A07146:60
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times…The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times…
The relics of Rome containing all such matters of religion, as have in times past been brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherents: faithfully gathered out of the most faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and now newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singular profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.The reliques of Rome contayning all such matters of religion, as haue in times past bene brought into the Church by the Pope and his adherentes: faithfully gathered out of the moste faithful writers of chronicles and histories, and nowe newly both diligently corrected & greatly augmented, to the singuler profit of the readers, by Thomas Becon. 1563.
London: printed by John Day, 1563London: printed by Iohn Day, 1563
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Furthermore there are an other sort,1 which object and bring against us the multitude and great number, saying, that few are they, & little is the number that embrace the doctrine of the Gospellers & Protestants: but innumerable are them & infinite is the number of them, that receive and embrace their old, ancient, Catholic, & mother holy Churches doctrine, whereof it must needs follow, that where the greatest number is there is the most certain truth. I answer with our saviour Christ: Enter in at the strait gate for the wide is the gate, & broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, & many they be, which go in thereat. But strait is the gate: & narrow is the way,2 which leadeth unto life, & few they be that find it. Again, many are called, few are chosen. The holy Apostle s. Paul saith: Lord, who hath believed our preaching. If we consider either the sentences or histories of the holy Bible: we shall easily perceive that the greatest number is alway the worst, & the most wicked. When the whole world was drowned, eight persons only except: Did not the lesser number excel the greater in goodness & Godliness.3 God by his mighty hand & outstretched arm delivered out of Egypt above .600. thousand men, of the which .ii. only, that is to say, Joshua & Caleb, entered into the land of promise, because they believed the promise of God, the other were unfaithful and inconstant. In the time of wicked King Ahab, and of his most wicked wife Queen Jezebel, ⟨image 18⟩there were above .400. false Prophets besides the Nobility and Commonalty,4 which resisted the ways of the Lord: and in sight but one alone, that stoutly defended the Lords truth against the wicked and Idolatrous multitude. About the number of .400. false Prophets told king Ahab,5 that he should prosper in his wars, & return home safe again, which deceived him: Micah alone told him the contrary: & so came it to pass. When Christ was borne, few received him and embraced him,6