his Apostles neuer to fayle but to appeere and be seene still as a citrye vpon a hill or a light in the world Mat. 28. For Christ said I vvill be vvith you vnto the ende of the vvorld And againe I vvill sende you an other Comforter the spirite of truth vvho shall remaine vvith you for euer And vnto Peter Vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church Mat. 16. and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it That is to say the deuill and all his ministers shall neuer so preuayle against this church but that it shall still appeere and professe one and the same fayth So that there shall be no time wherin this fayth and this church is not Now marke good Sisters I pray you hartely whether your Englishe church and your Englishe religion hath bene alwayes in the worlde since Christ his time I will speake vnto you as before God and as I shall answeare before him at the later day and therefore I requeste you to marke well my wordes and to consider of them A whole thowsande and fiue hundred yeres after Christ your English religion was not heard of in any parte of the world but I tolde you before that the true church must continewe for euer appeare alwaies vnlesse you thinke Christ is false of his promise When began your religion then Forsooth about fiftie veres agone by one Marten Luther in Germanie a frier who aswell for other vngodly respects as also because he would needes marie and breake his vow which he had made of chastitie began to preach against the POPE and against the CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH and because he taught great libertie as that Princes ought not to reuerence the POPE that all Preestes might mary that no man neede to fast and such like he found many disciples in Germanye and hath vnto this day carnall and fleshly men that loue their owne pleasure more then the will of God and his holy church But will you know what manner of man this was Forsooth being examined by learned men concerning his doctrine he was so prest and so angred with the force of truth that he sayd in a great rage This quarrell vvas neuer begon for Gods sake neither for his sake shall it be ended Will you know further that he wrote against the POPE for malice and not for conscience himselfe in his letter to Argentmenses fayeth I neither can deny neither vvill I that if Carolstadius or any other man could fiue yeares agone haue persvvaded me that in the Sacrament is nothing but bread and vvine he might haue deserued of me great thankes for I labored in that matter very carefully knovving righte vvell that by that meanes I might much haue hindred the Popes authoritie Marke that this man would gladly haue fouÌ„d some-what agaynst the BLESSED SACRAMENT but a long time he could not till at length the deuill had taught him to wryte agaynst the Masse De missa angulari as him selfe witnesseth in his bookes where he telleth what talke he and the deuill had together Much more could I tell you of this man but of this little you may iudge whether you may aduenture to build your faith vpoÌ„ this man who lyued within these fiftye yeares and to forsake the auncient fayth of all Christendome continewed from Christ vntill this day for it is moste certen that from this man came your new religion into England but not immediatly at the first when he began to preach for Kinge Henrye the eÌ„ight wrote a learned booke very earnestly against him The Quenes M. father wrote a learned booke a gaiust Luther for the pope Afterward he forsooke him not vpon religion or conscience but vpon displeasure which is common to be seene but long after partly when the King began to take displeasure against the POPE because he might not be maried and vnmaried as he list Partly and especially when King Edvvard being in the beginning of his raigne but a very child was oueruled by wicked couÌ„sellers to maintayne such a religion as might best agree to their carnall appetite This was the beginning of your religion the beginning I say for as for King Heury he wente nothing so farre as they are now come but whereas for his pleasure he had put awaye the Popes authority and for his profit had plucked downe Abbaies he let all other poyntes in manâ—r remayne as before and of this also repâ—nted before he died as it is knowen if not wo be vnto him that euer he was borne for there in the next world good Sisters Kings and Queenes come to their accompts as well as you and we poore folkes I could here tell you of many learned and vertuous men that were then put to death because they would not yeeld to the King in his vnlawfull doings knowing right well that it was all contrary to the lawe of God Amongst whom were these two The Bishop of Rochester the most vertuous and best learned of all the Clergie as appeareth by his books And Sir Thomas Moore Lorde Chauncel or of England a lay man who for his vertue wisdome and learning passed all temporal men that euer were in that Realme as appeareth by his learned workes written in the Englishe tongue but now not suffered to be redd because they teach the CATHOLIQVE FAYTH Some man will tel you that they were behedded for treason but beleeue him not vnlesse it be treason to obay God rather then Princes surely other treason they committed none One Marke more I will shew you to discerne the true Church The thirâ—e marke is â—nitie that in few wordes but so playne that your selfe will confesse it To know the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH this is a certayne and an vnfallible marke if it be in vnitie and concorde if it haue an agreement and consent of hartes and opinions that is to saye if it haue but one fayth and one religion Act. 4. For of the true Church it is sayd The vvhole multitude of beleeuers had one hart and one mynd Ephe. 4. And S. Paule sayth One God one fayth one baptisme And againe 1. Cor. 14. God is not a God of dissention but of peace and vnitye Looke now consider the state of your Protestants in England onely are they all of one religion Haue you not among them some Lytherans some Caluinists some Puritanes all agreeing against the POPE and ech disagreeing one from the other Do not your Lutherâ—Ì„s preach yea before the Queene not with-out great thankes for their labour that the body of Christ is really present in the Sacrament And doe not your Caeluinists preach cleane contrary that there is onely breade and wine And as for your Puritanes doe not they preach and wryte so farre contrary from the other two that they are now forbidden to preach and cast into prison and put from all liuings Yea the communion booke it selfe doth it not nowe saye cleane contrary to that which it sayed in
the later end of King Henry his time Then you were expreslye commaunded to beleeue that vnder each kind of bread and wine are conteyned the body and bloud of Christ now it is petty treason to fay so I speake not here of Dermarke of Geneua of other cities in Germanve who are all Protestants and all differing among them selues and from you I haue onely declared how great diuersitie and disagreeing their is amonge your Protestantes at home within one little Ilande which is so euident and so farre from good christianitie that it may be vnto you a very certen and suer token that the true fayth can not be amonge them which hitherto can not agree in one fayth each condemning the others opinion Thus derely beloued and my very louinge Sisters I haue geuen you certen generall Markes to learne the true Church To wryte all were infinite because all bookes are full of our religion I trust hereafter to instructe you in euery pointe as you would desire and I pray God geue you grace that you may desire it All at once woulde be to tedious In the meane time remeÌ„ber these two things VVhen your religion began and by vvhom and how it came at length into England This is the yeare of Christ a thowsand fiue hundred eyghty and three Luther began to preache with-in these fiftye yeares If he preached the truth and all before him were deceaued where was the Church of Christ in all the worlde for a thowsande and fiue hundred yeares before and how is Christ â—â—ue of his promis that sayd I vvill remayne vvith you for euer and the holy Ghost shall teach you all truth and the gates of hell shall not prcuâ—â—ile against it But for out Church that is to say the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH we can shew how it is grown and continued from the Apostles vntill this day and neuer fayled We can reccon you from time to time Councels Bishopps Doctors infinite numbers of good christians of all ages that were all of our fayth and of our Church Can your Ministers denye but that S. Chrisostome alloweth praying to Saints or that S. Ierome calleth the Bishoppe of Rome Supreme head of the vvhole Church vnder Christ or that S. Austen prayed for his mother being dead or that he honored the Reliques of S. Steuen or that S. Gregory sayd Masse or that S. Ambrose sayeth hefore the vvords of consecration it is bread and vvine but after the vvords are spoken by the preist it is the very body and bloud of Christ or that all christians in S. Austens time did vvorship the blessed Sacrament or that the second Councell of Niceâ— did many hundred yeares agoe allovve the vse of Images for the memorie and representation of Christ and his sayntes condemning Image breakers or that S. Barnerd was an Abbot and had monkes vnder him as in catholike countryes now a dayes can they deny but that all this is true and dare they deny these vertuous Fathers and Doctors of the Church to be now Saints in heauen O my good Sisters that you could vnderstand their books and their writinges that you might your selues see what they say and what wonderfull men they were endued with the spirit of God exceedingly aboue other euen good men much more then your licentious leaders I doubt not but you would suspect your new doctors and folow these you should perceaue they had the scriptures at their fingers eds they knew right well the meaning and sense thereof night and day by fasting and prayer and chast lyfe beseeching God that they might vnderstand and truly expound his word O what a difference is there betweene them and these new Preachers Sisters I appeale to your consciences whither wil you or ought you to truste in the expounding of Scripture your yong vnlearned fleshly Ministers or these auncient most skilfull and most vertuous Fathers When Christ sayed Mat. 26. Take eate this is my body Al these Fathers say and agree that it was his bodye in verye deede Your ministers tell you it was but bread and wine Mat. 16. When Christ sayed to Peter thou art Peter that is a rocke and vpon this rocke vvill I build my Church These Fathers say that Peter was made Head of the Church and after him all his successors in the See of Rome where Peter was the first Bishopp Your Ministers tell you that Peter had no more preheminaunce then the other Apostles therfore the Bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then an other bishop hath When Christ sayed to his Apostles Receaue ye the holy ghost Io. 20. vvhat soeuer ye doo loose in earth shal be loosed in heauen and vvhat soeuer ye doe binde in earth it shal be bounde in heauen These Fathers saye that Christ gaue to his Church authoritie to remit sinne by the ministrie of the preist to all such as doe truely repent and therefore will haue the people goe to Confession Your ministers haue taken that comfortable SacrameÌ„t of penance away altogether WheÌ„ Raphael the Angel sayth in the twelfth chapter of Tobias That he did offer vp Tobias prayer to almightie God And when in the second booke of Macchabees the fifteenth chapter Onias the priest saith of Ieremie being dead This is he that prayeth much for his people and for the holie citie these fathers say that the Angells and Sainctes doo praye for vs and that we may pray to them your ministers doe not stricke to say that these books of Tobie the Macchabces are scant good scripture Many other things lyke vnto these I could reccon but I should be to loÌ„g fearing least I should werie you these fewe are sufficient to geue you to taste of such marks as may shew you the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH These and many other great reasons doe keepe all good christians within the Church These thinges make so many catholiks partly to haue suffred death partly to haue died in prison partly to continew in prison so many yeares partly to forsake their pleasant countrie their dere frends and to liue to their conscience among strangers being thought of many worldly men to be very fooles for so doing but they know right wel that the wisdome of this worlde is foolishnes before God Mat. 10 And Christ sayth He that loueth father and mother sister and brother better then me is not vvorthie of me Sisters geue me leaue to tell you some-what of my selfe not for anye bragge but the more to moue you and to geue God all the praise for his great goodnes towardes me It pleased my parentes to bring me vp in learning as you know as I was not the best so I was at al times not compted the worst among my felowes and companions some small estimation I had in Oxforde aboue my desert more afterwards wheÌ„ it pleased the Duke to make me though vnworthy Tutor to the Erle his sonne as long as his grace did prosper I liued in his howse to my conscience without
onely that the people might thinke he did them truly and vnfaynedly For howe shall the people iudge but accordinge as they see and heare If a good meaninge or interpretation would serue Peter might haue sayed as some olde wryters excused him that dicendo Theeph in â— 22. Lu. Nescio bominem illud voluisset Nescio purum hominem sed Dcum bominem factum sayinge I knovve not the man be meant I knovve him not for a pure man but for God Ep. Cleri Roms 31. Apnd. Cyp. made man But Cum totum fidei Sacramentum in confessione Christi nominis intelligatur esse digestum qui fallaces in excusatione peaestigias quaerit negabit Et qui vult videri propositis aduersus Euangelium vel edictis vel legibus satisfecisse hoc if so iam paruit quod videri paruisse se voluit Seeing the vvhole Sacrament of fayth is knovvne to consist in the confession of Christ his name be shall be deemed to deny him that seeketh deceiptfull and vayne shifts for his excuse And he that vvould be compted to haue satified or fulfilled Lavves or statutes promulgated against the Ghospell in that he must be adiudged to haue obeyed them that he vvould haue him selfe seeme to haue done it And there fore constante Eleazarus woulde not eate no not lawfull meates 2. Mac. 6. leste it should be thought he did eate meates vnlawfull I appeale to your conscience onely for what neede I vrge euidente places whether these authorityes doe not concerne you S. Ambrose sayeth Li. 2. of c. 24. Licet â—â—bi silere in negotio duntaxat pecuniario quanquam siâ— constantiae adesse aequitati in causa autem Dei vbi communionis periculum est etiam dissimulare peccatum est non leue It is lavvfull for thee in a monye matter onely to hould thy peace though it vveâ—e the part of a constant man euen therein also to stand in a matter of equity but in the cause of God vvhere communion or felovvship in â—ayth is in perill euen to dissemble is no small sinne O but it is good wisdome to maynteyne credit in euery worlde and to loose neither welth noâ— estimation I wounder that any wyse man shoulde thinke so Much lyke as Cato Vticensis thought it great manhood to kill him selfe and the secular Poet calleth it Catonis nobile laetum Cato his noble death Whereas S. Austen proueth it to haue bene dastardly cowardnes and womanishe pucillanimitye Ryghte so that worldly wisdome is foolishnes vvith God vnlesse a christiaÌ„ man may say with the vnchristened and prophane Oratour Seruire temporibus sapientis semper est habitum 2. Cor. 3.19 It vvas alvvayes compted vvisdome to apply him selfe to the tyme. And Non idem semper dicere sed idem semper specÌ„tare debemus VVe ought not to speake the same thing advvayes but to approue the same thing still And Quem fugiam scio ad quem fugiam nescio I knovv vvhom I should fly but I knovv not to vvhom to flye O but we are commaunded to obey our Prince I neede not tell you how sarre and in what degrees S. Peter and S. Iohn tell you by their example the case muste be limited I will onely put you in mynd of other worthy men sometyme Prelates in the Church and as it were houlde you the booke to reade howe they haue delt with Princes and potentates Act. 6.19 vpon the like occasion what vehemeÌ„t perswasions how manifestly they resisted for his sake VVho is terrible and taketh avvay the spirit of Princes Psal 75. terrible to the Kings of the earth Theodoretus wryteth thus Ec. histo lb. 4. ca. 17 Cum Praefectus Modestus Caesaream venisset Basilium Magnum accercitum honorificè excipit leui blanda oratione compellat hortatur vt cedat tempori ue propter nimis curiosam dogmatâ—m obseruationem eamque paruo estimandam tot tantasque ecclesias prodat pollicetur se Imperatoris Valentis amicitiam ei conciliaturum beneficiaque multis aliis inde euentura praedicaâ— Cui diuinus ille vir pueris inquit haec quidem oratio conuenit siquidem illi ac sui similes eiusmodi verba auidé arripiunt at qui sunt in sacris literis educati ne vnam quidem sillabam diuinorum dogmatum prodi siaunt sed pro istorum defensione si opus sit nullum non mortis genus libenter amplectuntur quod autem ad Imperatoris amicitiam attinet eam cum pietate iunctam magni aestimo sed si ea careat perniciosum esse dico c. VVhen the Lieutenante vvas come to Cesarâ—a he called for Basill the great and receaued him honorably and by a svveete and gentle speach exhorted him to yelde to the tyme and not vpon to curious obseruation of some poynte of no great vvayght to betray so many and so great churches promising him vvithall to reconcile him to the Emperours fauour and affirming that much good might come thereof to many To vvhom this diuyne man ansvvered that his tale vvere fit to persvvade children and such like vvhich vvould easely lyke of such offers but that those vvhich are brought vppe in holy vvrit can not suffer one fillable of heauenly doctrine and lavves to be betrayed but for defence thereof vvould embrace if neede require any kinde of death As for the amitye of the Emperour if it might be had vvith pietye I much vvould esteeme it but vvithout that I saye it is 〈◊〉 May it please you to reade a litle after the constante confession of the Preists and Deacons of Alexandria Lib. 4. ca. 20. being exhorted by Magnus the Count 〈…〉 fidem â—b Apostolis per Patrum successionem traditam proderent affirmando Valenten Augustinum Imperatorem clementissimum hac re veheme â—ter delectatum iri Postremó cum maxima contentione vocis haec verba protulit O misâ—ri obsequimini Ariani opinioni assentite Nam diuinum numen licet illa quam colitis religio vera sit si non vestra sponte sed necessitate ducti ab ea discedatis veniam vobis daturum est Etenim in his quae necessitate peccantur relinquitur excusationi locus sed cum sua sponte quisquam deliquerit carere reprehensione non potest To betraye their Auncestors fayth receaued of the Apostlis by succession of the Fathers affirming that Valens the moste clemente Emperour vvoulde be much pleased thereby Lastely vvith greate vehemency of speach loude voice be vttered these vvorde O miserable men obey assent to the Arians opinion for though your religion vvere true the diuyne Maiestye vvould pardon seeing you fall 〈◊〉 from it vvillingly but of necessity compelled for their is euer iuste excâ—se to them that offend by necessity though vvhen a man falleth vvillingly he can not be vvithout blame Reade the place and marke how litle they esteemed these Worldly perswasions which I haue therefore recyted at large because the worlde is prone now a dayes not only to vse but also to follow