and due confirmation of the other But I cannot be perswaded that such was your owne simplicity as once to imagine that the fift of Mathew Ephes 4 Esaie 62. or any other proofe that you vse to that ende did serue at all to proue your entraunce to haue bene as you saied I am therefore flat of this minde and so must euery man of any wit and discretion be vnlesse you will giue vs leaue to thinke that you had neither of both in thus reasoning that this was your Romish and Popish cunning herein finding your selfe vnable to proue any of these foure points that your entrance is by the ordinary waie that your Bishops and Priests are right Bishops and Priests that you haue had from the Apostles right succession and that also now and alwaies you haue beene in possession of the Catholick trueth you thought it good confidently as though their were no controuersie to be made with you about any of these to aduouch that you had all these to iustifie your maner of comming to your offices And so perswading your selfe that you should meete with such franke and liberall Readers as would easily vpon this your bolde begging graunt you all these foure for an almes taking them for giueÌ„ as sure as though you had them already in your beggers budget euen for and at the very first asking you goe on as you doe supposing that your Reader is already wonne to this to imagine that all and euery place of scripture that speakes of right Bishops and pastours and of their lawful calling succeeding one another froÌ„ age to age in the trueth must needes be vnderstoode of yours But with this conceit phantesy of yours howsoeuer you may preuaile with men of your owne humour and complexion that haue their wits benummed bluÌ„dered with the drunken enchaunted cup of the garish whoar of Babylon whiles you take this course you set your selfe but forth vpon a scaffolde to bee laught at and derided as one that hath neither sounde Religion nor common reason left him of those that are indeede wise sober and godly Seeing therefore you haue saied so much and proued so little well enough might I euen with the detection in this sort of your vanity leaue you as sufficiently answered for any thing you haue saied concerning this point But because I haue not taken in â—and onely so to answere you as might be sufficient to take awaie â—â—e power and force from any thing you haue set downe in this â—our discourse to winne any more to bee of your iudgement then â—ee alreadie but also so as by the grace of God may bee likely to â—ake your owne frendes ashamed of your dealing in their cause 〈◊〉 will both in this throughout your booke for the further beneâ—it of the Reader take the paines to follow you froÌ„ steppe to steppe â—how crooked soeuer your pathes be so disclose lay open before â—im not onely the vanity of your proceeding but also the vntrueth â—nd grosse impietie of your words and sayings Wherefore whereas to iustify your maner of comming by your â—ffices you first saie you come thereunto by the ordinarie way the Reader is to consider that through the ambiguttie of your speech you seeke wilfullie to abuse him For you could not bee so simple but you knewe and remembred well enough that as there is a lawfull ordinarie waie ordeined and allowed by God and therefore accordinglie practised in his Church whereby his Church officers should enter into their callings whereby if you could haue proued yours to haue come to theirs you had indeede iustifyed their entrance thereupon so haue there beene in tract of time through the boldnes of men to alter Gods ordinance and therein to preferre the way deuised by themselues before that which the Lord himselfe had prescribed many waies both inuented and practised which though they haue by custome and long continuance of time growen to be too ordinarie yet for all that they haue beene and yet are too bad by anie of which though in respect of one or other of them you maie truelie saie yours haue entred by the ordinarie waie yet you haue saied nothing to proue their maner of entraÌ„ce to be holie good and of God But to speake plainelie and yet no more then I can proue out of your owne Cronicles your verie Bishops of Rome of whose lawfull and ordinarie calling you vse to brag most and of whose lawfull entrance and calling if they bee such heades of the Church as you pretend the lawfull calling and authoritie of all other inferiour Church officers is deriued and depends for manie hundreth yeares a number of them haue so got to their Prelacies that vnlesse you account those in your sence to haue come to their places by the ordinarie waie that in compassing of them haue broken all good order both of God and man I wonder with what face you durst thus indefinitely generally say of all your Bishops and pastours that they haue bene called to their estate by the ordinary way For furious braules monstrous and long contentious force of armes and cruell bloudshed haue beene the ordinary waies whereby a great multitude of them haue entered as namely and for exaÌ„ple these Symachus Boniface the second Pelagius the first Boniface the third ConoÌ„ Sergius the first Zozimus Paul the first Constantine the second Eugenius the first Hadrian the second Formosus Leo Benedict Gelasius the second Honorius the second Innocent the second Gregorie the tenth Nicholas the third Clement the fifth Vrban the sixth and sundry others Bribery also hath beene the ordinary way whereby many of them haue clymed into that chaire as namely Iohn 13. Boniface the 7. Gregory the sixth Siluester the third and most of late daies NicromaÌ„cy art magicke and plaine barganing with the deuill for it haue beene ordinary waies also whereby a shamefull sort of them haue compasseâ— that place For from Syluester the second vnto Gregory the seuenth including them there being an eighteene or nineteene Popes your owne Cardinal Benno shewes that the greater number of theÌ„ so came to their roomes and since wee reade that Alexander the sixth got it the same way It appeares also in the saied Benno that the greater nuÌ„ber of the Popes from Syluester the second to Gregory the seuenth were poisoned or at least by violent means dispatched by such as for theÌ„selues their frends thought good so to make the waie readier thereuÌ„to for themselues or some others whom they fancied And to the same ende other authours write that very many of them beside haue in like maner from time to time since beene sodenly vnpoped that others the sooner might bee popt into their roomes Yea Genebrard a late writer and a great frend to the Roman Religion and Bishops in his fourth booke and tenth age in his Cronology by the plaine euideÌ„ce of the truth is inforced to confesse that from the yeare 884. to the yeare
which is but a mā often times an ignorant wicked man to vnderstand the scriptures and haue indeede no true acquaintance with the spirit of God nor any true desire after knowledge but rather after ignorāce because that is the best foūdation of your Religiō And therefore as the fashiō is you measuring another 〈…〉 by your owne happily iudge them to be as hard to all others as to your selues and thereupon by the hardnes thereof discourage them from reading them as much as you cā I am sure whatsoeuer you or any of your fellowes prate hereof that therein is conteined the will and testament of our heauenly father and that this pertaineth to simple and vnlearned artificers as well as to the great learned men of this world For therein and thereby I know that God is no accepter of persons and therefore so far of is it that any hardnes of tearmes or phrases therein conteined to expresse vnto thē or bequeath vnto them their heauenly fathers behestes and bequestes should driue them from the reading and studying of thē that so much the more paines and diligence they ought to vse to atteyne to the right sence thereof For we see in our earthly fathers will the harder the tearines and phrases be wherein he hath giuen vs any thing or willeth vs to doe any thing nature reason hath taught vs not therefore to take and bestow lesse paines cost but a great deale more to seeke to vnderstand the same how much more ought it to be so in this case And I am perswaded that oure heauenly father hath so tempered hardnes with plainenes plainenes with hardnes in the scriptures that the plainenes might allure and encourage euery simple man to reade study them with hope to vnderstand them that the other might admonish him to be no negligent but a careful wise peruser of them so both together make euery one a willing and studious reader of them Which it should seeme both Fulgentius in his sermon of the confessours Gregory in his epist to Leander had obserued in noting that God had so ordred the scriptures as the therein he had prouided for the strong man meate for the weakling milke and that there both the Elephāt might swimme and the lambe safely wade These things notwithstāding whatsoeuer else might be saied further to this purpose I perceiue that you in this your lōg discourse of the hereticks abusing and wresting the scriptures cared not how litle otherwise that which you wrote was to the purpose so the thereby you might gaine thus much as by such experiments to withdraw the mindes of men from the loue study of the scriptures For I know they greatly comber you stād in your way and therefore by your wils you cared not if the people neuer hearde of them wherof you haue giuen an inuincible demonstration in that you haue kept them hidden and shut vp from them as long as you 〈◊〉 vnder the close bushell of an vnknowen tongue And your goodwill towardes thou hath otherwise beene sufficiently bewrayed by the vnreuerent and disgracing speeches vttered by your chiefe great Champions against them as it is well knowen too too often For first for their authority though now some of your side would seeme in that point to speake more modestly not long ago Piggins a great man in his time with you in the first booke and second Chapter of his Hierarchie hath flatly writen that all authority of scripture now necessarily dependeth vpon the authority of the Church For otherwise we could not beleeue them but because we beleeue the Church that giues testimony vnto them adding further that Marke and Luke were not of themselues sufficient witnesses of the gospell and that the gospels were not writen that they might be aboue our faith and Religion but rather to be subiect thereunto And Ecchius another great doctour of yours of the same time in his Enchiridion writing of the authority of the church saieth that the scriptures were not of authenticke authority but through the authority of the Church and therefore he boldly affirmeth that to say that greater is the authority of the scriptures then of the Church is hereticall and the contrary is Catholicke And whereas it was obiected by Brentius in the confession of Wittingberge that one of your crue meaning thereby one Herman had not beene ashamed to say that the scriptures should haue had no greater estimation or credit then AEsops fables but for the testimony of the church Hosius a Bishop and Cardinall of yours writing against the saied Brentius in his third booke being of the authority of the scripture defends it as well inough spoken for saieth he vnles the church had taught vs which is scripture Canonicall it could haue had small authority with vs. Likewise teacheth Melchior Canus in his second book seuēth Chapter of his places of diuinity that it appears not to vs that the scriptures are of God but by the testimony of the Church insomuch that she must determine saieth he what bookes be Canonicall and her authority is a certaine rule whereby either to receiue or to reiect bookes into or out of the Canon Of the same iudgemēt is Canisius in his Catechisme ca. 30. sect 16. and Stapleton in his first Chapter of his ninth booke of the principles of doctrine with a great rabble moe of your writers of greatest account since Luther And this position so liked Ecchius that in the place before cited he writes of the margent Achilles against this position to insinuate that this is a speciall tried captaine of yours And yet when all comes to all your meaning all this while is by the Church to vnderstand onely the Pope forasmuch as none but hee hath the tongue of the Church in weelding For Catherin in Epistolam ad Galatas cap. 2. holdeth that it is the Popes proper priuiledge to canonize or to reiect from the Canon scriptures which is also Canus fift proposition in effect in the Chapter before named This being your meaning Leo the tenth being one of your Popes what Canonicall authority haue you left the scripture if it be true that is writen of him that he talking with Bembus then a Cardinall cōtemptuously saied speaking of the Gospell that that fable of Christ had beene very profitable vnto them And as for the vncertainty of the sēce insufficiēcy of thē who knoweth not what cost vsually alwaies vpon euery light occasion you are ready to bestow in amplifying the hardnes of them in either preferring therefore or equalling the vnwritē word with you call the liuely practise of the church before thē both for plainnes sufficiency Whē you are in this vaine both the fathers of Colen shall be iustified and Piggius also by your Andradius Orthodox Epl. li. 2. p. 104. though they cōpared the scriptures to a nose of waxe he to a leaden lesbian rule and to their further
their iust demerits excommunicated and deposed in Africke Cyprian wrote vnto them both to Cornelius in his first booke of Epistles Epistle 3. and to Stephanus in his second booke and first Epistle wherein earnestly he reproueth them for so intermedling in his iurisdiction the iurisdictiō of other his collegues in Africke shewing thē that they ought not so to do for they in Africk had as ful Pishoply autority as they at Rome and therefore were both able and the fittest to heare and determine such cases as fell out amongst themselues But seeing for all this the Bishops of Rome still were too busy in meddling further then they should after this in the counsell of Nice cannon 6. their authority and the Patriarches of Alexandria are made equall about the yeare 320. And yet the better to stay and keepe the Bishops of Rome within their due limits after this in most counsels for 300. yeares after something still was done to bridle them For certaine it is that as it appeares dist 99. the thirde counsell of Carthage helde about the yeare 435. cap. 26. forbad the ambitious and proud tytles of Prince of Priests High-priests such like euen to the Bishops of the first see And Concilio Mileuitano about the yeare 420. in another of Africke held betwixt these two as some write about the yeare 428. cap. 92. appeales vnto them frō the Bishops counsels of Africke were forbidden And the great generall councell of Calcedon held about the yeare 453. when the Bishop of Romes legates had done what they could to the contrary Act. 15.16 canon 28. gaue the Patriarch of Cōstantinople equal priuiledges with the Bishop of Rome And long after this the first generall coūsell being the third as it is noted in the second tome of the coūcelles held at Constantinople in the time of Pope Agatho about the yeare of the Lord 681. renuing a decree before there cōsented vnto in a councell consisting of 150. Bishops cap. 5. and remembring likewise the foresaide 28. cannon of the councell of Calcedon whereas some write there were 630. Bishops cap. 36. ratifieth and enacteth the same And if we go no further then to the former fiue general councels we shall finde them all to haue had a care by their decrees to keepe the bishops of Rome within their due boūds of their owne patriarchall see For proofe whereof let any mā but read the sixt canon of the Nicene the second third of the first of Constantinople the eight of the Ephesme remembring withal the twenty eight of the Calcedon twise now immediatly before mentioned vnderstand that the fift general councell solemnely confirmed those fowre former and their canons decrees and he cannot choose but see this to be most manifest But amongst all the rest notable is that that appeares to this end in that great solemne Africane councel where Zozimus Boniface Celestine three popes on a rew by their Legates vnder one of their hands alleadging a false canon of the councel of Nice all that was determined in former councels to the contrary notwithstāding shewed themselues intolerably ambitious of supremacy thereby most egerly claiming such a preheminēce to be giuen to their see that if any bishop or minister were deposed in any other prouince or Patriarchal see that vpō his appeale to Rome the Bishop of Rome might accept thereof therevpō either write his letters to the next prouince to determine the matter or else to sende his Legate from his side to represent his own person to sit in iudgement with the bishops there to determine the matter For there as it appeares in the 101 102 103 105 chap. of that councell in the first tome of the councels this their allegation was not onely examined by all the copies of the Nicene councell that they had there but also by ancient copies thereof which they sent for thither of purpose to Alexandria Antioch Constantinople thereby in the open face of that councell where 217 Bishops were assembled their forgery was espied therefore that allegation notwithstanding the bishop of Romes dealing concerning Apiarius who then gaue the occasion of that stur was there openly disliked condemned therefore to preuent the like thereafter they in their 92 chapter there determine that whosoeuer should so appeale any more frō the bishops coūcels of Africke beyond the seas should thēceforth neuer after of any in Africke be receaued into communiō Besides as it appears there in the 105. cap. by the common consent of that councell a letter was framed and sent to Celestine about the latter end therof as it should seeme by the stories about the yeare foure hundred and thirty wherein first they admonish him to admit no more such appeales or fugitiues but to send them backe againe alwaies to their owne prouinces and Metropolitans and the rather say they because such order was taken by the Nicene councell And after therein they pleade the equity of that ordinance because the holy ghost is aswell in one prouince as in an other and there the cause is alwayes like best to bee handled where it doeth arise because of the neighnesse of the vvitnesses Wherefore hauing tolde him that they finde no such thing in the truer copies of the Nicene councell as Faustinus sent by him alleadged they flatly forbid him the sending of his agents or legates any more vpon any such occasion amongst them It shoulde seeme for all this that so incident to that see vvas this ambitious humor that in pope Symachus time about the yeare fiue hundred many bishops euen in these parts did accuse him to Theodoricus king of the Gothes because hee tooke vpon him to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is one vvho vvoulde haue his vvill to be a law which is now professed to bee the popes prerogatiue and not to bee controled Dist 40. Si papa In Gregorie his time in the raigne of Mauritius the Emperour the bishop of Constantinople lustely chalenged the title of vniuersall bishop but then Pelagius bishop of Rome in the yeare fiue hundred eighty three as it appears in the ninty nine destinction of your law in Gratian and Gregory also his successor condemned that for an vnlawfull and Antichristian name in him or in any other bishop the bishops of Rome themselues not excepted lib. 4. epist 32.38.39 And vvhereas this notwithstanding Boniface the next but one to Gregory though with somewhat a doe obtained of that murderer and traitor Phocas who hauing cruelly slaine Mauritius succeded him in the Empire this Antichristian title first to be called vniuersal bishop or head of the church witnesse Sabellicus Marianus Scotus Martinus Polonus and others yet as Platina witnesseth in vita Dom the church of Rauēna in Italy complained thereof and vntill pope Donus time which vvas seuenty yeares after it coulde not bee brought to tolerate and like of it Otho Frisingensis lib. 6. Cap. 35. an ancient historiographer
nor scriptures giue it any credit or couÌ„tenaÌ„ce at al. For first whereas now they pray al in Latine a touÌ„g not vnderstood of most that heare vse their prayers it is a kinde of praying flatly condemned because it is without edification to such by Chrysostome Ambrose vpoÌ„ the 14. of the first to the Corinthians Augustine also de Genesi ad literaÌ„ li. 12. Cap. 8. ioines with them herein aduouching that no maÌ„ is edified by hearing that which he vnderstands not And the descriptions of al the auncient lyturgies in the Church shew that alwaies they were vsed in such a tongue as the people vnderstood aswell as the minister there is such mentioÌ„ of intercourse of speech one to the other as any man may see that perused the descriptions thereof yea writers both old new do plainely testify that the ancient long coÌ„tinued vse of the church hath bene to haue her publicke liturgy in the knowen vulgar tongue of the people For OrigeÌ„ coÌ„tra CelsuÌ„ lib. 8. writeth that the Grecians name God in greeke the Romans in the latin tongue and euery one in their natiue and mother tongue pray sing Psalmes vnto God And Hierom to Eustochuim describing the solemne funeral of Pacta elsewhere to Marcella testifieth that though to BethleeÌ„ there was coÌ„course of very many seueral nations yet euery one there praised god praied vnto him in their owne laÌ„guage Insomuch that eueÌ„ Lyra vpoÌ„ the 14 of the first to the Corinthians coÌ„fesses that in the primitiue church al was done in the vulgar tongue And no loÌ„ger ago then InnoceÌ„t the thirds time in the LateraÌ„ couÌ„cel held in his time 1215. c. 9. order is takeÌ„ that where in one cuntrey there be people of diuers laÌ„guages there the Bishops should prouide them ministers to celebrate theÌ„ diuine seruice to minister theÌ„ the sacraments according to the diuersities of their rites laÌ„guages Yet further that thou maist see Christian reader in this point that the maÌ„ blusheth at nothing vnderstaÌ„d that by the coÌ„fession of their own frend Eckius in his coÌ„moÌ„ places the South IndiaÌ„s haue their liturgy in their mother tongue by the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of another one SigismuÌ„d writing of the Moscovites that they likewise haue theirs And Petrus Bellonius writing of the Armonians testifies the like of theÌ„ yea Aeneas Siluius who after was a Pope in his history of the BohemiaÌ„s c. 13. plainly shewes that a Pope was admonished by a voice from heauen to graÌ„t Cyril that conuerted Russia Moralia to say diuine seruice amoÌ„gst theÌ„ in the Shlauon tongue which was their vulgar tongue How haue they theÌ„ as he bragges these things considered either the ancient holy fathers consent of al regions or such prescription of time as he preteÌ„ds for this maner of praying of theirs in a tongue not vnderstoode of most And who can read the 14 of the first to the Corinthians vnlesse he bee disposed wilfully to be blinde but he must needes there see that this maner of praying is directly there condemned Chrysostome Ambrose Haymo Lyra and so expositours both ancient and nevv take it howsoeuer our late Rhemists in their notes would faine vvrest the place from any such meaning And in this respect suppose othervvise their prayers vvere faultles who seeth not that they giue God occasion againe to renue his olde complaint Esay 29. This people drawe neare vnto mee with their lippes but their hart is farre from mee of most people vvhich through their tyranny onely pray thus But in this poynt onely there is not vanity and falshoode in his bragge for othervvise if vve consider vvell their maner of praying vve shall finde both grosse vntrueth in his speech and horrible faultes in their prayers For how can it bee true that consent of fathers and the rest that he bragges of doe countenaunce that set forme of church-seruice that now they are in possession of seing neither the ancient fathers nor yet one quarter of Christendome vvas euer acquainted with it There owne authours and namely Polydor de inuentoribus rerum lib. 5. cap. 10 doe shevv hovv it came in and vvas deuysed piece after piece In the one thousand tvvo hundred yeares after Christ it vvas not grovven eyther to that full forme or credit that it is at novv For the forme of masse novv vsed commonly called Saint Gregories masse with much adoe got to be first in these westerne partes receiued in Pope Adrians time 790 yeares after Christ witnes Durand Nauclere and Iacobus de voragine and yet euen then and long after Millayn continued the vse of a forme of liturgy receiued from Ambrose Benedict the 3 that succeeded next Ioan the harlot about the yeare 857 first inuented brought in the dirge as most authors write though Gregory the 3 had done soÌ„what about it before The first allowance of the sequences in the masse is attributed to Nicolas the first that succeeded this Benedict In Alexander the 2 time Alliluiah was first suspeÌ„ded out of the church in â—eÌ„t time which was aboue 1000 yeare after Christ Our ordinary here in England secundum vsum Sarum began 1076 yeares after Christ and that as our stories shew by occasion of a bloody quarel betwixt the Abbot of Glassenbury his monkes The 7 canonical houres came in first by Vrban the second in the yeare one thousand ninety But Gregory the ninth that monstrous enemy of Fredericke the second first brought in that blasphemous canticle Salue regina one thousaÌ„d two huÌ„dred yeare more after Christ And howsoeuer these patches in the ende grevve in these partes to bâ—â— sovved togither yet the other partes of the vvorld vnder the Cyprians time about the yeare 255. when Corneliu Bishop of Rome vnaduisedly coÌ„trary to the good policy of the church and after him Stephanus tooke vpon them so to admitte of fugitiues out of Africke at Rome that not only they receaued them into their communion but tooke vpon them to labour their restitution they being before for their iust demerits excommunicated and deposed in Africke Cyprian wrote vnto them both to Cornelius in his first booke of Epistles Epistle 3. and to Stephanus in his second booke and first Epistle wherein earnestly he reproueth them for so intermedling in his iurisdiction the iurisdictioÌ„ of other his collegues in Africke shewing theÌ„ that they ought not so to do for they in Africk had as ful Bishoply autority as they at Rome and therefore were both able and the fittest to heare and determine such cases as fell out amongst themselues But seeing for all this the Bishops of Rome still were too busy in meddling further then they should after this in the counsell of Nice cannon 6. their authority and the Patriarches of Alexandria are made equall about the yeare 320. And yet the better to stay and keepe the Bishops of Rome within their due limits after this in most counsels for 300. yeares after
they haue for Vrbanus the sixth Pope before this Gregory the ninth hauing caused a Cardinall of his in one day to â—epose rack torment and spoile all the Prelates of Cicilia because they would not aide him according to his minde against his Amipope Clement 7. was by this way easily entreated within a very short time to let into their roomes 32. new Bishops Archbishops Priests how ignorant he cared not so that otherwise they would be of his faction and satisfy his humour as the foresaied authour testifieth And Platina in the life of Siluester the third 300. yeares before either of these to note both the antiquity and dissent of this ordinary way by occasion of Benedict the ninth his selling of his Papacy to Gregorie the sixth for 1500 l. as some write many like tricks that he belike had obserued amongst them through the notorious euidence of the thing is enforced to write that then euen the Papacy it selfe was come to that point that hee that would goe beyond others not in holines of life and learning but in large giuing and ambition he onely the good being oppressed and reiected should attaine to that degree of dignity which fashion I would to God sometimes saieth hee our times had not retained And when hee hath saied thus he addeth but this is but litle we shall vnles god preuent it see hereafter sometimes far worse things This man liued and florished in the time of Paulus 2. who was Pope aboue 400. yeares after Syluester the third surely herein he was al the world knoweth both a true reporter and prophet and since it hath not beeâ— better but rather worse eueÌ„ from the head to the foote in that kingdome of the Pope His testimony cannot but presse them of thâ— Religion and Synogog very much because it is well knowen thâ— hee both for his office and opinion was very partiall of that side Wherefore euen these things considered euery man seeth that thouâ—â— it were grauÌ„ted you that your Bishops Priests haue entred alâ—â— time some ordinary coÌ„moÌ„ way that yet thereby would arise a verâ— slender iustification of their maner of comming to their offices Yâ—â— in this case somewhat further to pose you and to presse you the râ—â—der is further to be aduertised that beside the most ancient and 〈◊〉 pure ordinary way of entring of Church officers vsed and continâ—â—â— in the primatiue Church vntil Constantines time at the least theâ—â— haue since according to the varietie of times and diuersitie of theâ—â— states of the Church bene sundry other things appointed prescrâ—bed by the decrees of sinods councels ordinarily to be obserued 〈◊〉 the election ordinatioÌ„ of such officers which haue most ordinarilâ— bene broken and neglected in the entraÌ„ce vpon their offices of 〈◊〉 of yours now these many years For proofe whereof I refer the reâ—der no further but to the coÌ„sideration first of your maner of coÌ„miâ—â— to your places for these last three or foure hundreth years to thâ—â— canons that your owne frend GratiaÌ„ concerning this matter hâ—â— hudled together dist 61. 62. 63. for going no further thereby shâ—â—â— he finde in that the consent of the Emperour the assent of the people the peaceable and orderly election of the cleargie hath beeâ— a long time wanting in many of yours that indeede you caÌ„not trâ—ly saie that such of your Church officers haue entred by any ancient ordinary way either prescribed by the word or the ancient canons of the Church of a long time Now the election of your Popes is onely by the Cardinals which to be the ordinarie way of their entrance was first deuised and enacted in Nicolas the second time as it is noted dist 23. which was a 1000. yeares and more after Christ and after vnder AlexaÌ„der the third it was further confirmed in a Lateran councell held in his time about the yeare 117â— Nicolas the first began Hadrian the third concluded the quite remouing and shutting out of the Emperour from their election which was about the yeare of the Lord 889. Iohn 19. first shut oâ—â— â—he people about the yeare 1003. And so then about 70. yeares after his decree of Nicolas the second was made If therefore including our Bishops of Rome you meane by the ordinary way of their enâ—rance this decreed by Pope Nicolas the second then they that â—ere before entred not by that ordinary way And if you looke vâ—on his decree well the decrees of others since made to back that â—ou shall finde not halfe the Popes that haue beene since to haue enâ—red orderly Yea in reading of the stories of the Church the deâ—rees of the councels and your owne Canon lawe though I finde â—t the least that there hath beene since Constantine a sixe or seuen â—euerall ordinarie waies decreed and vsed for their entrance yet I â—an hardly finde that three Bishops of Rome succeeding one anoâ—her immediately did orderlie in euery respect enter the ordinarie â—â—aie then in force and vse For whereas I finde that the Empeâ—ours and the Princes of Italy or his deputy in his absence by cuâ—tome their owne right interest and authority therein and after by â—he decrees of Hadrian the first about the yeare 773. and of Leo Clement in three seuerall councels in their times consented vnto â—ore a principall stroke therein a great while yet whiles that was â—ecessary in the ordinarie way of entrance thereunto I finde that many entred not onely without their consent but quite contrary to â—heir mindes as one may reade in the liues of Pelagius the 2. Stephen the 4. HadriaÌ„ the 2. Martin the 2. Hadrian the 3. and diuers oâ—hers And likewise whereas sometimes as in the time of Constantine the 4. by the Emperours owne conseÌ„t other sometime without his consent as by the decree of Pope Stephen the 4. the Emperour was not to meddle therein but onely the cleargy people of Rome yet euen then the stories shew that sundry had their entraÌ„ce not only not without but altogether by the meanes of the Emperours yea after the decree of HadriaÌ„ the 3. many yeares Likewise though for the auoiding of braules contentions in the election of the Roman Prelates Leo the 8. gaue absolute authority to the Emperour to chuse the Pope about the yeare 994. in Clement the 2. time vpon that consideration the Romans themselues also gaue ouer their right therein vnto him insomuch that besides others Leo the ninth and Victor the second had the place by his absolute authority yet euen whiles this stoode as the ordinary waie agreed vpon manie entered otherwise To bee briefe I dare confidentlie set it downe for I am able to proue it by their owne storie writers how often soeuer they haue varied and altered their ordinarie way of entering vnto that place sometimes by admitting the Emperours consent thereunto sometimes by shutting it out quite sometime by giuing him his due right and sometime more and
must needs be good and lawfull and ours the plaine contrarie Howbeit if we examine this point throughly we shall find that they haue as weake helpe hence as from the other or from any thing else For whither they vnderstand by right succession succession without interruption in place person or office seuerally or iointly togither neither can their Bishops and Priests as they are now truelie saie they haue it nor yet if they could they being gone as they be from the soule and life of right Apostolicke succession namely the Catholicke and Apostolicke trueth are they euer the better And of the contrarie though it were neuer so true that we could not deduce vnto our present Bishops and Pastours downe from the Apostles or their times without interruptiō the line of succession in place person and office yet we being able to shew as wee are that we holde one and selfesame doctrine with them that would iustify our Church and ministers sufficientlie notwithstanding the want of the former This is quickly and easily sayed you will saie but these thinges cannot so readily bee proued I graunt to proue them will cost the more paines otherwise the proofe is readie and pregnant enough and that I doubt not but if with any indifferency that which I shall write to that ende bee marked shall ere it bee long appeare I say therefore first that the Roman Bishops and Priestes as they are now and haue beene a long time whatsoeuer they brag no not their verie Popes vnto whose right succession Stapleton and others trust most haue any right succession either to any Apostle or Apostolick man in place person or office For first they can neuer soundly proue the proofes out of the scripture are so strong to the contrary their proofes out of the stories so disagreeing and variable in all circumstances that Peter the Apostle whose successours their Popes claime to be and from whom al other Bishops and Priests amongst them haue their vocations and authority deriued was either euer at Rome or being there that hauing laied aside his Apostleship which was the greater and higher office he sate there as Bishop Secondly vnto this day they cannot agree of the order of succeeding one another betwixt Linus Cletus Clemēt Anaclet Vrspergensis in the life of Claudius hath notably at large set out both the difference of opinions in this matter and also the vncertainty of the trueth Thirdly none of any learning and reading can be so ignorant in the stories of the Bishops of Rome but he knowes that they haue not succeeded one another frō the Apostles to this day wtout interruptiō alwaies neither in place persō nor office For besids that sūdry times many Popes for some short time haue sate from Rome it is notoriously knowen that Clement the 5. about the yeare 1305. translated the Popes see from Rome into France to Auinion where it continued aboue 70. years And as for immediate orderly successiō of persons amongst them how is it possible truely certainly to define set downe that seing that see hath not onely stoode vacant daies weekes monethes and years somtimes 2. sometimes more but also there hath bene at once so often not only 2. but often 3. sometime more euery one striuing with his fauorers to be accoūted to be the right Pope And lastly by that which I haue said before of the nature of their offices of Popes Cardinalles Bishoppes Priestes their practise prouing daily my words therein to be most true how dare any mā that hath any feare of God once say or think that they in their offices haue any affinity with the Apostles or any Apostolicke man Light darknes are not more differing the one from the other then the offices of Apostles Euāgelists Prophets Pastours Doctours in the ancient primitiue Apostolick Church differeth from these offices of theirs Secondly whereas I sayed though yet they could which now you see they cannot truely say that they succeed the Apostles Apostolicke men in place person and office yet they were neuer the nearer my reasons thereof are these First I finde that wicked people wicked Priests in the scriptures often haue had this kinde of succession to pleade for themselues against the true Prophets and against Christ himselfe as you may see Ierem. 7. vers 4. cap. 8. vers 8. Iohn 8. v. 44. Vriah the Priest in King Ahaz time had this successiō frō Aaron and yet he to please that Idolatrous king set vp cōtrary to the commandement of the Lord an altar according to the patterne that the King had sent him of one that hee had seene at Damascus 2. King 16.10.11 The high Priests that withstoode alwaies Christ his doctrine and in the ende crucified him had this kinde of sucession yet none of these or their doings were any thing the more iustifiable for this Againe though Stapleton lib. 13. doctrinalium principiorū cōfesses that the Greekes haue beene scismatiques and heretiques this 500. yeares yet he all the sort of them of any reading know that not they only but also the Patriarches of Antioch and Alexandria and the Bishops of sundry other famous Churches in the world all which likewise they holde bee scismatiques and heretiques can doe make as great shew of this kinde of succession for the countenancing of their ministery and Churches as they themselues for they knowe that the Patriarch of Constantinople doeth deduce his locall and personall succession from Andrew the Apostle that the Patriarch of Antioch now sitting at Damascus doeth likewise his from Peter which he may doe more certainly then the Popes when they sate at Auinion could for it is euident Gal. 2. ver 11. euen by the scripture it selfe that Peter was at Antioch so is it not that he was at Rome In like maner they knowe that the Patriarch of Alexandria now holding his seate at Alcairum deriues his from the Euangelist Saint Marke And ignorant they are not that the Arrians preuailing as they did and in the ende hauing got the most seats of Bishops to be furnished with men of their dānable opinion that they for that time were able to holde this plea aswell as themselues and yet I am sure they will graūt that none of these were therfore or are therfore to be allowed iustified They will say I am sure for so I finde thē plainly to reply in their writings yea euen Iohn de Albine himselfe afterward Cap. 7. that though these all can and doe plead succession in place person and office that yet it cannot iustifie them because not onelie they haue helde some of them detestable heresies but presently also doe still Indeede I must needs confesse that I read that Macedonius Nestorius and Paulus Sergius abrupted the line of right successiō by their heresies at Constantinople that Paulus Samosatenus did the like at Antioch and that Dioscorus and Petrus Moggus did likewise at Alexanderia And
not be against himselfe Ma. 12. what were they to do els but according to that the God gaue theÌ„ and the places they had in vniuersities in the church to proceede to call the people yet froÌ„ those errors to the truth When fire shal take hold of a city or the enimy scale the wal in the night if the least burgesse shall giue an alaruÌ„ yea if it be but a straÌ„ger the watchmaÌ„ sleeping that should giue warning no maÌ„ would staÌ„d trifling in demanding by what title he did it but streight he will run to the water and to the wals and laie to his hands to preueÌ„t the mischiefe thanke him that gaue the warning And yet wheÌ„ the meÌ„ we speake of giue notice of a greater danger though it be as necessary to listen vnto them to be warned by them as the saluation of mens soules is yet they caÌ„not finde this wisdome and thankfulnes in men It should seeme by your standing thus precisely vpon the necessity of visible succession ordinary impositioÌ„ of haÌ„ds in theÌ„ the god shal send to teach men or els they may not be heard that either you haue not red or els that you greatly disseÌ„ble your knowlege that God hath vsed the ministry of diuers persoÌ„s that haue wanted those to coÌ„uert nations to lay the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of churches to doe very much good For Ruffinus in his Eccl. Hist 1. booke and c. 10. Theodoret in his 1. book c. 23. report that a captiue maiden did first kindle the light of the Gospell amongst the IberiaÌ„s who being the meanes first to coÌ„uert the Queene the Queene coÌ„uerted the King he wtout any orders as you call them taught his people the Christian faith so begaÌ„ the church there It is also writeÌ„ by Ruff. lib. 1â— c. 9. by Theodoret in the 22. c. of his saied booke by Nicep in his 8. book c. 35 that AEdesius and Frumentius brought thither being â—â—yes by Meropius a philosoper and there taken and preserued aliue when he and the rest of his company were slain growing after into good credit and authority there were the first means of the sowing of the seede of the Gospell amongst the Barbarians in the further India to the profession and exercises whereof especially Frumentius and that not onely after that by Athanasius he was ordained there bishop but before euer by any he was ordeined either minister or bishop was a notable effectuall meanes both to excite marchantes that came thither and to drawe the people of that countrey it selfe Moreouer Eusebius in his ecclesiastical history reporteth in his sixte booke and 19. Chapter that Origen taught publikely before he had ordination certaine bishops being present which when Demetrius Alexandrinus obiected as a fault to Alexander bishop of Hierusalem and to Theoclistus bishop of Caesarea they defended themselues by alleadging diuers such famous examples as namely of Euelpis Paulinus and Theodorus which in like sort had preached without the ordinary ordination Yea read Nicephorus 2 booke and 25. Chapter and he will tell you that vnder Constantius Antonie the heremite taught at Alexandria and that vnder Valens at Antioch Aphraatis Flauianus Iulianus being then but monkes who in those dayes were not reckoned amongst Clarkes at all for vnto Gregories time they were not accounted Clarkes did publickely preach and confute heretiques And yet these examples I alleadge not that I would be authour to anie when an ordinarie calling may be had to despise that and to take vpon them that function of the Ministrie without that lawfull ordinary calling for that were to disturbe the peace of the Church and to open a gap to much disorder and inconuenience but to this end to make it appear that the Church of God in former ancient times hath not so precisely and curiously stood vpon these points of visible succession and ordination for the iustifying of ones preaching the Gospel at al times and in all places as you doe For doubtles there haue beene times and yet may be as after that great apostasie spoken of 2. Thes 2. in other great ruines of the Church when it hath and may please the Lord to call men extraordinarily to this worke without either immediate locall or personall succession going before who as long as they preach but the trueth and otherwise the times be so corrupt that of them that haue authority ordinarily to call men to that busines such rather should be shut out generally then let into the ministrie are to be receiued heard and listened vnto as such whom the Lord of his mercy hath extraordinarily called himselfe The XIIII Chapter CAluin doeth alleadge to vs that the Apostles doe saie that no bodie ought to take vpon him the honour of the high priesthoode except he be called to it as Aaron was meaning by that to conclude that of our owne authority we haue vsurped the dignitie of Priesthood a And â—et to no purpose We haue answered him at large of our vocation by the succession of Pastours ioined with the imposition of handes I doe demande of him or of his if they can make any true answere to the like obiection You doe laie to our charge the all liues of our Popes and Bishops and the naughtinesse that you pretend to finde in our Preachers but all those inuectiues serue to no other purpose but to shew how you keepe b Nay you shall haue the bell both for that for prophane iering scoffing a learned schoole of railing the which preheminence we doe yeeld to you without any debate or processe for ye maie attribute that vnto your selues as your owne by right insteede of the imposition of hands which ye want But in one thing to my iudgment you are greatlie ouerseene and that is this c When you obserue this lawe your selues we wil learn of you Why doe ye not fill both sides of your booke in the one you set forth at large without omitting anie point of their ill doings al the naughtie lives of our Pastours and Bishops but the other sides of the leaues are emptie you should haue writen on them the holie liues of your Ministers succeeding one after an other this thousand and fiue hundred yeares When the Popes Bonifacius Gregorius did gouerne ill their Seats at Rome d I haue sufficiently answered this cap. 4. which were the good and holie ministers that did their duetie at Geneua When our Doctours did preach against God in times past in what part or vnder what sign were your Ministers lodged that did then preach the pure word of the Lord e Reasoned like your selues as though the Apostles neuer lawfully hid themselues from the fury of the persecuters if they did hide themselues they did not folow the pure word of the Lord the which you say is necessarie to know the true faithful beleeuers For Christ doeth saie Mat. 10. that hee that shal deny him before men him
Christ doth say He that hath sent me is with me and he hath not left me alone And therefore Theodorus his fellowes did conclude that there was no more vnion betweene the diuinity humanity of our Sauiour then there is betweene God vs. Of the which * c 1. Cor. 5. S. Paul doeth speake where he saieth hee that is ioined to God c Well quoted you would haue saied 6. is made one spirit with him The XXVI Chapter IT doeth suffise that one maie see by these fellowes how soone one that is ill disposed may alleage scripture in corrupt sense to maintain such heresies as these the which I will not staie to confute for thankes be to God they doe not raigne now for they haue perished and their authours a This is but a blind Prophetes dreame as you shall and your followers if yee doe not repent in time And besides this our Doctours haue fullie answered b It is wel yet that you wil confesse thus much by textes of Scriptures these olde heresies as you maie see in al the ancient ecclesiasticall writers and confuted them not onely with pithie reasons but vvith the true worde of God and the authoritie of diuerse generall councels And if I haue noted here some part both of their authours and of them to shew how they did seeke to confirme their damnable opinions I doe it only to warne the simple people that they should not so soone giue eare to false Pastours which haue nothing in their mouthes but the holie scripture and the pure word of God couering the cuppes of their poison with the gold and pretious stones which they haue taken from the image of the eternall king to paint those subtill Foxes that will leade them all to damnation And therefore in the name of God I doe desire those that are not much vsed to reade the Scriptures nor to heare how the Church and the doctours doe expound the hard places a So doe we but not to driue theÌ„ from reading theÌ„ but to shew them hat they must be read and searcâ—ed diligently to beware how they reade them for feare of falling into errour taking onelie the letter which manie times hath a contrarie sence to that that is outwardlie writen For if so manie men of great learning excellent vnderstanding haue found such great rocks in this rough sea which haue manie times ouerthrowen their shippes how dangerous then must it needes bee vnto those that will take it in hande so doubtfull a nauigation hauing little skill or none at all But as for you my masters of the contrarie side you can saile with all tides all windes giuing the gouernance of the shippe or the guiding of the sterne without consideration b This is a meere slander to all kinde of people We haue at this daie in France I will not saie in England manie that haue the holie spirit Interpreters of the scriptures And for sooth what are they Mary Pedlers Coblers Tanners Bankrouts Runnegates such others which hauing no other liuing c Here the authour bewrayeth himselfe rather to haue beene an English man then a French For when this should be wrâ—ten there were no Lord Bishops in France to make such but papists sue to my Lord Bishop and hee makes them ministers beeing not one of them but hath the holie spirite d All this is but slanderous rayling lying for we doe not say or thinke thus but cry vpon Bishop that they admit no suc vnfit meâ— and we call vpon such rather humbly to content them selues with the places of earners then to presume without sufficient knowledge to be teachers for assoone as they can saie the Lorde and raile vpon the Pope the Bishops and all the learned men that haue beene in times past Oh these are great doctours no place of scripture to them is hard all the ancieÌ„t doctors were men the generall councels did erre I knowe that you doe maintaine your opinion with the saying of * e John 8. Christ alleaging it as other hereticks haue done the which is That the heauenly father hath hid these high and profound thinges from the great Clerkes and hath reuealed them vnto the meeke and humble This is true but it ought to be vnderstoode to the humble and meeke of spirit and not to those which trust so much to their owne wittes beeing puffed vp with arrogant ignorance that they thinke to know more in three daies reading then the doctours could in fiftie yeares studie faming themselues to be like the Apostles as if that God gouerned by their appetites did send euerie moneth the feast of Pentecost c Mat. 11. you should haue saied The XXII XXIII XXIIII XXV XXVI Chapter NEither our owne Doctors nor any thing els that yet you haue saied for all your great brag haue any force either to disproue that lawfulnes of our vocation or to condemne our religioÌ„ Neither is it true that we stand so much vpon our extraordinary calling as you would insinuate to your reader For we tel you that if you take ordinary calling in your owne sence if ther be any good at al in that Wickliffe Iohn Hus Luther Bucer and the rest that haue bene the first formost in these late daies in detecting the errours of the papacy and in renuing the light of the gospel had that kinde of calling And as for the rest since they haue had a better ordinary calling theÌ„ that in that it hath bene more agreeing to the order of calling by the Apostles and primatiue Church But in that to expresse what you meane by our extraordinary calling you say that therby you meane a calling without commission of the pastours and bishops c. I perceiue that therefore it is that you charge many of our ministers to preach the gospel extraordinarily because howsoeuer otherwise they had before they tooke vpoÌ„ them any dealing in the ministry the ordinary calling allowed of in the reformed Churches of Christ where they were to exercise the same they tooke not first any of your popish orders at the hands of some of your popish lord bishops after your popish maner In which sort I graunt you many of our ministers haue an extraordinary calling but then I say vnto you againe that their extraordinary calling hauing an eie to that order that Christ and his Apostles left in this case vnto the Church is more ordinary then the ordinary calling that you speake of And therefore though their calling of late daies here amongst vs hath not bene according to your order that they haue neither beene chosen by your pastours nor had imposition of hands of your Lord bishops yet you cannot say truely that any of them take vpon them extraordinarily that is as you expouÌ„d it without the commission of the pastours and bishops to preach the Gospel Name the man time and place you caÌ„not when and where any that is
fathers as you herein take it for granted on your side For in trueth you haue none of these on your sides but the onely grounds of your religion are your owne priuate and singular interpretations traditions of men without warrant either from the Scriptures indeed soundly vnderstood or from generall Councels or ancient fathers that are worthy to bee of credit in Gods Church For as we haue made appeare in infinite discourses against you al these are farre more strong on our side then with you And therfore you rather are the fooles that seeme wiser theÌ„ all these in your owne conceit and so labour to draw vs from the ancient catholique faith and Christs true Church by your corrupt glosses allegations of these by your vaine vncertaine traditions of mortal men Wherof let the reader take for a tast these few proofes amoÌ„gst infinite others vsed by vs. The Scripture with vs teacheth iustification freely by faith in Christ without workes Rom. 3.24.25 Ephes 2.8.9 and you condeÌ„ne theÌ„ as heretiques that teach so The scriptures with vs teach that Christs offering himselfe once for al hath made perfect all them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 and you coÌ„trarily teach that they must be perfected by the iteration of his sacrifice in your masse by a number of other things done by themselues and others for them The Scriptures with vs teach that Christ is ascended into heauen Coloss 3.1 Act. 1.9 c. and that the heauens must containe him vntill the restitution of al things Act. 3.21 and you contrarily wil haue him as oft as you consecrate to come downe to hide himselfe vnder the formes of bread and wine The scriptures with vs say concerning the cup in the Sacrament to all Christians rightly prepared Drinke yee all of this Matth. 26.22 and you say it is heresie to holde that the lay people must drinke thereof To proceed a little further the same Scripture in the 2. Commandement Exod. 20.4 forbiddeth as we doe both the making and worshipping of Images to represent God the father the sonne or the holy Ghost withal and you allow both these The scriptures prefer as we doe the speaking of fiue words in the Church that may bee vnderstoode before ten thousand in a tongue not vnderstoode 1. Cor. 14.19 and your Church as it appeareth in hauing all your seruice in lat in preferreth fiue words spoken there iâ— an vnknowen tongue before ten thousand spoken in the vulgar tongue of the people to their edification Lastly the Scriptures as we doe account mariage honourable among al men in al estates and the mariage bed vndefiled Heb. 13.4 insomuch that they aduouch the forbidding of it though vnder pretence of holines to bee a doctrine of Deuils 1. Tim. 4.1.2.3 yet you condemne it in your priestes as a filthie life In like maner is there a plaine contrariety betwixt your religion and the decrees of ancient and general councels In my answere to your 17. Chapter I haue shewed you already that the ancient famous first general Councel of Nice in the 6. Canon thereof is directly against that preheminence that now you giue to the Bishop of Rome ouer all Churches There also you haue heard the councell of Gangra pronounce you accursed for your doctrine against the mariage of ministers I haue also shewed you before that the 6. generall councell holden at Constantinople in the 36. Decree hath flatly determined against the principall article of your religion your Popes supremacy in determining that the Bishop there should haue equal priuiledges with your Pope or Bishop of Rome The councels also of Constance and Basil against your receiued opinion now preferred the authority of a generall Councel before the authority of your Pope And certaine it is that in the time of Charles the great there was a councel called at Franckeforde whereat the Bishops of France Germany Italie were assembled about the year as Regin writeth in his 2 booke 794 where the making and worshipping of Images allowed of by the false Synode of the Greekes as he tearmeth it was condemned And Hickmaâ—e Archbishop of Rheames writing against another bishop of that 〈◊〉 Chap. 20. somewhat about these times calleth this a general couÌ„cel called by the wil coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t of the Pope Emperor Charles witnesseth that not onely there the false Synode of the Greeks that made for Images was confuted reiected but also a great booke made thereof then sent to Rome As for fathers and ancieÌ„t doctors I haue plentifully shewed to be against you already for the sufficiency authority of the Scriptures Chap. 3. 5. against your real presence Chap. 11. against your doctrine of IustificatioÌ„ other points of your religion Chap. 16. And it were as easie a matter to shew theÌ„ so to be against you with vs in almost al the rest of the pointes in controuersie betwixt vs. At least this most confidently I doe aduouch that for 600. yeares you shall neuer proue them al nor halfe to be on your side in the third part of the questions betwixt you and vs and therfore you doe but too shamefully deceiue the simple people in this case with a shew bragge of that with you are of al other furthest froÌ„ The XXX Chapter OVr Sauiour Christ did approue his vocation after another sort then you doe yours a But in another place you know he saieth that the word that he had spokâ—n should iudge them at the last day Iohn 12. Search saieth * Ioh. 5. he the scriptures for they heare witnes of me he doeth not say that they are Iudges as you say for you wil haue none other arbitrator but the word of God You know that they are two different thinges to beare witnes and to be a Iudge and yet the scriptures of the old Testament doe coÌ„taine not only the verity of the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ but therewithal the very sufficient probation of his person to teach vs the true word of God to ouerthrowe destroy the whole kingdome of Sathan as it is plainely seene by those that list to looke vpon the oracles of the olde patriarches Prophets It is writeÌ„ in the third of Gen. that God saied vnto the womaÌ„ that her seede should breake downe the serpeÌ„ts head And likewise in the saied * Gen. cap. 12.15.19.22 24. booke there is mentioÌ„ made of this diuine seede of Abraham in the 15. 53. Chapters of Esay in the 2. Psalme Dauid doeth talke of it And in like maner Daniel Moses AaroÌ„ withal the rest of the prophets in their sacrifices haue very perfectly painted the coÌ„ming passioÌ„ of our Sauiour Moses left writeÌ„ in the prophecy of Iacob that the Messias should come when the roial scepter and the administration of it should be taken from the line of Iuda Daniel was not content to say as the rest that he should come b There
insomuch that I dare bee bolde to say it is as much to the good of this Church and common wealth as if an other such Vniuersity as one of these had beene now founded built and endued as richly as either of these now is And though our Cleargy men now be not able to builde so many Colledges as yours were yet those things that they doe that way though they match not yours in quantity they yet may ouermatch yours quickely in quality For you know in the Gospell the widowes two mites which she threw into the treasury for the poore of the little that shee had wel gotten was in Christs account a greater almes then theirs which threw in farre greater summes of their superfluities Marke 12. And well knowen it is that the richest and greatest of ours are for their places but beggers to them that haue beene of like or the same place amongst you whereof the reason is not onely that they lacke a number of deuises that yours had to encrease their gaine but also that they haue not your Romish consciences which with your Popes dispensation could make them wide enough to swallow vp the commodities not onely of as many benefices but also Bishopricks and other offices ciuill or ecclesiasticall as they could possibly get Whereof it came that of their very superfluities vnlesse they had beene prouder then Lucifer and more wastfull in belly cheare then euer was the rich glutton some thing might well be spared and of a number of them so much as might haue procured the building of many moe then they left behinde them Hospitals and Colledges though you would so insinuate we haue pulled downe none but haue increased the number of them And as for your Abbies other â—loisters of religious houses you had for the inriching and building of them vnder pretence of your requiting of them with your Masses Dirges and trentals deuoured so many widowes houses robbed so many heires and fatherlesse children spoiled so many Parishes of the ordinary maintenance for their ministers and since the liuers in them were growen to such height of sinnes not to be named as that in the iust iudgement of God there could no lesse punishment come vpon them then the vtter defacing and ouerthrowing of them lest if they had beene left easie to haue beene set in their former state againe they should too easily and too quicklie haue beene shoppes and sties for the like filthinesses and abhominations againe And yet here with vs in EnglaÌ„d Cardinall Woolsey by the Popes authority pulled downe the first and to the suppression of the rest many of your bishops and Cleargy vnder king Henry consented and in diuers other places they haue beene also by lawfull and sufficient authority orderly for these causes defaced and doubtles though not turned to so good vses as they might perhaps haue beene if the wrath of God against them for the foresaied causes woulde haue suffered it yet I am fully perswaded to a better vse by farre yea infinite degrees then they were before And therefore these things considered this rather may be counted a good worke in vs thus to haue defaced them and conuerted their vse then a fault whereof wee need repent vs And consequently vaine is your charging of vs with seeking to make amends with giuing a trifle to the poore This is a fault that rather toucheth your kingdome then vs for wee account all almes and other outward good workes whatsoeuer to be vnprofitable to the doer vnlesse they be done with goods gotten with a good conscience which wil ouerthrow most of the glory of the gay works that you most brag of you are they that care not so your Church be inriched if it be with the farming of concubines dispensation for any sin with the rentes yearly for the open stewes that with the which they get by whoring during their liues so you haue it when they die For ther was nothing more coÌ„moÌ„ theÌ„ for your priests to farme coÌ„cubines though they might not be suffred to haue lawful wiues experieÌ„ce hath taught that there was no sin but ther might be marchaÌ„dise made of it in your romish court faire the your Popes a long time haue takeÌ„ rent for the stewes in Rome that yearely a good round summe that they haue bene glad to take the goods of those harlots when they died for their Churches vse it is most notoriouslie knowen And what hath beene more vsuall both in practise and doctrine with you then to teach much satisfaction for sinne and redemption of former faultes to bee performed by almes giuing especially so it were to your Priestes and Clergy men neuer caring so you might come by it of their goods aliue or dead whether euer it was well gotten or no For in trueth this hath beene the policy that hath brought your Clergy to so infinite wealth as they were of and made all other but beggers in comparison of themselues Therefore now let them that haue any iudgement as you wish looke vpon the fruite of your trees whether they bee so good or no as you here make bragges of The XXXV Chapter NOw seeing that you haue visited our garden if a man maie bee so bold I pray lend vs the keies that we may in like maner visite yours that we may see the fruits of your religion Read al the histories writeÌ„ froÌ„ the passion of Christ to our daies you shal find that al those sects that haue left our Roman Church haue done more mischiefe in one yeare a Your Romish Church that now iâ— is as farre gone from the ancient pure Roman Church as euer any heretiques went froÌ„ it and of you especially your saying is tâ—ue being seperated from the saied Church then they did in an huÌ„dred years before But because our meaning is not to recite all the acts of your predecessors enemies to the Catholique Church it shall suffise to make a short discourse of those that haue bene of late daies I meane the Bohemians or Hussites whose followers you doe affirme your selues to be for in your godly booke of Martyrs b This is vntrue as euery one that wil view the â—ct and monumeÌ„ts of the Church writen by master Fox may see you haue placed Iohn Hus as the first Martyr of your ancieÌ„t Church who was burnt for an heretique about an 120. years agone eueÌ„ as we accoÌ„pt c Your religion and Stephens agree â—o wel that if hee were aliue again you would be as ready as euer were the Iewes to stone him whatsoeuer you say of him now he being deade S. StepheÌ„ to be the first Martyr of our Church Now to know whither yeâ—e of the opinioÌ„ of the Hussites or no that I leaue for some other time and for this present I am content to condescende to that that you haue writen I meane that Iohn Hus did preach your Gospell and made a number of such faithfull persons