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
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
once to despyse to set at naught the Authorities of the auncient Doctoures the Decrees of the moste holy Popes Luther the author of ouerthrowyng bothe prestehode sacrifice the Determinatiōs of generall Councelles that is of the vniuersall church at the last he grewe so farr from grace that as we haue made mentyon a lyttell before he laboured to ouerthrowe the ordre of Prestehode and the Sacrifice besyde that he excluded Christ oute of the Sacrament onles he were receaued and forbadde due reuerence there to be done vnto hym lyke as also before he had taught that breade and wyne dyd remayne after the consecration Of this roote dyd spryng afterwarde the Sacramentaries heresie And euē as Luther wolde haue it lawfull for hym of his owne heade to put oute olde ordres to brynge in newe fashions so Caluine with his croked Apostles thought he neaded not to aske leaue to doo the lyke for so much as he dyd set as muche by hys paynted sheathe as Luther dyd and stode so muche in hys owne cōceipt that he was able to matche Luther at all assayes and to answer hym to omnia quare Therefore he dyd that which Luther and all they of hys lure as yet had not done that is he dyd abolyshe holye vestimentes Caluin in what thinges he followed Luther and in what thinges he ouerrā him in wickednes when God hys seruice was celebrated the vse of tapers and candelles the ringing of velles that there myght be no difference betwene holy thinges and prophane and least yf that any worshipp sholde be gyuen to the reuerend sacramēt men sholde conceaue and beleue that there were more in it then breade wyne More ouer and that he gaue charge that the sacrament sholde not be ministred to them which dyd lye a passing oute of thys lyffe which not withstanding the auncient Fathers named Viaticum which may be Englished costage or comfortable prouisyon to trauayle by the way He was of this mynde that they were not to be allowed to receaue the Sacramēt which were not able to receaue with the whole congregation to them which were neither shryuē neither assoylde he wylled that the sacrament sholde be gyuē Besyde thys he dyd put downe holy dayes and the readyng of the Epistle the Gospell as the Churche was wont to vse them And lest he sholde be thought to take so muche vpon hym only in the sacramēt of the altar he dyd also deuyse a newe doctryn in the sacramēt of Baptisme For where as he had learned thys lesson of Luther that they make the deathe of Christ of none effect that they seke an other Mediator besyde Christ which thinke good worckes necessary to saluation nowe because Baptisme is a good worcke he thought that they which teache that we be saued throwe Baptisme do fynde an other meanes to come to heauen then by the deathe of Christ and that they make the blood of Christ to be shedde in vayne which seke for any soule healthe in the water of Baptisme Therefore he teacheth that infantes if so be they be begotten of Christian parentes Baptisme is not necessary for infantes sayth Caluine be made membres of Christ be accompted the children of God and made heyres of the kyngdome of heauen withoute Baptisme So that forasmuch as to the intent they may be saued it maketh no greate matter whether they be Christned or no he is well cōtented that they departe out of thys lyffe without Baptisme alas what haue these fond fellowes left vnryfeled To what boldnes bedlemnes are they not growne which haue not feared to do villanye to the very sacramēts without the which no man may be saued A comparison betwene the Lutherans and the Zuingliās which of them be best Nowe therefore you haue .ij. Ghospelles yf so be it be lawfull to terme so synfull sectes with so honorable a name one of the Lutherans an other of the Zwinglians for bothe sydes will take they re othe vpon a booke that opinion which they defend mayntayne to be the pure and lyuely worde of God If you wyl weygh the doctrin of bothe parties the Zwinglians go farr beyond the Lutherans or certaynly come not much behynde them these alleadge as many places of Scripture to serue they re turne as they do as for theire ioly grace in vtteryng theire myndes and vehementie in persuading they stayne them carry the garland from them If you will haue regarde to an outeward shewe and counterfeyt coloure of holynes the Lutherans graunte that the Sacramētaries be more Godly lyvers then them selues For thus Nicolas Amsdorffius a Lutherā doth wryte of them Nicolas Amsdorff The Anabaptistes and the Sacramentaries do beguyle all Germanye with theyr holynes as monckes dyd deceaue all the worlde with theire pretensed holynes If you wil go by the number the Sacramētaries cleane weyghe downe the Lutherans seing they haue invegled many Lutherans to be of their opinion They them selues confesse this for one of the cheife Cockes of they re game Ihon Westphalus dothe crowe after this sorte In his boke intituled A ryght faythe of the supper of oure Lorde no false doctryn is spred so farr abroade none is mayntayned so ernestly or couered so with the cloke of hypocrisie none doth lede so many in to the by wayes of errours as dothe the deceaueable doctrine of the Sacramētaries who also in an other place writyng agaynst Caluin dothe call his owne cōpany for the smalnes of it a weake and feble flock in comparison of the huge number in whiche he hytteth Caluine in the tothe that he doth glory and putte all hys cōfidence this euery man knoweth the verye fewe embraced Luthers Ghospell except the cities of Saxonie all the residue whether they be in Helvetia or Germany they be either Catholykes or Sacramentaries But if you will haue an eye vnto a stubbern stomack in defendyng a wrong opinion it is so farre of that the Zuinglians yelde one iote to the Lutherans in this point that Caluine maketh his crakes that they be stouter Champions a greate way for at what tyme the Lutherans for profe of theyr doctrin dyd cherefully offer them selves to terrible deathe he sayth that his scolefellowes the Zuinglians were much more redy to scale the truthe of they re doctryn as they toke it with theyr blode and to prove his saying true reade the Regester of all those martyres whiche have stode in the defence of theyr herisye vnto death in oure tyme you shall fynde among them mo Zuinglians then Lutherans So then althoughe the Zuinglians be not one iote behynde the Lutherans and beare them selves no lesse bragge vpon the scriptures then they doe yet eche of them esteme one an other wurse then heretykes specially the Lutherans do so abhorre the Zuinglians that they thynk men shold stoppe theyr eares when they speake and that they re blasphemies ought rather to be cōfuted with the sworde of the
cōcerning his doctrine Among whō one Menno Phrisius who semeth to pass all the sorte of them in learning saythe in this wyse Certaynely o heauenly Father I can not be deceaued in this matter with thy worde I haue beleued and that haue I receaued by the holy Ghoste as the worde of truthe And with in fewe lynes after I knowe certaynely and surely that with this my doctryne which is the worde of God in the day of ryghtwise iudgement I shall iudge not onlye Lordes Princes not only the worlde but also the Aungelles them selues Thus dothe he magnifically make his vauntes of his doctrine as thoughe it were God hys worde with no lesse confidēce and corragiousnes then Luther dyd of hys doctryne Notwithstandyng Luther dyd as hottly inueyhe against this sect as he dyd agaynst the sect of the Sacramentaries and wryting a boke to two Plebanes as before I haue made mentiō among other sayinges he oseth these wordes Whereas the Anabaptistes saye that we fynde in no place of scripture that infantes either haue faythe or the they ought to be baptized we graunte in dede that it can not be proued by any scripture which saythe playnely and euidently in these or suche lyke wordes You ought to baptize younge children for they do beleue if any man be ernest with vs to shewe any suche text we must nedes gyue hym place Luther is fayne to flee for helpe to traditions agaynst the Anabaptistes and graunt hym the victorye for we fynde it not in the whole Byble But good reasonable Christians do demaunde no suche thinges of vs that is the fashion of brablers and obstinate persons to the intent that they may be accompted wyse But they for all they re Byble bablyng and crying for scripture alleadge for them selues no scripture which saythe you ought to baptize those which be of yeares of discretiō but not infantes and younge children By by after by the tradition of the Apostles allwayes obserued in the churche of God he teacheth that younge children are to be baptized all be it no scripture dothe gyue any suche commaundement And lyke as before in defending the Sacrament of the altar so now in mayntayning Christning of younge children he dothe cheifly leane vpon the authoritie of the churche which authoritie for all that he wyll not let vs laye in his way for feare of gyuing him a fall so oftē as he requireth scripture of vs for profe of any one thing be it that it hathe bene receaued and allouwed of the church neuer so many yeares The Anabaptistes wurse thē all other sectaries This therefore is the thyrde Ghospell much more pestilent then the other twayne For besyde that it taketh clene away the sacrifice of the Masse the ordre of Prestehode with the Lutherans and denieth the real presence of Christ in the Sacramēt of the Altar with the Zuinglians it hathe many other articles bothe blasphemouse also seditiouse For it forbyddeth the publyk ministery of God hys worde it defendeth that Christ toke not man hys nature vpon hym of the blyssed virgyn it reneweth the errour of the Chiliastars it despyseth rule and wyll not haue men subiect to laufull authoritie Therefore where so euer this sect taketh place it rayseth vp greate vprores and seditions Examples of thys we haue many cities in Germany especially the citie of Munster An example by the citie of Munster For as Henry Dorpius a Lutheran and he which translated hys history out of the Germane tongue in to Latten Ihon Sleidane a Zuinglian haue wrytten in they re Cronicles aboue foure and twentye yeares agone ther cam fyrst thether certayne preachers to declare vnto the people in stede of Christ hys Gospell the doctryn of Luther whome when the Catholyke Prestes thought in no wyse to be suffred Bernard Rothman with hys cōpanyons Heretykes manner to provoke catholykes to dispute before a laie iudge whome Philipp the Lantgraue of Hessia had sent to further advaunce Luthers learnyng dyd that which all heretykes vse to do that is chosyng appoynting oute certayne cheife learned men of the catholyke faythe they prouoked the Catholykes to ioyne with them in disputation that before a lay Magistrate whome they appoynted to be theyr iudge and before whome they promised to proue the doctryn which the Catholykes held to be false and erroniouse But whē the Catholyke Prestes refused to dispute with them they departed the citie after that they were forbydden to execute theyr office of preaching the worde of God After this departure of the Catholykes before a yeare was comē fully to an end the Anabaptistes lykewyse began in the same citie to sowe the seades of they re doctryn vnder the name of Christe hys Ghospell And whē they had prouoked one an other to set fote to fote in disputation but on the selffe same condition which before was offered to the Catholykes which was that nothing shold be alleaged but Canonicall scripture beholde Bernard Rothman the cheifest trumpetor in all that citie of Luthers Ghospell who makyng the lyke lawe a lyttell before had chalenged the Catholykes to come to disputation now wolde admitt no suche condition So it cam to passe that the Lutherans which not long before had thrust the Catholykes oute of the towne they themselues fearyng to mete or encounter in disputation with the Anabaptistes were shortly after by them banished the same towne No meruayle thoughe they were so handled For the Senators also were pulled downe from they re iudgement seates the churches were spoyled and burned and whosoeuer wolde not take parte with the Anabaptistes perforce was dryuen oute of the citie As for Bernard Rothmā Henry Roles Godfry Stralen sent oute of Hessia as they of Christians grewe to be Lutherans so of Lutherans they becam Anabaptistes and with tothe and nayle furthered the Ghospel of Anabaptistes shewing vs the experience howe true that is which is wrytten in the Scripture The wycked man when he cometh in to the depthe of syn careth not what he dothe For if any man do once forsake Christian Religion vnto what so euer sect he dothe afterwarde inclyne he makethe it but a pastyme to leape from one heresie to an other And this sect truly of the Anabaptistes Anabaptistes be deuided in to diuerse kyndes is diuided in to many sections For they agree not in the principall pointes of they re doctrine In certayne cities of Germany some dyd run aboute naked as thoughe they had a bumble be in theire breche exhortyng the people to repentaunce seking in the meane whyle busyly how they might fynde any opportunytie to set the people together by the eares Neither dyd thys heresie begyn yester day or the day before for it reygned also in saynt Augustyn his tyme. And as the moste parte of all other heresies be so was this in the begynnyng deuyded in to many other partes For some were called Donatistes other Rogatistes other Maximianistes other
A MOST EXCELLENT TREATISE OF THE begynnyng of heresyes in oure tyme compyled by the Reuerend Father in God STANISLAVS HOSIVS Byshop of Wormes in Prussia To the moste renomed Prynce Lorde Sigismund myghtie Kyng of Poole greate Duke of Luten and Russia Lorde and Heyre of all Prussia Masouia Samogitia c. Translated out of Laten in to Englyshe by Richard Shacklock M. of Arte and student of the Ciuil lawes and intituled by hym The hatchet of heresies Haereses ad suam originem reuocasse est refutasse Of heresies to shewe the spryng Is them vnto an end to bryng ¶ Imprinted at Antwerp by Aeg. Diest Anno. 1565. the .10 of August CVM PRIVILEGIO THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the figure following Sathan the sower of synfull doctrine For pastyme of late dyd pepe oute of hell Being wery of whipping Luther and Caluine To see if his sedes dyd prosper here well And seing bigg trees which no man dyd fell To be sprong of his sedes for ioy he dyd spryng That with sounde of his chaines all hell he made ryng But when with more hede aboute he dyd loke Fixing his eye on Prussian grounde He sawe holy Hosius makyng this boke Myndyng all Sathans craftes to confounde An hater of heretykes which falsely expounde Gods worde which boke so sone as he spyde An hachet an hachet oh me he cryde An hachet I see in Hosius hand Wich felleth my trees which ells myght haue stand Then hauing so sayde byting his lypp He ran agayne Luther and Caluine to whypp INSIGNE FALSITATIS INSIGNE VERITATIS SATHAN RAYLING REBELLION BLODSHED ATHEISME LYES HOSIVS DE ORIGINE HERESIVM THE TRANSLATOVRE vpon the figure before going Who planted this tree which there is set oute Sathan the sower of syn withoute doute The rote is rayling but can you tell why Take away rayling and heretykes dy Sampson Humfrey Cole with others The body is rebellion wherefore can you tell For a cap they be redy their Prince to expell The braunces is blodshed knowe you the cause Thei wold kyl if thei could al without lawes But why with lyes arre so loden the leaues Ah heresie with lyes all the worlde deceaues The apples be atheisme what doth that meane Heresie remoueth religion cleane wherefore dothe Sathan so sowrely loke Oh he is angry at Hosius boke what meaneth the crosse which here you do carue The badge of truth which neuer doth swarue what meaneth the cock which here I do fynde The badge of heretykes which waue with the wynde But what doth the ape vnder the cock Signifieth heretykes which holy thinges mock ▪ TO THE MOSTE EXCELLENT AND GRATIOVSE Pryncesse Elyzabeth by the grace of God Quene of England Fraunce and Irelande defendoure of the faythe your moste humble and obedient subiect Richard Schacklock hartily wysheth all grace and peace from God with long reigne honour helth and prosperitie ALTHOVGHE my faythefull and obedient hart towarde your Royal Maiest moste souereigne gracyouse Lady be so well knowen to God and all good men that it may seme neadeles to declare any outwarde testimoniall of it yet because as S. Chrysostome sayth God wolde neuer haue made the mouthe if it had bene inough in hart to thynck well I could not at thys tyme content my conscience onles I dyd gyue an open and euident signification of my secret fidelitie loyaltie and humble obedience toward your most excellent Maiest The which because I was not able to wytnesse vnto the world ether by famouse feates of armes for lack of experience ether in bryngyng golden gyftes for lack of abilitie ether in writyng workes of nue inuention for fault peraduenture of learnyng and knowledge I thought I myght declare no small token of a true subiectes harte towarde your gracyouse hyghenes in trauaylyng to trāslate some godly worke of some worthy wryter and when I had translated it The education of oure noble Quene to dedicate it to youre excellent Maiestie specyally seing your hyghnes euen from your tender age hath bene trayned vp in the treasure howse of learnyng not so muche bewtyfyed with byllementes and precyouse pearles as garnyshed with maruaylouse gyftes of grace and godlynes and euen with the increase of yeares hathe had an increasyng desyre of true science and knowledge in so much that I here it reported credibly and beleue it verily that euery nyght callyng your selfe to an accompt accordyng to Pythagoras councell howe you haue spent the day if by reason of consulting and caryng for youre common wealth any day scape withoute learnyng of one lesson oute of some godly authour you be wont to saye vnto them which be aboute youre noble grace Frendes this day haue I loste A golden sentence of our excellēt Quene for I haue learned neuer a lesson O sentence worthy to be pronounced of so excellent a Prynce O saying worthie to be translated in to all languages and to be written in letters of golde Truly moste noble Quene thys one saying The cause of our Englyshe Louanians wrytinges dothe encorage many of your graces faythfull and learned subiectes on this syde of the sea to wrytyng some to make nue workes neuer sene before some to translate bokes which haue bene made of other Some to wryte in Latē some in Englyshe some in verse and other some in prose All whose diligence and studye intendeth nothyng lesse then to wryte one worde wyllingly whiche myght displease youre Maiestie which may sowe any sedes of sedition A differēce betwene the wryting of the Catholikes now the heretykes in Q. Maries dayes loke knokes his bokes and others which may disquyet the peace of oure natyue countrie as in your graces deare systers dayes dyuerse sedityouse sectaryes dyd but only to further and to preferre as muche as is possible thys pryncely desyre of knowing the truthe which we heare with greate ioy to be reported of youre Maiestie This is the cause most redoubted Princesse why I am bold to present this my translacyon vnto your noble grace Not that I dyd thynk any such lack of Latten to be in your grace that your grace could not vnderstād it in the tounge in the which the fyrst author dyd wryte it for God hathe made youre grace as it were hys treasure howse of tounges youre fame florysheth for the Frenche your renome spreadeth farre for the Italian your glory glystreth for the Greke and many other laudable languages but that The cause of dedicatyng thys booke in Englishe to oure reedoubted Quene for as much as I haue learned by experyence that no man is so wel indued with the knowledge of forren tonges but when a matter of greate importaunce is tolde hym the truthe of the which he is desyrouse to knowe certaynly and to the which he is mynded to make an aunswer wysely had rather haue it declared in his natural and mother tonge be it neuer so barbarouse then in a straunge language be it neuer so eloquēt I thought that this boke
Nether am I ignorant howe malipert and redy these men be to rayling which wolde seme to be the defendoures of any other Gospell then of the Gospell of Christ with what reproches they rayle on them whiche differ from theire opinion and will not at a beck bowe to that religion which they worshipp as the worde of God But I weighe not those mennes malitiouse scoldynges so that I may purge youre grace of that suspition which they laboure to loade or rather oppresse youre good name and estimation But rather I take my selffe to be hyghely cōmended so often as I am slaundred of suche fylthye backbyters and on the other syde I accompt my selfe defamed if I be praysed of suche as be not worthye them selues of any prayse I beseche God to kepe youre Maiestie long in healthe and prosperitie Oute of my Castell of Heilsbergk in the Ides of Octobre M.D.LVII MICHAEL SCRINIVS DANTISCANVS Prussiae Lectori Volue Stanislai Lector studiose libellum Nobilis eloquio Praesulis atque fide Detegit hic primos errores temporis huius Et tua ab haereticis pectora tuta facit ¶ The Translatoure his paraphrase vpon those verses With markyng mynde peruse this booke Of holy Hosius here To whome thoughe very farre thou looke Thou scant shaltfynde a pere In learnyng and in lyffe For golden wordes to founde In heauen the lyke perchaunse be ryffe But fewe in yearthe be founde Of heresies he dothe detect The rootes here and the sprynges To hartes with heresies infect A souereigne salue he brynges R. S. ¶ A treatise of the beginnyng of heresies in oure tyme. BEfore I lay Brentius his argumentes to the touchestone I think it mete to speake somthing of the manyfolde heresyes of this oure tyme which I iudge shal be nothinge disagreing from the purpose which I haue taken in hand For this Sathanisme Foure foūdations of Brentius doctrine or sathanisme whiche I will make mention of in this my preface semeth to haue taken the begynnyg of none other thyng then of these foure foundacions which Brentius buyldeth vpon in this his lyttell treatise For whilst euery man taketh vpon him to be a iudge in the doctrine of Religion whilst euery man maketh a cōment vpon the scripture accordyng to his owne conceit whilst he beareth him self in hand that they be as playne as a pyke staff as easye to be vnderstanded as dyke water is to come by whilst he thinketh that nothyng shold be of any authoritie besyde them that the ordynaunces of the holy fathers be vtterly to be trodē vnder foote whylst he beleueth that the church can neither be sene nor knowen so that it is free for euery congregation in corners to chalenge the name of a church who seeth not that oute of these braunches of Brentius hys doctryne of the which Martyn Luther was the fyrst founder thys Sathanisme is sprong which nowe prevayleth in many partes of Germanye whiche also by lyttell and lyttell dothe labour to crepe in to the kyngdome of Poland the countries bordring neare vnto it Wherefore I shall not go any thing a wry from my purpose if I shall fyrst speake somthing of that Sathanisme The cōsent of Christēdom in religiō aboue fourtie yeares past Gen. 11. Before these fourty yeares last past such was the state of the whole world so farre as Christian fayth toke any force that the sentēce which we reade in Genesis myght well be reported of it It was a land of one lypp and one cōmunication that which is written in the Actes of the Apostles of them which fyrst were converted to the fayth of Christ Act. 4. The assemble of thē which beleved was of one hart and of one soule lyke as they all worshipped one God so they helde one fayth There was one and the selff same manner in ministryng the Sacramentes there was almost one the selff same vse of cerimonies in euery place all they spake one thing they thought one thing they agreed vpon one thing so that you myght easely acknowledge it to be the citie Psal 121. whose fellowshipp is one cōsent and agrement Wherefore seing they all were of one and the selff same mynd they wold not be called but by one and the selff same name Some of them wer not called Gnosticall other Apostolicall other Euangelicall or by any other suche lyke tytles of diuisyon but they were all named Christians of Christ whome they dyd all cōfesse with one consent in whome only they dyd beleue it to be lawfull for them to glory or to advaunce them selues then the which name they iudged none other could be giuen them more excellent or honorable For they were men vpryght well meanyng fearyng God which beleued that the kyngdome of God dyd not consist in cōtention of wordes but in simplicitie of belefe neither knew any other Gospell but that which procedyng from the spyrit of Christ was wrytten of Christ euen by the disciples of Christ This agrement of fayth and vniforme doctryne of all men among them selues as it prevayled among other nations so a greate contynuaunce of tyme it floryshed among oure next neyghboures the Germanes but specially among all those people which be vnder youre Maiesties obedience whether they be Polonians either Litvanians either Catholyke Russians Prussians or Masouians synce the tyme that all these countryes dyd once receaue the Ghospell of Chryst this stedfast agrement of fayth hath continued vnspotted and vnstayned almost this six hūdred yeares And that which wyll make you more to mervayle it is not farr vnder or ouer an hūdred fourty yeare since the leprouse learning of the Waldenses hathe infected Boeme which bordereth neare vpō youre Maiesties dominions Synce that tyme it is come to passe that a greate part of it hath cutt it selff of frō the residue of Christendome Which Scisme diuisyon how many plagues it hath heaped vpon the head of that country it is not neadefull in this place to make relation This only is worthy to be marked that whereas they and we speake one language commonly yet oure coūtry could not be intysed with any dyuelish deceiptes that leaving the assent and consent of the whole church it wolde take parte with the Bohemians In the which doing The vigilancie of the Bishopes deuotion of the kinges of Pole what shall I principally prayse either the carefullnes of our Byshoppes or elles the speciall deuotion of youre vertuouse auncetoures which at that tyme ordred the common wealthe surely bothe the Bishoppes and the Princes deserued to be decked with the prayses of all men For the Byshoppes remembryng in what a watche towre God had plased them spared no studie carefullnes or paynes that they myght provyde for the healthe of they re flock committed to them of Christ Such an one was the holy father fysher Bishop of Rochester Neither feared they any man hys force but dyd sett them selues as a wall for the howse
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
and oute of ordre So much dyd he disdayne that any thing shold be set vp or pulled downe of any man a lyue except he had fyrst gyuen oute a coÌ„mission that so it sholde be Luther most gredie of glorie The gentleman was so gredy of glory that he might well syng this verse which dyd become his ambitiouse ielosie Riualem possum non ego ferre Iouem I think greate skorne that God above Sholde fansie the thing which I do love He dyd wryte .ij. bokes against the heavenly Prophetes in one of the whiche he warneth those preachers to be forbidden the benefytes of water and fyar Luther a sore ennimie to image breakers whiche persuade the people to throwe downe images or at the least he willeth so to nypp them in the heades some other way that they presume no more so to prate because after the destruction of images commonly followeth the destruction slaughter of men Good Sirs sayth he the pulling downe of images is not the mark which the dyvell shoteth at but to make hym selffe a muse to start in and oute at to shed blode to make one man cut an others throte The spiryt of imagehaters is not good for it breathes murders and vprores although it beareth a fayre face for a whyle tyll suche tyme as it spyeth any advauntage Thus Luther and Carolstadius dyd burne with deadly displeasure one against the other they dyd rayle so spytefully one against the other that they semed wurse then heretikes one to the other And this was not the least cause of their enimitie contention that bothe dyd chalaunge this prayse vnto him selff for bringing fyrst vnto light the true knowledge of the Ghospell But it is knowen well inoughe Carolstad the fyrst marryed preste in Germany that Carolstadius was the fyrst Preste that euer marryed a wife in Germany and enterprysed those thinges which I made rehersall of a littell before for which cause he thought the prayse of fynding oute the true light of the Ghospell to be only due vnto him But when he perceaued the more accoumpt was made of Luther who in dede passed him farre in wytte learninge and vtteraunce to the intent he might make hys name ryng among hys posteritie he thought it good to coyne some newe conceited doctrine which being suche as Luther had never medled with all he sholde not presume to any part of the prayse which he had newly inuented Luthers doctrine was an occasion of the SacrameÌ„taries sect To the vttering abroade of which doctrine it is playne that Luthers bokes dyd offer occasion who as Calvine dothe recorde wryting against transsubstantiatioÌ„ semed to sounde a larum to rayse vp the heresie of the Sacramentaries For Luther dyd teache that after Consecration there remayned in the Sacrament the substaunce of brade and wyne Caluin in the. 2. defeÌ„ce agaynst Ihon west which some dyd so vnderstand as thoughe Luther had taught that Christ whome the Scriptures wytnesse to haue bene incarnat that is to haue taken vpoÌ„ him oure fleshe had bene in the Sacrament impanate that is taken vpon him bread whome also it shold be idololatrie for any man to worshyp in the Sacrament onles he dyd coÌ„municate As who shold say that the body of Christ were not made in the SacrameÌ„t with the worde of Christ but with oure receaueing and that there coulde not be suche vertue in Christ his wordes to make his bodye there onlesse it were put to oure mouthe What is this ells but to falsifye the wordes of the Scripture and in stede of that which Christ sayde This is my body to say this shall be my body when it shall be receaued But in very dede it is aboue .xx. yeares agone since Luther being as it were caught with Buchers wyly lyme twigges dyd agree vnto this his opinion for Bucer by no meanes wolde be persuaded to confesse the bodie and blood of Christ to be in the SacrameÌ„t substantially onles Luther wolde lykewyse yelde thus muche to him that the body the blood of oure Lorde is not there onles it be receaued as Ruard Tapper a man of excellent learning expounding the tenth article of Louayne dothe wytnesse in his wrytinges Luther beguyled of Bucer became a SacrameÌ„tarie Thus Luther invegled with Bucers baytes whylst he intended to make Bucer holde of his syde he hym selffe becam a Sacramentary For there is nothing which doth more strenghthen the SacrameÌ„taries heresye then this opinion of Bucer which Luther consented to of the which thing Ihon Caluine dothe make his boste in diuerse places Thus farr had Luther marched at that tyme. but as yet he had not taken oute his lesson so farr in his Christ curse rewe that he durst deny the presence of Christ his body and bloode in the Sacrament The fyrst which had the face to deny it in oure dayes Carolstad fyrst presumed to denye the presence of Christ in the sacrament MelancthoÌ„ to Friderike Miconiê° was Andrewe Carolstad to whome Philipp Melancthon wryting of this matter gyueth this commendation Carolstade sayth he hathe stirred vp these coles a sauage man voyde of wyt withoute learnyng lackyng hys common sence whome as yet we neuer could perceaue to vnderstande or practise any poynt of ciuilitie so farre of is it that we could beleue any reuelation to be made to hym by the holy ghoste Of whome also he thus wryteth in an other place Euen as Luther dyd in spyte of the Pope Of oure Lorde his supper agaynst the Anabaptistes so lykewyse Carolstade in spyte of Luther not for any zeale or loue of godlynes raysed vp this controuersy of the supper of oure Lorde And he bryngeth in there a worthy sentence which wold to God he dyd hartily fauoure In my iudgement sayth he it is greate folly to plant any new opinioÌ„s withoute conference consent of the auncient churche Notwithstanding that this fellowe is so paynted oute in his ryght coloures of MelancthoÌ„ yet hathe he so many to take his parte in defending this his dyuellishe doctrine that nowe you may fynde mo Sacramentaries then Lutherans and among them many of excellent learning and singular grace of vtteraunce whiche couet rather to be counted CarolstadiaÌ„s then Lutherans Therefore agaynst thys kynde of herisye he dyd set oute many bokes in one of the which intituled agaynst Zwinglius Oecolampadius and other new Wicleffistes he is meruaylouse hotte agaynst this sort of sectaries and wryteth that they haue digged themselues thorow the scripture allmost ten shyftyng wayes starting holes And that he neuer hathe readen of a more fylthie heresye theÌ„ it is which had euen at the fyrst syght so many heades so many sutes of sectes althoughe in the principal poynte that is in tearying and tormoyling Christ they agree together lyke lambes In that boke which he named That these wordes of Christ stand styll in theire full force This is my body he reciteth seauen and in the treatise which a lyttell
before hys deathe he termed Eight diuerse interpretatioÌ„s vpon these wordes this is my bodye A shorte confession of the honorable Sacrament he rehearseth eight diuerse and disagreing interpretations vpon these wordes This is my body The first of the which interpretations Carolstadius dyd holde the second Zwinglius dyd maintayne the thyrd Oecolampadius did defend the fourth Swinckfeldius whom in derisyon he nick named Stinckfeldius and after other interpretoures Campanus was the seauenth for he telleth not namely who were the authoures of the other three expositions But if he were now a lyue he myght recken on hys fyngers endes a greate number mo interpretations of those fewe wordes of Christ For since his tyme many haue ben so mad and so blindly bolde that they haue not feared in the consecration of oure Lorde hys supper to choppe and chaunge Christ his owne wordes and in stede of that which he sayde This is my body they haue made no bones at it to say Ioach. in his booke intituled A ryght faythe of oure Lord his supper this is my breade Others haue not shronck one whit to leaue oute the wordes of coÌ„secration for thus they bryng oute theire wordes Take eate do this in remembraunce of me as I haue readen it noted of Ioachimus Westphalus Schnep in his confession of the Eucharist Pflug iÌ„ his epistle to â—rasm Reterodamus and Erardus Schneppius Althoughe Iulius Pflug whose Godlynes is so greate adourned with norable learnyng that the very ennimyes of God his Churche be inforced to confesse that he behaueth hym selff as a Bishopp ought to doe wryteth that whilst Luther lyued there stepped forthe a straunge fellow no man knewe froÌ„ whence he cam peraduenture he was ingendred of the slyme of the yearthe no fleas and many other vermyn be which denyed that the wordes of Christ were necessary to consecrate the Sacrament more ouer he sayde that the kindes of breade wyne neaded not but that it was inoughe if the Sacrament were receaued with the spirituall mouthe of the hart Beholde I pray you The horrible frutes of this nue Gospel what frutes this fyft Gospell hathe brought in among vs by reason of the which wycked wretches wyll take vpon theÌ„ either to clyppe or ells to ouer hyppe Christ his owne wordes in the consecration of this SacrameÌ„t which of all other is moste excellent Which missyng minssyng of wordes Thou Brentius who hathe dedicated this booke to you which I haue taken in hand to proue false dothe think to be lawfull yea in the administration of the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme which is the only Sacrament with oute the which we can not be saued thoughe Caluyn say neuer so muche to the contrary For whereas Christ hathe prescribed vs this forme in playne wordes that we shold Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sone and of the Holy ghoste he sayth that he ment nothing lesse then to bynde the efficacie of Baptisme to certayne wordes Brentius beaneth with the enâ—…ng of the forme of the wordes in Baptisme for so muche as he dyd not institute any inchauntment or charme whiche is bownde to an exact manner of wordes scrupulouse obseruacions so that he thinkes it no heyuouse offence to chaunge that sound if so be there remayne the meaning of Christ his wordes this opinion held he whome Bergerius made a God of whose wordes and wrytinges he wold haue men beleve to be as true as the Ghospell Nowe see you not howe frutefull heretykes be in delyueringe and bringing forthe theire monsters for you shall scantly fynde one of them which hath either hatched a new heresye or newe furbushed any stale and condemned opinion which hathe not many erroures wonders and monsters following him hard at his heles And this is a common qualitie to all heretykes that they wil not be coÌ„ptroled or gayne sayde if they se theire fautes corrected Heretykes can not abyde to be corrected which they love beyond home and worshipp as idolles made with their owne handes they are so farr from bending or mending with suche corrections that they be more set on fyar with hatred against them which sought to reforme them and so they war euerye day wurse and wurse erring them selues 2. Tim. 3. and making others also to erre A certayne wicked desire to reuenge doth leade them thus farr with the which their myndes be so blynded that they can not see the truthe but embrace false thinges in steade of true Luther in his captiuitie Bab. Luther may be a sufficient profe of this matter who wryteth that a fryar founde fault with him because on a tyme he thought that it shold be a goodly matter if a generall Councell wold make a decree that the lay people myght communicate vnder bothe kyndes Luther ful of disclame and arrogantie Think you that he was content to set the fryars correction light for a matter of so greate weight no mary I warrant you But I perceaue sayth he the Papistes leane on their elbowes for leasure and I see that they haue good store of paper I will do my diligence that they may haue their handes full of wryting for I will run so farr before them that whilst my ioly aduersaries do triumphe that they haue coÌ„quered any one of myne heresies as they thinke in the meane tyme I may haue aduauntage at them by laying a newe heresye in theire way By by he blaseth a newe herisye abroade proclameth all them traytours to God which denie the coÌ„mon people to receaue the Sacrament vnder bothe kyndes And truly in the same place he doth only accompt them diuelish doctours which kepe backe the laytie from the vse of the cuppe But hercken with in a lyttell whyle after how farr he raungeth at ryot in a rage as thoughe he had a familiar spyrit of fury sayd reuerence in his tayle That authorite of prescribyng the laytie bothe kyndes which at the fyrst he wolde haue to be at the appoyntment of a Generall Councell Luther in his booke of the forme of the Masse with in a lyttell whyle after he maketh of none effect in so muche that the shamelesse Syr feareth not to vtter these wordes If a generall Councell at any tyme sholde make a decree in no case we wolde receaue bothe kyndes but then in despyte of the CouÌ„cell we wolde take but one or ells none but in no sauce bothe them whiche wolde admit bothe we wolde curse as they say with boke bell and candell What myght be pend more presumptuouslye If the Councell vnto the which the moste learned the moste auncient the most holy men were sommoned oute of all quarters of the world to be assistauntes wolde shewe no cause why the cuppe sholde be any longer kept from the laytie that Canon of the Councell sholde be cancelled but if Luther sholde ordayne it so then sholde it preuayle and take place But certaynly after Luther began
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
of sentences which he gathered not only of the bokes of the auncient fathers which were of the christian coÌ„fession but also of them which were of the coÌ„fession of Ausbourghe where by playne wytnes of Luther Philipp Vrbanus Regius Nicolaus Amsdorffuis Vitus Theodorus he sheweth that Caluin with all Sacramentaries and Anabaptistes other heretikes are rather to be confuted with the mace of the Magistrate then with wrytinges disputations Notwithstanding in the meane season he saythe nothing of him selffe and his bretherne as though they were not in the same case Seing what sentence the Lutherans gyue of the Sacramentaries the same gyue the Sacramentaries of the Lutherans For whereas Luther hereof gathereth an argument that the doctryn of the Sacramentaries procedeth of the dyuell because this sect euen at the first beginnyng dyd sprede in to many braunches so farr disagreing on from an other aboute the interpretation of these wordes This is my body he gathereth that reason mysely and truly for it is most true that Gregorius Nazianzene wryteth NazianzeÌ„ For what so euer is true that is one but what so euer is a lye that is manyfolde and diuerse Before whome also Athanasius There is Athan. in his epist of the decree of Nicene Synode agaynst the ArriaÌ„s heresie saythe he as oure fathers haue declared the argument of true discipline and teaching where all coÌ„fesse one thing nether disagree among them selues one from an other or from theyr auncetoures But they which be not of this mynde are rather to be called wicked wretches then true teachers and doctoures Certainelye the Ethnikes for so much as they professe not all one thing but â—arr among them selues haue not true doctryn but holy Christians contrarywyse be the preachers of syncere truthe because they be all of one mynde be at no stryfe or debate among them selues who althoughe they lyued in diuerse ages yet for all that they mete at one marke as it becometh the Prophetes of one God and the interpretoures of one worde Therefore this disagreing among them selues is an infallible argumeÌ„t that they be not styrred with the spyrite of God The discorde of heretikes amoÌ„g theÌ„ selues sheweth with what spyrit they be ledde but of Sathan But what nowe If the SacrameÌ„taries also by the same reason do proue that the Gospell which Luther boasteth that he brought to lyght proceded from the Dyuell Because we may see no lesse variaunce betwene the Lutherans and the Zuinglians they truly althoughe they interprete not the wordes of Christ after the same sorte yet they agree all in this poynte that they wyckedly deny the body and blood of Christ to be present in the sacrament But it is a worlde to see howe the LutheraÌ„s do byte and scratche one an other not so much about the vnderstanding of any one place of Scripture as aboute diuerse straunge opinions articles But pleaseth it you to heare they re dissentions combates Surely I wyll not thynk muche to rehearse them not intendyng to be curiouse in obseruyng the ordre of tymes but that takyng my begynnyng of thynges of lesse weyght I may procede to those matters which be of greater importauÌ„ce Two yeares after Luther departed this lyfe when God in a manner gyuyng sentence oute of hys iudgement seate openly condemned Luthers cause by grauntyng a meruaylouse victory to the moste Chrystian Emperour Charles A meruailouse victory of the Emperour agaynst the fauourers followers of Luthers faction a great armye of whome he put to flyght with a very small band with oute strykyng one stroke ayded assisted with the help of God alone and not long after accompaned with a small trayne passing ouer the floode named Elue In Laten Albis by the guidyng of an Aungell he vanquished farre greater hostes of them and toke the cheifetayne of that faction prysoner Therefore after this meruaylouse victory in the which God hym selffe dyd fyght for the Emperour fyghtyng in hys quarell Luthers sect was deuyded in to two sectes For some became Interimistes that is Tyme takers other Adiaphoristes that is Indifferent men or Neuters Moreouer there were .ij. The fyrst kynd of Interemistes kyndes of Interimistes one sort by the permission of the Emperoures Maiestie which professed them selues Lutherans in no other poynte but that they wolde not agree that lay men sholde be kept froÌ„ receauing in bothe kyndes or that maryed Prestes sholde put away there women As concerning all other orders doctryne they refused not to shewe them selues conformable to all other partes of Christendome These the Emperour by coÌ„sent of Act of parlemeÌ„t thought good to wink at vntyll the generall Councell But whereas the Decrees of whole Christendome caÌ„ take no place why shold the Act of one Realme or Empyre be there of any more force Therefore allthoughe Mauritius a Prince Elector dyd shewe himselffe willing to obey the procedinges of the parlement The deuines of Lips the second sorte of Interimistes yet the Diuines of Lipsia durst take this muche vpoÌ„ them that they wolde correct as pleased them the parlement booke and appoynte a farther day of conformation then the parlemeÌ„t had assigned And as appartayning to orders ceremonies they dyd not greatly stryue with the Christians but yet they laboured to retayne vpholde mo poyntes of Luthers doctrine then the parlement booke dyd permit Wherefore they subscribed in this parlement boke as being well coÌ„tented to teache that according to S. Paule we be iustified by faythe Luthers addition to S. Paule his wordes reiected but yet reiectyng Luthers addition to S. Paules wordes bi fayth only because they thought it a cursed thing to add any thing to the worde of God And this the Church thought good to enbrace rather then the contrary opinion of Luther that workes were necessary to iustification and that we sholde not put all oure ryghteousnes in the righteousnes of Christ alone They graunted all the partes of penaunce which the Church receaued they agreed that there were seuen SacrameÌ„tes of the Churche they restored the Masse which they had abolyshed they bannished quyte all moste all the songes ballettes which Luther made in the Germaine tonge also they shewed no cause why they were not obedient to the iurisdiction of theire superintendeÌ„tes These be the thinges which Flaccus Illyricus in a certayne exhortation which he maketh to the churches of Misnia wryteth to be contayned in the boke of the reformation of Lipsia Moreouer the neuters of Wittenberge The Adiaphoristes of wittenberge although they semed not to disagree in opinion with the neuters of Lipsia which thing Flaccus gesseth hereby because they dyd not wryte agaynst theyr boke yet because Luthers Ghospel began fyrst in theyr vniuersitie they thought it treason to shrinck froÌ„ it so sodenly although many of theyr syde and specially Philip Melancthon began to be werye of it Wherefore thinkyng it as yet to be no conuenient tyme to chaunge that
and the seauenth heade is of no lesser importaunce aboute the which what a tossing of bylldowe blades is there among the Lutherans Or for weering of a Prestes cap as our Protestātes do For they stryue not for wearyng of a surples but for that whiche Melancthon calleth the cheifest matter of Christian doctryne and totall sum of the Ghospell that is to wyt for the opinion of iustification In his Apologie of the Augustane confession and in his common places Nether dothe he misse the marke muche in that he dothe attribute so vnto it Notwithstanding aboute this poynte they be at greate variaunce and defiaunce among themselues For whereas this controuersie in the Confession of Augusta was not playnely and clearely determined one Andrewe Osiander thought it good for hym to ryfle the matter more neare the bothome that which thing when he interprysed makyng not Melancthon fyrst priuie to it and others which were the cheifest Doctoures of the Confession of Augusta Osiander ill handled of the Confessionistes they toke the matter so in the snuffe that they were not farr from raysing an vpp rore What faulte was not Osiander accused of what raylinges and slaunders were not vttered against hym As he hym selffe wryteth he was called Herityke Antichrist Iue black dyuell dragon a mischeuouse abominable man the ennimie of Christ This fable was also feyned of hym that wheresoeuer he walked two dyuelles followed hym in the lykenes of dogges which for all that euery mā coulde not see and at what tyme he dyd drynck or eate with his scollers in his lower stue Hypocausto alias an hotte howse where he was accustomed to studye the dyuell was sene in his vpper stue sytting in his chayre wryting And such other lyke tales More ouer this fame flewe about of him that he shold affirme that the deathe and passion of Christ dyd nothing auayle vs where as to saye the truth we fynde in his bokes that he thought otherwyse To be shorte they had hym in suche hatred that not only he was accompted wycked but they also which dyd heare his sermones were excommunicated oute of theire cōpanie which thought them selues godly yea they were not thought worthy of Christian man his buryall A commission was sent to Wittenberg that his doctrine might be tryed and examined it was condemned by Melancthon Pomeran Forster and other Osiander his doctrin cōdemned at wittenberge was allowed at wirtēberge of the Confessionistes The same doctrine was sent to Wirtenberdge to be discussed and it was confirmed allowed by Brentius and those of the same sect Here you see howe muche the iudgement of the Doctoures of Wittenberdge Wirtenberdge dyd differ aboute one and the selffe same matter notwithstandyng that there was but the differēce of one letter betwene them whereas Osiander also laboureth to proue playnely by alleadgeing certayne places oute of Luthers bokes that Luther helde that which he had wrytten cōcerning iustification that is that the essentiall iustice of God dwelling in vs and styrryng vs to doo well is oure iustice But agaynst that boke which Philipp and his adherentes dye sette out agaynst hym Osiander hym selffe dyd sett oute a contrary boke in the which he sheweth a cause why they dyd not allowe this his doctrine Therefore he telleth that at Wittenberdge none cōmenceth Doctour of diuinitye or M. of Arte onles recityng the wordes of the othe according to the forme prescribed vnto him he sweare that he wyll holde faste Al that take degree at wittenberge must swere to the confession of Augusta and Melancthō his iudgement and also defend the three Credees that is of the Apostles of Nice of Athanasius And that if any thing happen which is not fully determined in those three Credes the Confession of Augusta they sholde conclude nothing vpon it before first they conferred asked councell of those Doctoures which cleaue to that Confessyon These Elders Doctoures for so much as they be Melancthon his mates if any thing cam in question which was not wryttē in this Confession of Augusta they which were sworne to the Confession were bounde to holde nothing but that which they allowed and approued So that they were bounde by vertue of theyr othe to receaue that they dyd allowe allthoughe the contrary were founde in the Canonicall scriptures for so muche as they toke they re othe that they wolde continewe in the agreable consent of the Confession of Augusta and not of the holy scripture So that they sholde be gyltie of periurye if they wolde rather followe the scriptures Osiander his verdict of the Confession of Ausburge And who was he which penned this Confession but Melancthō who had also the powre and autoritie to interprete and expounde it Whereby it nowe followeth that all they which were sworne to the Confession Ioan a Lasko saythe that this Confession is so honoured that there be many of the best Lutherans which will saye that they had rather doubt of the doctrin of S. Paule hym selffe then of the doctrine of the Confession of Augusta were of necessitie constrayned to vnderstand the scripture so as Philipp dyd vnderstand it so that reiectyng the scripture they were only bounde to those three Credes and the doctrine of Melancthō This good worde Osiander gaue Philip Melancthon who also diligently forwarneth all fathers and mothers that they take good aduisement howe they send theire children to Wittenberdge there to procede Masters of Arte or Doctoures of any facultie For they be constrayned saythe he to forsweare the worde of God and to sweare to Melancthons sayinges For euery man sweareth sayth he that he wyll determine nothing with hymselffe of weightie matters touching faythe but by the iudgement of the Elders of the Augustane Confession allthoughe the scripture sayde the contrarie the which who so euer wolde follow more willingly sholde be gyltie of periurye So there is sayth he a certayne close conspiracye among them which hathe more respect to the wordes of men then of God therefore dothe much indamage the Christian common wealthe Osiander his disdein against Melancthon Melancthon his worde is of more credyt then the worde of God I alleadged six and thirtie places of scripture by the which I shewed that God dwelled in his vs yet was not I beleued But so sone as Philip wrote but one littell scrole to the confirming of the same by and by credit was gyuen vnto it And with in a littell whyle after he saythe there was a voyce of the Father heard from heauen saying This is my welbeloued in whome I am well pleased heare hym Here hym saythe he not Philip not other men whiche stopp thy mouthe and wolde haue the say after theire councell and not after the worde of God Thus Osiander coulde not abyde that men sholde rather be bounde to the Confession of Augusta which was Philips worde then to the worde of God For so muche as he
whom he wryteth that he dyd deliuer vp to Sathan to teache them what it was to speake blasphemy He sayde not Come behynde me Sathan but that which was more terrible he delyuered hym in to the handes of SathaÌ„ to the destruction of the fleshe Wylt thou therefore Brentius call him a wicked seruaunt Saint Petre what manner of seruaunt he was which dyd rebell against his Masters You haue now learned what manner a seruaunt S. Paule was What kynde a seruaunt think you S. Petre was Vnlyke trowe you to Saint Paule Ananias with his wyfe Zaphira had solde land Act. 5. and kept back to his proper vse a certayne portion of the money which he had receaued makyng his wyfe priuy of his councell and bringing the remanant he layde it at the Apostles fere But Petre sayde vnto Ananias Ananias why hast thou gyueÌ„ place to the tentation of Sathan to make a ly to the holy ghost and not to bring hether the whole sum of money which thou hast receaued for thy land Before it was solde was it not thyne owne possession and after it was solde was not the pryce in thyne owne powre Howe couldest thou fynde in thyne hart to do such a thing Thou hast not made a lye vnto men but vnto the holy ghost So sone as Ananias had heard these wordes he fel downe and gaue vp the ghost After that his wyfe came in to the place where Petre was not knowing what was done to her husband Petre sayde vnto her Tell me truthe solde you the lande for so muche And she sayde Yea for so muche Then sayde Petre vnto her Why haue you agreed to gether to tempt the holy ghost Beholde the fete of them which haue buried thy husband are at the dore and shall cary the oute Immediatly she dyd synck downe and yelded vp the ghost Here you see what manner of seruaunt Petre was who had powre bothe of lyfe and deathe ouer his masters Yea they which haue succeded the Apostles when they sawe occasion dyd vse no lesse libertie what maner of seruauÌ„tes the Popes and Byshopes of olde tyme were Eusebius wryteth of one by all lykelyhode it was Fabianus Bishop of Rome that wheÌ„ the Emperour Philipp which was the fyrst Christined Emperour in that daye when the last vigiles of Easter were kept desyred to be admitted to pray among the Christians in the coÌ„gregation as being of one agrement of mynde with them he coulde not obtiane his request of the Bishop before he was confessed and humbled hymselffe to their coÌ„pany which were brought to examination for theire faultes and appointed to a certayne place to do their penaunce in otherwyse he sholde not be receaued among the Christians because he was fautie in many pointes What think you the Emperoure dyd dyd he grudge or complayne Euseb in the .6 boke 34. cap. of Ecclesiastical history that he was put to foyle of his seruaunt Nay Eusebius writeth that he dyd redily obey and by his outewarde dedes dyd declare his vertuouse and religiouse harte towarde God So dyd not the Emperoure Constantine An exaÌ„ple of the Pope his autority ouer the Emperoure who dyd greuousely persecute the Catholyke Bishoppes whilst euery yeare almoste he wolde haue a nue Confession of faythe deuysed so that Socrates dothe recorde that in his Reigne the faythe was chaunged nyne tymes Socrat in the .2 boke 41. chap. of his Ecclesiasticall hys story So was the condition of that tyme not muche vnlyke the state and manner of these oure troblesome dayes But for all that the Bishopes of that tyme dyd worthily wrastle against his tyranny He intysed Liberius by his Eunuche as Athanasius hymselffe wytnesseth in writing to subscribe agaynst Athanasius Athanasi in his Epistle to the solitary liuers promisyng hym rewardes if he dyd it threatning punishment if he refused to do it What answer made Athanasius to hym We haue no suche rule in the Church sayth he we haue receaued no suche tradition of oure forefathers Constant the Emperour rebuked of Pope Liberi But if the Emperoure wyll put to his helping hand to maynetayne the quyetnes of the Church or if he coÌ„maunde those thinges to be cancelled and blotted oute which I haue written in the behalffe of Athanasius let hym scrape oute those thinges which he hathe wrytten agaynst hym CouÌ„cels of the Clergy not to be kept neare the court hereafter so often as anye Conuocation of the Clergie or Synode is called let it be kept farre of froÌ„ the courte where nether the Emperour be neare at hand nether Earle may thrust in amoÌ„g the Prestes nether any iudge feare them with threatning c. After this was Liberius led prysonner to the Emperour before whome wheÌ„ he cam he spake his mynde frely boldly nothing abashed saying Leaue of from persecuting the Christians thinck not to make me a meane by whiche thou mayst bring hereticall harlottye in to the Church of God we be redy rather to suffer al tormentes then that we Christians shold come to that poynte that we sholde be called Arrians Inforce vs not to be the enennimies of Christ c. Lo such a seruaunt was Liberius redyar to suffer many tormentes and to be banished his countrie then he shold slack any thing in doing his dutie with lyke fayre promyses and foule threatnynges dyd the same Constantinus proue Hosius Bishopp of Corduba Hosius Bishop of Corduba his stoute answer to the Emperour coÌ„stantius as witnesseth Athanasius in the same places But Hosius writing letters vnto him dyd sette before his eyes the example of his brother ConstaÌ„s What lyke pageaunt sayth he hath your brother played what Bishoppes hath he sent in to banishmeÌ„t or who of his Countie Palatines dyd profer any wrong to the Prelates I pray the be quyet remember that thou art a mortall man stand in awe of domes day kepe they selffe vndefyled agaynst that daye intermedle not with Ecclesiasticall matters and in those cases teache not vs what we haue to do but rather learne them of vs. God hathe coÌ„mitted to you the rule in temporall affaires to vs he hath left the charge in Ecclesiastical matters And as he which doth enuye your Emperiall estate resisteth the ordinaunce of God so beware you least chalengyng vnto you the thinges whiche pertayne to the Churche you make your selffe gyltie of treason agaynste God It is written Gyue vnto Cesar that whiche is Cesars and that vnto God whiche is due vnto God Hilariê° in his boke to ConstaÌ„tius reproueth the Emperour boldlye Muche lyke to the aforesayde was Hilarius Bishop of Poycters I proclame vnto the sayth he the very same wordes which I wold haue spoken vnto Nero the which I wolde not haue cared if Decius Maximianê had heard Thou dost warre agaynst God thou ragest agaynst the Churche thou hatest the Preachers of God lyke todes thou ouerthrowest religion being a spoyling tyrant nowe not of prophane
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
deathe eod pag. 1. Luther wolde haue his scollers called Gospellers fol. 9. pag. 1. Luthers doctrine why it may not be allowed eod pag. 2. Luther more cruell then the souldiars which dyd put Chryst to deathe fol. 10. pag. 2. Luther the author of Sectes eod pag. 2. Luther moste gredye of glory fol. 11. pag. ◠Luther a sore ennimye to Image breakers eod pag. 2. Luther beguyled of Bucer becam a Sacramentarie fol. 13. pag. 1. Luther full of disdayne and arrogancye fol. 16. pag. 1. Luther his verdict of the Zuingliās and the Sacramentaries and marke howe he proueth them him selffe heretykes fol. 21. pag. 1. Luther being not able to answer the Anabaptistes by Scripture flyeth to the traditions of the Apostles fol. 29. pag. 1. Louaines article defended fol. 43. pag. 1. Luther his addition to S. Paule his worde reiected of the deuynes of Lipsia fol. 59. pag. 1. Luther made wyndowes for sathanisme fol. 61. pag. 2. Luther denyeth free wyll fol. 65. pag. 1. Luther howe much he estemed the bokes of Melancthon fol. 67. pag. 1. MEnno Phrisius an Anabaptist his bolde bragge of the surenes of his doctrine fol. 28. pag. 2. Munster a citie Reade there a notable history howe the Catholykes were dryuen oute by the Lutherans and the Lutherans by the Anabaptistes fol. 30. pag. 1. Martirdome is not gotten oute of the Churche fol. 44. pag. 1. Martirs be not made by the lykelyhode of the punishment but of the cause fol. 47. pag. 2. Melancthon how arrogantly at the fyrst he denyed free wyll fol. 65. pag. 1. Melancthon confirmeth free wyll in his latter bokes fol. 67. pag. 2. ONe erroure draweth many other after it fol. 6. pag. 2. Osiander a Lutheran ill handled of the Confessionistes fol. 71. pag. 2. Osiander his doctrine allowed in one Vniuersitie and condemned in an other fol. 72. pag. 1. Osiander his disdayne agaynst Melancthon fol. 73. pag. 2. Poole preserued from heresye throughe the wonderfull watchefulnes of their Byshopes and Godly deuotiō of theyr Kynges fol. 3. pag. 1. Persecution sometyme is necessary a difference betwene the persecution of good men and euell fol. 47. pag. 1. Petrus a Soto why he wrote against the Confession made by Brentius fol. 77. pag. 1. Petrus a Soto his order in wryting fol. 78. pag. 1. Petrus a Soto his prayse fol. 80. pag. 1. Paule the Apostle what manner of seruant he was fol. 84. pag. 2. Petre the Apostle what manner of seruaunt he was fol. 85. pag. 1. Specyall fayth makyng no doubt of the forgyuenes of synnes reproued and the obiections makyng for it soluted 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. Suenckfeldius hys heresye that we ought to haue no scriptures fol. 49. pag. 1. Suenckfeld vouched dyuerse scriptures for his propose fol. 51. pag. 1. Suenckfeldius fynished the Ghospel which Sathan began by Luther fol. 51. pag. 2. Suenckfeldians mo then Lutherans or Zuinglians fol. 53. pag. 1. Suenckfeldians maruaylously holy to see to eod pag. 1. Seruetus condemned and put to deathe by meanes of Caluine fol. 56. pag. 2. Stanislaus a Martyr for rebukyng of the Emperoure fol. 91. pag. 1. Thomas Muncer of an Anabaptist dyed a penitent catholyke fol. 32. pag. 1. Tymmanus a Lutheran theacheth that heretykes arre to be punished fol. 56. pag. 2. The constancie and godlynes of the Kyng of Pole fol. 63. pag. 1. The othe which all commencers at Wittenberge must take fol. 72. pag. 2. Tuentye opinions of the Confessionistes concernyng iustifycation fol. 74. pag. 1. Vladislaus and Vitoldus Kynges of Pole refused to reigne ouer heretykes fol. 3. pag. 1. Who it is which deuideth Iesus fol. 10. pag. 1. What verdict the sacramentaries gyue vpon the Lutherans fol. 21. pag. 1. What the Catholykes thynk of outwarde ceremonies fol. 60 pag. 1. What manner of seruauntes the Byshopps and Popes of olde tyme were fol. 86. pag. 1. Z. Zeale in matters of religion is to be considered what manner of zeale it is fol. 21. pag. 1. ¶ Faultes escaped in some copies  fol. pag. lin Which althoughe reade which euen as 32. 1. 17. Orde reade order 10. ◠26. Plyet reade plyeth 24. ◠4. esontrary reade contrary 25. 2. 17. An admonition to the fault fynder If mo faultes in this boke thou fynd Yet think not the correctoure blynde If Argos here hym selffe had bene He sholde perchaūce not all haue sene Al wordes awry mend without stryffe And wordes amēded redresse thy lyffe Rychard Shacklock