c. his gratiouse Lorde Stanislaus Hosius Byshop of Wormes profereth his lowly seruice I CAM to the syght most excelleÌ„t King of a certayne booke coÌ„pyled by Ihon Brentius whiche Petrus Paulus Vergeriê° feared not to dedicate vnto youre grace and I haue readen it ouer not withoute greate troble and vexation of mynde He calleth it a golden boke but I can not easyly be persuaded that the * A Prouerbe which had this begynnyng when Quintus Cepio toke bi assaulte the citie of Tolosa in Italy there was founde in the temples greate plentie of golde which being taken away all that had any parte thereof dyed myserably whereof happened this prouerbe wheÌ„ anye man fynished his lyffe miserablie men wolde say that he had golde of Tolosa golde of Tolosa which is a prouerb in euery man his mouthe Aurum TolosanuÌ„ dyd worke more harme to them which dyd handle it then this boke may bryng to vncircircumspect and symple soules which shall take in hand to reade it so that if it deserue to be called golden in this respect it shall be so called because it semeth to be made of the golde of Tolosa For why dothe he not in that boke ouerthrouwe all order dothe not he destroy all polytyke gouernemeÌ„t dothe he leaue any thyng vndone which helpeth to disquiet the peace and tranquillitye of the Churche If it be true which a certayne holy father dyd say that the peace of al thinges dyd consist in the quyet maynetenaunce of an vniforme order what place can be there left for peace where this is only intended that nothing may be done in order where laboure is spent in nothing more then that the Churche which is described terrible set in battayle ray lyke an hoste of warryars which also in the scripture is often tymes called the Kyngdome of heaueÌ„ sholde be made that most pestilent place where no order dothe remayne but euerlastyng horrour dothe dwell And that Vergerius procured that boke to come abroade in prynt I maruayle nothing but in that he had the face to dedicate it to you a Catholyke Christyan and ryght ruled Kyng and by suche meanes to stayne the name of youre Maiestie which throughe the whole worlde as it is for other vertues so for the prayse of true godlynes is notable and famouse euen with the cheifest that is the thyng which I can neuer wunder inoughe at But what can he feare to doo Vergerius his blynde boldnes which not contented to deface as muche as lay in hym youre Maiestie by dedicatyng that boke vnto you durste presume also to abuse a man farre vnlyke vnto hym named Aloysius Lipomanus Byshopp of Verone then the which man for the space almost of six hundred yeares synce what tyme oure countrye receaued the Ghospell of Christ we haue sene in Poole not one of the Apostolicall legates ether a better lyuer ether better learned notwithstandyng this sckyppe Iacke durste take vpon hym with more impudencye then Auxentius the heretyke once vsed towarde the moste graue learned and holy man Saynt Ambrose to prouoke this worthy Prelate to dispute with hym vpon the principall poyntes conteyned in this golden boke as he calleth it before youre Maiestie whome he wolde haue to sette as a Iudge in that controuersye I say what can he be afearde to doo whome we see to haue growen so farre past grace after that denying Christ his faythe and embrasyng Luther hys Lore he hathe lept from one sect to an other that he boasteth of his beastlynes lyke vnto Sodoma nether is ashamed to glorye in his maliciouse manners whilst he openly maketh his vaunte Vergerius twyse periured that he hathe broken that promisse which he twyse had made vnto God the forme of the which he caused to be prynted that he myght make all the worlde wytnesse what manner of merchaunt he was But I maruayle the lesse at his blynde and beastly boldnes whome those writynges only if there were nothing ells which he caused to be scattred among the common people at the laste Parlement holden at Varcauia do planely proue that he hathe shaken of all shamefastnes and that there is not one sparcke of the feare of God left in hym But I can not chose but maruayle greatly that notwithstandyng his naughtynes there be some which reade and in reading gyue credit to this fellowe his fansies which semeth to haue framed hym selffe so to false fordgyng that he hathe had regarde to nothing more then that neuer a true worde sholde scape oute of his mouthe I wyll not speake of all his other mischeuouse doinges for it were to long for me to wryte and for youre grace to reade Only this his epistle Vergerius hys lying epistle whiche he dyd wryte to youre Maiestie howe is it loden with lyes He fayneth that youre grace at the fyrst called a Parlament to set an order in religion whereas in very dede nether in the letters which you commaunded to be sent to youre Councelloures nether in the message which was gyuen to them which as the manner is went to the lower Sessions there was so much as one worde spoken of religion moreouer this is well knowen in many of youre Maiesties dominions that strayght charge was gyuen to them which were appoynted messengers to the hygher Sessions that thei shold not make any mention of religion nether that thei sholde suffer any chaunge to be made in it because thei wolde wyllingly rest in the auncient Religion Of the which charge and coÌ„maundimeÌ„t when they cam to the hygher Sessions some of them were admonyshed Yea that is not hydde from coÌ„mon knowledge that youre Maiestie wolde haue consultation to be had of no other thyng in the Sessions by the Messangers of youre dominions then suche consultation as properly sholde appartayne to the Sessions that is to debate and to consyder howe the Realme myght be mayntayned and defended because you dyd very well iudge Reformation in religion to whom it belongeth that the handlyng and ordryng of Religion dyd belong to the Synodes and coÌ„uocations of Byshoppes not to the Sessions of youre Realme and Empyre VVherefore when the matter required that there sholde be some mention made of religion so your grace caused the thing to be proponed by Ihon Oczieski Lorde Chauncelloure of youre Realme a man indued not only with a syngular wytte and prudence and a maruaylouse grace of vtteraunce but allso with specyall constancye in the Catholyke and true faythe that you gaue in commaundiment that it sholde be declared in euident wordes that it was not youre Maiesties pleasure that they sholde speake they re myndes concerning the reforming of religion which was wellinoughe reformed before but that they sholde say what they thought of this howe in youre Maiesties absence from youre Realme prouision might be made that peace and tranquillitie myght neuer the lesse be preserued and at the lengthe with the consent of all youre Senatours you dyd decree that if hereafter any
man sholde be so hardy to make any innouation in Religion that he sholde be accompted as a breaker of common peace and sholde be punished after the same sorte as an ennimie of his countrie is wont to be Nowe and please youre grace do not these thynges differ as muche as chalcke and chese from those thinges which Vergerius dothe tell VVho also blushed not to coyne this lye in his Epistle An other lye of Vergerius when that a reformation sholde be made of certayne abuses which be brought in to the Churche that some certaynelye dyd reporte that the peares of the Realme dyd denye that thing to appartayne to the knowledge and determination of the Byshopp of Rome and other Byshoppes whereas by the decree of the Parlementes which aboue to yeares agone were holden at Petricouia a messenger was sent of youre grace to the Pope which not only as it is the accustomed manner of Catholyke Kynges and Princes sholde promisse that you wolde allway be vnder his autoritie but also sholde desyre hym to send an Embassadoure by whose autoritie those hurleburleis might be appeased which were raysed vp in youre Realme aboute Religion Of decreing whiche Embassage the cheife in the Senate was the noble man Ihon Earle of Tarnow moste famouse for many noble feates done bothe in warre and peace A saying worthye for a Senatoure with greate prayse and prosperouse successe which also dyd not styck to say that which a Catholyke Senatoure ought for to say that if any chaunge were brought in of any customes what so euer they were withoute cōsent of the holy Apostolyke sea it wolde come to passe that oure Realme sholde run in infamye of Schisme and of wycked diuision Therefore seing this message vnto the Pope was decreed no more of youre graces pleasure then of the agreable consent of youre whole Councell the which this man who is so curiouse in a forren Common wealthe coulde not but knowe what a brasen browe hathe he that he dare wryte that the Peares denyed the amendment of abuses and erroures to appertayne to the knowledge of the Byshoppe of Rome and other Byshoppes VVhy wolde they so ernestly haue desyred an Embassadoure to be sent from the See Apostolyke if they had thought that it had nothing to doo with suche thynges Vergerius his rayling on the Pope But nowe as concerning that reproche with the which he calleth the Pope and Byshoppes ennimies of the truthe whome it is no doubt to be and euer to haue bene the defendours and patrones of the truthe dyd it not procede from the open ennimie of the truthe But howe many more bokes of hys I dyd reade wrytten very impudentlye so muche the more I dyd perceaue that he was all together patched and clouted of guyle decepte and lyes Vergerius howe he was a banyshed mā of Iesus Christ who neuer semeth to haue spoken a truer worde then when he calleth hymselffe a banished man of Iesu Christ forsomuche as synce the tyme he translated hym selffe vnto an other Gospell and cutte hym selffe of from the body of Christ he hathe left of to be a citezin and howseholde seruaunt of God and made an aliaunt from Christ he hathe bequethed hym selffe to the powre of the dyuell with whose spyrit for so muche as he is guyded he can not chose but vtter suche thinges as he dothe Nether can it be false whiche the truthe dothe say Howe can you speake good thinges when you youre selues be euell He semeth to be of theire number whome S. Ihon calleth Antichristes of whome he sayth They haue gone oute from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they wolde surely haue remayned with vs. For this man was once in the body of Christ How euell men be in the church of Christ as euell humoures be in the bodye of man the which when thei be purged the body is lyghtned euen so this fellowe after he once departed the body of Christ the Churche was muche eased in so muche that it is to be reioysed that suche an one went oute of it For he was not cut from the fleshe of Christ of the whiche he was neuer a member but only he leaned heauily on his brest so long as he was in the body so that great lyghtnes and easement of Christ his body is followed after that this euell humoure is gone oute of it We truly arre well contented that suche be called to the defence of this fift nue gotten Gospell that it may be as saythe the Prouerb Dignū patella operculum A mete couer for suche a cup. But nowe I haue spoken inoughe as concerning the man and that otherwyse then I dyd propose Nowe brefely youre grace shall heare the causes which moued me to bend my selffe to confute with my contrary writynges these bokes of Brentius which Vergerius dothe sette so muche by The causes mouing Hosius to write agaynst Brentius I toke it very heauely when I dyd see that man whiche not only for hys learnyng and godly lyuing but also for that autoritie which he dyd beare ought to be had in greate reuerence of all men shold be so prouoked as it were to a combate of suche a tryfelyng fellowe But that dyd nypp me nearer the hart that the saucy face syr durst presume to wryte to you of suche a matter to make youre grace hys iudge to dedicate this Brentian booke to you a Christian and truly taught kyng The which thyng when I perceaued to be interprised of other heretykes diuerse tymes that they brought you in to an euel name by dedicating theire workes vnto you and wolde rayse a suspition of youre grace as who saye that you were of one mynde with them which desyre Christian Religion ether to be chaunged or ells to be cleane rased I was trobled in mynde that the Catholykes dyd not bestowe lyke laboure and studye in remouyng that suspition whiche these peruerse persones dyd go aboute to bryng you into For althoughe you so behaue your selffe in defendyng and mayntaynyng that Catholyke and true Religion which you haue receaued of your auncetours that you be nothyng to be suspected of suche a cryme yet notwithstandyng for so muche as they whiche knowe you not and see bookes stuffed with all kynde of wyckednes to be dedicated to you and as it is the manner of this fyft Gospell do here false rumours to be reported of youre maiestie occasion is gyuen them to thynk and suspect the wurste Which thing howe muche grefe it is wont to graft in my hart it passeth the common credit of all men For it behoueth youre so excellent Maiestye not only to be withowte fault but also to be farre from all suspition of fault Therefore I haue taken willingly vpon me thys trauayle that I might delyuer you of thys suspitiō and that I myght wytnesse it to the whole worlde that you allway haue purely and vndefyledly defended the Catholyke Religion
that it was but a signe bare figure only The which contention so sone as it begā to be made hotte in cōtinuaunce of tyme it grewe to suche a greate flame that they tossed the fyar brandes of this controuersie one at an others heade aboute the space of fyften yeares because as Calvyn wryteth they coulde not abyde to heare one an other quietlye to speake they re myndes For sayth he althoughe they met once together to discusse thys matter yet they so helde one an other at the staffes end that they brake of and left the matter in as euell a pyckell as they founde it So that when they sholde haue come to some agrement they shronke backward more and more myndyng no thing elles then to mayntayne they re owne opynion and to comptroll and confute them whiche sayde the contrarye When Caluin spyed that Caluin taking vpon hym to be a iudge betwene the Lutherans the Zuingliās raysed vpp an heresie never heard of before he toke vpon him to be iudge betwene them bothe as Muncerus intermedled hym selffe betwene the Pope and Luther condemnyng as well Zuinglius and Oecolampadius hys opinyon as Luthers brought in a newe heresye neuer heard of before not only vnknowen to the auncient Fathers and Doctours but also straunge to the late vppstart dyuellishe proctoures the Sacramentaries For he taught that breade and wyne vsed in oure Lorde hys supper be nothing elles then an assuraunce and as it were a certayne seale confirmyng all the promisses made vnto vs in Christ and thys dyd he teache withoute the authoritie of the scriptures withoute the warrant of the holy fathers without the consent of hys owne fraternitie With which doing besyde offending of Luther he gat greate displeasure of the scole of Tigurine the whiche scole for so muche as it dothe reuercene Vlryke Zuinglius as the fyrst founder of they re doctryne coulde not abyde the Caluyne sholde fynde faulte with hym with out any warrāt of scripture forge a newe fangled opynion of the sacramēt Caluyn afterward glad and fayne to quenche this hott displeasure kyndled against hym dyd wryght an Epistle in which he labored to shewe that he dyd not swarue from Zuinglius and others his good masters of that scole in the doctryne of the supper of oure Lorde whereas in very dede he varyed greatly frō them Caluin cōvicted of a lye Yea he went aboute to beare the people in hand that all they which held and beleued the Confession of Ausbourch a citie of the Vandales dyd ioyne with hym in hys doctryne of oure Lorde hys supper Of the which thing seuen yeare before he set furthe a certayne booke intituled A sum of the confession of the sacramentes Called in Laten Augusta Vindelicorum in which he plyet it a pase to declare that the Confessionistes of Ausbourge do not once wrynckell but go smothely away with that opinion of the sacrament of oure Lordes supper which the Confessionistes of Tigure or Surk do teache among whome Caluin hym selffe is numbred Nowe for so muche as by the space of one yeare or twayne no mā did wryght agaynst that forsayde booke of Caluine many dyd gesse by thys long silence that Caluin hys councell was accepted and allowed and then began thys to be bruted abroade that the Confessionistes of Ausbourch of Lutherans were become Zuinglians Dyuerse of Luthers scollers stormed at thys that they sholde be reported to haue bene traytours to Luther lyke runagates to haue fled to Zuinglius syde for so muche as it was vnknowē to no man howe ernestly Luther dyd set against the opinion of Zuinglius concernyng the Sacrament of oure Lorde hys supper Therefore there stepped forth some which with contrary bokes confuted that fornamed boke of Caluine agaynst whome it is nowe more then .ij. yeares agone synce Caluin dyd wryte a booke intituled A defence of the sounde doctrine of the Sacramentes whiche the Ministers of the Tyguryn and Geneva Churche had comprehended before in a brefe forme of Confession contayninge a confutatyon of those reproches with the whiche vnlearned and euell tonged men do slaunder it not long after he also dyd set forthe an other defence agaynst the false accusations of Ioachim Westphalus whose bokes which he namely dyd wryght agaynst Caluin as yet I could neuer come to syght of yet for all that whylst I was wryting this worcke there happened to come in to my handes a lyttell boke of the sayde Ioachim Westphalus a Lutheran which boke hath this name A iuste defence against the lowde lyes of Ihon a Lasko which he telleth agaynst the Churches of Saxonie in his Epistle to the moste excellent Kyng of Poyle In a letter sent to the Senatoures of Franckforde he maketh twyse mentyon the whylst Luther lyued there were certayne at Frācforde vpō the ryver Meyne which taught Zuinglius his heresie that very craftily vnder thys cloke that they swarued nothing from the Churches of Saxonie of whome that they sholde take diligēt hede Luth. hym selffe dyd ernestly exhorte them by writyng But after that Luther was deade he saythe that they more boldly and more shawfully dyd set lyes a broche saying that in the Sacrament of oure Lorde hys supper they dyd agree with the Confessionistes of Ausbourgh when in dede as he sayth there is greate difference betwene the Confession of Ausbourgh and the doctryne of the Sacramentaries for so muche as the Confessionistes of Ausbourgh do teache that the breade is truly the body of Christ that the body bloode of Christ is truly distributed by the handes of the ministre and is receaued in this sacramēt with the mouthe of them which cōmunicate contrariwyse the Sacramentaries do teache that it is only a token or signifycation of Christ his body which is absent that the minister gyueth but bare breade and wyne and that the receauer taketh but bare breade wyne Wherefore he exhorteth the Magistrates of Franckford that they wyll be ruled by Luthers councell that they auoyde suche false teachers and banyshe them cleane oute of theyr citie A scabbed shepe sayth he is sequestred least it infect the whole flock Heretykes are to be handled punyshed seuerely A putrifyed member is cut of least it corrupt the resydue Leprouse men be shut oute of all companye least they poyson them which be hole howe much more ought those which be taynted with the spirituall leprosy of the sowle be abandoned and remoued farre least they spill infect the shepe of Christ The Apostle forbyddeth to receaue in to house those which bryng not with them Apostolyke doctryne least the receauers may be partakers of theyr euell doinges then howe shall they be intertayned in to Christian mennes company which bring a doctryn cleane contrary to the Apostolyke veritie The scripture dothe oftentymes prayse hospitalitie it cōmaundeth to vse mercifull and charitable dedes toward banished men and straungers but so that we hurt not oure fayth so that for doing good
cherefullnes in suffring persecutions the Anabaptistes run farr before all other heretykes If you will haue regarde to the number it is lyke that in multitude they wolde swarme aboue al other if they were not greuously plaged cut of with the knyfe of persecution Yf you haue an eye to the outewarde appearaunce of godlynes bothe the Lutherans and the Zuinglians muste nedes graunte that they farr passe them Yf you wyll be moued with the boasting of the worde of God these be no lesse bolde theÌ„ Caluin to preache that theire doctrin must stand aloft aboue all the glory of the worlde must stand inuincible aboue al poure because it is not they re worde but the worde of the lyuing God Nether do they crye with lesse lowdenes then Luther Anabaptistes not able otherwyse to be ouercomed but by the authoritie of the churche the fourth sect which Suencfeld raysed that with theire doctryn which is the worde of God they shall iudge the Aungelles And surely howe many so euer haue wrytten agaynst this heresie whether they were Catholykes or Heretykes they were able to ouerthrowe it not so muche by the testimony of the scriptures as by the autoritie of the Churche Do you think peraduenture that we be nowe at an end of these Gospelles Nay we be yet very farr from the end For Suenckfeldius hathe broched a fourthe gospell agaynste whome I haue sene fyue bookes wrytten in the Germane tounge in that which one Flaccus brauleth scoldeth with hym When he sawe the Lutherans the Sacramentaries the Anabaptistes and al the heretykes not of oure tyme only but also in tyme past to establyshe they re errours by the Scriptures the which is so certayne sure that the heade carpenter of all heresies in oure tyme Martyn Luther could not deny it Luther in that boke which he intytuled that these wordes of Christ do as yet stand inuincible in so muche that he saythe that the Canonicall Scripture hath at laste gotten thys name that it is called the boke of heretykes because all heresies take theire beginning of it because all heretykes do fly to the scripture for succoure therfore when Suenckfeldius had perceaued this and had peraduenture readen it in Luthers bokes he hym selffe deuysed a newe heresie and leauing to the ayde helpe of the scripture ment aboute to take away all autoritie from the scripture For this talke he was wont to haue among his Disciples It behoueth not a man to be coning in the lawe or in the Scripture but to be taught and instructed of God Althoughe thou reade ouer the Byble a thousand tymes yet for all that shalt thou proue only skylfull in the Scripture but yet neuer learned of God The labour is but loste which is bestowed on the scripture for the scripture is but a creature It is not mete that a Christian man shold be addicted to muche to a creature We must gyue eare to God we must loke to heare his voyce from heauen that it may teache vs. Blessed is the man saythe Dauid whome thou shalt teache O Lorde Psal 43. He teacheth vs nowe a dayes as well as he taught the prophetes and the Patriarches by visions We must gyue hede to dreames for by them God speaketh vnto vs. the voyce of God dothe teache vs a ryght the scripture is not the worde of God but only a deade letter to be rekoned among other creatures Thinck not thy selffe to be learned oute of the scriptures you must loke for the oute of heauen not oute of bokes The holy goste descendeth downe from heaueÌ„ with oute any meane not by the outewarde hearing and preaching by the mouthe ether reading of the scriptures Althoughe that one Thomas Muncerus semeth to be the fyrst Author of visions dreames and reuelations who also was the fyrst which shronck from Luthers sect as Philippus sheweth in that story which he dyd wryte of hym so that Luther was worthye of no lesse condemnation for stretching mennes consciences as it were vpon tentre hokes then the Pope was for bindyng them in Yet among those errours which Philipp layeth to his charge Philipp in his history of Muncer he rekoneth vp only these that he prescribed these wayes and rules of enbrasing Christian godlynes Fyrst that men sholde refrayne from manifest crimes as adulteries murders and blasphemies then that they sholde chasteÌ„ theire bodies with fastinges vyle apparel speakyng lyttell loking sowrely wearing a long bearde then that they sholde go in to secrete places and that they sholde ofteÌ„ think vpon God what God is whether he haue any care of vs whether our fayth be true and that also they sholde requyre signes of God by the which he sholde shew vs that he is carefull for vs and that oure faythe is ryght That they sholde put no confidence in the wrytten worde of God And that they sholde persuade themselues verilye dreames to be the moste certayne tokens that they haue receaued the holy ghoste The same Muncerus dyd say that he had commaundimeÌ„t to chaunge all secular gouernement Wherefore when he was at Alstete he made a boke in the which he wrote the names of all them which had coÌ„spyred with hym to punishe all Princes which were not so Christian lyke as they ought to be to institute a ChristiaÌ„ Magistrate These be the thinges which Philip ascribeth vnto Muncerus As coÌ„cernyng Suenckfeldius whome in despyte he nameth Stenckfeldius Philip. concerning Stencfeld the same man in the preface of hys commentaries which he set furthe the laste yeare vpon the Epistle of Saynt Paule to the Romanes wryteth the Stencfeldius hath a hundred handes that he hathe soldyoures euery where which in his name do not onlye scatter libelles but also moue seditions boste of diuyne inspirations leade men from the publyke ministerye from reading and from thinking of teaching And nowe also in certayne papers set oute agaynst me in the name of Stenckfeldius is repeted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pleasaunt song to madd men that God dothe not make men partakers of him by any helpe of wrytten doctryne but withoute all outewarde meanes Nether Philipp only but also Caluine and diuerse others do seme to make Suenckfeldius to be the author of these thinges For allthoughe before hym there were heauenly Prophetes against whome Luther hathe wrytten two indifferent greate volumes of whome Thomas Muncerus is beleued to haue bene captayne and ring leader yet they dyd not so openly fray men from the publyke ministre of the worde from reading the scriptures as Suenckfeldiê with his companions do nowe a dayes which be not ashamed to drawe this place of S. Paule to the mayntenaunce of theire madnes 1. Cor. 13. where he compareth the knowledge of this present lyfe which is by the worde what scriptures SteÌ„ckfeld stayeth his sect vpon with the perfect and reueled knowledge which shall be in the lyffe to come These they wrest to this lyfe ascribyng
intreatyng of so weyghtye and necessari an argument for all Christian men to knowe shold be better welcome to youre grace in oure owne contrye speche for profyt then in any fyner forren language for pleasure The which boke althoughe some men thynck that I myght more boldly haue dedicated to some other yet in my iudgement I knowe certaynely I can not exhibit it to any other more worthily then to your excellent Maiestie Our souereigne Lady of al other moste worthy to haue this boke dedicated to her grace For who is more worthy to haue bokes dedicated to them of veritie which is lykened to syncere and pure virginitie then youre grace a most cleare bryght and vnspotted virgin who is more mete to receaue that precyouse iuel which was presented to the wyse vertuouse and Catholyke Kyng of Poole then you one of the best learned graciouse victoriouse mercyfull Prynces vnder the Pole Therfore most excellent and pearles Pryncesse if I haue any thyng offended in boldnes by reason of dedicatyng this my lyttell laboure vnto your hyghnes your learnyng your wysdome your mercye and all other your Quenely qualities which make your grace as it were a marke for all learned men to direct theyr bokes to our gracyouse Quene a marke for all learned mēnes bokes to be directed to are the causes of myne offence But my trust is that nether I haue offended any good man in dedicatyng thys to your hyghenes nether that youre grace shall displease God in readyng it A true prayse of the reuerēd Father Hosius For who is the Auctour of this booke but Hosius who for his prudence in polityke affayres hathe of the myghtie kyng of Poland bene sent of long tyme in moste weyghtye and honorable Embassages who for hys diuine knowledge and incomparable learnyng was made president of the moste Catholyke and Christian Councell lately holdē at Trent who for his syncere and godly lyfe is worthily called Hosius which after the Greke Etymologie signifyeth holy Althoughe some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose harte is rotten at the rote with rancor whose māner is to reproue good men with rayling whē they arre not able to doo it by reason laboure to drowne the dignitie of such a pearlesse Prelate of such a blessed Byshope of such a famouse father in saying that he will be ouercome with his Polonyshe pottes But no maruayle if Hosius be called a drōkard for euen so was hys Master Chryst before hym called a wyne bybber which is all one to say a quasser a tosse potte As for his boke that youre grace neade not to feare the displeasure of God in readyng it what is it ells but a true treatyse intytuled by the author hym selffe of the begynnyng of heresies in oure tyme and by me the translatour named the hatchet of heresies for so muche as to shewe the begynnyng of heresies The cause why this boke is named the hatchet of heresies is to bryng heresye vnto an end and to cut it downe none other wyse then an hatchet in man his hand layde to the roote of a plant sone supplāteth and ouerthroweth it Euen so truly most souereyne Ladye thys boke is the hatchet which supplanteth that euel plant which Sathā hath sowed in God his groūde what manner of plāt this hatchet heweth down whose roote is raylyng whose body is rebellion whose braunches be bloodshedde whose leaues be lyes whose frute be the aples of Atheisme that is to be of no Religion or to thynck that there is no God at all Wherefore moste humbly vpō my knees I desire your grace not only to reade this excellent treatise your selffe but also to be contented that my dearly beloued countrie men youre graces moste faythfull subiectes may do the same that they may receaue this souerayne salue of their soules withoute any harme of their bodyes that they may here gather the euerlasting treasures of theire myndes witoute any losse of their temporall possessions that they may here see that it is not the expresse worde of God which our Britānical Brētians teache but the pressed and wrested worde of God not the holy Scriptures but prophane scrapinges of dyuerse olde and nue heresies not the traditions of the Apostles but rather I desyre pardon of youre maiestie to speake reason somwhat rowghly the trayterouse additiōs of Apostates Finally that in reading of this notable boke they standyng as it were in the Castell of cōtemplation and seing howe heretykes marche malitiously on toward the other in the medowe of madnes The battayle of heretykes fight one with the other in the felde of al foly howe they one against the other bend the ordinaunce of all disorder cast the dartes of deadly displeasure shote with the crosse bowes of cursed speakyng and to be short leaue nothing vndone to vndoo one an other I say that youre faythfull subiectes my dearly beloued countrymen seing in this boke quietly all theire disquyetnes may lothe deuydyng discorde and returne to Catholyke concorde of Christ his holy Churche vnto whiche no doubt Christ returnyng to his Father sayd these wordes Pacem meam do vobis pacem meam relinquo vobis c. My peace I gyue you my peace I leaue vnto you whiche peace God graunt we may seke ernestly fynde spedily and holde stedfastly This I say moste humbly and ernestly desyring your grace beseching also that it wyll please youre hyghenes to take me as I am youre sure and sounde harted subiect in all seruice that I can I desyre God to be youre graces buckler in battayle youre pillar in peace youre leader in all the slyppery wayes of this lyff and your crowner in the blessed Kyngdome which is to come Amen You re graces faythfull and obedient subiect Richard Shacklock THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the holy wryter Hosius Semely Susanna was iudged to dye By peruerse iudges which dyd her oppresse But godly Daniel her cause true dyd trye when contrary thynges he herd them confesse So sorrowfull Susan he dyd ryghtly redresse Her which seêmd synfull he proued to be sounde And them which seêmd godly full gylty he founde Euen so holy Hosius in oure dolefull dayes Seing the truthe to be troden with myght Of misshapt Ministers which with wyly wayes Laboure to rob the truthe of her ryght Ragyng and rayling and spyttyng theire spyte One at an other full farre from consent Here tryeth the truth against which thei be bent The truthe being tryde the truthe let vs holde Praying to God to gyue vs hys grace To hate all heretykes so blynde and so bolde which vnder fayr visardes do hide their fowle face And pray we deuoutly for our noble Quenes grace That the spryng of heresies to her being knowen She may roote vp the sedes which Sathā hath sowē TO THE MOSTE REDOVBTED AND MOSTE CHRISTIAN Prince his renomed Lorde Lorde Sigismund by the grace of God Kyng of Poole great Duke of Luten Lorde and Heyre of Russia Prussia Masouia Samogitia
wrightynges to the iudgement of them whose iudgemētes in dede he ought to reverence In a certayne epistle wrytten to Pope Leo there are these wordes to be sene which he wrote aboue eight and thirtie yeares a gone Moste blyssed father Luther his submission to the Pope I offer my selffe flatt vpon the grounde before youre holy fere with all that I am worthe Quicken me slea me call me hether call me thether approve me reprove me as it pleaseth you I wyll acknowledge youre voyce to be the voyce of Christ rulyng you and speakyng in you But it is true that Philo dothe wryte Philo in the second boke of allegories of the lawe that contention is the norishmēt of anger therefore they which be gyuen moste to cōtention in all disputations and other conferencies be sone moued to anger And this is the propertie of anger that it easyly is deceaued it selffe and deceaueth others so that you shall not easily fynde one angry man of a true iudgement as being ouercomed with dronckennes of the mynde thoughe not of the body Loke with howe muche more cōtention thinges were handled which at the fyrst semed to be of no great importaunce so muche the more did the contenders go wyde of the true way And this is so prouyded of nature that almost neuer any errour dothe ryse One errour for the moste part draweth many other after it but it draweth many other after it so that you shall scantly fynde any which is fallen in to any one errour which dothe not euery day stray further further from the beaton pathe of veritie Lyke as in syngyng yf in any one pointe the harmony be trobled there is a certayne vnpleasant iarryng in all the other partes so vniforme doctryne being wrested a wrye by meanes of some heresye or straunge opinion disagreing from the swete melodye of truthe sometymes openeth a wyder wyndow to greater disordre and confusion lyke as in the body of man when the iuste proportiō of those qualities is distempered wherein the healthe of all partes the sowndnes of al the powres consisteth many maladyes infirmityes follow one after an other so if the mynde be once diseased or not well established it decayeth euery day more more is subiect to more daungerouse syknes His disease was curable at the fyrst but in continuaunce of tyme the infection dyd spreade it self so far that it was past all remedye And first he toke that vpon him which all heretykes vse to doo that is Luther begā his sect at rebellīg against the Pope to disanul the popes authoritie and to prescribe him rules of reformation agaynst him he bent all his bedlembrayne labored with to the nayle to withdrawe from him the good wylles of so many as he coulde to dashe him quyte oute of conceyt that the ruler of the churche being so disgraced and displaced Cyprian fyrst booke epist 3. he myght as S. Cyprian saythe more cruellie and violentlie wreake hys wrathe with the spoyles shyppwrackes of the Churche Therefore takyng vpon him a saucye enterprise he cast all his bokes of the Canō lawe in to the fyar with many other of the Pope his writinges commonly called Bulles and not long after he dyd wryte a booke of the captiuitie of Babylon in the which not sparing the Sacramentes one inche he dyd his endevoure to turne euery thing vp syde downe when Pope Leo had borne with these his presumptuouse pranckes the space of three yeares Leo his long sufferaunce and had many tymes oft warned him to returne home to the Churche but all in vayne at the last as his dutie required he condemned him of heresye he excōmunicated cast him oute of the Congregatiō oute of that which he had throwen him self before Luther cōdemned of the Pope myndeth nothing but to deface the supremacie Then began he to rage more more and to seke all meanes how he myght vtter all his malicious mynde against the Pope whome he wyshed in his hart to be sett besyde his seate and to be bereaued of all his authoritie In this one pointe dyd he vestowe all his care studie travayle so that afterward in writing his bookes he thought it not to appertayne vnto him to haue regarde what was godly or what was vngodlie but what thing might moste deface the papacie to the intent what so euer he wrote what so euer he sayue what so euer he dyd he might do it in despyte of the Pope Councells Bishopes This dothe he him self witnesse in a certayne epistle to the Citizins of Strasborowe to whome he dyd wryte after this manner Luther his owne testimonie Neither can I neither will I sayth he deny this that if Carolstadius or any other coulde haue persuaded me more then fyue yeares agone that there had remayned nothing in the Sacramente but bread and wyne he had made me a greate debtor of his for in boulting oute this matter I toke greate care and a long tyme dyd weary my self I stretched al the strynges of my wytte to make my part good in this behalf for so muche as I knewe wel that I by this meanes I shold brede greate inconvenience to the Papacie Doth not he here playnely confesse that by beatyng this newe fownde doctrine in to the peoples heades he intended not to further the glory of Christ to set abrode the knowledge of his truthe but that as he hym selff was blynded with the myst of malice against the Pope so he myght sett the hartes of other men a fyar with the same hatred His mynde was rusted with suche rancor and spitefullnes that he was redy wyllingly to deny Christ to be present in the Sacrament so that by this occasion he might hurt or hynder the supremacie For so muche then as in all his sayinges writinges doinges Luter was lod with a dyuellishe spyrit to do moste of those thinges which he dyd he vsed none but of all other the most perniciouse councelloures that is angre hatred is there any which as yet will doubt that those thinges which proceded from him haue bene deryued from any other then the very diuel If there be any suche doubter let Luther hym self dryue away that doubt who in a booke which he intytled De Missa angulari that is of priuate Masse dothe euidently declare who was the scolemaster of this his newe doctrine Luther his dyuelishe dreame For there he bringeth in the Dyuell disputyng with hym makyng stronger obiectiōs against the Masse then he was able to solute Whose voyce also he there describeth to be a bygg base and boysterouse voyce and which dothe make so terrible a noyse that it chaunseth often after conference had with the Dyuell by nyght that men be found dead the next day in the mornyng For the Dyuell sayth he can kyll the body besyde that he smyteth suche a feare in to the mynde that some tyme in the
Circenses who at the length were converted froÌ„ the sect of the Donatistes for their name was more famouse then the reste to the vnitie and fellowshypp of the Catholique churche other some were called Circumselliones August in his epistl 50. and 30 and of heresyes 69. heresye whiche no otherwyse then the MunsteriaÌ„s in our dayes dyd go beyond all other in myschevousnes as saynt Augustyn in sundrie places recordeth Possidonius also who dyd sett oute a boke of saynt Augustines lyfe testifieth the same And at this day this Hydra hath no fewer hornes heades then it had in saynte Augustynes tyme. Possid in the lyfe of S. August chap. 10. For some be called Muncerans some Orantes that is to say Prayars some Silentes that is to wyt kepyng silence Somniantes that is sleapers Pueris similes that is lyke children Synceri that is pure Impeccabiles à Baptismo that is not synnyng after Baptisme Liberi that is free BinderliaÌ„s Sabbataries MaderaÌ„s Hofmannikes and other which sprong vp after them Circumcisi and it is lyke inoughe that the Adamites do pertayne to the Anabaptistes Some authors do father the begynning of Anabaptisme rather vpon Thomas Muncer then vpon Balthazar Which Muncer aboue two thirtie yeares agone Thomas Muncer of an Anabaptist dyed a peniteÌ„t Catholyke made a commotion of countrye men in Thuringia for the which fact when he was worthily punished before his head was chopt of he is reported to haue lameÌ„ted pitifully for that he had seduced the people more ouer to haue recanted all his erroures and confessyng his fault after the catholyke custome to haue receaued the honorable sacrameÌ„t of the body bloode of Christ vnder one kynde But one Philip which wryteth a story of hys lyffe dothe make no mention that he taught to rebaptize those which were once baptized This sect of the Anabaptistes I am assured is a pestilent and an abominable sect what so euer any other sect elles is And yet for all that they which haue enbraced this sect do stedfastly beleue assure them selues as well as the Lutherans or Zuinglians do that they re synnes be forgyuen them for Christ hys sake that they be in God his fauoure and that they shall inherit the kyngdome of heauen and they be very precise that all they which followe â—â—eyre race sholde certaynely and stedfastly beleue the same It is a false doctrine to teache speciall fayth with the which euery maÌ„ shold assure him selffe that his synnes be forgyueÌ„ Whereby we may see howe false that principle of Luther is that it is necessary for euery man which will obtayne forgyuenes of his synnes to beleue surely that his synnes be takeÌ„ away nothing mistrusting his owne weakenes vnaptues or vnworthines Which althoughe it hath allway bene is nowe a conclusion common to all heritikes so it is flat against the scriptures and the Catholike faythe What caÌ„ be more manifest then this text of scripture Eccle. 5. For the remission of thy syn be not with out feare All be it oure synnes be pardoned yet for all that the holy Ghoste wyll not haue vs to be all together careles NotwithstaÌ„ding this scripture these fellowes think it a deadly syn if a man make neuer so littell a doubt that his syn is forgyueÌ„ the same scripture sayeth vnto vs Thou shalt not iustifye thye selfe before God Eccle. 7. for he searcheth and knoweth the secretes of thy hart do not they I pray you comptroll hys scripture which dare boldly seale them selues a quytaunce from all debt of deadly syn and warrant them selues to be in God his fauoure specially seing to be iustifyed is nothing ells in they re opinion then to haue obtayned forgyuenes of syn An other scripture witnesseth the hart of man is wycked and vnsercheable for man Hiere 17. and who shall be able to knowe it thorowly I youre Lorde which searche the hart and proue the reines But do not these men take vpon them to be as conning as God almightie which take a coÌ„ceite that they be able to searche and trye they re owne hartes Which thing surely he durst not presume which sayde Who knoweth all his offences Lorde clense me from my secret synnes Neither he Psal 18. which sayde I feared all my workes knowyng that thou doest not spare those which worke wyckednes Iob. 9. If I be washed with snowe water my handes be as cleare as cristall yet shalt thou dypp me in my fylthines I shall lothe myne owne garmentes Paule warneth vs saying Iudge not before the tyme 1. Cor. 4. tyll oure Lorde come who shall dyscouer the dedes of darcknes and shall set open the secret councells of mennes hartes And least any man may think that he speaketh only of that iudgement wherewith we iudge other not of that wherew t we iudge oure selues those wordes which go a lyttell before make S. Paules meanyng playne But neither saythe he do I iudge my selffe I am gyltie of nothing yet for all that am not I iustified for oure Lorde is he which iudgeth me Lo Paule a chosen vessell of God dyd fele no pryck of conscience yet for all that he durst not be so bolde to iudge hym selffe but he left that to God who is the knower and seer of all hartes Then darest thou chalendge that thyng to thy selffe which belongeth to God only Haste thou the face to preuent his iudgement before he haue gyuen his verdict of the art thou so hardy as to warrant assure thy selffe to be iustified that is that thy synnes be forgyuen pardoned Christ gyueth vs in commaundimeÌ„t Luc. 17. saying When you haue done all that you are bounde to do say We be vnprofitable seruauÌ„tes And makest thou no bones maugre this precept of Christ to vaunt thy selffe to be a profitable seruaunt For who so euer beareth himselffe surely in hand that his euell dedes be done away that he is in the fauoure of God what dothe he ells but crake that he is a profitable seruaunt The scripture saythe Eccle. 9. Man knouweth not whether he deserue to be loued of God or hated doest thou cleane contrarily affirme that thou knowest thy selffe to be worthy to be loued of God For if thou boaste thy selffe that thou knowest certaynly that thy offences be forgyueÌ„ and forgotteÌ„ and that thou art inroled in the boke of lyffe what doest thou ells but say Thou knowest thy selff worthy to be loued 〈◊〉 God Iob. 9. and burden the holy ghoste with a lye Holy Iob sayeth If I shall iustifie my selffe myne owne mouthe shall condemne me If I shall pleade that I am innocent it will proue me to be giltie and althoughe I were perfect yet my soule can not attayne to that knowledge Art thou more holy theÌ„ he Art thou more certayne of God his predestination then he so that thou darest warrant thy selffe that thou doubteles knowest thy selffe to be perfect and innocent which
Christ nor Christ with them See I pray you howe lyttel a sparcke which so sone as it begā to kyndle myght easily haue bene quenched alas the day in to howe greate a fyar is it blowne in how many places euen with the dust and all as the prouerb is hath it ouerturned al Christian godlynes do you suppose that I haue reckoned vp all the Ghospelles nay There remayneth yet a rakehel rablement For seing suffering syn vnpunished is a great intysemēt to syn when men perceaued that they had no harme which attempted such thinges many stept forthe running as it were for the best game which thinkyng skorne of old thinges laboured to make all thinges a new by inuentyng some straunge kynde of doctryne might make theyr names neuer to be forgotten But who is so good in Arithmetyke that he is able to coumpt or who is at suche leasure that he is able to stand about declaring euery peculiar errour For so muche as it is both a greate busynes and also not pertayning to this present purpose Wherefore I wyll stand no longer in recyting those three hundred at Apocella in Heluetia which after seruice song to God all the lightes being put oute when they lyke brute beastes had defyled them selues yet for all that ascended in to an hyghe hyll frō whence they persuaded them selues that they sholde be caryed vp bothe body and soule And of other conuenticles of which Erasmus speaketh in the which the mothers of theire owne accorde dyd gyue they re children to be kylled Erasmus in his treatise of the amiable cōcorde of the churche and with chearefull countenaunce dyd stand by and looke on whylst the slaughter was done beleuing verily that theire children so slayne sholde be numbred amōg the cheifest saintes in heauē Then the which thinge what may be sayde more horrible Besyde this there is no cause that I sholde speake muche of a certayne Preste takē in Suenia A Preste in Suethen which taught that the Christian fayth was now almoste at an end that seing the lawe of Moyses continued but a thowsand fyue hundred yeares that lawe of Christ lykewyse sholde indure no longer Husbandmen deceaued by an heretyke wherefore the tyme was now at hand that an other lawe an other faythe sholde be gyuen to men And of an other not farr from Wittenberdge which tolde the husband men that by such a certayne day by such an howre domes day shold be which the sely soules beleued so certaynely that they left of all their husbandry loking for that howre And after they had loked long in vayne they were in ieopardy to peryshe for hunger because whereas they had sowed nothyng there was nothing for them to reape And of the thyrd Dauid which in the towne called Embden renued the heresy of the Saduces where as he denyed bothe the resurrection of the fleshe the latter iudgemēt Aungelles Dyuelles Baptisme Matrimony Scriptures the kyngdome of heauē Lykewyse of that Apostata of Premonstre who taught that there was no hell Caluin holdeth that Christ did not descēd in to hell that Christ dyd not descend in to hell which opinion Caluin holdeth in his Institutions or Catechisme the holy Patriarches and Prophetes not to haue bene in hell Yea that Christ hym selffe because whē he sayde God my God why hast thou forsaken me semed to despere therfore was damned Could any man speake any greater blasphemy Moreouer I wyll not voutsaffe to speake of them which thinck it an horrible thing to call oure lady the mother of God in whome the heresie of Nestorius lately cōdemned in the councell of Ephesus semeth to be renued Nether wyll I make mencion of them which ten tymes in the day worshipp the dyuell and there of arre called demoniacalles Besyde these there be spronge oute of Luthers scole Ihon Campane and among the Spaniardes Myles Seruet who wrote certayne bokes of the erroures aboute the Trinitie very full of erroures and blasphemies In the which they go aboute to set a newe glas vpon the olde cankred erroures of Arrius Macedonius and to disanull that faythe which the father 's gathered in the Councell of Nece and Constantinople haue prescribed vs. For they defend ernestly that onlye God the father and none elles is to be worshipped and called vpon because he only seeth oure hart the which no creature can do And it is a precept of the olde Lawe that he sholde be kylled which worshippeth any other but God alone To the which God they say we haue none other intercessor procurator or mediator besyde oure only Lorde Iesu Christ What other thing ells semeth to be forbydden by these wordes then the adoration and inuocation of the sone of God and of the holy ghoste Marke I pray you what great wyckednes dyd spryng oute of Luther his small beginninges in to what a pickell they haue brought the worlde at laste Prestehode being taken away the sacrifice ouerturned the Sacramentes by all meanes troden vnder foote many are so farre growne oute of grace that they deny that there is any heauen any hell any Christ Who wolde euer haue thought that of so small begynnynges there shold haue proceded so many horrible blasphemies which we haue comprehended in fewe wordes But that is a trym saying Principijs obsta serò medicina paratur Cùm mala per long as inualuére moras Seke phisick at first t is to late at lengthe VVhen euelles by prolonging haue gotten theyr strengthe If the disease had bene healed when it began fyrst the Churche of God sholde not now be pintched with such panges These pestilent poysons of Seruetus be scattred farr and neare and I wolde to God most noble Prince that euen as other heresies which I haue recited for the most parte so this had not entred in to youre Kyngdome and dominions the which whereas in dede it is more wycked then all the other yet of all the heresies of oure tyme there is not one which is more bolstred with scriptures then this is For it cryeth all the day long nothing elles but the scripture scripture Ghospell Ghospell And see I pray you what a cōfidence this man had in his owne cōceyte Although Caluin had written bookes agaynst his errour yet durst he ventre to go to Geneua and conferre with him face to face Seruetus cōdemned and put to deathe by meanes of Caluin At the lengthe after long and sharpe disputation when he dyd stick styffly in his opinion he was cōdemned to dye which no doubt was done at the earnest sute and request of Caluine who immediately dyd set furthe a boke in which he declareth his doctrin and describeth the whole matter as it was done also he teacheth Timmanus a Lutheran teacheth that heretykes are to be punyshed that it standeth with ryght and reason that heritykes sholde be punished with the sworde The lyke of the whiche a certayne Pastor of Breme named Timmanus in his sum
kynde of learning which they re Master had taught them yet they thought good to take away certayne new orders which he had brought in and to restore most of the olde orders according to the forme prescribed in the parlement boke They called these orders or cerimonies by a Greke name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latten you may call them indifferentia that is thinges which of theyr owne nature be suche what the Catholykes thynk of outward cerimonies and howe far the Adiaphoristâ—s do agree with them Psal 44. that it skylleth nothyng to soule healthe whether one leaue them or receaue them For we oure selues which be Catholykes do deny that the cheyfe poyntes of ChristiaÌ„ godlynes do rest in these thinges whiche be done outewardly seyng all the glorie of the Kynges daughter is inwardly Chryst seeth inwardly he loueth inwardly he speaketh vnto vs inwardly and he neither punisheth or rewardeth but those thynges which be inwardly but were Christ is truly worshipped inwardly it can not be almoste but that such a worshipping sholde vtter it selff and appeare to mennes eyes by certayne sygnes and tokens And these outewarde cerimonies haue thys propertye that where so euer they be obserued a lyke of all men they be wytnesses of a certayne agreemeÌ„t and consent Therfore in these thynges the neuters of Mittenberdge thought good to coÌ„sent to the Christians that by them they myght gyue it oute to be vnderstanded that they began a lyttell to inclyne from Luther to Christ and that they myght put the world in hope that in continuaunce of tyme it wolde come to passe that reiecting Luthers learning they wolde embrace the Christian Catholyke doctrine Flaccus had this in the wynde Illiricus vexeth the Adiaphoristes as one that hathe a very nice nose of his owne therefore he resisted by all meanes that there might be no chaunge or alteration And when he sawe that he coulde not preuayle with warnyng praying and beseching then he spared not to tayle and scolde sometyme darckly sometyme plainely vpon his masters and especially vpon Melancthon complayning that they forsoke Christ his cause and quarrel For he knewe none other Christ but hym which was borne at Eylzleube Islebij and feared nothing to call them hogges of the Epicures kynde regarding not the truthe but theyr bely as whose bely were theyr God At the last when he perceaued that nether by fayre nor soule meanes he coulde fray them from theyr purpose he gaue them all vp to the dyuell Illiricê° his sentence of excoÌ„munication vpoÌ„ the Adiaphoristes And whereas before he gaue them the name tytle of Adiaphoristes yet sytting as it were on his iudgement seate he condemned them with this sentence For so muche as I perceaue that they remayne in theyr inpenitencye and agaynst theyr consciences further the Adiaphoricall constitutions and not to refrayne to make wyndowes for the papacye to entre in I gyue senteÌ„ce that all vnpenitent Adiaphoristes shall be taken as Ethnikes Publicanes that is that no Godly man ought to holde any familiarity conuersation or frendeship with them And especially to suche as being compelled by no ordre of lawe shall do other wyse I declare that they be infected with they re leprosy so consequently I warrant them of God his heauye angre displeasure You see what authoritye Flaccus taketh vpon him which feareth not to pronunce all the Vniuersitie of Wittenberge oute of the which came the same Martyn Luther whome he maketh a God of accursed to forbyd all good men to haue any thing to do with the vniuersitie The which his forbydding as I wolde wyshe it to take place among all other godly people so especially among them whiche be youre Maiestyes subiectes then sholde we se in youre Realme lesse disquietnes But I pray you what cause moueth hym to condemne these Adiaphoricall constitutions None other but that he smelled that wyndowes were made to conueye in the Papacye whiche sholde followe after them Alac for you Syr is it so greate a faulte to buylde windowes for the Pope his supremacie Luther made windowes for sathanisme and not to make wyndowes for Sathanisme that is Dyuellyshe doctryne to entre in which no man can deny that Luther made with these choppynges and chaungynges enterprysed of hys owne heade and autoritie For whence came the Sacramentaries oute of what rote sprang the Anabaptistes howe began the Suenckfeldians where had we the Seruetians surely oute of nothing elles but of these turnynges and tossynges which Luther hathe begone Hym may we thanck that we be taught that Christ his body and blood is not in the sacrament that children be forbydden to be baptized that all autoritie is taken away from the Canonicall scripture that some beleue that there is nether heauen nor hell that Chryst is denyed to be true God and the Sone of God Caluin hym selffe confesseth this Balthasar Pacimontanus graunteth the same as I haue declared before that they haue drawen theire doctrine oute of his bokes Caluin writeth that Luther taught the fyrst principles of true doctryn Caluin his senteÌ„ce vpon Luth. and shewed the way But in the meane season he sayth he was of an ouerthwart witte which being entred in to the right way so sone as he had tolde other men which way they sholde walcke he hym selffe turneth a syde and pitching his fote obstinately in one place wold not remoue one inche farther Therfore Caluine went beyonde those principles and croked rewes I wolde a sayde Crosse rewes and began to be more fyne and at all assayes better appoynted and denyed Christ to be present in the Sacrament Yet Baltasar lept on lyne lenghte farther who as Caluin dyd with the Sacrament of the altar so he althoughe not discentyng from Caluin toke all vertue from the Sacrament of Baptisme especially as touching the baptising of younge children But for all this greate leape yet Suenckfeldius oute reached it for he bereaued the scriptures of all autoritie at the lengthe loke at what marke the Dyuell shotte at the beginnyng the same marke his ministers Campanus and Seruetus dyd hytte at the laste in denying Christ to be very God and the sone of God and in so doyng finished that Gospell whose foundation Luther dyd laye So it cam to passe that when Luther had pearsed those bankes which were cast vpp to kepe oute the rage of the floodes the mayne streames of the waters dyd beate downe the bankes ouerflowed and drowned farr neare the feldes corne and villages Aristotle gaue a very wyse precept Arist Polit. 2. as you remember M. Flaceus the which also befor hym his Master Plato dyd teache in the seuenth boke of his lawes that chaunges of lawes ciuiles policies are to be auoyded and that it is better many tymes to wynk at the faultes of the lawe makers and Magistrates Nether cometh there so muche profit many tymes if one correct chaunge as there
thinges but of diuine thinges These thinges afore sayd be common to them to the but these which follow are proper to thy selffe Thou lyest in saying thou art a Christian thou art a nue ennimie of Christ thou art that foreruÌ„ner of Antichrist thou behauest thy selff lyke one of his priuie councell Thou forgest a faythe leading a faytheles lyfe thou hast vnhappy learning inoughe but no skyl at all invertue thou crepest in to mennes bosomes with a goodly tytle thou sleast vnder the pretence of religion thou workest nothing elles but wyckednes Being a false preacher of Christ thou puttest oute the candell of Christian fayth And in a fewe leaues after I woulde nowe fayne knowe of the Constantius in wath faythe thou art settled For I knowe not they faythe by reason that thou hast chaunged it so many tymes by the whiche chaungeable tymes euerye man hathe run hedlong as it were by stepe stares downe in to the bothomelesse pyt of blasphemie For after the first determination of true fayth thou dydest put oute a nue faythe to making calling together a nue Councel at Antioche But it is with you as it is with vnskilful builders which being not able to discerne a thing when it is well fynd faulte allway where none is pullyng allwayes downe which allwayes they must repayre reedifie agayne an in the booke following Surely it sholde become youre gentlenes to heare the voyces of them which make lowde exclamatioÌ„s vnto you I am a Catholyke many crye thus in England who me ChristeÌ„dome hopeth that oure graciouse Quene wyll at the laste here I wyll be no heretyke I am a Christian not an Arrian it is better for me to lese my lyfe in this worlde then by the compulsion of any one priuate man I sholde stayne and defyle the chaste virginitie of syncere veritie Nowe you haue heard what manner of seruauntes the Bishopes of that tyme Liberius Hosius Athanasius Hilariê were Howe stoutely they dyd withstand the wicked entrepryses not of any one Prince Lorde of one land A comparison betwene the olde churche with the church of oure time in defeÌ„ding the ecclesiastical autoritie doctryne but the Emperoure of the whole worlde how coragiously one of them durst say Take not vpon the o Emperoure to rule the roste in Ecclesiasticall matters tel not vs what we haue to do in such cases but rather learne those thinges at vs. What if they were a liue in oure age which almoste is no lesse accursed then theire age was yf they dyd see not only euery prouince but also euery citie almost to haue a seuerall faythe by them selues and to prescribe what the councell sholde do and determyne I say what wold they then do no doubt they wolde say the very same thinges which they sayde before we we be Catholykes not heretykes we be Christians not Lutherans or Brentians better were it for vs to suffer deathe then through any priuate man his compulsion bereaue the truth of her maydenhode dyd Ambrose in the lyke case behaue hym selff vnlykely the younger Valentinianê Emperoure when he was yet but a chylde vy the inforcyng of his mother almost toke vpon hym to iudge of matters of faythe What sayde Ambrosius to this Dalmatius sayth he the Tribune and Notarye brought me a message from youre grace desyring me that I sholde chose Iudges lyke as Aurentius had done Yet he tolde not theyr names whiche were required to be iudges but he sayde thus much that theyr sholde be a controuersie in the Consistory which shold be determined by youre iudgement to whome as I suppose I shape a resonable answer nether any maÌ„ ought to counte me obstinate in saying that which youre father of worthye memory hath vttered not onlye by worde of mouthe but also hathe enacted by his lawes In matters of faythe or of any Ecclesiastical order he ought to iudge whiche nether is vnequall in office nor vnlyke in lawe For these be the wordes of the decree whiche his meanyng was that Prestes sholde be iudges of Prestes Besyde this if it hapned that any Byshop were coÌ„playned on and that a tryall or examination shold be made of his manners and behauyoure he wolde also that suche a cause shold be iudged by an other Byshop Therefore who dothe answer youre grace stubbornely he which desyreth to haue you lyke youre father or he whiche wolde haue you vnlyke to hym onles peraduenture some man do think that the verdict of such an Emperoure is not worthe a strawe whose fayth was proued by his stedfast constant confessioÌ„ whose wysdome is also praysed farre and neare for profyting bettryng the coÌ„mon weale haue you heard most gentle Emperoure that lay men haue at anye tyme set as iudges ouer an Bishop in causes of faythe Therefore arre we so wone with courte holy water that is fayre and flattring wordes that we sholde forgette oure prestly authoritie that which God hathe gyuen me sholde I put it from my selff to an other If a lay man must teache a Bishop what followeth ergo let a lay man dispute ergo let a Byshop stand by as an auditor ergo let a Byshopp learne his lesson of a lay man But truly if we wyl peruse ether the whole course of holy scriptures ether the Cronicles of olde tyme what man can deny Byshoppes iudges ouer Emperours in matters of faythe but that in cases of faythe I saye in cases of faythe Bishopes were wont to be iudges ouer Emperoures and not Emperoures ouer Bishopes By God his grace you shall lyue tyll you be an olde man and then shal you be able to iudge what manner of Bishop he is which can be content that the key of prestly preemineÌ„ce shold hang at lay mennes girdles Your father being a man come to ful rypenes of yeares sayd as God dyd put him in mynde it is not myne office to be iudge betwene Bishopes Your grace sayth now I ought to iudge Amb. Epit. 33. Saint Ambrose doth not only write these thynges but also he dyd vtter them by worde of mouthe as he him selffe declareth writing to his syster neuer troble your selff Emperoure sayth he thinkyng that you haue any imperial authoritie ouer diuyne thynges Extoll not your selffe Mat. 22. submitt youre selffe to God it is wrytten Gyue to God that which is due vnto God gyue to Cesar that which appartayneth to Cesar What was this to say but euen as Petrê a Soto semed to saye come behynde me Sathan this he dyd not by letters only whiche blushe not but euen face to face in his presence Caluin prayseth Petrus a Soto Althoughe that Caluin be as sworne an enimie to our syde as you Brentius for youre harte yet bothe he highely commend the singular modestie and wysdome of this holye fryar Petrus a Soto ioyned with a ioly couragiousnes stoutenes of mynde He denyeth saythe Caluine the Emperoure to be a mete iudge of so weyghtie a