the assenting of the people with no lesse alacritie of minde then cities vnable to holde outlonger Are these anie other but bitter skornes and despitefull fictions And to omitt many things because this is a personall cause we doe most hartilie begge at your handes to aunswere vs truelie and faithfullie whether you thinke Maister Calvin to haue bene an honest truehearted christian fearing God and not an imposter and a deceaver of the people or at the least you would haue men so to esteeme of him For howe can wee otherwise coniecture in that you blame him more for the countenancing of discipline beeing established then for establishing of it affirming with no small incitements of cunning insinuations that because hee by wisedome and not by the word of God saw that discipline requisite for that people hee imployed all his witt by sifting the very vtmost sentence and sillable of holy Scripture to confirme the same and not to omit the leaste occasion in all his writinges following of extolling the vse and singular necessitie thereof If wee may thus iudge of his faithfulnesse in promoting of discipline what may wee suspect of his sincere dealing in the doctrine About rites as the ministring with common bread you acknowledge that he would not stande with the Church to make trouble for a thinge indifferent and why if he were a good man should we thinke that hee would professe it to bee trayterous cowardlines not to dye a hundred times rather then to suffer that to bee wickedly borne downe which hee very well knew to bee taken out of the word of God Can you so farre make manifest eyther by good and iust presumptions or by playne and true storie his deepe hipocrisie and arrogant pride that euen against his owne conscience hee woulde so earnestly striue and trouble the whole Church to maintaine a deuise of his owne Wee pray you therefore to shewe vs sincerelie whether such insinuations bee charitable and whether if you bee a friend to the Gospell you make not a greater rent in Gods Church by such arguments then if you medled not at all in the matter but left it to men of more stayde and sounde discretion and of a more charitable and peaceable spirite For if such bolde and bare affirmations may goe for payment why may wee not as well heare and beleeue Maister Harding which calles all the whole and pure doctrine beleeued and professed in England A wicked new deuise of Geneva We desire you therfore in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ who shall iudge all men at his cōming and make manifest the intents thoughts of the heart to shew vnto vs without all artificiall glozing whether all this your treatise of Calvin be not polished armour and a sharper rasor prepared for the vse and helpe of the enemies of the Gospell and that it may not rather bee called a preiudiciall commentarie and a Popish paraphrase then a storie true plaine and without partialitie and that men haue not iust cause to thinke the better of Maister Calvin and the cause of discipline when they see so litle plaine and faithfull dealing in your writing Reade therefore his preface before his comment on the Psalmes and Beza his storie of his life and the French or any other stories or monuments of faithfull honest Christians and then aunswere faithfully the trueth and shewe your honest meaning Our reverend Fathers converting their studies frō schoole authors vnto the holy scriptures and causing others to do the like brought many to be well seene in divinite and themselues and others well affected in Religion and therefore constantlie affirme that The heauenly doctrine of our Sauiour Christ was so buried in the darkenesse of schoole-learning that no man tasted the sweetnes of it which to be true that worthy man Martin Luther through Gods goodnes to his Church finding by great experience in him selfe and others is bolde to say Theologia illa scholastica exulem nobis fecit veram sincer am theologiam That schoole diuinitie hath banished from vs the true sincere divinitie And againe Totus Aristoteles ad Theologiam est tenebra ad lucem All Aristotle vnto divinitie is darkenes vnto light Now in all your bookes although we finde manie good things many truethes and fine pointes bravelie handled yet in all your discourse for the most parte Aristotle the patriarch of Philosophers with divers other humane writers and the ingenuous schoolemen almost in all pointes haue some finger Reason is highlie sett vp against holie scripture and reading against preaching the church of Rome favourablie admitted to bee of the house of God Calvin with the reformed churches full of faults most of all they which indeuoured to be most removed from conformitie with the church of Rome Almost all the principall pointes of our English creede greatlie shaken and contradicted If you doe not sincerelie plainelie and truelie aunswere all these our necessarie doubtes and demandes what shall we haue cause to thinke of these your tedious and laborious writinges Shall wee doe you wronge to suspect you as a privie and subtill enemie to the whole state of the Englishe Church and that would haue men to deeme her Maiestie to haue done ill in abolishing the Romish religion and banishing the Popes authoritie and that you would bee glad to see the backesliding of all reformed churches to bee made conformable to that wicked synagogue of Rome and shame and reproche to all faithfull Ministers whom GOD hath raysed vp to reveale and beate downe Antichrist and that you esteeme the preaching and writing of all the Reverend Fathers of our Church and the bookes of holy scripture to bee at the least of no greater moment then Aristotle and the Schoolemen Or else doe you meane to bring in a confusion of all thinges to reconcile heauen and earth and to make all religions equall Will you bring vs to Atheisme or to Poperie or to prepare a plott for an Interim that our streetes may runne with blood when all religious shalbee tollerated and one shall bearde and provoke another Are there not examples sufficient of vnspeakeable massacres abroade vnlesse wee should fett the same home to our countrie reioycing vnder the blessed vnitie of the Gospell of peace Thinke you that the longe experience of Gods protection in these golden dayes of quiet concorde the religious and peaceable heart of our deare soueraigne Ladie and Queene ELIZABETH for whose ioyful preservation all good and christian minded English men doe vnceasantlie pray and the thousandes of faithfull subiectes who haue learned Christ vnder the shadowe of her most happie and honorable reigne would euer giue you thankes for such great service or euer agree vnto such abhominations if they should once beginne to espie such stratagemicall operations to appeare in their effectes and to shewe them selues directlie and openlie We beseech you therefore in the Name of IESVS Christ and as you will aunswere
for the vse of those great giftes which God hath bestowed vpon you that you woulde returne and pervse advisedlie all your five bookes compare them with the articles of our profession set out by publick authoritie and with the workes Apologeticall other authorised sermons homilies of our church and of the Reverend Fathers of our Lande and with the holie booke of God and all other the Queenes Maiesties proceedings and then read and examine with an indifferent equall minde a booke sett out in Latin called Querimonia Ecclesiae and an other in Englishe late come abroade speaking of Scotizing and Genevatising Allobrogicall Discipline and having maturelie with a iudicious cōscience in the feare of God pondered and wayed them in the ballance of trueth and iustice then tell vs roundlie and soothelie That if the Reverende Fathers of our church assisted with some of the approved divines of both Vniversies did reade peruse and examine your bookes and those two other bookes whether they would not iudge in their conscience and giue sentence with their mouthes that by those three writinges the Church of Englande and all other christian Churches are vndermined and that they are verie notable bellowes if Gods mercie stayed it not to blowe the coales of sedition and fierie civill warre betweene all christian Churches and to make all people who reade them to fall either flatly to Atheisme or backewarde to poperie when they shall see all godlie Ministers and christian churches by men of their owne side and profession to be so openlie traduced and notoriouslie detected and all the articles of our Religion many partes of our church government to be checked blamed or cōtradicted And might they not thinke that the Popes factors in Englande haue some intelligence with such writers Or is that new found discipline so neerlie seated with our English creed that such expert archers ayming at the one must needes hit the other Our last scruple and demaund is this seeing your bookes bee so long and tedious in a stile not vsuall and as wee verelie thinke the like harde to be found farre differing from the simplicitie of holie Scripture and nothing after the frame of the writinges of the Reverend and learned Fathers of our church as of Crammer Ridley Latimer Iewell Whitgeeft Fox Fulke c. And that your Prefaces and discourses before you come to the question are so longe mingled with all kinde of matters and sutes of learning and doctrine whether your meaning bee to shewe your selfe to bee some rare Demosthenes or extraordinarie Rabbi or some great Pythagoras that enioyne your schollars or your adversaries to fiue yeares silence before they can be perfect in your meaning or able to replye or that these men you write against bee not sounde in matters of fayth and therefore you handle all thinges or else you had no better way to make doubtfull the chief groundes of our faith and religion and that you would haue men better seene in Philosophie and schoolemens diuinitie and namelie in Aristotle or that you were afearde that if you had not handled it with so graue heroicall and loftie a maiestie you should haue bene reputed like some other man and so your same should haue bene but small or that you would wearie your aduersarie with such thicke and continuall fallinge strokes that hee should not bee able to stande before you to strike one blow against you or that you would beare downe the cause with swelling wordes of vanitie and cunningly framed sentences to blinde and intangle the simple or that you would shew your selfe another Aristotle by a certaine metaphisicall and crupticall method to bring men into a maze that they should rather wonder at your learning thē be able to vnderstand what you teach in your writinge Wee which stande for the defence of our English church highly commend R. H. bookes wee alleadge your opinions as well as wee can to stop the mouthes of foolish carpers Wee commend your books as very excellent and learnedly penned and not to be answered then they promptly aske your reasons and require of vs to shew by what arguments you maintaine those assertions then returne wee to your bookes wee seeke and beate our braynes but are hardely able by our meane capacitie to gather any thinge but as a man a farre of beholding a bryer tree all blowen ouer with his flowers with great desire approacheth neere vnto it and findeth himselfe deceaved so the delight of reading your booke is meruelous great but the fruit thereof howsoeuer it come to passe vnto vs that search and examine it is far vnlike the goodlie shew and appearance In the booke of that most learned and reuerend Father D. Withgift wee finde the question iudicially sett downe his aunswere to the matter in question sensible his reasons eyther from holy scripture from Fathers or new writers without all circumferences and crooked windings directly applied so as such poore men as wee be may beare away what hee saith and what hee intendeth but in your writing wee are mightely incombred wee walke as in a labyrinth and are suddenlie ouerwhelmed as in the deepe sea sometime it seemeth to vs that wee see great florishing of warlike and glittering weapons and to heare the lowde outcryes and noyce of them which pursue their enemies in battell thundring gunshott tossing of speares and ratling of harnesse yet cannot we perfectly perceaue any thinge almost rightly to touch the aduersarie pretended but rather as in our demandes before wee verely thinke doeth manifestly appeare most heauie stroakes poysoned pellettes and dangerous pushes of the pikes against the Ierusalem of God the holy Christian church of Englande whom you would seeme to defende Wee desire you therefore with all instancie that you would not denie vs three things First to shewe vnto vs what arguments you haue alleadged which are materiall and of waight which are not to bee found in the aunswere of that reuerend Father vnto Maister Carthwright and herein plainly to de clare which be your arguments or direct aunswers which are neither fine and close Ironies or blustring bitter scoffes begging of the question or peremptorie affirmations and how wee may knowe what is the state of the question and when you are in or out and what you holde in your conscience to bee the trueth in Gods sight howe great and large your fiue bookes would bee if you had vsed reasonable intelligible and logicall argumentes onely as other writers and disputers doe and had left out all needlesse wittie gloses and Rhetoricall shadowes in preambles discourses digressions amplifications and had kept your selfe out of the common iayle of sophisticall elenches and impertinent outleapes and had followed S. Peters prescript in a meeke reuerend and direct apollogie and defense proceeding from a good conscience Secondly that if you sett foorth your other bookes which are promised you would bee more playne and sensible and followe the vsuall language and stile of
other learned men and English writers leauing out vnnecessarie long discourses and common places sett out your reasons in playne termes and wordes of sinceritie without these hugie embossements or stuffed bumbasing that poore playne men which cannot skill of such hidden misteries may perceaue and learne something by your great travailes Thirdly that you would bee carefull not to corrupt the English creede and pure doctrine whervnto you haue subscribed either by philosophie or vaine deceate of schoolemens newborne diuinitie or by any other beggerly rudiments of this worlde nor sett these Churches by the eares with these closely caried and daintie insinuations and that through desire of vayne glorie you prouoke not your brethren and helpe the common and sworne enemie which fighteth against God against Christes church against our peaceable cuntrie and against our religious godly and christian Princesse And especially that you beware in the cause of supremacie to giue your lawfull soueraigne her right and full due and not so to make the Church of Rome of the familie of Christ IESVS that you lift vppe the sonne of pride the blasphemous tyrant the Pope into that hie chayre of pestilence to bee Christes vicar vpon earth and ministeriall head of his vniuersall Church For as there is one that saith the church of Rome is Mater nostra our mother So if you should goe but one step further we know not what iniurie may be done to her Maiesties rightfull Imperiall Crowne and dignitie And lastely that you remember him which is hie and excellent the king of all glorie and Lord of all power that you please not man to displease God seeking your self you forsake not your own mercie You knowe that it is written Only by pride doth man make contention but with the well advised is wisedome And when pride commeth then shame commeth but with the lowlie is wisedome You know also who hath saide Vengeaunce is mine c. And againe Touch not mine anointed and doe my Prophetes no harme And againe The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked shall perish Now in all these things good Maister Hoo. though wee thus write we doe not take vpon vs to censure your bookes neither rashly to iudge of you for them but because wee bee all children borne in this Church and euery child louing his mother is ielous ouer that which seemeth disgracefull to his mother and all Christians are exhorted to contende earnestly for the faith which was once giuen to the saints and he that toucheth our faith toucheth the apple of our eye Wee could not but vtter our inwarde greefe and yet in as charitable manner as the cause in hande would suffer for is it not a great matter when you seeme to vs to make a wide open breach in the church and to stayne the pure doctrine of faith wee seeke that the trueth bee not darkened or defaced and that you by wise playne and honest resolution vnto these our doubtes and demandes may approue your selfe as the faithfull and sincere seruant of Iesus Christ. If then in all these our demaundes and requestes you doe louingly and faithfully satisfie vs your natiue countrymen who haue sucked out the sincere milke of the Gospell by the doctrine in England professed published and preached by sermons apologies articles and reading of holy scripture euen now these 40. yeares for whiche wee are not able to render sufficient prayse and thankes to our most mercifull Father in IESVS Christ and namely for that worthie instrument of our ioy that blessed Halcyon and Christian Deborah his annoynted hande-mayde our soueraigne Ladie and Queene Elizabeth whom the sunne of righteousnes hath raysed vpp to still the raging streames and roaring waues of Gods enemies euen the cursed Cananites of Romish Babilon whose peaceable and florishing raigne wee most humbly pray the mightie God of heauen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ still to continue in ioy and honour if indeede you aunswer our desire in loue and faithfulnesse we shall haue good cause to commende well of your sincere meaning we shalbe beholdinge vnto you for your godly zeale in defending our church and giue vnto you your condigne praise in all places for your true and vpright dealing and pray earnestlie vnto God for you that such excellent giftes and graces which he hath vouchased vnto you aboue many may be alway wisely imployed to the aduancing of the glorie of the most high God and of his most glorious Sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde to the furtherance of the prosperous wealth of his holy Church the fruitfull seruice of your soueraigne Prince and natiue countrie and to your owne inward comfort and vndeceavable ioy of conscience in and through Iesus Christ our blessed Lorde and Saviour to whom bee all praise and glorie in his Church and in all places of the world for euer Amen Faultes to be corrected Folio 3. lin 31. read fauoring Fol. 11. lin 2. read pearcing Idem lin 30. read helped Fol 18. lin 28. for sonne read same Fol. 19 lin 30. read professed Fol 22. lin ult then read them Fol. 34. lin penult read ingenuously Fol. 35. lin 14. read such Fol. 37. lin 19. take away the puncte Fol. 40. lin 13. after absent put a parenthesis thus 1. The Deitie of the Sonne a Artic. 1. de â—ide in sacrosanctaram Trinitatem b Quicunque vult in the book of common prayer b booke 5. pag. 113. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 5. a Artic. 2. 5. 2 The coeternitie of the Sonne proceeding of the holy Ghost b Prouer. 8. 2â— c Ioh. 1. 1. d Iohn 17. 5. e Ioh. 15. 2â— a Booke 1. pag. 86. 87. f Artic. 6. De diuinis scripturis The holy scripture containe all thinges necessarie to saluation b Booke 2. pag. 122. c Booke 1. pag. 88. Lin. 36. Last lin a Coloss. 2. 10. b Rom. 3. 27. c Act. 4. 12. d 1 Cor. 2. 14. e Ioh. 3. 3. 4. Holy scripture aboue the Church a Replie of Bb. Iewell against Harding arti 15 pag. 537. b Reioynd to Brist replye by W. Fulk pa. 84. c ibid. pag. 99. d Booke 2. pag. 102. e Booke 2. pag. 146. f lin 38. a Esaie 52. 6 14. b Act. 2. 37. and b 17. 11. c 1 Cor. 2. 4. d 1 Cor. 3. 1. 2. e Psal. 19. 7. a 1 Iohn 5. 9. b Heb. 4. 12. c Psal. 2. d 2 Cor. 10. 3. 4. a Artic 10. De libero arbitrio 5 Of free will b Booke 1. pag. 60 61. a Ephe. 2. 5. b 2 Cor. 3. 5. c Phil. 2. 13. a Artic. 11. De hominis iustificatione a Of fayth and workes b Booke 1. pag. 82. c Booke 1. pag. 95. d Booke 5. pag. 221. e Booke 5. pag. 208. a Galat. 3. 21. 22 b Rom. 4. 6. a Mat. 5. 16. b Rom. 12. 1. c 1 Ioh. 4. 11. 19 d 1 Pet. 2. 12. 15 7 The virtue of workes a
A CHRISTIAN LETTER of certaine English Protestants vnfained fauourers of the present state of Religion authorised and professed in ENGLAND vnto that Reverend and learned man M r R. Hoo. requiring resolution in certaine matters of doctrine which seeme to ouerthrow the foundation of Christian Religion and of the church among vs expreslie contained in his fiue books of Ecclesiasticall Pollicie 1599. A Christian LETTER of certaine English Protestantes vnfayned fauourers of the present state of religion authorised and professed in England vnto that Reuerend and Learned man Maister R. Hoo. requiring resolution in certayne matters of doctrine which seeme to ouerthrowe the foundation of Christian Religion and of the Church among vs expreslie contayned in his fiue bookes of Ecclesiasticall Policie WHEN men dreame they are asleepe and while men sleepe the enemie soweth tares and tares take roote and hinder the good corne of the Church before it be espied Therefore Wise men through silence permitt nothing looselie to passe away as in a dreame Your offer then Maist. Hoo. is godly and laudable to enforme men of the estate of the church of God established among vs. For the Teachers of righteous things are highlie to be commēded And he that leadeth mē rightlie to iudge of the church of God is to be beloued of all men Howbeit sometimes goodlie promises are meere formal and great offers serue onely to hoodwinke such as meane well And as by a faire shew of wishing well our first parents were fowlie deceaued so is there a cunning framed method by excellencie of wordes intising speeches of mans wisedome to beguile and bewitch the verie Church of GOD. And such as are vsed for this purpose come in sheepes clothing For he translateth him self into an Angel of light who blindeth all men with vtter darknes When wee therefore your louing cuntrymen vnfaynedlie fouoring the present state and embracing from our heartes the Gospel of Christ as it is preached and professed in England being readie euery hower to giue vp our liues for Gods glorie and the honour of our Queene hauing so goodlie a champion to offer combat in our defence were made verie secure and by the sweete sounde of your melodious stile almost cast into a dreaming sleepe Wee happelie remembring your Preface that there might bee some other cause opened at the length our heauie eyes and casting some more earnest and intentiue sight into your manner of fight it seemed vnto vs that couertlie and vnderhand you did bende all your skill and force against the present state of our English church and by colour of defending the discipline and gouuernement thereof to make questionable and bring in contempt the doctrine and faith it selfe For we saw the theme and the cause you haue in hand to be notable simples whereof a skilfull popishe Apoticarie can readilie make some fine potion or sweete smelling ointment to bring heedlesse men into the pleasant dreame of well-weening while they closelie set on fire the house of God And may wee not trulie say that vnder the shewe of inveighing against Puritanes the chiefest pointes of popish blasphemie are many times and in many places by diuers men not obscurelie broached both in Sermons and in Writing to the great griefe of manie faithfull subiectes who pray for the blessed and peaceable continuance of her most gracious Maiestie and of the estate of the Church of IESVS Christ as it is nowe established among vs. And verelie such a thing offered it selfe vnto our eyes in reading your bookes and we had not skill howe to iudge otherwise of the handling of your penne and of the scope of your matter Notwithstanding because rash iudgemēt may preiudice honest trauailes and faithfull labourers may haue their vnaduised slippes and we could not tell howe zeale loue or glorie might carie a man of such towardlie and excellent giftes in the firste shewing of him selfe to the worlde or that an earnest striuing bending your selfe in heate of disputation against the one side might dazell your eyes and drawe your hande at vnawares to farre and too fauourable to the other side or else peradventure we might mistake your meaning and so wee should doe you wrong against our willes We thought it therefore our parte in regarde of our dutie to the Church and most agreeing to charitie both for your credit and our ease in all christian loue to intreat you that as you tēder the good estate of Christes church among vs and of thousands cōuerted to the gospel you would in like publike manner but plainly and directlie shew vnto vs and all English Protestantes your owne true meaning and how your wordes in diuers thinges doe agree with the doctrine established among vs. And that not onelie for avoyding of offence giuen to many godlie and religious Christians but also that the Atheistes Papistes and other hereticques be not incouraged by your so harde and so harsh stile beating as it were as we verilie thinke against the verie heart of all true christian doctrine professed by her Maiestie and the whole state of this Realme to despise and set light by her sacred Maiestie the reverend Fathers of our Church and the whole cause of our religion Wee haue made choyce therefore of a few principal things which trouble manie godlie minded christians who aduisedlie read ouer your bookes that by the sincere answering and vpright clearinge of them you might satisfie vs all both in them and in all the rest and free your selfe from all suspition of falshoode or treacherie and make vs able to giue a reason of defence vnto all such as stumble at your writinges And for your better ease herein and our more readie satisfaction we haue compared your positions and assertions in your long discourses vnto the articles of religion sett forth An̄ Dn̄i 1562. and confirmed by Parliament the 13. of her Maiesties most blessed ioyfull reigne and vnto the Apologies of such Reverend Fathers and chiefe pillars of our church as from time to time since the Gospell began to shine among vs haue written and preached and euerie way laboured to advaunce and defende the same with the Liturgie church governement established among vs. If you therefore good Ma. Hoo. will make it to appeare to the world that in these pointes you are all one in iudgement with the church of Englande and that your such speaches wherewith your godly brethrē are grieued may beare such sence and meaning or else as euery humble christian will doe freelie and ingenuouslie acknowledge your vnwilling ouersight or at the least which we vndoubtedly beleeue you will neuer bee able shew plainlie and by good demonstration that all our Reuerend Fathers haue hitherto bene deceaued then shall we hold our selues very well contented and satisfied Hoping therfore of your charitable direct plaine sincere and speedie answere we tender here our doubtes vnto your christian consideration and craue your brotherlie resolution in manner and forme following One foundation of christian
a sermon whether the Logicall and Dialecticall frame by which men contriue their matter in such and such a forme or that by the gift of the grace of God waying and searching and fitting togither many sentences they seeke out pleasant wordes euery right writing and faithfull wordes and so vtter in their doctrine integritie grauitie and the wholesome worde which can not be reproued If you meane the former then euerie declamation and formal oration in the schooles may be called sermons for these are framed of the meere witt of man if you meane this latter then we thinke you teach contrarie to our church the holy scriptures You say our sermons are not that stronge and forcible worde They saye it is an essentiall note of the true church to haue true preaching of the worde and namelie the preaching of the pure worde of GOD and that this hath such a force as no eloquence wisedome learning pollicie and power of the worlde can match You saye the witt of man giueth our sermons the verie being They say God sent his Apostles that the Preachers are the seede sowers and the seede is the worde of God and that this is done by the gift of the grace of God Heere we beseech you to shewe the iust harmonie of your wordes and theirs and therein to teach vs by sounde demonstration that a man can preach the pure worde of God by his owne naturall witt without a gift supernaturall of the spirit to giue him vtterance and to speak the word as he ought to speake If all that a man preach be the pure worde of God what derogation is it to call such a mans sermons or preachings the strong and forcible worde In euerie being there is as you schollers teach the matter and the forme and that which ioyneth these togither is the efficient Vnto which of these will you applie the witt of man if you say to the matter then our church is against you and sayeth it is the pure worde of God if to the forme as interpretation doctrine and exhortation then the holy scriptures doe tye vnto the gift of the spirit saying That wee haue diuers giftes as the gift of prophecie teaching exhortation and no scripture is of anie priuate interpretation If you make it the efficient then the scripture saith There are diuersities of giftes but the same spirit and there are diuersities of administrations but the same Lord and there are diuersities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all No man can preach except he bee sente When he ascended he gaue giftes vnto men Here we pray you to teach vs how your speaches consent to these testimonies of our church and holy Scripture or may you not meane that the Sermons of manie nowe a dayes who in stead of the pure word of God doe most curiouslie bring into the pulpitt Poetts Philosophers Rhetoricians Phisitians Schoolemen and whatsoeuer either by finenesse of witt or helpe of arte they thinke may appeare fine smooth to their hearers and winne praise to them selues may you not meane I say that such our sermons haue their being of the meere witt of man or doe you thinke that the sermons of our Reuerend Fathers and more stayed diuines which are verie warie that in all their sermons whatsoeuer they speake may be the true sense of holie Scriptures and according to the proportion of faith seeing they agree not with the familie of Iesus Christ that is at Rome are not therefore the strong and forcible worde of God And heere we pray you to teach vs whether that all doctrine interpretatiō and exhortation which is truelie and meerelie the natural meaning of holy scripture be not the worde of God or that the word is onelie in the letter of the text as of Hebrewe and Greeke or if you will truelie translated and which of these hath the word of God he that alleadgeth the wordes as did the Tempter or he that alleadgeth the true meaninge as did our Saviour Christ Mat. 4. 6. 10. Lastlie shew vs that if all our sermons bee of the witt of man and none the stronge and forcible worde of God whether Romish Babilon may not chalendge our church to wante one essentiall marke as preaching the pure word of God And whether it be possible for the witt of man to giue beeing vnto that which is an essential marke of the church of God and of that which hath greater strength and authoritie then all eloquence wisedome learning policie and power of the worlde And lastlie open vnto vs whether that reverend Father did well who graunteth that the worde of God is not only in writing but in preaching in Coūsels or Doctors Because Christ saith Hee that heareth you heareth mee The Church of England affirmeth that It is not lawful for anie one to take to him selfe the office of preaching publikely or administring the Sacramentes in the church except hee be first lawfullie called and sente to doe these thinges And heerevpon our Reverend Fathers doe not only not defende nor vse anie reasons at all to prooue that women may baptize and therefore would not haue the booke of cōmon prayer touching baptisme in private to be vnderstood to permitt women to baptize but also cōnstantlie affirme that God and well ordered churches forbidd Women to dispence that holy misterie But you Mai. Hoo. haue another kinde of determinatiō where you say Ministeriall power is a marke of separation because it seuereth them that haue it from other men and maketh them a speciall order consecrated vnto the seruice of the most highest in thinges wherewith others may not medle And in another place There is an errour which beguileth many who much intangle both themselues and others by not distinguishing seruices offices and orders ecclesiasticall the first of which three in parte the seconde may be executed by the laytie whereas none haue or can haue the third but the cleargie From the whiche Cleargie you separate Catechistes Exorcistes Readers and Singers c. And in another place you seeme to mainteyne defende the practise of those churches which necessitie requiring allowe baptisme in private to be administred by Women affirming elswhere That diuers reformed churches doe both allow and defende that kinde of Baptisme Heere we desire to knowe what you meane by ministeriall power whether you take it actiuelie as that euerie minister or all Ministers haue power to make an order consecrated to the seruice of God or passiuelie that by their calling they are made to haue the authoritie and power of a Minister or that you vnderstand by it the formall cause of their ministerie by which they differ from al other orders or that you meane the holy vnction and character which the church of Rome giueth in their consecration of priesthoode And this wee desire because we finde our church and Reverend Fathers speaking like
make light of the doctrine of transubstantiation as a matter not to be stoode vpon or to bee contended for cared for or enquired into Which maketh vs to marvell howe our Church and Reverende Fathers haue all this time passed bene deceaued What should cause them to affirme it to bee a thing contrarie to the playne wordes of scripture ouerturning the nature of the Sacrament to call it monstrous doctrine why so manie reverend Fathers as Crammer Ridley Hooper Latimer Rogers Bradford c. haue giuen their liues in witnes against it if it bee a thinge that neither furthereth nor hindreth a thing not to bee cared for nor enquired after And heere we pray you ingeniously to shew whether your meaning bee to bring that side into creditt by softening the odiousnes of their heresie and our side into suspition of peeuishnes for standing upon trifles which the rather we desire to be resolued in because else where you call the enemies to Transubstantiation Sacramentaries and labour to shew a certayne vbiquitie of Christes manhoode and of his bodie and of his soule which seemeth to vs that you would giue a gentle construction of Popish opinions and privilie robbe the trueth of our English creede of her due estimation If you call our Reverend Fathers Sacramentaries for oppugning transubst and they againe call the maintayners of it right Sacramentaries and Capernaites if you haue giuen as good testimonie of faithfulnes as they whom shall wee beleeue are you not contradictorie and may we thinke you can favour that side your wordes doe beate downe shew vs then wee pray you how shuch great fauours doe not preiudice the doctrine of the church of Englande or not condemne those millions of learned diuines and blessed Martirs of extreme follie who haue died for the same and that God should reveale to you onely that it was for that which neither furthered nor hurteth Lastly instruct vs whether the institution of the Sacrament by Christ saying this is my bodie doe this in remembrance of mee bee not the true and right making of it Christes bodie and blood vnto vs and vppon what ground of Scripture it may bee proued that the cooperation of his omnipotent power doeth make it his bodie and blood vnto vs and in what sense And whether such phrases doe not helpe the Popish argument of Gods power which they commonly vse to approue their transubstantiation There be also in your book diuers Theoremes not so familiar to vs common Christians neither doe we perceaue them in the English Creede neither in the reading of the holy writinges of God Wee pray you therefore declare vnto vs by what spirit or worde you teach them vnto vs. what foundation they haue in holie writt and how they pertaine to the faith or discipline of the English church Such as are these Tenne the number of natures perfections Angels perpetuitie the hand that draweth out celestiall motion Church attyre with vs liuely resembleth the glorie of Saints in heauen Daylie bruses spirituall promotions vse to take by often falling Multiplied petitions of worldly things a kinde of heauenly fraud to take the soules of men as with certaine baytes In Baptisme God doeth bestow presently remission of sinnes and the holy Ghost binding also himselfe to adde in processe of time what grace soeuer shalbe further necessarie for the attaynement of euerlasting life The signe of the Crosse as wee use it is in some sorte a meane to worke our preseruation from reproch and Christes marke Assuredly whosoeuer doeth well obserue how much all inferior things depende vpon the orderlie courses and motions of those greater orbs will hardely iudge it meete or good that the Angells assisting them should bee driven to betake them selues vnto other stations although by nature they were not tyed where now they are but had charge also elsewhere as long as their absence from beneath might but tollerablie be supplied by descending their roomes aboue should become vacant and such like whereof your writinge is not a little stored but shewe vs onely concerning these that if all Angells be ministring spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall bee heyres of salvation as Gods spirit testifyeth where is it reveyled that they attende vppon the celestiall orbes or that their perpetuitie is the hande that draweth out celestiall motion and if they doe whether it be not sinne in them to leaue their naturall charge and to attende vpon that whiche they are not tyed vnto Doe you not meane the Angells which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation whom God hath reserved in everlasting chaynes vnder darkenes vnto the iudgement of the great day or would you haue the elect Angells to bee like vnto the Angell of the bottomlesse pitt whose name is Abbaddon When where or how did Christ rell thee that the signe of the crosse as we vse it is the marke of Christ and preserueth from reproch and what warrant haue you of present grace in the verie worke wrought of Baptisme did you see in the mountaine of God the patterne of that heauenlie fraude which you say is to catch men by multiplied petitions of worldlie thinges And what bee the bruses and falls that spirituall promotions ordayned by Christ doe or can take And howe doeth it appeare in nature or from the God of nature that ten is the number of natures perfections The Reverend Fathers of our Church call M r Calvin one of the best writers A reverend Father a worthie ornament of the church of God not onelie defending the same doctrine but also discharging him of slanderous reportes wrongfullie layed against him knowing that by defaming the persons of christians and especiallie of Ministers the Devill of olde time laboured to ouerthrowe the Gospell of Christ. Howe greatlie all christian churches are to prayse God for that mans faithfull labours and how instantlie therefore all sortes of papistes haue and doe indevour and striue to diminish his creditt all the christian worlde most aboundlie both by word and by writing doe testifie Wherefore we wonder not a little What moved you to make choyse of that worthie pillar of the church aboue all other to traduce him and to make him a spectacle before all christians Wherefore wee craue your fauour that with trueth and patience you would answere our doubtes scruples which by the preface of your first booke you haue made in vs concerning him And firste what Maister Calvin hath done against our Church that you should single him out as an adversarie Which of our Reverend Fathers of this lande hath wished you therevnto or else tell vs plainlie whether our adversaries in whose mouthes you are a most invincible champion haue not provoked you against him And open vnto vs without deceite ingenuously whether all the learned men of our covntrie who haue writtē and disputed for discipline be not to