they are the children of God and his â—eyrâ—s And by this firme hope vvhich the Apostle significantly calleth the confidence and glory of hope not of â—aith they patiently expect and attend that which yet they see not Thus vve speake and thinke of Christian and Catholike faith and never cal this imagiâ—ation or fansie But if yow aske vvhether we make so light account of the Protestant â—aith that vvhich was invented by Luther vvith the help of his old man after received by Zuinglius and set forth by Iohn Calvin this in deed vve account a very imagination and fantasie or rather a most vvicked presumption and damnable arrogancie And what can yow say to the contrarie or reprove vs for thus thinking and thus saying Mary say yow the Apostle describing it Hebr. 11. 1. cals it a substance and a substantial ground Looke how wel these 2. agrees an imagination and a substantial ground They cal it an vncertaine opinion fleeting in the brayne and fantasie of man he cals it an evidency demonstration in the same definition Hereof M. B. concludeth See how plat contrarie the Apostle and they are â—â—â— the nature of faith If a man should aske yow in vvhat Apostle yow find this definition of â—aith I suppose your answere would be in the Apostle S. Paule vvhom by the name of the Apostle we commonly meane and who is vniversally of Catholikes esteemed the author of that epistle If yow answere so as of necessitie yow must then by the vvay yow may note and hate the rashnes of your felow-ministers of England vvho in their late editions of the new testament have taken away S. Faule or the Apostles name from that epistle Yow may note and condemne the wickednes and impietie of Beza vvho in Calvins life making a register of Calvins Comments vpon the new Testament â—aith that he hath written Vpon the Actes of the Apostles Vpon al the Epistles of S. Paule Item Vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes as though this vvere none of S. Paules so both Calvin Beza labour to persuade both in the argument also in their comments vpon the same Epistle But let this passe Come we to the Apostles definition vvhich is this Faith is the substance or substantial ground of things which â—â— to be hoped for an argument or sound firme probation and persuasion not as M. B. wil have it an evidence and demonstration for evidence and demonstration is against the nature of faith of things which appeare not noâ— are comprehended by reason and therefore are not evident as demonstrations are to reason and vnderstanding and yet for obedience to God and his vvord which passeth al humaine evidence and philosophical demonstration we frame our wil to obey it and by the same make out vnderstanding to geve firme assent and beleefe vnto it how so ever humaine reason or argument suggest the contrarie As for example in the Catholike Church vpon Christs vvord assuring that in the sacrament is his true natural body the same vvhich was delivered crucified for vs to al Catholikes how so ever they live wel or il faith is a substance ground and foundation of this veritie a â—ound firme and vnremoveable probation and persuasion that thus it is although it appeare not evident to them nether can they prove it by any demonstration or manifest reason if they be once removed from the word of God authoritie of â—aith By such faith â—aith the Apostle we beleeve the creation of the world and al things vvhich are therein By such faith Abraham and Sara old and barren received power to have a child because they beleeved he was faithful who had promised vpon vvhich promise and word of God they so rested that they hoped against hop For which cause of one man even dead by common estimation there rose thousands in multitude like the sand of the sea This faith vvas the right cause why Abraham at Gods vvord was fully resolved to have offered in sacrifice his only begotten sonne Isaac in vvhom the promise of such infinite posteritie and the Messias to come was made And though he could not see by ordinarie reason or discourse how the performance of that promise could stand vvith the death of that his only sonne in whose life and by whose life the promise was to be fulfilled yet thorough this substantial ground of â—aith he persuaded him self that albeit he could not reconcile those two points which seemed to him contrarie yet God vvas able to do it vvho could rayse him vp after death and so after death make him to beget children and multiplie as he had promised To this end the Apostle Paule referreth his examples and discourse of faith that by it as by a sure certain and infallible rocke ground worke or foundation in al adversities we are susteined borne vp and confirmed in assured beleef of vvhat soever God hath said promised ether touching this life or the life to come And vvhat maketh this for the Lutherish or Scottish special faith vvhereby every Protestant Lutheran Zuinglian Anabaptist or Caluinist vvarranteth him self that his sinnes are remitted that he is an elect he is iustified he is the sonne of God and as sure of heauen as Christ him self VVhat one sentence worde or peece of vvorde findeth he ether here in this place of S. Paule or in the whole corps of scripture to coÌ„firme this special faith S. Paule a 100. times speaketh of faith of diuers fruits effects of â—aith but among theÌ„ al what one place is there where faith signifieth that every particular man is bound thus to beleeve that such beleef is necessarie as an article of his Creed vvithout vvhich he can not be iustified nor communicate vvith Christ Let any such text of Apostle or Euangelist be shewed and I yeld If there be no such place as questioÌ„les there is none and this kind of faith being but lately inuented by Luther and his old man and never heard of before and lest of al among the Apostles therefore can not be mentioned in any part of the Apostles vvritings it is as vnfit to applie the Apostles speaches of the Catholike faith to this Lutherish CalviniaÌ„â—aith as it is to applie the EuaÌ„gelists words spokeÌ„ of Simon Peter prince of the Apostles to Simon Mag prince of al heretikes or to interprete of Beelzebub the god of Accaron the duties honors sacrifices appointed for the God of the Hebrues the creator of heaveÌ„ earth And this place which M. B. meÌ„tioneth is so far of froÌ„ approving that Lutherish faith or presumption that it cleane overthroweth and destroyeth it not only in the iudgement and verdite of a Catholike man but even of M. B. him self For the faith whereof the Apostle speaketh is a sure substantial grouÌ„d for that it is built vpoÌ„ gods word which is most certaine infallible and so vvith that there can
his forefathers vvas lead by the same spirite by vvhich they vvere Philip Melancthon vvho liued in VVittemberg vvith him in his epistles vvriteth of him thus Carolostadius primum excitauit hunc tumultum c. Carolostadiut first of al in our memory made this sturre about the sacrament a rude sauage man without wit without learning without common sense who for ought we could perceiue neuer so much as vnderstood any office of ciuil humanitie so far of is it that euer any token or signe of the spirite of god appeared in him Thus Melancthon Luthet in the second part of his booke contra caelestes prophetas against the heauenly prophetes Martinus Kemnitius in his booke de caens Domini vvith diuets others testifie of him that he vvas instructed by the deuil and that him self vvas vvont to bost among his frends scholers that there came to him a straunge man vvho taught him hovv to interprete the vvords of the supper This is my body especially that first syllable This. This master Carolostadius supposed to be a prophete sent from heauen but saith Luther it vvas certainly the deuil or the deuils dame VVhich deuil aftervvards fully perfectly as they vvrite possessed Carolostadiê° So that Alberus a great doctor among the Protestants in his booke against the CarolostadiaÌ„s vvriteth expresly that the deuil dwelt in him corporally yea that he vvas possessed with many legions of deuils In like sort Luther verely beleeued that the deuil spake out of him For vvhich cause he calleth him a deuil incarnate diabolum incorporatuÌ„ and vsually vvriting against him so frameth his vvords and vvriting as though he dealt vvith a deuil in the forme of a man That I cal him Deuil saith Luther let no man marueil thereat For I make no rekning of Carolostadius I regard not him but that other deuil of whom he is possessed who also speaketh by him or thorough him To be short three dayes before his death the same deuil came to him in forme of a man cited him to appeare in fine tooke him avvay out of the vvorld as vvitnesseth the sorenamed Lrasmus Alberus and other Protestant vvriters This vvas that Carolostadius vvho among many other singularities vvherevvith he adoâ—ned the Protestant-gospel especially brake the ise before them and vvas then first Apostle and guide in tvvo chief points in incestuous marriage and denying Christs presence in the sacrament For he being a vovved priest first of al euen before Luther ioyned him self in pretended vvedlocke to a sister and vvithal vvith helpe of his familiar deuised that interpretation of Christs vvords vvhich before is noted After vvhom came diuers others vvho though differing from him in particular circumstance and maner of expounding that short text yet al buylt vpon his foundation and thereof raised one the self same conclusion that the sacrament vvas only a signe Christs true body blud remoued as far from it as the highest heaueÌ„ is from the lovvest earth as Beza spake in the assembly of Poissye is commonly found in al the sacramentarie vvriters ¶ The first that folovved Carolostadius vvas Hulderike Zuinglius made from a parish-priest a Minister and an Apostata vvho not condemning the exposition of Carolostadius liked yet better of his ovvne conceite as al heretiks do vvhich vvas to applie Christs words to the sacrament but to expound the second particle Est is by the vvord significat doth signifie so that the meaning of Christs vvords according to him is This is my body that is to say this being mere bread doth signifie my body And this Zuinglius supposed to be the true sense and meaning of the holy ghost vsually arresteth him selfe vpon that significatiue exposition of the second vvord is as Carolostadius preferred the turning avvay of the first vvord This and therefore in diuers vvorks treatises heapeth vp together a number of places vvhere the vvorde est must needs stand for significat and finally this interpretation he accompteth so sure and sound as that he boldly pronounceth it can neuer be refelled by any scripture Hovvbeit these tvvo Commentaries thus made vpon Christs vvords that of Carolostadius and this of Zuinglius Luther vvho wrote many books against them both comparing together If quoth he I should geue sentence in the question betwene Carolostadius and Zuinglius I wold boldly pronounce that Carolostadius exposition were the more probable for their heresie then this other of Zuinglius For in this there is no colour of truth Next folovved Oecolampadius first a frier after an Apostata like those other vvho inuented a third shift vvhich vvas to leaue the first vvord This and the second vvord is in their proper and vsual signification but to alter the vvord body in to a figure and so to yelde the sense as though Christ shold say This is a figure of my body And yet vvhich stil is to be marked thus did OecolaÌ„padius not disprouing that of Carolostadius no more then did Zuinglius but preferring his owne marie with free libertie licence to his gospelling reader to take vvhich he listed because both suffised vtterly to destroy Christs real presence VVhereof thus vvriteth Balthasar PacimoÌ„tanus head of the Anabaptists in his letters to Oecolampadius I am very glad to vnderstand that yow dislike not Carolostadius bookes of the sacrament This your iudgement wold I ful fayne haue wrong out before For I knew right wel or at least I supposed that your opinion and ours disagreed nothing at al. But yow alwaies answered me in obscuritie and surely it was wisdom so to do and the time required it But now the time is to preach on the howse top that which before was whispered in corners So that albeit Zuinglius and Oecolampadius made choise better esteemed as hath bene sayd ech his ovvne imagination yet they approued ful wel that of their first founder Carolostadiê° for that these three opinions vvere in substance al one and al tended to one scope and marke ¶ This licence of turning and tossing the sacred vvords of our Sauiour being once geuen forthvvith by like right taken and practised of euerie sectarie that had any colour of learning and vvit many more ensued about the same time one vpon an other vvho al building vpon the foundation of Carolostadius and tending to one end that is to remoue the presence of Christ from the holy mysterie yet by diuers sundry vvaies vvrought the same eâ—h after his ovvne peculiar fansie perverting vvresting the vvords of the Institution vvhose seueral corruptions manglings Luther in one place reciteth refuteth to the number of six one vvhereof to vse Luthers vvords set as it were on the racke cleane inuerted turned vpside downe the whole text transposing the first word This from his first place to the last thus expounding the sentence Take and eate my body That
circuâ—cised afterward received the signe of circumcision a seale of the iustice of faith which he had being yet vncircumcised that he should be the father of them thaâ— beleeue c. And vvhat maketh this for the sacrament of the Supper vvhat to our purpose here Certainly as much as circumcision resembleth the supper For first it vvâ—l not folovv in any reason ether humane or divine that vvhich is spoken of one particular streight vvays to be extended to al. The argument on the contraâ—ie side is good from al to some or any one But from one to al is as vvise as if I should say M. B. is minister eâ—go al men are ministers For questionles not al sacraments of the old lavv vvere such signes and seales of iustice For so al that vvere vvashed or purified Iudaically al that eate the Paschal lamb or vnleavened bread yea by the Protestant doctrine al that passed the red sea and eate of Manna or drunke of the vvater issuing out of the rocke vvhich the Protestants make as good sacraments as are the Christian should haue bene iustified vvhich iâ— flat against the Apostle and should from god him self haue received the seale and testification that they vvere iust before him Next if a man deny the sacraments of the old and new law to be of one qualitie as al Catholikes do ever did then againe the collection from circumcision to the supper is fond foolish Thirdly it wil not folow from this of Abraham to any sacrameÌ„t that it is a seale of iustice to the receiuer For albeit it were so in AbrahaÌ„ of whom the scripture testifieth that before this time he was iustified and afterwards receiving the signe of circumcision that was to him a seale and confirmation of iustice as the plain storie and sequele of the Scripture sheweth and S. Chrysostom expoundeth yet this signe can be no such seale to al others except they haue the like warrant and testimonie of their iustice from god out of his word as Abraham had which to affirme fighteth directly against the Protestants doctrine who teach that many were as then circumcised so now baptized who are not iust before god but remayne stil in their sinnes So nether baptisme now nor circumcision then could be to such men a seale and confirmation of iustice which they then had not nor novv haue Fourthly this vvas to Abraham a seale not of iustice only but also of an other promise as vvitnesseth S. Paule â—â— fiereâ— pater multarum gentium that he should become the father of many nations both of Ievves Gentilessuch as beleeved For as before his circumcision he vvas iustified by his faith to testifie that the Gentiles might be iustified if they beleeved and did as he did vvithout circumcision so after vvas he circumcised to testifie that in like â—ort the circumcised Ievv should be iustified as he vvas And as to him his circumcision vvas a seale of his iustice by â—aith so vvas it also a seale assurance that he should be the father of many natioÌ„s vvhich beleeved vvere they circumcised or no. Which both parts the Apostle in one brief sentence for this cause coupleth together And nether this Apostle nor any other nether Evangelist noâ— prophet ever calleth circumcision a seale but in this special place and that no doubt for this special reason So that this being a proper privilege and prerogatiue geâ—eâ— in singular sort to Abraham in testimonie of his obedience and faith as Beza also in part confesseth pecâ—liari ratione hoc convenit Abrahamo cui vni dictum est in â—ebenediâ—entur omnes gentes this saith Beza agreeth to Abraham after a verie special and peculiar sort vnto whom only it was said in thee shal al nations be blessed M. B. must learne as the laâ—v and common reason teacheth him that priuilegia paucorum non faciunt legem communem The priuileges of a few much lesse of one make no common'law for al. And therefore al sacraments can not be called seales although the sacrament of circumcision was so to Abraham Fiftly which is the principal in this place how soeuer that were to Abraham a seale of iustice whether as Origen interpreteth it because it shut vp the iustice of faith vvhich vvas in the time of the gospel to be plainly opened so that this carnal circumcision vvas a secret feale and presignification of the internal circumcision vvhich vvas to be vvrought spiritually after or as S. Chrysostoni interpreteth it vvas a kind of bond and obligation vvhich God tookâ— of Abraham to bynd him and his posteritie the more deeply to gods service for as vvhen vve distrust mens vvords vve take some pledge of them so god knovving the inconstancie of mens mynds vvould haue this signe and assurance from them saith S. Chrysostom or as some other vvil a signe and seale to put men in memorie of their dutie to god in vvhich soâ—t also our sacraments of baptisme and the Eucharist are signes and seales of Christs death his paâ—sioÌ„ and resurrection to the cogitation and remembrance vvhereof vve are induced by the vse of them or vvhat so euer good sense of this word is geuen by good men no good man ever expounded it to signifie that it is oâ— waâ— a seale to confirme the promises of god or gods woâ—d preached which is the point of our question here intreated Finally of this place amongst other let the Christian reader stil nâ—â—â— the frowardnes of our adâ—ersaries vvho in al the nevv Testament having this only tâ—â—t vvhere a sacrament of the old lavv is called a seale and that peculiarly in one man vpon that one place being so doubtful in deed not applicable to other sacraments wil needs reproue the vsual speech of the church vvhich though not found in scripture as they suppose yet can they not deny but it was vsed in the primitiue church from the beginning For so M. B. confesseth as a thing certain and out of question that the Latin Theologes who were most auncient did interprete the Greeke word 〈◊〉 by the word sacrament and applied it to baptisme and the Supper and vvith a litle study and humilitie he might fynd the vvord thus taken in the scripture it self Vpon this so vveake and pitiful a foundation that is vpon this one vvord of seales once vsed by the Apostle in one only place applied to one only man by special privilege never attributed to baptisme never to the supper that is to say vpon his ovvne mere fansie or at lest vpoÌ„ the fansie of Caluin a vvicked and proud heretike condemned not only by Catholikes but also by most of his felow heretikes of this age M. B. buildeth his entier definition of sacraments VVhich therefore if in this discourse I refute vvith any contemptible words or comparisons let the Reader vvel vnderstand me that In ever intend any such vvord or comparison
and vvithout al apparence of truth there is no sentence or vvord in the vvhole scripture vvhich insinuateth any such matter whereof more shal be said when I come to talke of the first and principal end The Ievves for that they vvere circumcised loved doubtles one an other the better and this vvas some cause of mutual loue yet vvas not this the reason vvhy circumcision vvas ordeyned Like vvise the eating of their paschal lamb together was one good occasioÌ„ to mainteyne love vnitie yet was it no cause or end why that sacrameÌ„t was instituted much lesse vvhy the sacrameÌ„ts of the nevv testameÌ„t were ordeyned which haue more diuine causes of their institution and worke more diuine celestial effects then did those carnal Iewish sacrameÌ„ts The like is to be said of that other part vz This sacrameÌ„t was instituted to the end that to the princes of the world who are enemies of our religioÌ„ we might of enly â—vow testifie our religion For which opinioÌ„ there is never a word or sillable in al the new testameÌ„t it is spokeÌ„ without al learning sense or reasoÌ„ Doubtles in the primitiue church vvhen the Saints martyrs Apostolical men were most abundaÌ„tly endued with gods holy spirit most perfectly knevv the vse of this sacrament if this had bene any end vvhy Christ ordeyned it that by the vse of it they should testifie and openly avow their religion to Christs enemies they would not so diligently haue excluded al Pagans and infidels from the presence of this sacrament as before is noted It should not haue bene so carefully provided against not only Pagans and infidels but euen the very Christians in mind yet vnbaptised that al such should be debarred from seing this sacrament as we find they were by the order of al the auncient Masses or Liturgies amongest which that of S. Iames the most auncient hath this precise rule when after certain general prayers they approched to the celebration of this dreadful mysterie Nullus Catechumenorum c. let none of the learners or novices in Christian faith let none of them which are yet vnbaptized to which number the other Apostles adioyned by witnesse of S. Clement nulluâ— infidelis nullus hareticâ—s let no Pagan or infidel let us heretike let none of them which may not lawfully pray with vs enter in Recognoscite vos invicem haue regard and consider wel one an other The like whereof we find practised 400. yeres after in the masse of S. Chrysost VVhere after the gospel when began that masse which was called missa fidelium the Deacon speake as before in S. Iames masse Quicunque Catechumeni recedite Al yow that be novices or learners in the faith depart Let no novice but only the faithful remayne If this had bene one end why this sacrameÌ„t was instituted what meant the most auncient fathers bishops and doctors both in the first church vvhen al was ful of Pagans enemies of Christ and also many yeres after even in the time of S. Austin when Christians vvere far more multiplied and the governement of the world was in their hands yet so long as Pagans lived among Christians stil to conceale the knowlege of this sacrament from the eye and vnderstanding of the enemies of Christs religion which they did so diligently and so generally that in S. Athanasius it is obiected as a great impietie and straunge act to his adversaries the Arrians that they talked of such matters in the audience of infidels For thus he chargeth them Thorough the iniquitie of these Arrians inquirie and examination was made of church matters of the chalice and table of our lord in the presence of the civil governour and his troupe of soldiars in the audience of Iewes aâ—d Pagans quod nobis incredibile atque admirable visum est which to vt seemed a straunge case and very vncredible For what man wil not count it detestable before a foreyne iudge in the presence of novices and greene Christians and that worse is of Pagans and Iewes to make disputes of the body and blud of Christ Did these blessed saints thinke one end of this sacrament to be that they might openly testifie their religion and maner of worshipping to the Infidels enemies of Christ vvho would not speake of their maner of worshipping of this sacrament of the chalice of the altar in the hearing of infidels and enemies of Christ And this same closenes we find coÌ„tinually in the fathers writings in such sort that coÌ„monly when they wrote preached they vsed secret speaches as it were watch words to signifie their meaning to the end they might conceale this sacrament from Pagans infidels make the knowlege of it proper and peculiar to Christians whereof to omit the more auncient writers whose vvritings every where shew fâ—ith such their vvarines and circumspection even in S. Austin vve find that the same secret maner of speaking and preaching vvas yet continued As for example to note a fevv places out of one of his bookes Then saith he that sacrifice of Christes body and blud was not quod norâ—â—â— fideles which the faithful know wel inough VVhich sacrifice is now in practise thorough the whole world Again Christ â—coke in to his haÌ„ds quod fideles norunt that which the faithful know Again It is a true sacrifice quod fideles norunt as the faithful know Again VVhat is that which in the church is secret and not publike The sacrament of baptisme and the sacrament of the Eucharist Opera nostra bona vident Pagani sacraments vero illis occultantur The Pagans them selues see our good workes but as for our sacrameÌ„ts they are â—id froÌ„ them Again Thow art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedec fideli bus loquor I speake to the faithful If the no vices Catâ—chumeni vnderstand me not let them shake of their slouth let theÌ„ make hast to knowlege It is not convenient to vtter our mysteries to them And so â—â—â—th in a number of like places VVhereby we see the old Christians did not account this to be one end why this sacrameÌ„t was ordeined For doubtles if they had the first primitiue Christians most constant mattyrs in the citie of Rome vvould never have sought out those crypâ—a those hid secret gâ—ottes vaultes vnder the earth those desert solitarie places they vvould never so studiously have mett in the nights in out-corners far of from the sight concourse presence of the Pagans notwithstanding never so many proclamations made by the persecuting Emperours If Christs ordinance had bene to the coÌ„trarie the Apostles vvould not haue ministred the sacrament in private hovvses but in the open streetes And as in the temple of Salomon and places of most resort in synagoges and publike consistories they preached Christ in the face of Christs enemies and enemies of Christian profession so there
depends on good life and good conscience and not on faith alone that it is not sufficient for a man to leave sinne and leade a new life but he must vvithal lament for that which he hath committed and with a godly sorow deplore it and so forth in a number of the like Ipecified before VVhat vvisedome or probabilitie of reason can move a Christian to beleeve such preachers in other their assertions discredite them in these If reply be made that because they be contradictorie it is vnpossible to folow them in both is not this very reply a most sufficient and abundant cause cleane to shake them of to esteeme them for men vnsetled in any one faith and therefore very vnfit to be guides and lights ditectors and Apostles to others vvho as yet have no stayd faith of their owne And vvhat miserie is it vvhat grief of hart to a Christian of any zeale to see men vvhom God hath abundantly blessed vvith so rare gifts of nature both in body mynd as al straunge nations of Europe acknowlege to appeare eminently in the inhabitants of our Iland such meÌ„ to be mislead by so rude so savage so barbarous an heresie by so fond brutish vnreasonable ministers vvho ether vvriting vvith one pen or preaching in a maner vvith one breath at one time and place informe them vvith such contradictorie instructions S. Gregâ—â—â—â— that glorious Saint bishop of Rome vvhen he saw in Rome certain of our countrymen of Yorkeshire or the bisshoprick of Duâ—â—haÌ„ vewing their comely countenaÌ„ce good proportion of body vnderstanding that the country vvhence they came vvas then not Christened sighing from the bottoÌ„ of his hart Alas quoth he what a pitiful case is it that the autor of darknes should possesse so beautiful a people men of so fayre a face should inwardly cary so fowle a sowle But how much more pitiful lamentable is the case now that the same people indued by Gods prouidence with those gifts as largely as euer heretofore hauing by meanes of that blessed Pope or other Apostolical bisshops bene established rooted in the ChristiaÌ„ faith 1400. yeres continually as the Scottish or almost a thousand as the English should vpon I know not vvhat weake pretence vpon friuolous light persuasion vpon the word of ministers most vnstable ignoraÌ„t vngrounded fal froÌ„ the Christian faith to an heresie so wicked sowle as is the Caluinian or Zuinglian coÌ„demned not only by al ChristendoÌ„ besides but also by those very schismatikes Arch-heretikes them selues who were the first authors of this schisme heresie Much better had it benâ— for vs neuer to have knoweÌ„ the way of iustice ChristiaÌ„ faith then vvhen once vve vvere put in possession thereof so carâ—lesly to neglecte it and so shamefully reiecte it embrasing in steed thereof the vncertain sansies of 2. or â— â—oâ—e â—editious Apostataes which is to put our selues in more damnable estate before God then vve vvere in that our first infidolitie as after Christ our Sauiour S. Peter the Apostle the auncient fathers teach ¶ And yet this vvhich I write let not the reader so interprete as though I supposed the learned the sober the vvise and discrete or the general number of â—ther nation so far seduced as to beleeve this ragged Caluinian Gospel For as in England the publike practise of certain bluddy persecutors the daily murthering or imprisoning spoiling of constant Catholikes the chief Theological argument vvhich for many veres hath bene vsed there for only religion though they cal it treason maketh thousands doubtles of civil honest natured men for sauing of their lives libertie and goods to them their vviues posteritie to frequent the Protestant churches vvhose harts yet can not possibly be induced by such bluddy and butcherly argument to beleeve that their priuate Parlament religion is the publike faith of Christ his Apostles so in Scotland not only reason persuadeth the like the religion of Scotland though it come from Caluin and Beza yet being as vveakely grounded as the English devised by as meane instruments in the nonage of K. Edward the sixt but also M. B. maketh a plain and comfortable confession to the same purpose For saith he I see our hail youth for the most part geuen to Papistâ—ie as likewise our noble men for the greatest part trauailes vtterly to banish the Gospel of Luther Iohn Caluin and Bezaes inuention And vvhat maâ—ueil is it if the youth and noble men be thus affected nâ—ther of vvhich ever perhaps liked your gospel the one because even by moral vvisedome and humaine discourse they see it to be nothing els but a vvild irreligious heresie the other because being free from grosse sinne iniquitie gods merciful hand vvithholdeth them from crediting such infidelitie in to which blindnes he coÌ„monly permitteth men to fal for punishment of sinne and naughtie life vvhereas the hote and zealous bretherne them selues vvho vvere the first stickleâ—s and earnest promoteâ—s thereof are now so far altered that they also make as light account of it as other the Nobilitie or the youth I or euen so M. B. testifieth saying that such also loath disdaine ofcast the Gospel whereas in the beginning they would haue gone some 20. some 40. miles to the hearing of this word they wil scarcely come now fra their howse to the â—irk and remayne there one howre but bides at home This is the very forme and essential proprietie of this new gospel Christian reader to please the eye or tast for a vvhile but in short space to lease both beautie and sweetenes and dislike both eye and tast It glittereth at the first like a painted puppet but a very few yeres or moneths take from it the counterfeit shape and leave it to be seene in his natural deformitie VVhen Carolostadius first began it and had made a treatise or two in defense of his opinion the bretherne vvere so feruent in setting it forward that as vvriteth Zuinglius they came flocking in great numbers to Basile vvhere his bookes vvere printed carying them avvay on their shoulders dispersed them yea filled vvith them almost everie citie towne village and hamlet non modo vrbes oppida pagos verum etiam villas ferme omnes oppleusruÌ„t and vvere so earnest in setting vp that opinion that as Vrbanus Regius a principal new Euangelist complaineth they accompted him not a right Christian though otherwise a right Protestant that vvas not a Carolostadian and refused to be present at a sermon or heare the Gospel and vvord of the Lord preached by any that was not of that sect A verbo per nos prâ—dicato abhorrent vvriteth Vib. Regius hoc vno nomine quod Carolostadianus non sum Quasi vero Carolostadiani soli mysticuÌ„ Christi corpus absoluant pro quo Christus sit mortuus A few yeres after came Zuinglius on the stage