member of Iesus Christ. If you approoue of none interpretation of Scriptures but what proceeds from Rome you may easily affirme whatsoever you please There is nothing so absurd or so contrary to the truth of the eternall God which may not be wrested by their corrupt glosses as it may seeme to serue to a wicked cause With such kinde of men is no disputation to be held As for that which you inferre touching Arrius and the rest of that ranke it is nothing to the purpose For all the writings of the Prophets together with other manifest Scriptures whereunto we ought to haue recourse in doubts of this nature and to be concluded by them doe evidently confound Arrius and all the rest his partakers Consubstantiality which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is confirmed by very many evident testimonies of Scripture But so is not Transubstantiation which hath so molested the braines of Scotus Occam Biel and all the schoole Divines that many a time they are shrowdly put to it what they had best stay for removing the absurdities which arise therefrom Therefore it is apparant that it is a meere fiction without any foundation of Scripture So that Scotus as Bishop Tonstall did many times ingenuously confesse was of opinion that the Church might better and with more ease make vse of some more commodious exposition of those words in the holy Supper And the Bishop was of the minde that we ought to speake reverently of â—he holy Supper as did the auncient Fathers but that the opinion of Transubstantiation might well be let alone This thing also the same Bishop Tonstall was wont to affirme both in words and writings that Innocent the third knew not what he did when he put Transubstantiation among the Articles of faith and he said that Innocentius wanted learned men about him and indeed saith the Bishop if I had beene of his Councell I make no doubt but I might haue beene able to haue disswaded him from that resolution When Mr. Cheasey said that the Catholicks should doe well to giue way in the Article of Transubstantiation I heard not himselfe speak the words but one which heard him tolde me Whereas you write touching the imprisonment of him and others truly I am of the opinion that as for this present life they liue most quietly Nor doe I think that themselues could haue made choice of a more retired kinde of life if the sting of conscience trouble them not for maintaining a cause that is not good but built vpon the sand But if you will needes haue it that men must of necessity conniue at the beastly and abominable liues of so many Romane Bishops aboue thirty you may also finde fault with our Saviour himselfe for discovering so plainly the pernicious enormities both of the Pharises who in those times were accounted forfooth the holy Fathers and also of their Fathers then dead you may blame also the Prophet Esay who will not haue evill men to be called good denouncing a curse against that man who calleth him holy that is not holy find fault also with Saint Bernard who calleth them the Ministers of Antichrist Those things which other godly men haue written to this purpose doe worthily excuse vs. He blameth those things openly concerning which he confesseth that it is a shame to speake I reveale not hidden things saith he but I reprooue things publickely knowne vnto which thing we are even obliged by the commandement of God Esaia 58. 1. Shew my people their sinnes whereas you say that fiue Sacraments are rejected by vs you doe not say well rejected for wee vse them reverently according to the word of God nor doe we take away the name of a Sacrament as the word Sacrament is generally vsed as was the washing of feete and many other things which may retaine the name of a Sacrament in generall as also they doe among the Fathers But the auncient Fathers and some Schoole men doe aâ—firme that onely Baptisme and the Eucharist are properly called Sacraments It is also the testimony of Bessarion We read saith he of these two Sacraments onely manifestly delivered in the Gospell I wonder at you that you doe so wrest the words of Saint Paul to such a sence as that out of those words all the Ceremonies of the Masse may be established whereas you cannot be ignorant that the greatest part of them hath ben added many ages after by the Bishops of Rome Wee reade also that the Apostles consecrated with the words of the Gospell and with the Lords prayer Moreover whereas Saint Paul had even at that time ordayned already that the people should not only eate the bread with the Minister as his owne words doe manifestly prooue but also drinke of the cup you see how there fellowes haue vtterly â—obbed the Church of that ordiâ—ation of Christ and his Apostles but how iustly or by what good authority they haue done thus let theÌ„â—elues looke vnto it I could never in my reading find 〈…〉 ground of that authority I find the contrary to 〈◊〉 that all men are altogether forbidden to alter any thing touching the word and will of God delivered in the holy scriptures You say that the Scriptures allow prayer for the dead and that you know this well enough Saint Hierom saith that the booke of Macchaâ—â—s is profitable for manners not to establish doctrine You alledge that Saint Augustine doubted in many places whether there be a Purgatorie If that be a doubtfull poynt then it is not to be obtruded as an Article of faith but to be left indifferent For faith is a substance Heb 11. 1 and faith ought not to wauer saith Saint Iames The Bishop of Rochester writeth concerning Purgatory that amongst the Auncients there was either little or no mention of it And so long as there was no care taken for Prgatorie no man sought after Indulgences And so those innumerable gaynes by Pardons were never knowne before Purgatory was found out What shall we now say to bee meant by those words of Saint Paul esteeming gayne godline if this be not it This Mart hath fed and still doth feed many idle bellyes who stoutly driue away the word of God to the best of their abillity that they may not loose their Swine Howbeit at the last the truth shall prevaile how ever these men haue conspired together As touching that which you adde concerning the Invocation of Saints Saint Augustine exhorteth vs rather to stand to the Scriptures then either to his writings or the writings of others and not to build vpon his writings without the authoritie of Scriptures And surely in this poynt my conscience is resolued that there is not one poynt of all these which are controverted that is proved by more evident testimonyes of Scripture then this that God alone is to be prayed vnto and by one mediator namely Iesus Christ. Rom. 10. 13. How shall they call on him in whome they haue not beleeued We must beleeue
as farre as Houghton There they found Mr. Gilpiâ—s barnes full of corne young cattell ready fatted and many things provided for hospitalitie but they make wast of all selling the corne consuming the fatted ware and basely making havocke of all those things which Mr. Gilpin had provided for pious and honest vses There was among them one felow whom Mr. Gilpin had sometimes saued from the gallowes and this knaue was the wickedest of all the rest in rioting away Mr. Gilpins goods Now after the rebels were dispersed proceeding made against the simple people somewhat more sharply then was fitting Sir George Bowes who was constituted marshall for that purpose Mr. Gilpin who was now come home againe begged the liues of many by his intercession for hee knew well enough that many men were drawne as it were into the snare not wilfully but through ignorance and through the fraudulent practises of others And now the whole trouble being over Mr. Gilpin returneth to his accustomed indeavours of studies and charity There was betwixt the most learned and reverend Iames Pilkington then Bishop of Durham and Mr. Gilpin more then ordinary friendship through their long acquaintanc and pariâ—ie of dispositions The Bishop was wont oftentimes to visitt Mr. Gilpins at his house and the Bishop also incited the rather by Mr. Gilpins example builded a schoole at Lancester and brought the statutes of the schoole to be over looked and examined by Mr. Gilpin He vvas also familiarly acquainted vvith and marvaylously respected Thomas Levery a godly and learned man master of Sherborn-hospital There vvas at that time published a booke of Thomas Cartwrights touching Ecclesiasticall discipline vvhich booke vvas exceedingly liked by many in those dayes William Birâ—h a Canon of Durham a man learned but too hastily inclining to that forme of discipline vvhich Cartwright had proposed sent one of these bookes to Mr. Gilpin to read over requesting him to looke over the booke and that he vvould be pleased to vvrit backe his opinion concerning the same Birch seemed to be somevvhat in hast vpon the matter for very shortly after he vvrote againe to Mr. Gilpin requesting him to send over his book vvith his censure of it before M. Gilpin had read it all over Mr. Gilpin did accordingly send backe the booke and a letter to Mr. Birch and as he had an excellent veine in versifying in the end of his letter he wrote certaine verses which are these that follow Multa quidem legi sed plura legenda reliqui Poâ—â—hac quâ—m dabitâ—r copiâ— cuncta legam Opâ—ant vt 〈◊〉 maâ—â—lis Ecclesiâ— cunctis Praesens vitâ— negat vita futura dabit Which verses of his I haue thus Englished Much haue I read but more remaines behind I 'le read the rest when I can leasure finde Men wish our Church no blemish had at all It cannot be so heere in heauen it shall THere came vnto Mr. Gilpin a certaine Cambridge man who seemed a very great Scholler and hee dealt earnestly with Mr. Gilpin touching the discipline and reformation of the Church Mr. Gilpin tould him that he could not allowe that an human invention should take place in the Church in stead of a divine institution And how Doe you thinke saith the man that this forme of discipline is an human invention I am saith Mr. Gilpin altogether of that mind And as many as dilligently turned over the writings of the auncient fathers will be of mine opinion I suspect that forme of discipline which appeareth not to haue beene received in any auncient Church But yet saith the man latter men doe see many things which those auncient fathers sawe not and the present Church seemeth better provided of many ingenious and industrious men Mr. Gilpin seemed somewhat moved at that word and replyed I for my part do not hould the vertues of the latter men worthy to be compared to the infirmities of the fathers The other man made answer that hee supposed Mr. Gilpin to be in an errour in that point But Mr. Gilpin vsed these words purposely because he perceived that this fellow had a strong conceit of I know not what rare vertues in himselfe which opinion Mr. Gilpin was desirous to roote out of him George Gilpin who had most elegantly translated out of low Dutch into English the booke of Phillip Marnixius Earle of Aldegunâ— called the Beehiue of the Romane Church came out of the low Countries vnto Bernard This man was brother to Bernard and Agent for the Queene with the States of Holland amongst whom he left behind him a famous memory of himselfe for his singular wisdome And hauing liued for some space most louingly with his brother Bernard being about to returne from Holland he had advised with the Queene and Councell of the Kingdome touching the affaires which he had to treat vpon with the States in the Queenes name The Earles of Leicester and Bedford exceedingly favored the two brothers George for his wisdome in affaires of state and Bernard for his holinesse of life These requested George to perswade his brother Bernard to declare in wrighting the motiues and meanes of his conversion from the Romane superstition to the light of the Gospell To which request Mr. Gilpin answered that he would do it plainely and sincerely without any dissimulation The copy of his letter to that purpose I found among his papers to be thus The letter of Bernard Gilpin to his brother George in the yeare of our Lord 1575. YOu doe request brother that I should relate vnto you somewhat at large the manner and meanes of my conversion from superstition to the light of the Gospell a thing which I suppose is not vnknowne vnto you to haue beene a worke of many yeares neverthelesse as time and health shall giue leaue I will conceale nothing from you herein I will confesse mine owne shame to the confusion of the Divell I will say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was received to mercy for I did it ignorantly In the dayes of King Edward I was drawne to dispute against certaine positions of Peter Martirs howbeit out of a naturall inclination I haue alwayes so farre as I could avoided controversies and disputations And when I was but a young Divine and had found out by holding that disputation that the foundation where to I trusted was not so solid as I formerly supposed it I thereupon began somewhat seriously to read over the Scriptures and writings of the Fathers that I might confirme my selfe in my received opinions But God freed my minde from that preiudicate conceit by little and little and the zeale which I had for the Popish religion began to coole in me every day more and more But on the other side I felt certaine sparkling desires which vrged me to search out the truth In the meane while I repaired to the Bishop of Durham that I might be further instructed who tolde me that in the matter of Transubstantiation Innocentius the Pope the third
though any other should teach and preach for me as constantly and industriously as ever Saint Augustine did yet cannot I thinke my selfe discharged by another mans paines-taking But if yet I should be persuaded thus to offer violence to my conscience vpon condition to remaine either here or in any other Vniversity my disquiet of conscience would never permit me to profit in my study At his present I praise God I haue obtained a comfortable privacy in my studies neere to a Monastery of Minorite Friers so that I haue opportunity to make vse of an excellent library of theirs so often as I will I frequent the company of the best schollers nor was I ever more desirous to learne Hereupon being given to vnderstand by my brother George that your Lordship had some thoughts of bestowing a living vpon me which thing might interrupt the course of my studies I emboldened my selfe vpon the experience which I haue had of your Lordships loue towards me to vnlock the closet of my thoughts vnto your goodnesse freely Humbly beseeching that your Lordship will be pleased to permit me to live free from a Pastorall charge that I may the more quietly apply my studies And forasmuch as I vnderstand that your Lordship is sollicitous how I should be provided for if God should call your Lordship who are now well in yeares out of this world I beseech you that the thought thereof may no more disturbe you For if I shall be brought low in meanes I doubt not but in short time to be able to obtaine some lecture either in this Vniversity or else where where I shall not lose my time a course which is much more pleasing vnto me then if I should take vpon me a Pastorall charge I beseech Christ preserue your Lordship From Lovaine the 22. of November 1554. Thus farre Mr. Gilpins Letter Now tell me what one of all those gaping rookes of our time hath indeavoured with more art to acquire theâ— this man to decline a spirituall living At his first comming over into the parts beyond the Seas he resided for the most part at Lovaine afterwards he went to Paris Whiles he abode in Paris Bishop Tonstall was carefull that a certaine booke which himselfe had written at that time concerning the truth of the body blood of Christ our Lord in the Eucharist should be published in print by the diligence of Mr. Gilpin I am not ignorant that some Papists haue obiected to Mr. Gilpin that the same worke was by him corrupted coÌ„trary to the mind of the Author And even in mine hearing when after these things I was a scholler vnder him at Houghtoâ— Francis Wickliff gaue notice vnto Mr. Gilpin what was mattered touching the corrupt edition Whereupon he having disprooved that suspicion by many reasons at the last produced the letters of Cuthbert Tonstall wherein the Bishop gaue him very great thankes because he had beene both faithfull and diligent in the edition of that worke At Paris Mr. Gilpin resided in the house of Vascosâ—nus and conversed with learned men And whiles he asked the opinions of learned men concerning these things which had troubled his minde for the most part they answered him in that manner not as if they regarded the pacification of conscience which he aimed at onely but the establishment of the traditions of the Church At that time was Nealâ— at Paris also with whom Mr. Gilpin dealt somewhat freely that both of them together might ioyne in pursuit of the truth They had by chance some discourse touching the adoration of Images Mr. Gilpin was much troubled hearing the Papists condemne Idolatry in their discourses and yet permitting to the people every where the adoration of Images He demaunded with what comfort of conscience any man could bow himselfe before an Image and is not this saith he the idolatry forbidden in the second commandement This did Mr. Gilpin demand of him the rather because he observed the man a little too much addicted to the Popish opinions Neale answered with that vsuall distinction of an Idol and an Image That the Images of the Saints were not Idols and so consequently that the worshipping of their Images was no idolatry Mr. Gilpin replyed there is no mention of an Idol in the second commandement but there is a prohibition of bowing before a gâ—aven Image or the likenesse of any thing that is in heaven aboue or in the earth beneath or in the waters vnder the earth wheresoever they are we are forbidden to fall downe before the likenesse of them And what saith he maketh an Idol The workeman frameth the similitude of some man the graven Image is not an Idol but adoâ—ation maketh it an Idol Therefore the Apostle saith that an Idol is nothing because there is but one God In the opinion of the person adoring it seemeth to be something but that which the fancy of the party adoring apprehendeth is indced nothing in the world therefore Idolatry is when the worship due to God onely is bestowed vpon the creature But whosoever in prayer boweth downe himselfe before any creature whatsoever giveth vnto the creature the worship due to God alone The commandement of God forbiddeth vs to make vnto our selues any graven Image or the likenesse of any creature But they make it vnto themselues who make it for a religious vse We are also forbidden to bow downe ourselues before any such creature for those who doe so doe serue and worship the same creature And in this place that distinction of Laâ—râ—a and Doulâ—â— is frivolous which are words of the same signification forasmuch as that distinction is taken away by the express words of the commandement Thou shalt not bow down vnto them So that bowing downe vnto them is forbidden notwithstanding we see it practised every where To this Neale answereth that the ordinances of the Church are not to be altered without mature deliberation Gilpin replyeth that it is not in ourpower to alter the ordinances of the Church But seeing I cannot alter things already determined in the Church it remaineth that I especially indeavour to charge my selfe and to draw neere to the sincere worship of God as his grace shall inable me Mr. Gilpin did often professe that when he lived amongst the Papists he had observed many things which had estranged his heart from that religion He vnderstood that a mans chiefest comfort consisted in the Article of iustification which Article he saw so obscured in Popery that true consolation was vtterly excluded Therefore he did with all diligence enquire into the Scriptures and writings of the Fachers Returning into England in the dayes of Queene Mary he beheld to his great griefe the Church oppressed with blood and fire and being placed by Bishop Tonstall in the Rectory of Essingdon he began to preach the word of God and sharply to taxe some vices which then raigned in the Church He propounded the doctrine of salvation plainly and soundly which thing procured him