was thereon offred as those were on an altar Where so euer therfore the newe testament or olde writers vse this word altar they allude to that Sacrifice of christ fygured by Moyses and vse the word stil that Mosses vsed to signyfye the same sacrifice withall and rather it is a figuratiuâ— than a proper kinde of speache in all suche places And because altars were euer vsed for sacrifices to signifie that sacrifice whiche was to come seing our sauioure christ is comen alreadye hais fulfilled and finyshed all sacrifices we thinke it best to take away all occasions of that Popyshe sacrificinge masse for maintaynnige whereof they haue cruelly sacrificed manie innocent soules to minister on tables accordinge to these examples It greeues him that the Bishops set their tales as it pleases hym to speake whan they sytte in iudgemente where the Altars were but if they were handled as did Baals Priestes and his Altars God did them no wrong It is a commen true sayinge he that wil do no yl must do nothinge that longes there til so surely if we wil warely audid the wickednes of Popery we must fâ—e from suche thinges as maintaine their doinges There is nothinge more profitable vnto them than massinge sacrifices therefore because Altars importe and maintaine their gainefull sacrificynge it is necessary they be remoued For their sacrifice of the Masse that he so muche lamentes to be defaced and all good conscyences reioyse that God of hys vndeserued goodnesse hays ouerthrowen it I referre all menne to the fyft and laste booke that the blessed soules now lyuinge with god Bishoppes Crammer aud Ridley wrote of the Sacramente whose bodyes they cruellye tormented therfore There who so euer lust maye reade and with indifferencye wey the reasons of both parties and iudge wyth the trueth Stout Steuen woulde gladlye haue ouerthrowen that booke but God confounded hym and their names lyue for euer So longe as that booke standes vnconfuted they maye barke agaynste the trueth as the Dogge does agaynst the mone and not preuaile And if ye will call but a litle to your remembrance howe many diuers sortes of masses there were vsed in diuers couÌ„tries as appeares in the words afore rehersed ye shal se how lowd he lies in saiing here that their masse was according to the order of christes catholike church That is catholicke as the Greke word signifies which is vniuersall and general both in time person and place therfore he must proue if he will be beleued that this Popish latin patched masking masse hais bene vsed at al times of all menne and in all Countryes But I haue declared afore both many sundrye sortes of ministringe the lordes supper in seuerall countries and also howe of late yeares this his order hais bene violently and blinde ignoraunce brought in therfore it can not be catholicke None that be counted learned can be ignoraunt of the general pointes wherin the Greke East churche differs from the west latin Romish churche The Grecians neuer receyued the Pope for their head nor the doctrine of purgatory their Priestes were euer free to mary they ministred the Lords supper alwais in their owne language with leauened bread in bothe kindes to the lay people both the bred and the cup seuerally the Priestes neuer receiued alone withoute other to receyue wyth him they neuer made trentals of it nor knew transsubstantiation they neuer vsed pardons ymages with manye other moe thinges lyke as auricular shriuinge to a Priest c which all the latin Romish Church defendes and does contrary and their these religion standes in theym therefore none of these opinions can be cald catholicke because the Greke Churche which is the greater part of the worlde neuer receiued beleued nor vsed them Thus many lyes than this maister D. hais made in one word callynge it catholicke as there be thynges wherein their Romishe masse dyffers frome the the Greke liturgies and orders of ministringe the Lordes supper as I haue declared moste of theym If I shoulde particulâ—rly and throughly handell all his folysh saiynges it would growe to to great a woorke therefore brefelye I touche the chefest He charges vs with a faith and religion that hais no foundacion layde by generall counsels which sayinge whan he better considers I truste he will be content to be reckned in the same number with vs. Was not the first general counsel vnder Constantine the Emperor at Nice aboue iiii c. xxx yeres after Christ was borne Shall I say than or is he so shameles to thinke that there was no religion nor faith in the world so manye yeares together after Christ. because there was not of so many yeares a generall counsell to bilde vppon No and because we say and proue oure faithe and relygion to bee the best and auncienst we bylde not on counsels as they doe but on Goddds worde which is aboue the counsel and rules al being not ruled of any hais bene from the beginning and shall continue to the end and we say with Paule that we be bylded on the foundacion of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ himselfe beynge the head corner stone The Prophetes whereon we buyld lyued many of them a thousaunde yeare afore anye generall counsell was heard of and the Apostles liued iiii C. yere afore them Wherfore our foundacion and religion is much elder than theirs Councels are lyke to Parliamentes that that pleases one Pope in his Counsell pleases not another as the bokes do easely declare and that whiche one thinkes good makes a law one yere an other condeÌ„nes disanulles What a vayn thing is it than to bild on so vncertain a groundworke Heauen and earth shall passe chaunge and decaye but the worde of the Lorde our God from whence comes our religion remaines for euer as the Prophet sais Therfore the wise builder wil folowe that which will not fade Lastlye where he charges vs that we agree not one wyth another nor wyth oure selues I maye say to him with the Gospell Thou Hypocryte first plucke the mote out of thine own eye and than thou shalte better see to take the beame oute of thy brothers eye There is no sorte of people more giltye in this behalfe than the Papystes be The heathen Philosophers hadde not so manye sundrye sectes and oppinions amonge them selues in their scholes as the Papistes haue in their doynges D. Ponet late Byshoppe of Winton in his answere to the booke that beares Martins name for mariage of Priestes proues wel that Poperye is a monster patched of al kynds of heresy worse than they al. Where such thinges are fullye taught proued I had rather refer you to y e reding of them there than to write one thynge oft I declared to you afore also where ye shal find xxiii schismes among the popes themselues These holy Bishops y â— he craks so much on for their imprisonment and other that in losing their
whether then was supersticion and ignoraunce or nowe in these dayes Forther where the true word of god is taught the holy ghost does so worke there with that vertue does encrease but as the Prophet sais sicut populus ita Sacerdos as the people be so God sendes them Priestes Apprehenderunt mendacium nolueruÌ„t reuerti the people haue apprehended a lye and will not come backe but trust in liyng Sermons whiche wil not profet them as almighty God says by his Prophet Hiere thinkinge they haue done wel because they haue done these abhominations says God by his Prophet Hieremi so as the Priestes be so be the people blynded in herisie as God sais by his Prophet Esai that their hartes do not vnderstande their eyes do not see their eares be stopped for hearinge the trueth so that this maye well be called the time of supersticion and ignoraunce calling darknes light and light darknes that whiche is euill good and good euill And for the brinning of Paules Church which he speakes of was in time of ciuil warre and not destroyed by thandes of God as it was at this time Whosoeuer reades the Chronicles shal perceyue that and this be not lyke Therfore beware of false Prophetes and Preachers which come with faire wordes in their mouthes of the Gospel but marke the frutes that comes of their preachinge howe they haue set the people in such case that no prayer is vsed no fasting litle almes dedes all liberty vsed What disobedience children be in against their parentes howe vntrusty seruauntes be what swearinge and blaspheming of God is vsed of all people what theft whoredome crafte subtiltye and deceipt these be frutes that come of this newe fanglet doctrine Therefore retourne backe againe to the steppes of good fathers afore vs be not caried away as S. Paule sais with a straunge and diuerse doctrine embrace the religion and faith taught in Christes Churche from time to time continually and frame your liuing accordingly or els Gods vengeance hanges ouer your heades readye sodenly to fall vpon you so sais the Scripture and let this token of brinninge of Paules be an example and token of a greater plage to folow excepte ye amende A CONFVTACION OF AN ADdicion vvyth an Appologye vvritten and east in the stretes of VVest Chester agaynst the causes of burnyug Paules Church in London vvhych causes the reuerend Byshop of Duresme declared at Paules Crosse â— Iunij 1561. OUr Sauiour Christ whan the Deuill spake the truth plainly did not confute or gayne saye it but whan he did it frowardly Christ rebuked hym sharpelye As whan the deuill said Iesus of Nazareth what haue we to do with thee art thou comen to destroy vs I knowe that thou art the holy one of god He did not refuse nor denye that truth which he spake but whan the deuill tempted him to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple be rebuked him quickly bicause he alledged y e true scripture maliciously So it is not sufficient to do a good dede barely or speake the trueth only except it be done rightly with such circumstances as be necessarily required to make it good as that it be from the hart and for Goddes cause willingly c. In like maner where this scauenger sweping the stretes with his bookes as a fitteÌ„ brome and officer therto hais spoken the truth not trulye bicause it is for an euil purpose and frowardly I shal passe ouer it with silence but where he followes his maister the father of lies in falsifiyng the trueth or racking the Scripture subtilly I shal by gods grace let the world see his iugling and by truth trulye vttered disclose his shameles lyinge The firste examples that he bringes declaring how god does iustlye plague the obstinate sinners that will not repent after manye warninges giuen are true all but being alledged to bring vs backe to Poperye and for another purpose then God oure Lorde hais taught them they be craftelye misused and ye see whose fotesteppes be folowed And as he vses theym to perswade vs to supersticion so they maye and ought to be vsed specially for maintainynge true religion The Rhetoricians teach that suche kinde of beginninges as maye be applied to two contrary partes are fauty Therefore seinge I maye vse the selfe same reasons and woordes that he haâ—s from the beginning hitherto to train vs to loue and embrase oure godlye refourmed religion he can not muche crake of his wyselye placed examples or reasons But I wyll not stycke wyth hym in suche small poyntes as these although they be fautes but I wil ioine with him in matters of weight and those thefe pointes of religion whiche he hais touched and we differ from him and hys sort in them Committinge the rule and gouernement of hys Church to the Byshops c. THe first is concerning thautority and gouernment geuen to Bishops ouer Gods Church wherin his wordes are not so vntrue as they conteyne a false doctryne and meaning in them Yf ye thinke that I to boldly enter to iudge his meaning confer these wordes with such as folowe in his owne writing wherin vntruly he claimes those priuileges to his Bishops whiche neyther he nor they are able to iustifie and there at large ye shall easlye perceiue what he meanes by these fewe woordes here But I will followe him where awaye he leades me and because he does here but briefly touche it I shall likewise shortly passe ouer it and more throughly search it where he does more at large presse it In the beginninge of their late reuyued tyrannye and afore they had obtained their long desired autoritie to ragne ouer Kinges and Princes it was my chaunce to talke with one of their stoutest Champions and of those that he calles the godly Bishops in prison Among sundry thinges that were to be redressed in talke as he thoughte he toke this selfe same matter first and said it was not fitte for any temporal officer to sit as iudge on any Priest or spiritual manne specially in any spirituall matter For the same cause began Tho. Beket to rebell against his Prince not sufferinge his Priestes to be punyshed for their murthers roberyes and now like good childer they followe his steppes I asked whye for the lawes were then as they be nowe and both verye well that Iustyces in their Sessyons and Assises might and shoulde enquire who than offended the ciuill lawes and the order of religion establyshed whether he were Priest or other he aunswered that in the xx of the Actes of Thappostles it was plaine that God had set the Bishops to gouerne the Churche I saide that was another kind of gouernment that Saint Paule there grauntes to Byshops and differs from that which kinges or Princes claime and ought to haue No sais he marke the woordes and it is ad regendum Ecclesiam regere regum est therefore Byshops haue
anye Priest that paies not the subsidy In that doing they grauÌ„t the Parliament to be aboue them from it to receiue their power Yea further to let them se how they be contrary to theÌ„selfes they giue a lay man as most part of their Collecters were power to interdite suspende and absolue a Priest whiche both be contrarye to their owne doctrine I had not thought to haue said so muche on these his fewe woordes and yet muche more hanges on this their opinion of claming their vsurped power aboue Princes and other ministers For if thys their opinyon were true that god gaue them such autority ouer his Churche as they clame it might be sayde on theym as the Poete sais Ouem lupo comisisti that God had appointed wolues to kepe his shepe There Saint Iames beynge Byshoppe and there sayd Masse ALas poore Masse that hais no better a ground work to be bylte on than false lies and so vnlerned a Proctour to speake for it I pray you who helpt Saint Iames at Masse who halowed hys Corporas Superaltare Chalice vestimentes c. Who was deacon and Subdeacon to reade the Epistle and Gospel who rang to the sacring and serued the pax for I am as sure it was a solempne feast and that these thinges were done as he is that S. Iames saide masse He that tolde you the one could haue told you the other as well as this if he had lust and ye saye your Masse can not be saide without these trinkettes I praye you what Masse was it began it with a great R. of Requiem or Scala coeli or resurrexi For the plague or murrion of beastes part of a trentall or for all christen soules if ye wil haue vs to beleue it ye must tell vs some more I praye you also which Saint Iames was it for we reade of diuers of that name both in the Scripture and other histories liuyng at that time It is not inoughe to saye so it is but ye must proue it yf ye will be beleued I pray you whose masse as they terme it vsed he and of whose makynge was it Chrisostomes or Basils Gregories or Ambrose or that whiche beares hys owne name of Saynt Iames what language spake he Hebrewe Greke or Latin these thynges must be proued afore your Latin popish patched Masse by so many Popes in so manye yeares or it was broughte to his perfection canne be proued Doe they thynke that beccausâ— my Lord Bishop Maister Docter or such Scauingers and corner crepers as thiâ— Champion is say it is so and deceiue thâ— people with lies priuely in corners thaâ—â— none dare saye against it openly but alâ—â— their sayinges must be beleued I do noâ—â— take them to be of that autoritye or credit But I will not stand with him in al these narrow pointes although I could kepe him much play in so doing I agree that Iames brother of oure Lorde was Bisshop there at Ierusalem as the auncient writers testifye but that he said or did anye thing lyke the Popyshe â—louted Latin masse that I vtterly deny For that the church alter Superaltare vesstiments Chalyce c. should be halowed afore they could haue masse said in theÌ„ on theym or with theym it is playne written in their owne law de consecra distincto .i when they haue proued that S. Iames had these halowed howe and by whome they were halowed than I will beleue he said their folish masse and not afore for their masse canne not be done without them Also if they will be beleued they muste declare what order of masse he vsed was it Chrisostomes Basils Iustines â—ertulians Austins Dionisius Isidorus Gregories Rabanus the Romaines or whose els Surely all these were vnborne manye yeares after Saint Iames died that it coulde not be theirs whi I am sure some will say is there so many diuers sortes of so manye holy fathers to minister the Lordes supper and our holye Bishops of late haue burned so many innocentes that would not vse their only one disordert order of massing as though all other were hereticall and schismatical as they terme it but that onely one which they haue deuised disguised and misused yea surelye these diuersityes al be printed and to be had wyth manye moe godlye ones and therefore they can not deny it and bicause they be prynted I will not stande to rehearse them holly for it were infinite There is yet an other liturgie in Print which worde they cal and vnlearnedlyâ— translate euer a Masse bearing the name of Saint Iames but euen in their late raging time of madnes whan they had gotten certayne copies of these Greeke liturgies or ministring the Lordes supper thinking to haue printed them and that it woulde haue stablyshed their doinges whan in triall and translatynge them they see it fall oute otherwais and to make against them they let it alone and suppressed it like as the same holye father and Cardinall fyrste prynted hys booke that he wrote against king Henry the eyght to please the Pope wythall and to sturre Themperoure to warre against England for falling from Popery and after his conscience accusing him to haue done amysse he burned all the bookes he coulde come by and yet nowe they be commonly solde to his shame as these Liturgies be to theirs Al these orders of ministring the Communion differ from their Pope holye relique their Latin masse in the chiefest poyntes that is that the Priest prayes not alone nor in a straunge language eates not nor drinkes vp all alone nor receyues it for other sels it not for money nor swepes the Popes scalding house his purgatory with it but the people pray with him in theyr mother tounge receyue wyth him for the coumforte of their owne soules and not for pockye pigges scalled horse nor scabbed shepe neyther making trentals or marchandise of it but in remembraunce of Chrystes death who dyed for theim But that Sainct Iames neuer sayde the Popysh masse as they would father it on him the Pope himselfe grauntes Pope Gregorie the first called the great for his greate holynes and learninge in comparison of the rest sais that the Apostles consecrated the host onlye with the Lordes prayer whan they minystred Than Saint Iames if he ministred anâ—e thing at al there euen by the Popes confession neuer sayd their latin Masse nor any thing like it For that consecration in latin of theirs hais many longe other prayers crossinges and blessinges and supersticious Ceremonies as all manne see beside the Lordes prayer And in that same selfe Chapter of Gregorye ye shal see other diuersites of Ceromonies and prayers there rehearsed wherein the latin masse differs from the Greke and other Wherefore it was not thoughte of old time to so many holy fathers a wicked thing to haue diuers orders in ministring the communion though our bloudye butchers will not swarue an inche from their father of lyes but burne all that gainsay them Howe manye toyes
these iii. must nedes folowe â–ª eyther that one masse only is good thâ— rest noughte or the reste good and thaâ— nought or els as I am sure he will sayeâ—â—oth are good If bothe be good thaâ— there may be diuers sortes of theym I there may be two diuers sortes and botâ— good why may there not be a thirde or fourth as good Why than maye not thâ— order now apointed in English be gooâ— to On good friday there is neyther Epistle nor Gospel Gloria in exelsis nâ— Crede Sanctus nor Agnus Canon nâ— priuity crossing toying nor blowynge nor their woordes of consecration paâ— â—or Ite missa est not so much as Dominus vâ—bis cuna but streight after confiteor he leapes post haist ouer all to the Pater noster Surely if this be good one daye it maye be vsed oftner and this agrees best with that that Gregory sais Thapâ—stles consecrated onelye wyth the Lordes prayer and therefore it seemes that if anye of their masses shoulde be good that thys goes nexte to the best and simpliest sort without all curiositie If they may doe all perfectlye this daye without their canon than their canon priuitie is not of so great force as they make it to be For sure if this be well on this day it maye be well on other dayes to for God is no chaungelynge nor he commaundes not one sort of communicatinge his supper to daye and another to morow but alwaies suche a one which agrees with his word Their commen aunswere solution is knowen but it wil not serue they must prouide better stucte or els theyr doings be foolysh But to make an ende of this great controuersye for thauncientye of their masse ye shall heare it determined by a miracle from heauen Whan there were diuers sortes of masses as they be called vsed in latin in diuers places as at Millane and euery where almost generally there was vsed Saint Ambrose order of Communion which there continues to this daye and Gregories order was vsed also in other places the Pope to determine the matter woulde trie whether should be alowed through his Dominion For Gregories was not vsed at all in Fraunce and it was thought shame that Ambroses order being but a Bishop should be preferred to the Popes Therfore he tooke eyther of their masse bookes as they terme them in an Euening â—aid them on the Altar locked the Churche dodres and desired god to declare by some miracle whether boke should be vsed generally of all sortes In the morninge Gregories booke leaues were found scattred al y â— Church ouer and Ambroses lay stil the doores beâ—nge fast locked all night as he sais but wise men may doubt This miracle maister Pope like a wise expounder of dreames sais that as the leaues were forne and blowen abrode all the Churche ouer so should Gregories booke bâ— vsed through out the world For this was done by God as well their greate God Bell did eate vppe all the meatâ— that was set afore him al night as Daniell writes But that a man may noâ— be wiser than Mounser Pope I woulâ— intâ—rprete this greate miracle thus That God was angry with Gregories boke and therefore rent it in pieces and scattered it abrode the other as good lay sound vntouched and at the least so to be preferred This was done by pope Adrian the first more than vii C. lxxvii yeares after Christ and thus long their holy masse was in controuersy afore it was determined Than it lackes much of M. D. as they vntruly and proudlye crake These thinges are not writen by any new menne or heretikes as it pleases theym to terme theym but by their own catholicke fathers Durandus and Nauclerus Yea Polychronic lib. vii ca x. writes that the white obseruaÌ„t munkes vse by their profession Sainct Ambrose order and not Gregories euen at these dayes wherefore their masse is not generall I woulde they did make â—n enâ—â— of liynge that we myght â—ake an ende of reprouâ—nge theym and â—oth ioyne together in worshipping the â—uing God only and beleuing his holy â—ord afore al other Saint Austin in â— lyke controuersye of religion betwixt â—m y â— Maniches praies thus O great â—nd almighty god god of al goodnes â—hom we ought to thinke beleue that â—ou art inuiolable incorrâ—ptible and â—â—mutable O triple vnity which al the â—â—urch does worshippe I hauing expeâ—ence of thy mercye to warde me praye â—ee humblye that thou wâ—â—te not suffer theym to dyffer from mee in thy religion and worshippe of thee with whom syns I was a childe I haue had a most speciall agrement in felowship of menne Amen God graunte vs all this to pray and diligentlye endeuoure our selues to seke this vnity of religion in worshipping the liuinge God onelye as he hais taught vs in his holy word and no other waies for his sonnes sake our lord and christ So be it In Englande where the faith of Chryste and true religion was planted aboute the yeare of our lorde C. lxxxii Elutherius Pope sendinge Legates to Lucius than kinge of Englande which conuerted this Realme to the faith and establyshed true religion in Englande whiche continued â–ª CC yeares As the rest of al their doctrine is founded on the Pope so is this This is their subtility to make men belcue that England hais euer receyued y â— christian faitâ— religion froÌ„ Rome therfore we muâ— fetch it from thence still which are botâ— most vntrue If nothing els would this one saying proues him to be vnlearned that thus sais Gildas our country man in his history sayes that Britane receiued the Gospel in the tyme of Tiberius the Emperour vnder whom Christ suffred Does not Tertulian who lyued â— the same time of this Pope write in hâ— booke against the Iewes thus Thapostles are declared in Dauids Psal. to be the Preachers of Christ. Their sounde he sais went oute in all the earth and their woordes vnto the roastes of the earth In whom els haue all people beleued but in christ which is now comen Whom haue other people beleued the Parthians the Medes the Persians they that dwell in Mesopotania Iurie Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrigia Pamphilia Egipt and the parts of Libia about Cyrene the straungers of R â–ª y â— Iewes Proselites men of Crete Arabia and other people as now the diuerse sortes of the Getes and manye coastes of the Murrians al the bouÌ„ders of Spaine diuerse nations of Fraunce and the places of the Britanes whiche the Romaines coulde neuer attaine to nowe are subiect to Christ and the places of Sarmatia of the Danes the Germanes the Sâ—ithians and of many other hid people and prouinces manye Iles vnknowen to vs â–ª and whiche now we can not recken In all which places reanes the name of Christ which is now comen Thus ferre Tertullian Marke in how many countries he sais the name of Christe reaned it was so
to time As I noted afore they deryue al their religion from Ro. to make men beleue that place whiche is a sinke of all sinne and esteamed of none but theym that knowes it not to be the fountaine of all godlynesse But as I declared afore that they forsake all the auncient goodnes in Rome so shall I by thys Popes doinges to lette the worlde see if they will that in mainetaynynge the Pope in wordes by outward apperance they vtterly denye him in their dedes they onely pike out of the filthiest of theym that which may maintaine their supersticion pride and tyrannye That the Saxons inuaded and obteyned thys Realme for the sinnes of the countrye it is to plain but whether Austin planted true religion the Doctors may dout and his dedes will proue It were to longe to write all that Galfridus Britanicus in his historie wrote about the yeare of our lord M. C. L. in the latter ende of his viii booke ca. iiii Howe the holye learned Byshops withstoode the teachinge of Austin at his coming into the Realme and the Popes autoritye that send him but these few woordes of his are sufficient to declare their mind In the meane while was Austin sende of Gregorye he sais into Britayne to preache the word of God to Thenglysh menne which almost had driuen out all christian religion of that part of the I le where they dwelt in Kent but amonge some of the Britains the faith of christ did yet florish and there were vii Bysshoppes and an Archbyshop and many holy Prelates and Abbayes remaining whiche taught their flocke the right order At Bangor in one churche were MM. C. munkes whiche gets their lyninge wyth their handes their Abbot was called Dineth Whan Austin required of the Byshops subiection Dinoth proued by diuers argumentes that they ought him none Than Edelbert King of Kent perceiuing that the Brittans disdained to submit them selues to Austin he sturred vp the other Saxons kings to fight against Dinoth and hys clarkes They gathered a great armye and came to Westchester where Bremael was Maior The munkes and Heremites met him there to praye for the safegarde of their people Eldefridus king of Northumberlande faught with Bremael and slewe M. CC. Munkes and had manye of his owne men slaine Than the Dukes of Britaine hearing of his cruelty Blederic Duke of Cornwal Margaduâ— Duke of Southwales Caduane Duke of Northwales came and fought with him and slewe tenne thousande of his men and about lrvi. mo and Blederic that was the graund captaine was slaine there Thus farre sais he First marke here that the chrisstened Britains wold not submit them selues to Austin the Popes Legate as they that had fallen from religion did Secondly that so many Munkes lyued not idle but wrought for their lyuinge Thirdly note the olde practyse of Papistes to shede bloud cruelly if their superiorityâ— be denied theim Polychronicon lib. v. cap. ix and Fabian ca. Cxix write all this same in effect and also further that Austin called a counsell for stablishing his religion and whan the Bysshoppes asked Dinoth whether they should go to it or no he said they should go and obey him if he behaued himselfe lowly like a disciple of Christ. His lowlines they should trie if he woulde rise and reuerence them whan they come in to the counsell But whan Austin gaue no reuerence to them at their cominge they were angrye and wente their wayes Amonge other thinges marke also the pride of the Ro. Legates that would not as much as make any kynde of curtesy to so many byshops cominge to the counsel Gildas which writing lamentes this miserable destruction of Britaine by bringinge in the Sarons and complaines as muche of the decay and neglectinge of religion as of wicked liuinge in al sortes of menne from the highest to the lowest to be the cause of this plage of God and ouerthrow of the Realme He sharplye rebukes the Kinges but Priestes and Byshoppes rather more than anye other sorte of menne so that it seames to be a double plage both in bringinge straungers to rule and straunge religion to blinde vs wythall And because they crake so much of y â— religion that Austin brought in ye shall see what he vsed There be â— xi questions written in the latter ende of Gregories woorkes in latin whyche Austin beinge in England desired Gregory Pope of Rome to wryte hym his minde and opinion in them The. iii. question is this whiche Polichronicon also touches Lib. v. Ca. ix Why seyng there is but one faith there be diuerse customs of Masses in the Churches and one custome is in Fraunce and another in Rome To this Gregory aunsweres that Austin shoulde pike out of the Romyshe Church or the French Church or any other the best vse them in Englande Marke here I pray you the beginninge and auncienty of their masse here in Englande and the patâ—â—inge it together and beggerly piking it out of al countries also that the pope did not condemne those diuers kindes of masses as our butchers haue and burned them that gain said it and than aske my maisters that so shamefullye lie and proudâ—ye crake their masse to be M. D. yeare olde whither these sainges be truely alledged or no. But beleeue neyther mee nor theym looke youre booke of Gregory and iudge youre selfe who lies Fabian also writes cap. C. xix and Cxxx that this Austin christned the people in the riuer called Swale in Swaldale not far from yorke and that Paulinus in steede of fontes at the same time who was one of those whom Gregorye sente from Ro. hither to preache here baptised manye also both in the same riuer and in another cald Gweni in Gwensedale in yorke shire to was it lawfull than to christen without halowinge of fontes yea withoute fontes wythout crossinge blowinge censinge saltinge spittinge oyle and chreame â— and nowe is not who hais made it vnlawfull sins Are we heretikes in doing it withoute coniured water as Austin did whom they so much commend Nay we doe it not nor wishe it to be done in the Riuer as they did but in the Churche Are they worthy to be called Papistes and glorie so much in it which will not folow the Popes legate nor alow his doinges and dispraise them that dâ— as he did I speake not this because â— woulde be called a Papist or make the Pope my schole maister but that wâ— would not vntrulye be called forsakerâ— of true religion and auncient custome of the churche whan we haue the oldâ— Popes and auncient Romishe Church to teache and alow that which we do And because this scauinger crakes so muche of his holye Byshoppes that suffer so great paines for disobeyinge their Prince and cleauinge to their holy father the Pope they that be not wilfully blinde shall see here that there is none more enemye to that vsurped power of the Pope claimynge to be aboue other Byshops
of thys Reame be declyned from the steppes of Sainct Austin and other blessed fathers and Sauntes whych hadde Masse and vii Sacramentes in the Churche and God was honoured night and daye in the Churche wyth deuyne seruyce I thynke there is no man so simple but he maye easelye perceyue except malyce haue blynded hys hearte As in Saint Paules Churche in London by the decrees of blessed Fathers euerye nyght at Mydnyght they hadde Mattyâ—s all the fore none Masses in the Churche wyth other deuyne seruyce and contiuuall prayer and in the Steple antimes and prayers were haâ— certayne tymes That the people of this Realme be swarued from the steppes of Austin I wyll not greatlye stycke wyth hym to graunte but how not in fallynge from anye goodnesse that he vsed for that they eyther keepe styll or the better in stede of it but in refusynge suche abuses as he fyrste beganne and synce hys tyme the Churche of Goode hays bene ouer loden by the Popes oppression withall And because he says that we swarue from Austin and other blessed Fathers and Saintes which hadde masse and vii sacramentes who those Fathers and Saintes be I woulde he â—adde named theym that it myghte be sene how truly he sais I thinke he durst not nor yet can least he be taken with a lowd lie I thinke he meanes that Austin which is called thapostle of Englande and not that other Austin which is taken for one of the iiii Doctors of the Churche There is great difference betwixt them two both in auncientye of time in learninge and godlynesse Thenglysh Austin lyued here vi C. yeare after Christe the other in Aphric CCCC and that the elder Austin and blessed fathers afore him agree better with our reformed religion than with their Popery I boldlye affirme and if hee or his partakers haue or can saye anye thinge to the contrarye they shoulde proue it better than they haue done hitherto or elles the worlde maye iudge that they more proudlye brag as Golias did Gods people than can truly proue it But as Dauid wyth his slinge and stone ouercome that mighty Giaunt so I doubt not but they shall finde many that with the simplicitye of Gods trueth shall be able to confounde their wicked subtilitye I am sure he meanes chefelye the doctrine of the sacrament of Christes bodye and bloude â–ª but in that he is already ouer matched I remember in the time of that blessed kinge Edwarde the. vi D. Kidlay late Bishop of London came in visitacion to Camebridge and because that doctrine of the Sacrament semed straunge than to manye he propounded this proposicion to the hole vniuersitye to dispute on That it could not be proued by any auncient writer Greke or latin which liued a thousande yeare sins or within D. yeare after Christ that the substance of the bread was chaunged in the sacrament to the substaunce of Christes bodye There was the eldest and stoutest champions of the bole vuiuersitye and the pertest lustye yonge princockes also that coulde be pyked out to saye what they coulde ii or iii. dayes together and one while they hadde liberty to speake what they could in defence of it and an other whyle to speak against them that w tstode it with what reasons or autorities they could deuise But the pithy solutions of that godlye learned Byshop were so stroÌ„g than that vnto the world chaunged his enemies praised him and wondert at his learnyng and liked the doctrine so well that their lusty yonker would haue turned Bishop Crammers boke into latin yea maried to as was nedefull if the good Kinge had liued a while longer If this be true in the chefest point of their religion as it is most true in deede that they haue not one auncient writer without wraistinge to seme to make for them it is much more true in the rest There is another conference of late betwix the reuereÌ„d Bishop of Sarum and D. Coole wherein that learned father laies to their charge that for the rest of their trashe whiche they reuerence as bolye reliques they haue neyther Scripture auncient writer Doctor nor generall counsell to defend their doinges The writinges of good Crammer and these learned Byshops are in print and yet vnconfuted and in strength althoughe one attemted with small praise of late to defende D. Coles parte but if they coulde haue gainstand it no manne doubtes of their good wil. They neede not to feare their recognisans fire nor fagot nor anye punnyshement accordinge as they deserue theyr bloudy lawes are laid on slepe though their hartes be bloudy still And because he but onely names particularly masse and. vii Sacramentes and proues it not to bee so I will not vse many wayes in desprouing it for he is not a man of that autority learning nor credite that because he sais it is so therefore streight it must be so be beleued For I maye saye it is not so wyth as good reason as he yf sayinge wythoute proofe were sufficient For their masse I saide inoughe afore and proued of what auncienty it was I declared afore how Gregories masse boke was allowed vii C. lxxvii yeares after Christ and also how Austin by Gregories commaundement oute of suche dyuerse orders of massinge as ye see in other Countries patched their order of masse together that they vsed here in Englande Seing than by their owne Doctours confession it is manifest to be so many yeares after Christ afore their masse tooke place here or els where I may boldlye saye that neuer one holye father afore Gregory knew nor alowed anye suche kinde of massinge for than was no suche thinge made nor vsed These vnto they be aunswered are sufficient For their vii sacramentes I wil not saye muche at thys tyme because he standes not anye thynge in the proofe of theym The question is meter for the learned sorte than the people to try out such narow points The controuersy is more about the woorde and name than the thynge it selfe and vse of it Wee vse vi of theym that he calles Sacramentes as well as they thoughe not without great reason we forbeare to call theym all Sacramentes and differ muche in the doctrine the order and vsinge of theym with other ceremonies and language than they do Baptisme the lordes supper confirmation of Children mariage orderinge of ministers we vse theÌ„ al as wel as they thoughe not in the same sort that they and teache the people to haue theym in reuerence better than they Confession is left free to all that fele theym selues burdened in conscience and wante eyther counsell or comfort and the weake and ignoraunt are moued to resorte to a learned minister to receyue the comfortable promises of absolution and forgeuenes of sinne by the liuely worde of God applied to so troubled a minde as a souerain salue for al such grefes The only controuersye in number than betwix vs is for extreme vnction whether that be so
the Scripture than any that euer they haue receyued from the Pope If we had not this faith spoken of to the Ebrewes we durst not so boldlye come to the throne of grace wythoute makynge anye moe medyatoures than one onelye Iesus Chryst Where as they in makynge so manye meanes and intercessoures for thē as though God were a cruel iudge and not a mercifull father declare them selues to want this faith in that they dare not so boldly come to the throne of grace without suche spokes men as we vse none for faith onely makes vs bolde to come into Gods presence and begge of his grace But accordinge to their desire let vs searche oute the olde waye whiche is good that we maye walke in it The faith of a Christian manne is generallye conteined in the Crede and particularly declared in the scripture at large and whether we kepe that better then they let wise men iudge We do esteame these articles of the Christian faith so much with the Lordes prayer and the tenne commaundements of almightye God that by commen order it is appoynted and good ministers practise it that Children shall learne theim not in a tonge that they vnderstand not as the Pope would haue theim but in their mother tong w e such a short declaratiō on it by a Catechisme that now a yong child of a ten year old can tel more of his duty towarde God and manne than an olde manne of their bringinge vp can doe of lx or lxxx yeare olde all the canonycall Scryptures we do so renerently receiue and faithfully beleue that we stande in contention with the Papistes that nothing is to be beleued as necessary to saluation but onely the old testament and the new where their faith is neuer certayne but whan it pleases the Pope or his Councell to make theym a newe artycle of their faith or condemne or chaunge any that they haue they receiue it willingly beleue it faithfully and folow it earnestlye with fire and fagor It is not longe sins that by commen autoritye where oure Creede hais but xii articles they added vi mo articles and with no lesse daunger of wythstandynge theym than of life This six stringed whippe did vere Gods people sore vnto God of his vndeserued mercy prouided a remedye And where they thincke no faith nor religion to be good alowed or receiued but that whiche is confirmed by generall counsels or written by the doctors for that I say their religious supersticion cannot be proued by general counsell nor Doctour as the reuerend Bysshop of Sarum laies against D. Coole But so farre as eyther generall counsel or the Doctoures writinges doe agree with the body of the holy scriptures we do not onelye reuerentlye and willingly receiue them but diligently so farre furth as we maye practise theym They crake much of the autoritye of a generall counsel and bleare the peoples eies with so glorious a name and also with the reuerende name of the fathers Doctoures and auncientye where in deede they make more for vs than theym If they considert what Gerson and Panormitanus write which were auncient fathers and not new protestants and were at the counsel of Basil where it was disputed what autoritye a counsell hais they woulde not so stifly sticke to so weake a staffe we must rather beleue one symple lay manne saye they alledginge the scripture than the hole counsell to the contrarye De Elect. Ca. significasti This thinge was well proued true in the greate Nicene councell where manye would haue forbidden Priestes mariage and onelye Paphnutius beinge vnmaried and alledginge the Scriptures which alow mariage in all menne did stoppe it Gregory Nazainzene sais that he neuer see good ende of a counsell They alledge muche generall Counselles whan in dede very fewe of them be generall If it be but a prouinciall Counsell they themselues graunt that it maye erre Nowe than looke bow manye maye be called or are called generall in their owne bookes and ye shall fynde verye fewe Take heede therefore of these Fores ye that will not bee deceyued whan they alledge a Counsell and trye euen by their owne booke of counselles whither it bee generall or no Ye shall fynde that euerye tenth that they alledge is not generall than beynge a particuler and prouinciall they geue vs leaue to deny it and so they condemne their owne doinge whan they alledge nothinge but prouinciall Counselles There is no Crede made at anye generall counselles nor Athanasius Crede but we willingly embrase it receyue it and beleue it Seinge than we openly professe and teache all thynges conteined in the holye Scriptures and all the artycles of anye Crede determined in generall Counsell or written by Athanasius or anye Catholycke father howe can it bee that we be oute of the fayth and howe canne it be but thys sclaunderous Proctour of the Pope hays blasphemed Godde belyed hys Minysters Gods people ▪ and his truth Thus much I haue spoken particularlye to purge vs from his liynge lyppes where he speakes generallye naminge ▪ nothinge but meaninge all that we should forsake both faith and religion and deuyse a newe one of oure owne where they themselues are gilty in this as more plainly shall appeare This shalbe sufficient I trust to them that will be satisfied to declare that we be not oute of the faith seinge we professe our faith now to trie whether we be fallen from the olde wayes of holye fathers and whether auncient recordes do testifie this maner of Church seruice to be godly and haue bene heard tell of afore Luthers time and whether it be elder than theirs I am content to wine with him in triall thereof I trust they will be content to call Moyses Dauid and the Prophetes auncient fathers whye than looke what order of prayer was in the Tabernacle of god and Salomons temple in their time and see whether it go nerer our seruice or the Popes Portuis Rede Dauids Psalme and marke howe manye of theym haue their title directed to the Chauntor or chefe singer and plaier on thinstrumentes to Asaph Hemā Dithum c. to be songe in the Temple and ye shall finde a great sorte suche Rede the xxv chap. of the first booke of the Chronicles and there it appeares whom Dauid appointes to be singers of the Psalmes in the Temple with their posteritye Rede the xiii Chap. of the art of Thapostles and there it appeares that the lawe and the Prophetes were redde in the temple euerye Sabboth daye for their seruyce with a Sermon After the reading sais Saint Luke of the lawe and the Prophetes the rulers of the Synagoge sent to Paule and Barnabas saiyng ye men and brether if ye haue any exhortacion to the people speake Againe in the. xv Chap. he sais Moyses hais of old time them that preache him in euery citye in the Sinagoges where he is red euery Sabboth daye Marke what prayers or kinde of seruice as
worde and therfore we can not beleue theym For we read that Christ tooke the substance of his fleshe of the virgin Mary but neuer of breade Onelye the Romishe prelates haue made this marchaundise put in that article taught this doctrine and beleue this contrarie to the whole churche of Christ beside theymselues Than it is they that disobey the Churche and not wee I spake sufficientlye for theyr masse and Sacramentes afore yet for their sacramentes nowe a litle more He sais here that there be vii Sacramentes necessarye to saluation and yet wythin fewe wordes folowinge he denyes maryage to Priestes and that is as much to saye as eyther that mariage is no Sacrament or that Priestes shall not be saued There is but one waye of saluation for al men than Priests must eyther be saued that way or els condemned But it is to foolyshe to saye that anye manne shall be condemned except he be maried Shall none be saued but maried folkes whan he lookes at him selfe beinge vnmaried and yet not so chaste he will saye naye Than vii sacramentes are not necessarye for saluation to euerye man for many haue bene saued without manye of theym as mariage extreme vnction order of Priesthode shriuinge Byshoppinge and the Lordes supper Who is so ignoraunt but he knowes that many children neuer yea and olde folke to neuer receiued all those his Sacramentes whiche God forbidde should all be condemned No learninge can beare this saiynge to be true that there be vii sacramentes necessarye to saluation therfore by this iudge the rest of his sayinges And least he shoulde thinke the generall order of the Churche to be thus thoughe manye particulars neuer receiue theym yet in searching he shal find that tobe vntrue to Socrat. lib. v. cap. xix Sozo lib. vii ca. xvi in their Ecclesiasticall histories wryte teach that shriuing to a Priest was not cōmaunded by god but inuented by man and therfore whan they see it abused they toke it awaye and vsed it not any more In y e time of Theodosius Themperor iiii c. yere after Christ and Nectarius being Byshop of Constantinople as they write there a Diacone of the churche get a Gentel woman wyth chylde in the Churche that came to be shreuen while she was there doing the appointed penaunce by her ghostlye father The hole churche was so offended at it that not onlye there but manye other Bishoppes beside in their churches left of afterwarde that order of shriuing and lefte euerye manne free to the examination of his owne conscience for his sinnes There hays bene nothynge more profytable to the Pope than thys care shriuinge hais besyde manye suche lyke fylthynesse done by it as thys Diacon didde for no time was fitter to woe or worke their feate in wythoute suspicion than shriuing time No prince coulde enterprise or purpose anye great thing but his confessour wold by some meanes learne it vnder confession and declare it to the Pope or his chaplains Eliseus by the spirit of God neuer told more secret thinges what the kinge of Siria did in his priuy chamber than the Pope coulde learne by these his confessours the secret pourposes of all Princes Than if confession might be taken away as here appeares it was it is not so necessary to saluacion nor the vniuersall Churche hais vsed it euer as he sais nor we disobey not the Churche in leauinge it of seing so many holy men haue done it afore vs. Ioan Dominus writing on the. iiii booke of the sentences distinc xvii and serching out where this their sacrament shoulde be bilded writes thus If we saye it is grounded on the saying of Saint Iames confesse you one to an other manye inconueniences wil folow for so euerye man might heare an others confession howe should Saint Iames Byshop of Ierusalem commaund Peter the highest and the Romyshe Church If it be grounded on Saint Ihons sayinge whose sinnes ye doe forgeue they are forgeuen yet there is no mention to do it in his eare If that will not serue than saye that it comes from Thapostles yf that serue not because y ◠Grecians vse it not than saye it comes from Ro. as does the Cōmunion in vnleuend bread thus ye see what harde shiftes they are driuen to in triynge out the autoritye and auncientye of this their sacrament and howe small it is whan it comes to profe But if ye wil iudiffrently iudge whether the newe Bishops or the olde obeye their Prince and Goddes Church better read the othe of them both and than iudge The Pope firste deuised an othe for hys Byshoppes to sweare at their creation and whan that was not thought straite inoughe he deuysed this afterwarde I N. Byshoppe of N. from this houre forwarde shalbe true to Saint Peter and the holye Romishe Churche and to my Lorde Pope N. and to his successours entrynge canonicallye I shall not be in counsell consent nor at dede that he may loose his life or that anye member maye be taken from him by deceyte or violent handes layde on him or wrong done to him by anye meanes That counsell that shall be declared to me by him selfe letters or messengers I shall not disclose to anye manne wittingly to his harme I shall helpe to defende the Popedome of the Romishe churche and the rules of holy fathers and the rialtes of Saint Peter againste all menne sauinge my order I shall not be at anye councell or dede where anye euil is deuised against the honour and power of them but to my power I shal stoppe it and so shortly as I can signify it to our lorde Pope or some other that will tell it his holiner Hereticks schismatickes and rebelles to oure lorde Pope to my power I shal pursue c. Loke how well our holy prelates kepe their othe to the Pope deny it to their lawful Prince The othe of the newe Byshoppes is in print in Englyshe and so knowen of al that lust to learn that I nede not to write it and although the Popishe prelates refuse to take that othe because it makes the Prince the chyefe gouernonr ouer them whiche they can not abide herafter in his proper place where he falles into that question I shal entreat of it Secondly where he charges vs that where the Churche commaundes to faste we commaunde to eate and haue eaten fleshe in Lente and other forbidden dayes we speake plaine Englyshe and saye he lies Under the name of the Churche he euer vnderstandes Rome yea and not whan it continued in anye pure religion but euen in these latter dayes whan it is euer whelmed wyth infinite supersticious Fasting dayes be appointed commenlye by euerye particular churche and countrye rather than by the uniuersall Churche but yf anye kynde of fasting be generall I say they breake that order rather than we Ambro writes on the. xvii cha of Luc. that for the space of l. dayes betwixt Easter and
as in them lay c. Here appeares how harde it was to diuorse the maried Priestes and howe some wolde not obey though they were excomunicate I marke also how the Bishop calles these mariages vncleanesse and sais they defile the ministerye but to an indifferent iudge the Priestes haue better reasons out of the Scriptures for theym selues than the Byshop had Let al them therfore that haue the feare of Godde afore theym consyder the great plages that God layd on thys Realme at that time The Realme was conquered by straungers Willyam Conquerour and his felowes the Popes Chaplains Lanfranc Bis. of Cantorb vnder kinge Willyam the. ii brought in transubstantiation Ansel. vnder Henry y e. i. next kinge folowinge brought in vnmaried priestes diuorced the maried the doctrine of trāsubstātiacion is so holy y ◠a maried priest may not handel it the one can not stand without the other the one necessarily bringes in y e other The late popes were better then they for in the time of pope Paule the. iii. kepynge hys Counsell at Trident a. xvii yeare synce came forth that woorthye booke Interim wherein is entreated the mariages of Priestes and concludet that those which be maried shoulde not be deuorced but whither any mo shoulde mary it should be referred and differred to a generall counsell These men were more reasonable modest and wise than oure late brutish Papistes for in the late daies of their raging madnes contrarye to this decree of the Pope made not xvi yere a fore they deuorsed here w t vs al Priests that afore were maried But whā these olde Popes see howe harde it was to driue Priestes from their wiues that Helbrande Gregorye vii decreed that none shoulde heare his masse that was maried and by this politie he brought more to passe than by excommunication or anye other waye Suche practises the Popes prelates are ful of for whan the Priestes perceiued their ministerye was despised it made them some thing to relent and at length altogether to quale At the same tyme and streight after the conqueste were swarmes of munkes brought almost into all the Cathedrall churches of the Realme As at Duresme in the yere M. lxxxiii the Priests which than were maried were brought from Duresme and had the prebendes of Aucland Darnton and Norton and munkes were placed in their stedes at Durram in the xviii yeare of Willyam the conquerour and these prebendes were than first founded appointed for these secular maried priestes O gētil Papists of old time that wold not displace maried priests but prouide liuings for them where our Edomites persecute theym wythout mercye Mariage Gods holye ordinaunce in Paradise blessed is punished of poperye in the world suche is their wickednesse In other places as Winchester Worceter and els where this bringinge in of Munkes and dryuinge out maried Priestes beganne a litle afore the conquest vnder kyng Edgarus but no great differens in the yeares Dunstan and Oswalde Byshops of Worcetor first and after of Cantorband Yorke were greate helpers in thys matter Oswald thrast all the clarkes out of worceter Church whych woulde not be made munkes Ethelwoldus Byshop of Wynchester thrast oute hys maried priestes likewise if they woulde not forsake their Wyues and become Munkes and placed Munkes in their stede but they so hated the Munkish life that they were cōtent to leaue al rather than become munks euery one of them saue iii. But after y ◠death of Edgarus Aelfer kinge of Mercia whiche was the middle aud chefe part of England and many other nobles of the realme droue out the munkes and brought in the maried Priestes againe These and suche like are written in the recordes of these churches and were done many of them about the yeare of our lorde ix C. lxiii and after Polychroni also in his vi booke touches manye of these thinges These things I haue spoken more large lye because he charges vs with disobeying all lawes as though these were neuer done in Englande afore and good men shoulde not suffer theym and also that the worlde maye see howe lewde vnlearned a Proctour hays taken theyr case in hande If he were not to farre paste shame he woulde not denye the lawes of the Realme to suffer Priestes mariage seynge the. xxix Iniunction whiche the Queenes hignesse set forth entreates of their mariage onelye But thys is their obedyence that they shewe to their Prynces in deniynge their lawes and it is their olde opinion that Iuiunctions be not lawes nor Princes haue that autoritye ouer them to make suche lawes God gyue theym better myndes or graunte the Prynce better subiectes It were to long to write all that may be said in this behalfe and it is not my meaninge onelye I woulde let theym see whiche woulde learne how wrongfullye Priestes mariage is accused For the frowarde obstinate that wyll not learne but contemne and condemne all that gayne saye it afore they heare theym speake I saye wyth oure Sauioure Chryste in a lyke case lette theym alone they be blynde and guydes of the blynde They are not to be passed on doe as trueth Goddes worde and a good conscience teaches you nothyng regardinge their ralynge blasphemies Austin in his booke de bono coniug ali Ca. xxi comparyng the chastitie of mariage and slngle life together sais thus The vertue of continentie muste be alwayes in the power of the mynde but in dede if must be shewed as things and tymes chaunge For as there was not a dyuerse meryte of sufferynge Martyrdome in Peter that suffered cruell death and in Ioan that suffered not So there is not a dyuerse meryte of Chastytye in Ioan whych was not maryed and in Abraham whyche gate chyldren For bothe hys syngle lyfe and thys mannes maryage serued Chryste as the tyme chaunged but Ioan hadde Chastytye bothe in power and dede Abraham onely in power Again ca. xxii euill menne saye to him that is chaste Art thou better than Abraham but whan he heares it lette him not be afraide but saye I am not better but the chastitie of single men is better than the chastitie of mariage Again ca. xxiii If we compare the things them selues together it is sure that the chastitie of continentie is better than the chastitie of mariage and yet bothe good but whan we compare the men to gether he is the better that hais a greater goodnes and vertue in him than the other hais Thus ferre Austin Marke the difference that he puttes betwix the goodnes of thinges themselues and the goodnes of the menne that haue theim I am sure many wil iudge that I speak this to please my wyfe but we reade that Paphuntius vnmaried whan some in the counsell would haue determined that Priests shoulde leaue their wiues perswaded the contrarye Spiridion being maried as he writes also and hauinge children was neuer the worse or hindred to minister the sacramentes Chriso in his homily
they haue bene not regarded of old time also that they had another facion of making priests and bishops than our papistes of these daies haue and more agreing with the order that the new bisshops vse Fabian writes part iii. ca. ix that the Byshoppe of Saint Dauyds hadde no Palle from Rome at all from the time that Samson was Byshoppe there vnto the time of kynge Henrye i. in whiche space were there xxi Bisshops Polychro writes lib. v. cap. xii that Northumberlande was withoute Bishop xxx yere without Palle C. xxv yeare nor had anye altar at all vnto the vi C. xxiii yeare of our Lord than these thynges are neyther so auncient nor so necessary as Papistes would make men beleue seinge they had no altars than they hadde no Popishe masses for they may not be said but on a halowed altar or superaltare The Pope decreed that all Abbotes and Bishops beinge chosen to their dignities shoulde come to Ro. to be confirmed and blessed by whiche meanes he and the Cardinalles made them to paye suche summes of money to be spedelye dispatched as our vnder officers do nowe for expedicion that they impouerished many Realmes by it and enriched themselues by reason whereof kinge Edwarde i. perceiuynge the Bisshoppe of Elye and Thabbot of S. Edmons berye being than chosen to their dignities to haue spent so much money was ashamed of it and forbade any mo to go thither afterwarde theym selues For they beggerde their Churches or they coulde paye their dettes as Matth Parisien writes all this at large more speaking against this decree of y â— popes The Byshops of Colen and MentÊ’ pay either to the Pope for their palle 24000 Ducats The same man sais also that Thurstan archbyshoppe of yorke going to a counsell holden at Remis by Pope Calixtus was forbydden of the king to be consecrate of the Pope and sworns also but he notwithstandinge as a wicked manne obteyned of the wicked Romanes by rewardes to be consecrate there of the Pope Which thinge whan the kinge hearde tell of he forbade him all places of his dominion Thomas Hatfeld Byshop of Duresme chosen an M. iii. C. xlv and the. xix yeare of Edwarde the. iii. payed to Pope Clement the. vi ix thousande florence of golde for his commen seruice besyde fyue accustomed seruices which were xliii florence yearelye whiche appeares by the Popes acquittance made to him The Bishop of Lions declared in the counsel of Basil that the Pope had ix Millions of Crownes yearlye out of Fraunce of the Bishops A million conteynes ten hundreth thousand If these be not hys griefes perauenture because they haue not the cruche and miter as the old bisshops had displeases him Surely suche horned beasts be fitter for the pope than the Gospell For as the Latin prouerb sayes of vnruly beastes that they were wont to be knowen by hanginge haye on their hornes Fenum habet in cornu So these vnruly popishe cattel haue their marke that they might be knowen by their horned miters or els because they were of the generatyon of the horned beast that Daniell in the vii cha and S. Iohn writes of in his reuelation xiii and xvii Reade the latter ende of Gildas our country manne in his chronicle and chidinge exhortacion to the Priestes and ye shall finde that in hys time which is a M. yere sins there were diuers other parts of the scriptures appointed to be red out of the Actes of the apostles and Peters Epistle whan they were appointed ministers and made Priestes which the Popish prelates vse not in orderinge their chaplens nowe Whereby it maye be gathered that the ceremonies differd also But the barbarousnes of the time hais bene suche sins that scars anye perfect memoriall of their doinges remaine The rude Sarons ouer ranne this Realme and destroied al learning and religion with helpe of the Pope and his creatures the Munkes and Freers so that vnto nowe of late yeares verye lytle good learning â—ais bene heard of Dionisiuâ— Ariâ—pagita as he is commenly cald and whom they saye was Paules scholer and of whom Saint Luk. writes Act. xvii sais in his booke if it be his booke as they saye it is that in makyng their priestes and Byshoppes in his time they vsed no moe ceremonies than to bringe him that was to be calde a Byshop to knele afore the altar to laye the Byble on his head and the Byshop his handes also with certaine prayers and salutations Thys symple facyon was vsed of olde time without anye further adoe The priests Diacons had not all these ceremonies in their creatinge and yet ours Byshops which folowe this aunciente simplicitye are blamed that they haue deuised new facions of their own whiche neuer were hearde of afore But by these fewe thinges that I haue resited it maye well be sene howe malice hais blynded their Popishe hartes falsly to accuse the Protestantes of those things which are not true And to put aways all doubtes that maye be moued for the auncientie and autoritye of their order and facion of makynge Priestes and Byshops Polychro writes lib. v. ca. xii that Pope Honorius sent to Honorius bishop of Cantor the Palle the order how to make bishops this was about y â— yere of our Lord. M. C. xxvii Loke how auncient it is and they cris M. D. years olde where it is not past iiii C. And as Dyonise in this orderinge of Priestes declares howe farre they differed in his time from all these Popishe toyes that this beast woulde burthen the Churche and simple soules withall so shal ye finde in him also how muche they differed in his age in ministring y e Communion in duriynge the dead and other such seruyce and ceremonies from the Popes synagoge in our dayes In so muche that it may be truly saide of this our religion that Freer mantuan said Hec nouitas non est nouitas sed vera vetustas The Popes supersticion maye well be called newe as I haue proued by many particulars afore but this of oures is bothe olde and true as it maye be more fullye proued than I haue yet spoken Therfore let them set better clarkes to speake for theim and proue it by the scriptures or elles for shame holde their peace But a scalled horse is good inoughe for a scabbed esquier and for so false a doctrine so foolyshe vnlearned a dronken dotel is a mete scholemaister They knowe well ynoughe that they be not able to stande in defence of it and therefore they set vp such a dolt that whan he takes a foyle no man wil meruaile and yet they shall thinke that the stoute champions are behind which can binde beares and confute all men But surely this rude asse is the mouthe of them all to vtter what they thinke and they haue no better ware than he hais vttered let them put their helping hands to and bring better stuffe if they haue it but if they run
to the later constitutions of Gregory and Clemens or such like we know what auncienty and autority they be of and our answere is readye for they them selues kepe them not What religion the old Bishops haue bene of from the beginning in these sees whiche he names or howe they were made I thinke no good record declares The rudenesse of the times haue bene such and such destruction of old monumentes both by inward and outwarde warre that none or fewe remaynes I will note onlye therefore suche thinges as were done in oure dayes that euerye man knowes or els such as be in print In Duresme I graunt the Byshop that nowe is and his predecessour were not of one religion in dyuers pointes nor made Byshops after one facion Thys hais neither cruche nor miter neuer sweare against his Prince his allegians to the Pope this hais neyther power to christen belles nor halowe chalices and superaltares c. as the other had and with gladnesse prayses God that kepes him from suche filthinesse his predecessour wrote preached and sware against the Pope was iustly depriued afterward for disobedience to his prince and yet being restored submitted himselfe to the Pope again Stout Steuen and bloudye Bonner with other champions yet liuing be in the like case God defende al good people from such religion and bishops For these other holye Byshops that be reckens and calles saintes if I shuld speake all that I know they deserue it were to longe a booke and to wise menne it wold be thought a scorne rather than a praise There is no good auncient history that makes mention of them for they them selues are not auncient nor long it is sins they liued here There is no better history than y â— popes Portuis and Legenda Sanctorum with such like that speakes of them to read those Miracles would make a horse to laugh yet some thing will I saye In the time of that famous Prince Henry the. viii Whan Goddes ennemye and the ouerthrower of all Princes the Pope was bannyshed thys Realme it was decreed wel that all Doctoures Deanes and other heads menne of the Clergye should declare to the people in their sermons the vsurped power of the Pope diuers times in the yeare Amonge other one D. Str. preachynge at Yorke and inueying against thabuses of Poperye although in many thinges a Papist himselfe and namelye against his canonizinge and making of saintes amonge other he fel in talke of Saint Willyam of yorke said that Saint Willyams horse was more woorthye to be made a Saint than saint Willyam himselfe The reason was this Saint Willyam on a time whaÌ„ he was made new Bishop riding in his rialty ouer Owes bridge within Yorke as he was wont to do oft very gloriously and as stoutlye as Thomas Becket in whose time he liued also the bridge brake and manye that folowed were drowned Saint Willyams horse as full of courage as hys maister wyth wrastlynge and sparringe vppe saued himselfe and his master from drowninge The horse dyd the notable deede and deserued the prayse but the Maister wanne the rewarde and was made a Saint by the pope This and such other is inough wyth the Pope to make his seruauntes Sayntes but thys Byshoppes lyfe and doinges other wayes afore Godde and godly menne are in wickednes as euil as Tho. Beckets He was so vnhappy a manne that whan he was first chosen Byshop of yorke the pope Eugenius woulde not confirme him but made Henrye Murdaâ—h Byshoppe there in his stede Whan both that Pope and Bishop were dead than he was chosen againe and made Byshop of yorke and cominge so gloriously into the citye as I spake of the brydge brake for the weight of menne that folowed as Legenda noâ—a sanctorum sais in his life S. Edmond was so holy as the same worthy history says that whan diuers women came to his chamber to him he would not touch theÌ„ If ye beleue him he euer set great store by women for honour of our lady the same writer sais also and whan one of his friendes rebuked hym bicause he talked so oft with a certaine wife he saide sees thou not howe faire she is and oft sate by me and yet I was neuer temted with her Polychronicon also tels the same tale lib. vii Further whan one of his clerkes sitting at dinner did eate nothinge bycause that day was ordinarye to haue his fit of a quartan he asked why he did not eat bicause I looke for my fitte sais he I wil make a crosse on this lamprey in my dish sais Edmond and put in thy mouthe in the name of the Trinitye and thou shalte be holle But that such holy men may doe what they lust and haue it for wel yet if poore soules should haue done it it would haue bene laughed at counted a charminge for lampery is very euill for a quartaine Lanfranc brougt in the heresy of transubstantiation Anselme diuorsed maried priestes and sais also further that Lucus was the firste Byshop of Rome writinge in the latter ende of his commentaries on the. ii Epistle to Timoth. Let the Papistes loke their bokes and see whether I say true and than iudge howe trulye they crake that Peter was the first Pope at Rome and that all the rest haue their autority from him If this foole had looked he should finde some Byshops of Cantor euen Papistes as Austin and Ansel to haue bene of oure religion in some opinion of the greatest matters moe than Crammer whose writinges and doinges because they be in print and so fresh memory like a berking cur in the night at the mone shine he maye declare hys owne malyce rather than deface the godly memory of that holy martir and therfore I will not speake of him But that the worlde maye see how â—ewdlye he lies whan he says that no Byshops haue bene of oure religion the same Legenda sanctorum telles that Anselme Byshoppe of Cantorb came to Kynge Henrye the. i. to desire licens to goe to Ro. to Pope Urban to fetche his palle The kinge said he knewe him not for Pope nor it was not lawfull for anye to name any Pope without his licence The Prelates and noble menne were called together and Ansel. accused and all the Byshops there said it was not lawefull for hym to take Urbane for Pope in his Realme and kepe his othâ— that he made to the kinge and so al the Bishoppes except Rochester forsaked him and woulde not obey him as their archbyshoppe Iudge now whether any Bishoppes in this Realme haue refused the Pope afore these our dayes And bicause I haue entered to entreate of these holy fathers that he crakes so muche on I will shewe you what is written in the life and historye of Tho. Becket byshoppe of Cantorb their stinking martir traitour to his Prince Whan the Bishop was fled out of the Realme the Kinge sent Embassadours by the
consent of the nobles and Prelates to Rome after him to declare the matter and accuse him of disobeying the kinge troublinge the Realme and the Clergye and of periurye in not kepinge the lawes whiche he sware to first The Embassadours ware Roger Archebysshoppe of Yorke Gilbert Byshoppe of London Roger Byshoppe of Worceter Hilary Byshop of Chichester Baâ—tholmewe Byshoppe of Eretor the erle of Arundel with many other noble men and clerkes Their orations wherein they accuse this holye traitour be there in print seuerallye and somewhat long to recite but iudge indifferentlie whan so many Byshops and the Erle accuse Thom. Becket afore the Pope so earnestly whither we be to blame to accuse him nowe Theffect of the Byshop of Londons oration to the Pope and Cardinals was this and the other byshops â—rations are like Fathers the care of the Churche belonges to you that they whiche be wise might be cherished by you and they that be vnwise might be corrected that they might be wise but he is not thoughte wise to youre wisedomes that trustes in hys owne wysedome and goes about to trouble the peace of his brether the king Of late there fell a debate in England betwiâ—t the Kynge and the Clergye for a light cause whyche myght haue bene easelye buryed yf a gentyll medicyne had bene ministred but the Byshoppe of Eantorb vsynge hys owne will and not oures was to earnest not consyderinge what harme might come by suche headines And bicause he could not get our consent he wente aboute to cast the faute of his rashnes on oure Lorde the Kynge and the Realme and that he might deface oure brotherlye loue he flees awaye no man compellinge him as it is writen in the Psal. The wicked flees wheÌ„ no man persecutes him The other Byshoppe and Erle folowe with like or more vehement wordes Whan kinge Egfride had maried Etheldrede and shee had rather liue a virgin than do the dutie of a wyfe the kinge desyred Saint Wilfride to counsell his wife to do her duty the Byshoppe woulde not but rather encoraged her diuorced her made her a Nunne and the kinge maried another whiche counsell of Wilfride was plaine contrarye to S. Paule sayinge The woman hais not power of her owne bodye but the manne for she can not depart from her husbande without licens and but for a time God kepe vs from suche holy Byshops Polychro lib. v. ca. xxii declares a knot of these his holye fathers Aldelme firste Priest than abbot and lastly a Byshop whan he â–ª was tempted in the flesh toke a faire wenche into bed with him while he might saye the Psalter and yet wold not mary lib. vii ca. ii Walter Byshop of Ertford was slain by a woman whiche goored him in the coddes with her sheares because he woulde haue rauyshed her Ca. xi Walter Byshoppe of Durram made women to serue him the munks at the table with their hear hanginge downe where fewe scaped their handes ca. xii Giraldus Byshop of Yorke was sais he a lecherous man and a witche O holye fathers I trust who so euer considers these things wel wil iudge the holynes of these good bisshoppes on whom he glories so muche The rest of the Byshoppes whyche he names be such like and bicause he speakes not muche of them I will let theim passe for they be no better and oute of the same worshipful history ye shal read of them because no learned manne hais thought mete to loose his time in commendinge suche They lyued all sins the conquest not v. C. yeare sins all made Saintes and promoted by the Pope and he by theym therefore they must neede maintaine his doinges and he theirs I woulde not haue blotted so muche paper with so muche wickednes nor filled your eares and eyes with such filthines but that he prouoked me to it and cals that good which is euil and light darknes The rest be no better In euery Bishopricke ye shal finde some byshoppes that were ennemies to the Pope and his doinges in that blind age In Lincolne Robert grosshead appealed from the Pope to Iesus Christ and wrote diuers good bookes against manye his doinges Ranolde Pecocke of Chichester was condemned in the xxvi yeare of Henrye vi for this newe learninge and specially for saying that a generall counsell and the church may erre in religion In the late dayes of poperye were burned fiue byshops and fiue bannished let them shewe so many byshops that sufferd within this thousand yeare for their God the Pope and they might haue some shewe of honesty for theÌ„ It is a rare thing to see a byshop die for religion and specially a Papist Seynge they reforme religion so swell as they saye it were mete â–ª as they forsake the religion that their predecessours vsed as masse matins ministracion of sacraments tht they shuld also forsake houses parks lands and reuenewes that their predecessours hadde and go from place to place for gods sake and preach If nothinge els this one sayinge will proue him a dissembinge liynge Hipocrite All the worlde knowes that the greatest faute and readiest that they haue to lay against the Gospel time is that Churche landes and liuinges are taken from spirituall menne and bestowed on other and of this thing he complaines hymselfe in manifest woordes hereafter Therfore it is manifest that he woulde not haue the byshops to giue away their landes seing he complaines of the takynge it awaye but he woulde so faine finde a faute in the newe bysshoppes that rather than he find none he wil shew him self a foole in blaming them wherein they deserue it not and which be thinkes to be no faut in dede Why they forsake their masse and mattins is sufficiently declared afore For their houses parkes and landes why some few that haue any such do not forsake them that be left there is good reason but why other some haue them not that they might forsake theym if they shoulde I feare their popishe predecessours haue prouided to wel for them against reason They keepe house and such lands as they can get because they be not Anabaptistes nor heretyckes thinkynge it not to be lawfull for them so to doe for Goddes good creatures are ordeined to serue Gods good ministers and also because they bee not so supersticious as the obseruants freers which thought themselues so holye that they might not handle money They remember also that Godde commaundes them to kepe hospitalitie to their power bicause by this meanes it may the better be done they do not refuse it althoughe gredilye they doe not desire it The Prince also and commen welth desires a seruice of them whiche they can not so wel performe without these but chefely for the maintenance of learning which is so decayed almost remedilesse and so litle hope to recouer it if these helpes be cleane taken away that extreme blind ignoraunce is like to folow this age Looke into the
surely if he be as bold asblind baierd to leade the wrong and thou be so madde to folowe hym thou shalt bee condemned as well as he If he alone might fall in the ditch thou might more boldlye folowe him but now thou art warned learn and take hede for ignoraunce will not excuse thee The Hospitalitye and almes of Abbayes is not altogether to be eyther allowed or dyspraysed The most of that which they did bestow was on the riche and not the poore in dede as halt lame blinde sicke or impotent but lither lubbers that might worke and would not In so much that it came into a commen prouerbe to call him an abbay lubber that was idle wel fed a long lewd lither loiterer that might worke and would not On these and the richer sorte was the most part of their liberalitie bestowed that I nede not to speake of any worse the smallest portion was on theim that neded most not according to their foundation Poly chro sais lib. v. ca. xxxii that Abbaies wasted their goodes in glotony and out rage lib. vii ca. vi that munks vsed haukinge buÌ„tinge disinge drinkinge and therfore vnder kinge Richard i. munks were put from Couentrye and clerkes brought in lib. vii ca. xxv Baldwin a munke and Byshoppe of Cantorb did the like with his munkes the same time ca. xxviii But whether y â— new munkes with their short coates almost wythoute all religion kepinge a shepeherde and a dog where all thys good cheare was afore be worse than the munkyshe Idolatrous Popish creatures which deuised a religion of their owne shewing their holynesse in their longe coates I leaue it to the disputacion of the learned Looke into London and see what hospitals be there founded in the Gospell time and the poore in dede releued youth godly brought vppe and the idls set to worke Poperye would some time fede the hungry but seldome correct the vnprofitable drones that sucked the honye from the labouring bees nor bring vp children in the feare of God but to fill the bellye and not to teache vertue is to encrease vice Wel worth Bridewell therfore for it is a good schole The rest of his railyng is not worthy aunsweringe for there is as muche and more vertue and kepinge Goddes commaundementes vsed nowe as was than and more though both sortes be bad ynough and the best may be amended Aske an olde Papist of the commen sort howe many commaundementes of god and what they be and he can not tell Aske a Protestauntes childe of vii yere olde that hais learned his Catechisme and he can tell his duety to God man how to liue and die what to loue and what to flee better then all their popish Priestes Is it like that he kepes gods commaundementes which knowes not what they be how manye of the people were taught than woulde learne or were moued to learne their commaundementes no fewe suche at these dayes are willinge to heare theym or learne them how much lesse to practise them What a wicked opinioÌ„ is this to think that ignorance is better than learning or that a manne shall better serue God without knowledge of god his duetye and his word rather than by knowing feling and vnderstandinge gods goodnes and mannes frailnes gods mercy and mans misery oure wretched worldlye state and Gods euerlasting blessed felicitye God giue vs grace to thinke and thanke The last reason that he lais for maintayning his supersticion declares what religion and opinion he is of Than was plenty he sais and nowe is scarsenes of all thinges whiche howe true it is let the worlde iudge Looke at the late dayes of poperye and see what dearth death and scarsenes was than and compare it with these dayes and the plentye of gods vndeserued blessing powred on so vnthankefull a people Then akecornes were good to make bread of and vnder Henry â—i they made breade offerne rootes as Polychro sais lib. viii ca. xxi now commenly the porer sort almost haue disdained with brown bread Then scholers of the vniuersitys brake by their houses went and liued abroade with their frendes being not able to continue at their study than was such dearth and scarsity as the like hais not oft bene red of than a Bishoppe of Mentz was so pursued with rattes in a time of derth that he was compelled to flee to his towre standinge in the mids of the riuer Rhene a myle from anye land yet the rats folowed him deuoured him there for his vnmercifulnes therfore is called the rats towre to thys daye this Byshop was no protestaunt UUhether the like be nowe the blinde maye see UUho feles it God giues his blessing plentifully if man coulde consider it thankfully and vse it liberally Who hais cause to complaine or where is it sene I think England had not the like plenteous time so commenlye these many yeres although this yeare corne be deare and somwhat â—ars But I put the case that there were scarsenes and dearth of all things plagues war c. UUere thys a suffycyent cause to condemne our religion No sure no worldlye thinge good or euill wil moue gods people to iudge gods truth by any other thinge than by gods holye booke Should we condemne Saint Austin because the city where he was Byshop was besieged and wun by gods enemies Austin himself beinge within it and died a littell before the wynnynge of it â–ª Shoulde Elias and Eliseus haue forsaken Gods lawe because there was so great dearth and scarsenes in their tymes Shoulde Daniel for the Lions denne or Paul for his chaines haue forsaken their God In the dayes of Elias it rained not the space of iii. yeare and a half vnder Eliseus in the sege of Samaria women eate their Children and Doues dung was good meate Onely the worldlynges iudge by their bellye their religyon The Godles people said to Ierâ— We will not heare the word of God of thee for while we worshipt the mone and sterres we had plentye of all thinges but sins we harde the worde of Godde of thee we haue hadde scarsenes of all thinges This is the reason that led the Iewes and by the same is this Iewishe Papist moued to iudge of gods trueth Therefore I can not iudge him to be of another religion than those whose belye is their God Let vs praise God for our health welth and libertye that he bestowes on vs vndeserued so plenteouslye lest in not thankfullye recetuing his word murmuring against his blessinges we prouoke him to plage vs worse than afore If wealth maye moue consider what great thinges the Lord hais wrought by the Quenes maiestie than iudge Whan the Realme was in daunger to be giuen into straungers handes and none coulde tell howe to deliuer them selfes god of his vndeserued goodnes set vp the Queene ours maistres who quietlye contrarye to all mennes expectacion auoyded theym all UUhat daunger was Scotlande in
vii deacons whē they put away the ceremonies of the old lawe Such decrees as the Apostles and clergye made at Ierusal without anye counsell of the laitie Saint Paule and other of the Apostles taught all Countries and Nations to obey and obserue and sith the Apostles time the clergye hais euer decreed matters of religion and fayth Nor it can not be proued that euer the laite in anye countrie or Nation afore the last parliament did presume to set forth a religion against the whole consent of the clergye Therefore this manner of ministration of sacramentes nowe vsed beinge against the consent and determinacyon of Christes Church which ought to be ruled and gouerned by Byshops it must nedes be schismaticall and they that vse this maner of ministration muste nedes be in schisme The blessed martir Saint Ciprian does declare what daunger they doe stand in that do vse this maner of ministration against the order of christes churche sayinge these wordes They be ennemies of the altar and rebelles against the sacrifice of christ contemninge the Bishoppes and forsakinge the Priestes of God they are bolde to sette vp an other Alter with vnlawfull voyces to make an other maner of prayer to prophane with false sacrifices the veritie of the blessed sacrament of the Alter nor they wyll not knowe theym that fare about to doe againste the ordinance of God For their bold rashnes by the punishment of god they shalbe punyshed as he punished Chore Dathan and Abiron which woulde offer vp Sacrifice againste the consente of Moyses and Aaron some were swalowed vp of the earth and the rest brent with fire to the terrible example of all others Hitherto be Saint Cyprians wordes Also almightye God by his holye Prophete Malachi does crye oute vpon suche Priestes as minister against the ordinaunce of Christes churche sayinge they dispise his name in offeringe vp poluted bread The Prophet Osee does call the sacrifyce of suche Priestes breade of mourninge and all that eate thereof shalbe defiled sayes the Prophet Almightye God does complaine by his Prophet Ezechiel sayinge the Priestes haue condemned my lawe and haue polluted my Sanctuarye woe bee vnto you that goo◠from the truth sayes our lorde by Esai Our lord sayes by his Prophete except suche Priestes will amende quicklye and geue glorye to his name they shall be brought into great necessitye and pouerty and he wyll curse their blessinges and bicause they haue made voyde the pact of Leui they shall be in contempt in all people The. v. aunswere UUhat if this order of ministringe and commen prayer was not agreed on by the vniuersall churche in generall councell Is it not good therefore Than is neyther their latin Portuis nor Missall and masse booke good for the generall churche neuer alowed them as I declared afore It is free for all countries to differ in outwarde order of prayer and ceremonies so that they agree in substaunce of doctrine with the scripture But the laite he sais hais nothinge ado with spirituall matters and religion and alledges Thactes of Apostles how wil he proue that none of the elders there were of the laite nor none of the multitude in the choisinge of the Deacons vnto it be wel proued it maye well be doubted on As in other things so in this he shewes him self how learned he is whan the lawe of God was neglect in the dayes of Saul Dauid commyng to be king and moued with loue of religion cals all the nobility and worshippe of the Realme together thirty thousande and also the leuites and Priestes to knowe their mindes whither they woulde bringe home the arke of God and restore the religion decaied or no and they aunswered al yea what a great parliament was this and full of the laite to determine for receyuynge of religion Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias good kinges sent their visiters abroade throughe the Realme ioyninge in commission from the king noble menne of the laite to go in visitacion with the Leuites Legenda sanctorū telles howe king Dswi cald a synode at Whithy for takinge awaye that diuersitye of kepinge Easter which was here in the Realme whan some kepte it in the ful mone what daye of the weke so euer it fell on other onely on the sonday folowinge Wherein appeares thautoritye that the king iustly clames to him selfe in religion euen in that blinde age whan he cals the learned men together to dispute on it heares what they can saye and concludes so the matter himselfe that all other didde folowe his sentence Ioan Gerson and Panormitanus as I alleged afore no new protestantes but auncient catholicks and both being present in the last counsels at Constance and Basil said they woulde rather beleue a pore simple learned lay man that bringes and alleges the holy scripture than all the whole counsell hauinge no scripture for theym Gods trueth is not bound to miters Byshops and Priestes alone but lay menne may haue and oft haue better the true vnderstandinge of it than those that looke highest in the clergye and therfore they are to be beleued and hearde aswell as the Priestes Did not king Dauid no Priest set in order the leuites howe they shoulde resort in course to serue in y e tabernacle made the Psalmes appointed theym howe where and whan they shoulde be songe Ezechias and Iosias pulled downe the brasen serpent and other Images Did not Prescilia and Aquila teache Apollo the misteries of the scripture By these I trust it appeares that lay menne may doe some thing in religion If these may not serue looke the statutes of Queene Marie how she takes away one religion and bringes in an other and there is no more done now howe blynde be they in their owne causes and partiall to them selfes But it was neuer hard of he sais that the laite in any countrie presumed to set forth a religion agaynste the hole consent of the clergye afore the last parliament O proude bragge was all the clergy of the realme conteyned in a few horned popyshe Byshoppes Was there no Clergye in the vniuersitie nor other partes of the Realme beside those fewe Byshops did not manye in the vniuersitye and abrode in the Realme vse thys seruyce openlye and commenly in their churches afore it was receyued or enacted by parliament Bicause the rulers the Scribes and all the Priestes Act. iiii ▪ forbade Thappostles in their Parliament and counsel that they shoulde not preache Christ anye more were not the Apostles therfore of the clergye or was not their doctrine good because it was condēned in that wicked counsell Was there not a disputacion for religion appointed by the Quenes maiestie wherein youre Clergye was afraide to vtter their foolyshnes in defendinge their supersticion least they hadde taken more shame in aunsweringe than they did in holdinge their peace whiche well they coulde not I thinke the vniuersities with so manye places of the Realme recayuing
lift vp their sacrament offer it for the deade and quicke and eate all vp whan they haue done whether is not euery one aswel the priestes as laite bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes BOth Priestes and the laite be bounden to obey the Queene and her lawes as farre as Goddes lawe will permit but no manne ought to obey the Queene and her lawes against God and his lawes For landes goodes and bodye euerye one is bounde to obey the Queene and her lawes and no man ought to disobey or resist her or her lawes for God in the scripture commaundes But for matters of faith and relygion pertaynyng to oure soule health she hath nothinge adoe to medle for Christe himselfe hath dearly bought our soules with his precious bloude shedinge and committed them to the rule and gouernement of the Byshoppes which watche as to gyue an accompt for our soules Therefore the Scripture commaundes vs to obey the Byshoppes in matters of faith and religion pertayninge to our soules health and the Queene in temporall causes concernynge landes and goods and body The. xiii answere FOr obeyinge the Queenes maiestie and her lawes or for disobeying we do not greatly differ from him but where he sais she hais nothing a doe with matters of faith and relygion we vtterly denye it For that is as much to say as that she were not a christian Prince no nor a Prince at all for Princes are charged by God to maintaine true religion and suppresse supersticion and Idolatry This is the marke that they shote at to be exempt from all correction of Princes that they might do what they lust bring in supersticion in stede of religion and nourish the people in bloude deuotion rule all other and be ruled of none no not of God him selfe So muche obedience the Turkes subiectes owe him and yet denie him not autority in their religion But this mater was more fully handled in the. v. aunswere King Richard the. ii proues wel in his Epistle to pope Boniface the ix that temporall rulers haue oftē from the beginnige bridled and ruled the spiritualtye euen the Popes Salomon sayes he putte downe the Priest Abiather and set vp Sadoc Otho Themperour deposed Pope Ioan. xii Henry the Emperour put downe Gratianus Otho deposed pope Benet the. i. The controuersy betwix Symmachus and Laurens who should be Pope was ended afore Theodoricus kinge of Italy Henry Themperor deposed ii striuing who shoulde be Pope and set vp a. iii. called Clement the. ii Frederick Themperor corrected iiii Popes By these and manye suche like he proues that Princes haue corrected and brought◠in order so many Popes therfore they haue lawful power so to do And shal not our Quene haue power to see whether the clergye here within her Realme do their duty in teachinge true doctrine pure ministringe of the sacramentes and an vpright godlye life In dede this was the beginninge of the controuersye betwix Tho. Becket and kinge Henrye ii and these lyke good scholers of the same schole folowe the same waye Certaine priestes were complayned on for their leud liuing whom the king would haue punished But Becket withstode him sayinge it belonged not to the kinge to handell such holy anointed spirituall men Austin in his boke contr liter petiliaī ii in vi and other sundry chapters proues that it belonges to Kynges to haue care and charge for religion bothe in maintaininge the good and pullinge downe the euill He alleages this of the ii psal Serue the lord in feare c. How shoulde kinges sais he serue the lord in feare but in forbiddinge and punishing those thinges that are done against the Lordes commaundement he serues in one sort in asmuch as he is a man and in another in so muche as he is a king he serues him as a manne in liuing trulye but as a kinge in makinge lawes whiche commaund iust thinges and forbid the contrary So serued kinge Ezechias in descriyng the groues and temples of idolles so serued Iosias so the kinge of Niniue in compellynge the whole citie to pacifie the lord Thus serued Nabucho in forbiddinge by a fearfull law that they should not blaspheme god Kings serue the Lord in this point whan they doe those thynges to serue him which none can doe but kinges c. Thus far Austin Constantine also the good Emperour commaunds the donatistes to come to Ro. to heare the Bysshops iudgement but afterward whan he had hard the matter debated he iudged the cause himselfe and made a law against them as Austin writes Epist. ix viii Thus Princes than callyng their clergye together bicause fewe of theym haue sufficient learninge of themselues and hearing the matters of religion debated and the trueth tried maye and ought by their law and roial power defende that trueth and punyshe the disobedient who so euer they be The Prophete sayes that God made kinges and Queenes to be nurces to hys Churche The Nurces duetye is to feede guyde and chearyshe the chylde yea to correct instruct and reforme him wha◠he does a faut She must not be a drie nurce but wyth the. ii Pappes of the newe Testament and olde feede her children she must teache him to goe whan he is fallen take him vp agayne and geue him suche holesome meat that she maye and dare taste and trie it herselfe God graunt Princes thus to be nurces and not stepmothers that Goddes children may serue their lord Godde maister and father quietlye vnder their winges The conclusion OUr Sauioure Christe whan they called him Samaritan a friende of Publycans and sinners a drunkard c. held his tunge and made no aunswere but whan they sayde he had a deuill he saide I haue no deuil It is written also in vitis prū of Agathō whom certaine woulde trie whether he could pacientlie beare sclaunders and called him proude aduoterer a these and bereticke Al other he let passe and said I am a sinner but I am not an heretick They asked him why he aunswered to that rather than to the other he said he learned of Christe his maister to suffer lies but not his doctrine to be touched for heresy separates a manne from god So amonge all sclaunderous tounges that goe about to deface gods truth by raning on the ministers of it many are borne of manye with gryefe of minde but to be charged wyth false doctrine no honest minde can beare nor good man shoulde suffer For as he teaches the good and holesome doctryns so he should confounde the contrarye to hys power and this was amonge other a great cause why I though not hurt by this his folish railing tooke in hand to aunswere this blynde Papist and bycause those learned fathers whome he woulde seme to touche thought it vnworthy any aunswere Whan I see this copye cast abroade by a malicious member of Antichryst to wythdrawe Gods people from his truth my spirie was stirred to the aunswerynge of the same but manye whan
they see howe foolyshe it was laughed at it and thought it to bee passed awaye wyth sylence for that foolyshnesse of it selfe would confound it selfe to theym that hadde witte or learnynge Yet that the simple ones for whose cause chieflye thys labour is taken should not be deceyued and ouercomen wyth founde phantasyes of ydle braynes and least Goddes ennemyes shoulde crake that none coulde or durste aunswere it I thought good bycause other that can doe better woulde not thus shortlye to aunswere the chyefe pointes of Poperye touched in thys hys vnlearned apologye Thys is the politye of Papystes to sette oute a broker to vtter their ware and catche the vnlearned but the sutteller sort hold their toung stande alofe to see howe thys forerunner wil take place and are thought by their sylence to be able to saye muche more whan as they feare in dede least in beinge aunswered they should take the foile to the cleane ouerthrowinge of their cause Thys proude Golyas hais craked and prouoked all Goddes people as thoughe none durst medell wyth hym but I truste poore Dauid hais wyped hys nose and gyuen hym a falle wyth hys poore slyng and few stones But I feare I lose my laboure for as y â— Prophet says Can the blacke man of Iude chaunge hys colour No more can thys Morian learne to saye well If the miserable state of the people had not moued me I woulde haue holden my tounge and laughe at it as wyse menne doe but that wyth the poore symple ones whom they deceyue in corners wyth such lyes as these suche commen balde reasons as he hais broughte shoulde not preuayle I thought good for pity sake to say thus much to staye theym â–ª whose eyes God shall open to see My reasons and aâ—torityes of pourpose are commenlye taken out of their owne Doctours and writers and suche bookes as are not counted protestauntes nor made by anye of this newe learninge For the nonest I forbare to alledge the learneder sort least the vnlearned shoulde saye they coulde no skyll on such bookes nor knewe not whether they were truelye broughte in and seynge their owne Doctours and schole maysters haue geuen vs thys vauntage against them I feare not to trye wyth theym in writers of greater autoritye and auncientye Thus muche I haue spoken for my parte let the rest whom Godde hays geuen greater knowlege and vtteraunce vnto helpe thus to stoppe the mouthes of Goddes ennemyes and I trust by the power of hys holye spiryte Antichryst wyth hys members shall dayly decay and Goddes gloryous trueth shall shyne to the coumfort of all hys elect though their eyes bee not yet fullye opened to see nor their heartes lyghtned to vnderstande it Godde the father graunts for hys Sonne sake Iesus Chryste crucifyed that we all maye be partakers of his spyryte of trueth and hys wilfull obstinate ennemies confounded his poore lambes deliuered from the wolfes and strengthened against thassaultes of Satan that at the length we may be glorified with hym for euer and euer Amen ¶ Beholde sayes the Lord of Hostes to thee I wyll laye thy skyrtes on thy face and open thy fylthynesse to the people and thy shame to kyngedoines and I wyll cast thy abhomynations vppon thee and I wyll reuile thee and make thee lyke dunge and it shall come to passe that euerye one that sees thee shall fall from thee NauÌ„ iii. ¶ Haue mercye on vs O Lorde haue mercye on vs for we are vtterlye despysed Oure soule is fylled wyth the mockynge of the ryche and despyte of the proude Psal. C. xxiii ¶ Commen places entreated The autoritie of Byshops A. 8. S. Ia. Masse and others B. 7. Englande receyued not the fayth from Ro. D. 3. None is vniuersall Byshop ouer al. E. i. Extreme vnction is no Sacrament E. 7. Our Churche seruice F. 7 Communion Burials Communion table G. 6. Altars H. 1. Confession H. 8. Fasting I. 2. Lent I. 7. Mariage of Priestes K. i. Orderinge of Mynisters L. 5. Succession N. 4. The people learne the Scriptures O. 5. The Princes autoritie in religyon Q. 2. R. 7 ¶ Faultes in pryntynge B 3 leafe line 24. I meane not C 1 leafe page 2. line 19. turned into latin D 1 leafe page 2. line 26. as wel as their D 3 leafe pag. 6. line 25. it cannot be E 1 leafe line 31. nere theym G 1 leafe line 23 Ausegisus G 3 leafe line 1. put out mete page 2. line 17. put out not H 2 leafe line 1. as Iehu page 2. line 20. by blind H â— leafe line 16. some of Duns H 8 leafe line 17. for Ioan Dominus alwayes read Ioan Duns 25. Confession and bow I 5 page line 12. so muche of page 9. line 11. let vs eate fleshe with them K 2 leafe line 17. Epistle to the Ephesians K 7 leafe page 2. line 1. that History placed 16. leaues after M 5 leafe line 9. that Linus was O 3 leafe line 17. 1382. ¶ Imprynted at London by Wyllyam Seres dwellinge at the West end of Paules at the sygne of the Hedge-bogge ¶ The tenth of March Anno. 1563. 2 3 4 5 â— xi â—e vi 7 Math. Esa. 62. Esai 5. Ezech. 3. 9 10 11 12 Osee Hier. 8. Hier. 1. Esai 2. Esai 6 â—â— 14 Luc. 4 Math. 4 Trueth must be truly vttred 1 VVhat autoritye Byshops haue ouer the Church i. Pet. 5. Ioan. 21 Math. 2. Ioan. 10 Luk. xii Luk â—xii Ephe. 4. Psa. 79. Mar. xvi Ioan xx Act. xx Mynyster autoritye of like power all Ezech. 33 Epistula lib. 7. Câ— â–ª 63. Saint Iames neuer sayde Masse i. Cor. 14. aeneas syluius Pistoâ— Boeica Ca. 13. Lib. Epistula 7 Ca. 63. Ioan Faber de missa ver â—ger Masse Hebre. 7. Deut. 1â— Lib. 5 Epistula 33. Good Fridayes Masse Retract i. cap. xv 3 Englande receiued no the fayth first from Ro. buâ—â—n Thapostles tyme. Polychronic lib. 5. ca. 17. Elutherius Epistle to kyng Lucius Rex a regendo non a regno 4 The best witstoode Austin the Popes legate Austynâ— christening Neyther Pope noâ— other ought 〈◊〉 be called â—he vniuersal â—or head bishop of all Lib. 4. epistoâ—â— â— Lib. 7. Eâ— 30. Câ— â–ª 19 â–ª Lib. 4. Eâ—stola 76. 5 i. kyng 17 Iam v. Mar. vi VVhether extreme vnction be a sacrament or no. Ma. sententiar li. 4 disti 23. Ioan dâ— Sco â—us 4 senten distic 23. Midnyghte Mattins oore none masses i. corint ii Antems in the steple 3. kin 18. 6 II. Ebrew Iere. 6. Councels â—ur Church â—ruice agreâ—s wyth the â—uncient Church The Porâ—uds antiquityâ— 7 〈◊〉 6 Paules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 fatâ—â—rs â—nd the apists be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rayer 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Epitaph Fabiola Burials Eccle. 11. Mariage The Communion table Luke 22. 1. Corâ— 10. Lib. 5. Ca. 18. Altars 4 king 10. â—â—â—â—e is not Catholycke â—he difference beâ—â—yx the â—reke Ghurâ—he and the â—atin Our religion is elder than Counsels Ephe. 2. Isai. 40. Luk. 6. The Papistes tourne with the world and dyffer one from another â—â—â— 1â— â— Masse Confession 4. kin 6. The Prelates othe to the Pope Fastynge Ambrose August P. pâ—â— 06. 58. Math 15. Lent Sozo lib. â— ca. 〈◊〉 Prayer Supersticion Ethelothresceia Supersticions Deisidâ— moniâ— Prayer Maryage of priestes Polid. lib 5. ca. 4. de inuenâ—or Act. 21. Roiff lib. 2. Ca. 9 Euseb. lib 5. ca. 26 Sozo lib. 3 Ca. 14. â— Paule Ambrose Platina Ierom. Gregorâ—â—â— â—ii Math. 19. 1. Coâ— 7. Gregorie Note also this notatable Epistle concernynge the same matter Ernulph Ansel. Paschall Polychro Duresme Math. 15. Sozo lib. 1 Ca. 23. â—â—i Ca. 11. Math. 8. 9 The ordeâ—â—ng of myâ—â—ysters Act. 13. Math. 15. Palle Ecclesiast Hieraâ—ch S. VVyllya of Yorke Edmond Lanfranc Ansel. Tho. Becket VVilfride egenda noa Sanctorm in hys fe 10 Spirituall mens landes Gala. 6. Psal. 2. 1. Cor. 9 Act. 5. Ioan. 15. â— thessa 3 1â— Polychro lib. 5. Succession Math. 23. Ioan. 8. Clemens Alexander Pius Marcellinus Liberius Felix Anastasius Leo. Ioan. Sergius Gregory 3 Zachary Steuen Leo. 3. Ioan. 8. Nicholas Syluester 2 Benet 9. Innocent 3. Ioan. 23. Math. 16. 12 Moe and greater plagues in popery than the Gospel Psal. 148. The people shoulde learne the scriptures Psal. 73. Deut. 32. Psal. 133. Ro. 1. Ia. 1. Math. 15. Hospitalitye Dearth Iere. 44. Iustice. August caâ— Epist. fuÌ„d Hiero. con Lucifer August Epist 1512. Ciprianâ—â— simpliei Hiero. coâ— Lucifer Iudg. 17. 2 3 Tit. 3. i. Cor. 1. 11. 4 Hebr. 10. Act. 5. 5 Act. 6. Act. 15. Act. 20. Mala. 1. Osee. 9. Ezech. 22. â—â—â—ac 2. Act. 1â— 1. Chro 〈◊〉 2 â–ª king â— 2. Chroni 30. 34. 17. in VVâ—â—frido â—hro 23. Act. 18. 6 Leuiâ— 10. Math. 19. Ciprianus de lap â—iprianus cecundum â— Ciprianus de lap August ciuitate dei â— 21. ca. 25. 9 Ciprian de lap 10 Num. 16. Ciprian Epist. Lib. 7. Ep â–ª 63. Lib. 4. sâ—â— tent distinâ— 8 II Roma 1 â–ª Math. 1â— â–ª Math. 10. 12 â—3 Isai. 49. â—ere 1â—