Master Bezaes sermons upon the three chapters of the canticle of canticlesMaster Bezaes sermons vpon the three chapters of the canticle of canticles

WE stood the last thursday upon this point, namely whether he, who some ages since, calleth himself supreme head of the universal Church, as Lieutenant of that king of whom mention is here made, be not rather guilty of high treason against his divine majesty, though we should grant him his Lieutenant-ship he pretendeth to have, and that because he hath deserved to be utterly degraded, seeing it cannot be that this sovereign king ever gave any man authority to falsify in any sort that which he ordained to be stable & perpetual unto the ⟨p. 406⟩end and consummation of the world: and this is it which we are now again to prove and handle. I say therefore that there are three ways of falsifying an instrument, namely by adding, by clipping away, or by changing, in such sort that the instrument of the truth, whereof the question is, receiveth thereby an alteration. Let us then see now whether all these sorts of falsification have not been and yet are committed by him of whom we spake, and let us begin with the Law moral. The first commandment forbiddeth us to have any other God then the only sovereign father, Son, and holy Ghost. Now what is it to have any other thing for a mans God, but to attribute unto it that which is properly belonging unto this only God, whether a man conceive this opinion within himself, which is inward Idolatry, or whether a man yield it any outward service appertaining unto God alone, which is outward Idolatry, both these two being abominable before God? Now then is not this to make of a creature, nay of a demi-creature a God, to persuade a mans self that it heareth and understandeth the words and thoughts of men, absent, from as far as that which is above the highest heavens is removed from the earth, and which is more, speaking and thinking in one instant in an hundred thousand divers places? This property I say, of being every where, and of knowing the thoughts, is it not properly belonging unto the divine essence alone? Their reply is that this were indeed to make gods of creatures, if they said that these creatures did hear and understand of themselves that which is said and done in an instant in their absence, in so many diverse places, and by so many diverse persons: but that this is given by Revelation unto the Saints which are dead:

WEE stoode the last thursday vpon this point, namely whether hee, who some ages since, calleth himselfe supreme head of the vniuersal Church, as Lieutenant of that king of whom mention is heere made, bee not rather guilty of high treason against his diuine maiestie, though we should graunt him his Liuetenant-ship hee pretendeth to haue, and that because hee hath deserued to be vtterly degraded, seeing it cannot be that this souerain king euer gaue any man autority to falsifie in any sort that which he ordained to be stable & perpetual vnto the