filthie traitors the murder both of the quene and of Cardinall Poole a most noble godlie and wisemaÌ„ what nede I to reherse vnto you the rebellioÌ„ of the freÌ„ch meÌ„ the disloialty the cruelty the wast aÌ„d spoile of churches and holy thinges in FraÌ„ce what should I say of the king of ScotlaÌ„d who was by most cruel vil lanie murdered and slaine Now they that haue stirred vp such great broiâ—es and tumultes they that haue committed such barbarous and horrible actes froÌ„ whens haue they their originall or begynning Is it not euident to the wordle that the verie fountaine and spring of al these mischiefes was in Luther And yet it liketh you to cal him the man of God one sent from heauen for the saluation of mankind Tel me I praie you what vertues appeared in him so great that you should conceiue such opinion of him as you doe what continencie of life what grauitie of maÌ„ners What seueritie what gentlenes what contempte of wordlie thinges what contemplation of heauenly thinges what time spent in coÌ„tinnual praiers what daies and nightes passed ouer in weeping and teares for the health of the people What fasting what groniÌ„g and sighing Finally what deedes of most ferueÌ„t charitie hath coÌ„mended this man vnto you so much that you dare saie of him that he maie wel be compared for his excellencie in vertue and godlines with Basile and Athanasius and al other holie men First of all he was as his owne paiges do confesse of nature crewel in his talke rough wrathful haughtie and prowde yea so muche that he esteemed not Melanchton to be a man Then his vowe solempnely made vnto Christ he brake it and like a most filthie ribaude coupled him selfe with a woman whiche had in like manner vowed perpetual chastitie vnto Christ in a monasterie of Vrgines and by this example shewed him selfe to be a captaine and ringleader to al suche as would doe the like To be short he was infamous for many other most heinouse vices and detestable crimes But least his commendable qualities might seeme to be vtterly defaced with the blemish of manie vices I coÌ„fesse he could with a goodlie shew of humanity somtimes hide his rough and boisteous mad nature and so set forth hiÌ„self to the simple people For he was a pleasant coÌ„pagnioÌ„ and at a baÌ„ket a iolie prater in al kind of myrth verie fine if reprochful tauÌ„ting may be called ciuil finenes He pleasured much in scoffing and tauÌ„ting in reuiling the Princes and gouerners of the Church in mockiÌ„g and scorniÌ„g of honest plain folkes such as were true ChristiaÌ„ meÌ„ â–ª But our lord saith SalomoÌ„ abhorreth scorners and coÌ„municateth the secretes of his couÌ„sel with the simple Wherby it may be gathered that Luther was not replenished with the light of heaueÌ„ And yet you thiÌ„k hiÌ„ worthy to be coÌ„pared with the most holy fathers Of felow ship tel me which of al the auncieÌ„t fathers disteined himselfe with ribaudrie and incest Which of them brought the coÌ„moÌ„ people in hope of liceÌ„tious liuing Which of them stirred vp with his sermons sedition and hurly burly in diuers and sundrie places which of them taught meÌ„ to put the hope of their saluatioÌ„ in faith that is to say in a only rash and folish presumptioÌ„ Which of them tied vp the wil of maÌ„ which god wold haue to be free with I caÌ„ not tel what baÌ„des of destenie which of them durst euer affirme that God was the author or chief cause of al sinne which of theÌ„ euer held that al good works wrought and done of holy meÌ„ by the grace and instinct of the holy ghost were vnclean and spotted with sinne which of them euer toke away the true iustice which by the grace and goodnes of Christ iâ— ascribed vnto faithful meÌ„ and coÌ„sisteth in clean life innoceÌ„t coÌ„uersation and exercise of holy workes and in steede of it substituted a newly deuised iustice such as was neuer heard of before For wheÌ„ Luther denied that syn was quite blotted out in holy meÌ„ by the grace of Christ he affirmed that ther was none other iustice but onely the singular iustice of Christe applied to euerie particular man by faith were he neuer so synnefull and wicked the whiche being but one in all men it was impossible that there shoulde be anie difference in the worlde betwene the iustice of anie common man and the iustice of Paule or Peter yea or of the most holie Virgine mother of God And you demaund of me what those monsters of religion are Al these thinges whiche I haue here most briefely comprised I saie are the most horrible monsters of religion and the father of them is not villanous but villanie it selfe not frantike and madde but verie frantikenes and madnes it selfe What shew of bashfulnes honestie or modestie could you see in this man being the ouerthrower of all honestie continencie and modestie What glimse of vertue could he so dasel your eyes withal that you woulde suffer your selfe to be so daungerously deceiued in him And yet wil you continewe in your errour as you haue begonne And yet wil you acquite suche a pestileÌ„t secte as blamelesse and without faulte And yet will you liken the good holie Fathers to Luther a moste vile and infamous caitiue But you triumph excedingly that he stoode so stiffe thirtie yeares together and was neuer punished for his naughtines and owtrage Can you imagin anie greater punishment in the worlde then the remembrance of a synneful and filthie life The remorse of his heinouse offences made him terribly afraied The feendes of hell tormenters of damned sowles vexed his mind The ennemie the diuel shooke him vp and would not suffer him once to breath or rest him selfe Truth it is he woulde banket and make good cheere with his freendes and therewith somewhat relent his intensifâ— cares But neither chambering nor baÌ„ketting is of that force that it is able to raise vp a mans hart weied downe with the peise of synne But what kind of death died this noble holie Father Being at supper with his frinds ouer night he quaffed somewhat freely and the nexte morning was founde dead You saie afterward that there were brought into England by the goodnes of God a golden couple of olde men Martin Bucere and Peter Martyr whose vertues you coÌ„mend aboue the skies Of them I haue nothing elles to say but that I thinke them to be verie lewde and naughtie felowes if for nothing els yet for this cause onely that you so highly commend them for he that commendeth Luther it is not possible that he should coÌ„mend any thing that is godly honest or holy Whereas you put me in mind that I should somewhat temper my style and not cal such men arrogaÌ„t and prowde as you esteeme for gentle and modest signifying withal after a sort the daunger that by them might ensewe towardes me I woulde ye would aduisedly consider howe illfauouredly your woordes hang together
how so euer it plese your maisters to scorne and scoffe at that word But beleeue me we are nothing troubled with the laughter of vngodlie meÌ„ We herken to S. Iohn which commauÌ„ded such as had alreadie confessed their synnes to doe the worthy fruictes of penaÌ„ce We willingly receiue the selfe same wordes pronownced and repeted by that most high maister of iustice the redeemer of mankind For while we obei the commaundemeÌ„tes of Christe we so litle esteeme the tauntes and scoffes of lewd felowes that we are not only not moued with their reprochful talke but also we reioise excedingly in it Now then seing that this sacrameÌ„t is of so great importaunce to saluatioÌ„ seing that we see so great fruicte to be gathered out of it if we doe feruently desire the saluation of al men can you blame me if I sorow and lament that this great gate of saluatioÌ„ is closed vp to manie Christians through the lewdnes and misbelefe of a few men I talk not with you now for so much as you kepe as you saie your selfe the sacramentes of the Churche But if some man of an other disposition shal be so crewell and vngodlie that he wil attempte to damme vp this waie to saluation casting before it piles or heapes of earth wil you suffer it Will you seeing such a detestable offence so refraine your selfe that you wil not crie out vpon it Blame not me then if I doe as you your selfe wil doe if it be true that you saie that you doe keepe and obserue diligently the sacrameÌ„tes of the church But if you speake otherwise then truth I will not much meruaile at it for your doctours are excellent framers not only of impietie but also of vanitie But you will saye peraduenture that muche euyll and myschiefe ariseth by the occasion of this confession If it be so it is not muche to be merueiled at For there is nothing in the worlde soo holye the whiche men agreed in wickednesse maie not abuse to naughtines and mischiefe But it foloweth not by and by that for the defaulte of a fewe lewde personnes thinges ordeined of God for the saluation of men should be vtterly cast awaie For so ther had ben no good thing left this daie in the worlde For al thinges that are by nature wholesome are vnto corrupt and vicious men hurtful and pestilent And to let passe all other thinges howe manie men are wont to abuse the verie mercie of God when he differreth to punish them for synne to the increase of their damnation And yet is not God for all that remoued from his good will and purpose to deale mercifully with vs. But some will saie we confesse vnto God only Yea but God for so much as he can not be perfectely seene of vs hath appointed his Deputies vpon the earth to exercise his authoritie and iurisdiction to threaten and feare to geaue gentle admonitions to incourage to raise vppe to geaue sentence in so muche that who so so euer doth despise them are to be taken and that for great good cause as though they did despise God him self and refuse his order and commaundemeÌ„t Furthermore it were daÌ„gerous to leaue euerie man to his owne wil in this case For howe manie shall you find that shalbe able to search out and consider their owne synnes that wil confesse them with such shamefastnes and contrition of heart as Dauid saith is a moste acceptable Sacrifice vnto God that wil geaue sentence lawfully vpon them selues for that they are in their owne causes verie parciall iudges It remaineth therefore that he that lyueth not vnder the obedience of the Church and wil not abide the iudgement of a Prieste neither would he at anie tyme be confessed of his synnes vnto God as he ought to be â–ª Dowbtlesse Basile the great sawe ful wel what profitte ariseth by this confession when in his Ethikes he ascribed vnto it the very beginning and foundation of iustice So thought Origen when he willed vs that we shuld not delaie it from daie to daie but so soone as we were fallen we should foorthwith haue recourse vnto the Priest Such was the iudgement of all holie men the which exhort vs so often to this godly exercise Neither did the bishop of Rome first ordeine this Sacrament but being before ordeined and commonly receiued he decreed verie prouidently that it should be put in vre at the least once in the yeare lest it might be neglected to the great decaie of godlines But to coÌ„clude this matter I would faine learne of you howe you thinke that place of Esaie to be vnderstanded where he saieth that it shall come to passe after the birth of Christe that a wained child shal thrust his hand into the Cockatrise hole and pul him out If you wil folow the Iewes you shall vnderstand it thus that euen as the Poetes reporte that Hercules being yet in his cradle caught twoo great snakes that were sent vnto him by Iuno and dasht them together so shal euery sucking babe take venemous serpentes in his handes out of their holes and kil them But if you wil expound the place like a Christian man by the children you muste vnderstande those menne to whome Christe hath geauen power to treade vppon serpentes and scorpions that is to saie vppon the beastlines of synnes vpon the crafte and creweltie of Diuelles that lie lurking in the secrete couerte of sowles And although they be simple as children yet are they endewed with suche great power and strength that they can easilie pull owt those vipers out of the moste priuie corners and innermost creekes of mennes heartes and kill them that they may not infecte and poison such as haue ioyned them selues to Christ by earnest and true faith Nowe this thing as it maie be done of the Priestes of Christ manie waies so there can no waie be deuised by anie wise man more commodious then that whiche is by the wholesome confession of synnes for in confession the Priestes doe thrust their handes into the innermost partes of mens heartes that they may draw out the serpentes of synne and dassh them against a stone and kil them But now let vs come to that wonderful Sacrament of the Aulter But before I enter into this matter it liketh me to set here a goodlie saying of Simias written of Plato in his booke intituled Phoâ—do Plato bringeth in Simias reasoning thus with Socrates Me thinketh Socrates as I iudge you think also that it is impossible or surely exceding hard for a man so long as he is in this life to vnderstand the truthe clâ—rely and perfectely The which although it be true yet me thinketh it were the parte of a weake and faint hearted man not to discusse and examine by reasoning on both sides what so euer is wont to be disputed in these darke matters vntil at the length the matter being diligently weyed and considered we may be able either to lerne the
Whereas you saie that I doe fight or contend against an errour it soundeth to my commendacion For what goodlier thing can I doe them to plucke vp pestilent opinions by the roote But when you bring in vpō this that of the selfe same errour which I contēd against ther is none other authour bisides myne owne selfe we had nede of Oedipus to expound it You haue a meruelous liking in darke sayinges Heard you it euer reported that I should say that the workes of holie menne were defiled and spotted with synne and that for this cause no man could atteine iustice by holy workes This is the errour whiche I doe stand against But you wil not once say so and yet you are so babish that you can not vtter what you thinke But the fambling of your tongue we wil lette passe and consider howe fowly you are ouerseene in weightie matters You saie that woorkes are not auaileable to iustification and yet you say that workes are not to be despised for so much as we haue both these opinions grounded vpon the authoritie of S. Paul The principal deuisours and Archbuylders of your newe gospell whome you worshippe as Goddes of whome you learned these mysteries went further then so and said plainly that al the workes the which holy mē doe are not only vnprofitable but also vncleane and spotted through the contagion of originall synne For they doe not beleeue that originall or engraffed synne the whiche we tooke from the spring is quite blotted out in the baptisme of life but that it groweth still and casteth out such a deale of vncleane vice that all the doinges of holy men although thei be done by the mocion and instincte of the holie Ghost yea and referred to the glorie of Christ yet they are deadlie synnes and deserue of iustice the punishment of euerlasting damnation without the great goodnes and mercie of Christ If it be but litle ciuilitie as you saie and as yt pleaseth your great lawier to write also to iudge of a lawe vnlesse it be thoroughly weighed and considered reade diligently the bookes of Luther Melanchthon Caluine and other your learned men and you shall see that this was their opinion or rather that the whole somme of the doctrine whiche they professed stoode vpon this opinion that they condemned al workes as wicked and synfull You see here an extreme desperation of atteining vnto iustice For if no man can be iust but he only that keepeth the law as S. Paule saith if not he that saith Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen as our Lord him selfe declareth plainely but he that doth the wil of the Father if iustice as the Prophetes witnesse is a shunning of all vices and an earnest desire to folowe vertue and honestie if iustice cōsisteth in cleanes of life in innocencio in good and seemelie ordre of the mind in holy conuersation in newnes of heauenly life and in the cōtinual exercise of charity and we be able neither to keepe the commaundementes of God neither to forsake vice neither to folowe honestie neither to doe the woorkes of charitie if it be so that wil we nil we we must needes beare the yoke of synne by what meanes in the worlde shall we be able to assure our selues of the state of iustice through the grace and mercie of Christe if Christe hath not yet broken the force of synne in vs by the merite of his bloude as your maisters say You see here after what sort that man that was as you say sent from heauen hath cut of by his deuises all hope of atteining vnto iustice But see on the other side how wittily he hath deuised a remedie and how al the rest haue folowed him He saieth that no man hath anie particular iustice through the grace of Christ but that the iustice of Christe him selfe is applied to all beleeuers by faith in such sorte that the iustice of Christ is no lesse accōpted and esteemed in euerie faithfull man be he neuer so wicked then if it were that mās owne iustice that staieth vppon faith onely He sayth therefore that it cometh to passe through this faith by the which euerie Christian man assureth him selfe that he is in the fauour of God that the iustice of Christ is imputed to be the iustice of that man that beleeueth You haue here the law of Luther so muche as concerneth this present place thoroughly scanned so that you can not iustly complaine of any wrong done vnto Luther Nowe consider you on the other side what a meruelouse easie waie he hath deuised to atteyne vnto iustice For to whome shal it not be a very easie matter if he wil beleeue Luther to say thus with him selfe This geare goeth gaily wel with me I am in high fauour with God for my faithes sake It is so that the iustice of Christ is become mine owne iustice I am therefore as iuste as Paule as Peter yea 〈◊〉 the moste blessed mother of God her selfe for so much as no man hath the cōmendation of any particulare iustice through the grace of Christ but there is one only iustice applied indifferētly to al such as keepe the faith the which bicause it can not be higher or lower greater or lesser it foloweth that I am so iuste my selfe although there remaine synne in me as he that is most iust You see now how by the diligence of this excellent felow all feare is put to flight presumption set on tip toe boldhardinesse confirmed in her full strēgth and force For so much as therfore a man can not be earnestly prouoked to doe any vertuouse acte being either in extreme despaire or elles in extreme presumption and Luther hath in parte cutte of all hope of iustice and in parte hath brought his disciples into a moste presumpteous affiaunce of atteyning vnto it by deuising an other iustice that was neuer hearde of before is it not euident although to eschewe enuie he spake sometymes manie thinges concerning the woorkes of iustice that he quenched all loue and desire of well doing For I praye you by what meanes wil you encourage a faint man to doe anie honest thing if he haue learned before of some graue person that such as endeuour them selues to doe anie vertuouse acte doe but loose their labour Agayne howe will you driue the feare of euerlasting damnation into them that are altogether carelesse and presume so muche of their owne iustice that they beleeue that no man doth passe them in any excellencie of iustice Wherefore no man in the worlde wil euer bend him selfe to doe holie woorkes if he hearken to the Doctrine of Luther for so much as it is impossible that any man being either in extreme despaire of honestie or elles in extreme presumption of saluation should earnestly endeuour him selfe to folow godlines But you wil say that it may be that Luther did exhorte his countrey men to good workes in his Bookes and sermons I know that
weaned from the acqueintaunce of the bodie so much as it were to be wisshed we coulde bicause we vnderstande that the beginning of mans miserie procedeth of negligence and forgetfulnes what so euer thing mai bring vs to remember the bowntifulnes and mercy of God we vse it very diligētly Therfore euen as we make the signe of the Crosse vpon our forehead the which manner S. Basile referreth to a tradition of the Apostles so doe we set vp Crosses not onely in Churches but also in our howses and highwaies to the end that the remembraunce of so great a benefite should neuer depart out of our minde For if God when he deliuered the peple of Israel by the diligence of Moyses out of the weake dominion of Pharao gaue order vnto them that they shoulde alwaies haue before their eyes in their handes and in such places of their howses as were in sight some monument of that benefit how much more diligently ought we to doe it which are redeemed not by the meane of Moyses but hy the benefite of that most bountifull Lord which was offred vp for vs from euerlasting darkenes and damnation into euerlasting light libertie and glorie For the same cause were the Images of holy men set vp of olde time as it is declared before that men beholding them should be moued the oftener to bend their mindes to thinke vppon those men whiche walked more feruently in the steppes of Christ and to dispose them selues the soner to folow their godlines and vertue For in holie men we doe not so much reuerence the men them selues as the maiestie of Christe whiche dwelleth in their heartes For they are the sonnes of God the brothers of Christe the heires of the euerlasting and heauenlie kingdome the whiche state all suche haue atteined by the benefit of Christ as haue so nailed their senses vpon the Crosse that there liueth none other thing in them but only the spirit will and pleasure of Christ as S. Paule said I liue now not I but Christ liueth in me And so we honour in holy men a most excellent gift of God a verie expresse Image of God yea after a maner of spech certain Gods in the brightnes of whome we extol and praise for euermore the moste high and euerlasting benefite of God Now the faith in the which we liue is such that it doth neither minish our hope in attempting any good woorke neither wipe away quite all feare or doubt of saluation but it bringeth the wel disposed mindes in hope of godlines and vertue and it driueth withall now and then a certaine feare into all such as think vpon the rigour of Gods iudgementes For Christe which by his bloud hath drowned synne as it is writen into the deapth and hath furnished all suche as are come vnto him with a liuely and true faith with the giftes of holines puritie and iustice hath appointed euerlasting damnation to them that refuse to obeie his commaundemente For he was made the cause of euerlastinge saluation not to euerie man that boasteth of faith but to suche as obeie him as Sainct Paul◠saieth Wherefore we beleeue that the woorkes of holie menne are not disteyned with anie vncleanes of synne for that were a derogation and dishonour to Christe for so muche as they are donne by his grace and power and we knowe for certaine that suche as thinke not that the lyfe of manne is to be spente in doing holie woorkes if they continue in that lewde opinion shalbe tormēted in hel for euermore We confesse that men being destitute of the aide and grace of Christe can neither doe nor endeuour no nor thinke any thing that is auaileable to euerlasting saluation and therfore we beleeue that all hope of saluation all the meane to atteine vnto true honour all the staie of lyfe euerlasting resteth in the mercie of God And yet we beleeue this assuredlie that it lieth in vs either to refuse or els to accept thankefully this benefite when it is offered vnto vs. And as we doe not deface neither the signes of the holie Crosse neither the Images of Christe neither the monumentes of holy men so do we thinke that the reuerent ordre of al ceremonies and the religious vsage of holie Sacramentes I meane not any newefourmed ordre deuised and trimmed by the witte of fine M. Haddon but that most old and auncient vsage whiche was approoued by the ful agreement of the holy Fathers as it may easily appeare by their writinges is moste reuerently and inuiolably to be obserued and kept When we fall we thinke it expedient foorth with to haue recourse to the Churche and to the iudgement of the Priest There is made a due examination of the sinne and it is seene howe great the deformitie of it was whervpon the mind which is now ashamed of such vncleanes doth the more earnestlie hate and detest the offence cōmitted and a◠keth pardon humbly and is absolued by the sentēce of the Priest whiche representeth the personne of Christ but yet so that he must discretly submit him selfe to such order as the Priest will inioyne him He that heareth you saith our Sauiour Christ heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me After this we come with feare and trembling and with a good affiance of the mercie of God vnto that most holy and dreadful Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ in the which banket we are so refreshed and strengthened that we doe withstand the tyrannie of bodily lustes with a greater force and courage And bicause it were a daungerouse matter to leaue all this to the wil and discretiō of euery man for there are many sicke men which will not be healed and the life of the common sorte is not so well gouerned by will as by lawe and discipline it hath ben ordeined vpon great considerations that all Christian men should be constreined to laie this so soueraigne a salue to their wounds at the least once euerie yeare There are many which come vnto this Sacramente oftentimes but yet so that they examine them selues before diligently as Sainct Paule teacheth and endeuoure them selues to wassh out all the spottes of synne by the merite of Christ which they may most easilie obteine if they will confesse and forsake their foremer lyfe It is a wonder to see what a multitude of menne is fedde enerie Sonnedaie and Holie daie in the yeare with this Diuine and heauenly foode and howe by the helpe of it they are stirred more earnestlie to seeke after heauenly richesse For we see in them that are oftentimes refreshed with the moste holy bodie of Christe that the darkenes of sinne is driuen away the light of heauen riseth vertue and godlinesse are planted in them the moste goodlie fruictes of iustice are powred vpon them abundantly Bishops such as are able to preach the which hath ben litle regarded of some to the
learned and prudeÌ„t eares of the Quenes Maiestie whose sharpe witte and iudgement you woulde haue ben afraid of if you had wel weighed with your selfe how much pitthinesse there is in her O right excellent Syr Waulter you appeare nowe in your owne likenes Tel me I pray you doe you not see that excessiue praysingâ— doth not aduaunce the dignity of Princes but rather vtterlie peruerte their minde and iudgement oftentimes Do you not know that the most fine and sharp wit loueth truth and abhorreth excedingly all lying and flatterie For what other thing is it to praise Princes excessiuely but to set them out to the world as mocking stocks Truly if your Quene be so witty as I may wel think shee is not by your talke but by the reporte of other men she will tourne you out of her courte and companie as an open and detected flatterer and wil not suffer her selfe to be most impudently mocked of you If you set out her wit if you commende her knowledge in the Latine â—nd Greeke tongue if you praise her courtlie grace and comlines of speach iâ— is well donne But when you make her no meane Diuine when you aduaunce her witte so muche as though I ought to be terriblie afraid of it you assault her Maiestie by verie wilie and craftie meanes Is this your loialtie Is this the part of a kind hert mindefull of the benefites bestowed vppon you Is this well done that a most noble Quene a Princesse endued with most excellent wit and singular qualities should be gibed and scorned of you M. Haddon who haue as you saie your selfe ben fostred and brought vp by her Maiesty Did you so little esteeme her iudgemente that you thought her meete to make your laughing stocke To pull her downe from the setled staye of her minde by your clawing and flatterie To deceiue her for your gaine and lukers sake If when you sette for this bootie you had made your entrie more couertlye your fowle flatterie needed not to haue benne repelled with so greate inforcemente For a manne mighte haue thoughte that you had misdowbted the sharpenesse of the Queenes witte and therfore hadde deuised to vndermine secretelie that you might the better haue scaled the forte whiche you haue desired to take But now wheras you mock so opeÌ„ly ascribiÌ„g vnto her maiesty such coÌ„men dable qualities as can not possibly staÌ„d neither with her age neither with her nature as being a woman neither with her tender and delicate bodie neither yet with her estate which is otherwise employed to weightie and carefull affaires is it not manifeste that you make lighte of her witte Doe you so recoÌ„pence the benefits which you haue receiued of her bowntifulnesse If shee be so wise as you make her to be if shee haue so many excellente vertues as I desire her Maiestie to be alwayes decked and bewtified withall the moderate praises whiche I geaue her shee wil accepte with good hearte but that immoderate flatterie of yours shee will refuse and reiecte neyther will shee suffer her selfe to be mocked of suche presumptuouse felowes to the greate abatemente of her estimation and honour As towchinge the quietnesse of thinges whiche you talke of at large I saie this muche It is the parte of a madde man yea of one that is ignoraunte of the common frailtie of man to trust to much in prosperitie and not to cast long time before by causes passed such aduersities as peraduenturâ— hange ouer his heade Moreouer there canne be no quietnosse where the faithe of the holie Churche is shut out For the minde is troubled yea and oftentimes shaken quite out of the hengies by the remorse of synne the which the most presumptuous and bolde felowes in the worlde are not able to suppresse although many are able to dissemble it As for the comparison of your Church with the Primitiue Churche which you saie may be confirmed by the Histories I saie that either you haue not read the Histories or els you are past all shame You shoulde haue brought some example or testimonie out of the Histories with the whiche you might ouercharge vs. But you can neuer doe it forsomuch as all the antiquitie maketh against you Whereas you saie that your nobilitie is verie well agreed would God it were so but it is otherwise reported commonlye I passe ouer manie thinges of purpose partly bicause they are nothing to the purpose and partly because they are alreadie confuted before But wheras you saie these words Ah be not disquieted gentle Syr I acknowledge your pleasaunt manner of speach As for your heauenly kindred of the whiche you saie you are verie desirouse you doe well in it But I woulde you had some other menne of this stocke and kinred more skilful interpretours of the law of God Then how wittilie was that spoken of you Wherefore saie you that menne haue benne caried awaie by vs from that most aunciente and holie Religion whiche was grownded vppon the bloude of Iesus Christe and hathe continewed alwayes one euen vntill our daies and that they haue benne trained in an other Religion which is moste cursed and detestable Then you adde Doe you beleeue these thinges as you haue spoken them No trnely doe you not These thinges were very merrily spoken of you M. Haddon Doubtlesse your pleasant gyrdes procede of ameruelous wit especially when yon thinke your self to be cocke sure For then as though your discourse had escaped the rockes you pleasure very much to sport and dalie But whereas you saie that I doe not beleeue those thinges whiche I haue saied you are fowly deceiued For I doe bothe beleeue and confesse them neither shal the outrage and vnbrideled wilfulnesse of a sort of rascall varlets euer bring me from the coÌ„stant confession of my faith What argumentes of yours thinke you to be of such force that thei might cause a maÌ„ which is in his right wittes not to beleue that that is confirmed by the testimonie of holie Scriptures by authoritie of the holie Fathers by the recordes of al the antiquitie You saie afterward For in the olde and beste time of the Church neither was their any Popedom neither leaden redemption for synne neither the marte of Purgatorie neither woorsshippinge of Images neither runninge vppe and downe to visite Sainctes neither offering in the Masses for the liue and for the dead with other like These shamefull pointes whiche dooe disshonest Relligion at what times they crope in and by whome they were deuised you are not ignoraunie But you dissemble it to serue the eares of your companie Belke out M. Haddon streine your selfe as muche as you can ridde your stomake of this surfeicte of most barbarouse furie and rage cast vppe your poison spewe out your venime and then shall you openly triumph emongest your compagnions with this peeuish and vaine talke When you haue said nothing prooued nothing alleaged no true testimonie of the antiquiquitie when you haue broughte nothing elles
but to take vppon me the defence of moste holy Religion for the which it were a goodly matter for me to die Al other thinges therefore I let passe that I may come to that place in the which you drawe bloud of your owne body yea and geaue your selfe a deadly wound with your owne handes Your wordes are these What then This holy doctrine of the gospel in the which we haue continued more then thirtye yeares together the most troublesome space of six yeares excepted in the which the Queenes maiestie hath passed ouer all her life in the which she hath founde God so mercifull vnto ber in the which the states of the realm are fully agreed in the which many noble statutes and lawes haue ensewed this true and sincere worshipping of almighty God which is so diligently enuironed and fortified on euery side by the Quenes maiesty shal the voice of a seely felow of Portugal breake it downe What a deale of matter you heape vp together M. HaddoÌ„ how vnaduisedly you speake that I may not say how rashly and madly for first of al this whiche you cal the holy doctrine of the gospel is the doctrine of Luther Zwinglius Bucer Caluin and other the like brainsicke felowes which haue not only by their most pestilent decrees and ordinaunces but also by the example of their filthy and vicious liuing quite ouerthrowen al chastitie holines modestie meekenesse and obedience which haue broken and cast away true faith and in steede of it haue set vppe a rashe and presumpteouse boldnesse whiche haue taken awaie libertie although in their talke they pretende otherwyse and for that haue rewarded their adherentes with a licence to lyue in naughtinesse vncontrolled â–ª whiche haue taken awaie the gyft of iustice which is the greatest and largest grace that man maie receyue of God and for true iustice haue brought in a fevned and counterfeyte iusticeâ— which of a mad and vngodly minde haue not ben ashamed to impute the cause of al synne and wickednesse to God that most perfecte goodnes from whome no euil can proceede which whereas they tooke vppon them to scoure or purge the gospel throughly and to repaire the Churche agayne which tendeth to ruine haue not only not perfourmed so muche as they prowdly and rashly promised to doe but haue moreouer beraied the Churche the vncleanes whereof religious menne could not beare before with much filthinesse of vice and naughtines and haue brought it to be rent and riuen in peaces What should we thinke to be the cause wherefore when any man infected with the contagion of this doctrine is taken emongest vs whiche is counted here a very straunge matter although he set neuer so sad or graue countenaunce vpon it to make a colour and shewe of holinesse yet will the concealed trickes of a disordered and carnal mind shewe them selues and manie fowle vices whiche were before hidden vnder the couert of hypocrisie wil foorth with appeere For the more a man geueth him selfe to this doctrine the more is he contrarie to bashfulnes and continencie I omit to speake of your earnest talke wherein you say that this newe broched Church which is disteined with innumerable vices may be compared with the Churche of the Apostles which was most flourishing with heauenly gyftes with religion and holinesse As for that comparison of myne wherein I shewed what great difference there was betwene the twoo Churches I would not haue you vainly and without any fruicte to find fault withal For as yet you haue not confuted it neither shal you euer be able to doe it And who so euer shall attempt to do it shall doe nothing elles but only set out to the world his owne madnes and impudencie together and cause al men to laugh at his folie and abhorre his malice That I may therfore omit that foolish and shamelesse talke of yours I would you would compare this your Church but onely with the Churche of your auncetours the which thing if you doe you shall finde that there is brought in for the religious conuersation of your forefathers a presumptuouse boldnes for their grauitie and constancie a light and vnsetled harishnesse for their continencie sensualitie for their manhood nicenesse And will you call this the holy Doctrine of the gospel which hath ouerthrowen and defaced so many holie thinges and in steede of them hath brought in such a deale of naughtines and disordre Call to remembraunce I pray you the first founding of this your Churche For you maie not wel dissemble suche thinges as are commonly talked of all menne and in writing commended to the euerlasting remembraunce of all the posteritie Wantonnesse and loue were the first setters vppe of it the breache of lawe and ordre and a hatred towardes the Pope for geauing sentence agaynst the offender enlarged it the flatterie of lewde felowes with the healp of lying walled it inordinate desire and coueteousnesse fensed it the punishinge of holie and innocent personnes halowed it the putting of al menne in feare confirmed it finallye the Doctrine of suche menne as were sent into those coastes not from Godde but from Satan infected it with moste pestilent and seditious erâ—ours Dare you call this a religious â—odly and holy doctrine whose beginning proceding increase and ende you see vnlesse you be in extreme and miserable blindnesse to haue ben set vppon folowed and finished with naughtinesse incontinencie hatred coueteousnes creweltie outrage and madnes Then what a fopperie is that to say that you haue continewed in this doctrine more then thirtie yeares together O reuereÌ„t horeheaded gospel O auncient heauenly doctrine O old vnspotted religion But you thinke that you being a wittie and wilie interpretour of the law forsooth neede not recke much for the antiquitie of your doctrine For you seeme to plead prescription and therefore you content your selfe with the space of thirtie yeares within the which tyme you thinke that the ordre of your religioÌ„ may be lawfully possessed Howbeit if you take awaye from thyrtie yeares the space of six yeares whiche you call a troublesome time it is euident that this your holy Gospel is not yet fully thirtie yeares olde But admitte that the thirtie yeares were fully expired if this title of prescription be good then may the Arabians much better mainteine their sect then you can yours For you defende your heresy by the prescriptioÌ„ of thirty yeres but they wil vphold the wicked superstitioÌ„ of Mahumet by the possession of more then nine hundred yeares You saie moreouer that the Quenes Maiestie for such a pleasure haue you â—o flatter that you neuer call her the Queene as though in the name of a Quene there were litle dignitie or â—ls â—er Maiestie should decaie by and by â—f you should cal her Quene You saiâ—â—herfore that the Quenes Maiesty hath â—assed ouer al her life in this doctrine That this is true I haue none other warrant but your word But if it bâ— so