the Gospel in those parts Namely we haue had B. Cranmer Ridley Latimer Couerdale Hooper diuers other vvhich were no Bishops as M. Bradford M. Sanders M. Rogers M. Philpot D. Haddon c. Most of vvhich as they haue left good proofe of their learning in vvriting so did they confirme the same vvith their blood in the ende The like I may iustly say of them vvhome God hath sent to restore his Trueth since the beginning of her Maiesties reigne hovvsoeuer it pleaseth the Broode of the Martinists to deface them as Bishoppe Coxe Pilkington Grindall Sands Horne Iewell c. vvhich haue good testimonie of their learning giuen them by as graue learned and zealous men as any haue liued in this age among vvhome for certaine yeeres they liued A nomber of other haue proceeded out of both our Vniuersities vvhich though Martin Momus will say the contrary deserue singular commēdation for their learning and haue declared the same to the vvorlde in ansvvering and confuting the opprobrious writings of the common Aduersaries In vvhich their ansvveres without enuie and displeasure be it spoken there appeareth as sufficient learning as doeth in the most workes at this time published by the vvriters of forreine Countreies If Englishmen at this time so greatly dispraysed vvere giuen vvith like paynes to set foorth the exercises of their studie and learning as in other places they doe they vvoulde dravve as good commendation of learning to their Countrey as most other Churches doe To vvhich nomber of ours I adde also some of thē vvhom certaine occasions haue caried away to the misliking of the present state of this Church vvhich I knowe haue receiued of God singular good giftes which I pray earnestly they may vse to his glory and the procuring the vnity peace of the Church vvhich our Hastie Diuines of M. M. his brood seeke to breake and disturbe This testimonie I thought my selfe bounde in conscience to yeelde to that Church of my naturall Countrey in vvhich and by vvhich through the mercie of our gracious God I am that I am The godly I trust vvill interprete all to the best the residue I looke not to please The B. of Winchester is further charged in this maner He said that men might find fault if they were disposed to quarrell aswel with the Scriptures as with the booke of common prayer Who could heare this comparison without trembling Let the Libellers whatsoeuer they are remēber Os quodmentitur occidit animam At that time in S. Mary Oueries church in a large discourse he did answere the obiections that many make at this day against the booke of common praier towarde the end vttered these words If it could be without blasphemie they might picke as many as great quarrels against the holy scriptures thēselues For euen the best writings are subiect to the slanderous malice of wicked men This assertion was found fault with all by a Iesuite or Massing priest at that time in the Marshalsey therfore the B. the next Sunday following expounded his meaning and at large shevved that that might be done which beforetime was done by a great number and that he was not so far beside himselfe as to compare the booke of common prayer vvith the holy scriptures in dignity trueth or maiestie He leaueth such blasphemous dealing to the Papists the Family of Loue some other Sectaries but he compared them in this as it is before saide that the Scriptures themselues vvere subiect also to slaunderous and deprauing tongues and yet not therfore to be reiected wherof he recited sundry examples Celsus that heathenish Epicure against whom Origen writeth in his booke called Verax doth powre out many railing slaunderous reproches not onely against the holy Scriptures but also against the course of Christian Religion as that they receiued their religion doctrine of the barbarous Iewes that is out of the bookes of Moses and the Prophets The like did Porphyrius an other Philosopher and in his bookes reprooued the Scriptures in many places for hee wrote thirtie bookes against Christian religion That scoffing sophister Libanius and his scholler Iulian the Apostata vsed the like blasphemies against the Christian faith and the Scriptures out of which it was prooued as appeareth in sundrie auncient Writers Who knoweth not that some Heretikes reiected the most part of the olde Testament as false and fabulous The Valentiniane Heretike sayeth Tertullian Quaedam legis Prophetarum improbat quaedam probat id est Omnia improbat dum quaedam reprobat The Marcionists receiue onely the Gospell of Matthewe the other they reiect And likewise they admitte but two Epistles of Saint Paul that is to Timothie and Titus and as Hierome sayeth to Philemon Tatian also depraueth the Scriptures reiecteth the Actes of the Apostles and picketh sundrie other quarrels against them There was neuer any Heretike but that to giue countenance to his opinion hee would seeme to ground it vpon the Scriptures And what is that but wickedly to father lies vpon the Scriptures And for this cause you know the Papists thinke it no sure ground to rest vpon the scriptures onely affirming blasphemously that the Scriptures are darke vnperfect and doubtfull because they may bee wrested cuery way like a nose of waxe or like a leaden Rule Wherefore Christian charitie and modestie woulde not thus maliciously and slanderously wrest and wring the words of the Bishop tending to a good and godly meaning Of like trueth it is that he burtheneth the Bishop of Winchester to affirme that it was heresie to say The preaching of the worde was the onely ordinarie way to saluation which he neuer thought or spake either thē or at any other time of his life But in handling of that controuersie Penrie spake things so strangely obscurely that he seemed to attribute that effect to the preaching of the word only not otherwise vsed by reading And being vrged with that question by occasion of reading the Scriptures in Churches his answere was such as hee euidently shewed himselfe to meane that that effect of saluatiō could not be wrought by hearing the worde of God read with some other wordes giuing suspition of worse matter And then indeede the B. rose not out of his place as these honest men doe carpe nor spake in such cholerike maner as they pretend but quietly said My Lord this is not farre from heresie What were the words that Penry vsed especially moued the B. to speake hee doeth not at this time remember but sure he is they were as far from that which is laide downe in the Libel as falshoode can be from truth I wonder that mē which professe God yea or that beleeue there is a God can with open mouth so boldely powre foorth such heapes of vntrueths Detractor abominabilis est Deo The counsell of the Prophet is good He that would gladly see good dayes let him refraine his tongue from euill and
by vvay of persvvasion for that partie commended to him by his neighbors to be a very honest and poore man hauing maried also the vvidovve of a Printer and hee did very well like and allovve of his placing by such as haue interest therein Neither did hee euer heare but by this Libeller vvho hath no conscience in lying that hee uer printed any such bookes This I knowe of a certaintie that Thomas Orwin himselfe hath vpon his booke oath denied that he euer printed either Iesus Psalter or Our Lady Psalter or that hee euer was any worker about them or about any the like bookes But the poysoned serpent careth not whome hee stingeth Whether Waldgraue haue printed any thing against the state or no let the bookes by him printed be iudges I doe not thinke that eyther hee or any Martinist euer heard any Papist say that there was no great iarre betweene the Papistes and the Archbishop in matters of Religion It is but the Libellers Calumniation If they did what is that to him I thinke Martin him selfe doubteth not of the Archbishops soundnesse in such matters of Religion as are in controuersie betwixt the Papists and vs. If hee doe the matter is not great The Vniuersitie of Cambridge where hee liued aboue thirtie yeeres and publiquely read the Diuinitie Lecture aboue seuen yeeres and other places where he hath since remained will testifie for him therein and condemne the Libeller for a meere Sycophant and me also of follie for answering so godlesse and lewde a person It is no disparagement to receiue testimonie of a mans aduersarie and therefore if Master Reinolds haue giuen that commendation to his booke in comparison of others it is no impeachment to the trueth thereof I haue not seene Reinolds his booke the Libell is so full of lies that an honestman cannot beleeue any thing conteined in it My Lorde of Canterburie woulde be sorie from the bottome of his heart if his perswasion and the grounds thereof were not Catholike he detesteth and abhorreth schismaticall grounds and perswasions and thereunto hee professeth himselfe an open enemie which hee woulde haue all Martinists to knowe That of the Spaniardes stealing him away c. is foolish and ridiculous I would the best Martinist in England durst say it to his face before witnesse Hee firmely beleeueth that Christ in soule descended into hell All the Martinists in Christendome are not able to proue the contrary they that indeuour it doe abuse the scriptures and fall into many absurdities Hee is likewise perswaded that there ought to be by the word of God a superioritie among the Ministers of the Church which is sufficiently prooued in his booke against T. C. and in D. Bridges booke likewise and hee is alwayes ready to iustifie it by the holy Scriptures and by the testimonie of all antiquitie Epiphanius and August account them heretikes that holde the contrary The Arguments to the contrary are vaine their answeres absurd the authorities they vse shamefully abused and the Scriptures wrested He hath shewed sufficient reason in his booke against T. C. why Ministers of the Gospell may be called Priests The ancient fathers so cal them The church of England imbraceth that name and that by the authoritie of the highest court in England And vvhy may not Presbyter be called Priest In these three points vvhereof the last is of the least moment he doth agree vvith the holy Scriptures vvith the vniuersall Church of God vvith all antiquitie and in some sort vvith the Church of Rome But he doth disagree from the Church of Rome that now is in the dregges which it hath added as that Christ should harrow hell that the Pope should be head of the vniuersall Church that hee or any other Priest shoulde haue authoritie ouer Kings and Princes to depose them to deliuer their subiects from the othe of their obedience c. These things haue neither the word of God nor the decrees of ancient Councels nor the aucthoritie of antiquitie to approoue them but directly the contrary As for the name of Priest as they take it hee doeth likewise condemne in our Ministers neyther doe themselues ascribe it to them And therefore the Libeller in these poyntes writeth like himselfe Touching Wigginton c. That which he speaketh of Wigginton is like the rest sauing for his saucie and malapert behauiour towarde the Archbishoppe wherein in trueth hee did beare with him too much Wigginton is a man well knowen vnto him and if hee knewe himselfe he woulde confesse that hee had great cause to thanke the Archbishoppe As hee was a foolish proude and vaine boy a laughing stocke for his follie to all the societie with whome hee liued so doeth hee retaine the same qualities being a man sauing that his follie pride and vanitie is much increased so that nowe hee is become ridiculous euen to his owne faction The honestest the most and the best of his parish did exhibite to the high Commissioners articles of very great moment against him the like whereof haue seldome bene seene in that Court The most and woorst of them are prooued by diuers sufficient witnesses and some of them confessed by himselfe as it appeareth in record For which enormities and for that he refused to make condigne satisfaction for the same and to conforme himselfe to the orders of the Church by lawe established he was by due order of lawe deposed from his Ministerie and depriued of his benefice and so remayneth being vnfit and vnworthie of either The tale of Atkinson is a lowde notorious and knowen lie For neither did he euer say so to the Archbishop neither woulde hee haue taken it at his handes neither was that any cause of Wiggintons depriuation but vanitie and hypocrisie causeth this man to haue so small conscience in lying according to that saying Omnis hypocrisis mendacio plena est That heathenish vntrueth vttered diuers times in this booke that the Archbishop shoulde accompt preaching of the word of God to be heresie and mortally abhorre and persecute it is rather to bee pitied then answered If man punish not such sycophants God wil do it to whose iust iudgement the reuenge of this iniurie is referred He doth bridle factious vnlearned Preachers such as the more part of that sect are vvho notwithstanding crye out for a learned Ministerie themselues being vnlearned and so vvould be accounted of all men if it were not propter studium partium I say vvith S. Hierome Nunc loquentibus pronunciantibus plenus est orbis loquuntur quae nesciunt docent quae non didicerunt magistri sunt cùm discipuli antè non fuerint The vvorld is full of them that can speake and talke but they speake the thinges they knovve not they teache the things they haue not learned they take vpon them to teach before they vvere schollers to learne Indeede our Church is too full of such talkers rather then sober teachers vvhome hee professeth himselfe greatly
not be saued by shame might haue his saluation wrought by reproch For a great thing it is to one that hath any feare of God to haue reproch in the face of the Church And to this interpretation the most of the ancient writers agree Obiection They will reply that at that time there were manie Presidents as it were and gouernours of the Church together with the chiefe Ministers in euery Congregation Answere I grant it was so But it doth not follow thereupon that it is a commaundement that for euer in all places and times it should be so I am not of that opinion nor euer was any of the auncient Writers no more are sundry learned men of great credite at this time Quòd vna semper debet esse oeconomia Ecclesiae that is that the externall gouernement of the Church should alwayes in all places be one and specially by a college or company of Elders When Christ said Tel the Church there was as yet no Christian church established but Christ took his speech according to the state of the Iewes Church that then was as in another place he â—aith If thy brother trespasse against thee leaue thine offering before the altar If they will gather by the former speech Tell the Church that of necessity they must haue a company of Elders as then was in the Iewes church why let them make like collection of the latter that of necessitie there must be altars in the church of Christ the absurditie whereof will bee greater then any good christian man will easily receiue Obiection They will say the Apostles afterward and the Primitiue Church did practise the same Answere That is not yet proued but let theÌ„ struggle while they lust theysh al neuer find a commandement in the scriptures charging that it shuld for euer be so It were to great a bridle of christiaÌ„ liberty in things external to cast vpoÌ„ the church of Christ So loÌ„g as the church of God was in persecutioÌ„ vnder tyrants might well seeme to be the best and fittest order of Gouernment But when God blessed his Churche with Christian Princes the Scriptures doe not take away that libertie that with the consent of their godlie magistrates they may haue that outwarde forme of iurisdiction deciding of Ecclesiasticall causes as to the state of the Countrey and people shall be most conuenient And that libertie haue diuers reformed churches since the restoring of the Gospell vsed Now as when other churches in their externall order of gouernment differ froÌ„ ours we neither do nor ought to mislike with them so if ours differ froÌ„ theirs retaining still the sinceritie of the gospel and trueth of doctrine I trust they will euen as charitably thinke of vs. If any desire further aunswere in this controuersie of church gouernment I refer them to the reply of D. Bridges vntill they haue with modestie and grauitie answered his booke It is obiected also against Bishops that they abuse Ecclesiasticall Discipline I take Ecclesiasticall Discipline to consist in reprouing correcting and excommunicating such as be offendors in the Church And I thinke their meaning is here that bishops their officers abuse Excommunication in punishing therewith those persons which obstinately with contempt refuse either to appeare when they bee called to aunswere their offences or when they appeare disobey those orders and decrees by Ecclesiasticall officers appoynted Howe this part of Church Discipline was abused by the Pope it is well knowen and that hee made Excommunication an instrument to bring the neckes of Emperors and Princes ynder his girdle and to make the whole world subiect to him For this was almost the onely meane whereby he became so dreadfull to all men and got to himself so great autoritie The perpetual course of the histories euen such as were written by his owne Parasites and chiefly of this Realme of England declare this to be most true For triall hereof reade the historie of Thomas Becket But I thinke no man is so caried with the misliking of our Bishops that he wil accuse them in this sort to abuse Excommunication seeing by their preaching they haue binprincipall instruments to ouerthrow the same in the Church of Rome They cannot say that any Bishop of this church euer since the restoring of the Gospell indeuoured to excommunicate the Prince and gouernours of purpose to make them subiect to their authoritie in the Church And happily that may bee a fault yea and a great fault that is founde with them in these daies that they do not so and constraine the prince and Rulers to doe that which by perswasion they will not doe But howe expedient this maner of Excommunication is for this time I leaue to the wise and godly to consider Sure I am that some of the most zealous churches reformed haue it not nor thinke it tollerable And yet such a maner of Excommunication it is that many striue at this day to haue brought into the Church vnder the name of Discipline But how easily it would grow to abuse and what danger it might bring in this state of time I thinke there is no wise man that doth not foresee vnlesse it be such as to bring their purpose to passe and to settle their deuise in the Church thinke no danger to be shunned As for the Excommunication practised in our Ecclesiasticall Courtes for contumacie in not appearing or not satisfying the iudgement of the Court if it had pleased the Prince and them that had autoritie to make Lawes for the gouernment to haue altered the same at the beginning and set some other order of processe in place thereof I am perswaded the Bishops and Clergy of this Realme woulde haue bin very wel contented therewith Gualter a learned man of the Church of Tygure writing vpon the first to the Corinthians hauing shewed the danger of this other Excommunication speaketh of a maner of ciuile discommuning vsed in that Church Which or the like good order deuised by some godlie persons if it might bee by authoritie placed in this Churche without danger of further innouation I thinke it woulde be gladly reciued to shunne the offence that is taken at the other and yet surely vnder correction the Law of alteration woulde breede some inconuenience But the perpetuall crying of many to haue a mutation of the whole state of the Clergie and a number of other thinges in the Church beside which must needes draw with it a great alteration in the state of the Realme also maketh the Prince and other Gouernours to bee afraide of any mutation For they knowe what daunger may come in these perillous dayes by innouations And if they shoulde once beginne things are so infinite shat they can see no ende of alterations Therefore eeing wee haue a Church setled in a tollerable maner of reformation and all trueth of doctrine freely taught and allowed by the authority of this realme yea and the aduersaries of trueth by lawe
to mislike Othervvise hee defieth all Martinistes in Englande and doeth appeale vnto the vvhole State of the learned and obedient Clergie for his innocencie therein Touching master Euans c. That of Euans concerning the Vicarage of Warwike is maliciously reported Hee reiected him for lacke of conformitie to the orders of the Church If hee haue done him any vvrong thereby the lavve is open hee might haue had his remedie That honourable person mentioned by the Libeller I am sure accepted of his answer And I knowe that according to his honourable disposition he thinketh himselfe greatly abused by the libeller in this point But vvhat careth such a corner-creeper what he saith of any man be he neuer so honourable The rest of that tale is vntrue not worth answering And if the relator there of durst appeare and shevv himselfe Martin could not bee long vnknovven If any of his men at any time reported that hee should say hee vvould not bee beholding to neuer a noble man in this land c. he shevveth himselfe to be of the Libellers conditions that is a common lyar For hee neuer spake the wordes to any man neither doeth hee vse that familiaritie vvith his men But the Libeller careth not vvhat he speaketh either of him or of his men so that he may fill vp his libell with vntrue slaunders That vvhich follovveth of the Archbishops words to the knight that he was the second person of the land c. is of the same kinde The knight I am sure is liuing let him be examined of that matter True it is that there was a good knight with him an old friend of his about such a sute but that he euer spake any such wordes vnto him as the Libeller vvoulde make the vvorlde beleeue is most false the Knight liueth and can testifie the same But the Libeller thinketh all men to be as proude and malapert as himselfe and other of his faction are whose pride the world seeth and it is vntolerable He was neuer D. Perns boy nor vnder him at any time but as fellow of the house where he vvas master Neither did he euer cary his or any other mans cloake bagge Although if he had so done it had bin no disgrace to him Better mens sonnes then the Libeller is haue caried cloakebags But the levvde man is not ashamed to lye in those things that are open to euery mans eyes such is his malice and impudencie How Dauisons Catechisme was allowed or how long in perusing I knovv not some paultry pamphlet belike it is like to that busie and vnlearned Scot now termed to be the author there of D. Wood is better able to iudge of such matters then either Dauison or any Martinist that dare be knovven Touching the Apocrypha c. He gaue commandement in deede meaneth to see it obserued For who euer separated this Apocrypha from the rest of the Bible from the beginning of Christianity to this day Or vvhat church in the vvorld refourmed or other doth yeat at this present And shal vve suffer this singularity in the church of England to the aduauntage of the aduersary offence of the godly contrary to al the vvorld besides I knovve there is great difference betvvene the one and the other yet all learned men haue from the beginning giuen to the Apocrypha authoritie next to the Canonicall Scriptures And therfore such giddy heads as seeke to deface them are to be bridled A foule shame it is not to be suffered that such speeches should be vttered against those bookes as by some hath bene enough to cause ignorant people to discredite the vvhole Bible Touching Doctor Sparke c. Their Honors that were thē present can wil I am sure answere for the bishops to this vntrueth They made report to diuers in publike place and some to the highest of that cōference after an other sort to another end thē the Libeller doth That seely Obiection God knoweth was soone answered in few words viz. That the trāslation read in our Churches was in that point according to the Septuagint correspondent to the Analogie of faith For if the word be vnderstood of the Israelites then is it true to say that they were not obedient to his cōmandement but if of the signes wonders that Moses and Aaron did before Pharao or of Moses and Aaron themselues then is it on the other side true that they were obedient to his commandement This might haue satisfied any learned and peaceable Diuine pacified their immoderate contention against the booke of common praier This was then and is now the answere to that friuolous obiection and this is the Nonplus that the Libeller vaunteth of More modestie might haue become both D. Sparke the reporter euen conscientia suae imbecillitatis in that conference Touching Patrike c. He neuer made Patrike Minister neither intended to make him neither was hee of his acquaintance at all in Worcester It is vvel knowen that the Archbishop hath not ordeined moe then onely tvvo Ministers since his comming to this Archbishoprike And therefore this Calumniation must be placed vvith the former Thus is this godlesse Libeller ansvvered in few words touching such matters wherewith he chargeth the most reuerend father the Archbishop of Cant. whereby the world may perceiue with what spirit he is possessed The wise man saith that destruction shall suddenly come vpon the backebiter and calumniator The Psalmist saith The Lorde will destroy lying lips and the tongue which speaketh proude things and that death shall suddenly come vpon them and hell shall receiue them S. Ambrose saith that Detractors are scarcely to bee accounted Christians And Cyprian saith Non qui audit sed qui facit conuitium miser est Not he that is railed at but he that raileth is the wretched man The wicked Iewes when they could not otherwise answere Christ called him Samaritan and said he had a deuill shortly after tooke vp stones and cast at him So the Anabaptists within our memory after slanderous and opprobrious calumniations against the godly Preachers and magistrates then liuing fell to blowes and open violence The Libeller in this booke hath perfourmed the one and threatned the other This haue I layd downe word by word as I receiued the same from my Lorde of London who desireth to haue the matter heard by indifferent Iudges and will shewe the Suggestions to be very vntrue ANd as to Martins lewde exclamation against the B. of London cōcerning the cloth thought to be stollen frō the Dyars this is the trueth of the case that vpon notice giuē to the said B. that such like cloth was wayued within his Manor of Fulham and left in a ditch there and no owner knowen hee presently hoping to take them that brought it thither or at the least to saue the same from purloyning or miscarying appoynted the same to be watched diuers nights and in the
Libeller to set out his Pasquil raketh all things by all reportes from all the Sycophants in the vvorld and maketh no choise of man or matter so that it may serue his turne And for any Letter vvritten by the maister of Requests so iestingly as the Libeller reporteth Maddockes hath deceiued him for there vvas no such matter nor the man for vvhom the Bishop vvrote vvas none of his seruant nor is Novve commeth in Dame Lawson to frumpe the Bishoppe vvith impudent and vnwomanly speech and vnfit for that sexe vvhom Paul vtterly forbiddeth to speake in the congregation But considering the circumstances of time place and persons it is to bee thought that Dame Lawson came at no time to the bishoppe in that brauerie for if shee had the bishop is not so soft but shee shoulde haue felt of Discipline and of the Queenes authoritie Surely the Bishop and such other of the Reuerend fathers that are so bitten by this Libeller may comfort themselues by the exāple of Athanasius and others as I before haue said which vvere most shamefully accused by the heretikes of murder robbery enchantment whoredome and other most detestable crimes to deface them to the worlde to the ende that their heresies might be the better liked of But Martin remember that saying Vae homini per quem scandalum venit and that Iude saith that Michael when he disputed with the Deuill about the body of Moses the Angel gaue no rayling sentence against him but said the Lord rebuke thee Satā And if it pleased you to remēber that booke that is fathered vpon Ignatius in Greeke which attributeth so much to the bishops you would be good master to bishops against whom so vnreuerently you cast out your stomacke And for your iesting at the Bishop for bovvling vpon the Sabboth you must vnderstande that the best expositor of the Sabboth which is Christ hath saide that the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth and man may haue his meate dressed for his health vpon the Sabboth and vvhy may he not then haue some conuenient exercise of the body for the health of the body You vvill take small occasion to raile before you will hold your tongue If you can charge the Bishop that euer he withdrew himself from Sermon or seruice by any such exercise you might bee the bolder with him but contrariwise it is wel knowen that he and his whole familie doeth euery day in the weeke twise say the whole seruice calling vpon God for them selues the State and the Queenes Maiestie praying for her highnesse by that meanes deuoutly and heartily many times I pray God you do the like But oratio animae maleuolae non placet Deo The prayer of a malicious heart neuer pleaseth God Martin vvith his bitter stile of malicious Momus dipt in the gall of vngodlinesse proceedeth in a shamelesse vntrueth touching the Bishops ansvvere to the executors of Allein the Grocer as though he shoulde flatly denie the payment of a certaine debt due to the sayde Allein vvhich is as true as all the rest of Martins vvritings is honest and sober For bee it that at the first demaunde the Bishoppe vvas somevvhat mooued to heare his name to bee in the Merchants bookes vvhich hee euer so precisely auoyded that commonly he sendeth to them vvhom hee hath to doe with vvarning them to deliuer nothing in his name without his ovvne hand or ready money vsed peraduenture some sharpe vvordes in a matter that was so sudaine and so strange to him Yet most certaine it is that though not at that time yet very shortly after the debt was discharged as shall be prooued long before Martins railing booke vvas heard of or seene ten pound excepted which the sayde executors for a time respited But this fellovve vvill trauaile farre before he will lacke matter to furnish a lye Another mountaine that he maketh of molehils for such is all his blasphemous buildings is that one Benison a poore man vvas kept in the Clincke I cannot tell howe long vniustly vvithout cause c. The trueth is this Benison comming from Geneua full fraught with studie of Innouations and vtterly emptie of obedience vvhich Beza that learned Father had or might haue taught him as by his Epistles appeareah both to the Queene and the gouernors of the Church set vp in London his shop of disobedience being maried in a contrary order to the booke and vsage of the Church of England abusing good M. Foxe as hee himselfe in griefe of heart after confessed After that the said Benison gathering conuenticles and refusing to goe to his owne parish church seeking to set al in combustion with schisme in the Citie was long before the B. heard any thing of him called before Sir Nicholas Woodroofe a graue Citizen the Recorder who found him in such an humour that they meant to haue sent him to prison But because hee was of the Clergie they thought good to commit him to his Ordinarie who trauailing with him most earnestly to bring him to the Church and become orderly when he coulde profite nothing with him sent him againe to the Sessions to the Lord Maior and the Iudges After they had dealt with him and could finde at his hands nothing but railing they sent him againe to the Bishop and he finding him in vnspeakeable disobedience to her Maiestie and her Lawes offered him the oath which he contemptuously and spitefully refused Which being certified according to order he was sent to the Queenes bench was condemned and thereupon sent to prison And this is that wonderfull tragedie wherin this fellow so greatly triumpheth wishing belike as his whole Libell seemeth to desire that no malicious schismatike shoulde be punished for moouing sedition in the lande But to this vnbrideled tongue it may be sayd as the Psalme sayth Quid gloriaris in malitia tua c. Where hee courseth the Bishop of London with the lewde lying Epithete of Dumbe Iohn fetched I cannot tell from what grosse conceite either as willingly stumbling vpon Dumbe for Don or for that he preacheth not so oft as hee and other of his crewe babbling in their verball sermons vse to doe or from whence else I knowe not vnlesse it please his wisedome to play with his owne conceite and minister matter to the Prentises and Women of London to sport himselfe in that pretie deuised and newe founde name If the Bishop shoulde ansvvere for himselfe I knowe he might say somevvhat after this sort Good charitable Martin hovv olde are you how long haue you knowen the man what reports in the booke of Martyrs in Master Askams booke of his Schoolemaster and in some learned men that haue vvritten from beyond the Seas haue you heard of him Master Foxe saith of him that hee vvas one of the fiue and novve onely aliue that stoode in the solemne disputations in the first of Quene Mary with a hundred hauberdes about his eares the like whereof you threaten