Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

Now let us compare this saying of ⟨image 75⟩Christ unto our selves and our time: let us see whether this that Christ then spake to his Disciples, may not be spoken of us, and our time. For thus ought we to read Gods word, to this end we should read the Scriptures of God. Now therefore, good brethren, let us consider well, and see whether the Church of God hath not been so disordered before our time, yea, and in our time, that we may now well say, blessed are our eyes, and the eyes which see that we see: for many a good and godly man would same have seen that we see, and could not see it. I will be short, I will not long trouble you in this thing, I will not use many words unto you herein. The errors that have been taught and preached in the church of Christ, have been (good brethren) so gross, that such as could not see them with their eyes, might have felt them even with their fingers: so horrible, and so gross were the errors in the church: so were all things confounded, and scarcely the form of the Church left unto us. But that this ⟨image 76⟩should so come to pass, Christ himself, S. Paul, S. Peter, and Daniel the Prophet, long time before gave warning to the world, and prophesied it should so be. And even as they spake, so hath it come to pass, look what they said, the same have we seen fulfilled. For Christ himself openly showed, that the time should come,¹ that desolation should stand in the holy place. And again he said, When the son of man shall come to judge the earth, think you that he shall find any faith upon the earth? As if he should have said, when he shall come to judge, there shall be no faith on the earth, no fidelity and trust among men, so shall all things be confounded, and no faith shall be found. Saint Paul likewise saith,² The time shall be, that Antichrist shall nestle himself in the Temple of God, in the consciences of men, in the place of Christ, and shall be exalted above all that is called God, or Gods service. And he saith further,³ Erit tempus cum sanam doctrinam aspernentur, The days shall come, when men shall despise and cast away all wholesome doctrine: the time