that haue continued with oure olde flocke stedfast and whole as touching our religion but verye weake sickly as touching our maners that is to say full of sinnes and vices attending some sage phisitions to heale vs and good pastors to keepe vs casting out the chaffe from the corne I mean cutting off those abuses that are offensiue not to suche scrupulous consciences as you haue but vnto him that doth threaten them for the carelesse liues of their sheepe and so to continue in that auncient fayth that by succession of pastors we haue receued from the Apostles ¶ The .41 Chapter I Knowe well that you wil take this confessiō of mine to your aduantage saying that for feare of being infected with our superstitious diseases you haue seperated your selues frō the common flocke but if you do consider my firste wordes they haue barred you al maner of wayes to reply iustly for I haue already said that althogh we be sickly and weake sheepe as touching our doings or maners yet in regarde of our fayth thankes be to God we are safe and sounde keeping still that integritie of religion that by succession of pastors we haue receaued from the Apostles without adding or diminishing any thing to the grounde of our catholike beliefe for as for ceremonies the Church hath vsed thē euer as touching that time the place to the honor of god edification of our neighbor and therfore if you did seperate your selues from our kind of liuing to leade a holy solitarye life as the holy Heremites and saintes haue done in times past forsaking the conuersatiō of the cōmon people to liue in contemplation without seperating thē selues frō the cōmunion of the Churche in the which they haue bene baptised and had receaued their faith your doings had ben as much worthi of praise in that respect as nowe they are damnable considering howe you forsake the common tabernacle within the which both you and we haue receaued the Sacraments of regeneration and our spirituall foode altogether And to the ende that no bodye runne astray from the right path that he should folowe the good Christian ought to fixe in his minde this resolution I mean to serue God and to liue in the Catholike fayth commonlye or priuately for when there is any question put as touching the life the common way as Christe doth saye doeth leade one to perdition and the narow waye doth guide vnto the port of saluation But if one speake of religion the contrarye is verifyed for the common way is the way of health the priuate way is the path of damnation The Prophete Dauid in the. 24. Psalme had a regarde to this when he prayed god to teach him his waies by the religion and his pathes by the maners and customes ¶ The .42 Chapter NOw to turne to the partition that we haue vpon the. 34. and. 37. of Ezechiell and vppon the tenth of Iohn it is playne that we are the flockes of weake and sickly sheepe and your disciples are the sheepe that runne this way and that way astraye those that are our yll prelats take vpon them the title of Mercenarij pastoris but vnto your Ministers the titles of deuouring wolues may be applyed without any scrupulositie of conscience for you watche to none other intent but to make the sheepe runne out of the fold and to deuour them because that our pastors haue not taken care to keepe them And although they bee not excusable aswell for their silence as for their naughtie liues I see not your Patriarchs and zealous Ministers amende muche them selues the faultes that they finde in vs for besydes the true and certayne experience that we haue had by the tryall that we haue seene to our coste in this Realme within these fyue or six yeres I haue read full manye a golden Legend of your sacred martyrs and holy Bishops which do not altogether redound to the honor of your pretended reformed Church And among others Theodore de Beza Caluins successor in the Pontificate seate of the holy Citie of Geneua of whom suche thinges are preached abrode that if the one halfe of them be true he is scant so good a man as S. Iohn Baptist And because I woulde not haue you to mislike them for their religion I will not alleage to verifye this anye Catholike authour but some of Luthers Successours your fyrste founder who taught you to write so learnedlye I woulde saye raylinglye againste the Churche of Rome Tilemanus Heshusius a Minister of the Lutherans in the booke that I haue alreadye noted doeth openlye accuse the sayde Beza of great infamye that he did not onely content the fansie of his minde with leading a luxurious and a licentious life and to stayne his vow with a bolte of adulterous loue but that that is worse he himselfe hath set forth in writing al his lasciuious acts the which saith he he hath songe in sacrilege ryme to the Instrument to manifest his synne to the whole sight of the worlde And in that very booke he doth say that Beza who as I haue tolde you is a Bishop of the holy Citie of Geneua is an infamous monster whose naughty life any man maye reade set forth by himselfe in his owne Epigrams notwithstanding sayth he to heare him speake you woulde thinke he were Saint Iohn Baptist for he can talke of nothinge but of his holye life This same very Minister in the booke where he writeth these thinges he doeth laye to Bezas charge that he tooke with him to Geneua another mans wife without the knowledge of her husbande whose name was Candida Thus seeing by the verye testimonie of those that are our enemies that are your brethren as touching the seeking to ouerthrowe the Catholike Churche The principall pillers of your Church are bawdes theeues and adulterers ruffins why doo ye not firste begin to reforme your selues to this intent that when we see that you haue taken the blocke out of your own eyes we may be the better content that you should spye the mote in ours Remember that our Sauiour sayth in the Gospel that the phisition ought to cure himselfe ¶ The .43 Chapter YOu that can saye so well that one ought to liue according to the scripture and that you will by it refourme vs why do ye not beginne with your selues to geue vs the better example From whence come so many kinde of vsuries and excessiue interests as you doo vse You call our Churche abhominable and adulterous He that is among you without sinne let him cast the fyrste stone You doo abhorre oure Idols as you terme them talking of our Images howe commeth it to passe then that some of youres should come so neere vs that are Idolaters as to rob our Churches and to carye away the Images and reliques and to go and sell them in other places But nowe to make an ende of this discourse although it were so that your woorkes were
past haue required your ancient ministers to haue geuē you a warrant for the cōfirmatiō of your estate whē one doth demaund of you since when your religion begon you are not content to claime the beginning from the Apostles but rather stepping hardly forwarde ye are not content to staye at Dauid or Abraham but you must needes fetche it from Abell yea from Adam And if one should spurre you forwarde you would go I knowe not whether Then seing that your Churche is so auncient and that it hath indured till our dayes if we wil beleeue you it is not like to be true that it hath beene destitute altogether of ministers for although it be so that God did greatly afflicte the Israelites with the captiuitie of Babilon yet did he neuer leue them without comfort of good doctours suche as Daniel Ezechias Abdias and many others Euen so you that thinke in your owne heades to be the people of God I cannot thinke if it be so he would so haue geuen you ouer as to want ministers to comfort you in your afflictions and to ordeyne your ministerie by the imposition of handes What stayes you that you doo not go to them seing that you haue nothing to do with oures And if you say that you haue done so doo vs so muche plesure as to let vs heare their names and in what time they did florishe or otherwise you may pardon vs if we geue no credite to your fayned imaginations ¶ The .14 Chapter CAluin doth alleage to vs that the Apostles doo saye that is that no body ought to take vpon him the honour of the high priesthood except he be called to it as Aaron was meaning by that to conclude that of our owne authoritie wee haue vsurped the dignitie of priesthood We haue aunswered him at large of our vocation by the succession of Pastors ioyned with the imposition of handes I doe demaunde of him or of his if they can make any true answer to the like obiection You do lay to our charge the yl liues of our Popes Bishops and the naughtines that you pretend to find in our Preachers but al those inuectiues serue to no other purpose but to shewe howe you keepe a learned schoole of rayling the which preheminence we do yelde to you without any debate or processe for ye may attribute that vnto your selues as your owne by right in steede of the imposition of hands which ye want But in one thing to my iudgement you are greatly ouerseene and that is this Why doe ye not fyll bothe sides of your Booke in the one you sette foorth at large without omitting anye poynte of their yll dooinges all the naughtie lyues of oure Pastours and Byshoppes but the other sydes of the leaues are emptie you shoulde haue written on them the holye lyues of your Ministers succeeding one after an other this thousande and fiue hundred yeeres When the Popes Bonifacius and Gregorius didde gouerne yll their Seates at Rome whiche were the good and holy Ministers that dyd their duety at Geneua When our Doctours dyd preache agaynst god in times paste in what part or vnder what signe were your Ministers lodged that dyd then preache the pure woorde of the Lorde yf they dydde hyde them selues they dydde not followe the pure worde of the Lorde the whiche you say is necessarie too knowe the true and faythfull beleeuers For Christe doth say Matthewe 10. That hee that shall denye him before men him will he denie before his father in heauen And S Paul doth say Rom. 10. That with the heart one doth beleue to Iustice and with the mouth one must confesse to saluation But to say the truth your religion was not then founde out and the Grandfathers great Grandfathers of Caluin had neuer dreampt of the heresyes that now their reformed childe hath set so newly abroche And therefore thinke it not straunge if that those people that are not light headed send you to preache in newe found landes as one that hath here at home geuen manifestly iudgement against himself confessing as we haue alleaged aboue that the Churche of God hath vsed the imposition of handes yours hath not done so therfore it doth folowe that it is not of God and that that doth folow consequently is that it is of the deuill For we knowe that you alowe no Purgatorie I meane no meane betweene them both ¶ The .15 Chapter YOu will saye to me that this argument ought to take place in an ordinarie Commission but yours is extraordinarie as that was of the Prophetes of the olde Testament whom God did sende to correct the Scribes and Pharises and that euē so God hath inspired you and others of your sect to the like effect that is to saye to correct the superstitious liues and doctrine of the Papistes Idolaters and by this as farre as I can see ye are Commissaries of God in his behalfe and ye may say wel with S. Paule although ye haue not bene rauished vnto the third heauen that ye are not sent by man or of man but by the authoritie of oure Sauiour Christe But what woulde you saye if we shoulde speake against it as a number doo and that to reuenge this quarel we should write against your Commission we might well aide our selues with a Sillogisme of our sauiour Christe if we woulde come to pleade the matter which is this He that is of God doth obey the worde of God but you doo not obey the worde of God therefore ye are not of God. I knowe that you wil denye the Minor and therefore it doeth appertaine to vs to proue it Christe doeth saye Giue vnto Coesar that that apperteyneth to Coesar and to God that that apperteyneth to God. That is to saye to speake familiarlye Geue Geneua vnto his Lorde and the Bishopricke vnto his Bishop Nowe you doo not obeye this commaundement and therefore as one that doeth not apperteyne vnto God you haue prouided your selfe a newe master And because we woulde not haue some to thinke that we that are not of the countrey doo beare false witnes against you or that we doo it without hauing anye interest vnto the matter I am sure that all the world doeth knowe that ye haue set all Fraunce in as ill an estate as ye haue done the dukedome of Sauoye In that that appertayneth to the Church is there any Bishoprick or dioces left where ye haue not sought with all youre power to preache youre holye doctrine where haue ye forgotten that that Saint Paule doeth saye whiche is Howe shall they preache if they are not sent What righte haue you to come to reape other mennes corne Doo not you remember that that Tertulian doeth write against youre elders that did persecute the Catholike Churche against whom he sayeth in his booke de praescriptione haereticorum What are ye and from whence doo ye come By what right O Marcian doest thou cut downe my wood why
¶ The Preface to the Reader PLutarche a noble Philosopher a diligent Historician writeth in the life of Demetrius a king of Macedonie that when an olde woman came to him beséeching him to heare her speake and he made aunswer that he had no leasure the woman looking vpon him sayd to him agayne with a loude voyce why haue you no leasure to rule as a king shoulde Which wordes so pearced the kinges heart and so greatly preuayled in him that he forthwith gaue her audience and from that day none came to him for any matter but gently and with all diligence he did heare them discusse their causes Boysteouslye were these wordes spoken of a subiect and not with that reuerence that was méete to be geuen to a king Notwithstanding as Cicero witnesseth in the second of his Tusculanes Tristis res est dolor sine dubio aspera amara inimica naturae ad patiendum tolerandumque difficilis Sorow is a gréeuous thing without doubt sharpe bitter and an enemye to nature harde to suffer and forbeare Sorowe as I suppose constreyned the séelye woman to speake as she did veras exprimere voces and to vtter the truth On the other side consider not only the gentle nature of this noble prince but also his great wisedome in considering nothing to be more séemely for a gouernour then to hear mens causes indifferentlye and to sée all wronges redressed Nihil sayeth the same Plutarche tam egregium tamque proprium Regis esse videtur quà m iusticiae opus Nothing is so excellent so properlye pertayning to him that is a magistrate as iustice I haue read that the Tribunes which wer officers chosen for the defence of the Commons of Rome had their gates or dores neuer shut neither by day nor by night in token that thither might be the recourse of al them that had néede of succour So ought euery gouernoure whether he be spiritual or temporall to be a succour and as it wer a castle and a fortresse to them that be vnder his tuition Dion Cassius in his bookes that he wrote de principe amongst other preceptes willeth chiefely and aboue all thinges that whosoeuer be the head of the people be a diligent worshipper folower of God next that he be louing to his subiectes if he will haue them to be faythfull to him and loue him as subiectes shoulde their prince For it is not of likelyhood said Dion neither doth nature permit but that he that loueth should be loued when we sée dogges to fawne and horses to neye to them of whom they be cherished Again he would haue such rulers to call themselues shepherdes and féeders of men rather then otherwise So Homer calleth a king pastorem populi a shepherde and féeder of the people And Plato in his Dialogue called Minos writeth that Minos and Radamanthus which gaue lawes to the men of Crete were the true shepherdes of men whiche was not spoken of so noble a Philosopher without a iust cause for nothing doth more nourish mainteine and vpholde a common wealth then lawe which as Tullie in secūdo de natura deorum sayth est recti praeceptio prauique depulsio a commaunder of that which is good and honest and an expulser of all that is noughte and vnhonest Now as a shepherdes care is to sée his shéepe fedde in wholsome pastures and to be kepte safe from wolues al other beastes that would wery and destroy them and if any in the flocke be infected with any outwarde scabbe or inward maladie to remedie it betime or if the contagion admit no helpe but is incurable to haue suche a one away from the flocke that he hurt none of them that be whole Euen so must he that will be a shepherde of men studye for the good ordering and quietnes of the multitude ouer whom he hath charge and that all enormities that might disturbe a common wealth whether it be spirituall or ciuill be expelled and that all faultes be redressed with due correction vsing lenitie and seueritie after as hope or dispaire of amendment shall appeare Neither hath the name of a shepherde lacked his preheminence at any time That good Abell ad cuius munera deus respexit to whose giftes sacrifice God had respect was a shepherde Abraham in whose séede God promised that all nations shoulde be blessed was a shepherde so was Isaac his sonne and Iacob his nephewe and his sonnes also Moyses that noble captayne and deliuerer of God his people was a shepherde in the lande of Madian Dauid of whom S. Steuen sayde that God gaue this testimonye Inueni Dauid filium lesse virum secundùm cor meum qui faciet omnes voluntates meas I haue founde Dauid the sonne of Iesse a man after mine owne heart and minde which shall do all my will. Act. 13. This noble king Dauid was a shepherde These I suppose almightie God woulde haue to be ensamples to all them that be in authoritie for as Paule sayth Quaecunque scripta sunt ad nostram eruditionem scripta sunt All thinges that are written are written for our instruction that as they fedde that séely innocent cattell so shoulde all Magistrates that professe his sons name learne to gouerne the people in the obedience of his doctrine that they might be innocentes manibus puro corde nec iurantes in dolo proximo suo Innocents of their handes and of a pure heart which vse no deceipt towardes their neighbours but in al their doinges shewe themselues to be veras oues pascuae Christi the true shéepe of the pasture of Iesus Christe who sayeth Bonus pastor animam suà m dat pro ouibus suis A good shepherd geueth his life for his shéepe Fewe wordes but full of pith And neuer could mo thinges be spoken more compendiouslye For what will he refuse to doo what labour what trauayle what payne will he forsake which for that perfourmance of that he goeth about will not spare his owne life If a good shepherde setteth so great store by his shéepe if he loue them so tenderly that he will rather lose his lyfe then to sée thē in any danger what will he not doo els for them Howe can it be otherwise but that he will sée his flocke fedde in wholsome pastures howe can it be thoght that he will not tarye with them to kéepe them from wolues from dogges that fall to byting of them and from other like rauenous beasts Who would imagine him to be so negligent that he will not in the euening bring them home to the cote or folde Will he not trowe you if any be strayed go séeke him out and bring him agayne to his felowes If any be sicke will he not sée him holpen with all diligence Sée therfore what a great matter our Sauior did comprehend folde vp as it were knit together in a bundell al that can be desired in a good herdesman O that gouernours whō god hath put
much to say as if she meant thus I see many sheperdes in these mountains which haue great aboundance of sheepe I see those of the Romane Church I see Donatistes I see Nouatians or to speake of our time I see one flocke folowe Luther another flocke folowe Zuinglius another folow Caluin another the Anabaptists another the Sacramentaries and so forth diuers others of whom when I demaunde particulerly Whose is this flocke they doo al aunswer me It is of Christ and euery one saieth this is the Catholike Churche euery one doeth saye that he is his felowe that is to saye as touching the guyding of his flock Now it is not possible that they doo all teache the truth considering howe they vary amonge them selues therfore I do desire thee to tell me where thou doest rest thy selfe at noone dayes that is as much to saye teache me which is the true Catholike Churche which doth celebrate the true misterie of the Crosse which is the place where thou wast nayled at noone dayes being nayled both handes and feete Heare nowe the aunswer of Iesus Christe If thou doest not know the place where I rest O moste beautifull among all women folowe thou the pathe that thy flocke hath made before thee setting thy tabernacle or thy lodge hard by the tabernacle of thy Shepherds If we well note and vnderstande this aunswere it will learne vs that that shal suffise to kepe vs frō rūning euer astray The sense is this O thou Christian which art troubled in thy conscience not knowing because of so many heresyes which waye thou shalt goe or howe thou shalt decerne the true religion from other false doctrine take my counsaile the which is to folowe steppe by steppe the flocke that went before thee If that a thousande or two thousand sheepe runne ouer a plaine those that come afterwarde doo not they know well the path that is made before them doo not they discerne the waye that the firste went Yes surely although there be no Sheperd to guide them And if thou doest aunswere that this doth not suffise for I doo see diuers pathes I see the pathe of the Caluinistes the path of the Lutherans and the pathe of those of the Romane Churche but yet doo not I knowe which flocke I should chose To this I answere thus Set thy Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Shepherdes and of thy Pastors I mean that I woulde haue thee to leane to that flocke that can leade thee from age to age and from yere to yere vnto the Crosse of Iesus Christ on the which he was nailed at noone dayes and there it is where thou oughtest to quiet thy selfe and thy conscience Then to beginne If thou doest aske the Caluinistes Where is the true fayth the which as they saye doeth consiste in the true preaching of the worde of the Lorde and in the administration of the Sacramentes according to the institution of Iesus Christe they will aunswere It is at Geneua the Lutherans will aunswere At Wittemberge and the Anabaptistes will aunswere at Monasterium The Vbiquitaries they will aunswere At Tubinge and the Trinitaries At Petricone and so consequently of the rest And then pursue and aske farther where it was twentye yeares agone They will say in the saide Cities but if thou come to demaunde of them wher it was a hundred or two hundred yeres agone if they are ashamed anye thing at all to lye they will not aunswere at all for there is none of them that can deny but that Luther who beganne to preache his newe Gospell the yere 1517. was the firste beginner of all these troubles the father of all those that teache this reformed religion Then is it farre frō that place where thy frend was nailed at middaie or where he was crucifyed aboue 1500. yeres agone before the newe Churche was dreampt of And therefore thou maiest easelye perceaue that this flock cannot leade thee to the place that thou doest desire and consequently that is not the flocke that we shoulde folowe Then let vs com vnto the Romane Church demaund where was this flock an hundred yeres agone They wil aunswere thee In Fraunce Spaine Englande Germanie and so ouer all Christendom And if thou aske where it was 500. yeres agone they will say In the saide places And a thousande yeres agone likewise and likewise a thousande and fiue hundred yeres agone This flocke then will not leaue thee by the waye as the others doo but it will leade thee vnto the very time of the death and passion of Christe by continuaunce of one doctrine and by succession of pastors which Salomon doth call the tabernacle of the Shepherdes And therefore this is the place where thou must seeke thy Tabernacle and quiet thy conscience to the ende that thou be not a lost sheepe and that thou be not readie to turne at euery blast of newe doctrine that our newe Coggers of the Scriptures doo set forth to deceaue the simple sheepe ¶ The .5 Chapter THe like vnto this is confirmed by Vincentius Lyrinensis of whom we haue spoken before for he saith in the booke aboue named that that person ought to be estemed a true Catholike that hath nothing in greater commendation then the true religion of the Catholike faith yea although it were the wisest man in the world and the greatest Philosopher the fairest speaker that euer was if he came to speake against the olde doctrine that hath bene taught vs of our forefathers time out of mind we ought saith he to disdaine that learned Clarke with all his philosophie cunning and to hold our selues to the auncient opinion of the Churche the which hath continued vntill this present day And if that nowe one should bring a newe doctrine that was not hearde of before contrary vnto that that hath euer ben taught in the Churche say that it doth not apperteine vnto the state of the Catholike faith that it is no religion but a temptatiō And therfore if we wil be saued we ought to liue and dye in that faith that hath continued by succession of Pastours euen from Christes time vnto these dayes S. Irenaeus a very famous writer in his fourth booke against heresies the. 65. Chapter who was within a fewe yeres of the Apostles Archbishop of Lions writeth the veri like saying that the true faith and the true knowledge of God is the doctrine of the Apostles and the auncient estate of the Church throughout the world according to the succession of those Bishops vnto whom only the Apostles committed the custodye of the Churche throughout the worlde the which sayeth he is come to vs This sayde Irenaeus doeth write in his thyrde booke and seconde Chapiter that he and his felowes did withstande the Valentinians and the Marcionistes which were great heretikes by the traditions of the Apostles that is to saye the doctrine not written but receued from age to age of the Apostles and so continued till
infidelitie which are the portes of damnation should neuer preuaile against it Esa. 58. Our aduersaries therefore that take suche great paines to set forth in golden legends the liues of the wicked popes that haue beene since S. Peters time thinking thereby to ouerthrowe the succession of the Catholike ecclesiasticall fayth doo no lesse offende God then if they should go about to proue the promise of God made to the Patriarches to be vaine because of the euill liues of their successours Therefore those that doo reproche vnto vs now that the popes of our dayes are not altogether so holy as S. Peter we do cōfesse it But they cannot deny or they wil cōfesse vnto vs that the aboue named euil kings Achaz Ioram Manasses Amon Iechonias and others did leade no suche holy liues as Abraham Isaac Iacob or Dauid and yet notwithstanding those euill kinges haue beene set forth in the generation of our Sauiour as the Fathers of the iust Iesus Christe Let them iudge thē that haue any wit whether this be a great foly or no to see howe these craftie Coggers of the Scriptures should make many simple persons refuse to be the Popes spiritual childrē because they were sinners seeking thereby to ouerthrowe all the auncient customes of the Churche ¶ The .8 Chapter VPon Moyses Chayre there sitteth sayeth oure Sauiour Christe who not the godliest menne of the worlde but the Scribes and Pharises Doo that they saye but not that that they doo But if our newe Gospellers had beene in those dayes they woulde haue tolde Christe that his commaundement was not to be obserued because the liues of Anna and Cayphas were not correspondent vnto those of Moyses and Aaron for the firste came to the vocation of priesthood being called of God but the last attained to it by the vocation of their purses and yet notwithstanding rather then our Sauiour wold breake this harmonie of the misticall body of the Churche he was not onlye content to permit that Caiphas should execute his office although he was vnworthye as one that came to it by Simony but rather he did confirme his Pontificate with the gifte of the spirite of prophecying with the which he was as fullye inspired as euer was Dauid Esay or any of the rest al to teache vs that that I haue alreadie said I meane that the Ecclesiastical order the administration of the Sacramentes doo not consist in the good or euill liues of the Pastors but only of God and of his worde interpreted by them As touching that that appertaineth to our health God hath no regarde to the life of the magistrate temporall or ecclesiastical for he can aswell serue him with an euill person to doo good to the common wealth as of a good as the godlye prophecies of the wicked Balaam doo wel witnes Num. 24. And here is to be noted that when we talke of the succession of Bishops and of the doctrine continuing in the Churche we doo not meane onely to talke of the Popes but of all the Bishops and other hauing Ecclesiasticall charges not onely at Rome but through all other places where the true preaching and right administratiō of the Sacraments be vsed And therefore you doo pretende in vaine to proue that the aboue mentioned succession hath beene interrupted by the dissention of Popes and Antipopes and by the Ciuill warres that haue beene at Rome in times past For althoughe that the Sea of Rome was vacant for a time the Chaires of the Bishops in Fraunce Spaine Englande and ouer all Christendome were not vacant they did not for their debates let to administer the precious body of Iesus Christ and the rest of the Sacramentes to preache and teache the people doing manye other godlye deedes And to be briefe the Ciuil dissention at Rome did not cause the rest of the people throughout Christendome to breake the vnitie of their fayth which they helde before their discordes The ambition of the popes of Rome was in nothing preiudiciall vnto those that helde the integritie of their fayth nor through the reason of their yl gouernāce our sauiour Christ did not lose his rightful inheritaunce ¶ The .9 Chapter NOwe seing that we haue yelded you a full accompt of our vocatiō to the ministery if we may be so bold I thinke it is no great presumption to demaunde the like of yours For euen as Caluin hath heretofore called vpon vs to haue vs proue that wee are the children of God or otherwise he woulde absolutelye affirme that God can not be called the authour of our vocation to the ministery We say likewise that if you doo not shewe the like of yours you shall geue vs leaue although it be against youre willes to saye that yours commeth not from God but from the procurement of his aduersarye Tertulian who as you knowe aboue 1200. yeres agone speaking against suche as you are in his booke de praescript haeret doth write these words Edant origines Ecclesiarum suarum euoluent ordinem Episcoporum suorū per successiones ab initio decurrentem Hoc enim modo Ecclesiae Apostolicae cursus suos deferunt sicut Romanorum Clementem Episcopum à Petro ordinatum id proinde vtique et coeteri exhibeant quos ab Apostolis in Episcopalibus constitutos Apostolico semine radices habeant You see well by these wordes howe that Tertulian doeth continue with the succession of the Pastours the which he doeth affirme to be necessarye saying that you and such as you are ought not to be receiued to the ministerie of the Church nor to teach the people contrary to the ecclesiasticall order except that you shewe the antiquitie of your table And it is necessary saith he that you recken your Pastors and Bishops by order and howe they haue succeeded one after another for this is the waye that the Churches doo maintaine their right The saide Tertulian doth ground his similitude vppon the custome of the Ciuill gouernaunce For when that those yare princes or Lordes doo suruaye their landes the subiectes are bounde to shewe what bandes they holde of them setting it all forth by accompt shewing by what tenure they holde their copie and whether it be demeanes or freeholde comming by inheritance or bought they ought likewise to name him that had it before and by their owne title to ouerthrowe all other persons that maye make claime vnto it According to this paterne and order we haue geuen you accompt of our inheritance although we were not bounde to it setting before your eyes the similitude of Salomon by whom our Sauiour Iesus Christe is represented That same Salomon doeth geue the sheepe that runnes astray counsaile to set his Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Sheperdes and to folow their flocke vntil he come to the place where Christe was nailed on the Crosse at noone dayes The whiche counsell as the moste certaine according to Tertulian his opinion we doo folowe thinking it sufficient to keepe vs firmely in
shew the cause it is to the ende that my name be knowen ouer al the earth that is to say that men shoulde know that he is god If we come to the Apostles we shall fynde likewise that their doctrine was not new for when they began to preache vnto the Gentiles Idolaters they did not at the first preach Iesus Christ but thei did seeke to blot out of the mindes of the simple people the foolishe opinion that they had in the multitude of gods to teach thē that there was but one god who had created the heauen earth who sendeth rayne in time of neede and all thinges els that are required for the sustenance of in This is the doctrin that S. Paule did preach as we reade in the Actes This doctrine was not newe amonge men although it were so that they were Paynims for not onely in Moyses lawe nor in the law of Grace but euen by the lawe of Nature God hath bene knowen euen of those which were not of the familie of Abraham Isaac and Iacob vnto whō the promise of the Incarnation of Christe was made Of this doth Abimilech the king of Gerar bear witnes who did excuse himselfe before god for the wife of Abraham he could neuer haue knowen howe to talke thus with God if he had not knowē him Besydes this he made Abraham to sweare by the inuocation of the saide God that neither he nor his heires shoulde suffer any damage by his posteritie Bathuell did likewise knowe God when he confessed that he was the authour of the mariage of his daughter with Abrahams son euen so Abimilech the king of the Palestines and Phicol Ochosath sayde vnto Isaac We heare that God is with thee and therefore we are come to make alliance together Adonibezeth although he were a Gentile did not he confesse one God when he sayde that he had geuē him the selfe same punishment that he had geuē the 70. kinges Iob al his frends althogh they were Gentiles haue auouched one God to be the Creator of heauen and earth euen aswell as the Israelites as it doeth appere by the discourse of the saide Iob. If we reade the histories of the Paynims we shal find that they bear witnes of one God among themselues Diogenes Laertius in the liues of the Philosophers doth write that the Emperoure Adrian did demaunde of a philosopher called Secundus what God was He aunswered God is an immortall spirite incomprehensible conteyning all the worlde a light and a soueraine goodnes True it is that this Secundus was bolder to speake of God then another Philosopher called Simenides of whō Tullie doth write in his fyrst booke De natura deorum vnto whom when the tyrāt Hyero did demaūd of him what God was and that he had geuē him diuers dayes of respit to answer him at the last he saide that he did acknowledge in him an infinite of all thinges Cicero himself in the fyrst question of his Tusculanes doth gouerne geue the being to all things And in diuers places of that worke he doth wel expresse that he knew well that there was one God that the gods that the Gentiles did worship wer but mortal mē And in the saide booke he saieth that we know God by his workes in the which he doth not much differ frō Dauid saying That the heuens declare the glory of God and the firmament doth anoūce his works And in the 40. chapter of Esay whē god did talke with the Gentiles he did cal his works to bere witnes of his greatnes Lift vp your eyes saith he and beholde who hath made this And the Sage doth say that men through their vaniti haue not knowē God by his works And S. Paul doth absolutely cōdemne thē saying the thei can procure no excuse of ignorance for the inuisible things such as is the diuinitie of God may be knowe by the visible thinges And therfore they are vnexcusable hauing hidden the truth of God to vniustice for after that they haue knowen him they haue not geuen him that thankes and honour that they should haue done but they haue beene deceaued through their owne subtilitie making a profession of knowledge they haue beene founde foolishe and ignoraunt S. Augustine 8. lib. de Ciu. dei ca. 24. doeth reckē Mercurius called Hermes Trimegistus among these forasmuche as he did continue in his owne erroure although he knewe by that that one may see in his owne writinges that his auncetours did erre greatly in the making and worshipping of so many Gods. ¶ The .20 Chapter LActantius Firmianus in his booke of his diuine Institutions Cap. 5. writing against the Gentiles doeth proue that there is but one God and he doeth alleage as witnesses all the olde learned Philosophers suche as Thales Milesius Pithagoras Anaxagoras Cleanthus Anaximeus Crysippus Heno Plato Aristotel Seneca others Octauius likewise a christian Orator disputing against Caecilius as then a Gentile doeth alleage likewise to confounde these olde Philosophers and he doeth adde more Xenophon Spensippus Demaritus Strato Theophrastus and many more S. Paule likewise preaching to the Athenians doth protest that he doth teach them no newe thing but rather him whom they did worship and did not knowe By the which it is plainelye to be seene that the Apostles did not announce vnto the people any newe lawe for it was verye olde and notwithstanding they did confirme it with miracles And if you saye that although those learned Philosophers had a knowledge of God as it doeth appere by their workes yet there is founde in them no mention of Iesus Christe and therfore that it was necessary to approue that doctrine with signes and miracles But contrarywise that you in your newe refourmed Gospell doo preache the olde Apostolicall lawe I doo aunswere you to this that the .9 Sybilles did speake of his comming and byrth euen as playnly as any of the Prophetes and amongst other Sybilla Erithrea did as fully prophesie of the comming of our Sauiour to iudge the quicke and the dead as any other prophet as S. Augustine doth testifie Li. 1. de ciui dei cap. 23. Likewise of his death and passion and of the myracles he should doo before his death The Oracles of the false goddes haue likewise declared vnto the Gentiles the comming of Christe as Lactantius Firmianus doth write lib. 4. cap. 15. in his booke of the deuine institutions Nicephorus in like maner dothe write howe Augustus Caesar sacrifising to the God Apollo Pythius in his temple coulde get no other but a very breefe aunswere then Caesar dyd demaund why he coulde not make him then as fullye aunswere as he did at other tymes Apollo was constrayned to saye the trueth the whyche was that a young Hebrewe childe borne of late did commaunded him to retire him selfe into his hell vnto whom he was forced to yeelde obediently forasmuche as he was god and gouernour of the
other goddes and therefore that he did counsel the sayde Caesar quietly to retyre himselfe and to make no more adoe the verses are these Me puer Hebraeus diuos deos ipse gubernans Cedere sede iubet tristemque redire suborcum Aris ergo dehinc tacitus abscedito nostris ¶ The .21 Chapter THus you see that Iesus christ was anounced among the gentiles before the cōming of the Apostles who notwithstanding this dyd not let to set forth the doctrine that they wer sent to preache with many notable miracles although they did not reach but that doctrine that was verye ancient And although that their doctrine was newe and vnknowen to the Gentiles yet you cannot alleage that it was so vnto the Iewes for they being studied learned in Moyses lawe they hearde nothing of the Apostles but had bene prophecied by the Prophetes Doeth not S. Paule say at the beginning of his Epistle to the Romanes that he was seperated to preache the Gospel the which God promised by the holye Scriptures S. Peter talking with the Iewes doeth geue them plainelye to vnderstande that his was no newe doctrine because that he did preach Iesus Christe of whom Moyses had prophecied longe before saying thus God shall rayse a Prophete among your brethren you shall obey him as you doo me and he that doth refuse it shal be put to death S. Peter saith afterwarde All the prophetes that haue beene from Samuell vnto this time doo announce vnto you these dayes that is to saye the doctrine that we doo preache That that the Apostles did preach vnto the Iewes that is to wit the remissiō of their sinnes by the death and passion of Christe it was no newe thing for as S. Peter sayde vnto Cornelius All the Prophetes haue witnessed that these that beleue in him shall obteyne remission of their sins for it had bene so prophecied by Esay cap. 55. vnto the people aboue .800 yeres saying that he had layed vpon his sonne all oure iniquities as it doeth appere in his booke in the which he doth shew him selfe more an Euangelist then a Prophete for there he doth write the torments of our Sauiour euen as if he had bene present at his passiō Dauid likewise doth talk of the like where he doeth mention the extreme affliction of our Redeemer and of the gal the Isope and the Vinager Daniel did not onely discrye the death of our Sauiour but therewithall the verye time that he shoulde come And to be briefe all the Prophetes haue announced vnto the Iewes that that the Apostles did preache vnto them Nowe if we desire to knowe why this olde doctrine preached aswell to the gentiles as to the Iewes by the Apostles was confirmed with many miracles which they did in the name of God who sent them the cause is this the deuill had so obscured and hidden the truth ouer all nations that superstitious Idolatrye had taken place in steede of the true seruice of God so that the poore Painims did not put their trust in one God but in a multitude of goddes And in like maner the true religion geuen by god to the Israelites had ben troubled and almoste cleane abolished by the traditions of the Scribes and Pharises in the which they did truste for the iustification and remission of theyr synnes The like doo you reporte of vs and of your great curtesye yee are content to matche vs with the superstitious Iewes and Idolatrous Paynims plating your selues in the degree of the pure Gospellers and the true children of God taking vppon you the Succession of the Apostles and calling youre Congregation the true Catholike and Apostolicall Churche This soundes notablye well but seeing that youre cause is absolutelye to refourme the Churche as they didde preaching the auncient doctrine of God as they did and dealing with superstitious Idolaters that cleaue more to the traditions of menne then vnto the pure worde of god as the Iewes Seing thē that our case is reported vnto the similitude of the Iewes and yours to the Apostles Prophetes howe comes it to passe that you doo not as they did seeing that you are sent from one master Why doo ye not make your commission appere by signes and miracles seeing that God hath euer done the like heretofore when he hath sent the like Commission to yours ¶ The .22 Chapter YOu doo coniure vs by the name of the liuing God to receaue youre Gospell and pure word of God or els you doo threaten vs that you will shake off the dust of your feet in testimonie against vs because that wee will not beleue your wordes But in this matter ye doo alleage a wronge text for we were very simple if we shoulde forsake or remoue the foundation of our Churche vppon suche an occasion as I will shewe by this discourse that doeth folowe I am sure that you are not ignorant howe that Luther after he began to preache his Gospell was not founde barren for immediatlye after his beginning he did ingender another Gospeller that is to wyt Andrew Coralstadius and from thence was produced another called Zuinglius of Zuinglius Oecolampadius Then Thomas Muncerus considering that he had no lesse the gifte of the spirite then the rest he began to forge a newe Gospell of the Anabaptists with the which he thought to gratifye the Towne of Milhouse who had receaued alreadie the Gospell of Luther But the Senate of that Towne being weried alreadye with to many straunge Gospels they aduertised Luther your fyrste Apostle of it And he wrote to them againe that Thomas Muncerus ought not to be receaued if he could not proue his vocation by some miracle And if you demaunde where I haue founde this I saye to you not in the workes of some lying Papist but in the Commentaryes of youre deere Historiographer master Sleydon who hath so good a grace in his writing and is so moued with the trueth of his spirite that he doth omit nothing in his Historie but that that doeth go agaynst himselfe and the professours of his religion I doo wishe those that doo vnderstande the Latine to reade this aunswere of Luther in the Commentaries them selues and for the rest I will set it forth translated not by me but by a minister of youre owne sect called Robert Preuost who dwelleth in a segnorie of Berne According to his translation the wordes are these Luther was of opinion that the Senate of Milhouse should do very well and wisely to demaunde of Muncer who had geuen him commission to teache and who had called him vnto it If he say that it is God let them demaunde of him to shewe some signe or miracle to proue his vocation and yf he could not do it that they should banishe him for it is common to God to declare his will by some miracle at any time when he will haue the common custome and order chaunged These are the wordes of Luther We ought to yeelde that
perfectly painted the comming and passion of our Sauiour Moyses left written in the prophecie of Iacob that the Messias should come when the Royall scepter and the administration of it should be taken from the line of Iuda Daniell was not content to saye as the rest that he should come but he did assign the very time that is to say by the seuentie two weeks counting from the fourth yere of the reigne of Zedechias vntill the time that our Sauiour was nayled vpon the Crosse the which time was iust fyue hundred yeres Then seeing that Christe came at the verye prescribed time he might well haue sayde vnto the Iewes that the scriptures did beare witnes of him But yet to say the truth if he had done no other but this he had not fully approued his vocation to condemne their incredulitie For they might haue said vnto him We know well that by the saying of the olde prophetes the Messias should come of the line of Iacob about this time forasmuche as the Scepter of this kingdome is taken from the line of Iuda to be deliuered vnto Herode But what though is this a good consequence the Messias ought to come about this time therefore it is I No no shewe vs your Commission let vs see some Signes howe we shall knowe it for if wee shoulde receaue you as our king it may be that some other woulde come and craue the like saying that wee were abused Our Sauiour Christe sore fearing this obiection tooke another witnes with him besydes the scripture I meane his Miracles The workes that I doo sayth Christe in the name of my father beare witnes of me The like proufe is made when S. Iohn Baptist sent his Disciples to our Sauiour to haue him teache the true beliefe that they should haue in him this question was put to him Art thou he that shoulde come or ought we to attende for some other Go your wayes sayde Christe and tell Iohn what ye haue hearde and seene The blinde receaue their sight the lame do walk vpright the dumbe speake the deafe heare the lepers are cured the dead are raised againe and the poore are preched vnto the which is as much to say as tell Iohn that I am the true Messias and that he ought to attende no other I doo verifye my doctrine both by the Scripture and by Miracles For firste Esay doeth write that when the Messias shoulde come he should doo the Miracles aboue mentioned Then seeing that I haue done them in youre presence it foloweth that I am he that should come Thus you see Sirs that both the Scripture and Miracles were necessarye for the confyrmation of the comming of Christe amonge the Iewes who were neuer harder of beliefe then we are according to your opinion and therefore blame vs not if we sende you packing like Coggers of the Scriptures the which doo neither beare witnes of your comming nor yet doo any miracles the which two things and more are necessary to make vs beleue your reformed Gospell ¶ The .32 Chapter YOu doo alleage the inuincible patience of your holye Martyrs in times past for at this present if it plesed God that you did martyrizate no more soules with your false preching then there are bodyes that suffer for your doctrine your sect were nothing so daungerous as it is You glorye in your Martyrs of times past which haue sealed with their owne bloud the doctrine of that holye Citie Geneua But in this ye are much deceaued for S. Iohn Chrisostome in his fyrste oration against the Iewes doth say That the payne doeth not make the Martyr but the cause for otherwise the theeues and murderers might clayme the like title although they suffer for another cause for we honour and loue the Martys saith he not for the tormentes that they doo suffer but for that it is for Christe and that they suffer for Iustice And S. Augustine in his fyrste booke contra Epistolam Parmeniani Capit. septimo writing agaynst some of your felowes that presumed to be Martyrs he doth say that euery one is not a Martyr that is punished by the Emperour or by the king for matters of religion otherwise saith he the deuils might attribute vnto themselues the glorye of martyrdome because they suffered persecution at the christian Emperours handes when thoroughout the worlde their Idolles were pulled downe and they caste out and those that did offer sacrifice vnto them greuouslye punished then saith he the Iustice is not certaine through the passion or for hauing suffered death but the death and passion is glorious when it is for the sustayning of the true fayth And therefore sayeth he our Sauiour because he would not haue the simple deceaued vnder this coulour of truth he did not onely saye Blessed are those that suffer but he added for Iustice But this can in no wise be attributed vnvnto those heretikes that suffer to seperate the vnion and concorde of the Catholike Churche And in his booke de vnitate Ecclesiae contra Epistolam Petiliani he doth write that the Donatists which were a sect of heretikes that reigned in his time to confyrme their doctrine they did not attende that others should put them to death but they did cast them selues downe from high places Others did burne them selues in the fyre to be honored after their death as Martyrs and that is more they did threaten men if they woulde not kill them S. Ciprian in like maner doth write in the fyrste booke of his Epistles in the fyrste Epistle that though an heretike suffer death for Christe that doeth not confyrme him as a Martyr but that his death is the verye punishment of his error and that he cannot go to heauen which is the mansion of the humble for seing that he doth seperate himselfe from the house of peace which is the Churche ye know well of what Churche he doth speake that he cannot be receaued into heauen c All those that haue written the historyes of the Bohemians doo saye that in the time of one Zischa a martiall minister of the heresye of the Heborites or Hussites there were a certaine sect of heretikes called Adamites like vnto the olde heresye of the Nicholaites for they did say as these doo that mens wiues should be common and they went al naked euery one taking the woman he liked best whom he did carye vnto their minister and before him he did saye The holy Ghoste doth inspire me to lye with this person then the saide reuerent father did geue him his blessing saying Increase and multiplye so they went awaye This abouenamed Zischa althoughe he had done a number of wicked deedes yet he determined to abolish and take away this sect and so he caused two women to be burnt for this abhominatiō the which two notwithstanding the torment of the fyre did sing geue thankes to God for that it had pleased him to permit them do dy for so holy and so
iust a quarell Did not Michaell Seruet who was once master Caluins derling rather desyre to suffer at Geneua then he wold confesse that Christe was God and yet notwithstanding his great patience or to say the truth deuillishe obstinacie cannot be sufficient to make him a Martyr nor to perswade you to beleeue his doctrine There is a certaine minister of the Lutherans called Ioachim Westphall who in a woorke of his doth mocke at Caluin who did vaunt that within these fyue yeres aboue an hundred had suffred death to sustayne the Gospell of Geneua he doth aunswer him at large prouing that the sect doctrin of the said place ought not to be approued for the multitude of false martyres for the Anabaptists whom he doth iustly condemne haue had of their sect a great many more for in lesse then three yeres there hath suffred a great number more thē euer there did suffer of Caluinistes in fyueteene And to conclude this matter the sayde Westfal doth say that the diuel hath his Martyrs euen as wel as god with whom like a good Sergeant he doth marche geuing the vauntward vnto the martyrs of the Caluenistes that haue suffered at Geneua So that if one demaund of the Lutherans whyther goe those that dye in the religion of Caluin of Beza or of the Anabaptistes they saye To the Diuel And if one demaund of the Caluenists in like maner Whither go the Anabaptists and the Lutherans they say in likewise To the diuel And who would put the like question to the Anabaptists I am assured they would say as the others To the Diuel For my part I beleeue you I assure you all three And seeing that ye agree so wel that one serue for an others harbēger we were very fooles if we should stay your passage but let you go al to the diuel for companie for I thinke if you were al gone our debates would cease and hel would be so ful that the diuel would long for no more ¶ The .33 Chapter THere is a certayne minister of the Lutherans called Heshusius the which within these three yeres hath made a booke agaynst Caluine Peter Boquin Theodore de Beza and Guliel mus Elcimalcius he sayth amongst other things that Carolstadius Zuen feldius Caluine and Beza doo shewe wel the vncertayntie of their fayth by the diuersities of opinions that there is amongst thē the which fault saith he doth proceede of this that they haue forsakē the true sense of the scripture to folowe the opinions of their owne heades And in that very booke the sayde Author doth giue the lye to Caluin because that in that he wrote agaynst the abouenamed Westphal he sayth that Martin Luther and his adherentes did acknowledge him as their brother the which thing he mainteynes to be false Thus seeing ye agree together like dogges and cattes and that al these sects haue confirmed their false doctrine with the shedding of their owne blood it is best to conclude as we haue said before That it is not the payne nor the torment that doth make the righteous martyr except we should say that diuers contrary messaungers are sent from one master the which is notoriously false for that good king from whom the truth doth come in deede hath so good a memorie that he doth neuer send contrary messangers but rather his faythful seruauntes doo al with one voyce and one accorde honour him as the father of our Sauiour Iesus Christe ¶ The .34 Chapter SOme of your godly sect to verifie that the vocation of your ministery doth come of God doo set before our eyes the holynes of those newe Christians that is to say how they neuer sweare but yea for yea and no for no that they do no wrōg to no man that they do neither rob nor steale but that they are cōtent with that that god hath sent thē that they ar very charitable to the poore then seeing that our Sauior doth say that one shal know the tree by the fruit we ought to cōfes sai they that the tree being good the fruit is good that is to say their religion is good seing that by the grace of god it doth produce such swete pleasant fruit I answer you first to this that our sauior doth not geue general rules but that that most commonly doth happen as when he sayth that of the abundāce of the hart the mouth speaketh woulde you affyrme by this that his meaning was vniuersally God forbid that he that is the author of al truth should meane so starke a lye Do you not remember what speach he did vse to the Phariseys when he said This people do honor me with their mouthes but their harts are farre from me you see that this sentence is contrarie to the other if you do not vnderstand it as I haue said that is to say that many times a mā doth vtter that that is in his hart as a Ruffian takes great pleasure to talke of quarels a proude person to talke of hautie enterprises a couetous man to talke of ryches or gaynes and so it is of al other sinnes But with al this a man may not affyrme truly that hypocrisie doth neuer reigne in their harts whose mouthes are ful of Gods word The Iudges of S. Susan had not they God and his lawes in their mouthes and the diuel in their hartes We haue a law said the Iewes and Pharisees agaynst Christ and according to this lawe giuen vs by Moyses he ought to dye The zeale of Iustice did sound in their mouthes and hatefull enuy did dwell in their hartes And therefore you see many times that man doth speake contrary to that that he thinketh and euen so it is of the sentence of our Sauiour whē he sayth that by the fruite one shall know the tree For many times naturally the fruite is good although the tree be worth nothing as the famous liues and workes of diuers heathen Philosophers doo witnesse of whom the holynes and scrupulositie of conscience was suche that I do beleeue assuredly that at the day of Iudgmēt a great number of Christians which leade Paynims liues wil be confounded with the example of those men that knew not god Thus of the first the fruite is good but the trees are worth nothing for their religion was false Idolatrous applying as S. Paul doth say the trueth of God to vnrighteousnes And as for the secōd the trees are good beeing graft vppon the true Catholique Religion but the fruites doo degenerate from the stocke ¶ The .35 Chapter IF that the sence of this Prouerbe be harde for you to disgest I am content to stay vntill your stomacke be somewhat better assuring myself that you can interprete it no waye vnto your aduauntage There is nothing more certaine then the good tree to beare good fruite if one doth not make him change his owne nature but if one doo graffe vpon it some Crabstocke
burnt for an heretike about a. 120. yeeres agone euen as wee accoumpt S. Steuen to be the fyrst Martyr of our Churche Nowe to knowe whether ye be of the opinion 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 written I mean that Iohn Hus did preache your Gospell and made a number of such faithfull persons as you are and that he suffered death to sustaine your religion Then let vs see what good fruite this did produce vnto vs Those that haue written the stories of Boheme and amonge others Eneas Siluius do testifye that in the yere of our Lorde God. 1418. there was a certaine monke that became an Hussite in the Citie of Prage which is the Metropolitane of that Kingdome the which accompanied with a number of companions as zealous as himself they did execute so horrible a crueltie that eleuen of the principall Magistrates were driuen to flee from the Citie to saue their lyues and seuen more for in all they were 18. beinge taken by them they did cast them out at the windowes of their owne houses did kill them with their speares as they fell This was done Sigismondus being then Emperoure in the time of Martine the fyrste Pope of Rome of that name Vneslaus being then king of Boheme The next yere after the death of this sayde Vneslaus they did spoyle al the monasteries Abbeyes and Churches of the sayde kingdome And among others one Iohn Zischa who was their captaine in the Citie of Prage he made them all passe through the edge of the swerde without sparing man womā or childe And the like was done in another Towne of the saide kingdom called Messim the yere 1423. It wer to tedious to write all their cruelties they did not care whether those of their company wer of their sect or no for some were Idumeans some Palestines some Moabites and some other Amelecites euen as of your bountifull goodnes ye call all those that will not be of your sect Papists Infidels Hipocrites and Idolaters and therfore we may iustly say that you are their right heyres apparant although ye haue gone somewhat before them as our Sauiour saide accomplished the measures of your fathers by the heroicall actes that you haue done in this almoste desolate kingdome of Fraunce there needeth no other witnes to proue it but the testimonie of your owne eyes eares which haue heard and seene more almoste thē any man can write Therefore I beseeche you not to reproche anye more the abuses of our ecclesiasticall ministers for although it be so that they haue neede of some reformation yet I doo thinke it is necessarye to choose some better stayed persons then you are for you haue done more harme in fyue yeres then ours haue done in a. 1500. S. Augustine in the fyrste booke of the Citie of God doeth magnifye in the Christians behalfe the diuine fauoure of God for he doth write that when the Gothes did destroye spoyle the Citie of Rome the Romanes althogh they were not Christian did retyre them selues for their sauegard into the Churches and Temples of the Martyrs And the Gothes being but a barbarous nation had that respect to God that they neuer durst nor wolde enter into those holy places to doo thē any displeasure You which make so great profession of the Gospell haue shewed your selues a great deal more cruell then those barbarous people for they did pardon all those that went to the Temples and you haue in manye places spoyled the Churches and murdered all those that ye founde in thē so that one might wel say to you that that Optatus Myleuitanus in his book con Parm. Donatist the which was that the Donatists ought to be content you likewise to haue wounded the members of the Church and to haue deuided the people of God at the least you should haue spared the aultares and the temples not to make warre against the stones ¶ The .37 Chapter YOu make vs but a verye slender aunswer saying that we wer the first that you doo no other but that that we haue taught you If wee should say the contrary I know who should say the truth but to auoide all quarels the best is folowing the councell of our Sauior to geue you more then you demaund Let vs put the case that we should confesse to be the first doth it folowe therfore that your matter is good I pray do but consider the verdict that you both geue of your selues of vs We are according to your sacred gospel Apostolical iudgement no other but poor simple Infidels superstitious Idolaters but contrariwise you are Apostles Prophetes Euangelists the true childrē of god Seing thē that god hath shewed you so much fauoure and poured vppon you the bountifull giftes of his grace howe haue ye sought so cruellye to reuenge your selues against his expresse commaundement Is this the waye of reformation to shewe your selues as yll as we or worse seinge that the matter falleth out so plainly I pray you be not so obstinate geue place vnto the best to reforme the rest for to be worse then you I think none can be founde You my masters that can make such tedious sermons and rayle at large against our Popes and Bishops whye doo you passe ouer so lightly the faultes of your ministers you set out gloriously the titles of Apostles Prophets Euangelists extraordinarie messengers of God for your selues as good Godfathers ye now christen our popes bishops calling them rauening and greedie deuouring wolues In this ye do greatlye abuse the intellection of the scriptures for if you marke well that that our Sauiour doth saye ye shall find that ye runne farre wide of the text and the similitude of the wolfe doth full well appertayne vnto your ministerie There he doth declare the difference that is betwixt the good shepherde and the bad which he doth call Mercenarium the wolfe The good Shepherde is he that doeth hazarde and venture his life for his flock The yll Shepherde is he that taketh the milke and the wool from the sheepe letteth them rome without taking anye care to keepe them The wolues seeing them rome abrode scatered frō the flocke doth deuoure all those that are yll kept The good Shepherde is our Sauiour Christe and his Apostles and all the good Bishops that did florishe in olde time and al the holye Confessors and martyrs that haue liued in the golden age when the bloud of our Sauiour Christe was yet hot boyling in their heartes The yll shepherdes haue folowed after whiche haue not cared for their sheepe The wolues which are the heretikes seeing this haue scatered the sheepe out of the fould of Christ which is the catholike Church where they had bene borne spiritually that is to saye regenerated with the grace of the holy ghost the Sacrament of baptisme to
folow the sectes of perdition If all our Shepheardes had bene as carefull to keepe their flockes as they ought to haue bene your Congregation had neuer ben so strongly builded as it is at this day in Fraunce And therefore you offer your Churche if it maye be so called great wronge when you speake against the abuses of ours for our sinnes haue bene and are the principall foundation of your buildinge And euen as the worme is nourished in the Aposteme with the yll humors euen so you feede of our faultes and are nourished with our sinnes youre fyre burnes with our wood and if we woulde amende our liues I knowe howe soone your religion woulde decaye And therefore our Pastors are not wolues but they haue permitted the wolues to deuoure their sheepe and so they shall aunswere for them before the throne of the eternall Iudge who doth aduertise them by the Prophete Ezechiell that they shal aunswere for all the mischiefes that happen vnto their sheepe manye of the which are scabbed and full of diseases and therefore I would haue you to cause some bodye to choose among yours and ours those that are best to the ende that through this diuision and your ayde we maye take the rest I thinke that if anye thing condemne vs it wil be this cause forasmuch as we haue continued in that doctrine which was preached vnto vs at the firste as you your selues can not denye if you will confesse the truth ¶ The .38 Chapter ALl our auncient doctours aswell of the Greeke as of the Latine Churche since the Apostles time and the Christians of all the foure quarters of the world which wer in those dayes haue made their promises and vowes vnto God euen as we doo now at their baptisme they did vse euen those very Ceremonies that we do with the self same exorcismes adiurations and annoyntings that we doo vse in our Catholike Churche which you call Papisticall to proue this true we wil bring the said aunciēt doctours as witnesses if it please you to read the places that we wil quote Tertulian who liued verye neere the Apostles time doeth make mention in his booke that he intituled De resurrectione carnis of the annoynting vsed at the Baptisme and of the renouncing the deuil and all his pompe In his booke De corona militis he doth speake of the thirde dipping vnder the water in the name of the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste S. Ciprian the Martyr who was aboue 1300. yeres agone doth write in the second volume of his Epistles epist. 12. how they did vse in his time to geue the holye Chrisme vnto the children that were baptised Origen in his twelfth Homilie and in diuers other places of his works doth make mention of the renouncing of the deuill at ones baptisme and of the making of the signe of the Crosse vppon childrens faces when they were christened S. Iohn Chrisostome in his 12. Homilie vpon the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians Cap. 4. And in his fyrste Homilie vppon the fyrste Chapter to the Ephesians he doth make mention of the sayde renunciation made from the deuill and all his workes Reade I pray if it be your pleasure S. Aug. in Psal. 31. Aug. li. 15. contra Iulia. Pelag li. 1. Cap. 2. Item de nuptiis et concupiscentia Lib. 1. Cap. 20. In Ioannē tract 33. In Canonicam Ioannis tract 3. et Tractat. 6. Et de ecclesi dogmat Cap. 31. De Simbolo lib. 1. Cap. 7. et lib. 2. Cap. 11. Et libro de his qui initiantur sacris Cap. 1. Basilius de Spiritu Sancto Cap. 15. et 75. Arnobius in Ps. 27. All these Doctoures which were aboue a thousande yeeres agone if you reade in them the places that heere I haue quoted you shall fynde that they did vse at the Baptisme of their children those verye Cerimonyes that we doo nowe vse and that you doo so mislike And as for Confession before the receauing of the Sacrament our Sauiour Christe doeth teache vs that the Ecclesiasticall Ministers haue authoritie to bynde and forgeue sinnes S. Ciprian in his fyfth Sermon De lapsis Origen vppon the thirtie and seuenth Psalme and in Leuit. Hom. 2. S. Augustine lib. 2. de visitatione infirmorum Cap. 4. S. Ciril libro 12. in Ioannem Cap. 56. S. Hierom in Ecclesi Cap. 10. All these Doctours according to the Scriptures in these places doo confyrme auriculer confession And as for praying vnto the Saintes in Paradise to helpe vs with their prayers reade Origen in his thirde Homilie vpon the Canticles and in his second booke vppon Iob and in his eyght booke in Ecclesi Reade Chrisostome in his eyght Homilie vppon the Epistle to the Ephesians the fourth Chapter and S. Augustine in his twentie booke against Faustinus the one and twentie Chapter and Saint Hierom against Vigilantius All these make mention of the praying vnto the Saintes And for praying for the deade Reade Tertulian in his booke De Monogonia and in his booke De Corona militis and Saint Ciprian ad plebem Furnensem and in the fyrst booke of his Epistles and Origen in Hieremiam Hom. 12. Item in epist. ad Ro. lib. 8. cap. 11. Reade Chrisostome in his third Homilie vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians and S. Aug. li. 2. de gen against the Maniches Cap. 20. and in the Incheridion ad Laurent Cap. 110. Item libro de cura pro mortuis agenda All these Doctours whose workes haue continued these 1200. yeeres doo teache vs all these thinges that nowe we doo obserue the which they left in writing by the ordinaunce of God to confute suche heretikes as you are ¶ The .39 Chapter ANd if I did not thinke that it would be to tedious for the Reader I woulde set forth the rest of our Catholike doctrine the confyrmation of it by the testimonie of suche a number of not onely Doctours but therewith al holy Confessors Martyrs which haue suffered for our religion and that haue taught vs both by worde of mouth and by writing all that we doo vse at this daye teaching vs to liue and dye in it and for it I would haue you answere me vnto this Doo you thinke that they be in heauen or in hell I know wel that meere scrupulositie of conscience will make you not expresse plainelye that that your works doo teache and that you will remit this questiō to the iudgement of god But this is not to the purpose for I do not demaund of you any absolute aunswere as if you had bene in heuen or hell to see it but this to vtter in your conscience what you thinke of those that haue holden mainteyned and confessed our fayth whom you call Infidels and superstitious Papistes are they condemned If you say yea Then wherefore was the bloud of Christe shed on the Crosse it had bene better that he had neuer suffred if this were true If you saye that God
or stay in any one of them vntill they come ad profundum malorum and to a most playne and open apostacie to be miscreants Turkishe and of Mahomets religion not caring or setting by God nor the deuill neither for heauen nor hell Nowe heresyes being thus ficle and mouing the finall ende of them thus lamentable and horrible in the sight of God Let any learned protestant liuing answere directlye and playnelye without all cauill coloure or fraude of wordes without all vnprofitable and impertinent digressions not onely to this but to al the foresaide signes tokens and demaundes And I shall for company good felowship with them leaue the common knowen churche and the playne way of saluation beaten by our forefathers for the space of these fyftene hundred yeres past and nowe wander with theÌ„ in their vncertaine bypathes through vnknowen desertes rough woods brambles and bryers to seeke in the end we cannot tell what And here to conclude and of my part to minister vnto you some occasion in the relinquishing of these priuate churches and congregations of sectaries to returne to the vnitie and attonement of the common knowen catholike churche of Christe where stabilitie and constancie of fayth and religion is onely to be founde I shall here lay before you the worthy example of the blessed martyr Sebastian by him brought of a loafe of breade to Genserichus then king of the Vandales a furious and a barbarous nation whiche breaking into Affrike they founde there many valiant captayns placed by the Emperour Theodosius the second for the defence and sauegarde of the countrey amonge the rest was this Sebastian by dignitie an earle and a couragious and valiant captayne who with the rest yeelding to the force of Gensericus was as Victor de persecutione Vandalorum writeth for his great wisedome and valiantnes not so muche beloued as feared of the king Genserichus who being an Arrian intended by colour of religion to work his death For Genserichus knowing Sebastian to be a seuere and a perfit christian man conuented him before the Arrian Bishops and vnder the pretence that amitie and frendshippe might be the surer and continue the longer betwixte them Genserichus moued him to become an Arrian and to professe the same maner of beleefe and religion as he and his people were of For answere this holy martyr Sebastian requested Genserichus the king to commaunde a fyne wheten loafe to be brought vnto him and taking it in his hande and here to omit many of his wordes and notable sayinges he requested the king Genserichus to commaund the loafe of breade to be broken in peeces to be ground brought to flower and boulted afreshe to be seasoned with water and salte and baked agayne if then it should in the end proue better bread then it was before he would not faile to accomplishe the king Genserichus his will pleasure but if it were not possible by breaking of the loafe and baking of it againe to better it but to make woorse breade then before he wold not nor could not consent therevnto And in fine suffered death in the defence of the christian fayth religioÌ„ by him alreadye professed and receaued rather then he would condiscend to the impayring infringing or breaking of any part therof And so Genserichus caused this blessed man Sebastian to dye a holye Martyr Thus much I haue brieflye deducted out of the history of Victor to that intent that so apte and familiar an example of so holy blessed a martyr might in these perplexities and doubtes in these ofte changes mutations of religion confort the weaklings of Christ his church and bring them to some more better stay when by this example of Sebastians loaf certain sure we may be that the loafe of the vnitie of Christe his Churche the loafe of his Gospell fayth and religion being by schisme and heresye neuer so ofte broken neuer so finely grynded boulted searced and syfted kneaded baked agayne and agayne they shall neuer be able to better it or to bring it to that perfection which it had before And therfore all their attemptes to the contrarye are moste vayne the only remembraunce of this Sebastians loafe should suffise to confyrme the faythfull to stay the wauering and weaklinges and to plucke the deceaued backe agayne and to cause them in leauing of this their fickle waueringnes of this their proceedinges as they terme it from one secte to another from one congregation to another and from their scatering abrode with Antichriste to stay them selues and to gather them selues with our Sauiour Christ into the vnitie of his common knowen catholike churche where they shal be sure to â—ynd vnitie of religion vniformitie in all ceremonies and obseruances of the same with thattonement of christian fayth throughout in all Sacramentes and articles of our Creede to the pacifying of many contentions and strifes among vs to the quietation of mens consciences causing vs all professours of Christe as brethren here to liue together in quietnes peace and vnitie to the more better assuraunce of the publique estate of this Realme and to the great glorye and honour of almightie God to whom be all prayse honour and glorye worlde without ende Amen FINIS Act. 20. In his booke of Insti ca. 18. Art. 58. Heb. 5. L. Si quis ad se ad leg lul de nil publ c Num. 16. 2. Paral. 26 Math. 5. Ephe. 4. Lib. con haer Canti 1. Canti 1. Lib. 4. contra haeres cap. 65. Ephe. 1. Galat. 1. 1. Cor. 10. Exod. 29. Leuit. 4. Num. 8. 17. Act. 8. 19. 13. Tim. â— A 7. Cip. 1. epist. cap. 6. Gal. 1. Ioh. 6. Mat. 22. Rom. 10. Mat. 15. Cap. 3. Rom. 13. Rom. 13. Cap. 14. Cap. 34. Math. 11. Cod. vt nemo in sua causa iud Ioh. 15. Gen. 20. 1. Ioh. 4. Mat. 28. Mat. 12. 24. Exod. 19. Act. 14. Gen. 20. Gen. 24. Iud. 2. Psal. 18. Sap. 13. Rom. 1. Act. 12. Lib. â— ca. 15. Act. 3. Deut. 16. Act. 10. Li. 8. fo 4. Cap. 6. 10. 12. An heresie of the Puritans Cap. 5. Cap. 3. Math. ca. 10. 16. Psal. 90. Ioh. 6. Ioh. 2. 1. Cor 5. Ioh. 8. Psal. 84. Ioh. 5. Gen. ca. 12 15. 19. 22. 24. Ioh. 5. Mat. 11. Luk. 6 Mat. 15. Dani. 15 Iohn 18. Rom. 1. Iohn 8. Sap. 1. 1. Cor. 10. Iohn 10. Ioh. 20. Mat. 16. 2. Cor. 4. Luk. 16. Mat. 7. In his booke of the true body of Christ in the sacrif written in Latin. Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Act. 20. Heb. 13. Ioh. 14. Certayne and assured signes and tokeÌ„s of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes 1. Iohn 2. Rom. 10. Heb. 5. Heb. 13. 1. Cor. 1. 2. Tim. 3. Exod. 7.