auoyding of sinne are counsailed to marrie all that haue the gift for them it is more profitable many wayes to abstayne This Luther teacheth out of Christ and Paules doctrine not to ouerthrowe virginitie but to condemne your vngodly vowe of chastitie without due examination whether you haue the continent gift 8. The eyght report is lyke the former making it as necessarie for euery man to haue a wife as it is to eat drinke or sleepe It is as necessarie for him that hath not the gift to marry for auoiding of sinne as it is to eate and drinke for auoyding of famine that is not so dangerous as sinne When you drewe so deepe as these matters you were desirous rather to bryng nothing in deede then nothing in shewe 9. Your last report is that M. Luther should make all Christias as holy as iust as 〈◊〉 mother of God as y â— Apostles were These wordes are true in respect of Christ in whome all the faythfull haue holinesse and honour equally notwithstanding there may bee inequallitie in their giftes and in the measure of their glorie I will not stande vpon the comparisons of these distinctions seruing litle to edification He that is but a doore keeper in the house of God the new Ierusalem hath infinite glorie Yet because you make the virgin Marie and Apostles to beare more rule with Christ in heauen then they dyd while they lyued vpon earth Martin Luther teacheth vs there is no such respect of persons with God but in Christ Iesus whether in heauen or on earth there is neyther Iewe nor Grecian bond nor free neither male nor female but we are all one in him They haue all the same glorious inheritance as they had al like precious faith For the diuersity of measures I haue not bene a coÌ„panion of your bastarde Denis in his iourney to heauen to describe the degrees and dignities there or to determine that which Christ referred to the determination of his Father who shall sit at his right hande in his kingdome who at his left Thus I haue answered these places of M. Luther faithfully without any of your bitternesse in scoffing and vassting at a vantage of nothing as if you had thereby gayned the whole cause By my answere it may appeare these nyne places contayne no straunge newe doctrine as you haue reported without that regarde of trueth or modestie which is pretended But what is that you dare not write to bryng the mans diuine and cleare doctrine into contempt with as many as will be caried away with your smooth stile and bold accusations For as not contented with these vntrueths you woulde make y â— reader beleeue y â— you leaue other infinite beastly doctrines of his inuented by much coÌ„ference with the deuil as you auouch the matter out of Lindan But touching the broken and insufficient credit of this Lindan other your authors I haue noted somewhat before and such as your witnesses are such are their testimonies also the witnesses not lawfull and the testimonies not true For Lindan that hath here filled one page of your Censure as a false witnesse writeth that the deuill hath bene seene talke bodily with Martin Luther by men of very great credit The men are not named nor the matter probable therefore we may beholde a conspiracie to leaue the matter and disgrace the man one beginneth a slaunder and the rest come in one after another to iustifie the same vpon that foremans credit If we had no better testimonies this practise woulde bee as plentifull and strong for vs as for you but we haue not so learned Christ neither doe we stande in neede of euill euidences to auow a good cause But in this matter because you bryng in Luthers wordes against himself to proue some part of your reporte let vs see your misconstruing brought for a defence of your misreport It is well knowen M. Luther felt many tentations and endured great conflictes with the enemie which are very strange to the most of your religion Christ hath rendered the reason of your quiet and godly mens disquiet in this affliction of conscience when a strong armed man sayth he keepeth his Palace the things are in peace which he possesseth As long as SataÌ„ had Luther in possession kept in the chaynes of ignorance and superstition hee felt not the malice of his spirituall enemie Satan had no cause to disquiet a superstitious man whome hee had for the time in quiet holde but when the Lord opened his eyes to see and framed his heart to withstande the kingdome of Satan and Antichrist the the enemie assailed him greuously as himselfe complaineth in many places All which conflictes were not as you dreame in an outward or bodily conference with the deuill but in those inward battailes in those spirituall combates betweene the flesh and the spirite betweene the tentations of Satan and the desires of the Newe men such as the Apostle noteth in diuers places Though the Iesuites be not by experience acquainted with this greeuous whippe of God wherewith he scourgeth many of his deare children yet by reading they myght haue knowen what it meant For Christ endured such tentations 〈◊〉 Paul acknowledgeth 〈…〉 in y â— flesh giuen him and the angel of Satan to buffet him But to make all thin playne that Luther was not otherwise tempted then in the exercise of his conscience and with these inwarde conflictes of the flesh fyghting agaynst the Spirit and againe with the agonies of the spirit resisting the assaultes of the Deuill which as was noted other â—â—intes of God haue suffered and Christ himselfe it appeareth by his owne words in the farre places cited for your purpose I see â—yght well sayth Luther in Dauid and in the other Prophetes 〈…〉 greatly they dyd wraste and gro 〈…〉 in those battayles and the lyke agaynst Satan and his horrible assaultes Christ also him selfe thouth without sinne what teares what anguish and what agonies indured he for vs against Satan He doeth infinitely presse our heartes and ceaseth not but when hee is beaten backe with the worde of God Wherefore you doe not onely in this slaunder intollerablie reproche Martin Luther but you speake euill also of the wayes of GOD whereby hee worketh in the heartes of his children true mortification and strength in Iesus Christ to ouercome such sharpe and dangerous tentations The treatise of Luther de missa angulari so ofteÌ„ aledged by your felowes I coulde neuer see therefore it is as the allegation of his testimonie that is dead or can not bee founde to giue in euidence face to face when he is reuiued commeth forth to beare witnesse he shall bee ansered Touching Luthers death slaine as you think by y â— deuil going drunken to bedde ouernyght you shoulde neuer haue dis 〈…〉 ed your owne discretion in reporting so foule a lie from so
Although the sentence were true yet woulde you not censure him that should giue sentence against your vnholie father according to Martin Luthers testimonie Why then doe you thinke that we will any more admitte Lindan and his fellowes against Martin Luther then you will admit him against the Pope Therefore in alledging Lindan Cochleus Hosius and Xaintes with some others you commit many faultes without any gayne to your cause First you abase your selfe more then needeth in not thinking your owne credit as sufficient with vs to proue any thing against vs as their credit is For although these witnesses are dashed in to make a shewe in the margent and to deceyue the ignorant readers that knowe neyther their names nor their weake authoritie yet the Censurer if his name were well knowen hath against vs as much credit in his owne cause as Lindan hath or Hosius albeit hee was your great president in the Councill of Trent Secondly in citing your owne partiall men more carryed I thinke with malice against Luther and these causes then your self their sentence can haue no more authoritie then when a man doth stande out to beare witnesse in his owne cause or when one thiefe giueth in euidence to acquite an other Wee goe not about to ouerbeare you in the like causes with the bare authoritie or reportes of Martin Luther of Iohn Caluin of Peter Martyr or other like men for these are all parties and the law alloweth no such for sufficient witnesses in their owne causes Therefore howe vnequall is your measure how insufficient is your trial in bringing such testimonies against vs as your selues would hisse at if the lyke or better were brought against you 〈…〉 Lastly in alleadging such partiall and forsworne witnesses you bewray an euill cause that can not otherwise bee maintayned then by such vnlawfull insufficient proofes But seeing there can be had nothing from you and your witnesses but slauÌ„ders let vs examine how small cause you haue so bitterly to slaunder those that are gone before and for so wicked purposes to infect the iudgement of such as shal come after Entring into the slaunders of Martin Luther you giue a note that he was the beginner of the newe Gospel Doe you not still bewray Campions spirit in charging the religion nowe established in this lande with nouelties and most scornefully calling the Gospel of Iesus Christ which we preache a newe doctrine This is not vpon good grounde to speake against a fewe Fryers but in a blasphemous spirite to speake against God But before I answere the particular slaunders layde downe against Martin Luther I must againe adde that which you haue left out namely howe Luther was begotteÌ„ of a deuil Surely this is as true as the rest and Proteolus as much to be beleeued as the others Therefore the same sparke of modestie which made your paper blush to receiue this as a thing incredible as offensiue to euery mans eares and as bewraying your vnsatiable malice myght also haue refused to tell the other slaunders of lyke bitternesse and no lesse vntrueth Nowe that Martin Luther was stroken with a thunderbolt in a medow though you easily dare report it from an enemie yet you shall hardly â—â—nde a wise man that will beleeue you the matter being of it selfe so incredible A thunderbolt woulde haue taken awaye lyfe or lefte a marke behinde it for a manifest and sure note of that which otherwise can not bee proued I will no more beleeue Lindan in this then in his large and wonderfull tale of a madde dogge pursued with a multitude of armed men whose venemous teeth Lindan himself escaped by the helpe of Saint Hubert as they call him for the which deliuerie he and all his house were afterwarde dedicated to the worshippe of the same Hubert I will beleeue him no more against Martin Luther then agaynst our owne countrey men of whom he writeth that they of the religion in Englande whom he calleth Caluinists doe worship the image of y e deuil Of like credit is your other tale of y e deuil horribly crying out of Martin Luthers mouth and as much to be beleeued from Cochleus alone as froÌ„ him and a thousand such making no conscience to cast out in their writings so malitious and so intollerable libels You adde these wordes that vpon a certaine emulation contention betweene him and the Fryers of Dominiks order hee left his religion cast away his habit broke his vowes maried a Nunne and by litle and litle began to preache strange newe doctrines especially tending to all libertie and carnalitie Howe roundlye are these things written and howe calme doth the floud of malicious wordes seeme to flowe partly to disgrace that y t was lawfully done partly to charge him with that euill which he neuer thought For when the Lord did open his eyes to see as many before haue seene the abhominable hypocrisie and superstition of your religion and orders no otherwise then for hatred thereof he left his former superstition which you call religion he cast away also his superstitious order the pharisaicall habit thereof and thinking him selfe no longer tyed to his vnaduised and superstitious vowe he maried in the Lorde and all this was lawfull That by litle and litle he began to preach straÌ„ge and newe doctrines especially tending to all libertie and carnalitie it shalbe founde an vntrueth deliuered against the man and a malice agaynst the doctrine which hee taught your owne examples shall make the proofe First therfore you charge him to teach there is no sinne but incredulitie neither can a man damne himselfe doe what mischiefe he can except he will refuse to beleeue I will not here measure vnto you as you haue measured vnto me I wil not disgrace you first and then examine the matter for therein you haue offered me great wrong as shall appeare when I come to answere those places But I may plainely pronounce that in this place you doe in wordes and matter report an opeÌ„ vntruth For Martin Luther hath no such doctrine First it was farre from him to thinke there was no sinne but incredulitie and therfore he woulde neuer write so manifest an vntruth He is vehement in condemning many other sinnes as beside infinite other places it appeareth in his expounding the xv Psalme and more largely in his briefe exposition vpon the tenne commaundementes This it is that you haue wonderfully peruerted Martin Luther saith Incredulitie y t is not to beleeue the promise of God doth argue the promise of God to be a lying promise which is a most high sinne of all other Againe he doth not saye as you report a man can not damne him selfe for that is against all knowledge either of mans iniquitie or of Gods iust iudgementes but he speaketh of the baptised which beleeue of the trueth of Gods promise who cannot denie himself Wherin he sheweth that it doth woÌ„derfully comforte a mans
Lent If this be not hudling and confounding of things together of vnlike sort I knowe not what may be called confusion For what order is it to repeate vpoÌ„ the Censurers occasion y â— which was noted in the fourth article to match the baptisme of children with the fast of Lent The one being by plaine argument gathered out of the worde as namely out of the wordes of the conenant I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede and thy children after thee for euer This couenaunt dyd appertayne to both a like to Abraham and his seede whereunto the seale and practise was adioyned in circumcising infantes of eyght dayes as well as Abraham of great age and that by expresse commaundement of God Thus the doctrine is so prooued out of the written worde as that no doubt remayneth Nowe circumcision was the sacrament or seale of that righteousnesse which is by fayth as Saint Paul teacheth wherein it is equall our baptisme But this is your great learning when you are not able for your ignorance to prooue a doctrine out of the written worde to say we haue it by tradition and by worde of mouth from the Apostles Now your Lent fast as you vse it hath not onely no grounde out of the worde but is agaynst the worde as I prooued before If this bee your methode and discretion I maruell not if good order be huddling and confounding in your accompt For the number of the bookes and for the Lordes day I myght likewise make proofe out of the worde so that if you can bring vs nothing by worde of mouth from the Apostles but your Lent fast your letters of credence will not serue you to be deleeued The seconde Censure is that the place alleadged by me to confuce the aucthoritie of traditions should be impertinent This the Censurer woulde shewe by three differences betweene it and this purpose First of the diuers cause of those traditions which our Sauiour Christ inueyeth against whereof they had beene authors to them selues and of these which he affirmeth to descende from Christ and his Apostles But as in deede the difference woulde be great if this were true so being false and vntrue as it is it can make no difference at all Theirs were in deede such as they affirme and though you deny it so are yours also For which of all your traditions came eyther froÌ„ Christ or from his Apostles wheÌ„ you proue them froÌ„ either of them your difference shall be allowed Secondly you say Christ reprehendeth not al obseruation of meÌ„s traditioÌ„s but the naughtie obseruing of theÌ„ which was as you affirme in that y â— Pharises esteemed them more then Gods word brake it for the keeping of them which you condemne This also if it were true were a sufficient difference but it is vntrue that our Sauiour Christ reproued onely the esteeming of them more then Gods commaundementes It can not bee denied but he reprooued this in them in the same chapter before but in the woordes alleadged You worshippe mee in vaine teaching doctrines that are but traditions of men which are no wordes of comparison our Sauiour simplie rebuketh them for esteeming the keeping of mens traditions to be any seruice of GOD to which â—ude the sentence had bene first vttered by the Prophet The thirde note is double first that these traditions were idle foolish of which sort are yours and whatsoeuer the idle brayne of man deuiseth to serue â—od withall the second that some of them were impious direct contrary to the word of God such as were certayne corrupt expositions of the lawe where you are as like to them as the sonne may be to the father For neuer were there more false gloses vpon the word of God violently thrust and by litle and litle secretly conueyed into the Church peruerting the true meaning of the Scriptures and corrupting the simple worshippe of GOD then haue beene brought in by your Rabbines that haue obtayned the highest seates and the most honourable names more then euer did any among the Iewes You speake of the Talmud as dyd bastarde Denis of the orders in heauen but this florish of your skill in those bookes because it hurteth not the cause let it serue you and your frendes for as much credit as it may Lastly the Iesuites are reported to teach that we must worship y e image of Christ with like honour that wee doe the holy bookes of the Gospell In this article the doctrine is graunted without any word of contradiction your Censure onely toucheth the second to the Corinthes the sixt chapter as not alledged to the purpose In deede if you list not to vnderstand to what end it is vouched you may well complaine against the alledging thereof as from the matter You take it as brought to proue that we may worship the image of Christ with greater honour then the bookes of the Gospell but you mistake the matter and wilfully as it shoulde seeme to haue some what against the cause for how could you think that he which detesteth al idols would alledge a place to prooue that the image of Christ is worthy honour more then Gospels Or howe may not any maâ— note you of open contradiction against the word of God that being deuoutly madde vpon idols would for their loue prophane the temple of God and therefore dare to say there is more agreemeÌ„t betweene them which yet the Apostle maketh most contrarie then there is betweene the place of Saint Paul the matter which the same place doth fitly disprooue But if you liâ—â— to vnderstand the place serueth to prooue that no image at all is to be worshipped for which the wordes are so pertinent and is strong as all the wisedome of your Censureship and of the rest will neuer bee able to answere them Therefore you lost your labour in framing arguments to prooue why the material booke of Gospels should be no lesse worshipped then the image of Christ for neither of bath are to bee worshipped nor any other creatures whatsoeuer according to that which was before alledged to this purpose Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue You can not escape for saying you giue no diuine honour vnto them for this bowing downe before them which is one of the least deuotions you vse is chalenged as diuine honour and expressely forbidden in any respect of religion or deuotion to images or any other creature as hath beene often declared But here saying the honour done to the image of Christ and to the letter of the Bible is not done to them selues you dissemble your owne idolatrous doctrine which alloweth the same honour to the image that is due to the paterne and namely the same most honourable and diuine worship of Latria to the Crucifix which is due to the Lord Iesus Christ himself Your bookes that teach this are many and not vnknowen So
is much to be lamented that in the things of this life there is not a cause so good nor a title so iust but when it is brought into question the quarelling partie will readily finde out some forme of pleading against it in the iudgement of y e ignorant or partial hearer seeme to haue a good cause great reason on his side when in deede he hath neither the one nor the other But it is much more to be lamented that in the thinges of a better life namely in the matters of our saluation there is nothing so plaine in the word of God nothing so agreeable with the vse of the primatiue Church but it hath enemies that crie out against the light as if it were darkenesse and against the trueth as if it were falshoode whereby the ignorant are interteyned in their ignorance and the obstinate hardened in their rebellion Yf the trueth be subiect to such iniuries and reproches they that mayntaine the trueth must partake with it also but alwayes with an affiance therein that it is mightie and will preuaile As many also as loue the trueth yet for want of knowlege do as it were stagger in so great contrariâ—rie of opinions they must not haue their faith in respect of persons or be caried about with euery blast of doctrine in the vncerteintie or hazard of men who are exercised in cunning waies and lye in waite to deceiue For this Religion is not true because such learned men teach it or that false because such wise men doe condemne it but whatsoeuer is truely taught and playnely proued by the holy worde of God if thou â—â—care it with feare and reuerence that wil confirme thy iudgement and establish thy heart in a good conscience of the trueth But in handling these controuersiâ—s because an earnest zeale of the trueth doth prouoiâ—â— the godly to a great hatred of error and a blind loue of superstition carie away others to the slaunder of wholesome doctrine let both sides remember that there is one that sâ—eth and iudgeth in these actions whose final sentence shal stand in that great day of the Lord Iesus against al that withhold the trueth in vnrighteousnesse This being well considered will ioyne christian loue with godly-zeale on the one side and somewhat stay the other that they breake not out into a defyaunce of the trueth and into the same open faultes wherewith they so much and so vniustly accuse others For many in great want of arguments recômpense the matter with vnchristian taunts and slaunders and not being able to ouerthrow the trueth are yet alwayes armed with varietie and colout of wordes to charge it as a lye and the defenders thereof as forgers of lyes and as maynteiners of daumable absurdities Notwithstanding as the trueth was not tied when Paul was in bandes so good causes are not confuted though the defenders thereof be neuer so scornefully reproched This may appeare as by many other treatises against our brethren heretofore so by the late Censure of Ed. Campion or some other for him that was more ready before hand to deale somewhat with the answers made to his proud and seditious libel For in a round stile this quareler would cary away the maintenance of an euil cause and vnder the title authoritie of a Censurer ratifie his manifold and vniust accusations that so finally he may sit downe to giue open sentence against the truth But for an answere to those accusations and a repeale of his false sentence I mind to follow him as from line to line where iust occasion is offered that vpon examynation it may appeare howe little force there is against the naked truth of Gods causes in the painted wordes of mans wisedome This Censurer taketh in hand the open defence of y e Iesuites seditious Pamphlet and as a man of authoritie and iudgement to censure my answere to it but as he hath nor perfourmed the one so hee hath greatly missed of the other For the argumeÌ„ts alleged to proue Campions seditious enterprise in euery part of his libel to open the like practises in his fellow Iesuites and other Papistes that imploy all their labours against the Church of God and the good estate of this kingdome they remaine all vnanswered the Censurer did not think it safe to giue his sentence in these matters although he knewe well they were the chiefe things that he should haue answered The matters handled by the waye as of the sect and doctrine of Iesuites of Ed. Campions person of disputation of Christian Frankens treatise against the Iesuites they are the matters that the Censurer hath chosen out to abide his bitter taunts and receiue his vniust sentence Thus this iudge that for the skill and authoritie hee taketh vpon him should haue censured the matter it self hath dealt only with certaine accessaries leauing the principal cause in ful force against the Iesuite But for proofe hereof to come now to the Censure Campion oâ— the like spirit in some other petie champion doth at his entraunce giue an aduertisment to abuse his reader that the Iesuites offer required not so much an answere in writing as shorter triall in disputation In which wordes he would seeme to make it a matter out of doubt that he his confederates can soone confute the religion established and by a short way defende their Popish superstition if they might come to the triall But these few wordes do bewray much vanitie For who is Campion or who are the rest of these seedmen that they should presume so much of themselues as to make so short worke in anowing that popish religioÌ„ that hath nothing to vphold it but tyrannie nothing to defend it but lies nothing to restore it but hypocrisie rebellion Where haue these disputers staied so long time Now they are come what can they get by renewing the battaile so often and so lately refused and auoided by their chiefe fathers auncient captaines Surely if your studied prepared bookes be a sure argument what you can doe in a present disputation then I doubt not if it were graunted but you would therein make a short triaâ—â— of your vaine ch 〈…〉 ge and leaue a sure testimonie of your 〈…〉 tichristian religion This your aduertisement is ioyned with a bolde and malicious accusation not so much against Mâ—st Hamner and mee as against the religion and as many as professe y e same For not hauing a watch before your lippes you affirme it as cleare that there can be had nothing from vs but wordes Mast Hamner hath with his words brought more reason and trueth against you then you wilbe wel able to answeare Whether I bring nothing but wordes or no I leaue it to them that 〈◊〉 measure my answere by their own indifferent iudgemeÌ„t not by y e preiudice of your vnlawfull Censure Whereas you would seeme briefly to gather y e effect of my bookâ— in steade thereof you
your common obiection that our faith began with Martin Luther I answere you may asâ—el say the religion of the Iewes and knowledge of the Lawe began in Iosias time and that Hilkia was their progenitour because hee founde the booke of the Lawe in the house of God who notwithstanding found no new thing but onely the authenticall booke of Moses whereupon the king and his people by a diligent reading and regarde thereof were wonne the rather to a notable reformation For our faith is the same that hath bene euermore laid and builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus being the chiefe corner stone which hath also continued from age to age although sometimes with small shewe to the world because of many persecutions and great falling away both in life and doctrine Wherefore it is your euill speach so basely to speake and bitterly to deface the religion of Iesus Christ that hath receiued in the eyes of all the world so great testimonie from God to proue the worke is his owne worke and the Gospell his owne euerlasting trueth the power wherof is stil dedlared from day to daye in many wonderfull issues for the inlargement of his kingdome and most of all by adding to the Gospel dayly such as appertaine to his holy election Concerning the praise you giue to Iesuites as reformers of vice in my answere I haue prooued that your religion must first be reformed and your intolerable dispensations and indulgences taken awaye For so long as these marchandises are to be bought so commonly and for so small a price sinne must needes abounde and the complaint of the Lord will bee most iust against you which was made against the couetous and vncleane priestes in Israel They eate the sinnes of my people and lift vp his minde euery one to their iniquitie The Iesuites abandoning of all worldly pleasures possibilities of preferment in the same so farre forth as none of that societie hath or may take any spirituall or temporall liuings or commodities whatsoeuer is nothing els but a superstitioâ—s worship without commandement as hath bene declared inuented by themselues being moreouer against the order of the prâ—mitiue Church and sauouring not a little of Anabaptistrie in condemning the prâ—pertie or priuate poâ—â—ession of earthly blâ—ssings But howsoeuer you sound a trumpet one before another to shewe the Iesuites contempt of worldly riches and that they receiue not the preferrements wherwith mightie Princes haue pressed them yet I thinke your meaning is not â—ut y â— if the Pope intreat them they wilbe sone intreated The humilitie of their spirit was noted in y â— answere They can be content in hâ—pocrisie to abase themselues as to the duâ— but it is that afterward they may rule oâ—â—r all estates in the lande as he did whose 〈◊〉 was to the Pope I my king So also I proued that the Iesuites come to meet meddle with matters of estate offered them 〈◊〉 wrong therin as shal appeare in a â—â—tter place wheÌ„ you assay to proue the contraâ—y The Censurer in the next place commeth to a discourse of three leaues touching Ignatius Layolas Martin Luther but altogether from the purpose for proofe whereof let his two arguments be examined the one for Layolas and the Iesuites the other against Martin Luther and the professors of the trueth For the Iesuites he bringeth this reason Whosoeuer leauing his former calling shall betake him selfe to a votaries lyfe and therein winne soules may be fâ—ther of a Societie Layolas did so therefore Layolas may be father of a Societie The first propositioÌ„ is omitted by the Censurer but without it â—e can proue nothing for the Iesuites For if any man leauing the fielde or the like calling maye not begin a newe order as Layolas did howe can Layolas his broode â—ustifie their Societie The second proposition y â— Layolas leauing his former calling proued so good a man and wonne soules is more then doubtfull Thus it appeareth that vpoÌ„ two former propositions the one false the other doubtfull the Censurer can make no true or cleare conclusion that the Iesuites haue a good warrant for their newe Apostleship Against y â— professors of the Gospell there is another argument made but with aâ— ill arte and successe For thus the Censurer doth reason If Luther were a wicked man taught many beastly doctrines the Protestantes may be ashamed of their progenitor but Luther was such a one therefore the protestantes may bee ashamed of their father and religion The first proposition is altogether false for Luther is not our progenitour nor the father of our faith If he had offended yet the trueth and professors thereof are not guiltie or thereby iustly touched in credit The seconde proposition is also false for howsoeuer false witnesses come in one vpon another to sweare against him Martin Luthers worthy praise shall continue in all ages the Lord hath shewed him a token of good they that hate him shal see it and bee ashamed Wherefore these two propositions being false must needes bring forth a false and sâ—auÌ„derous conclusion Thus the Censurer appeareth much more carefull smothely to deliuer foule reproches then to bring a good reason for maintenance of his cause His arguments being thus layde open it remaineth to consider the particular speaches whereby he setteth such colours vpon his slaunders deliuered against that holy and learned man Martin Luther and vpon his praises for Ignatius Layolas And first for the life of Ignatius Layolas I passe it ouer as a thing from the matter and hauing in it nothing to bee answered when it commeth into the Legenda it may haue some credit in your Church but as it is nowe reported I see no honour that coÌ„meth to you by the tale nor harme to vs. But to you this harme maye growe that hereafter by so slender an example other Fryers may bee brought in as much to raygne ouer you as you woulde raygne ouer all the Monkes and Fryers that haue bene before you 〈◊〉 maruel howe in this storie of Layolas you left out y t which if it had bene true would haue made more for you then al his life beside It is his wonderfull vision when in a traunce he did behold Iesus receiuing him and his fellowes into protection You knowe that without a myracle your newe creatures of the Pope haue neyther lyfe nor soule For Martin Luther what may truely bee sayde fâ—r his iust honour that shall appeare afterward nowe I am to answeare vnto your reproches against him And first howesoeuer you thinke your credit discharged by alledging them Hosius Cochleus Lindanus Xaintes haue no voyce where trueth or reason are admitted for witnesses For in this action they are specially sworne and forsworne agaynst Martin Luther the ruine of their estate beyng all agreed to lende and borowe lies and in one tale to conspire the death and detestation of his name
insufficient witnesses the contrary being knowen to many yet aliue written by men more indifferent of better intelligence touching the storie As Lindan hath thus flaundered his death so you slaunder his life saying that almost thirtie yeeres he liued in al sensualitie and pride If there had beene any materiall argument or some false witnesse at hande you would not haue come in your selfe all alone to be sworne vpon this deposition That which you lay against him of dissention hath somewhat to be graunted For if you call it dissention he did altogether dissent from Papists being open enemies of the Gospell but for Occolampadius Bucer and others although in some poynts they disagreed yet there was among them a singular care of vnitie in the Gospell Whereupon beside the entercourse of many louing and godly letters they set downe articles of agreement subscribing their names for a testimonie of their loue as appeareth especially by an acte of concord agreed vpon at Marburge and after that by another concluded at Wittenberge We might farre most iustly require you with this accusation of dissention among your selues although you are banded together in a consent agaynst the kingdome of Christ but this is from the question although you often fall into it After these prayses of 〈◊〉 Layolas and many folde slaunders against Martin Luther deliuered in the best maner without any proofes against the one or for the other you leaue the matter for the in different reader to iudge The iudgement is soone giuen if your proofes were as manifest as your boldnes in vttering vntrueths A most patient mynde can not brooke a libell so seasoned to itching eares Our corrupt nature is more patient and glad to read a whole booke written with a pleasing grace of scoffes and tauntes against another then a lease written sicly to correct and teach our selues and we are both more skilful to write and more apt to coÌ„ceiue reprothes then any doctrine of importance for the one is home bredde the other must come downe from aboue But notwithstanding all your cunning if the reader stande vpon proofes and not vpon bare speach if he stand vpon witnesses of credit and not vpon these false subdrued witnesses the matter will fall out against Layolas as a superstitious obscure fellow and for Martin Luther as a mâ—n that hath written more then Layolas I thinke euer read that hath taught more then Layolas coulde conceiue that hath suffered for a good conscience more then euer did Layolas vnder his voluntarie whippe who fynally was the meane by the mercie of God to plant more then all the broode of Layolas shall euer be able to hinder in y â— grouth or by their infinite and shamelesse lyes any waies to impeach in worthy estimation The Censurer not satisfied with al these vngodly iniuries against Martin Luther now breaketh out into such wordes of stomacke against M. Caluin saying that the like life or worse is written of him by a French man that liued with him sometimes of the same religion You take the best way throughout all your Censures to bring the men still into suspicion and hatred because you can effect no more against the cause But for Mast Caluin beside so many as yet remaine aliue witnesses of his godly and blamelesse life his writings shal testifie to all ages hereafter that the Lorde raised him vp as a singuler Minister of the Gospel and indued him with such a spirit of wisedome and learning as may worthely kindle greater loue to him in godly meÌ„s heartes then is malice against him in your vncharitable spirites The Lorde is most wise and testifieth his loue in the dispensation of his singular graces So great giftes of true zeale of an vnderstanding heart of a minde not ouercome with any seruice of the Church with any labour for the brethren are reall arguments that as the Lorde did sanctifie and defende him against all the malice of his enemies while he liued even against the fierie dartes of Satan so now though the man be layde vp in peace yet the Lorde will preserue his name in honour vpon the earth and they that would bring shame vpon him it shall light vpon them selues as a iust recompence from him who euermore preserueth his saintes as the apple of his eye Therefore it was no euill chaunce but the Lords good will that hitherto the translation of your libel against him should be suppressed I maruaile how you passed by the storie written against M. Bucer seruing you so wel for this purpose Seeing you haue left it out I wil briefly note it for a proofe of my exceptions taken to Lindan as to a shamelesse lyer against the holy men of God M. Bucer liued to the great good and died amongst vs with the great and publique sorow of manie His life and death is written by M. Carre a man against whom you can take no iust exception who hath these wordes of him He liued so as no man better he died so as no man more blessedly his sickenes was such that no man did set him sorowe he died so that no man did perceiue his departuâ—â— Many are 〈◊〉 aliue that will witnesse as much as M. Carre hath written Yet your great author Lindan is not ashamed to make M. Bucers death as horrible and as monstro 〈…〉 as may bee suspected comparing it with foule wordes and in all horrour to the most shamefull death of 〈…〉 ius that 〈…〉 tique I appeale to them among you if there be any which 〈◊〉 the trueth that they 〈◊〉 reforme them or giu◠〈◊〉 against such manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 us to God and 〈◊〉 who arâ— into 〈◊〉 of their ma 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 in their 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 tionâ— haue 〈◊〉 〈…〉 es to thi 〈…〉 In the fourth 〈◊〉 I am 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the Iesuites 〈◊〉 â—ited out of th◠〈…〉 is it shall hereafteâ— more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if the Censures himselfe reporting most 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 of M. Luther hath â—ot thought his 〈◊〉 discharged if hee report the matter as it is in his owne corrupt authors Hosius Lyndanus and Cochleus howe much more haue I discharged my credit in reporting the Censure of Colen faithfully out of a learned treatise of Don. Gotuisus alleadged for my warrant for I pretended not to cite their wordes out of the Censure of Eolen which I could neuer get but expressely protested to take them out of a treatise concerning this matter the author whereof is quoted in the most bookes and hauing performed this touching the sense faithfully as may appeare by conference I 〈◊〉 in no respect hâ—e charged with â—alsifying howsoeuer to vndermine the trueth and discredit the 〈◊〉 thereof you 〈◊〉 about wordes left out or put in with 〈◊〉 any change of matter But you that challenge meâ— for additions why doe you twise adde the worde Verie to helpe your 〈…〉 l and once misconster mee as if I would haue men know I minded
libertie to your penne in charging mee with common misalleadging of Scripture But seeing you graunt y t this second point of doctrine is also mainteined by the Iesuites euen in such sort as they are charged all men may see It is hard to say whether you are more ready to defeÌ„d their doctrine or to take a pretensed aduantage of quarell against my wordes In the thirde place the Iesuites are charged to say The first motions of lust are without hurt of sinne This third doctrine is graunted by the Censurer as most true and playne but yet I must not go without â—ome accustamed taunt Hee chargeth mee that by clipping their wordes I make euery thing to seeme a Paradox This is only says to accuse without any shew of proofe For what â—â—nefit was there to mee in leauing out these wordes If they come of naturall in 〈…〉 onely without any cause giuen by vs or what gayne you by adding them seeing they are superfluous For I pray you are not all the first motions of lust meerely natural euermore of some cause giuen by vs and dwelling within vs namely the corruption of old Adam what shiftes are they then which you vse to helpe a weake cause If to defende this addition of waste wordes you shall obiect the temptations of Satan offered without any cause giuen by vs I answere you cannot properly call them motions of lust being but outwarde prouocations to lust and sinne wherewith many times a mortified man is not prouoked to lusting sinning by which neuerthelesse Satan woulde moue but is resisted by faith he entreth not in to worke those motions of lust which do affect vs and whereof our question is moued Your comparison bet 〈…〉 e these first motions of lust and the pulse making the one to be no more sinne then the other is without iudgement For you can not conclude from that part of our natural soule wherby we haue life and sense only to that part wherein our reason and affections are placed because the former is not in the same sort corrupted as the second neyther doeth sinne so woorke in naturall life and sense as it doeth in the heart by the corruptions and guiltinesse of the soule The necessarie actions of life as eating drinking sleepe breath also the â—â—cessarie actions of sense as smelling seeing hearing feeling and the rest they are of themselues al free from sinne remaining as they were in man before his fall But euery imagination and cogitation of maâ—s heart is euill euermore as God testified to Noâ— much more the lusts and desires thereof Wherefore to compare the lustes of sinne to the puâ—se which is meerely naturall and without sinne was to bring the simple into a dangerous opinion that the one is as lawfull as the other For a cleere example of this difference it may be 〈◊〉 that Christ had the working of the pulse and other naturall opera 〈…〉 of life and â—ense but hee was far euen from the least concupiscense I thinke in your owne iudgement Therefore this your example of the pulse to defende the first motions of lust is neyther in substance nor in shewe to any purpose Moreouer you make the first motions of lust no sinne because it lyeth not in our power to prohibite them by which reason you defende sinne by the necessitie thereof But seeing this necessitie commeth of our selues by our corruption and custome of sinne how can it be any excuse or defence for the trespasse what wil you say to originall sinne shall it be no sinne because it lyeth not in vs to resist it no more then we can resist our owne conception and is lesse in our power to resist then the pulse Like to the former comparison of the pulse is that which followeth making the first motions of lust to be no more sinne in vs theÌ„ they are in beastes But this comparison proueth no more theâ— the other for as there is no law giuen to prohibit the pulse so there is no lawe to restraine these motions in beastes but man is tyed to a lawe for euery action last or first great or small as is proued by the great commandement Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy mynde So that what lust or thought soeuer swarueth from this entire and absolute loue of God it is against this his commandement and therefore a sinne against his most soueraigne and most glorious Maiestie to whome wee owe all the seruice and holinesse of all the heart of all the mynde and of al our powers whatsoeuer Therefore to say wee must not or can not pull in the raynes of our first lustes or that they are as lawfull in vs. as the pulse or as they are in bruite beastes is indeede to reache a beastly libertie and to laye open the way to all vncleannesse without controulement Yf all your readers did knowe howe little proofe is made by similitudes they would all see the insufficiencie of your defence that so often vse them and so vnfitly in place of playne and sure arguments Now for the tenth commaundement alledged as a contrary doctrine y t Censurer sayth it is not any way repugnant to that the Iesuits teach For proofe whereof as the Papistes make of the tenth commaundement two commaundementes so this fellowe maketh of two seuerall breaches of two diuers commaundementes but one sinne and that agaynst the seuenth commaundement onely But there can not be a commaundement agaynst the which there is no sinne Therfore as it was declared in the former article there is a sinneful desire first which is concupiscense agaynst the tenth the assent whereunto maketh it adulterie which is a sinne of another degree and agaynst the seuenth commaundement So the Censurer must by duetie receyue home agayne his owne â—aunt of hudling and confounding for confounding the sinnes of two diuers commandements Furdermore y â— Censurer being caâ—ied awaye into errour by the olde translation against the trueth and other faithfull translations woulde proue that the lawe is in our power to doe it and that therefore these first motions of luste are not forbidden by the tenth commaundement because it is not in our power to resist them That his argument may appeare I will set it downe to be more easily discouered Whatsoeuer is commaunded that is not aboue vs but in our power to resist the first motions of lust is not in our power therefore to resist the first motions of lust is not commaunded The first proposition is false and as I said a false translatioÌ„ brought to proue it For Moses saith The Lawe is not hidden from vs and the Censurer saith It is not aboue vs Moses sheweth that it is reuealed the Censurer would proue that it is in our power Moses speaketh chiefly of the Gospell and the Censurer referreth it altogether vnto the tenne commandemeÌ„ts But that the
Censurer hath brought his cole to set his markes vpon my translation which is neuer thelesse so faithfull that no one of y â— fiue words by him so marked as wickedly added can wel be wanting without some iniury to the text or to the propertie of our language in expressing the same In translating the propertie of euery tongue is to be obserued for as tongues differ in language so they differ in their peculiar forme order of words That which may be well vnderstoode in one tongue must needes be supplied in an other And to translate word for worde is to haue the wordes English or Frenche when yet the phrase shall remaine Greeke or Hebrewe and be as litle vnderstoode Yet this is that obscure and fruitelesse translation which the Censurer exacteth at my hand But let vs see how iustly All scripture is not so plaine as All y â— scripture and the Censurer afteÌ„ saith the scripture The verbe is must be supplied whether you regard the English tongue or Lâ—gicke for the copulatiue coniunction following in y â— Greeke doth make the whole proposition compound and not simple Otherwise what sense or sentence were it to say all scripture giuen by inspiration of God profitable to teach c. The addition of this verbe was so necessarie that the vulgar translation addeth it in the seconde place but by no better reason then why it should be added in both The first and was childishly and vnlearnedly noted as superfluous being expressed in the Greeke text and corruptly left out by the olde translation which deceiued you The wordes and throughly were added the one to ioyne the sentence and the other to expresse the force of the compound word which Paule vseth signifying throughly or perfectly perfect In this signification is the compound vseâ— in many other places also Thus you see I misuse not the Scriptures in this place for my translation is sufficiently approoued and some faultes be wraied in the old translation and ignorance in your Censure Neuerthelesse I must remember you that it was your ouersight to leaue out y â— note of a third and which might aswell haue bene set vpon your score with the rest and raised the number vp to site Also you that so exact a strayght translation of worde for word why did you not Censure me for adding v. wordes at one clap in this sentence to expresse one Greeke worde Paul hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word for worde Godinspired I haue to expresse it vsed v. wordes giuen by inspiration of God But your Censurers eye may without blame passe ouer the sight of such small matters I craue pardon of my Reader that I haue bene drawen on into so trifeling poyntes But he hath beene exercised in sifting and shifting to finde somwhat y â— may serue his turne and yet greatly misseth of his purpose if he were so searched perhaps hee would not easely answere it Now against my translation he vseth words that should be by a new worde called raileciue speache in me saying If I had vsed such audacitie in translating Acsopes fables it woulde haue bene tollerable but in translating the Scripture it is impious Surely if the Censurer had bene well censured and exercised in translating Acsopes fables when 〈◊〉 went to the Grammer schoole hee woulde haue bene better acquainted with Greeks phrases and the translation of the new Testament But it may be he hateth the kingdome and skill of Grammarians Thus much to answere my translation which you haue so vnlearnedly marked and so vniustly coÌ„demned Now it foloweth to consider what you bring agaynst the alleadging of that place to reproue the Iesuites doctrine and your vnwritten verities Your first reason y â— this place is not full ynough to proue y â— sufficiencie of y â— Scripture for which it is alleaged standeth vpon and word in y â— text where the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable and hath not the worde sufficient But you say these are two diuers thinges to bee sufficient for a purpose and to be profitable for it as may appeare in meate which is profitable for our lyfe yet wee cannot saye it is sufficient because it alone without naturall heate clothes and other meanes sufficeth not Whereupon you leaue the reader to conclude that this place is too slender for my purpose The force of which your reason is of the difference of these two words affirming that profitable is not so much as sufficient Whereunto I answere that as sometimes it is true which you affirme and as it appeareth in your example so of the other part it is true that many times a thing may be saide profitable for a purpose where profitable shal import sufficient and not barely profitable as for example when some reason is adioyned why it shoulde be profitable and nothing else applyed or seruing to that effect For proofe hereof when the Apostle writeth that Godlines is profitable to all things hauing the promises of this life of the life to come it can not be denyed but by profitable here he meaneth it is sufficient for all things that is for the obteyning of all good thinges which sense of this worde is prooued by that which followeth of the effect hauing the promises of both lyues For if godlinesse bryng all good things of this lyfe and of the lyfe to come it must needes folowe that the Apostle saying it is profitable to all things vnderstoode it was so fully sufficient that hee which hath it needeth not the supplie of any thing else For like reason in this place I say the Apostle speaking of the Scripture as profitable for doctrine for confutation for correction and reformation by profitable vnderstandeth sufficient If your example were of the like it woulde proue the same If as meate and drinke are profitable to nourish so they were profitable also to cloth to giue rest and to make a man perfectly healthie and strong to euery good action I woulde also conclude vpon such causes that it were both profitable and sufficient to mayntaine life But you stande in neede of an other Censurer to Censure your comparisons and examples so often brought in easily to dereyue the reader that doth not see howe vnequallie they are yoked as like thinges to make like proofe being in deede vnlike and of vnlike effectes To returne vnto the text the sufficiencie of scripture is moreouer prooued by the wordes which got before and followe Before the Apostle had sayde that all the Scripture is inspired of God whereupon he inferreth and is profitable to teach for doctrine and confutation as if he had sayde it is profitable to teache the trueth and reproue errour The strength of which reason lyeth in this that the light of knowledge which sometime was in man by his creation is damped and gone out so that nowe wee haue no meanes except God by his holy Spirite doeth inspire vs to discerne betweene trueth and vntrueth or
of Colen I graunt do say in the place which Kemnitius citeth that the holy Scripture is as a nose of waxe The worde as may indifferently bee put in or left out and the sense all one as shall be proued Buclet vs leaue the wordes and followe the matter Seeing it is now cleere that the Iâ—suites say the Scriptures are as a nose of waxe what shall we say Is this the Censurâ—es Censure or the Iesuices doctrine'â— may the worde of God may the word of power the vnchangeable word of God may it I say be compared to pliant changeable melting waxe Is it in the worde so to receiue diuers contrary fenses as the waxe receiueth in trueth and not by misconstering or mistaking of the eyes contrary formes or printes from contrary seales shall Iesuites mainteine this directly or indirectly in a kingdome where the Gospel is preached I appeale herein to the conscience of all that loue the trueth though a naughtie Iesuite for flatterie of the Pope or other Heretike to deceyue people may wrest and peruert the scripture yet Saint Peter teacheth it shall be to his owne destruction and the Scripture notwithstanding shall remaine perfect and vndefiled For the worde doeth not worke it selfe â—asely to receiue and holde euery forme as waxe dâ—â—th but the trueth of the whole Scripture mainteineth the trueth of euery branch it taketâ— away thâ—â—â—ampe anâ— râ—sisteth the print of any fâ—rged 〈…〉 ent interpretation Euery sentence in the word of God is as the arme of a mightie Oke that cannot be broken off but if you bowe it by force the bowing will appeare and the more you force it to come about to your â—ent the inightier it is to recouer itselfe and returne aganie to his owne course and grouth and that with â—â—rill to him that offered such violence I coulde not passe from this place easely because this blasphemous doctrine doeth in the Church of Rome I meaâ—e the Popish Church for 〈…〉 wise I doubt not but God hath his Church in Rome as he had in Englande when all Englande seemed to bee Rome because I say this intollerable abasing and abusing the power and all sufficiencie of the holy Scripture doeth in the Popish Church mainteyne the myâ—â—erie of vngodlynesse it stoppeth vp the fountaine of liuing waters and prepareth â—isternes and diâ—ches in place thereof it chaungeth the milke and water of life mentioned in Esay into the cuppe of fornications described in the Reuelation finally the traditions of man must ouerrule the trueth of God But let vs see what followeth The Censurer graunteth mee and I graunt him agayne that the wordes are spoken in a similitude and I alleadged them in no other sense yet hee woulde inforce it vpon me and vpon his reader to beleeue that I shoulde absurdely make the Iesuites say the Scripture is a nose of waxe without regard of seÌ„blance But he cannot so much as make my wordes a nose of waxe to receiue this his counterfeited stampe false interpretation And for his obiectioÌ„ it is waste saying Although Christ be likened to a Serpent yet he is no Serpent and to a â—â—uetous man yet he is none For who doeth at all affirme that which hee doeth conâ—uâ—e so carefully And touching the first obiection which is like the seconde where is it sayde that Christ is lyke a Serpent True it is the lifting vp of the brasen Serpent in the wildernesse is compared to the lifting vp of the sonne of man which will not warrant the woordes of your Censure It is moreouer one thing to â—oÌ„pare that speciall sacrament and signe of the brasen Serpent to Christ and to compare Christ to a serpent generally Thus you haue picked out an example that in shewe seemeâ—h to make for you but is 〈◊〉 deede against you as I may also say of y â— second touching y t coueâ—ous man But howe many exaÌ„pâ—â—s are against you in this matter Christ is likened to a vine and we may say Christ is a vine he is likened to a shepeheard he is a shepheard God is likened to a consuming fier and â—herâ—upon it is written God is a consuming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against your example Christ is likened to the brasen serpenâ— and we may say he is that brasent serpent lifted vp from the earth at his passion to drawe all to him selfe But that you may not haue hâ—te the vaâ—â—age of tâ—e letters nowe I haue giuen you your libertie to say what you can I wil not yeeld that the word as is left out in the Câ—len Censure For Payua as loth as you to grant y â— trueth doeth yet at last report the wordes altogether as I doâ— adding the like out of Pighius your doctors wordâ—s are when the fathers of Colen considered that there were many places in the holy Scriptures whose true sense doth not easely appâ—are but that euery man may at his pleasure drawe them into varâ—able diuâ—â—s senses in a most apt similitude they called it a nose of wax And Pighius The leadeÌ„ rule of the Lesbian building By these two places Payuas Andradius hath brought you into some worthy suspition of charging me for my autor without cause in â—ther places as well as in this But now wherin haue I abused the Iesuites learned or vnlearâ—ed What haue I here sayde that one of your doctors doeth not â—â—owe what haue I done to ouermatch a trueth in defending the vnchangeable trueth of the scriptures against your doctrine teaching that hereâ—iques may command and 〈◊〉 the word of truth as wax is commanded and framed to what forme they list Nowâ— commeth somewhat to make sport if the granitie of the matter did not require feare and reuerence The Censurer supposeth me to haue had but one Bible that of the old translation onely which hath The Lawe of the Lorde is immaculata vndefiled or as hee translateth vnspotted voide of filth and dishouestie Whereupon the matter is debated at large what y t latine worde immaculata doth signifie beyonde sea where the Censurer woulde dissemblingly seeme tâ— be and what it should signifie here in England A solemne preparation to make shew of a â—â—â—torie which the Censurer will haue ouer his owne imagination I shal be conuinced for false translation of that I translated not and for ill handling that I touched not I may as well be censured for the translation of Staphylus or Lindanâ—â—launders as for the translation of the word immaculata The original hath the Lawe of the Lord is perfect and the best translations haue so translated it Your olde translation doth gâ— alone the Lxx. followe the rest Wherefore this place out of Dauid doth shewe that the scripture is perfect and mainteineth her perfection against all corruptions as a right line sheweth it self and bewrayeth that which is crooked Thus you see I translate not your olde translation in this place with fraude or without â—â—aude Somewhat you
to haue fully answered the chiefe matter of this article but you drawing me on with your tauntes I must answere to them also For the difference of an Image and an Idol you knowe my answere and I acknowledge not your difference Couching your honours done to the creature and creator I doe not maliciously confound them but you do vnlearnedly make a distinction in wordes when in deede there is none When wee teach y t al your worshippes are idolatrous we offer you no wrong neither do we therin blind our hearers or charge you with doctrines which are not your own For if any worship be greater then other that you giue to the crosse and image of Christ you can not denie this being your playne doctrine as I haue declared by Thomas by Saunders by Andradius so expressed as we can not more expresse it against you Therefore we doe not mainteine matter of rayling against the true Catholike Church which hath alwayes more detested all Idolaâ—â—â—e then your Church doeth or can defende it For your repeated words God forgiue you I must conster them in the best part but comming in the middest of other scosses they giue me occasion to note that many offend in the vttering of them against God whose name they take in vaine and against their neighbour whome they curse and tant with wordes that import a charitable prayer which is to be reformed in our speach least such sinnefull vse of good wordes increase the note of euill maners All these XIII articles are graunted yet your Censureshippe doeth couer the graunt most carefully as one that knowes well what shame it is playnely and openly to graunt so foule absurdities You might haue prouided better for your owne credit and agaynst mine if you had directly denied but one of them to proue at the least one slaunderous false report for this alone woulde haue preuailed more against mee then all your naked vauntes and vndeserued sentences of disgrace But no one being denyed what cause had you as fearing no examination of your booke and without all regarde of trueth to saye Thus I haue answered briefely your slaunderous false reportes of the Iefuites doctrine In place of an answerer you haue only shewed your self a cauiller passing by the matter you haue propâ—unded to your selfe newe propositions from the purpose such as you might more easily confute theÌ„ those wherewith you are charged Therefore it appeareth notwithstanding your Censure that I haue with seemely and fitte wordes charged the Iesuites that they teach blasphemies against God and his worde that they are the Popes procters in that seruice and bewraye the spirit of Antichrist Let the record of your false sentence charging mee with a lying spirit of Antichrist with an ignorant and rayling spirit remayne with the placing of your name for mine til you haue otherwise proued that my speaches against the vncleane doctrine and rebellious practises of your Iesuites are vntrue or rayling And because so cleare places in the worde of God with the interpretation of the name and nomber of 666. agreed of by auncient fathers and founde to accorde with the Latin and Hebrewe wordes doe make Antichrist to sit at Rome in the citie buylded vpon seuen hilles if they make it to be a Latin and Romish Church let y â— record stande agaynst the Pope y t he is Antichrist and against al other his instruments for that they haue the spirite of Antichrist full of all corruption Wheras you charge me that my zeale ouerranne my witte in reporting the former doctrines as blasphemous it is to speake without proofe and to slaunder without controlement For I must agayne saye that all your ignoraunt euill zeale and al your witte knoweth not howe to denye any one of these XIII articles except you will willingly wittingly runne into a curse of the Trent Councill Therefore your bitter taunt was without cause in respect hereof as also in respect of that y t followeth about a masse booke For in my conscience I am not priuiâ— y t I did at any tune crye out or at all vtter these wordes A blaâ—phemie findyng the blessed virgin named mother of God Wherefore vntil you bring better proofe of it my religious deniall shal more then weigh downe your hateful affirmation conuince you of breaking y t nienth coÌ„mandemeÌ„t by raysing â—â—ch infamous reproches in print agaynst your neighbour eyther vpon light report of an enemie oâ— vpon your owne imagination I am not in this sort ouergreedie of your discredit to whom in that generall loue I owe to all men I wish in the Lorde the riches and honour of true godlinesse praying that you may receiue the loue of the trueth and bee blessed as I woulde bee blessed But this your cause of teaching errour and labouring to roote out the gospell must more and more bee brought into discredit eyther to drawe you to a loue of y t trueth or to make you ashamed of such lies If I did in deede any way hurt my cause you loue it not so well as to admonish mee thereof but I trust y t Lord would prouide me more faythful remeÌ„brancers For your next wordes of reproche that wee seeme to haue made a compact betweene vs euery man to lye his part howe vntrue are they and howe full of reproch To lye is a fowle sinne but to lye with consent and conspiracie that the lye may haue the more force and greater credit it is double iniquitie and furder from vs by the grace of God then from any of you If the force of trueth ouerbeare you not without Gods extraordinary iudgemeÌ„t I looke not to see you ouerborne This thirtieth leafe of your booke will afford a scantlin of your brotherly loue if any man will take the measure Notwithstanding in the ende you please mee so well that I must thanke you for your helping hande in a good woorke And although you tell the tale so that I may seeme to haue a fellowshippe in the offence yet being free I subscribe to your good a 〈…〉 tisement against imprinting lying 〈◊〉 as that from Rome For it is so great a sinne to imprint lyes and râ—â—ore for â—â—â—thy lucrâ— and euery where â—o empty mens purses and â—â—ll their heades with â—ables that for such an inquitie euery such Printer 〈…〉 ueth to carye a print of his vngod 〈…〉 couetoâ—snesse 〈◊〉 dishonour offered to 〈◊〉 so excellent and so profitable 〈◊〉 Touching the purpose of him that to perswade the allâ—wance was like to aff 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 er 〈◊〉 he were a Papiâ—â— such as is 〈◊〉 like 〈◊〉 tell what is done at Rome hee had a 〈…〉 d to sinne hi 〈…〉 of purpose that he 〈…〉 ht laye it 〈…〉 If it were 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woulde so 〈…〉 e y t Pope which cannot be gathered by any word in all the 〈◊〉 it was in him a greater sinne For without lying newes there is true matter â—â—ough
but because he hath it according to a trueth and the trueth according to the word Hierome is a notable father of singular giftes but to passe ouer other places I verely thinke you woulde censure him for his interpretations vpon the eleuenth verse of the seconde chapter to the Galathians and vpon the sixt verse of the thirde chapter I write them not downe because I am desirous to couer such blemishes among other excellent gifts Whether the visible Catholike Church may erre or no which must be considered in the particular members and doctrine thereof I will for a triall admitte the example of your Church but not the presēt testimonie Their example doeth testifie y ◠Apostasie which their testimonie will not acknowledge though they should do it to iustifie the prophecies that were deliuered of it before and are nowe made so cleere as nothing may be more To your manifold examples brought to proue that heretiques cleaue to the scripture I answere first y ◠heretiques also cleaue to traditions ordinances receiued by word of mouth as appeareth by the complaint of Ireneus against them Secondly the Scripture is the worde of God in his manifest sense and construction of trueth and life and not according to the naked letter whereunto I graunt the heretiques did peeuishly sticke as you also doe where it maketh for your purpose The philosophicall proofes which some haue made asyou say for the wonderfull mysterie of Christes two natures and willes proue not so much for philosophie as you woulde inferre therby for without philosophie the scripture hath sufficient proofes for that necessarie doctrine as hath beene declared But by the way where is your iudgement in this assertion debate the matter with your selfe and you shall finde howe vnpossible it is for natural philosophy to determin the supernaturall misteries of the vnitie of God and man of two natures and willes in one person Iesus Christe which was a worke of God as great as the creation of the world Notwithstanding I haue acknowledged that philosophie being corrected and sanctified by the woorde may also be some helpe to heauenly wisedome but without it the woorde is sufficient to open all the counsell of God which apperteyneth vnto vs. Thus we take not away as you charge vs y ◠vse of Couneils Fathers other like helpes because of an abuse y ◠may bee but stand against them y ◠vnder some vse thereof woulde bring in and cōfirme the 〈◊〉 Therefore how doth the Censurer both accuse without conscience and giue sentence without iudgement who doth depriue you of these helpes Who doth call you to the bare letter How often am I enforced to repeate one thing to answere the same slaunder As Councils and Doctors or Philosophie may helpe wee allowe them and vse them as Iudges we admit them not and although we answere you to them when they are alleadged yet knowe that it is of that measure that is pressed downe and floweth ouer we are not bound vnto it with any condition But what reasons are these that followe in the Censure Eche man may deny the Scripture to be Scripture or wrangle at pleasure vpon the sense therefore we must admit Councils Doctors and Philosophie This argument is very vnlearned and peremptori◠against the maiestie of Gods worde A wicked man may wickedly take exceptions against it therefore it is not sufficient he◠may deny or wrangle vpon the sense therefore we must leaue the certaine touchstone of God and bee tryed by the vncertaine coniectures of men If the Iesuite had not abandoned all worldly commodities as not caring for the good blessings of God in this behalfe I might easely confute this reason by one drawne from a lesse assurance and lesse importance An enemie may deny the Censurers euidences of land or wrangle vpon the sense of the wordes therefore he must not stand vpon them but seeke other testimonies to mainteine his title But if these helpes or as you meane if the authoritie of men bee taken away it is as much as to saye controuersies in religion shall neuer be ended Wherein againe you make this weake and wicked argument if controuersies in religion be euer ended it must not be by the Scriptures only but by Councils Doctors and Philosophie This is therefore the effect of your Censure and definitiue sentence in this matter that which God cannot doe by his worde men may by their writings that which God cānot determine by his trueth men may ende and conclude by their lyes And further to examine this your bould and daungerous conclusion into what a sea doe you drowe vs calling vs to passe by the examination and iudgement of so many so large so doubtfull and so contrarie writers If the worde be darke are not the Fathers darker If the Scriptures bee doubtfull are not mens writings infinitely more doubtfull If any heretique or wicked man dare wrest the holy scriptures of God withe not much more dare to peruert to denie and to treade vnderfoote the writings of a mortall man It came from the deepest bottom of the Sea to drawe men from the certeintie safetie of Gods word to the daunger and vncerteinty of mens iudgement Concerning the heresies you mention as Trinitaries in Transiluania Anabaptistes in Poland Adamites in Germanie I pray God wheresoeuer these or any other heresies bee taught that they may be vtterly rooted out together with all other weedes that growe vp of their owne accorde wheresoeuer the Plowe is neglected For Hu 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me for any thing I know in substance of Religion also for Caluinistes in Fraūce I answere they are no heretiques 〈…〉 rie these names but by your 〈…〉 speach that to bring the Gospell of God into cōtempt would make it to be thought the doctrine of those men whom the Lorde raysed vp as notable instruments to publish it in their time and as singular lights to chase away the mist which you had brought in in all places of your darke and sinfull kingdome How farre we differ from Lutherans in some poyntes you are not the fittest man to whome I may make complaint But howsoeuer you haue added your marke in the margent Note this yet the Scripture is no cause of this disagreement Vnder the name of Caluanistes you charge the Estate of this land with heresie for albeit we receiue not the name neither build our faith vpon the doctrine of any mā yet the Estate maynteyneth the doctrine which vnder that name you call heresie But you would onely seeme to lay that reproch vpon France In England you saye there are Puritanes the Familie of loue What an high and deepe slaunder is this to all the godly in this kingdome from the prince to the meanest person professing the religion your Catholikes excepted are all in England either to bee charged with the odious name of Puritanes or with the most execrable abominations of the Familie of loue What would not
this your spirit attempt in the aboundance of your heart if you durst as well come to open action as you dare cast out these open and intollerable flaunders against all the godly entred We all holde the same doctrine of faith published and mainteined according to the worde of God we come to the same felloweship and communion in the exercises of religion and ioyne all in the same defence of Gods holie Gospell yea we all though not in the same measure seeke the reformatioÌ„ of that that at the Lordes time shalbe reformed to a further growth and beautie in the bodie of Iesus Christ which is the Church Therefore notwithstanding your slaunder vpon examination it wil appeare that those in Englande which are slaundered with the name of detestable Heretiques are farre from the heresie most readie to condemne it or whatsoeuer is contrarie to the publique doctrine of faith mainteined by the present Lawes of the lande which doctrine is pure and holy and agreeable to the most holy word of God which the Lorde continue for his names sake with peace vpon Israel But to returne to the Censurer hee addeth a manifest vntruth saying that all the former heresies ioyne against the Romish Church in receiuing the scripture onely To wade no further the familie of loue which you cite are against you who haue their seuerall Gospell of the kingdome they build vpon the cursed thrise cursed bookes of H.N. also they scorne the scripture learned and in their loue to you acknowledge y e ministerie of y â— word to come froÌ„ the Pope Therefore they do neyther cleaue only to y â— scriptures nor liue in such mislike of your superstitions Nowe for the matter if your argument be good Heretiques cleaue to the word onely therefore it is naught you may aswell conclude that we must not alleadge the Scriptures at all because they alleadge them we must not dispute at all because they dispute which conclusions are all absurd For heretiques eate and drinke they clothe them selues all which are lawfull for all men to doe therefore not whatsoeuer they doe but whatsoeuer they doe as heretiques that is a marke of heresie Furthermore to proue wantes in the worde of God you demaunde howe it commeth to passe that the Scripture doeth not ende controuersies among heretiques I answere they are in the faulte as you also like heretiques are by resisting the trueth the worde is not to bee charged with any want But let me moue the like question and haue your Censure touching the doubt You that haue the Scriptures the Councils the Fathers you that haue Philosophie moreouer and stories and which is most of all the Popes breast and the fulnesse of the spirite you bragge off howe commeth it to passe that you haue not yet compounded your trouble some and long controuersie whether the virgin Marie was conceyued without originall sinne or no If the euidences you so stande vpon cannot in so long time ende so small a matter what will they be able to proue in the great questions of saluation Agayne hedemauÌ„deth how such heresies can be yf y â— truth be so cleare For triall of the truth a manifest proofe what power there is in Gods worde there must be heresies and schismes and God hath alwayes suffered false prophets teachers for a iust punishment of those that loue not the trueth neuerthelesse the Scripture is cleare and plaine where God giueth an eare to heare and a heart to vnderstand if it be hidden it is hidden to them that are lost But you that once or twice beate at mee as one whose zeale ranne before his witte staye your selfe Doe you y â— make no conscience to diminish the authoritie of the worde of God crye out agaynst vs if wee refuse the determination of men will you that haue alreadie in diuers plates pleaded against y â— sufficiencie of Scriptures now pleade for Philosophie Doctours and Councils as able to end al controuersies ratifie your title If we call you onely to the worde not the bare woord but adorned and richly attired with all fulnes of light and trueth the cleerest interpreter of it selfe doe wee in calling you hither depriue you of your euidences and witnesses seeking thereby to set you together by the â—ares for the title I knowe no euidences but the worde no witnesses but the holy Prophets and Apostles if your kingdome can not iustifie it selfe by these euidences and witnesses let her bee condemned by them for euer Your beadroule of fathers naming heretiques y â— abused y â— Scriptures I tooke not the tale of them they are brought in as vnnecessary witnesses of a matter alreadie answered not in question Lastly you conclude that we drawe in one line with the most cursed heretiques and you make them our progenitors because we appeale to the worde of God as the onely teacher and iudge in causes of religion If this be a faulte let it be required at our hande if it be your horrible slaunder against the worde and agaynst the Saints of God for giuing due honour thereunto y â— Lord require it at your handes in the defence of his owne glorie Touching Christian Franken TOuching Christian Franken which is the last of your foure partes it appeareth he hath vsed a true reporte agaynst the Iesuites because as hee assured him selfe before hande yet no man hath denyed the idolatries the superstitious and heathenish exercises wherewith he doth so plainly charge them As for the first part of your answere hereunto it standeth altogether vpon false argumentes as that He departeth from the sect of Iesuites therfore he is an apostata He discouereth their wicked superstition therefore he reuileth al catholike religion Austen confesseth that hee knew none worse then they that fel in Monastical life while he liued therfore FrankeÌ„ must be one of them All these conclusions are barely affirmed without proofe therefore may be truely denied without any further answere Notwithstanding it is to bee noted that againe you find no fitter taunt against M. Luther and Iohn Bale then to call them Friers and therefore you repeate the matter True it is they were Friers but forgiue them that fault seeing they did cast away their habit and kept a better course An other reproch followeth in charging vs plainely with coyning the newes of Rome and with suspition to haue coyned Frankens Dialogue whereunto I answere if we haue not coyned you haue And as for AusteÌ„s place it maketh for him against whome it is alleadged and against them in whose defence you bring it For if in Austens time with some good this Monasticall life brought forth others so euill that none were worse and hath declined euer since it was time for Franken to come out from the middest of you If so long ago in such puritie of the Church as was in Austens time the Monasteries did bring forth y â— worst men of