine, and Epiphanius, applyedde
agaynste Christiannes,
for the hauing of Images, yea
so farre, that by those Scriptures,
they condemne images, matters
in religion for Heretikes: but
now between Idolum, Simulachrum,
Similitudinem, or Imaginem, there is
great difference, for Idolnus and Simulacrum,
do euer signify the Idols & false Gods of the Gentiles,
and are not to be applied vnto the images
of Christia~s, this is as skilfull
and learned distinction as the
rest, and of like truth. Tertullian in
his booke against Idolatry deriueth
NoValue from his Greeke primitiue
NoValue quod grece formam sonat
ab eo per dimunitionem, NoValue
deductum, aq3 apud nos formulam facit,
igitur omnis forma, vel formula idolum
se dici exposcit, That in greeke
doth signifie a forme, or fashion,
for idole by diminutio is brought
and doeth with vs indifferentlye
signifie a shape or fashion, therefore
euery shape or forme requireth
the name of Idole. Loe here
is the difference of Idolu~ as a greeke
word et Similitudo or Imago a Latin
word, signifying the~ self & the same
thing, for Simulacru~ a Grammer
Boye hauing learned the seconde
parte of Grammer, can tel you that
similitudo commeth from similes that
signifieth like. so doeth simulacrum
come from simulatum, that signifieth
to liken, so simulacrum and similitudo
are both one, and signifieth a
likenesse or Image, as imago: Loe
here is their great learning that so
boldlye and rashly talke they know
not what, thus muche for the thyrde
branche.
They say this Roodelofte is no
monument of Idolatrie, Tertullian
telleth vs, that monumentum is anye
thing that putteth in minde the memory
of thinges not present. Nowe
enter into the consideration of your
owne myndes, and remember with
youre selues, whether when you
beholde this lofte, you at some
time or other, thinke with youre
selues, sometime yonder stoode a
Crucifixe, Mary and Iohn, or when
your Chyldren doe aske you what
this Lofte is, or why it standeth
there, and is more gaye, then the
residue of the Churche: Doe you
not aunswere, It was the Roodelofte,
there stoode the Roode, Mary
and Iohn, and when they saye further,
where is now the Roodes, and
why is it now taken awaye, do you
not aunswere, They were Idoles,
and therefore are taken away.
Thus both the iudgemente of
Tertullian, yea of all learned men,
the cogitation of your own mindes,
the questioning of your young ones,
the common name whereby it is
called, teacheth that it is a Monumente
of Idolatrie. Further the
Lawes of this Realme, the iudgemente
of our most gratious prince,
whom the Almighty euer preserue
to the vtter ouerthrowe of Idolatrie
with the practise of her Commissioners
giuen vnto diuerse learned
menne of this Realme, as well
in the common Lawes, and ciuile
Lawes, as in Diuinitie, teacheth
vs that this Roodelofte is a monumente
of Idolatrie, for euery where
in the fyrste yeare of her Gracious
reigne, they gaue commaundement
to ouerthrowe them in euery place,
as may appeare vnto you by Saint
Neots your next neighbour, where
Doctor Benta~, & Doctor Neueson,
and Sergent Fleetwood caused the
Roodlofte there to be cut downe,
by the seates of the quyer, leuing
no memoryal thereof, yt their doyng
myght be an example vnto the residue
of the countrey to do the like.
Seing therefore that these proofes
do so clearelye declare it to bee a
monumente of Idolatry, whyche
in trueth hath and doeth greatlye
offende the consciences of the
beste sorte, and disquieteth the
whole number of this congregation:
Let me say vnto you as Moyses
at the red Sea sayde to the Israelits,
whe~ Pharao had he~med the~ in
with his armye, feare ye not, stande
still, and beholde the great workes
of the Lorde, ye see the Egiptians
now, but after this day shall yee see
them no more, be not offended, quiet
your myndes, ye nowe see this monume~t
that hath so troubled vs, but
after this, in this fourme and fashio~
shall ye see it no more, the Lord will
so deale with vs, assure your selues,
And thus muche for the fourthe
branche.
Now what learning, wisedome,
and gouernmente those men haue,
that take vpon the~ ye defence, that Images
were not by the Papistes,
brought into the Church to be worshipped.
That the commaundement
doth not forbid the making and hauing
of Images in religion, but the
worship only, that there is such difference
in signification, betweene
idolum, simulachrum & imaginem, or
similitudinem, that one maye not bee
put for an other, and the scriptures
reprouing the Idolatrie of the heathen,
may not be applyed against the
images of Christians: finallye that
this Roodloft is no monument of Idolatrie,
by these things alredy said
you may easily perceiue, what learning
soeuer your Minister hath,
truffane they haue no learning wisdome,
discretion, nor gouernment at
all, lette them therefore deceiue you
no more, for as in these things, so in
other thinges belonging to religion
shall you fynde them. There bee the
bookes that they themselues pretended,
take them who will, carry them
whether you will, and if I haue not
dealt simply, playnely, and truelye,
then beleeue me no more, but if you
finde this saying true, then quyet
your selues, & receiue the Doctrine
and doubte thereof no longer. But
some will saye this is verye hote,
and vncharytable, so openlye,
and so sharpelye to reprooue, it
woulde haue bene more mylde,
and priuate: GOD is my witnesse
I wish no mannes fynger to

D.

ake, but onelye in the feare of God
reprooue not the persons, but reprooue
and conuince the Errors,
that the mayntayners thereof maye
be ashamed of them; and leaue them;
the simple warned to open theyre
eares, to the hearing of anye suche
thinges hereafter. S. Paule vnto
the Galathians wisheth suche as
troubled the Congregation to bee
cutte off from them. To the Phillippians
he calleth them Dogges
that maintained superstition after
the receiuing of the gospell. To the
Corinthians, he will not call them
men that at Ephesus impugned his
doctrine, but cals the~ beastes. Christ
calleth such wolues. In the reuelacion
of Sainte Iohn, suche bee called
Locustes. Saint Peter calleth
them beastes without reason, which
the mild spirite of God compareth
ye enimies of his truth vnto, wt Nahum,
Daniel, [illegible] & in order of
the Prophets: who will rende shall
receiue. Christ our Sauiour, the
mildest of all others calleth them
Wolues, theeues, and murtherers:
Iohn Baptist calleth the~ the broode
of adders. Such therfore as mislike
of the vpholding and maynteinance
of errors in the sighte of God, that
hee by his Ministers doth with all
sharpenesse ryse vp agaynste them,
giuing them greate charge, that
when the Wolfe assayleth the
Sheepefolde, that then they do earnestly
oppose and sette themselues agaynst
such Wolues, yea euen vnto
the losse of their lyues! for if they be
colde in such assaultes, and preferre
the benefite of their temporall quietnesse
& safetie before the glorye of
God, & ye safety of the soules co~mitted
vnto their charge, they shall lose
their owne liues in ye world to come,
and the blood of the simple that so
peryshe throughe theyr coldenesse,
will GOD in the rygour of hys
Iustyce, requyre at theyr hande,
the LORD therefore graunte
vnto the ministers of hys Gospell
suche assistaunce of his holy spirite,
that with all knowledge, zeale, and
boldnesse, they may diligentlye set
foorth vnto his people, the truth of
his worde, and with all constancy to
withstand and conuince the gainsayers
thereof, to the aduancing of
his own glory, the euerlasting comford
of his chosen, the downfall & ruine
of Antichrist, whome the Lord
Iesus with the glorious presence of
his spedy comming, confound & vtterly
ouerthrowe, vnto whom with
God the father & the holy Ghost,
one eternall and euerlasting
God be all glory power
& dominion both
now and
euer.

FINIS.