God's good seruants to bee of the number of the Elect and propter sanioren et meliorem partem for their sounder and better part to bee of that Church whereof we are to be members of that body whereof by the grace of Christ we are a portion And in this respect our settled and resolued iudgement is that when it is asked Where our Church in former Ages was we may besides that which we haue formerly answered truly say that it was in England in France in Spaine in Italy yea in Rome it selfe Spiritus vbi vult spirat the holy Ghost breatheth where it pleaseth for who cannot conceiue by the writings of many in former Ages or by such touches as others doe giue concerning them that diuers who liued neerest the Whore of Babylon did most detest her abomination and finding that the weaknes and impurity of her doctrine could not truely satisfie the hungry and thirsty soule did according to that knowledge which Christ out of his Word reuealed vnto them seek some means which was not ordinarily professed in that Time And if it be asked Who they were and how they could lie hid from the world It may truly be answered that their case was like the case of them in the daies of Elias who were not knowne to that State which would haue persecuted them Now why should not wee think but as God had his secret and inuisible company at that time in that most idolatrous Countrey so in the time of the deepest darknesse hee had those which saw light his Christian Children among Antichrists Brood such as embraced true Religion among the superstitious So that Italy and Rome and these Westerne parts had some of Gods Saints in all Ages who like Sea-fish most fresh in the salt water and beeing remoued in their affections though not in their persons did with Lot vex their righteous soules in the middest of a spiritual Sodom and kept themselues vnspotted of the world And yet it is not to bee taken that wee coarctate the Church within those Prouinces onely which looked towards the See of Rome but know that God had thousands of his Elect elsewhere Christians haue bin in India euen by perpetuall descent from the daies of the Apostles and so in Africa among the Abissines in infinite and huge companies besides such as haue continued in Armenia Asia the lesser Aegypt but especially in the Greeke Church which was neuer so much as in shew extinguished and from whom the Russians and Muscouites had their Faith Our Popish Lads would gladly shut all these out of Christs Fold because they acknowledge not the Bishop of Rome for their Vniuersall Pastor but wee should doe wrong to Almighty God to pinne his iudgement vpon the Popes sleeue and to offer to pull from him so many ample Churches whereas charity and common sense might put vs in minde that he might there haue thousands throughout all Ages Looke to these places ye Papists and imagine that if there had beene none but these yet the words of the Scripture which in generality speake of a Spouse had beene true and Christ had there had his body on earth and the Church had not beene vtterly extinguished if neither we nor the Synagogue of Rome had beene extant But in as much as it cannot be denied but that the prophesies concerning Antichrist doe most touch the Westerne world Rome beeing by the holy Ghost euidently designed to bee the seat of the Whore of Babylon as also because our Romish Standard-bearers are more willing to talke of those parts then of any other I will once returne againe to the Countreys neere adioyning Then in some parts of Christendome how many men were there in all ages who loathed both the See of Rome and the whole courses of it as the Israelites did loath the Aegyptians bondage Mathew Paris alone giueth as many notable experiments that way as relating the Acts of the Emperour Frederick who put out diuers declarations in detestation of the Pope and adding elsewhere further of his owne that Pope Gregory did absolue from the oath of fealty all who were bound vnto the Emperor perswading them that they should be faithfull in vnfaithfulnesse obedient in disobedience But so much deserued the Romane Churches lewdnesse which is to be execrated of all men that the Popes authority did merit to bee harkened vnto by few or none He reporteth also of a certain Carthusian Monk at Cambridge who cryed out against the Pope and said that Hee was an Heretick and that the Churches were profaned and of Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne who was a man both holy and learned in his time This Lincolniensis while he liued had many combates with the Bishop of Rome and openly resisted his barbarous tyranny in domineering so farre in England as to enioyne prouision of the best Benefices to be taken vp for Italian Boyes which for a Prebend in his Church of Lincolne hee would not yeeld vnto and for that cause was by the Pope excommunicated But when hee was dying hee most bitterly inueighed against the Romane Bishop and the Ecclesiasticall persons as the most wicked men that did liue In the same Author you may also finde the conceit which the most reuerend Arch-bishop of York Sewaldus had of them and their proceedings What should I mention Ioachim who said that in his time Antichrist was already born and was in the City of Rome or that Bishop of Florence who liued about the yeer 1100 and did vse to say that Antichrist was then in the world Which moued Pope Paschalis so much as that hee thought fit to enquire of him in a Councell and did there castigate him for it Notable in this kinde are the Contentions of Philippus Pulcher the King of France and his whole Clergy against Boniface the Eightth I might adde to these Petrus de Brus and many other learned men who laid the Axe to the very Root of Popery and some in set Treatises oppugned one of their documents and some assaulted other but that the Writer of the Catalogus testium veritatis as it is lately enlarged and Master Fox and Master Bale and diuers other haue largely handled this to the reading of whose Bookes I doe referre them who in particular desire to bee more aduertised in this behalfe Now if these things doe appeare much by their own witnesse and by the confession of Papists themselues as also by such few Records as by Gods prouidence so disposing doe yet remaine how many illustrious arguments might there haue beene of the Confession of our faith if the Clergy and Magistracy of those darke times had not burned and suppressed all things which made against them as I shewed before touching the Bookes of Iohn Wickles Reinald Pecock in Oxford The Clergy in those dayes did almost rule all and they had the custody of all Libraries to ransack at
disturbe the peace of the vniuersall world Whereunto Liberius did not take exception saying that the visible Church stood for him and Athanasius but rather giueth another reason to make good his being alone Be it that I am alone notwithstanding for that the cause of the faith is not the worse for a great while agoâ—e there were three onely found who would resist the Kings commandement Heere the Church for any external shew was low brought for if any body held it vp it was Athanasius who then played least in sight and durst not appeare For this Liberius who did for a time second him did afterward shrinke He went at first into banishment in defence of the truth but after that he was solicited and laid at by Fontunatianus that he relented and condiscended to subscribe to the Arrian heresie as Hierom witnesseth who liued in that age and was long conuersant in Rome and therefore could better report what was the issue of Liberius his constancie then some others who doe relate it otherwise What can be said for him Bellarmine hath but yet inforced by the euident testimony of Athanasius Hillary and Hierome he confesseth so much as I haue here set down but couer it he would that he only consented to the externall act of subscribing but remained in heart Othodox Why should it then bee a maruell if in processe of time Antichrist growing to greater strength the Church should bee in couert It is no more then often fell out vnder the Iewish Synagogue hath bin exemplified to haue been since among the Christians and was so euidently foretold before In so much that by the example of the woman it can not bee the true Church vnlesse it should be hidden in the wildernesse Which while our Popish teachers deny to agree to their Romish Church but professe that it hath euer been in sight they themselues doe by a consequent proclaime that they are not the pure and vndefiled flying woman but another painted harlot and strumpet The true Church is for a time out of sight in the wildernes but so say they was their Church neuer and therefore will they nill they their Church is not the true Church And here to the end that the slaunderous calumniation of our aduersaries may the more be manifested to all those who wil not wilfully close their eyes against truth I will a little shew the vanity yet maliciousnes of their obiection when they say there was neuer any of our faith before the daies of Luther who in the yeare 1517 began for his part to display the kingdome of Antichrist Where I pray the Reader to consider that the most part of those whom I shall cite are Popish Writers and no way partially affected towards vs. We say then that Martine Luther was not the first brocher of those points which he taught again't papistry but as he did originally deduce them from the Scriptures out of the works of the ancient Fathers so he did derine them also hereditarily from other who immediatly before him had taught the same doctrine left it both in books the hearts of men recommended vnto him as principal parties herein I name Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage and all such as were their schollers in or about Bohemia who before Luthers time oppugned the beliefe of the church of Rome their profession was not extinguished vntill his dayes howsoeuer it before had bin mainly assaulted If we could learne this no where els yet Fr. Guicciardine an Italian Florentin Historiographer would informe vs of it who writing of the yeare 1520 saith plainly that Luther did set abroad the Heresies as he tearmeth them of the Bohemians and hee nameth there Hus and Hierome as former diuulgers of the same and Petrus Messias a Spaniard therein agreeth with him who mentioning the opinions of Hus and the Bohemians saith they were the seed of those errours which were afterward in Germany alluding to the doctrine of Luther There is no man whose testimony in this behalfe may be of more worth then Ioh. Cochleus First because he wrote a large story of purpose concerning the Hussites therfore by his long search reading and writing in that argument may be persumed to know as much as any Secondly because it may be well imagined that he would fain nothing to do Luther good in as much as he also wrote a volume purposely against that worthy seruant of God intending to rip vp his whole life from yeare to yeare and to censure all his works yet this enemy of his in the Story of the Hussites doth plentifully satisfie vs about the matter now in question One where he telleth vs that Hus did slay soules for an hundred yeares together neither yet doth he cease to slay them by the second death Within an hundred yeares after him came in Luther according as the said Iohn Hus did prophecie not long before his death And when it is added that yet he doth not cease to slay it is manifest that his Doctrine remained till the dayes of Cochleus In another place he relateth that Luther did stirre vp seditions in Germanie by the Books of the Hussites Afterward he calleth those who were in Germany in his time New Hussites And againe Hus did so rent the vnitie of the Church that vnto this day there remaineth a pitifull diuision in Bohemia He proceedeth in the same matter elsewhere saying That the people of Germanie are now by Luther partakers of the Heresies of Hus and Hierome One sort of the followers of this Iohn Hus did call themselues Thaborites and these were they who most dissented of all from the Doctrine of Rome Of these he speaketh thus Vnto this day remaineth the Sect of the Thaborites in many places of Bohemia and Morauia vnder the name of Picards and Waldenses Lastly the same Cochleus in the yeare 1534. doth wish that hee may see the remainders or leauings of the Hussites to returne to the Church and the Germanes to cast out all new Sectes VVhat can bee more euident then that the Doctrine of Iohn Hus was sensibly and apparantly continued somewhere euen till the dayes of Martin Luther Vnto which may bee added that whereas Luther began to shew himselfe but in the yeare 1517 that very yeere was ended the Councell of Laterane held at Rome and finished by Pope Leo the tenth And there consultation was had of reforming the manners of the Church and of recalling the Bohemians to the vnity of the Church of Rome And as these Testimonies doe conuince that the Christian Confession of Hus was not extinguished at the comming of Martin Luther so may there be good reason assigned why it did so long continue in as much as it was imbraced by many and earnestly maintained euen vnto the death When Hus began first to preach the people which vsed handy craftes did with
of LoÌ„don and in a Monition directed to Oxford where it is said that certain Conclusions hereticall and erronious were generally and commonly preached and published in diuers places of the Prouince of Canterbury There be extant also Letters of king Richard 2. directly signifying so much But there is nothing which may more amply testifie the spreading of his doctrine then an Act of Parliament in the beginning almost of that young Kings dayes where it is related that there were diuers Preaching dayly not onely in Churches and Church-yardes but also in markets faires other open places where as great congregation of people is diuers Sermons containing heresies and notorious errours This putteth me in minde of a written book which once I saw being a Chronicle compiled by a Monk of Leicester Abby who writing of the time of the said King reporteth at large that the people in faires and markets and riding by the way and almost euery where would talke of the Scripture and reprooue the customes of that time as also the Priests to the exceeding great trouble and offence of the Clergie This they might the rather do out of the Word of God because the Scriptures were then translated into English as may bee seene by diuerse Copies written and remaining vnto this day supposed to be so turned by Wicklef And it is very probable that in Leicester shire there were many of those of whom the Monk Leicestrensis spake since at Lutterworth a Towne in that County Iohn Wicklef was beneficed But the greatest part of this learned mans abode was at the first in the Vniuersitie of Oxford where hee was both a Doctor and Reader in Diuinity and therefore is to bee conceiued to haue many learned men partaking with him in his opinions Master Fox saith out of the Chronicle of S. Albanes that hee had a Benefice in Oxford of which he was depriued by Simon Sudbury Arch-Bishop of Canterbury It may bee this was nothing else but the Mastership or chiefe Gouernors place in Bailioll Colledge which I am perswaded that hee had since there are yet two antient Writings in the treasury of that Colledge which I haue seene which were made in the name of Iohn Wicklef Master of that house and that in the daies of King Richard the Second But while he liued he had so many fauourers in that Vniuersity as that Master Robert Rigges Vice-Chancelor and the two Proctors took part with him as also Nicholas Herford Philip Repington and Iohn Ashton Preachers and Batchelors of Diuinity and grew into great question for his cause where Repington in the end beeing Doctor did slippe from him Yea so farre was his doctrine there spred that Pope Gregorie the Eleuenth in the yeere 1378 did direct his Bâ—ll to the Vniuersity of Oxford against the Doctrine and Articles of that learned man euen Rome it selfe ringing of his opinions in that Vniuersity Neither did his Followers dye when he himselfe died But long after that Pope Gregory the twelfth did direct downe another Bull to Oxford against Wicklef in which he vsed the same words which his Predecessors had that is to say that Wicklef did follow the doctrine of Marsilius of Padua and of Iohn of Gandune of vnworthy memory Which speech is worth the marking to shew that this man also had his Predecessors The Copie of this latter Bull is to bee seene in the Booke which that worthy louer of Antiquities Master Hare gaue to our Vniuersity where also is to bee seene in the Constitution of a Prouinciall Councell celebrated at Oxford a sharp Inquisition decreed by Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury against all euen the heads of Colledges and Halles and others suspected of Lollardy and Wicleuisme They might well suppose that the Students of that place were entertainers of such doctrine since about that very time a testimoniall was giuen in their Congregation house vnder seale in fauour of Iohn Wicklef where these words are among other God forbid that our Prelates should haue condemned a man of such honesty for an Heretick And yet in the Councell of Constance hee was condemned for such a one forty yeeres after that he was dead and buried But all would not serue to extirpate his Bookes or memory out of our Vniuersity but euen in the daies of King Edward the Fourth there were new letters directed to the Gouernors of that place by the King himselfe to make search for his Bookes and to burne them I haue in my custody a faire antient Record of that Vniuersity which by meanes of a good friend I haue gained back to this place And therein is a solemne Letter directed from the Conuocation of Doctors and Masters to the King teâ—tifying that according to their Soueraigns Commandement they had with accurate diligence searched out the Bookes and Tracts of Wicklef himselfe and of Reginald Pecock and had burnt them So much adoe was it and that in so long a space to suppresse the head whereunto Wicklefs doctrine was growne in the famous Vniuersity of Oxford How elsewhere in this Kingdome his positions were spred may be easily collected out of Geffry Chaucer who dying about the yeere 1400 may rightly be supposed to haue liued while Ioh. Wicklef liued This Chaucer who wanted neither wit nor learning did at large paint-out the pride lasciuious vicious and intolerable behauior of the Pope Cardinals and Clergy euen applying the name of Antichrist diuers times vnto the Romane Bishop and saying that There were many in those daies of the speakers minde yea finding fault with their faith aswell as with their manners The whole tale is wel worth the reading but I will cite onely a few verses Peter was neuer so great a foole To leaue his Key with such a lorell Or take such cursed such a toole He was aduised nothing well I trow they haue the key of hell Their master is of that place Marshall For there they dressen hem to dwell And with false Lucifer there to fall They beene as proud as Lucifer As angry and as enuious From good faith they beene full farre In couetize they beene curious To catch cattaile as couetous As hound that for hunger will yall Vngodly and vngracious And needily such falshod shall fool fall This and a hundred times as much he expresseth in a simple plough mans person as euidently inferring that the husbandman meanest country body of that time by the reading and hearing of the Word of God could tell what was right and religious and what otherwise yea and complaine of the blindnesse and impiety of the Romanists in that age But if wee would be aduertised what euen Lay-men in those times could doe let vs looke into the Declarations of Walter Bruite who was in question for his opinion before the Bishop of Hereford in the yeere 1393 and gaue vp a a little booke containing those tâ—â—ngs which he maintained The true
but Alphonsus the King of Arragon came in his owne person to his succour as beeing his kinsman and his friend And when all these were met together the report is saith Du Haillan that the Armie of these Hereticks did consist of about the number of one hundred thousand fighting men These things beeing thus discouered by men of your owne part bee ashamed you Papists and blush to spread among your simple and credulous Followers that neuer men did as we doo nor beleeued as wee beleeue before Luther's time but that all Christendome formerly liked of the papisticall doctrine and proceedings But because you shall heare one testimony further touching these Albingenses and Waldenses how honest and truely religious they were I will cite what one Reinerius a man who did hate them and was as it is supposed an Inquisitor against them reported concerning them now 300 yeers ago or thereabout Thus then among much other matter he saith of them There were many Sects of Hereticks long ago among all which Sects that are or were there is not one more pernicious to the Church of God than that of the poore men of Lyons for three causes First because it is of longer continuance some say that it hath endured from the time of Syluester others say that from the time of the Apostles The second is because it is more generall for there is almost no Land into which this Sect doth not creep The third that whereas all other by the immanity of their blasphemies against God doo make men abhorre them this of the Lyonists hauing a great shew of godlinesse because they doo liue iustly before men and doo beleeue all things well of God and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed onely the Church of Rome they doo blaspheme and hate which the multitude is easie to beleeue And as Sampson ' s Foxes had their faces seueral waies but their tails tied one to another so Hereticks are diuerse in Sects among themselues but in the impugning of the Church they are vnited There can hardly be found a more honourable testimony out of the mouth or penne of a bitter and bloudy Aduersary as he was who wrote this much more concerning those good seruants of God We shall not need to ascend any higher since hee giueth witnes of the antiquity of their profession long before his time which otherwise to make plain is as easie as to deliuer that which hitherto I haue spoken And it is not to bee conceiued that Petrus Waldo of whom the Waldenses tooke their name at Lyons had his doctrine from no body but that of himselfe he attained to his owne knowledge since he was not deeply learned Berengarius indeed was onely called in question for denying Transubstantiation in the Sacrament but it may well bee thought that in something else he dissented from the Church of Rome and albeit by his owne weaknes and the importunity of the Clergie he yeelded once or twice to recant and abiure the true doctrine which hee held yet hee had many scholars who by his example would not bee driuen from the right beleef which they had apprehended These scholars were in France in great numbers and in diuerse other lands and Genebrard cannot conceal it but that about the yeer of our Lord 1088 Basilius the Monk did set on foot again the errour of Berengarius And might not the doctrine of both these bee sucked from Bertram who wrote so learnedly and so directly out of the Scriptures and Fathers against the reall presence and Transubstantiation that the Index expurgatorius cannot tel what to make of him But the Bishop of Eureux vnder the name of Henry Constable tearmeth him The great fore-runner of all the Sacramentaries and Richcome the Iesuit disclaimeth him plainly as a Sacramentarie Heretick Then Caluin and Zuinglius were not the first who gain-said transubstantiation Before our ascending thus high we might tell you of Saint Bernard whom although it is likely at the first dash you will challenge as your owne yet when you haue well aduised on him you may let him goe again for albeit hee had his errours which he suckt from the age wherein he liued and we may not in all things subscribe to his iudgement but say of him as commonly it is spoken Bernardus non vidit omnia yet wee finde in him saniorem partem a liberall profession of many good sound points agreeable to the Gospell Hee for a fashion acknowledgeth many matters to be in the Pope and giueth him greater titles than any Papist can iustifie but it is by such insinuation to win him more attention frō Eugenius and then hauing procured liberty or rather taken it to himself he schooleth and lessoneth the Pope plainly shewing that he liked not of their ordinary courses neither did hee repute him to haue that preeminence or prerogatiue which his Parasites did allow him But touching the matter of merit by good works for iustification alone by Christ of free-will for certain assurance of saluation in the death and by the strength of our Sauiour and for disliking then the vile life of the Clergie how cleer how learned how copious is hee These things wee teach together with him and notwithstanding his other slips we doubt not but his soule doth rest with the Lord God pardoning vnto him his errours and his ignorances which hee being carried with the stream of that Time did neuer discusse but took them as they were deliuered to him without scanning or examining And to this good hope we are firmly induced by that Saying of Saint Paul Other Foundation can no man lay but that which is laid which is Iesus Christ and if any man build on this Foundation gold siluer precious stones timber hay or stubble euery mans work shall bee made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be reuealed by fire and the fire shall try euery mans work of what sort it is If any mans work that he hath built-vpon abide he shall receiue wages if any mans workburn he shall lose but he shall be safe himself He held the Foundation of iustification onely by faith in Christ and that our best deeds are but via Regni non causa regnandi the way to the Kingdome not the cause of raigning and for that cause we doubt not but his soule is safe though his hay and stubble of praying to Saints and such other stuffe as cannot endure the fire of the holy Ghost's triall doo burn and consume And this is our iudgement touching many other both before and after the time of Saint Bernard that holding Christ the Foundation aright and groning vnder the heauy burden of humane traditions satisfaction and other popish trash they by a generall repentance from their errors and lapses knowne and vnknowne and by an assured faith in their Sauiour did finde fauour with the Lord. Such as these were we hold to be